Adapting to change in a constantly changing environment is a challenge that organisations face on a daily basis. In order to stay competitive globally, the management of resistance to change becomes crucial. Research done on leadership reveals the very strong effect that leaders have on followers’ behaviours and attitudes and it is emphasized the role leadership plays in the implementation and supporting of change. The purpose of this dissertation is to determine whether a relationship between leadership and resistance to change exist within the higher education sector. The study obtains data of 75 participants within the faculty of engineering. The survey was done by means of a questionnaire. The statistical analyses included frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlations, independent t-tests, Mann-Whitney tests, ANOVAs and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results indicated that employees’ reactions toward change could be influenced by the type of leadership style present in the organisation, therefore it is necessary that the correct leadership style within an organisation cannot be underestimated. It could mean the difference between success and failure. For the purpose of this study, the researcher considered the scales of the Resistance to Change questionnaire sufficiently reliable, but further exploration of the scales and its adaptation to this context may be needed in future to enhance reliability measures. An important insight of this research is that, to be more effective in creating and supporting change within organisations, managers need to learn to recognise and understand resistance within them as well as in others. This research contributes to the already vast content of research on leadership and resistance to change and does so by being focused on studying these constructs under a unique set of circumstances. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Adapting to change in a constantly changing environment is a challenge that organisations face on a daily basis. In order to stay competitive globally, the management of resistance to change becomes crucial. Research done on leadership reveals the very strong effect that leaders have on followers’ behaviours and attitudes and it is emphasized the role leadership plays in the implementation and supporting of change. The purpose of this dissertation is to determine whether a relationship between leadership and resistance to change exist within the higher education sector. The study obtains data of 75 participants within the faculty of engineering. The survey was done by means of a questionnaire. The statistical analyses included frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlations, independent t-tests, Mann-Whitney tests, ANOVAs and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results indicated that employees’ reactions toward change could be influenced by the type of leadership style present in the organisation, therefore it is necessary that the correct leadership style within an organisation cannot be underestimated. It could mean the difference between success and failure. For the purpose of this study, the researcher considered the scales of the Resistance to Change questionnaire sufficiently reliable, but further exploration of the scales and its adaptation to this context may be needed in future to enhance reliability measures. An important insight of this research is that, to be more effective in creating and supporting change within organisations, managers need to learn to recognise and understand resistance within them as well as in others. This research contributes to the already vast content of research on leadership and resistance to change and does so by being focused on studying these constructs under a unique set of circumstances. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Computer applications can be described as largely rigid structures within which an information seeker must navigate in search of information - each screen, each transaction having underlying unique code. The larger the application, the higher the number of lines of code and the larger the size of the application executable. This study suggests an alternative pattern based approach, an approach driven by the information seeker. This alternative approach makes use of value embedded in intelligent patterns to assemble rules and logic constituents, numerous patterns aggregating to form a ‟virtual screen‟ based on the need of the information seeker. Once the information need is satisfied, the atomic rules and logic constituents dissipate and return to a base state. These same constituents are available, are reassembled and form the succeeding ‟virtual screen‟ to satisfy the following request. The pattern based approach makes use of multiple pattern ‟instances‟ to deliver functionality each pattern instance has a specific embedded value. Numbers of these patterns aggregate to drive the formation of a ‟virtual screen‟ built using patterns, each pattern referencing and associating (physical) atomic logic and spatial constituents. This is analogous to painting a picture using removable dots. The dots can be used to describe a fish, and then, once appreciation has been completed, the image is destroyed and the dots are returned to the palette. These same dots can later be reapplied to present the picture of a dog, if that is requested by the information seeker. In both pictures the same ‟dots‟ are applied and reused. The form of the fish and dog are retained as value embedded within the patterns, the dots are building blocks aligned using instructions within the patterns. This group classifies current solutions within the ‟Artefact-Pattern-Artefact‟ (APA) group and the pattern based approach within the ‟Pattern-Artefact-Pattern‟ (PAP) group. An overview and characteristics of each are discussed. The study concludes by presenting the results obtained when using a prototype developed using the PAP approach. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Information Technology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

Computer applications can be described as largely rigid structures within which an information seeker must navigate in search of information - each screen, each transaction having underlying unique code. The larger the application, the higher the number of lines of code and the larger the size of the application executable. This study suggests an alternative pattern based approach, an approach driven by the information seeker. This alternative approach makes use of value embedded in intelligent patterns to assemble rules and logic constituents, numerous patterns aggregating to form a ‟virtual screen‟ based on the need of the information seeker. Once the information need is satisfied, the atomic rules and logic constituents dissipate and return to a base state. These same constituents are available, are reassembled and form the succeeding ‟virtual screen‟ to satisfy the following request. The pattern based approach makes use of multiple pattern ‟instances‟ to deliver functionality each pattern instance has a specific embedded value. Numbers of these patterns aggregate to drive the formation of a ‟virtual screen‟ built using patterns, each pattern referencing and associating (physical) atomic logic and spatial constituents. This is analogous to painting a picture using removable dots. The dots can be used to describe a fish, and then, once appreciation has been completed, the image is destroyed and the dots are returned to the palette. These same dots can later be reapplied to present the picture of a dog, if that is requested by the information seeker. In both pictures the same ‟dots‟ are applied and reused. The form of the fish and dog are retained as value embedded within the patterns, the dots are building blocks aligned using instructions within the patterns. This group classifies current solutions within the ‟Artefact-Pattern-Artefact‟ (APA) group and the pattern based approach within the ‟Pattern-Artefact-Pattern‟ (PAP) group. An overview and characteristics of each are discussed. The study concludes by presenting the results obtained when using a prototype developed using the PAP approach. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Information Technology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

Summary: Low back pain is the most common reason for referral to musculoskeletal care in the Canadian military. With healthcare seeking for musculoskeletal care rising over the past five years, and healthcare easily accessible for all military personnel, it is important to investigate factors that may contribute to high usage of the military healthcare system. Objective: To explore the association between LBP prognostic factors and musculoskeletal healthcare seeking for LBP in Canadian military population Methods: Historical cohort study, using data linkage. Results: In our exploratory analysis, fear of movement/(re)injury, Veterans Affairs compensation status, post-traumatic stress disorder, previous high use of musculoskeletal services, history of LBP, and military duty status were associated with healthcare seeking. For our confirmatory analysis, pain-related fear had an independent association with healthcare seeking in this population. Conclusion: Psychological and social factors are associated with the rate of musculoskeletal healthcare seeking in this military population.

In the 21st century, the mobility of world population has posed greater challenges to healthcare practitioners, since they are facing an increasingly diverse patient population from all over the world. At the same time, patients also find it difficult to access and utilize quality health care services in a culturally diverse context. This study examines the role of culture in Chinese international students’ health-seeking behaviours in Canada. The study explores any barriers/perceived barriers that Chinese international students may confront when accessing health care which can prevent them from obtaining quality health care services in Canada. To this end, an intercultural health communication model was employed as a theoretical framework, and semi-structured interviews were used as a data collection tool. While contributing to existing literature on health communication and culture, this study also hopes to contribute to providing Canadian universities and institutions important information regarding Chinese international students’ access to and utilization of health care services with the hope of enhancing the quality of ethnic health care and promoting better health outcomes.

Introduction: Consuming alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED) has become a growing and popular trend among young adults worldwide. Although there have been some mixed findings, generally AmED use is associated with heavy drinking, risky behaviours and more negative outcomes, compared to alcohol use alone. Little research has been done outside of college samples and few researchers have investigated motivations for consuming AmED. Purpose: The purpose of the current research was to expand on previous research by investigating motivations for AmED use and the associations between AmED use and heavy drinking, alcohol use disorders, risky behaviours, and negative outcomes in community samples, while controlling for potentially important third variables, like sensation seeking. Methods: Using multivariate regression analyses the associations between AmED use and other variables were investigated in a randomly selected Canadian sample (n = 13,615) and a Canadian community young adult sample (n = 456). As well, an in-depth qualitative investigation of university students’ (n = 465) reported motivations for AmED and energy drink use was investigated using content analysis. Results: Compared to alcohol only, AmED use was found to be associated with heavy alcohol use, increased risk for alcohol use disorders, and increased risky behaviours and negative consequences (e.g., being a passenger in a vehicle with a drunk driver; drinking and driving; being involved in physical aggression; having harmful effects on relationships, health, employment) in both the Canadian and community samples. More frequent AmED use (e.g., weekly or more) was associated with ever having had a sexually transmitted infection. These relationships remained significant even after controlling for demographic variables and sensation seeking personality in the Canadian community sample. The most commonly reported motivations for AmED use were due to the taste of the beverage, enjoyment of a particular AmED (e.g., Jagerbomb), for increased stimulation (e.g., wakefulness, energy, alertness) while drinking, to facilitate “partying” or staying out late when drinking, to counteract the depressant effects of alcohol, for social purposes, and because of ease of availability (e.g., purchased by others/ given for free). Conclusions: This research has contributed to a better understanding of the relationships between AmED use and personality traits, drinking behaviours, and risk behaviours in two relatively large community samples. It has contributed to a better understanding of the motivations for AmED use and how these motivations may be related to heavy drinking and risky behaviours. Taken together, this research indicates that there may be something about AmED use which puts people at an increased risk of drinking heavily, engaging in risky behaviours, and experiencing harms, compared to alcohol use alone. Along with the accumulating research in this area, the current research could be valuable for directing and planning future research studies which are designed to investigate causative relationships and for formulating effective policies and intervention programs. / Graduate / 0621 / 0573 / kbrache@uvic.ca

Background: In an ongoing study conducted at Karolinska Institutet & Karolinska University Hospital, Positron Emission Tomography (PET)/Computed Tomography (CT) scans are performed on patients with tibia fractures and deformations treated with Taylor Spatial Frames (TSFs) in order to monitor their bone remodeling progress. Each patients receive an administration of approximately 2 MBq/kg bodyweight of Na18F associated with PET scans on two sessions, six and twelve weeks after the attachment of the TSF. These PET/CT scans provide information about the progress of the healing bone and can be used to estimate the optimal time point for de-attachment of the TSF. The Standardized Uptake Value (SUV) is used as a measure of the rate of bone remodeling for these patients, however, there is a need for verification of this practice by a method independent of the PET scanner. Furthermore, information regarding the biodistribution of the Na18F throughout the body of these patients and the effects of the TSF on the CT scan X‑rays is required. Additionally, an investigation of alternative methods that have the potential to provide similar information with a lower absorbed dose to the patients is desirable. Materials and methods: Thermoluminescent Dosimeters (TLDs) were attached on the skin at the position of the heart, urinary bladder, femurs, fracture, and the contralateral tibia of twelve patients during the first one hour and five minutes after the administration of the Na18F. Additional TLD measurements were performed during the CT scan of two of these patients. From the PET scan images, SUVs at the fracture site of these patients were collected. An investigation of the possibility of exploiting the “naturally” occurring bone seeking radionuclide Strontium-90 (90Sr) in the human body to gain information about the fracture site was undertaken. Using a 90Sr source, three different detection techniques were evaluated and a practical methodology for in vivo measurements on the tibia fracture patients was developed. As it was concluded that TLD based measurements were the most suitable technique for this purpose, and it was tested on five patients with tibia fractures. Results: From the collected TLD data, it was concluded that for these patients the urinary bladder is the organ receiving the greatest amount of absorbed dose and the organ most affected as the administered activity exceeds 2 MBq/kg. On average, a three times higher surface dose was measured on the tibia fracture compared to the un-fractured tibia. A linear relationship between the surface dose and SUVmax was shown. A strong positive correlation between the activity concentration at the fracture site and the amount of injected activity was found, and it was demonstrated that this also affects the SUVs. For patients who were administered different amounts of Na18F for the two PET scans, maximum activity concentrationwas less affected than mean activity concentration. It was concluded that TSF’s effect on the scatter of the X-rays to organs higher up in the body is negligible. Regarding “naturally” occurring 90Sr in the human body, no higher activity at the fractured tibia compared to the non‑fractured tibia could be found. Conclusions: This project assessed the accumulation of Na18F in the fracture site of patients treated with TSF by a method independent of the PET scanner. The methodology of using SUVs as an indicator for bone remodeling was verified. It was shown that the uptake of Na18F by the fracture site is strongly correlated to the amount of injected activity. The importance of considering the amount of injected activity when evaluating and comparing SUVs was highlighted. In vivo measurements using LiF:Mn TLDs did not indicate any quantifiable higher concentration of 90Sr at the fracture in the tibia bone.

Background Nurses complete tasks during patient care to promote the recovery, or to maintain the health, of patients. These tasks can be routine or non-routine to the nurse. Non-routine tasks are characterized by unfamiliarity, requiring nurses to seek additional information from a variety of sources to effectively complete the tasks. Nurses’ perception of their problem-solving skills, as characterized by the attributes of personal control, problem-solving confidence, and avoidance-approach style, influences how information is sought. Objectives/Research Questions Guided by the information-seeking behaviour model, this study was designed to: (1) examine how the non-routineness of the task affects nurses’ information-seeking behaviour and the use of accumulated knowledge; and, (2) explore nurses’ perception of their problem-solving abilities. Methods An exploratory cross-sectional survey design was used. A random sample of critical care nurses who worked in a hospital setting were selected from the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) research participant database. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the proposed relationships. Results Avoidance-approach style and, problem-solving confidence did not have a significant relationship with nurses’ information-seeking behaviour. None of the variables explained use of accumulated knowledge (F = 0.902, p > 0.05). Previous training (p = 0.008), Non-routineness of the task (p = 0.018), and Personal control (p = 0.040) had a positive relationship with information-seeking behaviour (Adjusted R2 = 0.136). Implications The study results provide evidence that problem-solving ability, and in particular the attribute of personal control, influences nurses’ information-seeking behaviour during the completion of nursing tasks. They reveal how information is sought from resources, and what specific information resources are necessary to promote access to, and use of, evidence-based information. The results also help direct efforts towards training nurses in issues related to problem-solving and information-seeking by targeting the development of personal control and retrieving evidence-based information.

Online support groups have shown a strong potential to foster resourceful environments for people living with depression without restrictions of time, space, and stigma. Research has found that users of those groups exchange various types of support. However, due to the scarcity of research, many other aspects of depression online support groups remain inconclusive. In particular, how the support exchange contributes to the everyday lives of users living with depression remains unclear. To contribute to filing some of the knowledge gaps, the present study explored what kinds of support were requested and provided in a depression online support group. By doing so, this study aimed to examine the roles of the depression online support group in the management of depression. Mixed methods were employed with a concurrent triangulation strategy. A sample of 980 posts were selected systematically from the support group. Demographic and clinical information of the users who made those posts were recorded. Quantitative and qualitative content analyses were conducted to examine the types of support being exchanged through those posts. Inter-coder reliability was calculated to ensure the consistency of the coding process. The results indicate that users sought informational support, various types of emotional support and coaching support, and social companionship. Users not only sought listening ears, but also practical advice to cope with the situations they were going through. The group appeared to serve its users as a place to meet others with similar experience; to manage loneliness; to discuss what they could not discuss elsewhere; to "just vent"; to gain advice from multiple perspectives on an issue that had been magnifying the impact of depression; to share the experience with formal care provision systems; to express immediate support needs; to share useful discoveries, accomplishments, and creative ways to manage depression; and to experience the value of helping others. This study supports the idea that depression online support groups have the strong potential to contribute to the everyday lives of people living with depression in a way that is not available elsewhere and in a way that complement to the overall framework of existing care provision systems.