Metodologias de mapeamento de QTLs modernas empregam abordagem multivariada e se beneficiam da matriz de covariâncias fenotípicas para melhorar as estimativas de localização e efeitos de QTLs. No entanto, a correlação fenotípica pode ser em parte atribuída às relações de causalidade entre os fenótipos e mesmo as abordagens de mapeamento de QTLs multivariadas atuais têm desconsiderado tais relacionamentos. Dentre as metodologias científicas desenvolvidas para o estudo da causalidade em dados observacionais, destacam-se os modelos de equações estruturais e os modelos gráficos. Neste trabalho, foi estudado um conjunto de caracteres fenotípicos relacionados à morfologia de raízes, absorção de fósforo e acúmulo de biomassa em uma população composta de 145 linhagens endogâmicas recombinantes (RILs) do programa de melhoramento de milho da EMBRAPA Milho e Sorgo. O mapeamento de QTLs para os caracteres fenotípicos foi realizado utilizando mapeamento de múltiplos intervalos univariado (MIM) e multivariado (MT-MIM). A análise MIM revelou QTLs afetando diâmetro de raízes, área de superfície de raízes finas, peso seco da parte aérea e concentração de fósforo na parte aérea e nas raízes. A análise MT-MIM revelou 12 QTLs, com diferentes padrões de pleiotropia, com efeitos marginais para as sete variáveis analisadas. Um modelo de relacionamento causal entre os caracteres fenotípicos foi desenvolvido utilizando conhecimento prévio e modelagem de equações estruturais. O modelo de equações estruturais apresentou fluxo unidirecional de causalidade entre as variáveis, com as variáveis de morfologia de raízes exercendo efeito sobre as variáveis de acúmulo de biomassa, que por sua vez, têm efeito sobre as variáveis de absorção de fósforo. A aplicação do algoritmo PC para a descoberta de causalidade automatizada baseada nos padrões de independências condicionais não foi capaz de orientar todas as relações de causalidade descobertas, porém revelou um relacionamento mais complexo que o modelo de equações estruturais, com potenciais ciclos de retroalimentação causais. O emprego de algoritmos de descoberta de causalidade baseados em informações de QTLs, chamados QDG e QPSO, permitiu a orientação de todos os relacionamentos de causalidade encontrados pelo algoritmo PC e confirmou a existência de dois ciclos vizinhos de relacionamento causais entre as variáveis estudadas. Como regra geral, os QTLs pleiotrópicos detectados pela metodologia MT-MIM apresentaram efeitos sobre caracteres fenotípicos alinhados causalmente nos modelos propostos pelos algoritmos PC e QDG, sugerindo que alguns dos QTLs detectados são na realidade efeitos indiretos de QTLs situados em posição mais elevada no modelo causal. O emprego da abordagem MT-MIM aliada à análise de causalidade permitiu melhor compreensão da arquitetura genética dos caracteres de morfologia de raiz, acumulação de biomassa e aquisição de fósforo em milho. / Modern QTL mapping approaches are multivariate and take advantage of the phenotypic covariance matrix to improve estimates of QTL positions and effects. However, phenotypic correlation can also be assigned to the causal relationship among phenotypes, and even modern multivariate QTL analysis does not take these relationships into account. Structural equation models and graphical models are the main methodologies to study causality from observational data. We studied a set of phenotypes related to root morphology, biomass accumulation and phosphorus acquisition in maize. These phenotypes were measured in a maize population from the EMBRAPA breeding program composed of 145 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the crossing of two divergent lines for phosphorus acquisition efficiency. QTL mapping for the traits was performed using univariate (MIM) and multivariate (MT-MIM) multiple interval mapping. MIM analysis revealed QTL affecting root diameter, fine root surface area, shoot dry weight and root dry weight. MT-MIM analysis revealed 12 QTL with different pleiotropy patterns and QTL with marginal effects affecting all seven studied characters. A causal model for phenotype characters was developed using a priori knowledge and structural equation model techniques. The structural equation model presented an unidirectional causal flow among the variables, with root morphological traits exerting causal effects over biomass traits, which in turn cause phosphorus acquisition traits. Using PC algorithm for an automatic search of causal models based on conditional independence was not able to orient all discovered causal relationships among traits but revealed a more intricated relationship than the structural equation model, with potential causal feedback loops among the traits. Employing causal search algorithms based on QTL information (named QDG and QPSO) allowed the orientation of all causal relationships detected by PC algorithm and it has also confirmed the presence of two neighbor causal cycles among the studied traits. As a general rule, pleiotropic QTL detected by MT-MIM approach exerted effects over traits according to the causal model discovered by PC and QDG algorithms, suggesting that some of the QTL detected effects were indirect effects of QTL located upstream at the proposed causal model. Employing MT-MIM approach and causal analysis has allowed a better comprehension of genetic architecture underlying root morphology, biomass accumulation and phosphorus acquisition traits in maize.

O marketing de relacionamento contribui para a sobrevivência das empresas e para o sucesso dos negócios. Sua meta é desenvolver relacionamentos profundos, duradouros e mutuamente satisfatórios entre fornecedores e clientes. O marketing de relacionamento está associado a uma perspectiva estratégica, de posicionamento da empresa e da necessidade de a empresa se relacionar com outras organizações. Neste estudo são pesquisadas as trocas relacionais que ocorrem entre o distribuidor e o varejista, isto é, entre aquele que oferece vários produtos e serviços e aquele que vende esses produtos e serviços para o consumidor final. O assunto deste estudo trata do relacionamento entre a farmácia e a drogaria, situadas na Grande São Paulo, e o seu distribuidor principal de remédios. Comprometimento e confiança são conceitos importantes neste relacionamento, além de exercerem uma posição mediadora em um conjunto de variáveis existentes no relacionamento. Foi aplicado o modelo da teoria do comprometimento-confiança do marketing de relacionamento (Key mediating variable) de Morgan e Hunt (1994), com a inclusão do constructo poder. Inicialmente, foi realizada uma pesquisa qualitativa, que contribuiu para um maior conhecimento do contexto farmacêutico e uma segunda pesquisa qualitativa para a avaliação dos constructos e seus indicadores. Em seguida foi realizada uma pesquisa quantitativa, que consistiu de entrevistas pessoais com os responsáveis pelas compras de medicamentos das farmácias e drogarias, para a obtenção de dados com o fim de se aplicar o modelo teórico no contexto farmacêutico. A principal técnica estatística utilizada foi a modelagem de equações estruturais com o software SmartPLS. Os resultados indicam que o constructo poder pode fazer parte do modelo, além de confirmarem que confiança e comprometimento são conceitos mediadores do relacionamento. Entre várias descobertas interessantes, foram constatadas: a necessidade de maior comunicação e cooperação entre as partes envolvidas; a relação inversa entre grau de comprometimento e propensão para deixar o relacionamento; a relação direta entre confiança e cooperação e entre confiança e comprometimento entre as partes envolvidas. O modelo utilizado deve ser testado em pesquisas futuras com um maior enriquecimento dos constructos utilizados, tanto no contexto farmacêutico em outras localidades, como em outros setores de atividade em que seja pertinente a análise das ações do marketing de relacionamento. Os profissionais de marketing podem avaliar o relacionamento com seus parceiros de negócios com a aplicação do modelo estudado e identificar orientações estratégicas para o fortalecimento deste relacionamento. / The relationship marketing contributes for the survival of companies and for the business success. Its goal is to develop deep, lasting and mutually satisfactory relationships between suppliers and customers. The relationship marketing is associated with a strategic perspective, with the company positioning and with the necessity of relationship of the company with the others organizations. In this study relational exchanges between the distributor and retailer are investigated, that is, between who offers various products and services and who sells these products and services to the final consumers. The subject of this study deals with the relationship between the pharmacy and drugstore, located in the Great São Paulo, and their main distributor of medicines. Commitment and trust are important concepts in this relationship, and play a mediator position within a set of existing variables in the relationship. The model of the commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing (Key mediating variable) of Morgan and Hunt (1994) was applied, with the inclusion of the construct power. Initially it was carried out a qualitative research, which contributed to a greater knowledge of the pharmaceutical context and a second qualitative research to assess the constructs and their indicators. Next, it was carried out a quantitative research, which consisted of personal interviews with those responsible for purchasing the medicines to the pharmacies and drugstores, to obtain data in order to apply the theoretical model in the pharmaceutical context. The main statistical technique used was structural equation modeling with the software SmartPLS. The results indicate that the construct power can be part of the model, and confirm that trust and commitment are mediators constructs of the relationship. Among several interesting findings were noted: the need for greater communication and cooperation between the parties, the inverse relation between the degree of commitment and the propensity to leave the relationship, the relation between trust and cooperation and between trust and commitment between the involved parties. The model should be tested in future research with a greater enrichment of the constructs used, both in the pharmaceutical context in other localities, as in other sectors of activity that is relevant to the analysis of relationship marketing actions. Marketing professionals can assess the relationship with theirs business partners with the application of the studied model and identify strategic guidelines for the strengthening of this relationship.

A falta da qualidade da informação resulta em prejuízos para as organizações. No entanto, a mensuração desses prejuízos é uma tarefa complexa e, muitas vezes, não é do interesse das organizações. Apesar de várias pesquisas de abrangência global sobre qualidade da informação confirmarem seu impacto sobre o desempenho organizacional, muitas das organizações que atuam no Brasil parecem não estar interessadas na gestão da qualidade da informação de maneira formal. Do ponto de vista acadêmico, há que se definir indicadores apropriados para a mensuração dos impactos da qualidade da informação sobre as organizações, bem como, contextualizar essas medidas de forma a propiciar sua generalização. O objetivo desta pesquisa é, portanto, evidenciar que a qualidade da informação impacta o desempenho de organizações que atuam no Brasil e indicar parâmetros que possam moderar essa relação. A medida de impacto organizacional foca o nível individual, para que seja possível avaliar quais características do knowledge worker e de seu ambiente de trabalho interferem na sua percepção da qualidade da informação e do desempenho de seu trabalho. O estudo é de natureza descritiva, portanto, os construtos utilizados são conhecidos e anteriormente validados. No entanto, o arranjo desses construtos e a utilização de variáveis externas, que podem influenciar na relação entre qualidade da informação e impacto individual percebidos são o diferencial desta pesquisa. A unidade de pesquisa é o indivíduo que trabalha em uma organização e utiliza, no mínimo, um sistema de informação para realizar o seu trabalho. Foi realizada pesquisa de levantamento social, por meio de questionário eletrônico autoaplicado, em duas organizações atuantes no Estado do Paraná. A análise dos dados se deu por modelamento de equações estruturais, com a utilização de análise multigrupos. Os resultados confirmam a relação positiva direta da qualidade da informação sobre os impactos individuais e apontam para possíveis variáveis moderadoras dessa relação. A complementação futura desta pesquisa pode-se dar com a avaliação de organizações de diferentes setores econômicos e com a inclusão de outras variáveis externas que diferenciem melhor os indivíduos que atuam nas organizações. / Low-quality information negatively impacts organizational performance. However, the measurement of such impacts is a complex task which not all the organizations perceive as worthwhile accomplishing. Although many worldwide researches about information quality confirm its impact over organizational performance, many organizations that operate in Brazil seem not to be interested in managing information quality. Concerning academic research, it is necessary to define proper indicators to measure the organizational impacts of information quality, considering contextual characteristics. The aim of this research is to confirm that information quality impacts organizational performance of organizations operating in Brazil and show which external variables may moderate this relationship. In this research organizational impact is measured at the individual level, in order that it is possible to define which personal and workplace characteristics influence knowledge workers perception of information quality and individual performance. This research is descriptive and the constructs used are known and previously validated. However, the research model, that includes external variables that may influence the relationship between perceived information quality and individual impact, has never been proposed nor validated by other researchers. The research unit is the individual that work in organizations and use at least one information system to do his job. A survey using self employed electronic questionnaire was applied to two large organizations that operate in Paraná State. Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyze the data. The results confirmed the positive influence of information quality over individual impacts and suggested possible moderators of that relationship. Future studies could include the evaluation of organizations operating in different industries and could test other external variables tha differentiate the individuals better.

Self-esteem development is one of the main concerns in school physical education (PE). PE aims to help school children gain a holistic development by engaging them in a wide range of physical activities. However, to date, mechanisms underpinning this process are not clear. In this research, three correlational and one experimental studies have been conducted with the aim to further understanding of this issue. The research began by examining the hierarchical and multi-dimensional structure of physical self-perceptions in British secondary school children. This was extended to studying how physical self-perceptions at lower levels of generality influence physical self-worth and global self-esteem Ii n Hong Kong Chii nese secondary school children. It was found that task orientation indirectly affects physical self-worth and global self-esteem via physical self-perception sub-domains, including sport competence, physical condition, body attractiveness, and physical strength. An attempt has been made to decompose perceived ability in school physical education into self-referenced and other-referenced perceived ability It was found that the two differentiated measures mediated the effects of the two goal orientations in different ways. In order to further explore how physical selfperceptions at the level of self-efficacy affects perceived sport competence and physical self-worth, an experiment was conducted using trampolining skills development programme as an intervention. Participants were found to have significant increases in self-efficacy, perceived sport competence, and physical selfworth after the completion of eight 1.5-hour sessions. Findings lend support to the importance of school PE in self-perception enhancement.

More graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathmetics (STEM) fields are needed to keep our nation’s preeminance in the global fields of technology and science. However, fewer than 40% of students who intend to major in STEM fields when entering college complete a STEM degree. Therefore, it is important to explore factors to improve student persistence in STEM fields at the college level as well as to understand the interrelationship between student motivation, academic achievement, and persistence. Motivation is strongly associated with student achievement and persistence; meanwhile, academic achievement can also affect persistence. Self-determination theory (SDT) represents a framework of several mini-theories to explore how social context interacts with people’s motivation. The three studies in this dissertation aim to investigate student motivation using instruments based on SDT and to explore the viability of the theory in a reform environment. In Study 1, the Academic Motivation Scale – Chemistry (AMS-Chemistry) was developed as an instrument based on the self-determination continuum to measure seven types of student motivation toward specific chemistry courses. Data gathered with AMS in college chemistry courses showed that AMS was a suitable candidate for modification. Based on expert panel discussions and cognitive interviews, AMS-Chemistry was developed. AMS-Chemistry was administered to university students in a general chemistry course as pre/post-test. Internal structure validity evidence was also collected. Results showed that students were more extrinsically motivated toward chemistry on average, and there was an overall motivational difference favoring males with a medium effect size. Correlation studies revealed that intrinsic motivation subscales were positively associated with student academic achievement at the end of the semester. Results also showed that students who persisted in class attendance scored significant differently on the set of motivation subscales. This study suggests that AMS-Chemistry is easy to administer and can be used to better understand students’ motivation status and how it might change across the curriculum. Faculty interested in promoting student intrinsic motivation may also use AMS-Chemistry to evaluate the impact of their efforts. In Study 2, AMS-Chemistry was used to examine student motivation and determine how motivation is related to academic achievement at different points in time in organic chemistry courses. This study was conducted in two organic chemistry courses where one course was primarily lecture-based and the other implemented flipped classroom and peer-lead team learning (Flip-PLTL) pedagogies. Descriptive statistics showed that students in both courses were more extrinsically motivated and their motivation moved in negative directions across the semester. Factorial multivariate analysis of covariance revealed a main effect of pedagogical approach. Students in the Flip-PLTL environment were significantly less lack of motivation toward chemistry at the end of the semester while controlling for the motivation pre-test scores; however, there was no evidence for sex main effect and interaction effect between sex and pedagogical approach. Correlation results revealed variable relationships between motivation subscales and academic achievement at different time points. In general, intrinsic motivation subscales were significantly and positively correlated with student academic achievement; Amotivation was negatively correlated with academic achievement. The findings in this study showed the importance of Flip-PLTL pedagogies in improving student motivation toward chemistry. In Study 3, students’ perceptions of basic psychological needs and intrinsic motivation were studied using instruments in accordance with SDT in first-year college chemistry courses. The interrelationships among the variables were also investigated. Students’ self-reported scores showed that they had positive perceptions with respect to the motivational variables where Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) was being implemented. Students’ written comments also provided evidence for their positive perceptions. Structural equation modeling results showed that it was viable to use SDT in the POGIL context, since the three basic needs explained a significant amount of variance in intrinsic motivation. The findings could help instructors become more aware of students’ perceptions of the learning environments in active learning settings, and therefore, instructors wishing to target student engagement are encouraged to implement active learning pedagogies, such as POGIL. The research studies presented in this work contribute to our understanding of motivation as an important factor influencing student persistence in STEM fields in both traditional classroom and different active learning environments at the college level. Each study provided psychometric evidence for the use of instruments based on SDT in college chemistry courses. Chemistry educators can use these assessments to understand the nuances of student motivation. Findings from these assessments can then be used to design strategies to help students learn and/or to be more motivated toward chemistry. Also, this work highlights the importance of looking at the motivation of different groups of students, such as the underrepresented students, because their response trends may be different. Being aware of students’ different needs will help chemistry educators to understand how we can better increase students’ intrinsic motivation in our chemistry courses.

Schools, families, and neighborhoods can support the development of happy, healthy children and adolescents. However, a majority of children in the United States also experience adversity in their early lives that can have deleterious effects on their cognitive and socioemotional development. Measuring and modeling early adversity is fundamental to understanding development as it occurs through interactions with schools, families and neighborhoods. As outlined by Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model of human development, proximal and distal forces shape development, and cannot be isolated when relating measures of the developmental context to outcomes for individuals. For schools and other social programs to support students from high adversity backgrounds, the nature and structure of adversity and contextual influences must be measured and modeled in a robust manner. The three distinct papers in this dissertation describe the construction and evaluation of measurements for adversity, family conflict, neighborhood quality, and school safety, along with models that relate these elements to each other and cognitive outcomes in childhood and adolescence. Structural equation modeling is used to investigate the latent variables generated to measure the constructs and the nature of their relationships. The studies use nationally representative data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to create and test the theoretically driven models. The first study constructs and tests latent variables aligned with the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) framework in order to generate a continuous and theoretically coherent measurement of adversity. The second study uses this ACEs measurement along with measures of family conflict and neighborhood quality to generate and test path models informed by the bioecological theory of development. The third study applies these measures of developmental constructs to the study of safety in schools and identifies the differential function of school safety for children with varying levels of adversity to better understand the potential for school-based interventions. Results from these studies indicate the utility of a latent variable approach to measuring adversity, and the viability of path analysis for the study of how ACEs, family conflict and neighborhood quality influence cognitive outcomes. Additionally, results provide evidence for the necessity of varied and networked developmental supports for children from highly adverse beginnings, above those that may be available through reforms to school safety. Taken together, these studies provide a rich portrait of childhood development incorporating multiple contextual influences, and add to our understanding of what schools can and cannot do to support children.

Abstract Strategy is the use of combats to accomplish the goal of the war, but because each war differs in terms of its background and motives, creating a universal strategy for military purposes may not be possible. The military can have one peacetime sourcing strategy, but their wartime strategy is highly situation dependent. If resources are not available in wartime, there may be enormous losses. Resources must be secured through an efficient peacetime sourcing strategy, which demands a high level of organizational ambidexterity. The military in Finland are known collectively as the Finnish Defence Forces, although here we refer to the organization here in the singular as the FDF. The FDF is highly dependent on private transportation, but is also an important driver trainer and buyer of logistics services. Because a transportation system is central to society’s basic services, and its functionality is important for citizens, the private sector, securing vital functions of the nation and for emergency supply security. There is strong mutual dependency between the private transportation sector and the FDF, which makes for an interesting context in which to study also strategic partnerships. The articles included in this thesis consist of two quantitative data sets. The first empirical data set was gathered from the LSP members of the Finnish Transport and Logistics (460 acceptable responses, 17.7 per cent). The second data set was collected from the military, the security-related public sector and private industrial companies (149 acceptable responses, 18.01 per cent). The analyses include descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling. The purpose of this study is to reveal possible problems and offer insights into the cooperation between the private transportation sector and the FDF, and the development of organizational ambidexterity in the FDF’s supply chain management. From a game theory perspective, how the FDF enhance supply security is important because the private transportation sector is extremely important for the FDF and vice versa. Logistics strategy influences direct logistics costs, so the FDF has a lesson to learn from its own practices, concentrating on quality instead of direct cost reductions considerably reduces total logistics costs while improving domestic transportation resources. / Tiivistelmä Strategia on taistelujen ohjausta sodan tavoitteiden saavuttamiseksi, mutta koska jokainen sota eroaa taustoiltaan ja motiiveiltaan, lienee universaalin strategian luominen sotilaallisiin tarkoituksiin mahdotonta. Armeijalla voi olla yksi rauhanajan hankintastrategia, mutta sota-ajan hankintastrategia on voimakkaasti olosuhteista riippuvainen. Sota-ajan resurssien saanti on kuitenkin pyrittävä turvaamaan jo rauhanajan hankintastrategialla, mikä vaatii korkeaa organisaatiollista kaksikätisyyttä, koska sota-ajan puuttuvan resurssit voivat aiheuttaa valtavia menetyksiä. Suomessa Puolustusvoimat on erittäin riippuvainen yksityisen sektorin kuljetusyrityksistä, mutta toisaalta Puolustusvoimat on erittäin merkittävä kuljettajien kouluttaja sekä kuljetusyritysten asiakas. Suomessa kuljetukset ovat myös keskeisessä asemassa yhteiskunnan julkisten perustoimintojen turvaamisessa, lisäksi ne ovat erittäin tärkeitä kansalaisten, yksityisen sektorin ja huoltovarmuuden kannalta. Näin ollen kuljetusyritysten ja Puolustusvoimien välillä on vankka keskinäinen riippuvuus, jonka vuoksi ne ovat hyvä konteksti tutkia strategisia kumppanuuksia. Tähän väitöskirjaan sisältyvät tieteelliset aikakausilehtiartikkelit rakentuvat kahden tutkimusaineiston ympärille. Ensimmäinen tutkimusaineisto on kerätty Suomen Kuljetus ja Logistiikka (SKAL ry) yhdistyksen jäseniltä (460 hyväksyttyä vastausta edusten 17.7 prosenttia valitusta kohderyhmästä). Toinen tutkimusaineisto on kerätty Puolustusvoimien ja muun julkisen turvallisuussektorin (poliisi, sairaanhoito ja palolaitokset) logistiikkapalveluiden hankinnasta vastaavilta henkilöiltä sekä soveltuvilta yksityisen sektorin toimijoilta (149 hyväksyttyä vastausta edustaen 18.0 prosenttia valitusta kohderyhmästä). Molemmat tutkimusaineistot ovat analysoitu kuvailevilla tilastollisilla menetelmillä sekä rakenneyhtälömallinnuksella. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena on löytää mahdolliset ongelmat ja tarjota alalla toimivien henkilöiden näkemys Puolustusvoimien ja yksityisten kuljetusyritysten yhteistyöstä. Näiden myötä pyritään kehittämään Puolustusvoimien toimitusketjun hallinnan organisaatiollista kaksikätisyyttä. Peliteoreettisesta näkökulmasta on tärkeää kuinka puolustusvoimat parantamaan huoltovarmuutta koska kuljetusala ja Puolustusvoimat ovat erittäin merkittäviä toimijoita toisilleen. Koska ilmeisesti Puolustusvoimien logistiikkastrategia pyrkii vaikuttamaan pääasiassa suoriin kuljetuskustannuksiin, on Puolustusvoimilla opittavaa omista käytännöistään. Keskittymällä kuljetusten laatuun suorien kuljetuskustannusten sijasta voidaan logistiikan kokonaiskustannuksia alentaa ja samalla turvata kotimaisten kuljetusresurssien säilymistä.

Abstract This dissertation aims to examine the theoretical and empirical foundations of the mobile marketing phenomenon. While numerous studies have yielded important insights into this topic, the existing mobile marketing literature appears to be inconsistent and somewhat fragmented. With the help of two action research projects, interviews of mobile marketing practitioners, and an online survey, this study aims to contribute to our understanding of the nature of mobile marketing communications in consumer markets. This thesis consists of an introductory section and five papers. The first paper evaluates the current state of mobile marketing research based on a review and an analysis of extant literature that focuses on mobile (or wireless) applications aimed at marketing or advertising. Various definitions of mobile marketing are evaluated and a more technologically-agnostic definition is provided. The second paper presents a framework of the mobile marketing communications environment that delineates how mobile marketing should be integrated into a company's integrated marketing communications strategy. A comprehensive overview of divergent mobile marketing activities is provided, along with representative examples derived from popular press. In addition, a detailed description of mobile marketing campaign planning and its implementation process is provided. The third paper provides a conceptual model of the relationships between interactive integrated marketing communications and database management in a mobile context. The results from empirical research suggest that consumers are willing to participate in Short Message Service (SMS) marketing in a retailing context. The fourth and fifth papers utilize data collected by means of an online survey (n = 4,062) and examine the factors associated with consumers' intention to receive mobile advertising messages and responses to SMS direct-response campaigns. The results suggest that consumers' intention to receive mobile advertising messages is related to the relevance of the message, permission to receive mobile advertising messages, the benefits of receiving the message and the privacy of personal data. In addition, the results suggest that women and men differ significantly in their responses to SMS call-to-action campaigns, consumers aged 36–45 years are most likely to respond to SMS call-to-action in a TV program and participate in SMS sweepstakes and other competitions, and that employment status has a substantial impact on consumers' SMS campaign activity. Overall, this thesis provides a conceptual and theoretical foundation intended to guide research efforts focused on mobile media and to aid practitioners in their quest to achieve mobile marketing success.

Defining leadership effectiveness (LE) remains a controversial subject with scholars and researchers disagreeing on a common definition. Most studies term leadership effectiveness as the leaders’ ability to successfully exercise personal influence and abilities in order to accomplish set standards. Such leadership effectiveness was measured using three elements, namely influence, follow commitment and versatility. To be effective, leaders must possess certain competencies and perform specific tasks (independent variables). In this study, three leadership competencies, namely strategic thinking, emotional effectiveness and transformational leadership were examined. Similarly, seven leadership tasks (set organisational direction, develop human capital, build core competencies, create organisational alignment, sustain appropriate organisational culture, manage change and establish balanced organisational control) were identified as essential for the attainment of leadership effectiveness (intervening variable) which, in turn, leads to organisational effectiveness (dependent variable). Given the importance of leadership effectiveness to organisational effectiveness, the purpose of this study was to identify, investigate and empirically test the possible relationship between leadership effectiveness and organisational effectiveness within the Kenyan indigenous banks. To achieve the aim of the study, a survey was undertaken using a structured self-administered questionnaire. The respondents were identified using both probability and non-probability techniques with the survey yielding 257 usable questionnaires that were statistically analysed. The proposed hypothetical relationship between leadership effectiveness and organisational effectiveness was assessed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), a multivariate statistical technique. The SEM included Cronbach’s alpha and confirmatory factor analyses to assess the dicriminant reliability and validity of the measuring instrument, and Goodness-of-fit indices. The study findings demonstrated the existence of a strong relationship between leadership competencies, tasks performed and leadership effectiveness which in turn impacts on organisational effectiveness, in this case the overall effectiveness of the Kenyan indigenous banks.

Academic achievement and educational expectations as a function of parental absence were examined among 268 newly immigrant elementary, middle, and high-school students from Spanish-speaking countries. Data collected as part of a longitudinal study of adaptation and achievement in newly immigrant students were analyzed. Participants had varying experiences with parental absence, in terms of length of absence, gender of absent parent, and reason for absence. Reasons for parental absence included parental divorce, parental death, and serial migration, a cause unique to immigrant children. Students who experienced parental absence reported lower educational expectations. Students who experienced the death of a parent had lower achievement scores and lower expectations than students who did not experience parental death. Prolonged absence was also important, with students who experienced parental absence for more than one year performing worse than students who had minimal parental separation. In addition, boys who experienced parental absence because of serial migration performed worse academically than boys who did not have this occurrence. Educational expectations were reduced among students who experienced parental absence as a result of the migratory process, especially for younger students. The extent to which parental absence related to achievement and expectations through potential mediating factors, such as economic hardship, perceived school support, and parental school involvement was assessed with structural equation modeling. Overall, the model was able to explain some of the relationship between parental absence and the academic achievement and educational expectations of immigrant students from Spanish-speaking countries.