Tidigare forskning har visat att barn kan delas in i olika roller vid mobbningssituationer i grundskolan,det är därför av intresse att hitta faktorerna som påverkar vilken roll som elever kan komma att ha. I denna uppsats är syftet att analysera samband mellan motivationer (Extrinsic, Amotivation,Identification) och beteenden (Defending, Passive och Pro-Bullying). Det är även intressant attundersöka om det finns eventuella skillnader i beteende beroende på ålder och kön. För attanalysera samband mellan psykologiska begrepp används latenta variabler i samröre medfaktoranalysmodeller (SEM), denna typ av modell tar inte hänsyn till skillnader mellan klasser,således används även multilevelmodeller. Den senare av de två modellerna tar hänsyn till skillnadermellan klasser men inte det faktum att variablerna är latenta. En ytterligare aspekt av uppsatsen är att jämföra metoderna med varandra och analysera eventuellaskillnader i slutsats. Det kommer att användas två typer av multilevelmodeller i uppsatsen, en medmedelvärden som skattning på den latenta variabeln och den andra multilevelmodellen använderfaktorpoäng som beräknas via en konfirmativ faktoranalys. Resultatet visade att det finns signifikanta samband mellan alla typer av beteende och motivationer iminst en av metoderna som användes. I alla metoder fanns det signifikant positiva relationer mellanPassive och Amotivation, Defending och Identification samt mellan Pro-bullying och Extrinsic.Samband som hade en signifikant negativ relation i alla metoder är Passive och Identification, Pro-bullying och Identification samt mellan Defending och Amotivation. Relationer som är signifikanta men endast i en metod är Pro-Bullying och Amotivation, Passive och Extrinsic samt Defending ochExtrinsic. Dessa relationer har positiva samband. Det finns ingen relation mellan kön respektive ålder och ett specifikt beteende som blev signifikant ialla metoder. Relationer mellan beteende och ålder respektive kön som blev signifikant i minst enmetod är Passive och kön, Defending och kön samt mellan Defending och ålder. Resultatet från dettaär att killar är mindre passiva och mer Defending jämfört med tjejer. Relationen mellan Defendingoch ålder är negativ. Intraclass-korrelationen och Likelihood ratio-test visar att det finns signifikant varians mellan klasser ide tre beteendena när en modell utan förklarande variabler testas. Testet visade att det inte fannssignifikant varians i beteende mellan skolor. Likelihood ratio-test på modeller med förklarandevariabler visar att det endast vid beteendetypen Defending fanns en signifikant skillnad mellan eleveri olika klasser. I övriga beteende finns det alltså inte signifikanta skillnader mellan klasser. Skillnaden mellan faktorpoäng och medelvärde blev väldig liten, det blev endast skillnader irelationen mellan Defending och ålder. Mellan SEM och multilevel är skillnaden större och där finnsdet skillnader i slutsats i fem stycken relationer. Dessa är Passive och Extrinsic, Pro-Bullying ochAmotivation, Passive och kön, Defending och Extrinsic samt mellan Defending och kön. / Previous research has shown that children can be divided into different roles during situations ofbullying in primary school. Therefore, it is of interest to find factors that affect what those roles couldbe. In this thesis, the purpose is to analyze the relation between motivation (Extrinsic, Amotivation,Identification) and behavior (Defending, Passive, Pro-Bullying). It is also of interest to analyzepossible differences in behavior depending on age and gender. To be able to analyze relationsbetween psychological concepts, latent variables will be used in conjunction with models for factoranalysis (SEM). This type of model does not take differences between classes into consideration,therefore multilevel models will also be used, where the latter takes differences between classes intoconsideration but not the fact that the variables are latent. Another aspect of this thesis will be to compare the methods to each other and analyze potentialdifferences in drawn conclusions. There will be two different types of multilevel models, one ofwhich uses mean as the estimator for the latent variable while the other model will be using factorscores that are calculated with a confirmative factor analysis. Results showed that there are significant relations between all types of behavior and motivations inat least one of the methods used. In all the methods, there were significant positive relationsbetween Passive and Amotivation, Defending and Identification, as well as Pro-Bullying and Extrinsic. Relations that had a significant negative association were Passive and Identification, Pro-Bullying andIdentification, as well as Defending and Amotivation. Relations that were significant, but only in one method, are the following: Pro-Bullying andAmotivation, Passive and Extrinsic, Defending and Extrinsic. These have a positive relation. There is no relation between gender, or age, and a specific behavior that was significant in all themethods used. Relation between behavior and age, or gender, that was significant in at least one, isPassive and gender, Defending and gender, Defending and age. The results from this show that boysare less passive and more defending compared to girls. The relation between Defending and age isnegative. The intraclass correlation, and Likelihood ratio test, shows that there is a significant variancebetween classes in the three behaviors when a model without explanatory variables is being used.The tests also indicated that there was no significant variance in behavior between schools. ALikelihood ratio test of models with explanatory variables show that the only type of behavior with asignificant difference between students and classes is Defending. The difference between factor scores and mean was very small, there were only differences in therelation between Defending and age. Between SEM and Multilevel, the difference is greater, wherethere are differences in conclusion in five of the relations; Passive and extrinsic, Pro-Bullying andAmotivation, Passive and gender, Defending and Extrinsic, as well as Defending and gender.

Since the early 1990s with the AIDS pandemic, there has been an increasing interest on the importance of risky sexual behaviors, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM). An important antecedent for these behaviors is alcohol use. Studies consistently show an increased frequency of both alcohol use and risky sexual behaviors in MSM populations. However, to date, there has not been a precise estimate of the effect size in these diverse populations and a consistent way to measure it. More so, the importance of context is often cited as a source of variability, but is rarely measured in these studies. Contextual factors are different and specific for MSM, as they have been approached by two theories, both of which will be guiding this dissertation: Singer’s Syndemic Theory and Meyer’s Minority Stress Theory. Chapter 1, then presents a comprehensive review of both theories as they apply to alcohol use, risky sexual behaviors, and contextual factors driving them. Chapter 2 answers the first research question about effect sizes through a systematic literature review. The effect sizes or measures of association of these contextual risk and protective factors were summarized using meta-analytic techniques. Using five electronic databases, we identified 26 studies in 26 years (1990–2015), all diverse in terms of sampling techniques, assessment of sexual orientation, operationalization of alcohol use and risky sexual behaviors, contextual factors included, and measurement of effect sizes. Despite this diversity, studies reporting an effect size were pooled and summarized using both descriptive and meta-analytic techniques, as appropriate. Meta-analyses were conducted using Cochrane’s guidelines for generic inverse variance outcomes with random effects. The pooled effects of alcohol use on condomless anal intercourse (CAI; OR 1.73 [95% CI 1.43, 2.10], I2 0%), heavy episodic drinking on CAI (OR 1.88 [95% CI 1.25, 2.81], I2 32%), and heavy episodic drinking on condomless oral sex (OR: 8.00; 95% CI 2.48, 25.81), as well as the effects of substance use, mental health status, violence and victimization, and self-reported HIV status as contextual factors in the pathway between alcohol use and risky sexual behaviors were calculated, reported, and discussed along with study limitations and implications for public health. Chapter 3 answers the second research question regarding a standardized measurement model for effect sizes and the multiple mediation of contextual factors. We used the male subset of Wave IV of the AddHealth dataset to test our hypotheses through structural equation modeling approaches, including measurement analysis with invariance testing, path analysis for direct effects, and multiple mediation analysis through bootstrapping for indirect effects. The AUD scale was invariant between MSM and MSW, but the risky sexual behavior scale was not. For MSM, the standardized direct effect of AUD onto risky sexual behaviors was –1.25 and the standardized total indirect effect of the multiple mediation model was 1.58, 95% CI [1.42, 1.73]. Among the mediators, the strongest indirect effect for any measured or latent mediator was the mental health construct (2.09). We conclude that even though AUD has the same measurement structure for MSM and MSW, its effect on risky sexual behaviors does not operate the same way for these two populations, supporting both causal and contextual behavioral theories. Conclusions are individually discussed, respectively, in Chapters 2 and 3. However, Chapter 4 puts both manuscript conclusions in context and further discusses future implications for public health research, practice, and policy.

The use of social media in the retail banking environment has changed the way the banking industry communicates with customers, creates sales and performs marketing and operational tasks. Social media strategies need to be aligned to business goals and effectively used to integrate social media as part of the overall marketing strategy. Only by understanding brand loyalty, multi-channel systems and social media channels can marketers effectively implement social media. In measuring brand loyalty, factors that influence customer buying behaviour and components that influence online interaction are essential in engaging different groups of customers in social media. This research study aimed to examine the use of social media within the South African retail banking environment with a focus on creating and maintaining brand loyalty. An exploratory, mixed method research design was employed. Data collection instruments used in the study includes online surveys, structured interviews, and focus groups. Participants consisted of marketing personnel and customers. Three lead/head social media marketing personnel participated in the interview process, 14 marketing personnel took the online survey and 4 participated in a focus group. Participants for the online survey also consisted of 40 customers who were connected through the internet and performed various online banking activities. Data was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Data from the online surveys completed by customers was analysed quantitatively using descriptive analysis, structural equation modelling (SEM) and factor analysis which was performed on the brand loyalty variables and the brand loyalty measures. Content analysis was used to qualitatively analyse data from the structured interviews. Data from the online surveys completed by marketing personnel was analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Findings indicated that social media forms an integral part of the marketing strategy that needs be aligned with the core business goals. Banks therefore need to focus on creating campaigns that are fun, exciting and appealing to the target market. A culture of innovation and new ideas is essential to grow the product/service. Building brand trust and creating customer satisfaction forms the core of creating brand loyalty on social media. Banks need to be aware of factors that influence customer brand loyalty and components that influence loyalty on social media in order to measure things that matter through analytical tools so that an actionable strategy can be put in place and implemented.

This study investigated and distinguished between two different aspects of trust (i.e. inter-personal and inter-organisationl) in business relationships. Reviewing the extant literature, a model of business relationships was developed, bridging social exchange theory and transaction cost economics, in addition to using some ideas from the resource-based view. This model was built on an overall framework consisting of three main groups of business relationship characteristics, (1) attitudes (inter-personal and inter-organisational trust) (2) behaviours (commitment, information sharing and relationship-specific investments) and (3) outcomes (financial and non-economic (soft) performance). The overall framework suggested that the attitudinal characteristics affect behavioural characteristics, which consequently affect relationship outcomes. Furthermore, the role of the other party’s opportunistic behaviour as an antecedent of trust aspects was suggested in the model. In line with the overall framework, a basic model was developed with sixteen hypotheses. The model was extended considering dependence as a moderator, and suggesting two additional hypotheses.A questionnaire was designed to measure the characteristics in the model. Data collected from 331 informants (i.e. middle or senior managers knowledgeable about supplier relationships) was used to empirically test the model, using structural equation modeling. The analysis was performed testing the model fit and its underlying hypotheses, additionally using a control variable (the relationship length) and multiple-group analysis (controlling for the size of the company). Inter-personal trust and inter-organisational trust were found to be two distinct constructs (by means of implementing several techniques testing discriminant validity). The results supported the impact of inter-personal trust on inter-organisational trust, inter-personal trust impacting on commitment and information sharing while inter-organisational trust impacting on commitment, information sharing and relationship-specific investments (all in a positive way). The positive effect of behavioural characteristics on relationship outcomes was supported, commitment and relationship-specific investment influencing both financial and non-economic performance, while information sharing influencing non-economic performance. Relationship-specific investments impact positively on commitment, and financial performance impacts positively on non-economic performance. The moderating effects were supported; the positive effect of inter-organisational trust on relationship-specific investments and the positive effect of relationship-specific investments on commitment decrease as dependence increases. The negative effect of the other party’s opportunistic behaviour on trust dimensions was found, while its expected negative effect on relationship-specific investments was not supported in the whole sample. A mixture modeling approach was performed to explore this result. The negative effect was supported in a number of responses, as expected. However, surprisingly a positive effect was also found in a group of responses that were characterised by having relatively longer relationships with the supplier and observing a higher degree of opportunistic behaviour. Additionally relationship-specific investments had a stronger effect on its consequences within this group. Potential explanations for the findings with regard to this group were introduced. The research contributions and implications were also discussed.

The retail banking services sector, a key driver for global economic growth, faces drastic challenges, such as globalised competition and continuously changing customer expectations that call for an in-depth understanding of customer switching, particularly in Asia’s emerging markets. Research shows that minor reductions in switching can notably enhance profitability. Yet only insufficient or fragmented research to explain switching exists. For this study titled “A Cross-Cultural Study of Consumer Switching in the Retail Banking Services Sector” at The University of Manchester, completed in September 2014, Frank Siegfried identified the theory of planned behaviour as the most suitable framework, while Singapore served as a test bed in view of its diverse population. A qualitative pilot study was conducted (February to April 2010), consisting of 22 semi-structured interviews, in which a suitable definition of switching and a better understanding about the cross-cultural context of this study were developed. These insights were instrumental in the design of a new theoretical model, built on constructs that had not been combined in a single framework before, applying constructs of the theory of planned behaviour as the foundational framework, and subsequently integrating the concept of past behaviour, selected cultural dimensions from the GLOBE model and four distinct predisposing and precipitating factors. Next, a quantitative study was conducted (January to May 2013) and, after data cleaning, a quasi-representative sample of 1,431 cases was subjected to analysis. For comparability with other studies, both regression analysis (RA) and structural equation modelling (SEM) were performed. Notable results that were consistent in RA and SEM include: Attitude towards switching (attitude) successfully explained switching intention. Subjective norms had a positive effect on attitude, which implied a mediated effect of subjective norms on switching intention. Contradicting the initial hypothesis, a significant effect of perceived behavioural control on switching intention was negative. Past behaviour had a significant, but weak positive effect on attitude and switching intention, as well as an indirect positive effect on switching intention, mediated by attitude. Lack of trust positively affected switching intention. Service failure had a strong positive effect on switching intention, with perceived behavioural control moderating this effect. Performance orientation had a moderately strong effect on perceived behavioural control. High in-group collectivism negatively affected service failure. These results constitute the new Comprehensive Banking Service Switching Model (CBSSM). Interestingly, a large number of constructs and construct paths that played an important role in the literature could not be confirmed as significant contributors to the model. Overall, tests of model fit still showed a significant contribution of the proposed extensions to the foundational model. Weighting the importance of various constructs in a single framework enhances the understanding of switching of retail banking services in Singapore and offers new insights for strategic planning, particularly in the areas of branding, marketing, service operations and human capital management. Theoretical, methodological and managerial implications are discussed in detail.

Effectively integrating technology into classroom instruction presents teachers with several dilemmas about their understanding of how students learn, their approach to designing learning activities, and their conceptualization of their role as teachers (Windschitl, 2002). Using the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model (Koehler & Mishra, 2005, 2009; Mishra & Koehler, 2006) as the conceptual model undergirding the research, this study was designed to build evidence towards establishing the validity and reliability of a measurement instrument employed to assess the technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge teachers utilize, as well as gain an understanding of how this knowledge is affected by teacher beliefs about technology use in classroom practice. Three contextual factors were also investigated, namely leadership support for technology, teaching self-efficacy, and traditional beliefs about children. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was selected for analyzing data gathered in this research design. The relationships among four latent factors and three latent variables were examined using measurement models to determine a final structural model. Results (N = 75) suggest that the TPACK-deep scale has potential as a measure of teachers’ beliefs about their technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge. The findings yielded by the present exploratory study pertain to Design, Exertion, Ethics, and Proficiency—which are considered the four factors of the TPACK-deep scale (Kabakci-Yurdakul et al., 2012). Furthermore, this study’s findings indicate positive predictive relationships between leadership support for technology and teachers’ beliefs about using technology in their classrooms. While positive predictive relationships between teachers’ teaching self-efficacy and their beliefs about technology integration in classroom practice were found, no statistically significant association between teachers’ beliefs about using technology and their traditional beliefs about children could be established for three (Design, Exertion, Ethics) of the four TPACK-deep factors under investigation.

It is generally believed that Business to Business (B2B) e-commerce has a great impact on business performance improvement. Considerable research also shows that another dependent variable, B2B e-commerce success, can be a good overall measure of B2B systems. This paper investigated and examined the impact of several factors, which are either internal or external to the firm on B2B performance improvement and B2B e-commerce success. It is suggested that the various factors affect B2B success through business performance improvement. A research model was developed to test and evaluate these factors. A survey instrument was developed to examine the relationships between these factors and business performance. Survey data was collected online from 143 companies in the U.S.A. and Taiwan where their B2B e-commerce systems were operational for more than 1 year. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique was used to assess the measurement and the structural model. Analyses and results of the pooled survey data suggest that the following factors are significant in the B2B e-commerce environments: (a) alignment of business and e-commerce strategy has a positive impact on business performance, (b) strong relationships between the trading partners have a positive influence on business performance, and (c) B2B e-commerce success is significantly influenced by business performance improvements. Thus, firms that seek to implement successful B2B systems should focus on business performance improvements.

Although governments try to create strict policies and regulations to prevent abuses, use of excessive force is still a problem for almost every country including Turkey. This study is intended to help Turkish National Police administrators to understand and prevent police use of excessive force. Studies on police brutality categorize three factors that explain why police officers use excessive force; these are individual, situational and organizational. In addition to brutality theories, job satisfaction literature is examined in this study to understand the use of excessive force. Job satisfaction is found to be related with burnout, turnover, stress, commitment, and performance. The impact of officers' attitude toward the criminal justice system and/or laws has not been tested widely. Police officers attitudes toward human rights laws are examined in this study to measure its impact on attitude toward use of excessive force. A secondary data collected in Turkey are analyzed by structural equation modeling which provides confirmatory factor analysis, path analysis, and causal relationships between variables. It is found that police officers' attitude toward human rights laws is a significant predictor of their attitudes toward use of excessive force. Job satisfaction and education level are the other significant variables affecting attitude toward use of excessive force. Based on the analyses of findings, educational and policy implications are posed for Turkish police administrators to better understand and prevent police use of excessive force.

In the U.S., construction accidents remain a significant economic and social problem. Despite recent improvement, the Construction industry, generally, has lagged behind other industries in implementing safety as a total management process for achieving zero accidents and developing a high-performance safety culture. One aspect of this total approach to safety that has frustrated the construction industry the most has been “measurement”, which involves identifying and quantifying the factors that critically influence safe work behaviors. The basic problem attributed is the difficulty in assessing what to measure and how to measure it – particularly the intangible aspects of safety. Without measurement, the notion of continuous improvement is hard to follow. This research was undertaken to develop a strategic framework for the measurement and continuous improvement of total safety in order to achieve and sustain the goal of zero accidents, while improving the quality, productivity and the competitiveness of the construction industry as it moves forward. The research based itself on an integral model of total safety that allowed decomposition of safety into interior and exterior characteristics using a multiattribute analysis technique. Statistical relationships between total safety dimensions and safety performance (measured by safe work behavior) were revealed through a series of latent variables (factors) that describe the total safety environment of a construction organization. A structural equation model (SEM) was estimated for the latent variables to quantify relationships among them and between these total safety determinants and safety performance of a construction organization. The developed SEM constituted a strategic framework for identifying, measuring, and continuously improving safety as a total concern for achieving and sustaining the goal of zero accidents.

Submitted by Nadir Basilio (nadirsb@uninove.br) on 2015-09-28T14:22:13Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria do Carmo Assis Todorov.pdf: 1756641 bytes, checksum: ed7a3f72acb1bd351ecf957f7fa8a327 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-09-28T14:22:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria do Carmo Assis Todorov.pdf: 1756641 bytes, checksum: ed7a3f72acb1bd351ecf957f7fa8a327 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-07-30 / In the latest decades, the search for competitive advantage has driven organizations to focus on project management. To succeed in this endeavor it is necessary the development of project team competences. Communication hurdles and the needs for leadership in project management are the main reasons that compromise the project success. Like in project management, the executive secretary functions evolved up to acquire capabilities to contribute with new mechanisms/routines to improve project processes, including socio-environmental projects. Considering that executive Secretary is a reliable allied to improve project communication in project teams, this research concentrates on the analysis of project manager’s perception regarding the executive Secretary’s contributions to, socio-environmental project management. In order to assure the possibility to relate executive Secretary’s competences with project’s team competences, one used the list of competences from National Curriculum Guideline of executive Secretary Program and the set of competences proposed by the International Project Management Association, to build a theoretical model, that was evaluated through structural modeling equations. Results show that executive Secretary competences adhere and contribute to improve project team management, allowing for an effective socio-environmental project management. Therefore, project managers can use executive Secretary to boost project success. The study also show contributions to executive Secretary undergraduate programs, pinpointing which competences need a better attention for student’s professional profile development. Results also show that some competences needing improvement are acquired during the executive secretary professional formation, requiring, therefore, that practicing project executive secretaries do hold a major in executive secretary. / Nas últimas décadas, a busca da vantagem competitiva levou as organizações a se preocuparem com o gerenciamento de projetos Para o sucesso do projeto é necessário o desenvolvimento das competências da equipe de projetos. As dificuldades de comunicação e a falta de liderança durante o processo são apontadas entre as razões que comprometem o sucesso do projeto. Do mesmo modo que a gestão de projetos o Secretário Executivo também evoluiu e se capacitou para contribuir com novos mecanismos/rotinas para a melhoria dos processos em projetos, inclusive em projetos socioambientais. Considerando que o Secretário Executivo pode ser um forte aliado para melhorar inclusive a comunicação, nas equipes de projetos, nesta pesquisa se propôs a analisar qual a percepção do gerente de projetos quanto a contribuição do Secretário Executivo na gestão de projetos socioambientais. De forma a relacionar as competências do Secretário Executivo com as competências da equipe de projetos, optou-se por utilizar as competências das Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais do Curso de Secretariado Executivo e o olho de competências proposto pela International Project Management Association, para a construção de um modelo teórico, que foi analisado por meio da modelagem de equações estruturais. Os resultados demonstraram que as competências do Secretário Executivo são aderentes e contributivas na equipe de gestão de projetos, que permite uma gestão eficaz de projetos, inclusive socioambientais. Com este resultado, constatou-se que os gerentes de projetos poderão buscar no SE um apoio para alcançar o sucesso dos projetos. O estudo também apresentou contribuições para os cursos de graduação em secretariado, apontando competências que necessitam de melhor atenção para formação dos estudantes de secretariado. Os resultados mostraram ainda que das competências que precisam ser aperfeiçoadas são aprendidas na formação do profissional, sendo assim, é fundamental que esse profissional seja graduado em secretariado.