Due to a high rate of teacher attrition currently being experienced in public schools, a teacher shortage may be looming in the near future. Research shows that attrition rates are highest among novice teachers. In part, teacher attrition has also made it increasingly difficult for schools to meet the "highly qualified" requirement of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Past efforts to reverse this trend have concentrated on increasing the supply of qualified teachers; however, more recent studies have shown that the solution lies partially in raising retention rates. Research has identified several reasons teachers have left the profession, such as, low salary, student misbehavior and working conditions, including administrative support. Another common thread among teachers who leave the profession has been dissatisfaction with working conditions in their school. This study examined the relationship between teachers' intent to stay in teaching, teachers' job satisfaction, perceived administrative support, teaching experience, perceived student behavior, and teachers' satisfaction with their salaries. After the conduct of a preliminary descriptive analysis, a hypothesized path model was employed through the use of four different samples derived from the 2003-04 Schools and Staffing Survey, Public School Teacher Questionnaire (Form SASS-4A). The first sample was the combined environmental setting. The second, third, and fourth sub-samples were urban, urban fringe, and rural samples, respectively, as identified by the respondent. Based on the path analysis, perceived administrative support, teaching experience, perceived student behavior, and teachers' satisfaction with their salary were identified as significant predictors of teachers' job satisfaction and intent to stay in teaching. Administrative support was the most significant predictor of teachers' job satisfaction, while teachers' job satisfaction was the most significant predictor of teachers' intent to stay in teaching. The path analysis also confirmed that perceived administrative support mediates the effect of teaching experience, perceived student behavior, and teachers' satisfaction with their salary relative to both teachers' job satisfaction and intent to stay in teaching. No significant differences were found among the sample and their sub-samples based on the environmental setting of the school. / Ph. D.

Financial stress is a condition that is becoming more prevalent in today’s society. Factors such as high debt levels, low savings and economic recessions all contribute to the financial stress experienced by people across all nations. Research has found that financial stress negatively affects employees’ performance at work. Quality employees play a vital role in the success of a business. As a result, employers should strive to ensure employees’ well-being. With these increasing pressures on personal finance and its interference on work, should management attempt to improve employees’ financial well-being? Management needs to be convinced that their actions can improve their employees’ financial well-being. This study established and measured the relationship that the subjective measures financial efficacy and satisfaction with remuneration have on personal financial well-being. A sample size of 9 057 employees from different sectors in South Africa was used. Data was analysed using Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis. Three hypotheses were tested. Hypothesis 1: There is a relationship between satisfaction with remuneration and personal financial well-being. Hypothesis 2: There is a relationship between personal financial well-being and personal financial efficacy. Hypothesis 3: Personal financial efficacy moderates the relationship between satisfaction with remuneration and personal financial wellbeing. The study found that all three hypotheses were supported. Personal financial efficacy and satisfaction with remuneration were found to have a large positive relationship with personal financial well-being. The study also established that the relationship between satisfaction with remuneration and financial well-being was stronger in people with higher personal financial efficacy. It is argued that management can intervene with employees’ financial well-being by improving financial efficacy through financial literacy education and by improving their satisfaction with remuneration. / MCom (Management Accountancy), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Financial stress is a condition that is becoming more prevalent in today’s society. Factors such as high debt levels, low savings and economic recessions all contribute to the financial stress experienced by people across all nations. Research has found that financial stress negatively affects employees’ performance at work. Quality employees play a vital role in the success of a business. As a result, employers should strive to ensure employees’ well-being. With these increasing pressures on personal finance and its interference on work, should management attempt to improve employees’ financial well-being? Management needs to be convinced that their actions can improve their employees’ financial well-being. This study established and measured the relationship that the subjective measures financial efficacy and satisfaction with remuneration have on personal financial well-being. A sample size of 9 057 employees from different sectors in South Africa was used. Data was analysed using Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis. Three hypotheses were tested. Hypothesis 1: There is a relationship between satisfaction with remuneration and personal financial well-being. Hypothesis 2: There is a relationship between personal financial well-being and personal financial efficacy. Hypothesis 3: Personal financial efficacy moderates the relationship between satisfaction with remuneration and personal financial wellbeing. The study found that all three hypotheses were supported. Personal financial efficacy and satisfaction with remuneration were found to have a large positive relationship with personal financial well-being. The study also established that the relationship between satisfaction with remuneration and financial well-being was stronger in people with higher personal financial efficacy. It is argued that management can intervene with employees’ financial well-being by improving financial efficacy through financial literacy education and by improving their satisfaction with remuneration. / MCom (Management Accountancy), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Cukrinis diabetas (CD) yra valdoma liga, kuriai būtina ne tik tinkama ir atitinkanti gydymo standartus medikų teikiama diabeto priežiūra, bet ir sergančiųjų šia liga savipriežiūra. Darbo tikslas. Įvertinti ir palyginti Kauno miesto ir rajono pirminės sveikatos priežiūros centrų pacientų, sergančių CD, požiūrį į diabeto priežiūrą. Uždaviniai: 1) įvertinti ir palyginti Kauno miesto ir rajono pirminės sveikatos priežiūros centrų (PSPC) pacientų, sergančių CD, demografines socialines, gyvensenos ir CD charakteristikas; 2) įvertinti ir palyginti Kauno miesto ir rajono PSPC sergančių CD, požiūrį į savipriežiūrą bei CD priežiūros prieinamumą; 3) įvertinti Kauno miesto ir rajono PSPC pacientų, sergančių CD, pasitenkinimą cukrinio diabeto priežiūra. Tyrimo metodika. Tirti suaugę Kauno miesto privataus PSPC (n=104) ir Kauno rajono privataus PSPC pacientai (n=151), sergantys CD. Anoniminė anketinė apklausa vyko nuo 2009-10-05 iki 2010-02-10, naudojant tyrėjų sudarytą klausimyną. Duomenys analizuojami standartiniais statistiniais metodais (SPSS 13,0), skaičiuojant vidurkius, vertinant požymių priklausomybę pagal Pirsono (χ2) kriterijų, veiksnių pasireiškimo palyginimui skaičiuota šansų santykiai, veiksnių įtakai nustatyti atlikta logistinė regresija. Rezultatai. Miesto sergančiųjų CD tarpe, lyginant su rajono, buvo keturis kartus daugiau neturinčių jokių diabeto komplikacijų, bet du kartus dažniau besigydančių dėl CD problemų ligoninėje, taip pat daugiau įgijusių aukštesnį išsilavinimą... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a manageable disease, but it requires suitable and adequate care according treatment standards as well as self-management of the disease. The aim of the study: To assess and compare the attitudes towards diabetes care of patients with DM of Primary Health Care Centres in Kaunas city and Kaunas rural area. The objectives of the study: 1) to assess and compare demographic, social, lifestyle and disease characteristics of patients with DM of Primary Health Care Centres in Kaunas city and rural area; 2) to assess and compare the attitudes towards self-management of DM and medical care accessibility of Primary Health Care Centres in Kaunas city and rural area; 3) to assess and compare satisfaction with diabetes care of patients of Primary Health Care Centres in Kaunas city and rural area. Methods: Adult patients with DM from Kaunas city Primary Health Care centre (n =104) and from Kaunas rural area Primary Health Care centre (n=151), were involved in the survey. Anonymous questionnaire survey was carried out since 2009-10-05 until 2010-02-10 using the questionnaire developed by researchers. Statistical analysis package (SPSS 13,0) was used to analyse the data. Dependence of symptoms was researched by the use of Pirson test (χ²). Odds ratio was computed for comparison of factor manifestation. Logistic regression was performed in order to determine the influence of factors. The results: Among the patients with DM in the city, comparing to the rural area... [to full text]

Darbe atlikta teorinė tėvų pasitenkinimo logopedo teikiamomis paslaugomis bei pagalba vaikui ir šeimai ikimokykliniame amžiuje probleminių klausimų analizė Lietuvoje ir lyginimas su kitomis Europos šalimis. Tyrimo tikslas – įvertinti tėvų, auginančių ikimokyklinio amžiaus vaikus, pasitenkinimą logopedine pagalba. Taikyti teoriniai (mokslinės literatūros ir dokumentų, antrinių dokumentų analizė), empiriniai (anketinė apklausa ir interviu) bei statistiniai metodai. Statistinėms tendencijoms nustatyti, taikyti aprašomosios statistikos metodai (absoliutiniai ir santykiniai dažniai). Anketinėje apklausoje dalyvavo198 tėvai, auginantys ikimokyklinio amžiaus vaikus, kurie gauna logopedinę pagalbą ikimokyklinėse įstaigose. Interviu raštu dalyvavo 4 respondentai (N=4), siekiant išsiaiškinti nuomonių bei nuostatų į teikiamą pagalbą ir pasitenkinimą ja turiniui atskleisti. Svarbiausios empirinio tyrimo išvados: 1. Mokslinės literatūros bei dokumentų analizė rodo, kad Lietuva, orientuodamasi į Europos Sąjungos švietimo politiką, pereina nuo orientacijos į siaurą pagalbą vaikui, grindžiamą tradicine institucine logopedo pagalba vaikui ugdymo įstaigoje, prie sisteminio ugdymo modelio, kai pagalba teikiama ne tik vaikui, bet ir šeimoms, įtraukiant jas į vaiko ugdymą. 2. Tyrimo rezultatų analizė leidžia teigti, kad dauguma tėvų teigiamai vertina logopedinę pagalbą vaikui. Itin gerai vertinamas bendravimas su vaiku bei logopedo taikomi pagalbos būdai. Tyrime dalyvavę tėvai teigiamai... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The theoretical part of the research analyses the main focuses concerning parents' satisfaction with the services provided by speech therapists and support to their children as well as to the families in pre-school in Lithuania as well as in other European countries. The aim of the research is to assess the parents’ raising up pre-school children, who need speech therapy, satisfaction with speech therapy support. There were applied the theoretical analysis of literature and documents, secondary analysis of documents as well as empirical (questionnaire and interview), and statistical methods. Methods of descriptive statistics (absolute and relative frequencies) were applied for statistical analysis. The sample of research (questionnaire survey) consists of 198 parents with pre-school children, who receive speech therapy at pre-school, as well as 4 respondents who took part in an interview in order to ascertain the views and attitudes towards the given support and its contents. The main conclusions of the empirical part of the research: 1. The scientific literature and analysis of documents show that Lithuania, focusing on the European Union's education policy, shifts from a narrow orientation to the child‘s and the support to him/her, based on the traditional institutional assistance of a speech therapist to a child in educational institution, to a systemic educational model focused not only on a child but also on a families, involved into the child's education. 2. The... [to full text]

This study, presented in article format, contributed to the development of the science and practice of positive psychology / psychofortology, specifically in the South African multi-cultural context, through (i) a first phase exploration of the validity of several scales, mainly developed in a 'western' context, for applicability of measurement of facets of psychological well-being in the South African (multicultural) context (manuscript I), (ii) an exploration of patterns of psychological wellbeing and satisfaction with life in cultural context (manuscript 2), and (iii) a review of the state of the art of the applicability of knowledge (theory and experimental findings) from the domain of positive psychology, for use in practice to enhance the quality of life for people (manuscript 3). For purposes of this study "cultural context" referred to relatively individualist and relatively collectivist cultural orientations as manifested in shared patterns of behavioural readiness, assumptions, attitudes, beliefs, self-definitions, norms, values, historical background and language groupings. The aim of the first study I article was to do a first phase screening of psychometric properties of several scales measuring facets of psychological wellbeing in a South African context. Most of these scales were developed in a western context, and measure facets of cognitive, affective, conative, social, and spiritual psychological well-being. Data were gathered in two projects including 731 participants from different cultural contexts in the North West Province. The FORTproject (FORT = Clarifying the nature of psychological strengths; -=strength) included a convenience sample of 384 mainly white students and adults from the Potchefstroom area, and a convenience sample of 130 mainly black students from the Mafikeng area. The POWIRS-project (POWIRS = Profiles of Obese Women with the Insulin Resistance Syndrome) included 102 black and 1 15 white adult women. Reliability and validity of scales for use in a South African context were reported. Results indicated that the reliability and validity of scales varied from acceptable to totally unacceptable for use in specific subgroups. It was concluded that the most promising scales for use in all groups were the Affectometer 2 (AFM), the Fortitude Questionnaire (FORQ) (except the FORQ-S), the Cognitive Appraisal Questionnaire (CAQ), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) (the latter measuring pathology), and to some extent the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC). This second study I article explored the patterns of psychological well-being and satisfaction with life in relatively more individualist and relatively more collectivist cultural contexts in South Africa. Secondary factor analyses were conducted on data obtained in four cross-sectional studies, comprising 1,909 participants. Questionnaires varied in studies, and measured facets of affective, cognitive, physical, spiritual, interpersonal and social well-being. Similarities and differences in patterns of psychological well-being and satisfaction with life were found. Satisfaction with life clusters with intra-psychological well-being in relatively more individualist cultural groups, and with inter-personal factors in relatively more collectivist African groups. Implications for models of psychological well-being and interventions to enhance psychological well-being were indicated. The aim of the third study I article was to review and evaluate the practical applicability of scientific knowledge from the domain of positive psychology / psychofortology, with specific reference to assessment, interventions, lifespan development and application in various contexts. It was shown that knowledge in the scientific domain of positive psychology has great relevance for, and application possibilities on individual, community and public policy levels. Applications were found as far as evaluation (assessment) and interventions are concerned in various life contexts (such as education, psychotherapy, health promotion, work), and in various phases of life (from childhood through adolescence and adulthood to old age). Several specific, empirically validated, strategies for enhancement of facets of psychological well-being were highlighted. It was pointed out that an advantage of positive psychology is that it has the theory, research evidence, and techniques to bring benefit to many people on the total mental health continuum, and not only, but also, to the minority who have a problem or are at risk of developing problems. A main conclusion across the different studies reported in this thesis (articles 1-3), was that cultural contexts and variables certainly need to be taken into account in research and practice of positive psychology. Despite the major developments in the scientific domain of positive psychology / psychofortology, its theories and applications have mainly been developed and explored in a western context, and further research is necessary, specifically in the African context. Several recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

This diploma thesis is in its theoretical part dealing with religious and philosophical concerns in relation to positive affectivity and subjective well-being. It offers a review of contemporary theories on this topic. In the practical part, it tests the relations of the constructs which have an infuence on personal well-being: positive affectivity, satisfation with life and life engagement. Positive affectivity is assessed with the life orientation test (LOT-R: Life Orientation Test-Revisited, Scheier, Carver, Bridges, 1994), personal well-being with the satisfaction-with-life scale (SWLS: Satisfaction With Life Scale, Pavot et al., 1991) and meaningful life engagement with the life engagement test (LET: Life Engagement Test- Assesing Purpose in Life, Scheier et al. 2006). The test sample consisted of 301 respondents of the common population. Their average age was 38 years, the national contents were 188 people of the Czech citizenship and 113 people of the Slovak citizenship. No correlation was found between positive affectivity and gender, age, education nor nationality. Further there was no correlation between satisfaction with life and citizenship, gender and age. The same applies to life engagement and citizenship and age. On the contrary, the results show that there is a diference in the...

Der Übergang von Schule zu Hochschule verläuft unbefriedigend, wenn die Passung von Studieninteresse und Fähigkeiten der Studienanfänger_innen mit den Anforderungen des Studiums nicht optimal ist. An der Universität Jena werden ein Online Self-Assessment und ein lernbezogenes Beratungsangebot, aufbauend auf einer multimethodischen Bedarfsanalyse, entwickelt. Erste Ergebnisse zeigen den Zusammenhang von unrealistischen Erwartungen, geringer Studienzufriedenheit und erhöhter Abbruchneigung. Lernbezogene Präventionsstrategien hängen negativ mit erlebter Belastung durch Lernschwierigkeiten zusammen. Der Artikel stellt Ergebnisse der Bedarfsanalyse und die entstehenden Unterstützungsangebote vor.

Contexte : Les troubles liés à l’usage des substances psychoactives constituent une priorité de santé publique dans le champ des pathologies chroniques. Les indicateurs de type Patient-Reported Outcomes (PRO) offrent des perspectives complémentaires aux indicateurs classiques pour la mesure de l’état de santé des patients et l’appréciation de la qualité des soins. Objectifs : Étudier les propriétés psychométriques de questionnaires de qualité de vie (QV) et les déterminants de la satisfaction précoce vis-à-vis des soins ambulatoires de patients dépendants aux substances de type alcool ou opiacés. Méthode : Les caractéristiques des patients et des médecins ont été recueillies à l’inclusion dans la cohorte SUBUSQOL. La satisfaction précoce a été mesurée quinze jours après la première consultation et ses déterminants ont été testés dans des modèles de régression linéaires multivariés. Les propriétés psychométriques du questionnaire spécifique Q-LES-Q-SF ont été étudiées au préalable sur un échantillon de patients. Résultats : La version française du Q-LES-Q-SF constitue un outil unidimensionnel robuste et fiable, les items du SF-12 et Q-LES-Q-SF présentent peu ou pas de fonctionnement différentiel selon l’âge, le sexe, le niveau d’éducation et le type d’addiction. Peu de variables recueillies sont associées à la satisfaction. Les patients dépendants à l’alcool se révèlent être plus satisfaits des modalités de contact et du délai de rendez-vous et ceux sans aucun antécédent de prise en charge pour leur dépendance plus satisfaits de leur consultation avec le médecin. Conclusion : Les questionnaires SF-12 et Q-LES-Q-SF peuvent être utilisés dans des populations de patients suivis en ambulatoire pour une dépendance aux substances psychoactives / Context: Of chronic diseases, substance use disorders are a public health priority. Patient-reported outcome indicators (PRO) offer additional insights into the classical indicators used to measure the patient’s health status and appreciation of their quality of care. Objectives: to study the psychometric properties of quality of life instruments and to study the determinants of early outpatient satisfaction with ambulatory care in alcohol- or opiate-dependent patients. Method: Patient and physician characteristics were collected in the SUBUSQOL cohort. Early satisfaction with care was measured fifteen days after the first consultation. The determinants of satisfaction were tested using multivariate linear models of regression. Prior data on the self-reported health status of a sample of alcohol- or opiate-dependent outpatients were used to investigate the psychometric properties of a specific questionnaire, the Q-LES-Q-SF. Results: Our results establish that the French version of the Q-LES-Q-SF is a unidimensional, valid and reliable instrument of self-reported health status assessment for use in care or medical research and that few items of the SF-12 and the Q-LES-Q-SF displayed differential functioning according to age, sex, educational level and type of substance use disorder. Our results show that few variables are associated with the level of patient satisfaction. Alcohol dependence was strongly associated with higher satisfaction with appointment making, and patients with no history of previous care for substance use disorders had a higher level of satisfaction with the doctor consultation. Conclusion: The use of the SF-12 and the Q-LES-Q-SF is recommended for outpatients suffering from substance use disorders

Esta dissertação tem como objetivo central investigar fatores que moderam a relação entre satisfação pós-recuperação e intenção de recompra no varejo online. Mais especificamente, esta pesquisa visa analisar se os construtos qualidade do relacionamento, resistência à mudança e motivo inferido moderam a relação entre satisfação com o gerenciamento de reclamações e intenção de recompra no varejo online. Para verificar tais moderações, inicialmente foi realizada a etapa exploratória de pesquisa, na qual, por meio de entrevistas em profundidade, evidenciou-se que as variáveis propostas poderiam moderar a relação entre a variável independente e dependente desta dissertação, bem como foi adicionado o construto valor econômico como possível moderador da relação entre satisfação pós-reclamação e intenção de recompra. Em seguida, para testar as hipóteses propostas foi aplicada uma survey junto a consumidores norte-americanos (N=500), operacionalizada com auxílio do Qualtrics, via Mechanical Turk. Como resultado dos testes, tem-se que a qualidade do relacionamento, o motivo inferido e a percepção de valor econômico moderam a relação entre satisfação pós-recuperação e intenção de recompra no varejo online, ou seja, podem explicar, em partes, a não linearidade da relação entre a variável independente e dependente desta pesquisa. Destaca-se ainda que as dimensões da qualidade do relacionamento (a saber: satisfação, confiança e comprometimento) sugeridas neste estudo também moderaram, individualmente, a relação entre a variável independente e dependente desta pesquisa. Sendo assim, esta dissertação contribuiu para a literatura de Marketing e comércio eletrônico ao evidenciar que tanto a qualidade do relacionamento, bem como as dimensões de satisfação, confiança e comprometimento moderam a relação entre satisfação com o gerenciamento de reclamações e intenção de recompra. Além disso, evidencia-se que a elevada percepção de valor econômico, e os motivos inferidos pelos clientes (se positivos), diante da falha inicial ocorrida, também podem sinalizar intenções de recompra dos consumidores junto a sites varejistas. / This dissertation aims to investigate factors that moderate the relationship between satisfaction with complaint handling and repurchase intention in online retail. More specifically, this research aims to examine whether the quality of the relationship constructs, resistance to change and inferred motive moderate the relationship between satisfaction with complaint handling and repurchase intention in online retail. To test such moderations, was taken an exploratory research stage through in-depth interviews in which it became clear that the proposed constructs could moderate the relationship between the independent and dependent variables of this dissertation, as well as the variable economic value was added as a possible moderator of the relationships between satisfaction with complaint handling and repurchase intention. Then, to test the hypotheses was applied a survey with online consumers (N=500) from United States, through Qualtrics and Mechanical Turk. The results indicate that the relationship quality, the inferred motive and the perceived economic value moderated the relationship between satisfaction with complaint handling and repurchase intention in online retail. It is emphasized that the dimensions of relationship quality (satisfaction, trust and commitment) suggested in this study also moderated, in an individual way, the relationship between the independent and dependent variables of this study. Thus, this dissertation has contributed to the literature of marketing and e-commerce by showing that both the relationship quality as well as the dimensions (satisfaction, trust and commitment) moderate the relationship between satisfaction with complaint handling and repurchase intention. Furthermore, it is evident that the high perceived economic value, and the motive inferred by customers (if positive), facing the initial failure occurred, can also indicate repurchase intentions of consumers with online retailers.