In this dissertation, I investigate how differences in the manner via which individuals pursue goals (judging effort from outcome or outcome from effort) influences expectations (effort vs. outcome). In particular, I focus on the role of self-efficacy, and show that when individuals focus on outcomes, they take self-efficacy into consideration when assessing how much effort is needed. However, when focusing on effort, individuals do not take self-efficacy into consideration when making judgments of outcomes. Thus, I find that irrespective of differences in self-efficacy, individuals expect similar outcomes when effort invested is the same. I report findings from six studies, and discuss theoretical and managerial implications. / Ph. D.

Yes / Obesity research priority setting, if conducted to a high standard, can help promote policy-relevant and efficient research. Therefore, there is a need to identify existing research priority setting studies conducted in the topic area of obesity and to determine the extent to which they followed good practice principles for research priority setting. Studies examining research priority setting in obesity were identified through searching the MEDLINE, PBSC, CINAHL, PsycINFO databases and the grey literature. The nine common themes of good practice in research priority setting were used as a methodological framework to evaluate the processes of the included studies. These were context, use of a comprehensive approach, inclusiveness, information gathering, planning for implementation, criteria, methods for deciding on priorities, evaluation and transparency. Thirteen articles reporting research prioritisation exercises conducted in different areas of obesity research were included. All studies reported engaging with various stakeholders such as policy makers, researchers and healthcare professionals. Public involvement was included in six studies. Methods of research prioritisation commonly included both Delphi and nominal group techniques and surveys. None of the 13 studies fulfilled all nine of the good practice criteria for research priority setting, with the most common limitations including not using a comprehensive approach and lack of inclusivity and evaluating on their processes. There is a need for research priority setting studies in obesity to involve the public and to evaluate their exercises to ensure they are of high quality. / National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under its Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) Yorkshire and Humber in the form of Ph.D. funding to HI [NIHR200166], the UK Prevention Research Partnership (UKPRP) in the form of funding to JW and RM [MR/S037527/1], the NIHR Clinical Research Network in the form of funding to JW, and the NIHR ARC Yorkshire and Humber in the form of funding to RM

The empirical literature on goal orientation is ambiguous in relation to the supposed effects of performance goal orientation (PGO) on goal setting and performance. In an attempt to clear up this issue it was hypothesized based on Carol Dweck's (1989) theoretical framework that dispositional performance goal orientation would interact with self-efficacy in their effect on level of self-set goal and performance, such that the relationship between PGO and goals (and performance) would be positive for individuals high on self-efficacy, while negative for individuals low on self-efficacy. Furthermore it was predicted that learning goal orientation would be positively related to both goals and performance. In both cases it was predicted that goals would serve as a mediator between the goal orientations and performance. The hypotheses were tested using a diverse sample (N = 146) of Icelandic job applicants on their way to a job interview. No support for the hypotheses was found. Potential causes for the non-findings are identified and analyzed and the status of the goal orientation construct is discussed. / Master of Science

The present study set out to examine the role of learning and performance goal orientation on goal setting and self-efficacy. More specially, the present study attempted to verify the results of the effects of learning goal orientation and to clarify the role of performance goal orientation. In addition, the role of self-efficacy and the possibility of an interaction between learning goal orientation and performance goal orientation were also examined. While the present study did not find a significant impact of dispositional goal orientation on any motivational variables examined, relatively strong support was found for the impact of situational learning and performance goal orientation on both goal choice and self-efficacy. As expected, learning goal orientation was a predictor of goal choice and self-efficacy, in that individuals who display a strong learning goal orientation set higher goals and demonstrate increased levels of self-efficacy. Contrary to past research, performance goal orientation was found to be an extremely strong, positive predictor of both goal choice and self-efficacy. The presence of this positive relationship could indicate the possibility of a potential task moderator. Although strong support was found for the independent effects of goal orientation on goal choice and self-efficacy, partial mediation by self-efficacy of learning goal orientation and goal choice was not found. Similarly, the results obtained in the present study did not provide evidence of an interaction between the two goal orientation dimensions in predicting either goal choice or self-efficacy. Taken as a whole, the present study does provide support for the importance of learning and performance goal orientation in the formation of self-set goals and one's level of self-efficacy. / Master of Science

Yes / This study investigates whether participation in goal-setting within performance measurement and evaluation processes affects goal commitment and if so, whether the effect is mediated by procedural fairness and interpersonal trust. Using a sample of 54 managers within a UK financial services organisation, this study finds that participation in goal-setting is positively associated with goal commitment. Further analysis arising from introducing procedural fairness and interpersonal trust as mediating variables reveals that the association is significantly mediated by procedural fairness. Overall, these findings offer empirical evidence on the importance of procedural fairness on the relationship between participation and goal commitment.

Denna undersökning avser att ta reda på hur den ideella organisationen Fatta använder sig av sociala medier för att sätta agendan. Uppsatsen bygger på agenda setting- teorin och tidigare forskning om ideella organisationer. Frågeställningen lyder “Hur använder Fatta sociala medier för att sätta agendan?”. Uppsatsens kärna baseras på insamlat material från Fattas sociala medier Facebook, Instagram och Twitter. Insamlingsperioden var under en månads tid. Detta material analyserades med hjälp av en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Undersökningens huvudsakliga resultat visar att Fatta använder sociala medier i en väldigt liten utsträckning. Det i sin tur tyder på att det är ett flertal faktorer som spelar in för att en ideell organisation ska kunna hamna på agendan. I Fattas fall hjälper sociala medier dem att nå ut till sin publik med tre huvudsakliga kategorier: information, marknadsföring och uppmaningar. / The purpose of this thesis was to understand how social media can help non profit organizations to set the agenda. We have chosen to study the non profit organization Fatta. In this thesis a qualitative content analysis is used to look at the content in social media posts. The method is used to see how the non profit organiztion Fatta are using social media to set the agenda. The main results of this thesis is that being on social media is not enough for setting the agenda. There are several factors that come into play when a non-profit organization succesfully makes it to the agenda

Purpose: With focus on environment and in relation to civilization, this essay aims to clearify the discource and the process in wich creation of meaning about Africa is produced within swedish articles and also to analyze the exprecisions used. Method: As method, as well as theory, this essay uses the theory of discource and the discource analysis asssociated with Laclau & Mouffe. This because of the linguistic orientation and the tools of signs and elements among others to help identify common use of words and type of language with wich to talk about Africa. To do this, articles are selected from Retriever using the keyword Africa. Thereafter, a closer look at the total of 675 articles reduces them into 160 which clearly shows any description of environment and thereafter says something about civilization, or for that matter, the opposite to civilization. The material is then analyzed based on categories of countryside, urban environments and exotic environments aswell in relation to civilization in purpose to clearify wich environment is conected to civilization, or for that matter rather primitive societies. In this process the essay is also able to clearify the exprecions used. Result: The results show that the mosts common way to describe Africa is through signs of rather primitive societies. All of the environments aswell as the countryside, the exotic environment and the urban environment are described this way and show that the african society overall is to be considered a primitive society. / Syfte: Med övergripande fokus på miljö och relation till civilisation är det uppsatsen syfte att undersöka diskursen rådande kring Afrika och genom diskursanalysens verktyg redogöra för de såväl explicita, som implicita uttryck gestaltande av dessa förhållanden. Metod: Som metod används diskursanalys huvudsakligen präglad av Laclau & Mouffes breda, lingvistiska inriktning som genom användande av nodalpunkter, element och moment kartlägger språkliga uttryck genom vilka att tala om Afrikas miljö och också dess relation till civilisation. Analysen är indelad i flera steg där inledande artiklar ur empirin bestående av enbart beskrivningar av miljö separeras från dem med ytterligare fokus på civilisation eller primitiva förhållanden. Vidare separeras också de artiklar som beskriver civiliserade förhållanden från dem som fokuserar på snarare primitiva sådana. Samtliga artiklar analyseras sedan utifrån dessa kategorier i form  av ämnesområden som stadsmiljö, landsbygd och exotisk miljö för att synliggöra språkliga uttryck samt undersöka i vilken utsträckning respektive miljö beskrivs såväl enskilt som i relation till civilisation. Slutsats: Efter analys av totala 160 artiklar har framkommit att diskursen rådande kring Afrika övervägande inom såväl kategorin för de artiklar som enbart gestaltar Afrikas miljö, såväl som den som också visar dess relation till civilisation gestaltar Afrika i form av primitiva förhållanden.  Samtliga ämnesområden, dvs. stadsmiljö, landsbygd och exotisk miljö visar att Afrika oavsett konkret miljö övervägande representeras kantat av primitiva förhållanden och kan i helhet beskrivas som ett övergripande primitivt samhälle. Dessa resultat, eller tendenser, är att likna vid den tidigare forskning som bedrivits där också samma tendens fastslås hos internationella medier.

Sammanfattning Studiens syfte är att undersöka Nyheter24s kampanj om näthat för att förstå hur den är uppbyggd och vad den har för innehåll. På vilket sätt Nyheter24s kampanj är uppbyggd handlar om vilken typ av journalistiska texter som ingår i kampanjen och vilken typ av redaktionellt textformat som dominerat. Vilket innehåll de väljer att publicera i sin kampanj handlar om vilka frames som används i kampanjen och hur näthat framställs av Nyheter24. Syftet ligger till grund för uppsatsens två frågeställningar: 1) Hur är No Hate-kampanjen uppbyggd? och 2) På vilket sätt skriver Nyheter24 om näthat inom ramen för No Hate-kampanjen? Frågeställningarna kommer besvaras med en kombination av två metoder. En kvantitativ innehållsanalys och en kvalitativ textanalys. Kombinationen bidrar till att både ge en överblick av materialet som utgör kampanjen samt skapa djupare förståelse för texternas innehåll. Undersökningen görs inom ramen för Agenda setting theory och dess andra nivån. Studiens resultat visar att Nyheter24 främst lyfter skribentens personliga åsikter om näthat och känslomässiga effekter av näthat. Det syns i forma av känsloladdade ord, personliga berättelser och exempel på människor som blivit utsatta för näthat. Det kombineras med objektiv information i form av statistik och fakta, den typen av innehåll fungerar främst som ett komplement till det övrigt subjektiva innehållet i kampanjen. / The aim of this study is to examine Nyheter24 campaign about internethate to understand its compostion and to identify its different components. To successfully identify the campaigns compostion it is necessary to see what different type of journalistic texts are featured in the campaign and which ones are overrepresented. To see in which way Nyheter24 writes about internehate ten texts will be studied thoroughly to see which frames reoccur in these texts. Furthermore the essay will identify which frames regarding internehate reoccur in the campaign. With the help of the aim of the study, two research questions have emerged: 1) How is the No Hate campaign structured? 2) In what way does Nyheter24 write about internethate in their No Hate campaign? The research questions will be answered by a combination of two different methods. A quantitative content analysis and a qualitative textanalysis. The combination of these two methods will be usefull to answer the research questions since they will give an overlook of the campaign material and then a deeper understanding of the texts content. The result will be studied with help of the agenda setting theory and its second level. The result of the study show that Nyheter24 has primarily chosen to focus on the authour’s personal opinion regarding internethate and the emotional impact internehate has. This is showed by the usage of words connected to feelings and by personal stories surrounding internethate. This is combined with statistics and facts and this type of information is mainly used as a complement to the other two categories

A package intervention, consisting of daily-adjusted goal setting, e-mail feedback, and graphic feedback, was used in a public school attendance office to increase the efficiency with which 3 attendance clerks documented student attendance. During the intervention phase, the attendance secretary set a daily goal for each attendance clerk. This goal was a percentage of student absences to be coded and entered in the school computer program. After establishing a daily goal, the attendance secretary provided daily feedback, in the form of a written e-mail response and graphed feedback to each clerk. If the subjects had attained their daily goal, the attendance secretary also delivered a praise statement along with the e-mail feedback. Results indicated that the intervention package was ineffective in producing change in the attendance clerks' absence coding behavior.

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