The concept of customer perceived value occupies a prominent position within the strategic agenda of organisations, as firms seek to maximise the value perceived by their customers as arising from their consumption, and to equal or exceed that perceived in relation to competitor propositions. Customer value management is similarly central to the marketing discipline. However, the nature of customer value remains ambiguous and its measurement is typically flawed, due to the poor conceptual foundation upon which previous research endeavours are built. This investigation seeks to address the current poverty of insight regarding the nature and measurement of customer value. The development of a revised conceptual framework synthesises the strengths of previous value conceptualisations while addressing many of their limitations. A multi-dimensional depiction of value arising from customer experience is presented, in which value is conceptualised as arising at both first-order dimension and overall, second-order levels of abstraction. The subsequent operationalisation of this conceptual framework within a two-phase investigation combines qualitative and quantitative methodologies in a study of customer value arising from subscription TV (STV) consumption. Sixty semi-structured interviews with 103 existing STV customers give rise to a multi-dimensional model of value, in which dimensions are categorised as restorative, actualising and hedonic in type, and as arising via individual, reflected or shared modes of perception. The quantitative investigation entails two periods of data collection via questionnaires developed from the qualitative findings, and the gathering of 861 responses, also from existing STV customers. A series of scales with which to measure value dimensions is developed and an index enabling overall perceived value measurement is produced. Contributions to theory of customer value arise in the form of enhanced insights regarding its nature. At the first-order dimension level, the derived dimensions are of specific relevance to the STV industry. However, the empirically derived framework of dimension types and modes of perception has potential applicability in multiple contexts. At the more abstract, second-order level, the findings highlight that value perceptions comprise only a subset of potential dimensions. Evidence is thus presented of the need to consider value at both dimension and overall levels of perception. Contributions to knowledge regarding customer value measurement also arise, as the study produces reliable and valid scales and an index. This latter tool is novel in its formative measurement of value as a second order construct, comprising numerous first-order dimensions of value, rather than quality as incorporated in previously derived measures. This investigation also results in a contribution to theory regarding customer experience through the identification of a series of holistic, discrete, direct and indirect value-generating interactions. Contributions to practice within the STV industry arise as the findings present a solution to the immediate need for enhanced value insight. Contributions to alternative industries are methodological, as this study presents a detailed process through which robust value insight can be derived. Specific methodological recommendations arise in respect of the need for empirically grounded research, an experiential focus and a twostage quantitative methodology.

This study investigated links between childhood victimization, adult attachment style, and adult physical health outcomes among women. Existing research has found that female survivors of childhood abuse are more likely than non-abused women to experience a host of negative long-term sequelae, particularly in terms of mental and physical health concerns. Examining the attachment security of abuse survivors may facilitate our understanding of the relationship between early victimization and later health. Attachment theory posits that the security of childhood relationships with caregivers influences the quality of later interpersonal relationships. As a consequence of childhood abuse, normal attachment patterns are thought to be disrupted. Furthermore, insecure adult attachment has been linked to poorer physical health in community samples. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), adult attachment insecurity was found to partially mediate health outcomes among female survivors of childhood victimization in an undergraduate sample. Findings suggest that the experience of childhood maltreatment is tied to an increase in women's physical health concerns in a holistic manner, where victimization affects later perceptions of symptoms, functional impairment, and illness behaviour. Furthermore, adult attachment and relational behaviour appears to be a pathway through which this association is formed. Implications for health practitioners, clinicians and researchers are discussed. / Graduate

Trust between team members is important: Research has shown that teams with higher levels of trust have a propensity to be higher performers. This study built on contemporary trust theory by examining initial interpersonal trust development between a new team member and a newly formed work-team using experimental rather than correlation-based survey methods. Undergraduate students from a metropolitan Australian university participated in a vignette experiment examining the effect of teams with varying levels of Ability, Benevolence and Integrity on trust development. It was hypothesised that these antecedents of trust do not have similar effect on our Intention to Trust as is currently depicted in Mayer, Davis and Schoorman's (1995) integrative model of organisational trust. Their model is developed by hypothesising that the type and magnitude of the information we receive about a trustee moderates the relationship between our Intention to Trust and its antecedents. Initial examination of the traditional scales identified overlaps that needed clarification. This was completed by informing existing scales and the vignette manipulations with the context specific information that emerged from the thematic analysis of structured interviews. Subsequent analyses of the questionnaire data used ANOVA and Structural Equation Modelling techniques. In testing the hypotheses, Ability was found to be most salient in the development of Intention to Trust. This research contributes methodologically by developing a vignette-based experimental method that improves the reliability of existing trust scales. The study contributes theoretically by further explaining the salience of the trust antecedents and practically by identifying that the judgment and decision-making of new workteam members can be distorted by halo bias wherein they ignore the Benevolence traits of team members of a group that exhibits high levels of Ability.

Little is known about the spatial distribution and abundance of tree holes in New Zealand’s native forests, or the invertebrate communities that they support. I found that tree holes were common on five endemic tree species, belonging to the families Fagaceae and Podocarpaceae in the mixed broadleaf-podocarp rainforest of Orikaka Ecological Area, Buller District, New Zealand. However, tree holes were not uniformly distributed throughout the forest, with more holes found on the three podocarp species, Prumnopitys ferruginea, P. taxifolia and Dacrycarpus dacrydioides, than on Nothofagus fusca or N. menziesii. Nevertheless, Nothofagus fusca had the largest holes of any of the tree species sampled and larger trees generally had larger holes. Large, hole-bearing Nothofagus fusca trees support a specialist hole-dwelling vertebrate fauna in New Zealand and worldwide, tree holes provide habitat for a range of invertebrate species. Using specially-designed emergence traps, I collected invertebrates emerging from naturally-occurring dry tree holes and compared this assemblage with invertebrates inhabiting leaf litter on the forest floor and those dispersing aerially throughout the study area. At the higher taxonomic resolution (i.e., Order or Class), community composition within the tree holes was highly variable, and there was no strong distinction between invertebrates from tree holes, leaf litter or Malaise traps. Moreover, although some beetle species emerging from tree holes were found exclusively in tree holes, most of these were represented by a single individual. Consequently, only minor differences in species composition were detected between beetle assemblages from tree holes, leaf-litter and those aerially dispersing throughout the forest. In contrast, the aquatic invertebrate assemblage within water-filled tree holes was highly distinctive from that in ground-based freshwater ecosystems, with only six aquatic taxa in common between all freshwater habitats. Using experimental water-filled tree-hole microcosms, I found that species richness and community composition within these microcosms were primarily driven by resource concentration, although habitat quality (i.e., water chemistry parameters) was also an important determinant of the identity and composition of colonising species. Overall, my study has shown that tree holes are common in the study area, and are likely to be more abundant in New Zealand’s indigenous forests than previously thought. Moreover, these generally small, discrete forest ecosystems support a diverse array of terrestrial invertebrates as well as a distinctive aquatic invertebrate community that is primarily structured by organic matter resource availability. These findings not only represent an important advance in our knowledge of New Zealand’s freshwater invertebrate biodiversity, but also highlight the need for further investigation into these unique forest canopy habitats which may well be at risk from deforestation and land use change.

Ample evidence from the literature suggests that in recent years, banks have been heavily investing in customer relationship management (CRM) systems. The reasons for this are traced to banks' emergent need to gain and sustain competitive advantage through greater knowledge of their customers. In turn, this increased knowledge is likely to also lead to increased: a) customer base, b) customer satisfaction, c) customer retention and, d) customer loyalty. The literature suggests that there is a knowledge gap, which relates to the reasons for CRM systems in adoption and usage as service delivery channels, as well as its effects on banks' customers. This is particularly the case with regards to the banks' customers' buying behaviour and is stemming from the fact that bank customers display some unique buying patterns. Based on the above, the aim of this study is to find out whether or not there is a potential influence of newly implemented CRM systems on consumer buying behaviour in the context of the Nigerian banking industry and also to assess the extent and nature of this influence (if any).

A key challenge facing dairy farming is to meet the increasing demand for dairy products from a growing and more affluent global population in a period of unprecedented socio-economic and environmental change. In order to address this challenge, policies are currently placing emphasis on ‘sustainable intensification’ (SI), i.e. producing ‘more’ outputs and services with ‘less’ resources and environmental impacts. Determining whether or not SI can deliver greater yet sustainable dairy production requires understanding of the relationships between sustainability pillars (environmental; economic; and social) and farm aspects (e.g. on-farm management; and animal productivity) under particular farming systems and circumstances (e.g. regional bio-physical conditions). Trade-offs between pillars and aspects is inevitable within a farming system. Many widely-used assessment methods that aim to measure, scale and weight these pillars and aspects are unable to fully capture trade-offs between them. The objectives of this thesis are: 1) to identify key trade-offs in dairy farming systems to inform greater yet sustainable food production; and 2) to introduce models and methodologies aiming at a more holistic measurement and better understanding of dairy farm sustainability. This thesis assesses the sustainability of French and UK dairy farming systems via a farm efficiency benchmarking modelling framework coupled with statistical analyses. It explores the relationships between pillars, aspects and technical, economic and environmental performance; and identifies important drivers/differentials in dairy farm efficiency. Importantly, it also suggests ways in which farm inputs and outputs can be adjusted so that improvements in environmental, technical and economic performance become feasible. Efficiency benchmarking was performed with the multiple-input – multiple-output productive efficiency method Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). DEA calculates single aggregated efficiency indices per farm by accounting for several farm inputs and outputs which the DEA model endogenously scales and weights. In this work, the notion of farm inputs and outputs was extended to also include ‘undesirable’ outputs (greenhouse gas emissions) and environmental impacts (e.g. eutrophication, acidification etc.) of dairy farming. The DEA models employed belong to the family of ‘additive’ models, which have several advantages over ‘traditional’ DEA models. These include their ability (i) to simultaneously increase outputs and reduce inputs, undesirable outputs and environmental impacts; (ii) to identify specific sources of inefficiency. These ‘sources’ represent a farm’s shortfalls in output production and its excesses in input use and/or in undesirable outputs and environmental impacts, relatively to the other farms; (iii) to position undesirable outputs in the output set rather than consider them as inputs or ‘inverse’ outputs; and (iv) to rank farms by efficiency performance. Importantly, this thesis also proposes a new additive model with a ranking property and high discriminatory power. In a second stage, DEA was coupled with partial least squares structural equation modelling (SEM) so as to develop and relate latent variables for environmental performance, animal productivity and on-farm management practices. The results suggested that the efficacy of SI may be compromised by several on-farm trade-offs between pillars, aspects and farm inputs and outputs. Moreover, trade-offs depended on particular farming systems and circumstances. Increasing animal productivity did not always improve farm environmental performance at whole farm-level. Intensifying production at animal and farm-levels, coupled with high reliance on external inputs, reduced farm environmental performance in the French case, i.e. a significant negative relationship was found between intensification and environmental performance (SEM path coefficients ranged between -0.31 and -0.57, p < 0.05). Conversely, in the UK case, systems representing animal-level intensification (via genetic selection) for increased milk fat plus protein production performed better, on average, than controls of UK average genetic merit for milk fat plus protein production in terms of technical efficiency (DEA scores between 0.91– 0.92 versus 0.78–0.79) and environmental efficiency (scores between 0.92–0.93 versus 0.80), regardless of whether on a low-forage or high-forage diet. The levels of inefficiency in (undesirable) outputs, inputs and environmental impacts varied among farming systems and depended on the regional and managerial characteristics of each system. For instance, in France, West farms had higher eutrophication inefficiencies than East farms (average normalized eutrophication inefficiencies were, respectively 0.141 and 0.107), perhaps because of their more intensive production practices. However, West farms were more DEA-efficient than East farms as the former benefited from bio-physical conditions more favourable to dairy farming (mean DEA score ranks were 97 for West and 83 for East). Such findings can guide policy incentives for SI in different regions or dairy systems. The proposed modelling framework significantly contributes to current knowledge and the search for the best pathways to SI, improves widely-used modelling approaches, and challenges earlier findings based on less holistic exercises.

O preço de um imóvel é definido como um preço hedônico, visto que sua formação é dada através de um conjunto de atributos que consideram, além das características do próprio bem, tais como número de quartos, vagas na garagem, área privativa, entre outros; as características do bairro onde este imóvel está inserido. Existe uma demanda crescente por imóveis localizados em regiões com uso de solo misto, densificadas e com fácil acesso a serviços. Essas características estão fortemente vinculadas ao conceito de caminhabilidade. Juntamente com facilidade de acesso ao transporte público, desenho urbano que favoreça o deslocamento dos pedestres e segurança pública, formam as 6 dimensões da caminhabilidade utilizadas nesse estudo. Bairros com essas características estimulam viagens a pé e estima-se que haja uma valorização imobiliária de seus empreendimentos, com consumidores dispostos a pagar mais por imóveis residenciais localizados em regiões caminháveis. Para testar o impacto da caminhabilidade no valor do preço, foram utilizados modelos de equações estruturais. Eles permitem que conceitos como os de caminhabilidade e segurança pública, que não podem ser diretamente medidos (variáveis latentes), possam ser explicados por medidas observáveis que atuam como formadoras desses conceitos. Os resultados obtidos confirmam a hipótese, com o preço do metro quadrado de imóveis residenciais a venda crescendo conforme aumenta a caminhabilidade. A segurança pública demonstrou ser o fator mais importante na explicação da caminhabilidade e consequentemente na valorização do preço. / Sale price of a property is defined as a hedonic price, since its value is formed by a set of attributes that cover more than just characteristics of the product itself, such as number of rooms, parking spots and private area. There is a growing demand for properties located in areas with mixed land use, densified and with easy access to products and services. These characteristics are strongly linked to the concept of walkability, usually named as walkability dimensions. Neighborhoods with these features encourage commutes by walking and are likely to have a real estate valuation, with consumers willing to pay more for residential properties located in walkable areas. Structural equation models were used to test the impact of walkability on sales price. This methodology allows to quantify concepts as walkability and security, that could not be directly measured (latent variables), by using the observable variables that compose them. The results confirm the hypothesis that increase in walkability will also raise the sales price. Security has proven to be the most important factor in the walkability explanation and consequently in price appreciation.

Residentes de um mesmo contexto urbano podem apresentar padrões distintos de deslocamento. A distinção desses padrões pode estar relacionada às diferenças na percepção acerca da caminhabilidade do entorno. Para estimular mudanças no padrão de deslocamento dos usuários de transporte motorizado é importante compreender como os fatores do ambiente urbano, percebidos por esses usuários, se diferenciam em relação aos usuários de transporte ativo, e a partir disso montar estratégias eficientes para cada público alvo. A partir de uma pesquisa realizada com moradores de bairros da zona leste do município de São Paulo, este trabalho compara os usuários de transporte ativo, coletivo e individual em relação a três questões: (i) os fatores que influenciam a percepção da caminhabilidade (dentre eles a segurança pública), (ii) o impacto da caminhabilidade na satisfação com o bairro e (iii) a relação entre percepção de caminhabilidade, satisfação com o bairro e o impacto nos hábitos de deslocamento ativos (frequência e tempos de viagem semanais) reportados para os três grupos. Para analisar tais relações, foram desenvolvidos modelos de equações estruturais, que permitem testar uma hipótese entre múltiplas variáveis e que diversas variáveis observadas representem conceitos que não podem ser diretamente medidos (variáveis latentes), como a percepção de caminhabilidade e a sensação de segurança pública Os resultados obtidos mostraram a existência de diferenças na percepção do ambiente construído entre usuários de transporte ativo, transporte coletivo e transporte individual motorizado. As diferenças principais foram encontradas entre os usuários de transporte ativo e os usuários de transporte motorizado (coletivo e individual), tanto em relação à percepção do ambiente, quanto em relação à sua influência no comportamento do usuário relativo à viagem. A preocupação com a segurança pública parece ser superestimada por aqueles que não realizam deslocamentos ativos regularmente. Investimentos em segurança pública e na qualidade do ambiente mostram ter um efeito positivo em todos os usuários, tanto no que se refere à satisfação com o bairro quanto à utilização de modos ativos de deslocamento. O impacto da percepção do ambiente na satisfação com o bairro foi maior para os usuários de transporte coletivo e individual. / Residents of a same urban context may present different travel patterns. The distinction of these travel patterns may be related to differences in the perception of the environment walkability. To stimulate changes in the travel pattern of motorized transport users, it is important to understand how the environmental factors perceived by these users differ in relation to the users of active transport, and from that, create efficient strategies for each target public. Based on a survey with residents of neighborhoods in the eastern part of the city of São Paulo, this study compares users of active, public and private transport in relation to three issues: (i) the factors that influence perceived walkability (among them public security) (ii) the impact of walkability on neighborhood satisfaction, and (iii) the relationship between perceived walkability, neighborhood satisfaction, and the impact on active commuting patterns (weekly frequency and travel times) reported for all three groups. To analyze such relationships, structural equation models have been developed, which allow testing a hypothesis among multiple variables and that several observed variables represent concepts that cannot be directly measured (latent variables), such as perceived walkability and sense of public security The results showed the existence of differences in the perception of the built environment between users of active, public and private transport. The main differences were found between users of active and users of motorized transport (public and private), both in relation to the perception of the environment and its influence on travel user behavior. Concern about public safety seems to be overestimated by those who do not regularly commute by active means. Investments in public security and environmental quality have a positive effect on all users, both regarding neighborhood satisfaction and the use of active modes of travel. The impact of perceived environment on neighborhood satisfaction was greater for users of public and individual transport.

Psychosocial factors are the interrelated psychological, social and/or behavioural considerations that can influence talent development in football (Holt & Dunn, 2004). Despite this, the significant growth of female football worldwide, and the psychosocial challenges faced by female athletes during adolescence, scant scholarly attention has been afforded to the role of psychosocial factors in the development of talented female football players. Therefore the main aim of this thesis was to understand psychosocial factors associated with talent development in UK female football players. Study one systematically reviewed the literature on psychosocial factors associated with talent development in soccer. Following an extensive literature searching, selecting and appraisal process, three overarching themes of psychological, social and behavioural factors associated with talent development in soccer - underpinned by a total of 33 subthemes were created. The appraised literature has a moderate-to-high risk of reporting bias; had a significant bias towards adolescent, Caucasian, male, able-bodied, and European soccer players; and extant literature has demonstrated bias towards quantitative approaches and retrospective data collection methods. Consequently, study two began to address these reported biases by longitudinally and prospectively investigating the developmental experiences of English elite female youth soccer players. Through interviews, fieldwork and the use of composite sequence analysis, study two forwarded the importance of psychosocial considerations including the interaction between players and key social agents (soccer fathers, soccer brothers, soccer peers and non- soccer peers), elements of self-regulation and volitional behaviours, and the subsequent developmental benefits for their soccer careers. However, this study did not address the experiences of those who were unsuccessful in their attempts to achieve an elite female soccer career, nor did it collect primary data from other key social agents. Building on the critique of study two, study three sought to adopt an underutilised approach of negative case analysis by examining the experiences of players who had been unsuccessful in their attempts to forge a career in female soccer. Based on interviews former female players, their best friends, coaches and teachers, a grounded theory of talent and career development in UK female youth soccer players was produced. The theory posited that interactions with multiple social agents can affect the quality of talent development and learning environment that a player experiences, which can lead to adaptive player level benefits and changes (e.g., basic psychological need satisfaction; development of pertinent intra-individual constructs; optimal match preparation and training behaviours) and create a greater chance of career success. Study three also forwarded important culturally significant considerations for practitioners working with UK female soccer players, such as an understanding of dual career demands and the impact of role strain on female players. However, study three did not test any of the theoretical predictions offered by the grounded theory. Owing to the need to test predictions of grounded theories to assess their predictive validity, study four sought to test key predictions using a representative sample of English talented and elite adolescent female soccer players (N=137). As a result of the limited structural stability of the Basic Needs Satisfaction in Sport Scale and the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire (as demonstrated by significant cross loading of items, high bivariate correlations between subscales, and one example of an inadequate Cronbach s alpha), data was parcelled and the revised path hypothesis: perceptions of talent development environment > basic psychological needs satisfaction > career aspirations and beliefs > career intentions was produced. Path analysis supported the hypothesis. Supporting findings of studies two and three, regression analysis demonstrated that playing level positively predicted career beliefs, aspirations and intentions; whereas age negatively predicted these variables. Finally, TDEQ results indicated a perception that UK female soccer players that they can be written off before having the opportunity to fulfil their potential. Overall, this thesis has provided original and unique contributions to the sport psychology literature by enlightening the body of research to the developmental experiences of English female youth soccer players. It provides a developmental understanding scarcely evident in existing talent development literature. The interactional roles of multiple social agents have been elucidated and linked to psychosocial development, behavioural outcomes and talent and career progression within talented female players. The thesis has extended previous approaches to talent development in soccer by testing the predictions of the grounded theory. Initial evidence suggests that the proffered grounded theory is robust; however further research utilising structurally sound and ecologically valid measures would serve to further validate these claims.

Compensation is the remuneration which workers receive for their services or contributions to the organisation. The literature reviewed showed that compensation packages have relationship with workers’ motivation, job satisfaction, attraction and retention. On this basis, this study established a conceptual framework based on equity theory and used it to examine how compensation might be influencing workers’ motivation, job satisfaction, attraction and retention in the Ministry of Works and Transport of Jigawa State of Nigeria. The dependent variables considered in this study are limited to salary, allowance, gratuity, and pension as independent variables while the corresponding motivation, job satisfaction, attraction and retention are the dependent variables. The Positivist paradigm guided this empirical research; which holds the principle that knowledge is arrived at through the gathering of facts that provide the basis of laws. Thus, a quantitative research design was employed. A questionnaire was developed, pilot-tested and administered to gather data on workers’ motivation, job satisfaction, attraction and retention regarding four job compensable aspects, namely: salary, allowances, gratuity and pension. A total of 265 questionnaires were administered and 260 were collected through the early and late response technique. This represents a response rate of 98%. The respondents were selected using the stratified random sampling technique. The data collected was analysed using both descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling. The findings revealed that gratuity and allowance do positively and significantly influence workers’ motivation whereas salary and pension have no impact on workers’ motivation. Likewise, gratuity and pension do positively and significantly influence workers’ job satisfaction while salary and allowance have no impact on the job satisfaction of workers. Further, gratuity and pension do positively and significantly influence workers’ retention while salary and allowance have no impact on the retention of workers. Moreover, salary, gratuity and pension do positively and significantly influence workers’ attraction while allowance has no influence on the attraction of public construction workers in Jigawa state of Nigeria. Consequently, a framework was developed to reflect the factors that emerged for improving the motivation, job satisfaction, attraction and retention of the and equally address the pay disparity in Jigawa state. 67 respondents who participated in the main study were administered a second questionnaire to validate the framework. The subsequent findings revealed that the framework was relevant and could serve as a guide towards enhancing compensation practices and policies in the Ministry of Works and Transport. Thus, this study and its framework offer important policy recommendation to the Jigawa state government such as introducing new or improving the existing compensation packages of their workers.