Briteback Explore is a service provided by the company Briteback. The service provides a survey tool to its users that allows access to results through the downloading of a comma-separated values (CSV) -file. What was built was a visualization model that provides the survey tool’s users with a graphical representation of the data directly through the service. Providing an overview of the survey results that lessens the amount of information overload perceived by the user while giving the data a structure. A survey based off of the System Usability Scale (SUS) evaluation method was then performed to display to what degree users found the new feature usable. Results showed a satisfactory high score on the SUS adjective rating scale.

Malgré une amélioration significative de la place des femmes sur le marché du travail depuis les années 60, des inégalités femmes-hommes en termes de salaire et de position dans l’emploi subsistent toujours. Dans cette thèse, nous utilisons à la fois des données d’enquête et des données expérimentales afin d’étudier ce problème. Nous réalisons tout d’abord une étude empirique sur données d’enquête afin d’identifier les déterminants structurels de ces différences femmes-hommes. Nos résultats indiquent qu’une part significative de ces inégalités ne peut être expliquée par des écarts en termes de caractéristiques observables. Nous faisons ensuite appel à l’économie expérimentale afin d’explorer deux facteurs potentiels de cet écart résiduel : la discrimination et les différences femmes-hommes en termes de préférences. Nous nous intéressons à la discrimination en réalisant une première expérience contrôlée en laboratoire. Nous observons une discrimination à l’embauche à l’encontre des femmes dans un cadre d’information imparfaite. Cette discrimination semble provenir du manque d’information à disposition de l’employeur, plutôt que de ses préférences. Dans une seconde expérience en laboratoire, nous mettons en avant les différences entre femmes et hommes en termes d’attitude face à la compétition. Nos résultats suggèrent que les femmes sont moins enclines à entrer en compétition, notamment car elles ont moins confiance en leurs aptitudes que les hommes. Si la discrimination est un facteur potentiel des inégalités femmes-hommes sur le marché du travail, nous montrons dans ces travaux que les différences en termes de préférences sont aussi à considérer. / Despite a substantial evolution in the participation of women in the labor market since the 60s, there still subsist significant gender inequalities in earnings and occupations. In this dissertation, we use both survey and experimental data to address this issue. We first undertake an empirical study using survey data to isolate the structural determinants of these gender differences. Our findings indicate that a significant part of these inequalities could not be explained by gender differences in observed characteristics. Then, we appeal to experimental economics in order to explore two potential factors of this residual gap: employer discrimination and gender differences in preferences. We first implement a controlled experiment in laboratory to address the issue of discrimination. We find evidence of hiring discrimination against women when information is imperfect. This discrimination seems to arise from the lack of information available to the employer, rather than from her preferences. In a second laboratory experiment, we shed light on gender differences in attitude toward competition. Our results suggest that women are less inclined to enter competition, especially since they are less self-confident than men. Although discrimination consists in a potential factor of gender inequalities in the labor market, we show in this dissertation that gender differences in preferences have also to be considered.

<p>  </p> <p>Food safety educators and specialists are committed to closing the food safety education gap among different actors in the supply chain, from farm to fork. To accomplish it, they have to understand the needs of the target population to disseminate information and develop interventions. This thesis is divided into three case studies to explore needs assessments (Ch. 1 and 2) and program evaluation (Ch. 3). The first needs assessment (Ch.1) was developed due to a recent multistate outbreak linked to dried wood ear mushrooms. This study evaluated YouTube video content on the preparation of different wood ear mushrooms dishes and investigated the food safety risk associated with the handling practices. Practices such as rehydration procedures were identified as key food safety risk factors that need future exploration. The second needs assessment (Ch.2) was developed due to the impact of small- and medium-sized farms on USA agriculture. This study aimed to understand consumers’ perceptions and expectations of produce from small- and medium-sized farms and their desire to pay a premium price for food safety information. The findings showed that consumers perceived the produce from these farms to be fresher and of higher quality. Also, they considered food safety as a minimum quality standard and valued produce safety information. Finally, multiple needs assessments have shown that low-income populations, including minority groups, have unique barriers to adopting food safety practices. The third study (Ch.3) evaluated a dialogue-based virtual food safety program for English- and Spanish-speaking low-income populations using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Findings suggest that the TPB helped to discern the behavior change intentions of this population and showed that the intervention was able to increase participants’ knowledge, attitudes toward the behavior, perceived behavioral control (PBC), subjective norms, and behavior change intentions. Future work could modify the program to fit other minority populations in the USA.</p>

<p>  </p> <p>Widely recognized as bridging graduate coursework and independent research, doctoral examinations also (re)-produce disciplinary norms and map trajectories for graduate student professionalization. This institutional ethnography investigates doctoral exam processes as a component of curricular infrastructure, a term that I describe in functional, relational, temporal, and heuristic terms. This study begins with a discipline-wide survey (Chapter 3) reaching 81 PhD programs in Rhetoric and Composition, building on previous programmatic research in the field to identify constellations of exam formats and their stated purposes. From this broad view, institutional ethnography re-orients analysis by focusing on the standpoints of individual stakeholders (graduate students and faculty) and the ways that work processes point toward broader structural tendencies and assumptions.  From the survey, individual perspectives through interviews with faculty at nine different universities (Chapter 4) and a large focus group with graduate students (Chapter 5) to identify work practices and the institutional and disciplinary factors that direct them. This project yields an empirically grounded description of current graduate pedagogical practices, and through those practices, describes several contours of curricular infrastructure. Temporal boundary objects describe how the meaning and significance of an experience like a doctoral exam can change across time, yielding insight into how curricular practices transfer from one intuition to another. Institutional inertia appears as common iteration of curricular infrastructure, representing the tendency of intuitions to self-replicate and resist change, and nonverbal visually embodied actions serve as a key to understanding communication about institutions that avoids talking about institutions. The project culminates in Chapter 6 with a three-part heuristic, described as an aspect of curricular infrastructure, designed as a resource to faculty and administrators who are in decision-making positions with respect to doctoral exams.  </p>

It is critical for researchers to be confident of the quality of survey data. Problems with data quality often relate to measurement method design, through choices made by researchers in their creation of standardised measurement instruments. This is known to affect the way respondents interpret and respond to these instruments, and can result in substantial measurement error. Current methods for removing measurement error are post-hoc and have been shown to be problematic. This research proposes that innovations can be made through the creation of measurement methods that take respondents¿ individual cognitions into consideration, to reduce measurement error in survey data. Specifically, the aim of the study was to develop and test a measurement instrument capable of having respondents individualise their own rating-scales. A mixed methodology was employed. The qualitative phase provided insights that led to the development of the Individualised Rating-Scale Procedure (IRSP). This electronic measurement method was then tested in a large multi-group experimental study, where its measurement properties were compared to those of Likert-Type Rating-Scales (LTRSs). The survey included pre-validated psychometric constructs which provided a baseline for comparing the methods, as well as to explore whether certain individual characteristics are linked to respondent choices. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the survey data. Whilst no strong associations were found between individual characteristics and respondent choices, the results demonstrated that the IRSP is reliable and valid. This study has produced a dynamic measurement instrument that accommodates individual-level differences, not addressed by typical fixed rating-scales.

As the globalisation process accelerates there is a growing need for individual countries to understand the bases for effective performance in international trade. Because it makes up such a large share of world trade, it is especially important to understand what determines effectiveness in exporting. Despite much empirical research, especially over recent decades, the state of knowledge on this topic remains fragmented, unclear and unsatisfactory. The motivation for the present study was therefore twofold: dissatisfaction with the present state of knowledge in this vital area and the importance to the UK economy of improving its export performance in a world of increasing competition. Its aim was to contribute to the resolution of both. In addition to finding what appeared to be quite serious methodological problems in a group of earlier studies, our review of the literature indicated that the best prospects for identifying the determinants of effective exporting were to be found, not at national or sectoral level but at that of the individual firm. Accordingly, an empirical survey research project was developed. To minimise unquantifiable inter-sectoral variability, it was focused on a single sector of industry. For a range of reasons, including the limited amount of information available about its current export activity and prospects, the UK knitted apparel industry was chosen. Special care having been taken to assemble the fullest possible sampling frame and to develop a suitable instrument (which included an export performance model), a mail survey in the form of a stratified random sample of exporting UK manufacturers of knitted apparel was carried through from late 2000. Persistent follow-up by mail and telephone generated a response rate of 70 per cent, comprising close to half of the sampling frame, that was representative of all company size bands, levels of exporting and products. The overall quality of the responses was good; tests of non-response did not find any indications of non-response bias. Data analysis, designed to test thoroughly our 10 export-determinants hypotheses, relied primarily on Pearsonian correlation at the bivariate level then sequentially on Multiple Regression Analysis, Canonical Correlation Analysis and Partial Least Squares. A perhaps slightly novel aspect of the research was that it was not solely cross-sectional in format; a longitudinal element was provided by drawing on the researcher's earlier surveys ; and a panel element by following-up, in 2007, the main 2000 field survey. Where possible, these data were drawn upon in the analysis and interpretation. There did not appear to be any conflict between the three multivariate techniques employed and indeed their findings were not dissimilar. The outcome of the data analysis was to uphold, to varying degrees, most of our hypotheses about the determinants of effective or successful exporting. Those that did not find support were three: firm size, product adaptation, and price determination method. Most strongly supported as determinants were promotional intensity, serving many markets and visits to trade fairs/exhibitions; others which were statistically significant, included management commitment, special staff skills and the use of Commission Agents. While the conclusions must remain a bit tentative they are encouraging.

Osteoporosis is considered to be the most adverse public health disease associated with substantial mortality among postmenopausal women. Hysterectomy, surgically induced menopause, contributes to the early onset of menopause. However, there was no evidence of an association between early menopause following hysterectomy and osteoporosis among postmenopausal women. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the association between demographic and behavioral factors and the prevalence of osteoporosis among hysterectomized postmenopausal women. The integrated theory of health behavior change theoretical framework guided study. Cross-sectional secondary data from the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between demographic and behavioral factors and the prevalence of osteoporosis among the study population. The results of this study indicate that the prevalence of osteoporosis was inversely associated with age, education, and annual family income. Non-Hispanic Whites with age of hysterectomy 36-45 were significantly associated with the prevalence of osteoporosis. Moderate recreational activity and calcium/vitamin D intake were associated with decreased prevalence of osteoporosis. Demographic and behavioral factors play substantial roles in the prevalence of osteoporosis. The study results may be used to facilitate risk-prevention strategies to reduce the incidence of osteoporosis. This study may drive positive social change by facilitating public health to promote and implement effective behavioral interventions to prevent osteoporosis in the potential hysterectomized postmenopausal women.

In this thesis I evaluate the departures of three common assumptions in macroeconomic modeling and estimation, namely the Rational Expectations (RE) hypothesis, the representative agent assumption and the use of first-order approximations in the estimation of dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models. In the first chapter I determine how the use of survey data on inflation expectations in the estimation of a model alters the evaluation of the RE assumption in comparison to an alternative assumption, namely learning. In chapter two, I use heterogeneous agent models to determine the relationship between income volatility and the demand for durable goods. In the third chapter I evaluate if the use of first-order approximations in the estimation of a model could affect the evaluation of the determinants of the Great Moderation. / En esta tesis analizo desvíos de tres supuestos comunes en la elaboración y estimación de modelos macroeconómicos. Estos supuestos son la Hipótesis de Expectativas Racionales (ER), el supuesto del Agente Representativo, y el uso de aproximaciones de primer orden en la estimación de los modelos de equilibrio general. En el primer capítulo determino como el empleo de datos de expectativas de inflación en la estimación de un modelo puede alterar la evaluación del supuesto de ER en comparación a un supuesto alternativo como learning. En el segundo capítulo, utilizo modelos de agentes heterogéneos para determinar la relación entre la volatilidad de los ingresos y la demanda de bienes durables. En el tercer capítulo, analizo si el uso de aproximaciones de primer orden afecta la evaluación de los determinantes de la Gran Moderación.

В этой исследовательской работе мы исследуем влияние человеческих ресурсов (HR) на управление удовлетворенностью работой сотрудников в компании Арама Раха Курдистан (АРК), и важные факторы, включая корреляцию, и прогнозирование влияния факторов на удовлетворенность работой, производительность компании на основе стратегий управления человеческими ресурсами и эмпирических исследований. В первой главе мы рассмотрели некоторую существующую литературу, необходимую для этой исследовательской работы. Мы определили концепцию управления человеческими ресурсами как процесс найма, отбора и введения в должность сотрудников, а также обеспечения ориентации, обучения и развития, оценки эффективности работы сотрудников. Мы определили роль отдела кадров как связанную с администрированием и улучшением отдельных лиц в ассоциациях или организациях. Мы рассмотрели концепцию работы, удовлетворенность и выявленные факторы, определяющие эффективность работы сотрудников. Мы также рассказали, как измерить удовлетворенность работой и производительность. Во второй главе мы анализируем использование управления персоналом для повышения удовлетворенности работой в гражданской компании "Арам Рах-и-Курдистан". У нас есть краткий обзор компании. С помощью SWOT-анализа мы смогли проанализировать сила, слабость, возможности и угрозы компании. У нас также есть анализ персонала компании. Мы выяснили, что наши результаты свидетельствуют о том, что в системе оплаты труда n=100 сотрудников, продвижении по службе и оценка работы (в данном случае каждые 6 лет) влияет на удовлетворенность работой, а также на производительность компании, основываясь на нашей модели с точностью ~ 90%, эти элементы являются наиболее проблемными моментами, с которыми приходится сталкиваться компании. С другой стороны, мы обнаружили отрицательную корреляцию между образованием, многолетним стажем и уровнем стресса, что показывает, что текущая работа основана на опыте, уровне образования и доверии среди сотрудников. В третьей главе мы дали рекомендации по повышению удовлетворенности работой в Компании, используя инструменты HR-менеджмента. Улучшение работы и удовлетворенность, используя HR-инструменты, предполагает необходимость того, чтобы компания была гибкой, позволяла представителям самостоятельно формировать свои рабочие места, прекращать миниатюрное администрирование, воспринимать и компенсировать – вне денежной компенсации и т.д. / The final qualifying work consists of an introduction, three parts, a conclusion, a bibliographic list, and appendixes. The theoretical part presents: the reviewed some existing literature necessary for this research work. We defined the concept of Human resource management as the process of hiring, selecting, and inducting employees, as well as providing orientation, training, and development, evaluating employee performance. We identified the role of the HR as being concerned with the administration and improvement of individuals in associations or organization. We reviewed the concept of Job Satisfaction and identified factors that determine the effectiveness of job satisfaction on Employees. We also stated how to measure job satisfaction and productivity The practical part presents: the Analyses the use of HR-Management for improving the Job satisfaction in the Aram Rah-e-Kurdistan Civil Company. We have a brief overview of the company. Through SWOT analysis we were able to analyses the strength, weakness, opportunity and threat of the company. We equally have analysis of the company staffs. We found out that ... Based on the data obtained, proposals have been developed I gave recommendations for improving Job Satisfaction in the Company, using instruments of HR-Management. Improving the Job Satisfaction using HR-instruments, we suggested the need for the company to be adaptable, Permit representatives to shape their own jobs, stop miniature administration, Perceive and compensate – outside monetary compensation, etc. Finally, the outcomes are summarized in accordance with the responsibilities assigned.

Landtagswahlergebnisse in der BRD werden von empirischen Wahlforschern häufig als aktuelle Stimmungsbarometer für die Bundespolitik interpretiert. Bei dieser Interpretation von Landtagswahlen als \"Bundestestwahlen\" wird jedoch häufig vernachlässigt, dass Landtagswahlen überwiegend auch Regionalwahlen sind und landestypischen Dynamiken folgen. Empirische Untersuchungen zu Bestimmungsfaktoren von Landtagswahlverhalten wurden in Deutschland bis dato entweder in Form von qualitativen Einzelfallanalysen oder als Aggregatdatenanalysen der amtlichen Wahlstatistiken durchgeführt. Eine direkte und vergleichende Quantifizierung der Effektstärken mit Survey-Daten wurde allerdings bislang nicht vorgenommen. Die vorliegende Studie wertet deshalb im Rahmen eines replikativen Surveys 17 Landtagswahlstudien aus. So können die Effektstärken der individuellen Bewertung der Bundes- versus der Landesparteien auf die Landtagswahlentscheidungen direkt verglichen werden. Als Fazit zeigt sich, dass in Westdeutschland die Beurteilung der Landesparteien einen stärkeren Einfluss auf die individuelle Landtagswahlentscheidung ausübt als die Beurteilung der Bundesparteien. In Ostdeutschland prägt dagegen bei Landtagswahlen die bundespolitische Dimension das Abstimmungsverhalten der Wähler stärker. Die Parteipolitikverflechtung zwischen Landes- und Bundesebene ist somit bei Landtagswahlen in Ostdeutschland erheblich stärker ausgeprägt als in den alten Bundesländern. / Electoral studies often interpret German regional election results ("Landtagswahlen") as barometers of public opinion on federal governmental parties' performance. However, while interpreting German regional elections as "test-elections" for the national parliament, it is often underemphasised that subnational elections often follow a unique regional dynamics. So far, empirical investigations on the determinants of German regional elections consist either in qualitative case studies or aggregate analyses of official statistics. A quantitative study of individual-level survey data, comparing directly the explanatory power of the federal versus the subnational level, is still lacking. Conducting a repeated survey design, we analyse data from 17 German regional election surveys. Thus, the effects of individual assessments of federal parties versus their subnational counterparts on subnational voting preferences can be directly compared. The conclusion of our analyses can be summarized as follows: In Western Germany, the valuation of subnational parties has a stronger impact on individual voting preferences in subnational elections than the valuation of the federal parties has. However, in Eastern Germany, the federal dimension has a comparatively stronger effect. Hence, the federal – regional ("Länder") party system linkage is clearly stronger in Eastern than in Western Germany.