The purpose of this study is to identify the current baseline for lifelong learners (age 50 and better) focused on post-secondary education in the Commonwealth of Virginia (VA), the resulting academic services and public policy implications. While the aging research to date is overwhelmingly focused upon health issues, financial security, legislative initiatives, care-giving, and assisted living, etc., fewer studies or data are available on the increasing post-secondary continuing education that lifelong learners will likely expect to be made available to them. The educational level of the growing aging population will continue to increase. Research has repeatedly proven higher education to be a reliable predictor of continuing lifelong higher education. As proven elsewhere, lifelong learners will benefit physically from the healthy mental fitness and the learning society will benefit from the shared wealth of a lifetime of experience, talent, and community service. The very nature of the traditional withdrawn retirement is being redefined by lifelong learners in active productive retirement by those who vigorously engage in meaningful activities throughout the extended phases of their lives. Many lifelong learners continue to work full or part-time, start new careers or their own businesses, provide volunteer services in their communities and seek post-secondary continuing education into very advanced ages. This powerful graying population is an undeniably huge market as boomers control 70% of $7 trillion dollars total household worth. This researcher anticipated that limited adult education available beyond the legislated minimum requirements for adult basic literacy education is unevenly distributed among private and public agencies serving the aging. For the many relatively healthy adult learners whose attention and resources are not consumed by health and wealth concerns, their continuing education desires will not nearly be met by the small number of programs available to meet adult learners' growing educational needs. A study of academic services currently provided and projections for the academic services required in the future forecasts the educational service needs of the burgeoning adult learner population. This study outlines a baseline of adult learners' services, needs/desires, future plans and public policy choices that will face Virginia as the aging population rapidly grows.

Cette recherche a pour objectif de comprendre la résistance des consommateurs à l'entrée dans les programmes de fidélisation. Elle s'intéresse plus particulièrement aux mécanismes sous-jacents à cette résistance et à ses fondements. Prenant appui sur la sociologie de la traduction et le modèle des « Economies de la Grandeur», deux études qualitatives sont menées. La première repose sur l'observation de points de vente complétée par des entretiens auprès du personnel et des clients. Elle reconstruit le processus d'adhésion dans le point de vente en montrant les éléments qui peuvent justifier la résistance des consommateurs à l'entrée dans les programmes de fidélisation. La deuxième mobilise la méthode des récits de vie pour interviewer vingt sept répondants. Elle montre que ces derniers justifient leur résistance en émettant des critiques aux mondes « marchand » et « industriel ». Ces critiques proviennent des mondes « domestique », « civique », « de l'opinion » et « de l'inspiration ». A l'issu de ces résultats, une conceptualisation de la résistance des consommateurs à l'entrée dans les programmes de fidélisation est présentée. Elle met en évidence deux éléments préalables à la situation d'influence : (1) les régimes de justification et (2) la métacognition marchande. Elle montre aussi que cette résistance est modérée par des caractéristiques individuelles. / This research aims to understand consumer resistance against joining loyalty programs. It focuses in particular on the mechanisms underlying this resistance and its foundations. Building on the sociology of translation and the model of « Economies of Worth», two qualitative studies are conducted. The first is based on the observation of outlets complemented by interviews with staff and customers. It reconstructs the process of membership in the store, showing components that may justify consumer resistance against joining the loyalty programs The second conduct narrative interviews with twenty seven informants. It shows that respondents justify their resistance by issuing critics to « market» and « industrial» world. These criticisms come from the « domestic», « civic», « opinion» and « inspiration» world. These results build a conceptualization of consumer resistance against joining loyalty programs. It highlights two elements prior to the situation of influence: (1) regimes of justification and (2) market metacognition. It also shows that this resistance is moderated by individual characteristics.

Les industries culturelles et créatives sont au cœur de nombreuses stratégies de développement territorial notamment des stratégies de cluster. Pour comprendre le fonctionnement d’un cluster, il convient d’étudier finement les relations de coopérations qui se nouent entre les acteurs. Selon le concept de la proximité, chaque situation coopérative est composée d’un ensemble de proximités qui s’articulent et évoluent avec le temps. Notre recherche a pour objectif d’identifier les combinaisons de proximités propices au développement des coopérations inter-entreprises et leurs impacts sur la nature et la fréquence des coopérations. Pour répondre à cet objectif, nous avons retenu les définitions des proximités proposées par Boschma (2005) que nous avons complétées par une proximité de normes et une proximité de valeurs. La proximité de valeurs a fait l’objet d’une association théorique avec les théories de la grandeur (Bolstanski, Thévenot, 1991 ; Boltanski, Chiapello, 1999). Un barème d’évaluation de chaque proximité (cognitive, sociale, organisationnelle, de normes, de valeurs) a ensuite été créé et testé auprès des entreprises membres du cluster de jeu vidéo Atlangames. A travers une méthode qualitative, nous avons suivi la structuration et l’évolution du cluster de 2010 à 2014. L’étude nous révèle l’importance de la proximité cognitive dans l’émergence de la dynamique collective et le caractère déterminant de la proximité de valeurs dans la pérennité des coopérations marchandes. / Cultural and creative industries are at the heart of many territorial development strategies especially cluster strategies. In order to understand the function of a cluster, it is necessary to study in detail the cooperative relationships that are forged between players. According to the concept of proximity, each cooperative situation is composed of a set of proximities that revolve and evolve over time. The aim of our research is to indentify the combinations of proximities favorable for the development of intercompany cooperations and their impacts on the nature and frequency of the cooperations. To meet this goal, we used the definitions of proximities proposed by Boschma (2005), which we complemented by a proximity of norms and values. The proximity of values has been a theoretical association with the economies of worth (Bolstanski, Thevenot, 1991; Boltanski, Chiapello, 1999). A rating scale for each site (cognitive, social, organizational norms, values) was then created and tested on the members of the cluster Atlangames video game. Through a qualitative method, we followed the structure and evolution of the cluster 2010 to 2014. The study reveals the importance of cognitive proximity in the emergence of collective dynamics and the criticality of the proximity of values in the sustainability of commercial cooperation.

This study examined the factors related to travel mode choices in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area. Changes in population, life style and economy of the Dallas-Fort Worth region over the last few decades demand a careful re-examination of travel demand tools and methods. The purpose of the study was to provide an understanding of transportation modal choice in the region. Those demographic variables best predicting the choices were identified. The Home Interview Survey, a set of disaggregate data from the 19 84 North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) Regional Travel Survey, was analyzed using logistic regression. The major findings of the research indicate that about 97 percent of the travelers in the study area used private cars and 3 percent used public transit. Household income and cars-vans were significant explanatory variables. The impact of household income and number of car-vans available upon an individual's decision for travel mode choice were very important. The number of car-vans available in the household, and age of respondents were significant predictors in travel mode. Household members with incomes of $30,000 to $39,000 and those with incomes of at least $50,000 tended to use more private cars than did other income groups. Also, household members with incomes below $9,000 used more public transportation. People reporting a lower preference for cars were younger than 26 years or older than 55 years of age.

The population of high-net-worth-individuals (HNWIs) in Ghana is projected to increase from 2,400 in 2015 to 4,900 by 2024. HNWIs in Ghana desire to have access to alternative investment instruments to enhance diversification and improve investment returns on their portfolios. Guided by the product-market-grid-model, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore diversification strategies some fund managers use to improve returns for HNWIs. Twelve participants from 3 investment firms in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, including CEOs and fund managers with more than 5 years of professional and industry experience, participated in semistructured interviews. Observations and company documents served as secondary sources of data collection. Five themes emerged from the analysis of interview and document data: investment objectives and risk appetite level, product availability, asset allocation, limited knowledge and lack of sophistication, and, performance benchmarking. Findings may be used by fund managers to combine knowledge and innovation in identifying alternative investment options for HNWIs and improving investment returns. HNWIs may use their disposable income from returns to engage in entrepreneurial activities that may create employment opportunities and improve the economic environment in Ghana.

Adolescents often suffer with negative feelings and low self-esteem, leading to an overall negative self-perception. Prior researchers have linked adolescent self-perception, academic performance, and learning disabilities, but more research is required. This quantitative study examined relationships between self-perception of reading, writing, spelling, and mathematics competence. In addition, global self-worth was examined through the Harter-Renick Self-Perception Profile for Learning Disabled Students (HRSPP). Student academic performance as measured by Stanford Achievement Test-10 Total Reading (SATrd) and Total Math (SATmh) scores among adolescents with learning disabilities were also examined. Student records from the Green School were gathered (n = 128), with their perceived intellectual ability, reading, writing, spelling, mathematics competence, and global self-worth (GLOSW) HRSPP subscale scores treated as predictors. Participants' chronological age and specific learning disability (SPLD) served as maturation and selection effect modifiers. SATrd and SATmh were dependent variables in a multiple regression analysis using step-wise data entry. GLOSW emerged as a significant predictor variable, ï?¢ï? = .185, t (2.12) = .036, p < .05 with SATrd as the dependent variable. Thus, the higher the GLOSW HRSSP score was, the higher the SATrd score was as well. No significant predictors of criterion variable SATmh existed. These results could elucidate ways to help students with learning disabilities enhance self-esteem, which may lead to improved academic success and overall positive social change.

<p>The loss of biodiversity is recognised as a tremendous threat to ecosystems, but its maintenance is challenging. One important issue is seen as decisive for its success: the integration of sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity that means to reconcile protective measures with different kinds of use. This study investigated management areas that explicitly emphasise this issue: UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MAB) Reserves that shall contribute to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use and an initiative from the Swedish government called Regional Landscape Strategies that aims to find a balance between sustainable use and conservation on a landscape level. In three MAB Reserves in Germany and one Swedish county testing Regional Landscape Strategies semi-structured interviews were conducted. They aimed to detect the values and factors steering the decisions of biodiversity management and conservation as well as to identify obstacles for sustainable use, conservation and their integration in general. The interviews reveal that the connected terms and concepts can be interpreted in different ways and this exacerbates the work. Furthermore, the study detects some issues that can facilitate the integration of sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity in the respective areas and discussed their applicability on a larger scale. Examples are the establishment of a kind of forum involving local affected stakeholders and the creation of a connection point mediating the different sectors within the administration. These aspects could help to design the management of biodiversity more sustainable if they would be part of the mainstream management practises. Regarding the state of biodiversity that shall be achieved or maintained it can be mentioned that different factors and values steer the decisions; intrinsic values are underlying, but further issues seem crucial: practicability of the respective land use, aesthetic values, a high resilience of the system as well as the near-natural states.</p>

The loss of biodiversity is recognised as a tremendous threat to ecosystems, but its maintenance is challenging. One important issue is seen as decisive for its success: the integration of sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity that means to reconcile protective measures with different kinds of use. This study investigated management areas that explicitly emphasise this issue: UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MAB) Reserves that shall contribute to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use and an initiative from the Swedish government called Regional Landscape Strategies that aims to find a balance between sustainable use and conservation on a landscape level. In three MAB Reserves in Germany and one Swedish county testing Regional Landscape Strategies semi-structured interviews were conducted. They aimed to detect the values and factors steering the decisions of biodiversity management and conservation as well as to identify obstacles for sustainable use, conservation and their integration in general. The interviews reveal that the connected terms and concepts can be interpreted in different ways and this exacerbates the work. Furthermore, the study detects some issues that can facilitate the integration of sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity in the respective areas and discussed their applicability on a larger scale. Examples are the establishment of a kind of forum involving local affected stakeholders and the creation of a connection point mediating the different sectors within the administration. These aspects could help to design the management of biodiversity more sustainable if they would be part of the mainstream management practises. Regarding the state of biodiversity that shall be achieved or maintained it can be mentioned that different factors and values steer the decisions; intrinsic values are underlying, but further issues seem crucial: practicability of the respective land use, aesthetic values, a high resilience of the system as well as the near-natural states.

Obiettivo del presente lavoro è identificare le principali connotazioni specifiche della professione di private banker. In seguito ad una prima analisi della genesi del ruolo e dei fattori che ne hanno determinato l’evoluzione nel tempo, si sono indagati: quali mansioni e responsabilità ricopre e quali riporti gerarchici è chiamato a rispettare, quali caratteristiche comportamentali e attitudinali siano distintive del ruolo, quale il livello di competenze necessario al suo esercizio e quali i gap formativi ancora da colmare. Non da ultime, sono state rilevate le difficoltà quotidiane e le fonti di soddisfazione tipiche della professione, nonché gli strumenti motivazionali e di incentivazione utilizzati dalle realtà di private banking. L’indagine è stata condotta attraverso l’analisi congiunta di più progetti di ricerca quali-quantitativi, che hanno visto il coinvolgimento di private banker e opinion leader di settore. Emerge così una figura professionale ancora in divenire per effetto di cambiamenti strutturali del mercato, oggi guidati dal nuovo contesto normativo, dalla crisi finanziaria e dal processo di globalizzazione continua. / The aim of this paper is to identify the main aspects of the private banking profession. Following a preliminary analysis of its origins and the factors that led to its evolution over recent years, this research investigates main tasks and duties of a private banker, his position in the organizational chart of the company, behavioural and attitudinal characteristics relevant to his role, required level of skills and expertise, as well as knowledge gaps still to be filled. A special focus has been put on his daily difficulties and typical sources of satisfaction, in addition to motivational tools and incentives used by private banking organizations. The survey has been conducted by means of a combined analysis of various qualitative and quantitative research projects, involving both private bankers and opinion leaders within the banking sector. The emerging scenario is an evolving professional role as a result of current structural changes in the business, constantly subjected to new regulations, recurring financial crisis and the continuous globalization process.

<p>This research investigates the interplay between self-worth and consumption, and explores the substantive phenomenon of trading up. Laboratory experiments were conducted in which participants were led to fail (or not) on an intelligence test, which threatened their feelings of self-worth (or not). Following the failure, participants made consumer choices. Of key interest was whether threatened self-worth would result in more "trading up" - that is, selecting more expensive products or retail stores. Results revealed that compared to consumers whose self-worth was not threatened, threatened consumers demonstrated more self-expressive consumption: trading up when a product portrayed "me" (high on self-relevance), or not trading up when a product portrayed "not me" (low on self-relevance). Self-relevance was operationalized in terms of choice sets (i.e., the choice between two Duke t-shirts vs. two white t-shirts) and individual differences in the tendency to consider material objects part of the self (this was measured via a questionnaire).</p><p>This research also examined two hypotheses regarding how consumption could, in turn, affect feelings of self-worth. The first hypothesis stated that negative feelings of self-worth can be immediately repaired via consumer decisions (here, the decision to trade up or not). Indeed, results revealed that among consumers whose feelings of self-worth were threatened, self-expressive consumption repaired negative feelings of self-worth. The second hypothesis stated that positive attachments between possessions and consumers' feelings of self-worth enable consumers to rely on possessions to protect self-worth. To test this, participants wrote about a possession that was important for who they are and how they feel about themselves (participants in a control condition wrote about a possession important to other people for this reason). Results showed that writing about a self-relevant possession before failing a test buffered the impact on feelings of self-worth. This finding was particularly robust for possessions important to consumers' social relationships.</p><p>These findings highlight the bright side of the relationship between consumption and self-worth: consumers respond to threats adaptively - sometimes spending more and sometimes spending less - and functionally - by making consumption decisions that repair self-worth and by relying on possessions to protect self-worth.</p> / Dissertation