Seam quality is affected by various fabric mechanical properties with a combination of their sewing parameters. Previously, a lot of research has been done on identifying the parameters that influencing seam quality by looking into correlation between fabric properties and sewing parameters. The purpose of this current study was to investigate the performance of seam quality in terms of seam appearance and strength constructed with different sewing parameters. Another aim was to identify parameters that influence the seam quality using the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) by AMOS and leads to the development of multivariable predictive equations using SPSS. Finally, the validation between experimental and predicted results using newly developed equations was examined using a new set of fabrics. The investigation was done for five different fabric categories, namely light, light to medium, medium, medium to heavy and heavy weight. A total of 45 fabrics with different weave densities, fibre types and structures were used. Seams were produced using various sewing parameters such as threads with different fibre types and structures, needle sizes and stitch densities. All fabrics were tested for their mechanical properties using two established items of equipment known as Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabrics (KES-F) and Fabric Assurance by Simple Testing (FAST). Seam evaluations together with thread and fabric mechanical properties obtained from KES-F and FAST were used as input for modelling. From the experimental work, it was concluded that the usage of thicker threads did not always give better strength and the seam appearance was also poor. A combination of finer thread with moderate strength and a medium level of stitch density according to fabric weight category provided an effective result for both seam appearance and strength. From the modelling work, it was found that the extensibility, bending and shearing properties, together with thread properties including extensibility, tensile strength and size, were among the properties selected by SEM to be included in the predictive equations. The validation results showed that the standard deviation between fabric properties used to develop the equations and new fabric properties used for validation plays an important role. The principal conclusion was that the prediction equations developed using SEM and SPSS possible to be used and gave a strong validation between experimental and predicted results when the new fabric properties were within one standard deviation.

The influence of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on consumers’ purchase intentions has long been known. However, the emergence of social media has brought a new perspective to eWOM through enabling users to communicate with their existing networks on the Internet. On social media, conversely to the other online platforms, users are able to exchange their opinions and experiences about products or services with familiar people, which refers to people who they already know such as friends and acquaintances. This new way of eWOM has the potential for greater impact on consumers. Therefore, the aim of this research is to examine the influence of eWOM in social media on consumers’ purchase intentions. To do so, the research in this thesis involved two major phases. In the first phase, in order to explore the determinants of eWOM information on social media which influences consumers’ purchase intentions, a theoretical model was developed based on the integration of Information Adoption Model (IAM) and related components of Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). The new model, which is named as Information Acceptance Model (IACM), was validated through structural equation modelling (SEM) based on surveys of 384 social media users in the UK. The results have highlighted that quality, credibility, usefulness and adoption of information, needs of information and attitude towards information are the key factors for eWOM in social media which influence consumers’ purchase intentions. Furthermore, to provide better understanding of the influence of eWOM on social media, the second phase of this research was designed as a comparative study. To explore whether the eWOM between familiar people on social media or the eWOM between anonymous people on other online platforms was more influential on consumers’ purchase intentions, the data collected through survey was reanalysed with a different perspective; and a comparison was conducted based on multiple regression analysis. The results have revealed significant differences and found anonymous reviews to be more influential on consumers’ purchase intentions than friends’ recommendations on social media. However, since these results were contrary to expectations, 10 in-depth interviews were also administered to enlighten the insightful results found through the survey. The interview findings uncovered the survey results. Information quantity, information readiness, detailed information, and dedicated information were discovered as the factors which make online reviews superior than friends’ recommendations in terms of the influence of eWOM. This research contributes to theoretical implications through its validated model and found key dimensions. The research model, IACM, brings a new approach to information adoption by extending IAM and provides new insights to researchers who study Information Systems (IS). In addition, the model highlights the information adoption process as an antecedent of behavioural intention, which is a very important finding for the related literature. Future studies can build new models through considering this relationship between information adoption process and behavioural intention. Moreover, the second phase of this research provides new constructs for future studies through its qualitative findings. The findings reached through in-depth interviews, which explain why consumers prefer anonymous online reviews, can either be tested as components of new theories and models or they can be tested as inclusion of existing theories and models. Both types have potential to provide valuable results for the literature. On the other hand, in terms of practicality, this research provides marketers with a frame of reference to understand the influence of eWOM in social media on consumers’ purchase intentions. Both the contextual and the comparative studies in this research offer valuable insights for marketers; marketers thus can develop better strategies for marketing on social media.

In the present study, event sponsorship and event marketing are identified as two distinct event-related marketing communications tools. As a research field, sponsorship and event sponsorship has experienced continuous research interest for the last four decades. This in clear contrast to event marketing, which only within the last 10 years has attracted research interest from marketing scholars. However, little research has been carried out in the field of (event-) sponsorship from an organisational perspective. Thus, to the author s knowledge, the present study is the first of its kind investigating both event formats, event sponsorship and event marketing, from an organisational perspective in one study. A literature review that spans the domains of branding, signalling theory and hedonic consumption helped to differentiate between the two event formats, and to provide a theoretical grounding of the two event formats. The present study evaluates the impact of event sponsorship and event marketing on the brand and performance dimensions of brand awareness, brand attitude, brand performance and financial performance. Furthermore, brand orientation and organisational innovativeness moderate the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Moreover, this research study was undertaken from an organisational perspective. There is little evidence within the field of event sponsorship and event marketing as to how organisations evaluate the performance impact of event sponsorship and event marketing. Similarly, the more established sponsorship outcomes of brand awareness and brand attitude have yet to receive research attention within an organisational research setting. This research study follows a cross-sectional research design. A conceptual model is developed on the basis of the literature review, and is tested through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. The data for this study was collected via an online survey which resulted in 226 responses. The findings indicate a negative relationship between event sponsorship and brand performance. Furthermore, organisational innovativeness was identified as moderating the event sponsorship brand performance relationship, whereas brand orientation is found to moderate the event marketing financial performance relationship.

Emotional intelligence (EI) has been reliably associated with better mental health (Martins, Ramalho, & Morin, 2010) however the nature of this relationship in adolescence remains largely unexplored. The small body of existing adolescent research is disproportionately focussed upon the ‘trait’ versus ‘ability’ EI perspective and the association with mood (versus behavioural) disorders in the form of simple, descriptive relationships that reveal little about the processes underpinning such adaptive outcomes. This research redresses this imbalance and advances the field by examining how (whether directly or indirectly linked to known stress-illness processes) and when (under which stress conditions) EI (in both ‘forms’) might be associated with better adolescent mental health, whilst simultaneously exploring the conceptualisation of EI within this developmental period. Adult literature is equivocal on both fronts. Firstly, evidence points to differential incremental contributions from ability and trait EI in the prediction of internalising versus externalising symptomatology beyond known correlates of performance, i.e., personality and cognitive ability (e.g., Gardner & Qualter, 2010; Peters, Kranzler, & Rossen, 2009). Secondly, whilst there is some evidence to suggest that trait EI may directly attenuate the effects of chronic and acute stressors to promote adaptation (e.g., Mikolajczak, Roy, Luminet, Fillée, & de Timary, 2007), the role of ability EI in this regard appears unclear (e.g., Matthews et al., 2006). Indirect links to adjustment are also hinted at; coping mediates trait EI-health outcomes in youth though not all EI-influenced ‘adaptive’ coping styles (e.g., problem-focussed) appear to contribute to this effect (e.g., Downey, Johnston, Hansen, Birney, & Stough, 2010). Using cross-sectional, self-reported data from 1,170 adolescents (mean age = 13.03 years; SD = 1.26) the present research aimed to address this lack of clarity. Preliminary regression analyses found that collectively, EI made a significant, incremental contribution to the prediction of depression and disruptive behaviour in youth beyond the influence of higher-order personality dimensions and general cognitive ability. However, of the two, trait EI appeared the stronger predictor. Structural equation modelling of conditional indirect effects found that whilst both forms of EI can buffer the effects of stressors (family dysfunction, negative life events, socio-economic adversity) on disorder, the mechanisms by which this beneficial effect operates differs substantially according to context - effects appear contingent on stressor, health outcome and level of EI. For depression, ability EI influences the selection of avoidant coping when facing family dysfunction and negative life events, whilst trait EI modifies the effectiveness of active coping under family dysfunction only. In contrast, EI directly attenuates the effects of stressors on disruptive behaviour. Nevertheless, the results of supplementary path analyses augur for the importance of both forms of EI in adaptational processes; actual emotional skill (as ability EI) appears dependent on perceived competency (trait EI) to realise advantageous outcomes. Implications for the EI construct and related intervention programmes are discussed together with recommendations for progression of the field.

Masters of Commerce / Organisations should focus their attention on strategies that mitigate the intention to quit of employees, this can be achieved through creating an environment that is favourably disposed to an efficient and engaged workforce and by driving transformational leadership approaches. Recognising the immense value of human capital and the devastating effects linked to the loss of valued employees, organisations should direct their focus on effective ways to deal with undesirable staff turnover issues. In the present challenging economic times, organisations and researchers are increasingly exploring factors that could contribute to retaining talent and improve leadership as well as employee engagement practices to optimise organisational outcomes through employees’ talent. The present study sought to contribute to existing research pertaining to transformational leadership, employee engagement and intention to quit, by observing the variables in a service sector environment. The main objective of the research study was to determine the nature of the relationships among the variables on a sample of employees at a selected organisation. An online questionnaire was sent to 296 possible respondents by means of an electronic link. Out of these, 206 questionnaires were used for analysis. Employees were selected to participate in the study by means of convenience sampling. Four questionnaires were used to gather data namely, a self-developed biographical questionnaire, the Multi-Factor Leadership Questionnaire developed by Avolio and Bass (1995), the Utrecht’s Work Engagement Scale developed by Schaufeli and Bakker (2003) and the Turnover Intention Scale developed by Roodt (2004). Statistical analysis of the data was performed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 and the LISREL 8.80 software program. Item and dimensional analyses were executed on the subscales to identify poor items and to ensure uni-dimensionality of the subscales. In order to test the hypotheses structural equation modelling was used. The multiple regression analytical technique was used to identify the variable that explains the most variance in intention to quit. The research results indicated that a positive relationship between transformational leadership and employee engagement exist. There were significant, negative relationships between transformational leadership and intention to quit and between employee engagement and intention to quit. Regression analysis indicated that employee engagement had a more significant impact on intention to quit than transformational leadership. The limitations of the study and future recommendations for the organisation are discussed.

The effective management of organisational climate has become an increasingly important ingredient for business success. This has resulted in a need for up-to-date research and information on the subject, leading to the development of various measurement instruments. The main purpose of this study was to validate the Organisational Climate Measure (OCM) for the South African context. The OCM is designed to serve as a global multi-dimensional measure of organisational climate and is based on the competing values model developed by Quinn and Rohrbaugh. In this study a comprehensive literature review was conducted prior to the OCM’s administration to a sample of 200 individuals currently employed in a South African organisation. The reliability and validity of the OCM was evaluated by means of Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and confirmatory factor analysis. The results indicated strong correlations between factors and a good model fit. It was concluded that the OCM is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring organisational climate within the South African context. Copyright / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Human Resource Management / unrestricted

Chatbots are very widely used nowadays. However, much of the research on Chatbots have had a technology focus or has been limited to studies of adoption. To take advantage of the potential associated with chatbots, research that addresses the issues online users face when interacting with such programs is needed. The study described in this paper used the task-to technology fit theory to address the question of how individual characteristics and task/technology requirements influence the performance and utilization of chatbots. This paper used the quantitative methodology over two sets of data collected independently from two different populations. The first dataset of 100 respondents was obtained firstly through a structured questionnaire administered at Linnaeus University Campus in Växjö. The respondents are students in the university who use chatbots regularly. A second dataset was also collected from 20 participants through a practical test experiment with three different chatbots (Eliza, Rose, and Watson). The result and the data were then recorded through an online interview via the zoom application. The two datasets were analyzed quantitatively using comparative factor analysis with the aid of Smart PLS software. While few variables provided little support for the claims, the majority of the variables show strong support for the importance of task–technology fit, as a measure of chatbot utilization and performance based on individual characteristics as well as the task/technology requirements.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第18965号 / 工博第4007号 / 新制||工||1617(附属図書館) / 31916 / 京都大学大学院工学研究科都市社会工学専攻 / (主査)教授 藤井 聡, 准教授 SCHMOECKER,JAN-DirK, 准教授 神田 佑亮 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DFAM

<p>This dissertation examined several dimensions of the development of physical aggression and indirect aggression in a longitudinal sample of boys and girls. These data are part of the National Longitudinal Study of Children and Youth which evaluated the development of children bi-annually from 1994 to 2010. The data for this thesis come from individuals aged 10 and 11 in Cycle 1 (1994) through to Cycle 5 (2002) when they were 18 and 19. In an attempt to explore trends in the development of aggression, the research is presented as three separate projects that examine the following: (1) measurement of physical and indirect aggression by informant and sex; (2) group-based trajectories of physical and indirect aggression and outcomes of trajectories in emerging adulthood; and (3) association between indirect aggression in adolescence and depression in emerging adulthood when physical aggression is taken into account. This is the first longitudinal study to investigate group-based physical and indirect aggression trajectories in childhood and adolescence and outcomes in emerging adulthood. The contribution of this thesis to the field of epidemiological research on aggression is the importance of considering distinct subgroups within both physical and indirect aggression, and joint trajectory groups of both physical and indirect aggression when exploring developmental trends and outcomes of aggression.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Yes / Recent decades have witnessed a growing number of states around the world relying on border control measures, such as immigration detention, to govern human mobility and control the movements of those classified as “unauthorised non-citizens.” In response to this, an increasing number of scholars from several disciplines, including psychologists, have begun to examine this phenomenon. In spite of the widespread concerns raised, few studies have been conducted inside immigration detention sites, primarily due to difficulties in gaining access. This body of research becomes even scanter when it comes to the experiences of detained women. This study is the first of its kind to have surveyed 93 women confined in an Italian immigration detention facility. A partial mediation model with latent variables was tested through partial least structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed the negative impact that unfair immigration procedures have on detained women’s human dignity, which in turn negatively affects their self-rated physical and mental health. Overall, our study sheds light on the dehumanisation and damage to human dignity that immigration detention entails, as well as its negative impact on the health of those affected. This evidence reinforces the image of these institutions as sites of persistent injustice, while stressing the need to envision alternative justice-oriented forms to address human mobility. / FE’s doctoral research, on which this article relies, was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (SFRH/BD/87854/2012), and her subsequent work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (grant number: CEECIND/00924/2018/CP1541/CT0004).