South Africa, being a multicultural society, is faced with unique and unusual circumstances that can influence the interaction between their work and personal lives. However, countries can vary noticeably in cultural norms, values and gender-role beliefs, which can lead to the different experience of work-life interaction. Because of these differences, South African workers could experience the interaction between work and home in different ways, and this interaction may manifest differently in various socio-demographic groups. This makes it difficult to develop strategies and intervention programmes that will help workers integrate their work and personal lives more effectively. The general objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and four dimensions of work-home interaction and to establish which socio-demographic characteristics best predict work-home interaction amongst South African employees. A sample (n = 2040) was taken from four industries in South Africa (i.e. police service, the earthmoving equipment industry, mining and nursing). A socio-demographic questionnaire and the 'Survey Work-Home Interaction - Nijmegen' (SWING) were used. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, Pearson product-moment correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to analyse the data. The results indicated that robust predictors included occupation, gender and language for negative work-home interference (WHI), occupation, language and age for positive WHI, language and occupation for negative home-work interference (HWI) and language, occupation, age and education for positive HWI. Recommendations were made for organisations and for future research. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Major changes that emphasise the importance of a balanced work and family life have occurred within organisations. Inability to manage this integration between the work and home domains can affect the performance of organisations and the wellbeing of their employees. In order to measure work-home interaction and wellbeing, it is important to use valid, equivalent and reliable instruments. However, there is a lack of empirical research when investigating work-home interaction, burnout and work engagement in the earthmoving equipment industry in South Africa. Furthermore, the earthmoving equipment industry is a multicultural environment and construct equivalence across subgroups therefore becomes important when measuring work-home interaction, burnout and work engagement across different cultural or language groups. It also seems relevant to consider differences in the work-home interaction and work wellness levels between important demographic groups in the earthmoving equipment industry. It appears as if burnout and engagement can be seen as part of the total wellness continuum; and that job characteristics may be related to burnout and engagement through negative and positive work-home interaction. However, little information was found that included these factors in a structural model for the earthmoving equipment industry. The objectives of this research were to test the psychometric properties of the Survey Work- Home Interaction - Nijmegen (SWING), the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI-GS) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES); to determine if various demographic groups differ with regard to work-home interaction and wellbeing; and to test a structural model that includes job characteristics, work-home interaction and wellbeing for employees in the earthmoving industry. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Random samples (n = 528) were taken from employees in the earthmoving equipment industry in Gauteng, the Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga, the Northern Cape, the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal and the North West Province. Structural equation modelling confirmed a four-factor model of work-home interaction which measures negative work-home interference, positive work-home interference, negative homework interference and positive home-work interference. This factor structure was equivalent across language, ethnicity, gender, education, marital status and parental status. All four factors were reliable. The participants reported more negative WHI than negative HWI, and more positive HWI than positive WHI. It was found that statistically significant differences that are based on age, gender, language, ethnicity, a partner's contribution to household income and the different business units exist between the demographic groups. The results confirmed a four-factor structure of burnout (exhaustion, cognitive weariness, cynicism and professional efficacy) and a two-factor structure of work engagement (including vigour and dedication). These structures were equivalent across language and education groups, and all scales were reliable. SEM analyses supported a two-factor structure for the wellness construct, consisting of burnout (exhaustion, cognitive weariness and cynicism) and engagement (vigour, dedication and professional efficacy), which was equivalent for the language and education groups. Statistically significant differences that are based on age, gender, language and the different business units were found between the demographic groups. Structural equation modelling showed that job demands are associated with negative WHI and consequently with burnout, providing support for a full-mediation effect of negative WHI. Job resources were associated with negative WHI and consequently with burnout, providing support for partial mediation of negative WHI between job resources and burnout. Job resources were also associated with positive WHI and consequently with engagement, providing support for partial mediation of positive WHI between job resources and engagement. Recommendations for the organisation and future research were made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

The title of the research is "Ethical codes for training staff in South African Collieries -a case study". The research was conducted in coal mining training centres in the Free State, Gauteng and the Mpumulanga provinces of South Africa. The objective of the research was to examine ethical codes currently in place internationally and locally. Based on this research the research was then focused on its contribution to the human resource development arena. South African coal mining training centres staff were interviewed regarding how they perceived ethical codes and ethical conduct and the importance of these concepts to their daily work lives. It was found that training staff were aware of ethical behaviour and conduct. Factors such as age, the type of professional association a person belongs to were found to be significant. Recommendations were made regarding further research on ethical conduct in other mining products, companies a for human resource development practises. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

The title of the research is "Ethical codes for training staff in South African Collieries -a case study". The research was conducted in coal mining training centres in the Free State, Gauteng and the Mpumulanga provinces of South Africa. The objective of the research was to examine ethical codes currently in place internationally and locally. Based on this research the research was then focused on its contribution to the human resource development arena. South African coal mining training centres staff were interviewed regarding how they perceived ethical codes and ethical conduct and the importance of these concepts to their daily work lives. It was found that training staff were aware of ethical behaviour and conduct. Factors such as age, the type of professional association a person belongs to were found to be significant. Recommendations were made regarding further research on ethical conduct in other mining products, companies a for human resource development practises. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Background. Pregnant women need adequate antenatal care (ANC) and delivery care fortheir own health and for healthy children. Availability of such care has increased in Vietnam but maternal mortality remains high and variable between population groups. Aims. The general aim of this thesis is to describe and discuss the use of antenatal and delivery care in relation to demographic and socio-economic status and other factors in two health and demographic surveillance sites (HDSS), one rural and one urban. One specificaim of the thesis is to present experiences of running the urban HDSS. Methods. Between April 2008 and December 2009, 2,757 pregnant women were identifiedin the sites. Basic information was obtained from 2,515 of these. The use of ANC was followed to delivery for 2,132. Three indicators were used. ANC was considered overall adequate if the women started ANC within the first trimester, used three or more visits and received all the six recommended core services at least once during pregnancy. Delivery care was studied for all the 2,515 women. Main Findings. Nearly all 2,132 participants used ANC. The mean numbers of visits were 4.4 and 7.7 in the rural and urban areas. Mainly due to less than recommended use of core ANC services, overall ANC adequacy was low in some groups, particularly in the rural area (15.2%). The main risk factors for not having adequate ANC were (i) living in a rural area,(ii) low level of education, (iii) low economic status and (iv) exclusive use of private ANC providers. Rural women accessed ANC mainly at commune health centers and private clinics. Urban women accessed ANC and gave birth at central hospitals and provincial hospitals. Caesarean section (CS) was common among urban women (38.5%). Good socioeconomic condition and male babies were associated with delivery in hospitals and CS births. Almost all women had one or more antenatal ultrasound examination, the mean was about 4.5. Rural women spent 3.0% and 19.0% of the reported annual household income percapita for ANC and delivery care, respectively, compared to 6.1% and 20.6% for urbanwomen. The relative economic burden was heaviest for poor rural women. Conclusion. The coverage of ANC was high in both contexts but with large variations between population subgroups. The major concerns are that poor women in the rural area received incomplete services according to recommendations and that many women, particularly the well-off, in the urban area appeared to overuse technology, ultrasound scanning, delivery in highlevel health care and CS delivery. National maternal healthcare programs should focus on improving ANC service content in rural areas and controlling technology preference in urban. The pregnant women with relatives and friends as well as ANC providers share the responsibility for a positive development. All parties involved must be targeted to improve knowledge, attitudes and practices.

Ungdomarna idag tillhör en generation som kallas för Generation Y och de särskiljer sig från tidigare generationer med ett antal karaktäristiska drag. Dock, är det inte endast dessa drag som kan urskiljas utan även ett annorlunda riskbeteende gentemot tidigare generationer.  Experter är eniga om att det finns ett flertal faktorer som påverkar individers riskbenägenhet och att faktorerna varierar beroende på individens ålder. Detta leder oftast till att när ämnet undersöks, riktar forskarna in sig på en viss åldersgrupp eller generation. Det begränsat med forskning som specifikt tar upp Generation Y och riskbenägenhet. Därav är syftet med denna forskning att undersöka hur utvalda demografiska faktorer påverkar riskbenägenheten hos studenter ur Generation Y.  Uppsatsen antog en positivistisk forskningsfilosofi med ett beskrivande syfte. Theory of Planned Behavior är den teori som hypoteserna grundats på. Den insamlade empirin utgjordes av en kvantitativ studie, i form av en enkätundersökning som har en begränsning till fem skolämbeten. / The youth of today belongs to a generation called Generation Y and are distinguished from previous generations by a number of characteristic features. However, it is not only these features that can be distinguished between Generation Y and previous generation, but also a different kind of risk behavior. Experts agree that there are several factors that affect individuals' willingness to take risks and that these factors vary depending on the individual's age. This often results to, when this field is studied, that scientists aim on a specific age group or generation. Research regarding Generation Y has been conducted, however, there is limited research that specifically addresses Generation Y and risk propensity. Hence, the aim of this research is to examine how demographic factors influence the risk propensity of Generation Y. This dissertation adopted a positivist research philosophy with an explanatory purpose. Theory of Planned Behavior is the theory that the hypotheses are based on. The empirical data was collected using a quantitative study, in the form of a survey limited to five institutions of higher education.

Canada’s aging population is expected to have an impact on all public institutions; for public libraries, the emergence of a large, multi-generational user group of older adults challenges the current paradigm of services to seniors. This thesis examines a subset of this user group: baby boomer library patrons who are in a caring relationship with elders. It investigates how these patrons interact with the public library both for themselves, and as carers, in order to reveal library-related issues particular to this growing segment of the population. The study takes place within a conceptual framework derived from the ethic of care, and from emerging theories of library-as-place rooted in the fields of human geography and sociology. Using a qualitative instrumental case study method, long form interviews were conducted with respondents recruited through theoretical sampling extended by snowball sampling. While not generalizable, findings suggest that while these baby boomer respondents value their libraries deeply, there is potential to create services and practices more attuned to the needs of older adults who are in relationships with elders.

Gene flow and hybridization are pervasive in nature, and can lead to different evolutionary outcomes. They can either accelerate divergence and promote speciation or reverse differentiation. The process of divergence and speciation are strongly influenced by both neutral and selective forces. Disentangling the interplay between these processes in natural systems is important for understanding the general importance of interspecific gene flow in generating novel biodiversity in plants. This thesis first examines the importance of introgressive hybridization in the evolution of the genus Pinus as a whole, and then focusing on specific pine species, investigates the role of geographical, environmental and demographical factors in driving divergence and adaptation. By examining the distribution of cytoplasmic DNA variation across the wide biogeographic range of the genus Pinus, I revealed historical introgression and mtDNA capture events in several groups of different pine species. This finding suggests that introgressive hybridization was common during past species’ range contractions and expansions and thus has played an important role in the evolution of the genus. To understand the cause and process of hybrid speciation, I focused on the significant case of hybrid speciation in Pinus densata. I established the hybridization, colonization and differentiation processes that defined the origin of this species. I found P. densata originated via multiple hybridization events in the late Miocene. The direction and intensity of introgression with two parental species varied among geographic regions of this species. During the colonization on Tibetan Plateau from the ancestral hybrid zone, consecutive bottlenecks and surfing of rare alleles caused a significant reduction in genetic diversity and strong population differentiation. Divergence within P. densata started from the late Pliocene onwards, induced by regional topographic changes and Pleistocene glaciations. To address the role of neutral and selective forces on genetic divergence, I examined the association of ecological and geographical distance with genetic distance in Pinus yunnanensis populations. I found both neutral and selective forces have contributed to population structure and differentiation in P. yunnanensis, but their relative contributions varied across the complex landscape. Finally, I evaluated genetic diversity in the Vietnamese endemic Pinus krempfii. I found extremely low genetic diversity in this species, which is explained by a small ancestral population, short-term population expansion and recent population decline and habitat fragmentation. These findings highlight the role of hybridization in generating novel genetic diversity and the different mechanisms driving divergence and adaptation in the genus Pinus.

The aim of the present study was to examine whether there was a significant difference within each spouse&amp / #8217 / s reports on grief reactions after an infant death. It was also aimed to investigate whether demographic variables including gender, age, education of grieved parents, gender and age of deceased infant, presence of other children were predictors of parental grief reactions after an infant death. The sample of the present study consisted of 55 couples experiencing an infant death within the last 2 years. Sample was recruited through death records kept in hospital and municipalities of Ankara by the researcher. To test the hypotheses of the study paired samples t-test and stepwise regression analyses were performed. According to the results of the study, it was found that there was a significant difference within each spouse&amp / #8217 / s reports on despair, panic behavior, blame and anger, detachment, and disorganization as separate dimensions of grief. Mothers experienced higher levels of despair, panic behavior, blame and anger, detachment, and disorganization than fathers. There was no significant difference within each spouse&amp / #8217 / s score on personal growth. It was found that being a mother and having lost boy infant were proved as the predictors of parents&amp / #8217 / higher levels of grief reactions. Age and education of grieved parents, age of deceased infant, presence of other children were not associated with parental grief reactions. It was found that younger age of deceased infant and presence of other children were proved as predictors of grieved parents&amp / #8217 / higher levels of personal growth. The findings of the study were discussed with related literature.

Sammanfattning Den finansiella marknaden har under de senaste decennierna till stor del präglats av både stark ekonomisk tillväxt och stora kriser, detta har lett till att risken relaterad till sparande och investeringar har blivit allt viktigare att kontrollera och undersöka. Samtidigt visar statistik från SCB att de svenska hushållen investerar allt mindre i aktier vilket kan skapa problem, både för den finansiella branschen i sig och det framtida välståndet. Dagens pensionssystem riskerar att inte klara framtidens ökande utbetalningsnivåer som krävs för att underhålla en allt större, äldre befolkning, som även lever allt längre. Detta är ett problem som gäller för hela EU och därför blir det allt viktigare med ett privat sparande, och därigenom att investera rätt. För att hjälpa privatpersoner att investera rätt, genom att utnyttja sin nivå av risktolerans, samtidigt som man gör det lättare för kreditgivare och rådgivare att kunna erbjuda korrekta produkter och investeringsstrategier, syftar denna studie huvudsakligen till att undersöka om det finns samband mellan olika demografiska och socioekonomiska variabler och nivåer av risktolerans. Med hjälp av tidigare studier valdes följande variabler att undersökas: kön, ålder, utbildningsnivå, relationsstatus, sysselsättning och inkomstnivå. Som verktyg för att mäta nivåer av risktolerans valdes Grable och Lyttons 13-items risk assessment instrument, vilken har genomgått ett flertal validitetsprövningar. Då majoriteten av forskningen inom finansiell risktolerans har genomförts på den amerikanska marknaden särskiljer sig denna studie då den riktar in sig på svenska individer, från 18 år till pension. Metoden för att få in svar har varit med hjälp av en enkätstudie, både via internet och genom pappersenkäter på ett antal arbetsplatser runt om i landet. Resultatet blev totalt 206 fullständiga enkäter och stark signifikans återfanns hos kön (99 procent konfidensintervall), där män i genomsnitt hade högre risktolerans än kvinnor. Även inkomstnivå var signifikant, med ett konfidensintervall på 90 procent, men visade att sambandet inte var perfekt positivt linjärt (låg inkomst = låg risktolerans, hög inkomst = hög risktolerans). Studien syftade även till att söka övriga förklaringar och samband som risktolerans också påverkar, med hänsyn till: sparande, pensionssparande, investeringsval, framtidsutsikt för den finansiella marknaden samt förändring av investeringsbeteende på grund av de senaste årens finansiella oro.Detta resulterade i att: 13,5 procent svarade att de inte hade något som helst privat sparande; mer än hälften av individerna uppgav att de inte har något privat pensionssparande; individer med högre inkomster valde oftare aktier som främsta investeringsval än de med lägre inkomster, som föredrog sparkonton; en övervägande majoritet har inte ändrat sitt investeringsbeteende men 25 procent av respondenterna angav att de investerar mindre nu till följd de senaste årens finansiella oro på marknaden samt att 40,6 procent angav att det är mer riskfyllt med värdepapper idag; mer än hälften av respondenterna angav att de känner en viss oro inför sin framtida pension.