Orientation: Psychological contract theory is expanded by making a distinction between entitlements beliefs and obligations and expectations of prospective employees. Research purpose: To explore and substantiate themes associated with perceived entitlements and utilise this information to develop a structural model of the anticipatory psychological contract. Motivation for the study: Without taking the entitlement beliefs and reasons therefore into account when examining the psychological contract of an individual, a full view on the psychological contract and its expected consequences cannot be achieved. Research design, approach and method: A qualitative approach to research was adopted consisting of interviews with final year graduate and post-graduate students to derive themes associated with expectations and entitlement beliefs of prospective employees. These themes were utilised to develop a structural model portraying the anticipatory psychosocial contract. Main Findings: A structural model was developed that illustrates the anticipatory psychological contract of prospective employees. The model suggests that there are certain factors that determine an individual's entitlement beliefs, and in turn that individual's entitlement beliefs will influence the level of expectation of that individual regarding future employment. Practical/managerial implications: By fully comprehending the effects of the entitlement beliefs on the anticipatory psychological contract of prospective employees the organisation may minimise the occurrence of psychological breach or violation, which may decrease new employee turnover. Contribution/value-add: Although entitlement was mentioned in previous psychological contract research it has never been investigated as a separate component of the psychological contract. Psychological entitlement must be treated as a scientific construct in organisational sciences since understanding an employee‟s perception of entitlement is essential to understanding the expectations of that employee and, in particular, the nature of exchange between employees and the organisation. The purpose of this research is to determine the relationship between entitlement beliefs and expectations of students‟ future employment. A sample of 179 final year economic and management sciences students was used for this study. A questionnaire was used that measured entitlement perceptions and perceived expectations in future employment of the students. This study concluded that all graduates had a relatively high level of perceived entitlement and expectations regarding future employment. A strong correlation was measured between entitlement beliefs and expectations of the anticipatory psychological contract. This study is unique in the sense that it includes entitlement beliefs in the research of the psychological contract as a separate construct to expectations. / Thesis (MCom (Labour Relations Management))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Wellness is becoming popular as the human factor is realised in terms of empowering employees to perform through wellness initiatives and in the long-term gaining financial success of an organisation. Wellness is bound to be of growing importance in the future, as it is a business prerequisite and has far greater significance for the organisation, employee’s managers and society as a whole. The real challenge is implementation of wellness initiatives and to gain employee and management participation. The main objective of this research was to determine conceptualisation of wellness in the minds of employees, and to identify wellness expectations in a telecommunications organisation. This study was qualitative and explorative in nature with a total of 30 participants. Of the 30 participants, 15 were on a managerial level and 15 were in non-managerial positions. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The data analysis was carried out by using the content analysis method to explore the meaning, events and states experienced by the participants. The results indicated that participants viewed general health, physical and mental health; work-life balance; perceived organisational support and work environment as the 6 themes that describe wellness, with general health being the core element. Therefore, dividing general health into 4 main areas specifically; physical health, mental health, work-life balance and work health (perceived organisational support and ergonomics). Ranking the main aspects of wellness identified by participants from the highest to the lowest, the most frequently mentioned aspects not getting sufficient attention in this organisation were: ergonomics and perceived organisational support. Recommendations were made for workplace interventions. / MA, Industrial Psychology, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012

Orientation: Psychological contract theory is expanded by making a distinction between entitlements beliefs and obligations and expectations of prospective employees. Research purpose: To explore and substantiate themes associated with perceived entitlements and utilise this information to develop a structural model of the anticipatory psychological contract. Motivation for the study: Without taking the entitlement beliefs and reasons therefore into account when examining the psychological contract of an individual, a full view on the psychological contract and its expected consequences cannot be achieved. Research design, approach and method: A qualitative approach to research was adopted consisting of interviews with final year graduate and post-graduate students to derive themes associated with expectations and entitlement beliefs of prospective employees. These themes were utilised to develop a structural model portraying the anticipatory psychosocial contract. Main Findings: A structural model was developed that illustrates the anticipatory psychological contract of prospective employees. The model suggests that there are certain factors that determine an individual's entitlement beliefs, and in turn that individual's entitlement beliefs will influence the level of expectation of that individual regarding future employment. Practical/managerial implications: By fully comprehending the effects of the entitlement beliefs on the anticipatory psychological contract of prospective employees the organisation may minimise the occurrence of psychological breach or violation, which may decrease new employee turnover. Contribution/value-add: Although entitlement was mentioned in previous psychological contract research it has never been investigated as a separate component of the psychological contract. Psychological entitlement must be treated as a scientific construct in organisational sciences since understanding an employee‟s perception of entitlement is essential to understanding the expectations of that employee and, in particular, the nature of exchange between employees and the organisation. The purpose of this research is to determine the relationship between entitlement beliefs and expectations of students‟ future employment. A sample of 179 final year economic and management sciences students was used for this study. A questionnaire was used that measured entitlement perceptions and perceived expectations in future employment of the students. This study concluded that all graduates had a relatively high level of perceived entitlement and expectations regarding future employment. A strong correlation was measured between entitlement beliefs and expectations of the anticipatory psychological contract. This study is unique in the sense that it includes entitlement beliefs in the research of the psychological contract as a separate construct to expectations. / Thesis (MCom (Labour Relations Management))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Denna studie visar att vokalisten tycks befinna sig i en mångsidig och inte helt okomplicerad position i ensemble. En position som präglas av såväl musikaliska som sceniska förväntningar, men även av en stark och ofrånkomlig koppling till kroppen. Vokalistpositionen kan också förstås som en underordnad position i förhållande till övriga instrumentalisters positioner inom ensemble. Dels utifrån den traditionellt västerländska synen på uppdelningen mellan kropp och sinne, natur och teknik. Samt dels utifrån förståelsen av sång som ett feminint kodat instrument och hierarkin manligt och kvinnligt. Syftet med studien är att undersöka fem vokalisters upplevelser av förväntningar i samband med ensemblespel, samt deras förhållningssätt till dessa. Uppsatsen bygger på fem vokalisters skrivna berättelser kring deras erfarenheter och upplevelser av att vara vokalist i ensemble inom populärmusik. Deras berättelser visar att det finns förväntningar på hur vokalister bör vara, samt vilka kunskaper de har och inte har i ensemblesituationen. Genom en sociologisk analys av studiens resultat framträder också medvetna och omedvetna strategier för att som vokalist uppnå fullt medlemskap i ensemblen, samt en indikation på vilka egenskaper som är kopplade till vokalistpositionen. Studien pekar avslutningsvis på att vokalister inte ges plats utan måste ta plats i ensemblen, en aspekt av musicerandet som även påverkar deras möjlighet till autenticitet som musiker.

This thesis is an empirical investigation into the behaviour of regional unemployment, wages and prices for the UK economy over the period 1974-1996. It develops a measure for regional retail prices and regional retail price expectations with which to examine regional price behaviour and to develop a further understanding of the labour market adjustment processes that occur at the regional level. Using regional prices and regional price expectations this thesis produces results which demonstrates a greater consistency with the predictions of regional wage determination models than either aggregate real wage modelling or the use of aggregate prices. The analysis of regional labour markets is developed alongside the dramatic change in regional unemployment relativities that occurred in the UK over the early 1990s and finds support for a clear north-south differential in regional real wage-adjustment processes consistent with contemporary models of wage determination. It is argued that the change in regional unemployment differentials was due to a combination of region-specific price expectational errors and the asymmetric impact of the economic shock. The narrowing of regional unemployment differentials occurred because real wage adjustment was slower in the south than in the north. This thesis suggests that regional price expectations can be modelled as a function of the perceived regional economic climate. Due to the incidence of region-specific shocks and regional asymmetries in the response to such economic shocks, it is argued that aggregate modelling of the UK labour market leads to spurious results on estimated labour market relationships unless regional differences are explicitly modelled. It is argued that regional labour market modelling needs to incorporate a measure of regional prices with which to model the underlying processes.

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Learned expectations shape behaviours, thoughts, and thus the way the world is perceived. Olfactory perception is one of the less studied senses. One of the seminal issues regard possible differences in olfactory functioning between men and women. It is still unclear if a sex/gender difference exists and in that case what potential explanations could be. This work focused on exploring two salient explanations for possible sex/gender differences: innate differences as compared to gendered expectations. A between-subjects experiment where women and men rated the perceived properties of repeated odor exposure, either without prior information, or with gender-biased rating anchors was conducted. The experiment was conducted using flasks containing the odorant n-butanol. Participants were asked to rate the perceived intensity of the stimuli on a Borg CR-100 scale. Results were analysed in JASP using repeated measures analysis of variances (ANOVA). Bias significantly influenced the intensity ratings of both men and women to the same degree. This speaks against both innate differences and gendered expectations regarding olfaction. It, however, indicates a susceptibility to bias and the framing of information. Implications encompass, theoretically, that expectations change perception. Implications derived from that for applied (e.g., occupational/health) settings encompass the framing of expectation-related information regarding exposures or maladies.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the expectations and experiences first-time mothers have before, during, and after pregnancy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen first-time mothers, who gave birth within eighteen months before the date of the interview, and an additional interview was included with a first-time pregnant woman in her third trimester (N=16). The method of analysis was based on grounded theory, including line-by-line coding, focused coding and memo writing. Several themes emerged in the process. Approximately 70 percent of the women in this study became pregnant unintentionally. All of them described a certain amount of anxiety and fear about giving birth and becoming a mother. The measures taken in regard to activities and nutrition to improve pregnancy outcome were described. The most disconcerting findings were how the birth went for many of the women and the subject of postpartum emotional difficulties. Another theme was the different factors that negatively influenced the experience of giving birth. All of the women wanted to give birth vaginally and without medication, but seven of the women had to have medical interventions during birth - were administered Pitocin, mechanically induced, or had C-sections - which influenced their postpartum mental and emotional state severely. The disappointment after complications and diversions from a birth plan were significant. Fifty percent of the participating women reported to have suffered from postpartum emotional disorders, and three of them did not seek any help. Feelings of failure and low self-value due to emotional difficulties were described several times and also appeared in relation with body image issues. Physical changes, during and after pregnancy, were another major theme among the women. Transitions in their relationships were also mentioned in the interviews. Concluding, self-stigmatization was a main thread throughout the interviews. These findings are analyzed in relation to existing literature and the implications for future research are being discussed.

No description available.

No description available.