The study investigated the cognitive opinions expressed by consumers in an online shopping environment in the sport supplementation industry as well as the influence certain factors identified through literature, had on the decision-making of these consumers. This was done in an attempt to better understand the online consumer in order to improve marketing campaigns within an e-Commerce environment. Primary data was collected by means of a snowball sampling strategy. Respondents were asked to complete an online questionnaire that consisted of 68 questions. 118 respondents initialized the online questionnaire and 102 fully completed it. Initial analysis proved the data to be sufficient for factor analysis where after confirmatory factor analysis was performed. A new framework to measure influential factors in an online environment was established. 6 out of 10 factors were found to contain sub-groups of influence which suggests that certain questions pertaining to those factors need improvement or rephrasing in order to measure the stand-alone factor more accurately. The reliability of all the factors was measured adequately, noting that Service Quality, Product Risk and Vendor Familiarity could be improved by further developing their underlying variables. Overall it was concluded that Price and Convenience were seen as the greatest motivational factors when a consumer decided to shop online, and Vendor Familiarity and Website Usability were regarded as two crucial components in the comfort level portrayed by consumers while shopping online. Trust and Security were also pointed out to be a major concern for online shoppers in a South African context. The findings of this study are of great value to entrepreneurs and businesses alike seeking to expand or increase their product offering into an online environment. Given the research results from this study and future studies on this topic, marketing strategies can be constructed more precisely in order to reach a target audience in an optimum and more productive manner. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The study investigated the cognitive opinions expressed by consumers in an online shopping environment in the sport supplementation industry as well as the influence certain factors identified through literature, had on the decision-making of these consumers. This was done in an attempt to better understand the online consumer in order to improve marketing campaigns within an e-Commerce environment. Primary data was collected by means of a snowball sampling strategy. Respondents were asked to complete an online questionnaire that consisted of 68 questions. 118 respondents initialized the online questionnaire and 102 fully completed it. Initial analysis proved the data to be sufficient for factor analysis where after confirmatory factor analysis was performed. A new framework to measure influential factors in an online environment was established. 6 out of 10 factors were found to contain sub-groups of influence which suggests that certain questions pertaining to those factors need improvement or rephrasing in order to measure the stand-alone factor more accurately. The reliability of all the factors was measured adequately, noting that Service Quality, Product Risk and Vendor Familiarity could be improved by further developing their underlying variables. Overall it was concluded that Price and Convenience were seen as the greatest motivational factors when a consumer decided to shop online, and Vendor Familiarity and Website Usability were regarded as two crucial components in the comfort level portrayed by consumers while shopping online. Trust and Security were also pointed out to be a major concern for online shoppers in a South African context. The findings of this study are of great value to entrepreneurs and businesses alike seeking to expand or increase their product offering into an online environment. Given the research results from this study and future studies on this topic, marketing strategies can be constructed more precisely in order to reach a target audience in an optimum and more productive manner. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Background: Successful crowdsourcing cannot be accomplished without a motivated community of participants. Hence, organisations need to use incentives that motivate the crowd to participate in crowdsourcing processes. Further, maintaining a working relationship between the organisation and the crowd throughout the duration of a project is a challenge with crowdsourcing. Thus, it creates difficulties in monitoring the quality of the outcome, which is the motivator for the organisation. However, previous studies have not covered the area of how the relationship between the organisation and the crowd influence their motivation. Purpose: Describe how motivation is influenced by the relationship between an organisation and the crowd in a crowdsourcing process.  Research questions: RQ1: How do an organisation and a crowd describe the relationship during the crowdsourcing process? RQ2: How do an organisation and a crowd describe their motivation during the crowdsourcing process? RQ3: How do the relationship between an organisation and a crowd influence motivation during the crowdsourcing process? Methodology: A single embedded case study, semi-structured interviews Conclusion: It is highly important that a company and a crowd have a good relationship in crowdsourcing, because it goes hand in hand with having a high motivation. It ought to be hard to state which term that influences the other, if it is the relationship that influences the motivation or if it is the motivation that influences the relationship. Thus, the result of this thesis explains that the relation between them is dynamic.

Background: Ethnic and immigrant groups represent a large and growing segment of the Canadian population, however, little is known about how these groups differ in their cardiovascular risk factor profiles when compared to the White population. This thesis describes three large, population-based studies examining cardiovascular risk among people of White, South Asian, Chinese and Black ethnicity living in Ontario. It was hypothesized that ethnic groups would differ significantly in their cardiovascular risk factor profiles. Methods: The study population included 154 653 White, 3364 South Asian, 3038 Chinese, and 2742 Black subjects derived from Statistics Canada’s National Population Health Survey and Canadian Community Health Surveys. In Project 1, the age- and sex-standardized prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, heart disease, and stroke were compared across the four ethnic groups. In Project 2, the degree to which cardiovascular risk factor profiles differed between recent immigrants and long-term residents was compared across ethnic groups. In Project 3, a subsample of the study population was used to compare the ethnic-specific incidence and age at diagnosis of diabetes. We also derived ethnically appropriate body-mass index (BMI) cutoff values for obesity for assessing diabetes risk. Results: Ethnic groups living in Ontario differ strikingly in their cardiovascular risk profiles. The Chinese group had the most favourable cardiovascular risk factor profile, with 4.3% of the population reporting ≥2 major cardiovascular risk factors (i.e., smoking, obesity, diabetes, hypertension), followed by the South Asian (7.9%), White (10.1%) and Black (11.1%) groups. For all ethnic groups, cardiovascular risk factor profiles were worse among those with longer duration of residency in Canada. Nonwhite subjects developed diabetes at a higher rate, at an earlier age, and at lower ranges of BMI than White subjects. For the equivalent incidence rate of diabetes at a BMI of 30 in White subjects, the BMI cutoff value was 24, 25, and 26 in South Asian, Chinese, and Black subjects, respectively. Interpretation: These findings highlight the need for designing ethnically tailored cardiovascular disease prevention strategies and for lowering current targets for ideal body weight for nonwhite populations.

Background: Ethnic and immigrant groups represent a large and growing segment of the Canadian population, however, little is known about how these groups differ in their cardiovascular risk factor profiles when compared to the White population. This thesis describes three large, population-based studies examining cardiovascular risk among people of White, South Asian, Chinese and Black ethnicity living in Ontario. It was hypothesized that ethnic groups would differ significantly in their cardiovascular risk factor profiles. Methods: The study population included 154 653 White, 3364 South Asian, 3038 Chinese, and 2742 Black subjects derived from Statistics Canada’s National Population Health Survey and Canadian Community Health Surveys. In Project 1, the age- and sex-standardized prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, heart disease, and stroke were compared across the four ethnic groups. In Project 2, the degree to which cardiovascular risk factor profiles differed between recent immigrants and long-term residents was compared across ethnic groups. In Project 3, a subsample of the study population was used to compare the ethnic-specific incidence and age at diagnosis of diabetes. We also derived ethnically appropriate body-mass index (BMI) cutoff values for obesity for assessing diabetes risk. Results: Ethnic groups living in Ontario differ strikingly in their cardiovascular risk profiles. The Chinese group had the most favourable cardiovascular risk factor profile, with 4.3% of the population reporting ≥2 major cardiovascular risk factors (i.e., smoking, obesity, diabetes, hypertension), followed by the South Asian (7.9%), White (10.1%) and Black (11.1%) groups. For all ethnic groups, cardiovascular risk factor profiles were worse among those with longer duration of residency in Canada. Nonwhite subjects developed diabetes at a higher rate, at an earlier age, and at lower ranges of BMI than White subjects. For the equivalent incidence rate of diabetes at a BMI of 30 in White subjects, the BMI cutoff value was 24, 25, and 26 in South Asian, Chinese, and Black subjects, respectively. Interpretation: These findings highlight the need for designing ethnically tailored cardiovascular disease prevention strategies and for lowering current targets for ideal body weight for nonwhite populations.

Over the decades, the market competition is becoming stronger and stronger; Innovation is generally considered as one of the main drivers of growth in business field, skunk works as a form of innovation has been widely used for companies to make their business outstanding from the others and achieve sustainable development, and at the same time try to compete with the increasing number of competitors. However, due to statistics, the failure rate of skunk works projects is so high, which means it contents high risks and uncertainties. As a result, it is quite important to identify some success factors for successful skunk works.   In order to find the answer, Losec case had been used as a single case study in this thesis, consequently, team leader and leadership, team member and team working, management support, timing and manage change, opportunities and luck had been identified as important factors that will lead skunk works project to success.   Also, a framework of successful skunk works flower had been discussed in managerial implementation. Mangers can try to find a balance between the successful factors in order to achieve successful skunk works.

The purpose of this three-part study is to acquire greater knowledge of success in school and the factors that affects it, in order to better understand the school-related reality that students face every day. It is made up of a document study of some of the currently leading literature on academic and other types of success and of the Swedish steering documents that regulate the Swedish school system and a questionnaire based survey on what Swedish high school students believe it takes to succeed in school. Largely, the study finds that both inner factors, like personality traits and soft skills, and outer factors like school organization and good teachers, have a massive impact on academic outcome and therefore also adult outcome. The study largely finds that there are much empirical evidence suggesting that certain things affect achievement both positively and negatively. Nothing is left up to chance.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Food insecurity exists when access to safe, nutritionally adequate foods is limited or uncertain, or when acquisition of these foods occurs in socially unacceptable ways (Anderson, 1990). Considerable research has focused on identifying the risk factors for and potential consequences of household food insecurity; however, few studies have investigated whether and how place of residence might influence household food insecurity. To address this gap in the literature, a mixed methods approach was used to explore the connections between risk factors, household food insecurity, and health in urban and rural settings. This dissertation comprised three studies. In the first study, secondary data were used to identify the household factors that increased the risk for household food insecurity and to examine whether place of residence moderated these relationships. Significant associations were found between household sociodemographics and household food insecurity. In addition, rural households were more likely to report household food insecurity. Although most moderation models were non-significant, a moderation effect was found for educational attainment: secondary school graduation increased the risk for household food insecurity in urban households, yet it was protective in rural households. In the second study, secondary data were used to examine the relationship between household food insecurity and poor general, physical, and mental health, and to test for a moderation effect of place of residence. In the main effects models, household food insecurity was associated with an increased likelihood of poor health on all measures. There was no evidence of urban-rural differences in these relationships. In the third study, qualitative data were used to explore household food insecurity from the perspective of urban and rural residents in Eastern Ontario. Findings revealed that urban and rural residents described similar conditions, processes, and consequences of household food insecurity; however, the unique features of the urban and rural settings influenced how people managed these experiences. In particular, certain aspects of the rural settings added to the complexity of managing household food insecurity. Overall, the results of this dissertation suggest that the urban-rural context, although important, is secondary to the primary contribution of low economic and social resources in household food insecurity.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.