South Africa has faced many changes in the last 20 years. There are some glaringly obvious ones such as democracy while others, such as the considerable increase of the legislative and regulatory requirements in the financial-services industry, are more subtle. Both however, have far-reaching consequences for both individuals and businesses. In Schaeffer's keynote address at the 2011 Financial Planning Convention, the global trends currently influencing the financial-planning profession were pointed out. These included the move towards a more relationship-based approach between financial planners and their clients, with holistic service offerings and regulatory change. Currently close to 100 000 Financial Services Board (FSB)-registered brokers/ advisors/ planners/ consultants claim to offer financial advice. Of these representatives only 4 600 (approximately) are Certified Financial Planner® professionals. The Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa (FPI) maintains that the regulatory environment governing the financial industry is dynamic. Coupled with a tumultuous economic environment, this enforces the importance of an expert to assist individuals and businesses in planning for the future. The primary purpose of the Financial Advisory and Intermediaries Services Act (FAIS Act) is to: 1. protect the client against indecorous conduct by the financial service provider (FSP) and its representatives when providing financial advice and/or rendering intermediary services to clients; 2. ensure economic efficiency of the industry; 3. ensure that clients of FSPs are provided with sufficient information regarding their financial products, the representatives selling the products, the represented FSP and the product provider offering the products. The effect of the FAIS Act is that key individuals and representatives are now being held responsible for their actions, which may include providing incorrect information or not having sufficient qualifications or experience. According to the FSB the FAIS Fit and Proper requirements determine a set of requirements that all FSPs, key individuals and representatives need to comply with. The Determination of Fit and Proper Requirements of 2008 outlines the categories of fit and proper requirements for FSPs, their key individuals and representatives. The categories of the FAIS Fit and Proper requirements are: - honesty and integrity requirements for FSPs, key individuals and representatives; - competency requirements of FSPs, key individuals and representatives; - experience requirements of FSPs, key individuals and representatives; - qualifications requirements of key individuals and representatives; - regulatory examinations requirements of key individuals and representatives; - continuous professional development requirements of FSPs, key individuals and representatives; - operational ability of FSPs, key individuals and representatives; and - solvency of FSPs. The empirical study of the research was conducted nationally, within South Africa. The focus of the study was to investigate the perception of financial planners with regard to the regulatory and legislative prescriptions of the financial-services industry. The general objective of the study is to provide a quantitative measure of the perception of financial planners of the effect that the legislative and regulatory requirements in South Africa have on the ethicality of the financial-planning industry. To achieve this objective, the empirical study focussed on the responsibilities of financial-services providers and the FAIS fit and proper requirements as set out by the FAIS Act. The population identified for the empirical study consisted of financial planners that provide advisory and/or intermediary services in South Africa. The population of the study consisted of the full advisory complement, 826, which form part of the advisory division of a major South African financial-services provider. These financial planners are located across South Africa, in all nine provinces and in rural and metropolitan areas. Based on the result of the adjusted sample size equation, the required sample size for the study is reduced from 266 to 201. A total of 260 responses were received for the study which ensures a high level of accuracy is achieved from the findings of the research. The results of the empirical study provide ample proof that financial planners support the necessity and specificity of the FAIS fit and proper requirements as defined by the FAIS Act. Additionally, the financial planners agree that the determinants of the FAIS Act are not only beneficial to the sustainability and ethicality of the industry, but also support the success of the planner and ultimately ensure that clients receive the best possible financial advisory and/or intermediary services. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

South Africa has faced many changes in the last 20 years. There are some glaringly obvious ones such as democracy while others, such as the considerable increase of the legislative and regulatory requirements in the financial-services industry, are more subtle. Both however, have far-reaching consequences for both individuals and businesses. In Schaeffer's keynote address at the 2011 Financial Planning Convention, the global trends currently influencing the financial-planning profession were pointed out. These included the move towards a more relationship-based approach between financial planners and their clients, with holistic service offerings and regulatory change. Currently close to 100 000 Financial Services Board (FSB)-registered brokers/ advisors/ planners/ consultants claim to offer financial advice. Of these representatives only 4 600 (approximately) are Certified Financial Planner® professionals. The Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa (FPI) maintains that the regulatory environment governing the financial industry is dynamic. Coupled with a tumultuous economic environment, this enforces the importance of an expert to assist individuals and businesses in planning for the future. The primary purpose of the Financial Advisory and Intermediaries Services Act (FAIS Act) is to: 1. protect the client against indecorous conduct by the financial service provider (FSP) and its representatives when providing financial advice and/or rendering intermediary services to clients; 2. ensure economic efficiency of the industry; 3. ensure that clients of FSPs are provided with sufficient information regarding their financial products, the representatives selling the products, the represented FSP and the product provider offering the products. The effect of the FAIS Act is that key individuals and representatives are now being held responsible for their actions, which may include providing incorrect information or not having sufficient qualifications or experience. According to the FSB the FAIS Fit and Proper requirements determine a set of requirements that all FSPs, key individuals and representatives need to comply with. The Determination of Fit and Proper Requirements of 2008 outlines the categories of fit and proper requirements for FSPs, their key individuals and representatives. The categories of the FAIS Fit and Proper requirements are: - honesty and integrity requirements for FSPs, key individuals and representatives; - competency requirements of FSPs, key individuals and representatives; - experience requirements of FSPs, key individuals and representatives; - qualifications requirements of key individuals and representatives; - regulatory examinations requirements of key individuals and representatives; - continuous professional development requirements of FSPs, key individuals and representatives; - operational ability of FSPs, key individuals and representatives; and - solvency of FSPs. The empirical study of the research was conducted nationally, within South Africa. The focus of the study was to investigate the perception of financial planners with regard to the regulatory and legislative prescriptions of the financial-services industry. The general objective of the study is to provide a quantitative measure of the perception of financial planners of the effect that the legislative and regulatory requirements in South Africa have on the ethicality of the financial-planning industry. To achieve this objective, the empirical study focussed on the responsibilities of financial-services providers and the FAIS fit and proper requirements as set out by the FAIS Act. The population identified for the empirical study consisted of financial planners that provide advisory and/or intermediary services in South Africa. The population of the study consisted of the full advisory complement, 826, which form part of the advisory division of a major South African financial-services provider. These financial planners are located across South Africa, in all nine provinces and in rural and metropolitan areas. Based on the result of the adjusted sample size equation, the required sample size for the study is reduced from 266 to 201. A total of 260 responses were received for the study which ensures a high level of accuracy is achieved from the findings of the research. The results of the empirical study provide ample proof that financial planners support the necessity and specificity of the FAIS fit and proper requirements as defined by the FAIS Act. Additionally, the financial planners agree that the determinants of the FAIS Act are not only beneficial to the sustainability and ethicality of the industry, but also support the success of the planner and ultimately ensure that clients receive the best possible financial advisory and/or intermediary services. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Statistics / Shie-Shien Yang / When the primary research interest is in the marginal dependence between the response and the covariates, logistic GEE (Generalized Estimating Equation) models are often used to analyze clustered binary data. Relative to ordinary logistic regression, very little work has been done to assess the lack of fit of a logistic GEE model. A new method addressing the LOF of a logistic GEE model was proposed. Simulation results indicate the proposed method performs better than or as well as other currently available LOF methods for logistic GEE models. A SAS macro was developed to implement the proposed method. Nonlinear regression models are widely used in medical science. Before the models can be fit and parameters interpreted, researchers need to decide which design points in a prespecified design space should be included in the experiment. Careful choices at this stage will lead to efficient usage of limited resources. We proposed a cost efficient Bayesian optimal design method for nonlinear combinations of parameters in a nonlinear model with quantitative predictors. An R package was developed to implement the proposed method.

The process of determining outputs and outcomes plays a key role in the setting of global targets, in defining national sector policy and strategic plans and in ensuring a continuous, safe supply of affordable water. Each of these actions, are integrally linked by aggregated data sets generated through an effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) process. This thesis examines the various components of M&E across three case studies: Global, Kenya and Uganda, including aspects such as whether roles and responsibilities are realistically assigned and whether there is a recurring set of core indicators being monitored and reported. The research has also sought to establish an evidence base of the associated costs and efficacy of use of M&E. Through purposive and snowball sampling, fieldwork was undertaken across the case studies with 85 key stakeholders. Programme, national and global level data sets were collected through structured literature reviews, document and data archive reviews, key informant and semi-structured interviews. Qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods were applied. The results demonstrate that despite having a recurring global goal and associated target, the number and variety of indicators reported against has grown over time and at each level. In turn this is placing a burden on already resource constrained countries. Regardless of the various principles of harmonization and alignment, countries are still required to manage internally and externally driven parallel systems. Whilst the research suggests the costs of M&E are escalating, the full extent of this increase remains unknown as does the extent of efficacy of use of M&E. Despite evidence that country-led M&E processes are at some level achieving their objectives, with the continuing complexities of the sector particularly around the accompanying aid architecture, M&E is not currently ‘fit for purpose’ for use in the WASH sector and is unlikely to be providing value for money.

The United States Department of Education issued a blueprint in 2010 outlining intended changes for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Included was a focus on selecting effective teachers per new criteria. Information about teacher selection and assignment systems as related to teacher retention is beneficial to school district leadership as they prepare for the new federal expectations. This study extends previous research by Liu and Johnson (2006) that examined the experiences of newly hired teachers and introduced the construct of an information-rich hiring process, in which a district hiring process provides both the teacher applicant and district employer with sufficient interaction and adequate information-exchange to make informed decisions leading to a position fit of teacher to teaching position and campus. In addition to the use of an information-rich hiring process as a hypothetical construct, other theories incorporated in this research include: realistic job preview theory; human resource management theory; person-job-fit, person-organization-fit, and person-group-fit theories; and two-sided matching theory. The problem addressed in this study: The selection and assignment of teachers is often done in complex systems leading to poor matches that culminate in job dissatisfaction and teachers’ intentions to leave the classroom. The purpose of this study was to examine how newly hired teachers perceived their hiring experience and their fit with their campus and classroom assignments in order to determine if these perceptions predicted their intentions to remain in the classroom. This study used a nonexperimental approach with an ex-post facto design and a quantitative methodology to examine associations between variables. Participants in the study included 1,430 newly hired teachers at 92 campuses located across 13 Texas school districts who were administered an electronic survey instrument. / text

The effects of random guessing as a measurement disturbance on Rasch fit statistics (unweighted total, weighted total, and unweighted ability between) and the Logit Residual Index (LRI) were examined through simulated data sets of varying sample sizes, test lengths, and distribution types. Three test lengths (25, 50, and 100), three sample sizes (25, 50, and 100), two item difficulty distributions (normal and uniform), and three levels of guessing (no guessing (0%), 25%, and 50%) were used in the simulations, resulting in 54 experimental conditions. The mean logit person ability for each experiment was +1. Each experimental condition was simulated once in an effort to approximate what could happen on the single administration of a four option per item multiple choice test to a group of relatively high ability persons. Previous research has shown that varying item and person parameters have no effect on Rasch fit statistics. Consequently, these parameters were used in the present study to establish realistic test conditions, but were not interpreted as effect factors in determining the results of this study.

This thesis examines leaders‘ behaviours differential effects on the work/home balance of their followers through a leader/follower fit perspective. The study explores perceived effects of leader‘s actions on followers‘ work/home balance in a Lebanese context. At the individual/dyad level, this research attempts to integrate these two areas of study. It aims to better understand, Lebanese employees‘ perspectives on the Lebanese leaders‘ practice of leadership in the banking industry and the perceived effect of this practice on the followers‘ work and home boundary management. Based on the adoption of a qualitative exploratory approach, the author conducts thirty semi-structured interviews with five leaders and twenty-five followers in different regions and divisions of the XYZ bank. The dissertation makes several theoretical and empirical contributions. First, boundary theory is empirically extended through the identification of one of the antecedents, i.e., polychronicity, of an individual‘s work/home segmentation/integration preference. Second, boundary theory is developed through the exploration of the Lebanese leaders‘ actions‘ impact on the followers‘ management of their work/home boundaries. Third, the literature on fit between the leader and the follower along different dimensions of interest to them is extended and developed. Fourth, the literature on the Middle East and in Lebanon on specific is enhanced. The implications of the Lebanese context, subject of this study, on the leadership and work/home literature are meaningful. In addition to these contributions, this study helps to surface ―actionable knowledge‖ on how to facilitate an employee‘s struggle to reach a harmony between his work and home life. This search for balance is increasingly sought nowadays as a result of the increase in work-related pressures especially for dual-earners.

Research has often called for studies that attempt to explain the complex causal chain known as the “black box” between human resource management (HRM) activities and individual-level outcomes. To explore the dynamics within the “black box,” this study investigates the influence of HRM activities (e.g., practices and processes) on individual-level outcomes, taking into consideration psychological empowerment as a mediating mechanism. Furthermore, to investigate how HRM activities affect individual-level outcomes, one must consider how HRM activities interrelate to create synergistic effects. Subsequently, this research contributes to the literature of strategic HRM research by investigating how and why systems of HRM activities influence individual-level outcomes.

Denna studie är ett kandidatarbete inom området designteknik. Studien undersöker olika jeansgrenars form och mått, och hur detta påverkar komfort och visuell passform vid användning. Grunden till studien ligger i en problematik som upptäckts på ett svenskt modeföretag. Företagets jeansbyxa är problematisk då veck och dragningar bildas, speciellt kring grensömmen fram, vilket varken är smickrande eller komfortabelt för användaren. Studien undersöker och jämför företagets, marknadens och litteraturens jeansgrenar. Detta för att studera vilka samband som finns på detta inte så utforskande område. Studiens syfte är att analysera och jämföra passform, mått och konstruktion på jeansgrenar från olika grupper. Metoder som används är avprovning på provmodell, digitalisering av konstruktioner, mätning av plagg samt visuell jämförelse av grenkonstruktioner. Jeansens komfort och visuella passform bedöms vid avprovning och med hjälp av en passformsmatris kartläggs vilka jeansbyxor som visar bäst resultat. Slutligen verifieras studien genom att applicera resultatet av studien på företagets befintliga jeansbyxa. Studiens resultat visar på god passform vid omplacering av form i grensöm samt på samband mellan god passform och grenspetsens vinkel.

Thesis advisor: Diana C. Pullin / Framed in the context of increased media attention focused on a shortage of qualified candidates for the superintendency of public school districts, this study examines the thought process of educational leaders who are in a position to pursue the superintendency. A review of the literature explored the increasing challenges of the position itself, and examined business and psychology literature concerning applicant attraction and the concept of fit including the factors that may attract and deter potential applicants. Qualitative research methods were used to illuminate the thought process that accompanies consideration of the superintendency. The following research questions were considered: what factors, including job desirability and accessibility, influence the pursuit intentions of individuals qualified to be superintendent, and, how does the mix of motivators and inhibitors impact the decision to pursue or not to pursue the position? Twelve in-depth interviews were conducted with graduates of a doctoral program in educational leadership, all currently working as educational leaders in public school districts. Coded transcripts from the interviews highlighted the importance of perceived positional and organizational fit, the use of a common mental checklist to conceptualize fit, and the weight that is applied to different factors. Data also pointed to the ways in which female and racial/ethnic minorities experience the pursuit process differently, especially in terms of their access to pipeline networks. Recommendations are made for professional associations of educational leaders, search agencies and school districts, and higher education. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.