Lack of motivation is a substantial productivity cost for organisations and business in generally work under the assumption that pay predicts performance. Satisfaction of the basic psychological needs has in research demonstrated a positive relationship with a better performance (i.e. Baard et al., 2004). If this is the case in the complex nature of sales work, with its primary focus on goals set (sales target) is yet to be decided. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the basic psychological needs, health and sales performance. The results emanating from this study on 252 sales people goes against previous research on performance as no significant relationships were found between the basic psychological needs and sales performance. However the study provides a strong empirical confirmation of the proposition that the basic psychological needs play an important role for health. Overall the results suggest that goal-setting (i.e. sales target) has significant consequences in shaping salespeople's cognitive aspect of motivation, putting the basic psychological needs behind and may result in impaired health.

The deployment of advanced metering infrastructure, most notably in the residential electricity sector, and the development of energy monitoring technology, has enabled and justified the exploration of more sophisticated systems to energy management in the home. Previously, energy usage feedback has been shown to help householders to learn and to adapt usage behaviour. However, these systems are still in their infancy and exploration of householder interest in them, and their designs, is needed to assist in the diffusion of this innovation. The effectiveness of feedback has been found to be enhanced when it is shown relative to a conservation goal. Additionally, disaggregated feedback has been found desirable to householders and has helped them to learn. However, little is understood about how disaggregated home energy feedback relative to a goal can be designed to help householders to conserve. This study explored interest in home energy goal-setting through a web-based survey of Ontario householders. Inferential statistics showed, with 95% confidence, that 35% to 37% of urban Ontario homeowners with post-secondary education would be strongly interested in setting home energy goals – and 29% to 31% would be willing-to-pay at least $6 per month for home energy goal-setting technology. Both financial and environmental reasons were often cited by respondents for their interest. Interest in home energy goal-setting did not relate to experience or interest in setting ‘non-energy’ goals but was significantly and positively associated with: (1) awareness in the environmental impact of energy usage, (2) pro-sustainability attitudes and behaviours, (3) desire to reduce usage, (4) desire to learn, and (5) motivations to help society. Householders preferred web-based feedback to other mediums such as in-home displays or bills. They also identified goal-based appliance-specific feedback as desirable but found the graphical presentation of multiple appliances on one page confusing, and instead preferred numerical presentations. Both extrinsic and intrinsic benefits to home energy goal-setting were supported by respondents and the most cited barrier to goal-setting was that it takes a lot of time. However, it is expected that a home energy monitoring system would help mitigate this potential barrier since progress would be tracked and reported automatically.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Central Florida, 2009. / Adviser: Robert Folger. Includes bibliographical references (p. 100-112).

Obesity is a problem of vast social concern in the United States. One factor that has been linked to reduction in body fat and the health problems associated with obesity is increasing physical activity. Although in-person behavioral interventions have been shown effective at increasing physical activity, attention is now being placed on disseminating these interventions through the use of technology. Several internet-based interventions have been developed and are readily available. The purpose of this study was to evaluate "Fitbit," a web-based behavioral intervention for increasing physical activity and losing weight. Additionally, this study examined if the addition of contact from a behavioral coach through videoconference and email enhanced the effectiveness of this program. Through a multiple-baseline design across seven participants this research project evaluated the effectiveness of the "Fitbit" program with and without a behavioral coach. Step counts were recorded by a Fitbit sensor as a measure of physical activity. The Fitbit program alone increased physical activity for some of the participants, and the addition of the behavioral coach resulted in further increases in mean step counts.

This case study has been about the attitudes and values of a group of participants in a specific workplace. The aim has been to try and ascertain if the identified attitudes and values of the participants have had any influence on career development. There were 12 participants involved and at the time of this project they were either in permanent part or full time employment with ‘The Company’. ‘The Company’ is a pseudonym given to the business where the participants worked and the setting for this research project. The workplace is situated in a remote location on an industrial work site in New Zealand. Each participant engaged in the research voluntarily. They completed a questionnaire and took part in a semi-structured interview. Confidentiality and anonymity of all participants had been respected and maintained throughout the entire project. Results show that there were three principle influences that could be attributed to the ways that participants perceived the workplace and personal career development. They were workplace values, workplace training, and workplace goals. These attributes are influenced in different ways and hold divergent meaning for individual participants. The most highly rated value, as identified by participants in this project has been variation of tasks undertaken in the workplace. This was not challenged by any of the indicators used to consider opinions and values expressed by participants; education, generational groupings, career type and work streams. Seven of the twelve participants desired promotion within ‘The Company’. The ways that participants hoped to achieve promotion was often unspecified. Participants did not articulate specific planning methods. Future research is recommended such as focusing on how employees can develop career goals that fit with the goals of their workplace.

The deployment of advanced metering infrastructure, most notably in the residential electricity sector, and the development of energy monitoring technology, has enabled and justified the exploration of more sophisticated systems to energy management in the home. Previously, energy usage feedback has been shown to help householders to learn and to adapt usage behaviour. However, these systems are still in their infancy and exploration of householder interest in them, and their designs, is needed to assist in the diffusion of this innovation. The effectiveness of feedback has been found to be enhanced when it is shown relative to a conservation goal. Additionally, disaggregated feedback has been found desirable to householders and has helped them to learn. However, little is understood about how disaggregated home energy feedback relative to a goal can be designed to help householders to conserve. This study explored interest in home energy goal-setting through a web-based survey of Ontario householders. Inferential statistics showed, with 95% confidence, that 35% to 37% of urban Ontario homeowners with post-secondary education would be strongly interested in setting home energy goals – and 29% to 31% would be willing-to-pay at least $6 per month for home energy goal-setting technology. Both financial and environmental reasons were often cited by respondents for their interest. Interest in home energy goal-setting did not relate to experience or interest in setting ‘non-energy’ goals but was significantly and positively associated with: (1) awareness in the environmental impact of energy usage, (2) pro-sustainability attitudes and behaviours, (3) desire to reduce usage, (4) desire to learn, and (5) motivations to help society. Householders preferred web-based feedback to other mediums such as in-home displays or bills. They also identified goal-based appliance-specific feedback as desirable but found the graphical presentation of multiple appliances on one page confusing, and instead preferred numerical presentations. Both extrinsic and intrinsic benefits to home energy goal-setting were supported by respondents and the most cited barrier to goal-setting was that it takes a lot of time. However, it is expected that a home energy monitoring system would help mitigate this potential barrier since progress would be tracked and reported automatically.

Research into learner autonomy has confirmed the importance of learner competencies such as effective strategy use, goal setting and planning, maintaining motivation, and the ability to reflect and self-evaluate to the development of autonomy. The introduction of key competency frameworks to develop learner autonomy has been a focus of recent curriculum development from primary through to tertiary levels in the New Zealand education system. However, facilitating and managing the development of these learning competencies in a programme of study that has a number of different papers and staff, can be problematic. The learning portfolio is emerging as a possible medium to provide the required framework. This study investigated the effectiveness of an ePortolio in enhancing learner autonomy in the context of a language learning programme. The aim of this study was to gain insight from a student perspective into the usfulness of ePortfolios as a tool to enhance student learning. Investigating learner autonomy and the development of self-reflection resulting from the use of ePortfolios was the main focus of the study. It also examined some of the practicalities of using an ePortfolio to develop the desired learner competencies, and discussed whether an ePortfolio provides an effective framework to record, monitor and provide feedback to students. The results of the study reinforce the findings of previous studies in that there are benefits of ePortfolios as they encourage reflection. ePortfolios also have the potential to support the reflective process by making learning outcomes visible and they promote goal-setting. However, despite these apparent benefits, the findings suggest that there are many challenges, which have the potential to negatively influence its effectiveness. The ePortfolio in this study was used with varying degrees of success. The findings have raised several issues regarding the introduction of an ePortfolio. The time it takes for teachers to give individual feedback and maintain an adequate level of feedback throughout the semester was one major challenge. The extent to which learners need to be trained in the purpose of the ePortfolio and its link to reflection and developing autonomy was another issue that was raised. In addition, getting students to reflect on their learning holistically also proved to be problematic. Overall however, findings as to the effectiveness of the ePortfolio in promoting autonomous learning appear promising, but they have highlighted the need to make changes to the ePortfolio itself. Its integration into the curriculum needs to be reconsidered to maximize its use and gain maximum benefit.

Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

Zugl.: Oestrich-Winkel, Europ. Business School, Diss., 2006. / Also available in print.

Zugl.: Oestrich-Winkel, Europ. Business School, Diss., 2006. / Description based on print version record.