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The objectives of this study were to investigate: (1) elite Swedish football players use of coping strategies, (2) their goal orientations, and (3) the relationship between their goal orientation profiles and use of coping strategies. Participants were 83 male elite Swedish football players. The Perception of Success Questionnaire and COPE inventory were administered to meet the objectives. Results showed a significant interaction effect between athletes’ task and ego goal orientations and their use of planning. Athletes’ with a HT/LE profile (3.06 ± 0.36; M ± SD) used frequently more planning than athletes’ with a LT/LE profile (2.59 ± 0.51). Moreover, athletes’ high in task (2.71 ± 0.37) used more problem-focused strategies than athletes low in task (2.54 ± 0.33), and athletes’ low in ego (2.31 ± 0.24) used more emotion-focused strategies than athletes’ high in ego (2.17 ± 0.27). Results are discussed in relation to previous research of achievement motivation and athletes’ use of coping strategies. / Syftet med föreliggande studie var att undersöka: (1) svenska elitfotbollsspelares användande av coping strategier, (2) deras målorienteringar, och (3) relationen mellan deras målorienteringsprofiler och användande av coping strategier. Urvalet bestod av 83 manliga svenska elitfotbollsspelare. Studiens syften undersöktes med hjälp av The Perception of Success Questionnaire och COPE inventory. Resultaten visade en signifikant interaktionseffekt mellan idrottarnas task och ego orienteringar och användande av planering. Idrottare med en HT/LE profil (3.06 ± 0.36; M ± SD) använde sig av mer planering än idrottare med en LT/LE profil (2.59 ± 0.51). Vidare använde idrottare med en hög task-orientering (2.71 ± 0.37) sig av mer problem-fokuserade strategier än idrottare med en låg task-orientering (2.54 ± 0.33) och idrottare med en låg ego-orientering (2.31 ± 0.24) använde mer emotions-fokuserade strategier än idrottare med en hög ego-orientering (2.17 ± 0.27). Resultaten har diskuterats i relation till tidigare forskning inom prestationsmotivation och idrottares coping strategier.

A goal-opportunity model of acculturation, according to which sojourner’s goals align with the opportunities of the host culture (goal-opportunity cultural fit), can evaluate adaptation to a new sociocultural environment as functional, predictable, and meaningful. Although this new model of person-culture alignment builds on a previous construct of cultural fit (Ward & Chang, 1997), it aims to redefine the construct. Determining the right components of the person-culture alignment as the core of adaptation is nonetheless challenging, as there are different constructs that can be considered. Previous adaptation models have promoted person-culture alignment either as the mitigation of the sociocultural gap (cultural gap) between the native and host cultures (Church, 1982), or as the match (cultural fit) between specific personality traits (e.g., openness) and host culture norms (Ward & Chang, 1997). However, those models disregard valuable cognitive factors, such as autonomy, problem-solving ability, decision-making skills, achievement need, goal setting, motivation, participation, and effort. This thesis introduces goal-opportunity cultural fit as a contextual measurement of cultural adaptation in international students, as a group of sojourners with high achievement needs. Using exploratory analysis to refine a newly developed measurement instrument˗˗the Cultural Fit Questionnaire˗˗the current study attempts to show that this new person-culture alignment can be measured, predicted, and interpreted. It is expected that this proposed model of acculturation based on reinterpreting cultural fit as a goal-opportunity alignment will offer a better understanding of cultural adaptation in goal-driven sojourners with a need for achievement and autonomy, such as it is the case with international students. / Graduate

Companies worldwide are facing a severe competition from an increasing number of domestic and foreign competitors, who put extra pressure on the achievement of market efficiency and performance. In this context, research and transference of managerial tools aimed at increasing performance has become decisive for organizations. One particular tool, the coaching of the sales force, has been largely praised by practitioners and scholars alike as a central managerial activity increasing employee's performance. As salespeople's performance is a key antecedent of organizational performance, research on sales coaching as a tool for increasing performance is critical. Despite its importance, research on coaching has been scarce and inconsistent, and published work has been predominantly practice-driven and guru-led, lacking solid theoretical basis. Additionally, the relationship between coaching and performance has not received conclusive support, and the mediating variables linking coaching with performance have not been studied; these restrictions limited the explanations and predictive capacity of present models. This research tries to close the gap between what is presently known about coaching and what should be known in the opinion of both practitioners and scholars, by answering two general research questions: 1) does coaching by the sales manager have an impact on salesperson's performance?; and 2) what are the mediating mechanisms that turn coaching by the sales manager into salesperson's performance? This dissertation presents a model based on two institutionalized' theories, Leader-member Exchange (LMX) Theory and Goal-setting Theory; LMX is a dyadic, relational theory, useful to explain the high quality relationship developed between coach and coaché during the coaching intervention, and some of the proximal outcomes of this relationship; goal-setting theory is particularly useful in sales contexts, where salespeople have clearly defined goals, to understand how the coaching intervention can mobilize salesperson's cognition and motivation in order to achieve the goals. The model explores the motivational and cognitive process enacted by the coaching intervention that have an impact on salesperson's performance, and proposes different ways through which coaching could be translated into increased performance; according to the model, the coaching intervention helps the salesperson to develop new task-specific strategies , which increases his capacity of adapting to different selling situations; additionally, the characteristics of the coaching intervention increases his goal commitment and his self-efficacy ; in consequence, the salesperson will spend more effort , with greater persistence , and will choose better strategies; as a consequence of increased sales adaptability, new strategies, goal commitment, self-efficacy and effort, salesperson's performance will also increase. The model was tested using data collected early in 2011; a local Latin-American branch of a global industrial company and a Canadian bank accepted to participate in the study, and invitations to take a web-based survey were sent to their sales forces. I received 186 complete, usable responses, for a total response ratio of 40.43%, which were used to test the model using Structural Equation Modeling. Results supported the main hypotheses; the conclusion of the dissertation is that the coaching intervention actually enacts motivational and cognitive mechanisms in the salesperson that allows him to increase his performance. These mechanisms are increased effort, adaptive selling, sales planning, new strategies, goal commitment and self-efficacy. The dissertation contributes to the solution of the research problem in several ways. First, it proposes a model of coaching mediators, an issue that has not been addressed by previous research. The model represents an original perspective that advances the field of coaching research by enlarging our understanding of the processes addressed by the coaching intervention. Second, the model proposes two complementary ways for achieving performance; one that considers the motivational aspects of the coaching intervention, where an increased performance is achieved through increased goal commitment and effort; the other one considers the cognitive aspects of the coaching intervention, where an increased performance is achieved through increased adaptive selling and sales planning behavior, and the development and implementation of new task-related strategies. These two ways are consistent with present research on adaptive selling and sales performance. Third, the model is based on two institutionalized theories: LMX and Goal-setting Theory. The use of these theories is an original approach, useful to understand how coaching work in sales contexts. As the proposed model is not based on any particular practitioner's model or set of experiences, it can potentially be generalized through a large series of organizational settings. Finally, the results of this research contributes: 1) to the advancement of scientific knowledge through the development of an original, theory-based model of coaching mediators, as well as 2) to the solution of a managerial problem by providing practical insights to practitioners willing to implement successful coaching processes in their organizations.

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Titel: Transfer of training – en studie av överföringsprocessen av säljträning med avseende på motivation och målsättning. Författare: Therése Eriksson & Lovisa Söderlund Uppsatsnivå: Examensarbete i Företagsekonomi för kandidatexamen, 180 hp VT-14 Handledare: Lars-Johan Åge, Jonas Molin & Jens Eklinder Frick Datum: 2014-05 Syfte: Vi vill undersöka om och hur säljares målsättningar påverkar säljare att ta till sig säljträning och omsätta den i praktiken. Metod: Med syftet som utgångspunkt har en kvalitativ metod använts i undersökningen där empirisk data erhölls genom att utföra 12 semi-strukturerade intervjuer med respondenter från fem telefoni- och elektronikföretag i Gävle. En strukturerad, abduktiv analysmetod som gör det möjligt att analysera kvalitativ data användes för att analysera och identifiera mönster i materialet.  Resultat: Studien visar att motivation är av stor betydelse när det kommer till säljträning och huruvida säljare väljer att använda sig av träningen. Det som motiverar säljare att använda sig av säljträning är huruvida det kommer leda till ett ökat försäljningsresultat. Vi ser också att motivationen till överföringen är beroende av säljarnas personliga mål eftersom målen har med deras egna värderingar att göra och det är dessa mål som främst driver säljarna. Studien har visat att för att säljare ska känna motivation till att överföra träningen måste de uppfatta att träningen är relevant till deras personliga mål. När säljarna har satt upp sina personliga mål och uppfattar att träningen kommer öka deras chans att uppfylla dessa, blir de motiverade att utföra träningen, ta till sig den och sedan överföra materialet till praktiken. Förslag till vidare forskning: För vidare forskning rekommenderar vi att motivationens roll i överföringsprocessen utifrån andra faktorer än målsättning studeras, för att stärka beviskedjan och generaliserbarheten. Vi tror att det är viktigt att öka förståelse av hur överföring av säljträning kan hjälpa företag att effektivisera försäljningen. Bidrag: Denna studie belyser hur en ökad förståelse kan nås om vad som motiverar säljare att överföra träningsmaterial till praktiska situationer. Vårt bidrag blir att bygga på den forskning som handlar om just målsättningens roll i hur framförallt personliga mål påverkar motivationen och i sin tur överföringen. Flera begrepp, däribland målsättning och motivation har vi lånat från psykologiforskningen för att ge bidrag till forskningsfältet företagsekonomi. Nyckelord: Transfer of training, Motivation to transfer, Goal-setting.

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Au-Yeung, Sze Yan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 57-62). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Acknowledgements --- p.iii / Abstract --- p.iv / Chapter Chapter 1- --- Introduction / Goal Setting Theory and its effectiveness --- p.1 / Potential drawbacks of Goal Setting Theory --- p.3 / A motivator of unethical behaviour: individual and group level --- p.5 / Goal proximity and ethical behavior --- p.9 / Goal commitment and Unethical Behaviors --- p.9 / Chapter Chapter2- --- Method --- p.12 / Participants --- p.12 / Task and Procedures --- p.12 / Manipulations --- p.19 / Chapter Chapter 3- --- Result / Main Analyses --- p.20 / "Goal assignment methods, work setting conditions, and performance" --- p.22 / "Goal assignment methods, work setting conditions and work effort" --- p.23 / "Goal assignment methods, work setting, feedback and performance overstatement" --- p.25 / Goal proximity and unethical behaviour. --- p.32 / The mediating role of goal commitment --- p.36 / Goal assignment methods and participants 'perceptions --- p.39 / Chapter Chapter 4- --- Discussion --- p.43 / Goal setting and performance --- p.43 / "Goal setting, work setting, feedback and unethical behavior" --- p.46 / "Goal setting, work setting, goal proximity and unethical behavior" --- p.49 / Mediating role of goal commitment --- p.50 / Chapter Chapter 5- --- Conclusion and Implications --- p.51 / Limitations and future studies --- p.53 / Reference --- p.57 / Chapter Appendix I --- Workbook --- p.63 / Chapter Appendix II --- Goal commitment scale --- p.82 / Chapter Appendix III --- Instruction sheet for group setting condition --- p.83