Stress is considered as one of those factors that has an influence on the performance of employees negatively or positively which also affects the organization as a whole. Many employees have started to consider stress as an important issue to look at. This study investigated the employees' perceptions of stress and its effect on their productivity. We mainly compared branches in different countries (Cameroon and Nigeria) using employees from a mutual bank “Ecobank” to find out their different perceptions in relation to stress. The study was conducted with six (6) interviewees, three (3) from Nigeria and three (3) from Cameroon. From other similar studies, we have not been able to see a comparison of employees' perception between two countries and this helped us to be able to recognize a research gap. The study was done using a qualitative method which helps us to know the perceptions of employees regarding stress and its effect on productivity from both Cameroon and Nigeria. The interview was conducted with employees from different departments and different roles. The interview was a big help for us getting a broader understanding of how employees perceive stress. A thematic network and discussion was developed in order for us to interpret the results of our findings. We were able to develop 5 themes which are performance, role conflict, role ambiguity, work demand and resource constraints and with this we were able to do a comparison to find out what the employees from different countries perceive in regards to stress. We were also able to give some suggestions for further studies which one of them is based on gender differences. The results from our findings showed that workload, pressure to meet deadlines, lack of knowledge, multiple tasks, unclear responsibilities, lack of resources were the perceptions contributing to stress.

The traditional library is in a state of crisis since its legitimacy was threatened by the declining status of the welfare state and the printed book medium. The study aims to regain a sense of the lost identity by comparing the institution's perceptions of reading with those of the sobriety movement of the early 20th century and the bibliotherapy representatives of today. Qualitative content analysis is used as a method to categorize and understand the reading perceptions of the reader communities mentioned above. The categories used are of a deductive character and distinguish whether the perception of reading is based on a conception of it as something characterized by the experience of the act or its instrumentality, as well as in reflective relation with the reader's self or not. The studied material is the membership newspaper of IOGT and a contemporary bibliotherapy blog. The results reached by the study point to other types of instrumentality used to legitimize reading by the reader communities, in contrast to the economic instrumentality which has gained influence in the library sphere. The social instrumentality of the bibliotherapy movement, characterized by social relations and integration, is uncovered in the materials. The role of the librarian supporting the reader's own knowledge acquirement is a feature that connects the contemporary librarian identity to bibliotherapy. The former now gains a language to express itself, something that has been missing since the identity crisis.

Syftet med undersökningen att undersöka hur studievägledningen på institutionernapå universitetet bedrivs av de som har en annan utbildning än studie- ochyrkesvägledarutbildningen. Frågeställningarna är: Hur arbetar studievägledare påinstitutionerna vid universitetet? Hur arbetar studievägledarna på institutionerna viduniversitetet i mötet med kollegor och studenter?Centrala begrepp för uppsatsen är roller och legitimitet. Vi har valt att genomföraåtta kvalitativa intervjuer med vägledare på institutionerna vid Lunds universitet.Vi kategoriserar intervjuerna med hjälp av NICE-kompetenserna och förstår hurrollerna regisseras med Abrahamsson och Andersen. Hur intervjupersonernaarbetar med att balansera olika roller analyserar vi med Goffmans teorier om roller.Sammantaget ger det en förståelse för hur studievägledarna arbetar i relation tillstudenter och kollegor.Resultatet visar att studievägledaren har en central roll på institutionen där henrepresenterar såväl universitetet som studenterna i olika sammanhang. Vi ser attvägledarna i sin yrkesutövning använder såväl sin ämneskompetens som densamtalsmetodik som ingår i studie- och yrkesvägledarutbildningen.Intervjupersonerna använder olika metoder för att upprätthålla sina rollerslegitimitet i förhållande till såväl kollegor som studenter. Studievägledaren fungerarofta som en medlare.

Studiens syfte är att undersöka och synliggöra dels hur pedagoger navigerar mellan individens och kollektivets intressen och behov och dels hur individen och kollektivet möter varandra och förhandlas i förskolepraktiken. Följande frågeställningar har besvarats för att konkretisera syftet: Hur förhåller sig pedagoger till begreppen individ och kollektiv i en förskolekontext? Hur ser mötet mellan individens och kollektivets behov och intresse ut på förskolan? Hur bemöter pedagoger individens och kollektivets olika behov och intressen? De teoretiska begreppen individ, kollektiv och institution används för att se pedagogers navigering i den rådande institutionella förskolan. Vi har använt oss av en kvalitativ forskningsmetod där vi observerat pedagoger och barn i samspel. Dessutom har vi utfört semistrukturerade kvalitativa intervjuer med fyra pedagoger. Studiens resultat visar att det dagligen sker förhandlingar mellan individens och kollektivets behov och intresse. Hur individen syns och lyfts inom kollektivet påverkas av pedagogens navigering men även av pedagogens närvaro i kollektivet. Strukturer och omständigheter på förskolan påverkar vilka rutiner och vanor som skapas. Detta i sin tur påverkar hur individen och kollektivet kan mötas i olika situationer. Ibland behöver individens behov bemötas på ett annat sätt än kollektivets behov. Här ses tillräckligt med tid som en viktig faktor för att kunna tillgodose individens behov i kollektivet. Studien synliggör att det dagligen finns spänningsfält där de kollektiva rutinerna inte är förenlig med individens behov och intresse.

Förskolans hall är en plats där barn, vårdnadshavare och förskolepersonal träder in, passerar, lämnar och använder på olika sätt. Därmed sker möten i hallen mellan hem och förskola, mellan vårdnadshavare och personal och mellan vuxna och barn. Detta leder till att förskolehallen och dess väggar är betydelsefull för distribution av information, instruktioner, regler och normer samt skapar sociala relationer. Det är alltså en central plats för utbyte av information där olika budskap till de som träder in i förskolehallen förmedlas. Syftet med studien är därför att undersöka vilka normer som avspeglas på hallväggarna i förskolorna, med fokus på tre olika aspekter av verksamheten (information, pedagogisk dokumentation och språk).Detta är en kvalitativ studie och för att undersöka studiens ämnesområde används metoden bildanalys för att beskriva och analysera det som är uppsatt på hallväggarna i förskolorna. Sammanlagt är det tre förskolor med tio avdelningar som ingått i studien och totalt har 235 stycken bilder tagits med hjälp av fotografering. Studien fokuserar på hur normer förmedlas på hallväggarna och diskussionen för studiens empiri sker utifrån teori och tidigare forskning avseende normer i skolan och förskola.Resultatet i studien visar att hallen genom bilderna är en mötesplats mellan hem och förskola där det sker informationsbyte och kommunikation. På hallväggarna förmedlas både synliga som osynliga normer. I studien redovisas allt material uppsatt på hallväggarna med hjälp av ett stapeldiagram. Stapeldiagrammet visar tre olika kategorier (information, pedagogisk dokumentation och språk). Därefter analyseras några av hallväggarnas bilder med djupgående utifrån vilka normer de förmedlar. Normer som framträdde i analysen blev följande;Genusnorm, familjenorm, omsorgsnorm, åldersnorm, religion- och trosnorm, etnicitetsnorm och likhetsnorm.

The landscape of South African National Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) is comprised of twelve entities. Their institutional objectives range from supporting farmers, financing industrialisation, infrastructural development, and promoting financial inclusion. These DFI objectives fall under the umbrella of Private Sector Development (PSD) interventions. Literature established that the success of PSD is contingent on effective impact evaluation. Consequently, the main research question explored in this dissertation is: In what ways, and using what tools and systems, do South African DFIs measure the development impact of their investments? In support of the main question, two sub-questions were are also investigated. Firstly, whether impact evaluation systems provide credible, timely and relevant information. Secondly, whether impact evaluation systems support evidence-based decision making and learning. In response to these questions, a qualitative case study of six National DFIs was carried out. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with DFI staff members involved in impact evaluation. This was supported by secondary data from annual reports and organisational websites. It was established that, firstly, DFIs use non-uniform impact evaluation systems and tools to measure the impact of their investments. Secondly, the systems lack qualitative detail and focus on measuring outputs instead of outcomes. Thus, much emphasis is placed on monitoring instead of impact evaluation. This renders the impact evaluation systems and tools highly ineffective. Finally, whilst the avowed objective of DFIs is development, financial viability takes precedence when selecting projects. Therefore, an emerging conclusion was that systems in place do not support development impact evidence-based decision-making. These findings generated recommendations for changing the development impact evaluation tools and systems used by South African National DFIs. It is expected that recommended changes will maximise DFI socio-economic benefits.

Denna kandidatuppsats har i syfte att granska de olika teknologierna för biomakt som gestaltas inom psykiatrivården i Sverige. Metoden som kommer att användas för analysen är fallstudier vilket kommer att användas tillsammans med teorier om biomakt. Den teoretiker som främst förekommer är Michel Foucault, men teorin kommer att kompletteras med fler filosofer och forskare. Analysen kommer att ha en avgränsning vid tre stycken diagnoser; schizofreni, bipolär sjukdom och borderline. I granskningen kommer teorierna och metoden användas för att identifiera vilka olika behandlingsformer som används för patienterna samt vilka teknologier för makt som förekommer i behandlingarna. Resultatet för analysen visar att de huvudsakliga behandlingsformerna för diagnoserna är läkemedel och kognitiv beteendeterapi vilka gestaltar två olika former av biomakt, både regulativ makt och disciplinär makt / The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to examine the different kinds of technologies of biopower that exist within the Swedish psychiatric institution. The method of use is case studies, that will be used in conjunction with theories about biopower. The theorist that is primarily used is Michel Foucault, however the theories about biopower will be further complemented by more philosophers and researchers. The analysis will be limited to three diagnoses; schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and borderline. The theories and methodology will be used in order to identify the different therapies used for the patients as well as the technologies of power that occur in the treatments. The result of the analysis shows that the main forms of treatment for the diagnoses are drugs and cognitive behavioral therapy which consist of two different forms of biopower, both regulatory power and disciplinary power.

Leaders at nonprofit academic institutions are following the global business trend of embracing sustainability initiatives for positive social change; however, there has been slow growth in sustainability reporting among academic institutions. The purpose of this study was to explore the strategies and processes necessary for leaders and managers to integrate sustainability reporting into the reporting cycle for a nonprofit higher education institution. I conducted a single case study of a nonprofit academic institution that utilized sustainability reporting. The study sample consisted of 4 leaders and managers at a nonprofit academic institution located in the state of Michigan that published sustainability reports. The conceptual framework used for the study was corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability, and triple bottom line (TBL). The data collection process included interviews with leaders and managers involved in the sustainability reporting process and document reviews of the sustainability report and annual reports. I used a data-driven coding approach for data analysis. The codes were linked to create categories, and the categories led to the development of themes. The results revealed 5 themes regarding the sustainability reporting process, including the steps of the sustainability reporting process and the collaborative process in sustainability reporting. The implications for positive social change included the potential for greater transparency for students, faculty, staff, administration and community partners, and greater effectiveness of the implementation of environmental, economic, and social initiatives for higher education institutions and the community.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Joint Program in Oceanography (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Biology; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2007. / Includes bibliographical references. / Marine mammals possess high body burdens of persistent organic pollutants, including PCBs and dioxin-like compounds (DLC). Chronic environmental or dietary exposure to these chemicals can disrupt the function of reproductive and immune systems, as well as cause developmental defects in laboratory animals. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor, mediating the expression of a suite of genes in response to exposure to DLC and structurally related chemicals. Species-specific differences in AHR structure can affect an organism's susceptibility to the effects of DLC. The structures and functions of several cetacean AHRs were investigated using in vitro molecular cloning and biochemical techniques. Using a novel combination of remote biopsy and molecular cloning methods, RNA was extracted from small integument samples from living North Atlantic right whales to identify the cDNA sequence for AHR and other genes of physiological importance. Biopsy-derived RNA was found to be of higher quality than RNA extracted from stranded cetaceans, and proved a good source for identifying cDNA sequences for expressed genes. / (cont.) The molecular sequences, binding constants, and transcriptional activities for North Atlantic right whale and humpback whale AHRs cDNAs were determined using in vitro and cell culture methods. Whale AHRs are capable of specifically binding dioxin and initiating transcription of reporter genes. The properties of these AHRs were compared with those from other mammalian species, including human, mouse, hamster, and guinea pig, and other novel marine mammal AHRs, using biochemical, phylogenetic, and homology modeling analyses. The relative binding affinities for some marine mammal AHRs fall between those for the high-affinity mouse AHRb-1 and the lower affinity human AHR. Species-specific variability in two regions of the AHR ligand binding domain were identified as having the greatest potential impact on AHR tertiary structure, yet does not sufficiently explain differences observed in ligand binding assays. Additional studies are necessary to link exposure to environmental contaminants with potential reproductive effects in marine mammals, especially via interactions with steroid hormone receptor pathways. / by Joy M. Lapseritis. / Ph.D.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Joint Program in Oceanography (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 137-143). / Predictions of deposition rate are integral to the transport of many constituents including contaminants, organic matter, and larvae. Review of the literature demonstrates a general appreciation for the potential control of deposition by bed roughness, but no direct tests involving flat sediment beds. Understanding the mechanisms at work for flat sediment beds would provide the basis for exploring more complicated bed conditions and the incorporation of other transport processes, such as bioturbation and bedload transport. Generally, fine particle deposition rates are assumed to be equivalent to the suspension settling velocity, therefore, deposition rates in excess of settling are considered enhanced. Flume observations of deposition were made using treatments that covered a wide range of flow, particle, and bed conditions. Specific treatments demonstrated large enhancements (up to eight times settling). Delivery of particles to the interface is important, but models based on delivery alone failed to predict the observed enhancement. This necessitated the development of a new model based on a balance between delivery and filtration in the bed. Interfacial diffusion was chosen as a model for particle delivery. Filtration of particles by the bed is a useful framework for retention, but the shear in the interstitial flow may introduce additional factors not included in traditional filtration experiments. / (cont.) The model performed well in prediction of flow conditions, but there remained a discrepancy between predictions and observed deposition rate, especially for treatments with significant enhancement. Fluid flow predictions by the model, such as slip at the sediment water interface and fluid penetration into the sediment, appeared to be supported by flume experiments. Therefore, failure to predict the magnitude of enhancement was attributed to far greater filtration efficiencies for the sediment water interface than those measured in sediment columns. Emerging techniques to directly measure fluid and particle motion at the interface could reveal these mechanisms. The observation of enhanced deposition to flat sediment beds reinforces the importance of permeable sediments to the mediation of transport from the water column to the sediment bed. / by Jerry Stephen Fries. / Ph.D.