Coaching can affect athletes' performance and psychological well-being through the communication and feedback that the coaches provide. Both internal and external factors affect the communication process and the effectiveness of the feedback. Objective: The objective of the study was to increase the knowledge associated with feedback during 1 minute breaks in direct elimination matches at fencing competitions. This, by gaining insight into how fencing coaches experience the feedback they give to their fencers. In addition, the purpose is to generate knowledge of factors in the communication process that affect feedback. Design: Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Method: Three fencing coaches, with at least one epée fencer at top 8 on the national ranking list for senior men/women, were interviewed using a semi-structured guide. Questions about their communication and feedback in different scenarios, different situations, and factors were asked. Results: The coaches purpose of the feedback was to get the fencers into their individual zone of optimal functioning (IZOF). The coaches focused mostly on the psychological aspect and tactical feedback, with less focus on technique. The relationship between the coaches and fencers was percieved as one of the crucial factors for effective communication and feedback. Conclusions: As athletes are influenced by coaches' communication and feedback, it is important to understand what is sent and why, and also what the coaches percieve the fencers receive and the following experienced response. By gaining in-depth understanding of factors that affect, the coaches can make more active choices that lead to more effective communication and feedback, and thereby better performance.

It is understood that trauma is something that can affect people in life. Trauma is a term that is readily used to acknowledge the experience of someone exposed to an adverse life event. There are various psychological therapies that help individuals to overcome trauma experiences. The unique contribution of this study is that little is known about the way in which Solution Focussed Brief Therapy (SFBT) can help clients coming to terms with such an experience, because it can help to facilitate post traumatic growth. SFBT is strengths based and is part of the positive psychology movement, where there is more of an emphasis on client resilience, rather than alleviating distress. SFBT offers a different way of working to the approaches already being utilised in this field. The current study aimed to provide insight into the experiences of Solution Focused Practitioners facilitating post traumatic growth during brief therapy, using qualitative methods. The study explored the experiences of a homogenous sample of six Solution Focused Practitioners; all had worked with trauma and were using SFBT in their working practice. Responses to questions asked during semi structured interviews were framed by the setting in which the practitioners worked, because they all operated from a centre known to the researcher. However, despite the potential influence of the setting, the researcher gained honest insight into the application of SFBT to trauma. Semi structured interviews were conducted and the interviews were transcribed. Verbatim transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and from this four main themes were found: (i) Who am I? – Becoming Solution Focused; (ii) A problem world where trauma exists; (iii) A positive cocoon where growth can occur; (iv) The longevity of the approach – a big fish in a small pond. Further exploration of these themes along with their subthemes is included in the paper. Research literature relevant to this study is discussed and implications for further research and practice are also taken into consideration.

This research study took place at the High Performance Centre (hpc) at the University of Pretoria (UP) in South Africa (SA). The sport psychologists/sports counselors at the hpc mainly deliver performance development services to the athletes. The sport psychology services at the hpc are conducted to the athletes via the Psychological Skills Training (PST) approach and Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) approach. These two approaches are individualistic in nature and the aim of my study was to move away from a more traditional individualistic perspective to an ecological perspective that takes into consideration other role players such as sport scientists. This was achieved by developing a sport science specific MAC programme for the sport scientists, which was facilitated through experiential learning. The goal of the MAC programme was to explore the sport scientists’ experiences with reference to what they discovered and how they applied their learning. Eight in depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with four sport scientists at the hpc after their participation in the programme. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the semi-structured interviews. The findings were mainly related to difficulties and advantages that the sport scientists experienced when they applied the MAC principles. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Psychology / MA / Unrestricted

This thesis explores the experiences of older adults with successful ageing and achieving ego integrity. It describes the sources related to ego integrity, that are helpful in facing the challenges of the eighth stage (ego integrity vs. despair). Five interviews were conducted with older adults, aged 65+. These interviews were subsequently analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). KEYWORDS ego integrity, aging, qualitative research, interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA)

The optimum ordering strategies for the coded V-BLAST system with capacity achieving temporal codes on each stream are studied in this thesis. Mathematical representations of the optimum detection ordering strategies for the coded V-BLAST under instantaneous rate allocation (IRA), uniform power/rate allocation (URA), instantaneous power allocation(IPA) and instantaneous power/rate allocation (IPRA) are derived. For two transmit antennas, it is shown that the optimum detection strategies are based on the per-stream before-processing channel gains. Based on approximations of the per-stream capacity equation, closed-form expressions of the optimal ordering strategy under the IRA at low and high signal to noise ratio (SNR) are derived. Necessary optimality conditions under the IRA are given. Thresholds for the low, intermediate and high SNR regimes in the 2-Tx-antenna system under the IPRA are determined, and the SNR gain of the ordering is studied for each regime. Performances of simple suboptimal ordering strategies are analysed, some of which perform very close to the optimum one.

This master’s thesis studies testimonies gathered by the #nödvärn initiative – the metoo call from2017 by the Swedish police department for their current and former employees, as well as traineesand students. The thesis contributes to filling an existing research gap about sexualharassment/violence from the perspective of the harassed/victim, by analyzing their description oftheir own experiences and how they attribute responsibility for the harassment. One of the wayswas to look at the issue from a feminist perspective and add to/build on the existing feministresearch in this field of the testimony compilation through the #nödvärn initiative in the Swedishcontext. Therefore, with the help of the interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA), CarolBacchi’s theory of gender and power relations, along with the decolonial theory, I have selectedeight testimonies from the compilation and analyzed them to understand the perspective of theharassed/victims, how they reason around their experiences of being harassed/violated, how theinterpretation and reactions of colleagues and supervisors affect how the harassed persons/victimsinterpret their experiences of harassment/violence and how the harassed persons/victims attributeresponsibility for the harassment/violence in the testimonies. The analysis reveals that the way theharassed/victims reason around their experiences of sexual violence and the way (and on whom)they attribute responsibility for the harassment/violence are interconnected and are heavilyaffected by the hierarchy and power relations in the organization that also affect theharassed/victim’s colleagues’ and superiors’ reaction or response to the harassed/victim’sexperience of sexual harassment/violence.

No description available.

The purpose of my research is to examine how copreneurial couples make sense of their lived experience of working in a copreneurial business and shape their mutual identity. The research context is copreneurs operating micro-businesses in the Greek leisure and tourism industry. Given the size of the tourism industry worldwide and the fact that many businesses within this sector are family-owned, this is an important area of inquiry. The aim is twofold: 1. To build theory in the field of entrepreneurship by focusing specifically on the undertheorized topic of how copreneurs understand and shape their identity and responsibilities within copreneurial businesses 2. To bring an under-utilized methodology to entrepreneurship studies, that of interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA), as a means of enhancing the understanding of the lived experience of copreneurs. Drawing on phenomenological philosophy, IPA foregrounds the meanings research participants give to their experience and therefore offers rich interpretations from copreneurial couples While taking an idiographic approach, which focuses on the first-person experience of copreneurs in a particular context, the findings will resonate with other copreneurs. The contribution of this research therefore lies in advancing our understanding of copreneurship and familial entrepreneurship by elucidating the interrelationship between personal and business partnerships. The study makes visible the often invisible recursive links between paid work and family life for men and women

This doctoral study examines whether MFIs in Ethiopia have developed the managerial readiness to face emerging threats and seize the opportunities within the context of unpredictable changes and turbulences. The interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA) has been used to collect, shape, and interpret the lived experiences, intuitions, and insights of 10 CEOs of MFIs. The data were interpreted using the double hermeneutic and analysed through the lenses of the theory of organisational agility and the Cynefin framework to make decisions. The premise of this study is that MFIs without agile organisational capability may fail to prepare and respond to changes in the external environment. The study results show multiple impediments that restrict MFIs from being adaptive towards achieving double bottom lines, i.e., the creation of social and financial value. MFIs in Ethiopia suffer from “pain points” such as inflation, illiquidity, and turbulences. The challenges include: the weak governance practice of nominal shareholders, outdated decision-making processes causing delays, staff turnover reducing enterprising capacity, and MFIs lacking sufficient digital and technological infrastructure. The study found most MFIs are incapable of responding quickly and innovatively to seize opportunities or to overcome adversities. The conclusion is that MFIs in Ethiopia have inadequate agile organisational capability to make strategic choices and execute operational processes during multiple and complex changes. The findings of the research are important, and pertinent for a better understanding of the organisational agility of social enterprises. The study has provided five recommendations to enhance policies and practical actions to build the agile organisational capabilities of social enterprises.

No description available.