Since 2004, several small hotel chains have introduced guest loyalty programs in order to give their guests "big chain perks" while keeping a boutique identity. Recent studies have raised concerns that loyalty programs do not create brand loyalty. By looking at Kimpton Hotel's recently introduced program, Kimpton InTouch, this study examines the potential for operationalizing guest loyalty programs in a small boutique hotel chain setting. The study utilizes guest information gathered through customer surveys and reviews guest visits and spending patterns to see if there is any indication that loyal behavior exists amongst members of the Kimpton InTouch. This study demonstrates that frequent stay programs serve as a valuable asset in a hotel's ability to nurture a relationship with its membership and increase the overall awareness of its brand in the marketplace.

This thesis examines three important topics in corporate governance: the relationship between activist hedge funds and other institutional investors, the role of perks in the market for CEO talent, and public scrutiny and the changing nature of perks. First, I provide an in depth study of the interaction between activist hedge funds and other institutional investors. Hedge funds are more likely to target firms with high levels of institutional ownership, and demonstrate a preference for short term focused institutional investors. Hedge fund activism generates short run and long run abnormal returns without increasing stock return volatility. Regardless of investment horizon, volatility is inversely related to prior period institutional ownership. The trading behavior of institutional owners with different investment horizons is consistent with hedge fund activism creating value. These findings hold regardless of whether investment horizon is based on portfolio churn rate or type of institution. Overall, the results suggest a mutually beneficial relationship between activist hedge funds and other institutional investors. Second, in a coauthored paper with Drs. Seungijn Han and Jiaping Qiu, I provide the first comprehensive analysis on how CEOs’ wage and perks are jointly determined in a competitive CEO market. The underlying theory shows that in equilibrium, firm size, wage, perks and talent are all positively related. Perks are more sensitive than wage to changes in firm size. The more perks enhance the CEO’s productivity, the faster perks increase in firm size. Closed form solutions allow the recovery of the cost function of providing perks. I examine the determinants of CEO perquisite compensation using hand-collected information for S&P 500 companies and find consistent empirical evidence. Third, I examine the impact of public scrutiny on CEO compensation using the unique opportunity provided by the 2008 financial crisis, government support, and legislated compensation restrictions. I introduce novel data on executive perks at S&P 500 firms from 2006 to 2012. Overall, my results are consistent with increased public scrutiny having lasting impact on perks and temporary impact on wage, and with legislated compensation restrictions having temporary impact on wage. Changes in specific perks items provide evidence on which perks firms perceive as excessive and which provide common value. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Denna uppsats är en receptionsstudie med inriktning på hur åskådare uppfattar gestaltningen av psykisk ohälsa i filmen The Perks of Being a Wallflower. För att nå fram till svaret på detta undersöktes hur respondenterna upplevde gestaltningen av den psykiska ohälsa som finns i filmen. Vi jämförde två olika respondentgruppers uppfattning, en grupp med professionell bakgrund inom psykisk ohälsa samt en grupp studenter. För att få svar på dessa frågor anordnades filmvisningar där respondenterna svarade på en enkät med frågor relaterade till filmen efter att ha sett på den. Olika teorier har applicerats för att analysera svaren, bland annat Eders forskning om gestaltning av depression och Plantingas och Smiths forskning kring hur karaktärer skapar en viss känsla hos åskådaren. Det vi kom fram till i slutsatsen var att alla respondenterna ansåg att gestaltningen av psykisk ohälsa utfördes på ett trovärdigt sätt, men på olika sätt. Studenterna fokuserade generellt sett mer på filmiska hjälpmedel, såsom skådespel och musik. Kuratorerna fokuserade mer på hur karaktärerna gestaltades, vilket många av studenterna också fokuserade på. Studenterna ansåg att karaktärerna skapade känslan av ensamhet, kuratorerna i sin tur ansåg att karaktärerna skapade omsorgskänslor. En likhet mellan grupperna var att de fokuserade mycket på karaktärerna

Uppsatsen analyserar representationen av ensamhet i Stephen Chboskys The Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999; 2012a) genom att undersöka hur protagonisten Charlie berättar om sin ensamhet och hur berättarformerna kan möjliggöra karaktärsidentifikation samt framkalla emotioner hos publiken. Analysen utgår ifrån brevromanen där Charlies tankar förmedlas genom brevskrivande, och dess filmadaption där hans tankar primärt förmedlas genom en berättarröst. Ur båda verk analyseras och jämförs totalt fyra faser av ensamhet i narrativet för att förklara hur Charlies berättande kan skapa karaktärsidentifikation och en emotionell reaktion. Resultatet av analysen visar att de olika berättarformerna genom faserna ger upphov till emotioner beroende på hur berättandet av ensamhet gestaltas, och att filmen lättare kan skapa emotionella reaktioner än boken. Slutsatsen är att det audiovisuella mediet kan ge starkare reaktioner men att identifikationen med Charlies ensamhet ligger i mottagarens händer, då identifikation är en subjektiv upplevelse.

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Ce mémoire a pour objectif de comprendre l’impact des avantages sociaux novateurs et des avantages sociaux traditionnels sur l’intention de rester des travailleurs via l’effet médiateur de l’engagement organisationnel. Pour étudier cette question, nous avons émis trois hypothèses basées sur notre revue de littérature ainsi que sur les théories de l’échange social de Blau (1964) et de la dépendance à l’égard des ressources de Balkin et Bannister (1993). La première hypothèse stipule que les avantages sociaux novateurs ont un impact positif et indirect sur l’intention de rester via l’engagement organisationnel. La deuxième hypothèse indique que les avantages sociaux traditionnels ont un impact positif et indirect sur l’intention de rester via l’engagement organisationnel. La dernière hypothèse suggère que les avantages sociaux novateurs ont un impact plus important sur l’intention de rester que les avantages sociaux traditionnels via l’engagement organisationnel. Les données utilisées, de nature longitudinale, proviennent d’une enquête plus large portant sur « les liens entre la rémunération, la formation et le développement de compétences avec l’attraction et la rétention des employés clés ». L’échantillon est composé de 235 nouveaux travailleurs embauchés entre le 1er avril 2009 et le 30 septembre 2010 d’une entreprise multinationale du secteur des technologies de l’information et des communications (TIC) localisée à Montréal. Nos résultats confirment nos deux premières hypothèses. En effet, nos résultats indiquent que les avantages sociaux traditionnels et les avantages sociaux novateurs ont un impact positif sur l’intention de rester des travailleurs via l’effet médiateur de l’engagement organisationnel. Nos résultats indiquent également que les avantages sociaux traditionnels ont un impact plus significatif que les avantages sociaux novateurs sur l’intention de rester via l’effet médiateur de l’engagement organisationnel. Le soutien organisationnel perçu et le travail sous supervision ont également un impact important sur l’intention de rester des travailleurs. Finalement, nous indiquons en conclusion les implications pratiques de ce mémoire pour les gestionnaires du secteur des TIC en matière de fidélisation des travailleurs. Nous présentons également les limites de notre étude et des pistes de recherches futures. / The objective of this thesis is to understand the impact of innovative and traditional perks on workers’ intent to stay through the mediating effect of organizational commitment. Three hypotheses were proposed to study this question based on Blau’s Social Exchange Theory (1964) and Balkin and Bannister’s Resources Dependence Theory (1993). Our first hypothesis states that innovative perks have a positive and indirect effect on workers’ intent to stay through the mediating effect of organizational commitment. Our second hypothesis indicates that traditional perks have a positive and indirect effect on workers’ intent to stay through the mediating effect of organizational commitment. Our third and last hypothesis suggests that innovative perks have a greater effect on workers’ intent to stay through the mediating effect of organizational commitment than traditional perks. The longitudinal data used in this thesis comes from a broader investigation called « The Links Between Compensation, Training and Development Skills with the Attraction and Retention of Key Employees ». The sample consists of newly hired employees from a global Information Technology and Communication (ITC) company based in Montreal. Data from this organization was collected from 235 employees hired between April 1, 2009 and September 30, 2010. Our findings confirm our first two hypotheses. Our results indicate that both innovative and traditional perks have a positive and indirect impact on workers’ intent to stay through the mediating effect of organizational commitment. Our results also indicate that traditional perks have a greater effect than innovative perks on workers’ intent to stay through the mediating effect of organizational commitment. Perceived organizational support and working under supervision also have an impact on workers’ intent to stay. We conclude this thesis with practical implications for managers with regards to employee retention in the ITC sector. We also present the limitations of our study and the implications for future research.

Ce mémoire porte sur l’impact des attributs organisationnels sur l’attraction des mains-d’œuvre. Spécifiquement, ce mémoire étudie l’impact de l’offre d’avantages sociaux novateurs, de la formation et développement et de l’éthique sur l’attraction organisationnelle. De plus, il examine l’effet modérateur du genre sur ces relations. Pour ce faire, nous avons formulé différentes hypothèses inspirées de la littérature et des théories recensées. La première hypothèse est subdivisée en trois sous-hypothèses stipulant respectivement que l’offre d’avantages sociaux novateurs, l’offre de beaucoup de possibilités de formation et développement et une organisation où l’éthique est importante augmentent le niveau d’attraction organisationnelle. La deuxième hypothèse avance que l’offre combinée d’avantages sociaux novateurs, de formation et développement et de l’éthique augmente le niveau de l’attraction organisationnelle. Enfin, la troisième hypothèse suggère que le genre modère l’impact des attributs organisationnels sur l’attraction organisationnelle. Notre étude utilise des données d’une enquête quasi-expérimentale effectuée auprès de 340 futurs diplômés provenant de deux universités situées à Montréal. Les résultats montrent que l’offre d’avantages sociaux novateurs et de beaucoup de possibilités de formation et développement ainsi qu’une organisation où l’éthique est importante influencent tous positivement l’attraction organisationnelle. De plus, les résultats montrent que l’offre combinée d’avantages sociaux novateurs avec la situation de peu de possibilités de formation et développement augmente davantage l’attraction organisationnelle ; aussi, que l’offre d’avantages sociaux novateurs dans une organisation où l’éthique est importante contribue à augmenter davantage l’attraction organisationnelle. Enfin, quant à l’effet du genre, les résultats indiquent qu’il joue un rôle modérateur sur une relation entre les attributs organisationnels et l’attraction organisationnelle. Plus précisément, les résultats montrent que chez les femmes, l’offre d’avantages sociaux novateurs attire davantage, que les organisations aient peu ou beaucoup de possibilités de formation et développement ; pourtant, chez les hommes, l’offre d’avantages sociaux novateurs attire davantage seulement en situation de peu de possibilités de formation et développement. L’effet d’interaction des attributs organisationnels sur l’attraction organisationnelle est alors nuancé par le genre. Ce mémoire discute des résultats et propose aux gestionnaires des stratégies pour faire face à une problématique majeure de l’organisation qui est l’attraction de la main-d’œuvre. À la lumière des résultats empiriques, nous pouvons conclure qu’une composante de la rémunération indirecte et que certaines pratiques organisationnelles sont des avantages compétitifs pour attirer les mains-d’œuvre. Enfin, le constat sur l’effet du genre peut servir d’outil aux gestionnaires dans un contexte d’équité en emploi. / This dissertation explores the effect of organizational attributes on the attraction of new talent. Specifically, it examines the impact of innovative perks, training and development opportunities, as well as the presence of strong ethical ideals within an organization. Moreover, the presence of a moderating effect of gender within these relationships is also investigated. In order to carry out the objectives of the study, several different hypotheses were developed in line with the reviewed literature and theoretical frameworks. The first hypothesis, which is divided into three sub-hypotheses, stipulates that the offer of innovative perks, the presence of many training and development opportunities as well as the extent to which an organization emphasizes ethical behavior, each increase organizational attractiveness. The second hypothesis suggests that an organization offering a combination of innovative perks, training and development opportunities, as well as emphasizing strong ethical ideals further increases attractiveness. The final hypothesis suggests that gender moderates the relationship between the three organizational attributes and attractiveness. The current study utilizes data gathered through a quasi-experimental study conducted among 340 future graduates from two universities in Montreal. The results reveal that innovative perks, the presence of many training and development opportunities, as well as strong ethical ideals each positively influence organizational attractiveness. Moreover, the results indicate that organizational attractiveness is further increased when innovative perks are combined with very few training and development opportunities. The effect of innovative perks in combination with the presence of strong ethical ideals also further increases organizational attractiveness. Finally, the results reveal that gender plays a moderating role in the relationship between only one organizational factor and attractiveness. More precisely, the results reveal that for women, the presence of innovative perks leads to increased attractiveness whether organizations have few or many training and development opportunities. For men, however, the presence of innovative perks leads to increased attractiveness only in situations with few training and development opportunities. Thus, the interaction effect of innovative perks on attractiveness is nuanced by gender. This dissertation provides a discussion of the results and suggests strategies that could be implemented by managers to improve workforce attraction, which constitutes a major issue currently faced by organizations. In light of the empirical results found in this study, it can be concluded that the presence of innovative perks, which is part of the indirect compensation an organization offers to its employees as well as two specific organizational practices (training and development and strong ethical ideals) can give organizations a competitive advantage with regard to attracting new talent. Finally, the finding revealing a moderating role of gender can be useful for managers in the context of employment equity.

Diploma thesis deals with motivation and evaluation of employees in VIA ALTA, Public Limited Company. The first part analyzes concepts and theoretical knowledge of the issue which are important to next step. The analytic part focuses on the company, describes functioning system of motivation, remuneration and evaluation of employees. Also, the results of survey are interpreted and assessed in the second part of the thesis. In the third part, there are presented possible proposals and thoughts to improve level of motivation and evaluation of employees in the company.

This essay is a literary analysis of the childhood sexual abuse trauma in The Perks of Being a Wallflower and its possible usefulness in the EFL classroom. Previous scholarly work has lacked in discussing how abuser closeness and a female perpetrator have affected the main character Charlie’s trauma. Therefore, theories regarding female perpetrated sexual assault and betrayal trauma have been applied and it has been concluded that many of the harmful effects of these theories correspond with Charlie’s behaviours. By reading and working with the novel through critical pedagogy, which according to Antero Garcia concerns exploring what is beneath surface level, students are offered multiple ways in which they can deal with their emotions whilst improving their language skills (96). In addition, trauma-informed teaching can be used for students to understand trauma consequences, implied trauma and to prevent students being retraumatized. The epistolary format also shows students that reading and writing about one’s emotions, through bibliotherapy and scriptotherapy, can improve one’s mental health and help one feel less alone in experiencing difficult situations or emotions.

Mortality information is very important for national planning and health of a country. Mortality rate forecasting is a basic contribution for the projection of financial improvement of pension plans, well-being and social strategy planning. In the first part of the thesis, we fit the selected mortality rate models, namely the Power-exponential function based model, the ModifiedPerks model and the Heligman and Pollard (HP4) model to the data obtained from the HumanMortality Database [22] for the male population ages 1–70 of the USA, Japan and Australia. We observe that the Heligman and Pollard (HP4) model performs well and better fit the data as compared to the Power-exponential function based model and the Modified Perks model. The second part is to systematically compare the quality of the mortality rate forecasting using the second order Lee–Carter method with the selected mortality rate models. The results indicate that Power-exponential function based model and the Heligman and Pollard (HP4) model gives a more reliable forecast depending on individual countries.