<p>This qualitative single case study examined the social and emotional needs of teachers and what they need from principals to nurture the use of effective social and emotional competencies. Individual interviews were conducted with secondary teachers from one school district in Indiana.  Three themes emerged.  Teachers need: (1) boundaries, (2) space and time, and (3) collaboration and connectedness.  In addition, this study explored what principals could do to nurture the social and emotional needs of teachers.  Six findings were reported: Principals should (1) have a clear understanding of SEL competencies (2) nurture unique opportunities for collaboration (3) nurture a variety of topics on which to collaborate with teachers (4) provide the space and time necessary for teachers to process (5) model work-life balance (6) nurture personal connections between adults within the school.  These findings will help principals develop their leadership skills in supporting teachers in their application of social and emotional learning competencies.</p>

A private, not-for-profit, 4-year urban university had been struggling to improve its 1st-year retention rate despite conducting previous studies and implementing various initiatives. This study explored the influence that students' personal connections to the study site had on their experience in their 1st year in college. Tinto's student integration models of attrition, Astin's theory on student involvement, and Berger and Milem's model of persistence served as the conceptual framework. A case study design was employed to examine faculty and staff members' beliefs on how the university established and maintained connections with its students and how faculty, staff, and students viewed 1st-year initiatives and retention in relation to personal connection. Individual interviews were conducted with 3 faculty members, 3 staff members, and 15 2nd-year students. The resulting data were coded both manually and using Microsoft OneNote and were analyzed for emerging themes. Some of the results that emerged from the study included that the study site had a difficult time establishing a connection with its students, 1st-year initiatives had mixed results, students stayed at the study site because of a personal connection, and urban institutions have a difficult time establishing a connection with students. These results shed light on a new area on which the university can focus its retention and 1st-year experience efforts. A white paper was written to offer possible solutions to administrators, including changes to the dormitories and a redesign of the 1st-year seminar course. Improvements to 1st-year retention will help promote positive social change by enabling more students to stay in college and graduate on time, which in turn enhances job opportunities and the potential for higher wages.

Syfte &amp; Forskningsfråga: Syftet med denna studie är att förstå hur regionala flygbolag arbetar med elektronisk word-of-mouth (eWOM) genom att undersöka och analysera på vilket sätt företag kan arbeta med eWOM, vilken betydelse eWOM har för tjänster inom turismsektorns privata marknad samt vilket inflytande konsumenter har genom eWOM. Med syftet i baktanke formulerades forskningsfrågan: Vilken betydelse har eWOM för företag inom turismsektorn och hur kan de använda eWOM i sin marknadsföring?   Metod: I denna studie har vi använt oss utav en kvalitativ metod för att ha möjlighet att få en djupare förståelse för det valda forskningsämnet. Redan från början av studien har vi haft ett växelspel mellan teori och empiri, varför det abduktiva synsättet har använts. Vidare har empiriska data samlats in genom sex stycken semi-strukturerade intervjuer tillsammans med användandet av en intervjuguide för att till viss del kunna styra samtalet men samtidigt få mer flexibilitet där respondenterna haft möjlighet att svara fritt. Under intervjuerna har vi använt oss utav en intervjuguide för att till viss del kunna styra samtalet. De valda respondenterna har alla kunskap från arbete med marknadsföring men arbetar i olika positioner och företag.   Slutsatser: I studiens analys har vi kunnat se både instämningar och motsägelser mellan teori och empiri. Det har framkommit att eWOM har en stor betydelse för konsumenter och att de till stor del litar mer på andra kunders åsikter än företagets egen marknadsföring. Det poängteras även att tjänster inom turismsektorn är immateriella och ofta inte möjliga att pröva innan köp, vilket bidrar med osäkerhet för kunden. Utifrån detta har det kunnat konstateras att eWOM är betydelsefullt för att kunden ska kunna skapa sig en uppfattning och kunna utvärdera tjänsten. eWOM har således en stor betydelse för företagets kunder och det är därför direkt centralt för företagen att arbeta med detta i sin marknadsföring. / The purpose of this study has been to develop an understanding of how regional airlines are working with electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) through examining and analyzing in which way companies can work with eWOM, what significance eWOM has to services within the tourism sectors private market and what influence consumers has through eWOM. With the purpose in mind the following research questions has been formulated: What significance has eWOM for companies within the tourism sector and how can they use eWOM in their marketing?   In this study we have used a qualitative method to have the possibility to develop a greater understanding of the chosen research topic. From the start of the study we have had an interplay between the theoretical and empirical material and therefore the abductive approach has been used. Furthermore the empirical material has been gathered through six semi-structured interviews with the use of an interview guide. In this way we could to some extent control and steer the conversation but at the same time bring flexibility where the informants had the possibility to speak freely. All the chosen informants have knowledge in marketing but they all work in different positions and companies.   Through the analysis of this study we have been able to both see agreements and disagreements between the theoretical and empirical material. It has been revealed that eWOM has a great significance to consumers and that they to a large extent trust other customers opinions more than they trust the companies own marketing. It has been pointed out that services within the tourism sector are immaterial and often not possible to try before being bought, which contributes with an uncertainty for the customer. Based on this we have found that eWOM has a great meaning for the customers creation of their perception and evaluation of services. eWOM therefore have a great importance for the company's customers and is thereby essential for the company’s marketing strategy.

Date: 2021-05-25 Level: Bachelor thesis in Business Administration, 15 credits Institution: Linnaeus University Authors: Linnéa Hamrin - 970430 Nora Bengtsson – 960709 Tutor: Jasmina Beharic Keywords: Gender equality work, norms, group norms, driving forces, personal connection, custom communication, male engagement Titel: The light is now directed at the men who work with gender equality - How do they act and what are they driven by? Research Questions: - How do men who work with gender equality act, within organizations that work to promote the gender equality development within the society?- What are the driving forces behind their actions? Purpose: The purpose of the thesis is to increase knowledge about how men who work with gender equality, within organizations that work to promote the gender equality development within the society, act to influence gender equality development and to create an understanding of the underlying driving forces of their actions. This is to contribute to the knowledge about how men, who does not act accoringly to the existing masculine norms, work with gender equality which can increase the understanding of gender equality development. Method: This is a qualitative study that uses inductive approach. Four semi- structured interviews have been implemented with four different respondents. The empirical data was then analyzed through a thematic analyzis.Through the coding, themes were detected which then generated the theoretical material. Conclusions: The result of the study showed that the men worked a lot through adapting their communication to the target group which enabled a connection inbetween the men and the target group. Relationship building was presented as essential to their work and two important factors in order to build relationships was positive influense and identification. The underlying driving forces were at first proved to be integrated and identified extrinsic motivation. To maintain the work with gender equality the ability to help others, confirmation, experienced context, and self-determination were the driving forces that identified. / Datum: 2021-05-25 Nivå: Kandidatuppsats i Företagsekonomi, 15 HP Institution: Linnéuniversitetet Författare: Linnéa Hamrin - 970430 Nora Bengtsson – 960709 Handledare: Jasmina Beharic Nyckelord: Jämställdhetsarbete, normer, gruppnormer, drivkrafter, personlig anknytning, anpassad kommunikation, manligt engagemang Titel: Nu riktas lampan mot män som arbetar med jämställdhet - Hur agerar de och vad drivs de av? Forskningsfrågor: - Hur agerar män som arbetar med jämställdhet, inom organisationer som arbetar för att främja jämställdhetsutvecklingen i samhället?- Vad finns det för drivkrafter bakom deras agerande? Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att öka kunskapen kring hur män som arbetar med jämställdhet, i organisationer som arbetar för att främja jämställdhetsutvecklingen i samhället, agerar för att påverka jämställdhetsutvecklingen samt skapa en förståelse kring de bakomliggande drivkrafterna för deras agerande. Det för att bidra med kunskap gällande hur män, som inte agerar enhetligt med den existerande mansnormen, arbetar med jämställdhet vilket kan öka förståelsen kring jämställdhetsutvecklingen. Metod: Det här är en kvalitativ studie som använder induktiv metod. Fyra semistrukturerade intervjuer har genomförts med fyra respondenter. Empirisk data analyserades därefter genom den tematiska analysmetoden. Genom kodningen upptäcktes teman som låg till grund för det teoretiska materialet. Slutsats: Studiens resultat visade att männen arbetade mycket genom att anpassa sin kommunikation efter målgrupp vilket möjliggjorde för en anknytning mellan männen och målgruppen. I arbetet framstod relationsbyggande som essentiellt och två viktiga faktorer i syfte att bygga relationer var positivt inflytande och identifiering. De bakomliggande drivkrafterna visade sig till en början vara integrerad och identifierad extern motivation. För att upprätthålla arbetet med jämställdhet var förmågan att hjälpa andra, bekräftelse, upplevt sammanhang och självbestämmande de drivkrafter som identifierades.

Consumer free riding occurs when consumers gather information about a product through a full-service retailer and then ultimately purchase that product from a limited-service retailer. This phenomenon is becoming more common as consumers have an increasing number of retail channels in which they can evaluate and purchase products. The prevalence of this behavior is causing problems for retailers, particularly small, specialty retailers, as they struggle to deter free riders. The goal of this research is to explore free riding in the context of small, specialty retailers in an attempt to isolate key factors which influence free riding behavior and which may give specialty retailers and managers insights and tools with which to combat this behavior. This is accomplished through three studies, two qualitative and one quantitative. In the two qualitative studies, detailed information regarding free riding motivations and experiences is gained through interviews and open-ended questionnaires. The information gathered in studies one and two is then used in conjunction with the Theory of Reasoned Action to create a model of free riding. The model was tested across four samples and includes firm-controllable factors which may influence free riding. This research yielded many insights into consumer free riding behavior. One of the most illuminating aspects of free riding uncovered through this research is the emotional factor associated with free riding for some consumers. This emotional element, a sense of obligation to purchase from the retailer, was discovered and explored. Factors such as desire to support local merchants, personal connection to the retailer and extra-role service were revealed as firm controllable elements that retailers might be able to use to influence purchase obligation and therefore deter free riders. Other factors, such as subjective norms, were also found to impact free riding attitudes, while the impact of price sensitivity on free riding met with mixed results in this study. The results of this research offer managers possible tools for deterring free riders and offer researchers future areas for research.