The purpose of this research is to identify the impact of recent organizational change upon the culture of firefighting. The experiences of female firefighters were utilized as a measure of cultural change. A purposive sample of twenty-seven male and female firefighters were interviewed in a semi-structured format about their experiences in the fire service. This research found that the culture of firefighting has adjusted to the presence of previously excluded groups by forging a division among the identities and roles of male and female firefighters. The white, male firefighters, who have traditionally constituted a majority of the workforce, have continued to identify with traditional firefighter roles and reported high levels of cohesion. In contrast, the female firefighters showed a greater variance in their identification with traditional roles and decreased levels of cohesion with the main body of the group.

Les perturbations environnementales peuvent induire des changements au niveau génétique, biochimique et physiologique chez les organismes exposés. Pour faire face à ces perturbations, les bivalves possèdent des défenses antioxydantes telles que la métallothionéine (MT), la superoxide dismutase (SOD), la catalase (CAT), la glutathion peroxidase sélénium dépendante (Se-GPx) et la glutathion S-transférase de classe pi (pi-GST). L'objectif de ce travail est de contribuer à la compréhension des mécanismes de détoxication chez les bivalves d'eau douce Unio tumidus et Corbicula fluminea. Les mollusques bivalves sont largement utilisés comme espèce sentinelle pour étudier la qualité de l'écosystème aquatique. Ce sont des organismes sédentaires, filtreurs, pouvant bioaccumuler une grande quantité de micropolluants environnementaux et qui peuvent être facilement transférés dans des milieux contaminés. La séquence codante de MT de Corbicula fluminea, ainsi que les séquences codantes de MT, SOD et CAT d'Unio tumidus ont été identifiées par RT-PCR en utilisant des amorces dégénérées. L'expression de ces gènes, ainsi que ceux de la Se-GPx et de la GST-pi, a ensuite été étudiée au niveau des ARNm dans différents cas d'études : (i) chez des bivalves prélevés sur une période d'un an dans le but d'identifier une éventuelle variation de l'expression en fonction de la saison, (ii) chez Corbicula fluminea exposée au cuivre et au cadmium, (iii) et chez Unio tumidus transférée au niveau de stations situées le long de la Moselle. Nous avons mis en évidence des variations du niveau d'expression des gènes dues à des paramètres saisonniers tels que la température de l'eau et le cycle de reproduction, principalement chez Unio tumidus. Nos résultats ont montré que les niveaux d'expression des ARNm de MT, SOD, CAT, Se-GPx et GST-pi peuvent être utilisés en tant que biomarqueurs précoces d'exposition au cuivre et au cadmium chez Corbicula fluminea. Des variations d'expression de tous les gènes étudiés ont également été observées chez Unio tumidus, mettant en évidence une anthropisation du milieu aquatique, non détectée par les analyses physicochimiques. Les approches biologiques apparaissent donc comme des outils indispensables à la détection de perturbations environnementales. / Environmental perturbations can induce genetic, biochemical and physiological changes in exposed organisms. To protect from oxidative stress, bivalves possess defences such as metallothionein (MT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (Se-GPx) and pi class glutathione S-transferase (pi-GST). The aim of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the detoxification mechanisms in the freshwater bivalves Unio tumidus and Corbicula fluminea. Bivalve molluscs are appropriate sentinel species to study the quality of the aquatic environment. They are sedentary, filter-feeding species, bioaccumulating high amounts of environmental micropollutants and can easily be transferred to contaminated areas. The MT coding sequence of Corbicula fluminea and the MT, SOD and CAT coding sequences of Unio tumidus were identified by RT-PCR using degenerated primers. Then, the mRNA expression level of MT, SOD, CAT, Se-GPx and pi-GST was measured in different studies: (i) in bivalves sampled during a 1-year period in order to identify possible seasonal variations of the expression pattern, (ii) in Corbicula fluminea exposed to copper and cadmium, (iii) and in Unio tumidus transplanted in stations located along the Moselle River. Fluctuations of the mRNA level, supposed to correspond to seasonal parameter such as water temperature and reproductive statute, were noted, principally in Unio tumidus. Our results pointed out that MT, SOD, CAT, Se-GPx and GST-pi mRNA expression level could be used as early exposure biomarkers of copper and cadmium exposure in Corbicula fluminea. Variations of gene expression were observed in Unio tumidus, highlighting anthropic impacts on aquatic ecosystem no detected by chemical analysis. Biological approaches appear as essential tools to detect environmental degradations

ICT is a key driver of employment, growth, and innovation in various economic sectors (Schröder, des IfM Bonn, Wirtschaftsbeobachtung, & im Mittelstand, 2011). It therefore becomes important to understand the factors which impact on the adoption of ICT in order to facilitate adoption and bridge the digital divide between developed and developing markets in the interest of impacting inequality. A factor often overlooked in the literature is the impact competition policies have on the adoption of ICT. The broad research objective was to determine the impact, if any, of competition enhancing and competition restricting/protecting policies on the level of ICT adoption in various economies, thus providing governments and ICT organisations with the necessary understanding of the dynamics involved. The research objective required examining the relationship (using regression analysis) between the level of competition policies and the rate of ICT adoption. The literature review found that there is a theoretical link between the level and type of competition policies and the rate of ICT adoption. The statistical analysis found no relationship between these two variables indicating that competition policies does not have any impact on the rate of ICT adoption or that the influence of competition policy is rendered insignificant when compared to other forces influencing ICT adoption. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lmgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

The research project explored the value of the personified celebrity endorser to brand endorsement and the effect on the original brand and the personified celebrity endorser. Endorsement has proven to be an effective marketing tool to increase purchase intent and positively influence consumer attitudes towards a brand and, as a result the use of endorsers, particularly celebrities, has grown. However the use of celebrities does have its challenges as aligning the celebrities brand with ones’ own brand can be a risk. Overcoming these challenges usually results in brands using personified endorsers, characters designed to personify the brand, designed to reflect, and share features of, the brand’s personality through endorsement. These characters require large amounts of investment in time and finance, which later are often terminated after a period resulting in sunk costs and loss of the characters’ equity. This loss of equity in turn leads to these personified endorsers losing credibility in the market and subsequently losing economic value when made redundant, particularly if they have celebrity status. While many studies have been done on personified endorsers, few have focused on human personified endorsers. Thus, to understand the potential impact of the personified celebrity endorser’s credibility on consumers and other brands, a quantitative study was undertaken that looked at the source credibility of an original brand (Hansa Pilsener) and a personified celebrity endorser (The Vuyo character). The source credibility was measured across three attributes: attractiveness, trustworthiness and expertise. These attributes were measured pre and post respondents being shown fictional stories involving Vuyo endorsing other brands or products. The main finding of the research was that the personified celebrity endorser has his/her own credibility that is separate from the original brand and if the personified celebrity endorser promotes another brand or product, the original brand’s credibility remains unharmed. This suggests that the personified celebrity endorser’s value can be extended to other brands in order to gain further economic value / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lmgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

The phenomenon of social enterprises is growing in South Africa; as a result there is a need to study management of these organisations in an effort to enhance their sustainability. The concept of social enterprise is still undefined in South Africa, and this lack of clarity is resulting in the inappropriate use and classification of non-profit organisations as social enterprises amid the growing trend of converting traditional non-government organisations into self-sustainable entities. The purpose of this study is to identify and explore factors which may improve the management and the sustainability of social enterprises as hybrid organisations. A quantitative research study was conducted to assess the relationship between these factors. Founders and managers of social enterprises participated in the study by completing an online survey. This study indentified that the following factors have an influence on the sustainability of social enterprises: (i) access to funding; (ii) pursuit of dual missions; and (iii) competitiveness. The results of this study showed that the factors are correlated and thus have an impact on the sustainability of social enterprises as hybrid organisations. To this effect a model was developed to guide managers of hybrid social enterprises on sustainable management of their organisations. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lmgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

The digital world along with new communication devices and platforms is changing consumer patterns. The growing role of the digital environment in consumer behaviour provides companies with exploding volumes of data and new methods to interact with customers. Not only does this transformation revolutionise consumer markets, but it also induces major changes in industrial marketing practice. Although multichannel marketing is being increasingly used by organisations as a result of its revenue and cost benefits, its implementation is complicated by the diversity of channels in a digital environment. This descriptive study seeks to understand what are the major challenges faced by organisations in the implementation of multichannel marketing in a digital environment. It also try to identify whether these South African organisations have developed plans or solutions to address these challenges. Data was collected using a web survey, it targeted business leaders and specialist in a variation of industries across South Africa. This survey was done to assess the relevance of each challenge for the organisations and the implications of digitisation on a company’s marketing activities. The results reveal that “online targeting”, adjusting “organisational capabilities” and “business models” are the biggest improvement opportunities for companies. These findings show an immediate need towards are the integration of channels with real-time analytics and the ability to act on those insights. Management need to invest in integrated channels’ architecture through the deployment of systems required to deliver ideal customer experiences while empowering the organisation’s employees. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

This study investigates the relationship between levels of social identity complexity and tolerance. Social identity complexity refers to the nature of the subjective representation of multiple group identities and is postulated to be made up of two underlying sub-constructs, namely overlap complexity and similarity complexity. Tolerance is assumed to be constructed of dimensions including ethnic/religious tolerance, sexual tolerance, social deviance, cultural pluralism and affirmative action principles. In addition, gender and age groups are assumed to be potential moderators of the underlying relationships between the various construct measures. The study used Blue Bulls supporters as the sample to be investigated. A quantitative study of 102 Blue Bulls supporters was conducted using a combination of an online survey and personal interviews at the Blue Bulls stadium. The data determined the social identity complexity levels of these supporters and their various tolerance levels. The results were then analysed using descriptive statistics and various other statistical analysis to determine differences and relationships between the social identity measures and tolerance constructs. The results showed the average Blue Bulls supporter to own average social identity complexity levels and were more tolerant towards out-groups than previous literature had proposed for sports fans. Age showed certain trends in relation to social identity complexity and tolerance levels. However, age and gender made no significant differences to the measures and constructs. Understanding that a sports supporter is more than just an individual who supports a team on one social identity level but possesses multiple social identities is important to understand for many stakeholders within the sports business. Decisions around marketing campaigns, the management of the fan base online and in the stadium and how to get supporters to be more loyal revolves around this understanding of supporters being a sports fan on one dimension, but either a mother or a lawyer on another. The way that these supporters manage their perceptions of out-group members may influence how a brand manages its advertising campaigns or communicates with its fan base. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

Three decision consistency and accuracy (DC/DA) methods, the Livingston and Lewis (LL) method, LEE method, and the Hambleton and Han (HH) method, were evaluated. The purposes of the study were: (1) to evaluate the accuracy and robustness of these methods, especially when their assumptions were not well satisfied, (2) to investigate the “true” DC/DA indices in various conditions, and (3) to assess the impact of choice of reliability estimate on the LL method. Four simulation studies were conducted: Study 1 looked at various test lengths. Study 2 focused on local item dependency (LID). Study 3 checked the consequences of IRT model-data misfit and Study 4 checked the impact of using different scoring metrics. Finally, a real data study was conducted where no advantages were given to any models or assumptions. The results showed that the factors of LID and model misfit had a negative impact on “true” DA index, and made all selected methods over-estimate DA index. On the contrary, the DC estimates had minimal impacts from the above factors, although the LL method had poorer estimates in short tests and the LEE and HH methods were less robust to tests with a high level of LID. Comparing the selected methods, the LEE and HH methods had nearly identical results across all conditions, while the HH method had more flexibility in complex scoring metrics. The LL method was found sensitive to the choice of test reliability estimate. The LL method with Cronbach’s alpha consistently underestimated DC estimates while LL with stratified alpha functioned noticeably better with smaller bias and more robustness in various conditions. Lastly it is hoped to make the software be available soon to permit the wider use of the HH method. The other methods in the study are already well supported by easy to use software.

Mutual influence within relationships is theorized as central to human development and functioning across the lifespan. Multiple theories posit a process of progressive bidirectional influence that results in greater similarity between dyad members over time, termed attunement. Yet attunement processes, from dyadic synchrony in healthy child development to partner influence within romantic relationships, are difficult to measure and model. One difficulty is that capturing information from both members of a relationship pair, or dyad, requires statistical modeling that appropriately accounts for the interdependence between them. The present study addressed this issue by putting forward a framework for modeling attunement processes between relationship members over time, and applied this framework to two distinct studies. The studies both tested whether attunement occurred in two large-scale dyadic samples, the first in a sample of newly-married couples, the second in a sample of psychotherapy dyads. Attunement was modeled both as an outcome (in Study 1) and a predictor (in Study 2), providing interested researchers with an analytic framework for using measures of dyadic attunement as either an independent or a dependent variable. Findings from Study 1 showed significant attunement in the stress hormone cortisol over the early years of marriage in newlywed couples. This finding is suggestive of bidirectional spousal influence over a longer term than previously tested, as other studies have only inferred attunement processes by finding covariation in spousal cortisol over a matter of days. This study also disaggregated cortisol fluctuations into discrete parts, allowing for tests of spousal attunement not only in cortisol level, but also in physiological response to a stressor. Findings from Study 2 also found significant attunement processes within patient-therapist dyads. Specifically, patient-therapist alliance attunement over time was predictive of better outcome for patients receiving psychotherapy for chronic depression. A major contribution of these studies was that they modeled theorized relationship processes at the level of the dyad, rather than emphasizing individual outcomes. This dyadic-level modeling of bidirectional influence in turn related to outcomes relevant to psychological health, which may have been obscured or undetectable with other modeling techniques.

Although self-regulated learning has been identified as important for students in academic settings, the construct of teacher self-regulation is less well understood. The literature on teacher self-regulation is reviewed in this dissertation, identifying the weaknesses of studies to date and gaps in the literature. The largest gap is the existence of a valid measure of teacher self-regulation that can be used in the U.S. K-12 teacher population. Without such a measure, the possible relationships between teacher self-regulation and important outcomes like teacher learning, student self-regulation, and student achievement cannot be examined. By collecting evidence from various sources (i.e., expert review, teacher review, teacher responses, factor structure, etc.), this dissertation evaluated the reliability and validity of the English-version of the Teacher Self-regulation Scale (TSRS), which was originally developed and validated in Turkey and has since been validated in the Iranian English-as-Foreign-Language (EFL) teacher population. The TSRS, consisting of 40 items, is based on a theoretical model of self-regulation proposed by Zimmerman (2000) and captures nine factors. A series of confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were conducted to test the factor structure using responses collected via an anonymous online survey from 923 U.S. K-12 teachers recruited from teacher professional organizations. In addition, the internal consistency of the nine subscales were assessed. In this sample, the nine-factor model did not fit the data well suggesting possible cross-cultural differences. Furthermore, unidimensionality was confirmed for only eight of the nine subscales: emotional control, goal setting, help seeking, intrinsic interest, mastery goal orientation, performance goal orientation, self-evaluation, and self-instruction. Theoretical relationships between teacher self-regulation subscales and another measure of teacher self-regulation, teacher sense of responsibility and teacher self-efficacy were also tested using a series of path analyses. A series of multiple regression analyses identified a number of demographic variables as significant predictors of teacher self-regulation subscales. Across the eight subscales, being a teacher of English/Language Arts and a female were significant predictors of higher TSRS responses, whereas being a native English speaker significantly predicted lower TSRS responses. There was also a significant positive relationship between years of teaching experience and TSRS responses for a number of subscales. Further research is needed to better represent the construct of teacher self-regulation. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2015. / June 19, 2015. / Includes bibliographical references. / Alysia D. Roehrig, Professor Directing Dissertation; Elizabeth Jakubowski, University Representative; Jeannine E. Turner, Committee Member; Insu Paek, Committee Member.