Relationship researchers often assume that satisfying relationships are healthy, but is this true? We examined whether different types of college dating relationships exist if we analyze elements of relationship health that included not only global relationship satisfaction, but patterns of communication, intimate partner violence, and positive and negative appraisals of one's partner. To do this, we used latent mixture modeling in a large sample of students in committed relationships (N = 1935). Three distinct types of committed relationships emerged: unhealthy and unsatisfying (N=477), healthy and satisfying (N=703), and a group we termed healthy and satisfying but unimpressed with their partner (N=755). To understand factors associated with being in these empirically derived groups, we used a combination of bootstrap sampling and automatic variable selection. Variables related with unhealthy and unsatisfying relationships included higher levels of anxious and avoidant attachment, sanctification, neuroticism and relationship length; and lower levels of dedication and sexual satisfaction. Variables related with healthy and satisfying relationships included higher levels of sexual satisfaction and lower levels of neuroticism and relationship length. Variables related with healthy and satisfied but unimpressed with their partner included lower levels of sanctification and nonexclusive relationships. These findings can aid in the conceptualization of why people stay in poor, unsatisfying relationships; what variables are related to healthy, satisfying relationships; and the difference in variables that lend to partner ambivalence in otherwise satisfying relationships.

<p>How do we preserve patient dignity in the health care context? I begin with a brief overview of dignity according to Kant, and follow this with an examination of what dignity means to patients and practitioners. I then propose a relational and care approach to dignity that does not indelibly tie individual dignity to any particular capacity or set of capacities. A relational and care account of the equal dignity all individuals possess ensures all human beings have value as particular individuals – value that demands respect – regardless of individual capacity. With a relational and care approach to dignity in mind I suggest and defend that patient dignity is best preserved and promoted in the context of the patient-practitioner relationship. I reject the notion patient-practitioner relationships are contractual in nature and suggest adopting a model of ‘relationship as engagement’ (Bergum and Dossetor, 2005) as a means to respecting patient dignity. I look at two major barriers to ‘relationship as engagement’ – the manner in which health care is delivered and the evidence-based medicine movement – and suggest ways to address and overcome these barriers. I conclude the paper by highlighting the various accounts of centredness (patient, person, client, family, relationship) espoused by many health care organisations, affirming relationship is the appropriate vehicle for respecting patient dignity.</p> / Master of Arts (MA)

Genetic improvement has been an integral part of loblolly pine plantation forestry in southern United States for about 60 years with focus on improving timber yield, wood quality, and pest and disease resistance. Advances in techniques of genetic selection, breeding, and propagation of planting material have made it possible to achieve genetic gains that are likely to result in significant changes in loblolly pine stand dynamics. Height-age relationships, height and diameter relationships and distributions, and intraspecific competition were investigated in second generation open-pollinated, controlled-pollinated, and clonal loblolly pine with an objective of characterizing the nature and magnitude of changes in these characteristics due to genetic improvement and clonal forestry. Genetic improvement and/or clonal forestry had no practical effect on parameters of the height-age and height-diameter relationships beyond the effect on the asymptote parameter of the Chapman-Richards and Korf equations that were used to model these relationships. Genetic improvement resulted in an increase in the mean of height distribution without a corresponding increase in the mean of the diameter distribution, but had no effect the variance and skewness of the distributions. Thus, growth and yield models in which basal area is a function of height at a specific age (site index) are likely to over predict genetic gains in basal area growth and volume yield. Increase in stand density resulted in an increase in variance of the diameter distribution of non-clonal stands but had no effect on the variance of the diameter distribution of clonal stands. Thus, diameter distribution of clonal stands may differ from that of non-clonal stands after crown closure despite the distributions not being different before and during early stages of crown closure. This study also evaluated methods that may be used to predict height growth of new genetic varieties and those that may be used to asses intraspecific competition in forest stands. Mixed-model approach of calibrating a height-age relationship to a new loblolly pine clone gave biased estimates for clones that were at the extremes of the distribution of the groups. The use of maximum likelihood with simulated annealing (MLSA) to evaluate competitive interactions among trees in loblolly pine stands gave non-unique estimates of optimum competitor selection radius. A simpler technique that uses Pearson correlations was proposed and was found to work better than MLSA. / Ph. D.

The close relationship between sports and the natural environment has been endangered by climate crisis and global warming (Breitbarth et al., 2023; Cunningham et al., 2020; McCullough, 2023; Orr & Inoue, 2019). For this reason, the development of golf courses has been accused of serious impacts on environmental destruction which causes climate change, despite the popularity of golf (Fouillouze et al, 2023). Golf courses have become quite far from the green image. Hence, golf courses began to voluntarily obtain environmental certification (e.g., Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program, GEO certified) to protect nature and keep ecosystems sustainable (Gomis et al., 2018; Lee et al., 2022; Minoli et al., 2015; Scott et al., 2018). However, the existing literature cannot determine whether the golf courses' environmental efforts play an important role in laying the groundwork for the development of relationships with customers, and even it is unclear whether they can benefit from the relationship marketing. Thus, the purpose of this study was to create and assess a holistic model that explains the formation of customers' brand advocacy on environmentally friendly golf courses. Building on various bodies of literature, such as green brand image, feelings of gratitude, relationship quality, and brand advocacy, proposed a theoretical model that explains the formation of customers' brand advocacy intentions. Empirical data were collected from 575 golfers who had visited environmentally friendly golf courses and analyzed using a structural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed that perceived brand image influences feelings of gratitude, which in turn positively influences brand advocacy intentions through relationship quality. The feelings of gratitude did not directly affect brand advocacy intentions, while they indirectly influenced brand advocacy intentions through the quality of relationships including trust and commitment. The findings of the study suggested that under the influence of green marketing, relationship quality plays a pivotal role in influencing brand advocacy intentions, providing a holistic model of relationship development. Therefore, sustainable branding is a relationship strategy that can inspire customers.

The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between adult attachment style, humility, and relationship satisfaction in college student couples. Attachment style--given its significant role in predicting how individuals feel, think, and behave in relationships--was expected to be an important predictor of humility, although this possibility has rarely been studied empirically. The current study found that: (a) attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were significant, negative predictors of total humility, (b) attachment anxiety (but not attachment avoidance) was a significant, negative predictor of both intrapersonal and interpersonal humility, (c) a romantic partner's attachment avoidance (but not attachment anxiety) was a significant, negative predictor of a target person's relationship satisfaction, and (d) a romantic partner's perceived level of humility was a significant, positive predictor of a target person's relationship satisfaction.

O setor de varejo brasileiro passa por um grande processo de transformação, em ambiente de alta competição e forte tendência de atuação multicanal, com surgimento de novas tecnologias e observação de mudanças no comportamento dos consumidores. Diante deste cenário, existe oportunidade para criar diferenciais competitivos por meio de estratégia de gestão de clientes, assim como já ocorre em outros setores. O objetivo deste estudo é identificar e analisar as diretrizes para implementação dos principais processos da estratégia de gestão de clientes em organizações de varejo em ambiente multicanal, de qualquer segmento de atuação, bem como entender desafios, restrições, oportunidades e outros aspectos relevantes. Após relato da experiência profissional do autor em projetos de gestão de clientes, em especial nos setores de serviços e varejo, buscou-se na teoria os principais temas relacionados - Varejo Multicanal, Consumidor Omnichannel e Gestão de Clientes - para posterior análise, comparação com a prática e direcionamento da pesquisa empírica. Como método de pesquisa, escolheu-se a abordagem exploratória e qualitativa, por meio de entrevista pessoal em profundidade com 13 especialistas em varejo e gestão de clientes, utilizando roteiro semiestruturado. Para avaliação das respostas obtidas, foram considerados os procedimentos de análise de conteúdo, que resultaram em 7 categorias temáticas: i) cenário competitivo do varejo brasileiro; ii) mudanças no comportamento dos consumidores; iii) características e integração do varejo multicanal; iv) processo de desenvolvimento da estratégia de clientes; v) processo de gestão da informação / conhecimento dos clientes; vi) processo de criação de valor / experiência dos clientes; vii) processo de avaliação de desempenho e resultados. À luz da experiência relatada e referencial teórico, as diretrizes para implementação da estratégia de gestão de clientes foram analisadas e consolidadas, alcançando os objetivos propostos e contribuindo para a prática em organizações de varejo multicanal, bem como para a inovação de marketing e organizacional. Como contribuição para a teoria, a pesquisa abordou alguns temas e conceitos ainda pouco explorados na literatura acadêmica, abrindo também espaço para o desenvolvimento de novos estudos. / Brazilian retail sector undergo a considerable transformation process, in high competition environment and strong trend of multichannel operation, with emergence of new technologies and changes in consumers behavior. In this scenario, there is opportunity to create competitive advantages through customer management strategy, as already in other sectors. The aim of this study is to identify and analyze the guidelines for implementation of the main processes of customer management strategy in retail organizations in multichannel environment, in any business segment, as well as understand the challenges, constraints, opportunities, and other relevant aspects. After reporting author\'s professional experience in customer management projects, especially in services and retail, it was researched in theory the main issues - Multichannel Retail, Omnichannel Consumer and Customer Management - for later analysis, comparation to practice and direction of empirical research. As a research method was chosen exploratory and qualitative approach, through personal in-depth interviews with 13 specialists in retail and customer management, using semi-structured script. For evaluation of the obtained responses, content analysis procedures were considered, which resulted in seven thematic categories: i) competitive landscape of the Brazilian retail sector; ii) changes in consumers behavior; iii) characteristics and integration of multichannel retail; iv) customer strategy development process; v) information management process / customer knowledge; vi) creating value process / customer experience; vii) performance evaluation and results process. In light of the reported experience and theoretical reference, guidelines for implementation of customer management strategy were analyzed and consolidated, achieving the proposed goals and contributing to the practice in multichannel retail organizations, as well for marketing and organizational innovation. As a contribution to the theory, this research addressed some issues and concepts still few explored in academic literature, also making room for the development of new studies.

Submitted by William Justo Figueiro (williamjf) on 2015-07-21T22:45:48Z No. of bitstreams: 1 64c.pdf: 2315325 bytes, checksum: e122893fc56bd6625ca9c6e2f6989043 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-21T22:45:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 64c.pdf: 2315325 bytes, checksum: e122893fc56bd6625ca9c6e2f6989043 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-07-29 / Nenhuma / O termo marketing de relacionamento foi introduzido na literatura acadêmica no final dos anos 1970 como uma estratégia das empresas priorizarem relacionamentos de longo prazo para obter vantagens e benefícios. Deste então, uma série de dimensões são propostas na literatura para entender a manutenção do relacionamento do fornecedor. Com o crescente número de dimensões disponíveis, torna-se mais complexa a compreensão de quais são as dimensões mais importantes para uso em novas pesquisas e quais dimensões não são tão significativas. O presente estudo sugere uma abordagem de natureza quantitativa-descritiva para verificar a percepção do cliente acerca da manutenção do relacionamento no contexto de serviços de TI. Para tal, utilizouse de dimensões de alta ordem, que avaliou o relacionamento de um modo geral, com medidas unidimensionais e multidimensionais. Foram destacadas por este estudo duas dimensões de alta ordem presentes na literatura, que são a qualidade do relacionamento e o valor do relacionamento. Decorrente destas dimensões utilizou-se a modelagem de equações estruturais para elaborar e testar três modelos teóricos. Um dos modelos utilizou uma abordagem mista que buscou integrar a qualidade do relacionamento e o valor do relacionamento. A coleta de dados foi realizada através de uma survey com 290 executivos de TI de empresas localizadas no estado do Rio Grande do Sul que compram e necessitam de serviços de TI. Os resultados sugerem que o modelo que representa a qualidade do relacionamento tem maiores condições de avaliar a manutenção do relacionamento de fornecedores de serviços de TI. Quando a qualidade do relacionamento e o valor do relacionamento são colocados em uma avaliação conjunta, o valor do relacionamento perde efeito em relação à manutenção do relacionamento. Outras implicações decorrentes desta análise são comentadas e sugeridas como pesquisas futuras. / The term relationship marketing was introduced in academic literature in late 70's as a corporate strategy to prioritize long-term relationships to obtain advantages and benefits. Since then, a series of dimensions are proposed in the literature to understand the maintenance of supplier relationship. With the growing number of available dimensions, it is more complex the understanding of which are the most important dimensions to be used in further researches and dimensions which are not as significant. This study suggests an approach of a quantitative-descriptive nature to verify the customer's perception concerning the maintenance of the relationship in the context of IT services. For such, were used high-order dimensions, which evaluated the relationship in general, with one-dimensional and multidimensional measures. Were highlighted by the study two dimensions of higher order found in the literature, which are the quality of relationship and the value of the relationship. Resulting from these dimensions it was used structural equation modeling to develop and test three theoretical models. One of the models used a mixed approach that sought to integrate the quality of the relationship and the value of the relationship. Data collection was carried out through a survey with 290 IT executives from companies located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul which buy and need IT services. The results suggest that the model that represents the quality of the relationship has higher position to assess the maintenance of the relationship of IT service suppliers. When the quality of relationship and value of the relationship are placed in a joint evaluation, the value of the relationship loses effect in relation to maintenance of the relationship. Other implications arising from of this analysis are commented and suggested as future researches.

Submitted by Joana Azevedo (joanad@id.uff.br) on 2017-08-08T18:54:27Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissert Leclerc Victer Caitano.pdf: 1968171 bytes, checksum: 60e8efef772c69b9f5eee1e7d2c935b8 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Biblioteca da Escola de Engenharia (bee@ndc.uff.br) on 2017-08-29T13:47:07Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissert Leclerc Victer Caitano.pdf: 1968171 bytes, checksum: 60e8efef772c69b9f5eee1e7d2c935b8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-29T13:47:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissert Leclerc Victer Caitano.pdf: 1968171 bytes, checksum: 60e8efef772c69b9f5eee1e7d2c935b8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-12-23 / Este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar quais são os fatores críticos para o sucesso de projetos de Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Afinal, apesar da evolução do conceito, estratégias, softwares, serviços, consultorias e o número de projetos com soluções posicionadas no quadrante mágico do Gartner Group, não garantem uma empreitada bem-sucedida. Fato é que temos diferentes níveis de maturidade no mundo corporativo brasileiro. No entanto, o que será que os projetos bem-sucedidos e malsucedidos têm em comum? Além do levantamento bibliográfico, consolido aqui a percepção de profissionais envolvidos na estratégia, implementação, manutenção, melhorias e suporte de alguns projetos que têm foco na Visão Cliente 360º, através de um questionário com 15 perguntas que apoiam no aprofundamento do tema. Quem são os clientes de uma empresa? Quais interações já tiveram com a empresa, a partir de quais canais, quais dúvidas ou pedidos apresentaram, qual o seu histórico de compras e perfil? Esse novo olhar sobre a base de clientes ainda é pouco praticado no Brasil, que ainda tem como foco principal o Marketing de Massa e não o Marketing de Relacionamento. O objetivo é conhecer e entender melhor os clientes para então construir relacionamentos, fidelizar, conquistar novos a partir da indicação dos satisfeitos, tratá-los de forma diferenciada, desenvolver campanhas segmentadas, mais assertivas e mais relevantes para os clientes e com uma relação custo x benefício muito mais interessante para as empresas. Ao longo dessa pesquisa, procurou-se identificar que, em vez de planilhas Excel ou grandes bancos de dados, essa evolução do Marketing Tradicional para o Marketing de Relacionamento precisava de um apoio da Tecnologia da Informação (TI). Daí surgiu o CRM, sigla que vem da expressão Customer Relationship Management, que pode ser traduzida como Gestão do Relacionamento com o Cliente. Vale ressaltar que CRM não é apenas uma solução de TI, e sim uma estratégia de negócio que envolve processos, soluções e pessoas, e que deve estar alinhada às práticas das áreas de Marketing, Vendas e Atendimento que têm foco no atendimento e relacionamento com o cliente, permitindo que as empresas, com agilidade e eficiência, entrem em contato com o cliente certo, com a oferta certa, no momento certo e por meio do canal de comunicação certo. Este estudo procurou identificar como uma seguradora em especial vem desenvolvendo essas ações de Marketing de Relacionamento a partir de um bom projeto de CRM que busca reter clientes com programas de fidelidade e, como consequência, aumentar o faturamento e a rentabilidade; fidelizar seus clientes, aumentar o wallet share, ampliando o número de produtos por clientes com ações de cross sell. / This paper aims to analyze what are the critical success factors in Customer Relationship Management projects. All in all, in spite of the evolution of concept, strategies, software, services, business consulting, and the number of projects set up in Gartner Magic Quadrant, it has been noticed that all these factors do not necessarily ensure a successful endeavor. Matter of fact, there are different levels of maturity in the Brazilian corporate environment. However, what do successful and not successful projects have in common? Besides the bibliographic survey, I consolidate in the this paper the perception of professionals involved in the strategy, implementation, maintenance, improvement and support to certain projects which focus on Client Vision 360o, through a 15-question survey which upholds deepening in the subject. Who are the customers of a company? What kind of interaction have they had with it? Through which channels? Which doubts or requests have they presented? What is their purchase history and profile? This new look at the client base is still little practiced in Brazil, which still has Mass Marketing as main focus rather than Relationship Management Marketing. The aim of this survey is to know and understand customers, so that it is possible to build relationship and loyalty in order to conquer news customers through satisfied ones, to treat them in a special way, to develop segmented campaigns, more assertive and relevant to customers, with a much more interesting cost benefit ratio to companies. Throughout this survey it was intended to identify that rather than Excel Plans or big databases, this evolution from Traditional Marketing to Relationship Marketing needed support from Information technology (IT). That was when CRM – an acronym for Customer Relationship Management – was created. It is worth mentioning that CRM is not only an IT solution but a business strategy which involves processes, solutions and people, and it must be aligned to the practice of the areas of Marketing, Sales and Service which focus on customer relationship, allowing companies to rapidly and efficiently get in contact with the right customer, with the right offer, at the right moment, through the right channel. This study intended to identify how a certain Insurance Company has been developing these Customer Relationship Marketing techniques through a good CRM project that seeks to retain customers with loyalty programs and consequently increase its revenue and profitability, customer loyalty, wallet share, expanding the number of products per client through cross selling action.

Chez les coiffeurs, l’injonction à satisfaire le client, lui apporter un moment de détente et de bien-être semble participer de leur rhétorique professionnelle. Cette insistance vis-à-vis du souci de la clientèle révèle par là même le poids de la relation de service dans l’activité de travail des coiffeurs. Dès lors, celle-ci est souvent décrite positivement. Pourtant, elle n’est pas sans poser problème et peut être l’objet de tensions. À partir d’une enquête ethnographique réalisée par observations participantes et par entretiens dans plusieurs salons de coiffure et dans deux établissements de formation au métier de coiffeur, cette thèse s’intéresse au rapport au travail des coiffeurs et plus spécifiquement à la relation qui lie ces derniers aux clients et à l’ambivalence qui en découle. En réalité, pour mener à bien cette relation, la profession construit un ensemble de dispositions spécifiques (savoir-être, travail émotionnel et relationnel) en direction des clients et auxquelles sont socialisés les apprentis au cours de leur formation en école et au salon de coiffeur. Toutefois, tout n’est pas créé dans la relation de service, certaines compétences s’appuyant sur des dispositions sociales de genre et de classe. Avoir ces dispositions est central pour permettre le bon déroulement de cette relation et ainsi pouvoir faire carrière dans la profession. / Among Hairdressers, the injunction to satisfy the client, to bring him a moment of relaxation and well-being seems to participate in their professional rhetoric. This insistence on customer care reveals the weight of the service relationship in the work activity of hairdressers. Consequently, it is often described positively. However, it is not without problems and can be the subject of tensions. Based on an ethnographic survey carried out by participant observations and interviews in several hairdressing salons and two hairdressing training establishments, this thesis focuses on the relationship of hairdressers to work and more specifically to the relationship between hairdressers and clients and the resulting ambivalence. In fact, in order to carry out this relationship, the profession builds a set of specific provisions (skills, emotional and relational work) directed at the clients and to which the apprentices are socialized during their school and hairdresser training. However, not all is created in the service relationship, some skills relying on social provisions of gender and class. Having these provisions is central to the good progress of this relationship and thus being able to make a career in the profession.

There is a strong association between alcohol and relationship problems, with each problem exacerbating the other. In this program of research two studies were conducted. The first study was to investigate the variables that put couples at risk for developing a combination of relationship and alcohol problems. The second study was an evaluation of the effects of an integrated education program that promoted safe drinking and positive relationship interaction. Previous research shows that deficits in negative affect regulation and poor communication predict the onset of both relationship and alcohol problems. Based on these findings, it was hypothesized that deficits in communication exist in couples in which one or both partners drink at hazardous levels. In Study 1 communication of 85 couples (53 couples with no high-risk drinker and 32 couples with at least one at-risk drinker) in early stage committed relationships was assessed by observation of their interaction. Couples in which the man was drinking at hazardous levels had significantly more negative communication than couples without an at-risk drinker. In Study 2, 37 couples with at least one at-risk drinker were randomly assigned to either Controlling Alcohol and Relationship Enhancement (CARE) or a control condition. Couple communication, alcohol consumption, relationship satisfaction and relationship stability were assessed at pre- and post-intervention. Alcohol consumption, relationship satisfaction and relationship stability were also assessed at 6-month follow-up. Couples receiving CARE improved their communication significantly relative to the control couples. Couples in both conditions showed significant reductions in hazardous drinking, but there was no significant difference in the effects of the interventions on alcohol consumption. The program of research demonstrates that deficits in couple communication are evident in couples with hazardous male drinking, even in the early stage of the relationship when the couples report high relationship satisfaction. The communication deficits are remedied with brief, skill-training relationship education. Furthermore, there was evidence for the effects of CARE on reduction of steps towards relationship dissolution at 6-month follow-up. The brief alcohol component of the intervention showed little benefit beyond the control condition in terms of impact upon the alcohol problems. This research is the first to demonstrate that a combined program of skill-based relationship education and strategies for alcohol reduction is effective in remediating communication skills deficits in the early stage relationships of couples with hazardous alcohol consumption. Future research can extend this work to enable the development of programs which match the content of relationship education to the specific needs of other high-risk couples.