Although the debate regarding the nature and structure of psychological well-being is ongoing (see Compton, 2001; Forgeard, Jayawickreme, Kern & Seligman, 2011; Kashdan, Biswas-Diener & King, 2008; Keyes, 2002; Kopperud & Vitterso, 2008; Lent, 2004; Linley, Maltby, Wood, Osborne & Hurling, 2009; Ryan & Deci, 2001; Ryff & Singer, 1998; Wissing & Temane, 2008; Wissing & Van Eeden, 2002), there has been sufficient support for more holistic, complex and inclusive models to explain and measure psychological well-being. The intertwined experience of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being as well as overlapping intrapersonal and interpersonal well-being experience (Keyes, 2002; Wissing & Temane, 2008) is captured by some contemporary models. The General Psychological Well-being (GPW; Wissing & Temane, 2008; Wissing & Van Eeden, 2002) and the Mental Health Continuum (MHC; Keyes, 2002, 2005a, 2005b, 2007; Keyes et al., 2008) models are of particular interest in this study especially as they both represent the essence of holistic psychological well-being. Previous research has seen the proliferation of multiple constructs and sub-constructs in the study of psychological well-being in the field of positive psychology. However, little is known about the manifestation and measurement of holistic psychological well-being particularly in an African context. The present thesis intended to explore the GPW and MHC models and their measures namely, the General Psychological Well-being Scale (GPWS) and the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF; Keyes, 2002, 2005a) in an African Setswana-speaking group. Through this effort, research issues pertaining to theoretical conceptualisation, measurement and socio-demographic interaction were explored. The thesis comprises three sub-studies reported in three manuscripts. All data were collected in cross-sectional surveys. The scale development phase of the first sub-study utilised secondary data analyses, while primary data were collected and analysed by the researcher for the second and third sub-studies. The aim of the first manuscript was to develop and validate a self-report instrument to measure general psychological well-being within an African context. This study took place over three phases and comprised data sets with a cumulative sample of 2760 participants. The phases were 1) scale development (n=2005), 2) pilot study (n=296), and 3) scale validation (n=459). The intention was that the scale should be shorter than the previous batteries of scales used in the initial identification of the General Psychological Well-being factor (GPW) by Wissing and Van Eeden (2002). The results yielded a reliable and valid 20 item scale. A Cronbach alpha of .89 among this sample attests to its reliability. Construct and criterion-related validity were supported by confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses and inter-scale correlations. According to Noar (2003), the development of reliable and valid measures contributes to the advancement of quality research. It is envisaged that the GPWS will be of value in epidemiological and multi-disciplinary studies as well as in evaluation of the impact of interventions to enhance positive health (cf. Seligman, 2008). The aim of the second study was to explore the influence of socio-demographic variables, namely gender, age, marital status, employment status, educational level and environmental setting on holistic psychological well-being in an African sample. Keyes and Waterman (2003) included these factors among the determinants of well-being and mental health. A community sample (n=459) consisting of male (n=141) and female (n=318) Setswana-speaking adults from rural (n=210) and urban (n=249) settings participated in the study. Findings indicate that whether a person lives in an urban or rural area has the most robust influence on their psychological well-being. Furthermore, psychological well-being was found to be positively influenced by being married, having a higher educational status and being employed. Gender and age did not have any differential influence on well-being. The insights gained from these findings could help enhance understanding of the various patterns in the manifestation of psychological well-being in a (South) African context. This will allow for better targeted interventions towards the enhancement of general psychological well-being in African communities. In this case, it is apparent that rural communities are in particular need of positive development intervention. According to Farid and Lazarus (2008) intervention efforts towards the improvement of lives need to be encouraged from the level of policy development. Government and business should take interest in people’s levels of well-being in guiding policy decisions (Diener, Kesebir & Lucas, 2008). The aim of the third study was to undertake a psychometric comparison of the General Psychological Well-being Scale (GPWS) and Mental Health Continuum Short-Form (MHC-SF) in an African context. The study comprised 459 Setswana-speaking participants. The study employed three main statistical approaches, namely, classical test theory (CTT) (cf. Clark & Watson, 1995; John & Benet-Martínez, 2000; Panounen & Ashton, 1998) structural equation modelling (SEM) (Byrne, 2001; Kline, 2011), and the Rasch model (De Bruin, 2004; Linacre, 2002, 2003; Rasch, 1960) of item response theory (IRT) in comparing the two scales. Firstly the theoretical basis of the scales and their development routes were explored. Secondly results from CTT (descriptive statistics, reliability, construct and criterion-related validity), SEM (measurement model fit indices) and IRT (item fit statistics, difficulty parameters, and response scale thresholds) analyses are reported. The main finding is that the GPWS and the MHC-SF are comparable measures of holistic psychological well-being in an African context. Although the MHC-SF appeared to be marginally superior, no model and measure emerged as clearly better than the other. The findings of the three sub-studies in this thesis contribute to the study of well-being and the field of positive psychology in at least three ways. Firstly, a new self-report instrument to measure general psychological well-being was developed and validated for use in an African context. Secondly, the study highlighted the significant influence of socio-demographic variables on individuals’ psychological well-being. Thirdly, in psychometrically comparing two scales, the study not only employed CTT and SEM methods as has been previously done, but has also reported IRT’s Rasch model’s results. The thesis is a comprehensive quantitative evaluation of the two holistic psychological well-being models and their measures in an African context. Qualitative studies towards the further clarification and contextualisation of the understanding of well-being in an African context are suggested. This may serve to triangulate, contradict or pose further hypotheses regarding the findings of the present study. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011

專屬資產是交易成本理論中最具有預測力的構念，過去專屬資產構念主要是應用在B2B交易情境，本研究欲將專屬資產所衍伸的概念應用在廠商與消費者間的交換關係，並修正目前專屬資產相關量表的一些問題，包括了對專屬資產的衡量並沒有一致性的作法、衡量方式沒有回歸到專屬資產最原始的定義，以及有些研究用單一題項或是代理變數來衡量會產生效度上的問題，因此研究一依循Churchill（1979）及Hinkin（1998）建議的量表發展程序而發展出能應用到B2C情境的消費者專屬資產量表，本研究以兩階段問卷共計1453位受訪者為施測對象，透過探索性及驗證性因素分析發展出六個構面-「特有使用知識專屬資產」、「特有實體設備/軟體或服務專屬資產」、「忠誠客戶優惠專屬資產」、「特有人際關係及溝通效率專屬資產」、「心理層面認同專屬資產」、「特有無形社會壓力專屬資產」共計19題之消費者專屬資產量表，資料顯示量表具有良好的信、效度及因素結構。 研究二為整體模型架構實證，透過文獻整理釐清專屬資產及移轉成本的相同點、相異點及兩者間的關係，並將專屬資產與移轉成本放入消費者信任-滿意-忠誠回應架構中，結果發現專屬資產為移轉成本的前置變數，且專屬資產及移轉成本皆為消費者滿意與忠誠回應間之重要中介變數。 研究三為比較本研究發展的專屬資產量表（AS量表）與傳統專屬資產量表（TAS量表）在構念預測力上是否有顯著差異，結果發現五個產業中有兩產業（專櫃化妝品業與進口車業）AS量表預測力顯著高於TAS量表，三產業（銀行業、美髮業、精品業）無顯著差異。 / Specific asset is the most predictable construct in transaction cost theory. The construct of specific asset has been most commonly used in B2B context in the past. This research aims to extend the application of specific asset to B2C context, and also solve the following 3 issues regarding the present specific asset scales. First, there is no consent about the measurement of specific asset. Second, the definition of specific asset is misunderstood. Third, some researches use single item or proxy variables to measure specific asset, which leads to potential construct validity problems. Therefore, study 1 follows Churchill (1979) and Hinkin (1998) to develop the consumer-specific-asset scale. This study uses two stages of empirical data and collects 1453 valid samples. Through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, this study develops a 19-item instrument, including six types of consumer-specific-asset: 1) specific knowledge, 2) specific equipment/software or service, 3) loyalty program, 4) specific relationship and communication, 5) identification, 6) invisible social pressure. The analyzed data shows that this scale has reliability, validity and good factor structure. Study 2 seeks to provide an empirical test of the structural model. The author identifies the similarities, differences and the relationship between specific asset and switching cost first, then put the specific asset and switching cost into the trust-satisfaction-loyalty response model. The results show that specific asset is the antecedent of switching cost, and both specific asset and switching cost are the important mediators between consumer satisfaction and loyalty response. Study 3 focuses on comparing the predictability between the new specific asset scale (developed from study 1) and traditional specific asset scale. The results suggest that among the 5 industries this study chose, the new specific asset scale predicts better in the 2 industries (cosmetic and car) and no significant difference in the 3 industries(bank, hair stylist and luxury goods).

A identificação do consumidor com a empresa é um assunto relativamente novo dentro da academia de Marketing. Preocupados com os relacionamentos de alto nível mantidos entre empresas e clientes e fundamentados na teoria da Identidade Social, Bhattacharya e Sen (2003) estabelecem a identificação consumidor-empresa como o primeiro substrato psicológico que resulta em relações profundas, comprometidas e significativas entre os clientes e as organizações. Aproveitando as sugestões dos autores e procurando oferecer um instrumento que auxilie a academia a encontrar subsídio empírico que sustente o modelo conceitual sugerido por Bhattacharya e Sen (2003), a presente dissertação teve como objetivo desenvolver uma escala que mensure o componente cognitivo da identificação do consumidor com a empresa. Para tanto, primeiramente foi realizada uma etapa exploratória, que lançou mão de entrevistas em profundidade e de técnicas projetivas para gerar uma amostra de 21 itens. Esta amostra, então, foi submetida a uma purificação por meio da Análise Fatorial Exploratória. A análise, realizada em uma base de dados, obtida por meio de uma survey aplicada a 226 estudantes de graduação, resultou em uma escala final composta por 8 itens, distribuídos em 4 dimensões, que, explicaram 69,43% da variância. As dimensões compreenderam adequadamente os atributos do objeto sendo mensurado e apresentaram significância estatística, embora tenham desempenhado apenas moderadamente quanto à consistência interna. / The Consumer-Company Identification is a relatively new issue among the marketing academy. Bhattacharya and Sen (2003), dove into the Social Identity theory and observing the relationship-gold struck by some companies, established Consumer- Company Identification as the primary psychological substrate for the kind of deep, committed, and meaningful relationships among the organization and its customers. Exploiting the suggestions of the authors and aiming a contribution to the academy, through an instrument that permits the empirical verification of the conceptual model proposed by Bhattacharya and Sen (2003), this thesis had as goal the development of a scale to measure the cognitive component of the Consumer-Company identification. Therefore, first an exploratory research was developed, stepped on in-depth interviews and projective technique, generating a sample of 21 items. Afterwards, a purification stage was carried on, using the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). The EFA, applied on the data base obtained from a survey with 226 undergraduate students, resulted in a final scale composed by 8 items, distributed in 4 dimensions, which, explained 69,43% of the variance. The dimensions covered satisfactorily the attributes of the object mesured and presented high statistical significance, although they performed only an average internal consistency.

A identificação do consumidor com a empresa é um assunto relativamente novo dentro da academia de Marketing. Preocupados com os relacionamentos de alto nível mantidos entre empresas e clientes e fundamentados na teoria da Identidade Social, Bhattacharya e Sen (2003) estabelecem a identificação consumidor-empresa como o primeiro substrato psicológico que resulta em relações profundas, comprometidas e significativas entre os clientes e as organizações. Aproveitando as sugestões dos autores e procurando oferecer um instrumento que auxilie a academia a encontrar subsídio empírico que sustente o modelo conceitual sugerido por Bhattacharya e Sen (2003), a presente dissertação teve como objetivo desenvolver uma escala que mensure o componente cognitivo da identificação do consumidor com a empresa. Para tanto, primeiramente foi realizada uma etapa exploratória, que lançou mão de entrevistas em profundidade e de técnicas projetivas para gerar uma amostra de 21 itens. Esta amostra, então, foi submetida a uma purificação por meio da Análise Fatorial Exploratória. A análise, realizada em uma base de dados, obtida por meio de uma survey aplicada a 226 estudantes de graduação, resultou em uma escala final composta por 8 itens, distribuídos em 4 dimensões, que, explicaram 69,43% da variância. As dimensões compreenderam adequadamente os atributos do objeto sendo mensurado e apresentaram significância estatística, embora tenham desempenhado apenas moderadamente quanto à consistência interna. / The Consumer-Company Identification is a relatively new issue among the marketing academy. Bhattacharya and Sen (2003), dove into the Social Identity theory and observing the relationship-gold struck by some companies, established Consumer- Company Identification as the primary psychological substrate for the kind of deep, committed, and meaningful relationships among the organization and its customers. Exploiting the suggestions of the authors and aiming a contribution to the academy, through an instrument that permits the empirical verification of the conceptual model proposed by Bhattacharya and Sen (2003), this thesis had as goal the development of a scale to measure the cognitive component of the Consumer-Company identification. Therefore, first an exploratory research was developed, stepped on in-depth interviews and projective technique, generating a sample of 21 items. Afterwards, a purification stage was carried on, using the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). The EFA, applied on the data base obtained from a survey with 226 undergraduate students, resulted in a final scale composed by 8 items, distributed in 4 dimensions, which, explained 69,43% of the variance. The dimensions covered satisfactorily the attributes of the object mesured and presented high statistical significance, although they performed only an average internal consistency.

A identificação do consumidor com a empresa é um assunto relativamente novo dentro da academia de Marketing. Preocupados com os relacionamentos de alto nível mantidos entre empresas e clientes e fundamentados na teoria da Identidade Social, Bhattacharya e Sen (2003) estabelecem a identificação consumidor-empresa como o primeiro substrato psicológico que resulta em relações profundas, comprometidas e significativas entre os clientes e as organizações. Aproveitando as sugestões dos autores e procurando oferecer um instrumento que auxilie a academia a encontrar subsídio empírico que sustente o modelo conceitual sugerido por Bhattacharya e Sen (2003), a presente dissertação teve como objetivo desenvolver uma escala que mensure o componente cognitivo da identificação do consumidor com a empresa. Para tanto, primeiramente foi realizada uma etapa exploratória, que lançou mão de entrevistas em profundidade e de técnicas projetivas para gerar uma amostra de 21 itens. Esta amostra, então, foi submetida a uma purificação por meio da Análise Fatorial Exploratória. A análise, realizada em uma base de dados, obtida por meio de uma survey aplicada a 226 estudantes de graduação, resultou em uma escala final composta por 8 itens, distribuídos em 4 dimensões, que, explicaram 69,43% da variância. As dimensões compreenderam adequadamente os atributos do objeto sendo mensurado e apresentaram significância estatística, embora tenham desempenhado apenas moderadamente quanto à consistência interna. / The Consumer-Company Identification is a relatively new issue among the marketing academy. Bhattacharya and Sen (2003), dove into the Social Identity theory and observing the relationship-gold struck by some companies, established Consumer- Company Identification as the primary psychological substrate for the kind of deep, committed, and meaningful relationships among the organization and its customers. Exploiting the suggestions of the authors and aiming a contribution to the academy, through an instrument that permits the empirical verification of the conceptual model proposed by Bhattacharya and Sen (2003), this thesis had as goal the development of a scale to measure the cognitive component of the Consumer-Company identification. Therefore, first an exploratory research was developed, stepped on in-depth interviews and projective technique, generating a sample of 21 items. Afterwards, a purification stage was carried on, using the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). The EFA, applied on the data base obtained from a survey with 226 undergraduate students, resulted in a final scale composed by 8 items, distributed in 4 dimensions, which, explained 69,43% of the variance. The dimensions covered satisfactorily the attributes of the object mesured and presented high statistical significance, although they performed only an average internal consistency.

Submitted by Geandra Rodrigues (geandrar@gmail.com) on 2018-01-11T11:20:42Z No. of bitstreams: 1 claramockdeceneves.pdf: 4188727 bytes, checksum: 195115ba7f6e30943a50fdb51b605c3c (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2018-01-23T13:13:31Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 claramockdeceneves.pdf: 4188727 bytes, checksum: 195115ba7f6e30943a50fdb51b605c3c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-01-23T13:13:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 claramockdeceneves.pdf: 4188727 bytes, checksum: 195115ba7f6e30943a50fdb51b605c3c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-12-01 / Investigações acerca da imagem corporal no público infantil são essenciais, já que atitudes direcionadas à melhora da aparência física podem ter início na mais tenra idade. Entretanto, ainda são escassos instrumentos com bons indicadores de validade e confiabilidade para avaliar a imagem corporal nesta população. O objetivo deste estudo foi desenvolver e avaliar as qualidades psicométricas de um instrumento destinado à análise das preocupações e comportamentos relacionados ao corpo para crianças brasileiras de ambos os sexos. O desenvolvimento da presente tese é composto por quatro etapas. Na etapa 1, foram construídos itens com base em revisão de literatura, escalas prévias de imagem corporal e quatro grupos focais, divididos por sexo e idade. Participaram um total de 19 crianças, sendo 10 meninas e 9 meninos, de 6 a 11 anos (M=8,36; DP=1,42). No total, foram desenvolvidos 53 itens, instruções ao pesquisador e participante, formato e opções de resposta. Na etapa 2, o conteúdo e a semântica dos itens foram avaliados por 10 peritos e por 21 meninos e meninas representantes da população-alvo com idade entre 6 a 11 anos (M=8,25; DP=1,70). A escala passou por refinamento e alguns itens foram excluídos e outros modificados, totalizando 40 itens nesta versão. As etapas 3 e 4 analisaram as qualidades psicométricas desse instrumento em 1268 crianças com idade entre 7 e 11 anos, sendo 571 meninas (M=9,17; DP=1,23) e 597 meninos (M=9,32; DP=1,24), das cinco regiões do Brasil. Análises fatoriais exploratória e confirmatória foram conduzidas com amostras independentes. A versão feminina final da escala (EPCCI-F) é composta por 17 itens divididos em cinco fatores: 1) “Áreas corporais do rosto”; 2) “Áreas corporais relacionadas a atratividade”; 3) “Áreas corporais relacionadas à magreza/excesso de peso”; 4) “Preocupação com a magreza”; e 5) “Comportamento/desejo direcionado a muscularidade”. A versão masculina final (EPCCI-M) engloba 13 itens e dois fatores: 1) “Preocupações com aspectos específicos do corpo”; e 2) “Preocupações e comportamentos relacionados ao corpo”. Ambas as versões apresentaram indicadores de validade convergente e discriminante. As escalas encontram-se prontas para uso na população de crianças brasileiras entre 7 e 11 anos. / Research work on body image in children's are essential, since attitudes directed to the improvement of the physical appearance can begin at the youngest age. However, there are still few instruments with good indicators of validity and reliability to evaluate body image in this population. The aim of the study was to develop and evaluate the psychometric qualities of an instrument regarding body-related concerns and behaviors for Brazilian children of both genders. The development of this thesis consists of three stages. In stage 1, items based on literature review, previous body image scales, and four focus groups were divided by sex and age. A total of 19 children participated, being 10 girls and 9 boys, from 6 to 11 years old (M=8.36, SD=1.42). In total, 53 items were developed, instructions to the researcher and participant, format and response options. In stage 2, the content and semantics of the items were evaluated by 10 experts and 21 boys and girls representing the target population aged 6 to 11 years (M=8.25; SD=1.70). The scale went through refinement and some items were excluded and others modified, totaling 40 items in this version. Stages 3 and 4 analyzed the psychometric qualities of this instrument in 1268 children aged between 7 and 11 years old, being 571 girls (M=9.17, SD=1.23) and 597 boys (M=9.32, SD=1.24), of the five regions of Brazil. Exploratory and confirmatory factorial analyzes were conducted with independent samples. The final female version of the scale (EPCCI-F) is composed of 17 items divided into five factors: 1) "Body areas of the face"; 2) "Body areas related to attractiveness"; 3) "Body areas related to thinness"; 4) "Worry about thinness"; and 5) "Behavior / desire directed to muscularity". The final male version (EPCCI-M) includes 13 items and two factors: 1) "Concerns with specific aspects of the body"; and 2) "Concerns and behaviors related to the body". Both versions presented indicators of convergent and discriminant validity. The scales are ready for use in the population of Brazilian children aged between 7 and 11 years old.

Submitted by Geandra Rodrigues (geandrar@gmail.com) on 2018-04-20T18:04:01Z No. of bitstreams: 1 julianafernandesfilgueirasmeireles.pdf: 2813340 bytes, checksum: 8dccbef76611ffa0706930c5331b797f (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2018-04-25T13:03:17Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 julianafernandesfilgueirasmeireles.pdf: 2813340 bytes, checksum: 8dccbef76611ffa0706930c5331b797f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-25T13:03:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 julianafernandesfilgueirasmeireles.pdf: 2813340 bytes, checksum: 8dccbef76611ffa0706930c5331b797f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-08 / Ao longo da gravidez e do pós-parto, a mulher experiencia numerosas mudanças biopsicossociais. A autoaceitação é a aceitação dos atributos próprios, sendo eles positivos ou negativos, com a valorização das qualidades. Esse construto é um importante meio de desenvolvimento da imagem corporal positiva e pode influenciar a saúde materna e infantil. Apesar disso, há lacunas no conhecimento atual a respeito da autoaceitação de grávidas e mulheres no pós-parto, o que possivelmente relaciona-se à escassez de instrumentos válidos e confiáveis para avaliar esta população. O objetivo foi desenvolver e avaliar as qualidades psicométricas de duas escalas avaliativas da autoaceitação para brasileiras gestantes e no pósparto. O desenvolvimento da presente tese é composto por quatro etapas. Na etapa 1, os itens foram criados com base em revisão de literatura, escalas prévias e quatro grupos focais. Participaram 14 gestantes entre 28 e 40 anos (M = 33,43; DP = 3,76) e quatro mulheres no pósparto entre 28 e 35 anos (M = 33,33; DP = 3,53). Inicialmente, foram elaborados 108 itens que compuseram uma única escala. Além disso, as instruções, o formato e as opções de resposta também foram desenvolvidos. Na segunda etapa, a validade de conteúdo foi avaliada por nove peritos e 60 representantes do público-alvo entre 18 e 40 anos (M = 28,23; DP = 5,36). Alguns itens foram excluídos e outros modificados. As etapas 3 e 4 analisaram as qualidades empíricas e psicométricas em uma amostra de 1254 gestantes entre 18 e 52 anos (M = 29,00; DP = 4,77) e de 607 mulheres no pós-parto entre 18 e 44 anos (M = 29,09; DP = 4,78) das cinco regiões do Brasil. Análises fatoriais exploratória e confirmatória foram conduzidas com amostras independentes. A “Escala de Autoaceitação para Gestantes” (“Self-Acceptance Scale for Pregnant Women” - SAS-PW) é composta por dez itens divididos em duas subescalas: “Aceitação Corporal” e “Aceitação da Gravidez”. A “Escala de Autoaceitação para Mulheres no Pós-Parto” (“Self-Acceptance Scale for Postpartum Women” - SAS-PPW) é constituída por 14 itens e três subescalas: “Aceitação Corporal”, “Evitação Corporal” e “Preocupações com a Aparência”. Ambas as escalas apresentaram indicadores de validade convergente e discriminante e, a partir do ponto de corte estabelecido, são possíveis três classificações: baixa, moderada e alta autoaceitação. A SAS-PW e a SAS-PPW demonstraram boas qualidades psicométricas para brasileiras gestantes e no pós-parto, respetivamente, e seu uso é indicado para estas populações. / During the pregnancy and the postpartum period, women undergo numerous biopsychosocial changes. Self-acceptance is the acceptance of one’s own attributes, no matter if they are negative or positive, with the appreciation of the qualities. This construct is an important means of developing positive body image and can influence on maternal health as well as the child’s health. Nevertheless, there is a current knowledge gap regarding the self-acceptance of pregnant and postpartum women, what can possibly be related to the lack of validated and reliable instruments to evaluate it in this context. The aim was to develop and evaluate the psychometric qualities of two self-acceptance evaluative scales for Brazilian pregnant women and postpartum women. The development of this thesis consists of three stages. In stage 1, items based on literature review, previous scales, and four focus groups. A total of 14 pregnant women, from 28 and 40 years old (M = 33.43; SD = 3.76), and four postpartum women, from 28 and 35 years old (M = 33.33; SD = 3.53) took part. In total, initially 108 items were developed in order to compose a single scale. The instructions, the format and the response options were also developed. In stage 2, the content validity was evaluated by nine experts and 60 representatives of the target population aged 18 to 40 years old (M = 28.23; SD = 5.36). Some items were excluded and others were modified. Stages 3 and 4 analyzed the empirical and psychometric qualities in a sample of 1254 pregnant women between 18 and 52 years old (M = 29.00; SD = 4.77) and 607 postpartum women 18 and 44 years old (M = 29.09; SD = 4.78) of the five regions of Brazil. Exploratory and confirmatory factorial analyzes were conducted with independent samples. The “Self-Acceptance Scale for Pregnant Women” (SAS-PW) is composed of 17 items and two-factors: 1) Body Acceptance, and 2) Pregnancy Acceptance. The “Self-Acceptance Scale for Postpartum Women” (SAS-PPW) is composed of 14 items divided in three-factors: 1) Body Acceptance, 2) Body Avoidance, and 3) Concerning with Appearance. Both scales presented indicators of convergent and discriminant validity, and, from the established cut-off point, three classifications are possible: low, moderate and high selfacceptance. The SAS-PW and SAS-PPW demonstrated good psychometric qualities for Brazilian pregnant and postpartum women, respectively, and their use is indicated for these populations.

Researchers and companies are paying increasing attention to corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs and the reaction to them by consumers. Despite such corporate efforts and an expanding literature exploring consumers' response to CSR, it remains unclear how consumers perceive CSR and which "Gestalt" consumers have in mind when considering CSR. Academics and managers lack a tool for measuring consumers' perceptions of CSR (CPCSR). This research explores CPCSR and develops a measurement model. Based on qualitative data from interviews with managers and consumers, the authors develop a conceptualization of CPCSR. Subsequently, model testing and validating occurs on three large quantitative data sets. The conceptualization and the measurement scale can assist companies to assess CPCSR relative to their performance. They also enable managers in identifying shortcomings in CSR engagement and/or communication. Finally, the paper discusses implications for marketing practice and future research.

Galbraith (1995:2) states that “organizations continuously search for more effective approaches in order to survive, to remain competitive, to maintain their operations and to grow in an ever-changing and competitive environment. To achieve sustainable business results, organizations must actively manage cost, quality, product and service features by means of their efficient and effective application of managerial and operational systems within a well-designed organizational framework.” Porter and Tanner (2004:3) argue that “in their endeavour to remain competitive organizations have over the last few decades in search of the ultimate system or methodology tried and tested all the various performance improvement approaches or performance enablers (ISO 9000, Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Business Excellence, Continuous Improvement, Total Quality Management (TQM), Just-in-Time, Project Management, Six Sigma, Lean Sigma, etcetera). Although thousands of organizations implemented these performance enablers, few organizations achieved their envisaged state of excellence.” Kerzner (1997:2) argues that “there are only two ways in which work gets done in organizations: through business processes or through projects. Business processes are permanent work structures that transform inputs continuously into outputs as ongoing operations. Projects on the other hand are temporary work structures that shut down once the output has been achieved.” Robbins, (1998:629) states that “since the organizations’ success or failure is essential due to the things that its employees do or fail to do (processes), any planned change must also be concerned with changing the behaviour of individuals and groups within the organization.” It is therefore critical that management does have scientific control over the function or Critical Core Capability that touches “the way things get done”. The researcher are therefore of the opinion that business process being the core descriptor of the “how”, “what”, “when”, and “why” of every individuals daily interaction with his work, his colleagues, his organization and his clients is maybe by far the biggest factor of satisfaction, dissatisfaction, harmony or conflict in the organization and determines to a large extent what the behaviour of the individual, the groups and the organization at large will be on a daily basis. Business Process was identified as core to all the performance enablers and was elevated to a Critical Core Capability status in many organizations. Derived from the above Business Process Management as a Critical Core Capability should encompass the four management functions, and should be supported by a proper organizational framework that includes strategy, structure, policies, procedures, and people. The literature search also confirmed that “synergy”, i.e. “The whole is more than its parts”, is paramount to success when it comes to the management of a Critical Core Capability. With the above as reference the researcher set out to establish which criteria should be included in a measurement instrument to measure Business Process Management as a Critical Core Capability in an organization. The following primary research question was formulated and used as vantage point to develop, as the primary objective, said instrument: What must be implemented, in terms of strategies, governance, enterprise architecture, and process optimization, to ensure that organization culture, people’s behaviour and the work environment will be conducive to successfully establish and maintain Business Process Management as a Critical Core Capability of an organization? Based on a proper research process and methodology the researcher utilized the following methods to develop the Test Instrument: <ul> <li> A comprehensive literature study;</li> <li> Discussions with and inputs from experts;</li> <li> Questionnaires; and</li> <li> Statistical analysis.</li> </ul> An Assessment Tool for Measuring Business Process Management as a Core Capability in an organization comprising ninety items clustered in six criteria in a five factor scale was developed and tested in two organizations as well as in three different business units in the one organization. The final Descriptive Statistics showed that the overall reliability of the items per criterion was highly acceptable with Cronbach Alpha Coefficients of 0.7315, 0.9216, 0.8224, 0.7650, 0.8248, and 0.7722 respectively, (higher than the acceptable level of 0.70). The final analysis therefore concluded that the assessment tool, the Business Process Management Competency Assessment Model (BPMCAM), is a reliable tool that can distinguish in terms of Business Process Management as a Critical Core Capability the level of an organization’s readiness to implement and/or to sustain the Business Process Management functionality as a Critical Core Capability. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Human Resource Management / unrestricted

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