Tato diplomová práce se zabývá návrhem, implementací a správou datové a VoIP sítě. První část práce pojednává o teoretických poznatcích, které se dělí na dvě oblasti: ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) a VoIP (Voice over IP). Druhou částí práce je praktický příklad, kde postupně řeším návrh, implementaci a správu služeb dle ITIL v nástroji OTRS.

Process support is a core organisational competence which aims to help people plan and perform their work. This thesis addresses process support for Emergent Knowledge Processes (EKP). EKP can be characterised by human-orientation, emerging domain requirements, compliance requirements and dispersed participants/stakeholders. Current Process Aware Information Systems (PAIS) do not meet several important support requirements of EKP. Addressing these requirements will create business value. Through a Design Science (Hevner, March et al. 2004) research approach, this thesis addresses that problem. An approach to support EKP is conceptualised and implemented. The main contribution is a prescriptive framework. The framework consists of four components; interactive modelling, a combination of procedural and declarative models, flexible model management and real-time collaborative working. Interactive modelling is an approach to flexible process support where users create, adapt, analyse and enact visual models of their work processes. Underpinning the interactive modelling approach are both procedural and declarative models. Declarative models capture organisational rules. Procedural task-based models capture actual plans of work. Procedural models must comply with the rules established in the declarative models. Flexible model management and real-time collaboration support offer a cooperative working and knowledge management environment for interactive modelling. The conceptual design ideas have been realised in an academic software prototype. A Web-based groupware application, D2P, was developed as a 'plug-in' for the collaborative, Web-based modelling environment PowerMeeting. It is shown how Web technology can be leveraged for collaborative process support. A contribution is made through further demonstration of the applicability of Web-based solutions for professional, process related business requirements. As a final contribution, the results of a usability study demonstrate the usability of the D2P and PowerMeeting tools. Empirical evidence in the form of results from a usability study and user questionnaire confirmed that semi-skilled users with a small amount of training can activate the concepts and tools which make up the approach. Of particular importance is the demonstration of the usability of the less familiar declarative modelling paradigm. Scenarios are also provided to demonstrate the applicability of the approach.

This study analyzes the experiences of stigmatization and emotion work through the interview responses of eight parents of children with autism. Developing from Goffman’s theories of direct stigma and associative stigma this research integrates Hochschild’s emotion work as a way that parents respond to the stigmatization that they encounter. The results of this study indicate that some parents of children with autism perform suppressive emotion work in the way they respond to stigmatization and obstacles that occur when raising a child with special needs. In addition, stigma occurs in interactions with close friends and family members, creating issues of boundary-crossing. Parents of children with autism respond to stigma by educating those closest to them and normalizing the experiences of themselves and their child. In order to cope with the hardships of stigma, some parents also work to advocate, problem-solve, and build community beyond their immediate relationships.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Chronic pain is a health problem that impacts at least 10% of the world population. Social support has beneficial effects for those who have chronic pain. Social support can be emotional, where a supporter is present, validating, and assuring; or instrumental, where a supporter provides services to address an imbalance in needs. Despite the benefits of social support, relatively little attention has been given to willingness to provide support to people with pain during transition to adulthood. The current study explored gender differences and the role of attitudes towards emotional expression in young adults’ willingness to provide emotional and instrumental support to a virtual human peer with pain. Participants (N=234, mean age=20) viewed videos/vignettes of a male or female peer with pain and responded to questions about willingness to provide support and attitudes towards emotional expression. Female participants were more willing to provide support than male participants, F(1,218) = 27.37, p < 0.01, and participants were more willing to provide emotional support compared to instrumental support, F(1,218) = 6.72, p = 0.01. Attitudes towards emotional expression mediated the relationship between participant gender and emotional and instrumental support (total indirect effect = 0.05; 95% CI [.01-.12]; total indirect effect = 0.05; 95% CI [.01-.12]). There was not an interaction between participant and peer gender for emotional, P = 0.26, or instrumental, P = 0.47, support. The results suggest that women are more willing to provide emotional and instrumental support and that fewer negative attitudes about emotional expression help explain the relationship. The findings also suggest that the gender of the peer does not impact willingness to provide support.

Studies support the assumption that social connection and support are essential to adequately cope with a life-threatening illness. This exploratory study surveyed a small sample of cancer patients to ask them what they needed at the time of their initial diagnosis and what reactions to their illness that they perceived in others. The ability to clearly identify needs and reactions was deemed as important as the content of their responses. This study supports the premise that when asked cancer patients can identify their own needs and are clearly aware of others' reactions to their illness.

BACKGROUND: We wanted to determine whether an intervention to enhance partner support helps as an adjunct to a smoking cessation program. METHODS: We undertook a meta-analysis of English-language, randomized controlled trials of smoking cessation interventions through July 2002 using the following data sources: Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group specialized register, Cochrane controlled trials register, CDC Tobacco Information and Prevention Database, MEDLINE, Cancer Lit, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ERIC, PsycLIT, Dissertation Abstracts, SSCI and HealthSTAR, with reviews of bibliographies of included articles. Included were trials that assessed a partner support component with a minimum follow-up of 6 months. The outcomes measured were abstinence and biochemical assessment at 6 to 9 months and more than 12 months after treatment. Partner Interaction Questionnaire scores were primary and secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Nine studies (31 articles) met inclusion criteria. Partner definition varied among studies. All studies included self-reported smoking cessation rates, but there was limited biochemical validation of abstinence. For self-reported abstinence at 6 to 9 months after treatment, the Peto odds ratio (OR) = 1.08 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81-1.44) and at 12 months Peto OR = 1.0 (95% CI, 0.75-1.34). Sensitivity analysis of studies using live-in, married, and equivalent-to-married partners found a higher odds ratio at 6 to 9 months after treatment, Peto OR = 1.64 (95% CI, 0.5-4.64). Sensitivity analysis of studies reporting significant increases in partner support found at 6 to 9 months after treatment Peto OR = 1.83 (95% CI, 0.9-3.47); and at 12 months Peto OR = 1.22 (95% CI, 0.67-2.23). CONCLUSIONS: Interventions to enhance partner support showed the most promise for clinical practice when implemented with live-in, married, and equivalent-to-married partners. Such interventions should focus on enhancing supportive behaviors, while minimizing behaviors critical of smoking.

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education, Faculty of Education, at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2011. / This study examined the effectiveness of student support programmes at a tertiary institution. The aims of the study were:  To determine the students’ perceptions about the existing support programmes.  To determine the students’ satisfactions about the existing support programmes. In accordance with these aims, an investigation of students’ perceptions of different student support programmes was undertaken. The participants were 198 full-time, trained undergraduates assisting in providing/rendering/offering the various student support programmes at different sites/campuses of Walter Sisulu University. Using purposive sampling to select the research respondents, data was collected. A quantitative data analysis was used in order to draw conclusions about the effectiveness and satisfaction of respondents with the existing student support programmes offered at Walter Sisulu University. Research results indicated that:  The objectives of the support programmes are clearly stated and that it is possible to achieve set objectives.  The support programmes contribute to the holistic development of the students.  The majority of the respondents were satisfied with the effectiveness of the support programmes. On the basis of the findings, recommendations for enhancing or contributing to the holistic student support and development were put forward. / Walter Sisulu University

No description available.

Work motivation has been a topic of significance for a very long time, however, since there has been a recent shift towards remote work, traditional motivational theories might need to be reconsidered and applied to the new way of working. The self-determination theory (SDT) is one of many motivational theories, which says that once the three basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are reached, individuals will experience high amounts of motivation. In order to dive deeper into the topic of motivation in remote work, the purpose of our study is therefore to explore this area of research by examining how managerial support measures could be aimed at ensuring the feeling of autonomy, competence and relatedness, and in turn manage to possibly sustain motivation among remote workers.  With the aim of reaching and fulfilling the purpose of this study, in-depth interviews were conducted with five remote workers working in start-ups or SMEs within the IT sectors, or within companies with a digital focus. The data which we collected through interviews was then thematically analysed by careful coding and put into a variety of themes. Following the presentation of our findings was a meticulous analysis of the generated data, which was the base for our final conclusions drawn on the subject.  From the findings, we were able to conclude that autonomy achieved high scores in remote work, and was without exceptions fulfilled for all of our interview subjects. Within competence, the most challenges were detected, however the right supporting measures, like facilitating information sharing, would be able to work against these issues. Lastly, relatedness is oftentimes severely lacking within remote work due to the implied distance, however due to conscious choices to work remotely, individuals will be aware of decreasing relatedness when they start their journey of working remotely. Nonetheless, supporting measures like organising social gatherings or workshops, can limit the lack of feeling relatedness in the remote workplace.  This study can assist future researchers that are conducting studies within the growing remote work environment. Furthermore, it can help managers in the workplace to gain an updated view on motivation in remote working, and shift perspective to remotely adapted supporting measures.

Siblings of children with cancer are exposed to significant stress and experience challenges in many aspects of their lives throughout the pediatric cancer trajectory. As a result, siblings are at risk for acute and long-term psychosocial consequences and must be provided with appropriate supportive services during and after cancer treatment. At this time, there are no evidence-based standards to guide the supportive care of siblings of children with cancer. The purpose of this study was to explore and develop an understanding of the different ways in which siblings of children with cancer perceive their psychosocial needs are addressed from formal and informal sources. A qualitative interpretive descriptive methodology was used in the study design. Data were collected from a sample of ten siblings in Ontario whose siblings were diagnosed and treated for pediatric cancer within the past ten years. The data collection methods included semi-structured individual interviews, socio-demographic questionnaires, field notes, and the researcher’s reflexivity journal. A reflexive thematic and inductive approach was used for the analysis of the collected data. The study findings highlight that there are significant gaps in the psychosocial support provided to siblings of children with cancer. Four overarching issues were identified, including: (1) siblings’ isolation from the pediatric cancer experience, (2) limited parental awareness of siblings’ psychosocial needs, (3) needs for consistent academic and school support, and (4) needs for standardized psychosocial support from healthcare professionals and hospital systems. The study findings provide several implications for clinical practice, policy, education, and research for nurses and other healthcare professionals working in pediatric oncology settings. Recommendations include: (1) integration of psychosocial care for siblings into clinical practice, (2) development of evidence-based standards and guidelines for the psychosocial support of siblings, (3) ongoing education and training for healthcare professionals related to siblings’ psychosocial healthcare needs, and (4) additional research on standardized screening tools and interventions for siblings. / Thesis / Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)