M. Tech. (Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / Until recently, the majority of the academics viewed the life of an academic as idyllic, autonomous and well protected. However, this scenario has since changed due to economic constraints and the reduction of government funding and funding from government agencies. Congruent to these transformations, technology advancements, students’ diversity, blended learning and the introduction of learning platforms has created further challenges in the way students learn and how modules are offered. It has become pivotal for academics to make contributions in the field of work through teaching and learning, community engagement, undertaking research activities, being part of staff training activities, performing administrative work, planning lectures, setting and marking of assessments providing feedback on academic performance, among other activities. These responsibilities often generate stress within the working environment. University academics face high stress levels that arise from persistent demands of academic life. This research drew from the confluence of the job demand control-support model and Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory. The research fits within a post-positivist quantitative paradigm whereby survey data was acquired from 250 academics from a university through a convenience sampling technique. A structured questionnaire encompassing the study constructs was used. Before data collection, a pilot study was done by administering the questionnaire to 40 respondents. The demographic variables of respondents namely gender, age, ethnicity and education were analysed using bar graphs and pie charts. The data was tested for normality and heteroscedasticity. The results showed that the assumptions were not violated. The study observed the effect of role conflict, role ambiguity, role overload and time stress on work tension and the influence of work tension on job satisfaction. The reliability analysis showed that all the constructs under investigation yielded an internal consistency reliability that is acceptable. Descriptive statistics were computed to summarise the data into usable information by making use of measures of central tendency. They were presented for each construct. The mean values for each construct was approximately neutral, which implies that many of the respondents neither agreed nor disagreed with the items. Regression and correlation analysis were undertaken to examine the effect of the various study constructs in line with the objectives of the study. The findings of the research depicted that there was a positive association between role conflict (RC), role ambiguity (RA), role overload (RO), time pressure (TP) on work tension (WT). The association between work tension (WT) and job satisfaction (JS) was found to be negative and significant. It was recommended among other things that the university management should put in place strategies to moderate RC, RA, RO, TP to reduce WT and job dissatisfaction.

Bakgrund: Psykisk ohälsa av varierande allvarlighetsgrad under graviditet ökar. Psykisk ohälsa under graviditet medför bland annat ökad risk för nedsatt anknytning till barnet och tillväxthämningar hos barnet. Barnmorskor är den profession som ansvarar för graviditetskontroller och har därmed ett ansvar att upptäcka tecken på psykisk ohälsa under graviditet. Syfte: Att beskriva barnmorskors erfarenheter av att vårda gravida med psykisk ohälsa inom mödravården. Metod: Webbaserad enkätundersökning, analyserad med kvalitativt manifest innehållsanalys med induktiv ansats. Resultat: Förutsättningar och möjlighet att vårda innebar att barnmorskorna hade ett förtroendeingivande och professionellt förhållningssätt som en del av att ha en stödjande och professionell roll samt att ha tillgång till team och resurser för remittering och samarbete/samverkan vid behov. Resultatet visade även på utmaningar och hindra som tidsbrist, kunskapsbrist som skedde i att inte räcka till samt att sakna stöd och resurser där det förekom en brist påeller bristande resurser och samarbete/samverkan. Slutsats: Att barnmorskor har tillgång till tid, kunskap, teamarbete och samverkan är nödvändigt för att identifiera och bemöta behov av stöd och insatser vid psykisk ohälsa under graviditet. / Bakgrund: Psykiska problem av varierande svårighetsgrad under graviditeten ökar. Psykiska problem under graviditeten innebär bland annat en ökad risk för minskad anknytning till barnet och tillväxthämning hos barnet. Barnmorskor är de yrke som ansvarar för graviditetskontroller och har därmed ett ansvar att upptäcka tecken på psykiska problem under graviditeten. Syfte: Att beskriva barnmorskors erfarenheter av vård av gravida med psykiska problem inom mödravården. Metod: Webbaserat undersökning, analyserad med kvalitativ manifest innehållsanalys med en induktiv ansats. Resultat: Förutsättningar och möjlighet till vård gjorde att barnmorskorna hade en förtroendefull och professionellt förhållningssätt som en del av att ha en stödjande och professionell roll samt att ha tillgång till team och resurser för remiss och samarbete/samverkan vid behov. De Resultatet visade också på utmaningar och hinder såsom brist på tid, brist på kunskap som resulterat i att det inte räckte till och att det saknades stöd och resurser där det saknades eller brist på resurser och samarbete/samverkan. Slutsats: Att barnmorskor har tillgång till tid, kunskap, lagarbete och samarbete är nödvändigt för att identifiera och svara på behov av stöd och insatser vid psykiska problem under graviditeten.

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Background: As businesses started to recognize the potential of live streaming platforms in reaching and engaging with their target audience, live streaming commerce (LSC) started to gain traction and popularity over the past few years. LSC, with its elements of time pressure, price promotion, and interaction, plays a significant role in influencing consumers’ impulsive buying behaviour. The live nature of these streams create a sense of urgency, making viewers feel like they need to act quickly before the opportunity is gone. Price promotions, such as limited-time discounts or exclusive deals, entice viewers to make impulsive purchases to take advantage of the savings. Moreover, the interactive aspect of live streaming allows viewers to ask questions and receive real-time responses, which enhances the overall shopping experience and can further stimulate impulsive buying. Purpose: The aim of this thesis is to investigate how Gen Z consumers’ impulsive buying behaviour of cosmetics through LSC is influenced by three factors, being; time pressure, price promotion, and interaction. As well as how emotions such as the feeling of urgency, the feeling of excitement, and perceived enjoyment could mediate this relationship. Methodology: A deductive research approach  and a quantitative method was selected and utilised for this research. To gather data, a self-completion questionnaire was developed in Google Forms, taking into consideration ethical and societal factors. A total of 312 valid responses were collected, which were then subjected to descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, reliability analysis, regression analysis, and mediation analysis.  Findings: The results of this research revealed that H2 and H3 were accepted, indicating that price promotion and interaction have a significant positive impact on Gen Z consumers’ impulsive buying behaviour in LSC. In the same vein, H1a, H2a, and H3a, i.e., the feeling of urgency, excitement, and perceived enjoyment were accepted. However, H1, measuring the influence of time pressure, was rejected.  Conclusion: This study concluded that price promotion (H2) and interaction (H3) have a positive influence on the impulsive buying behaviour of Generation Z consumers. However, time pressure (H1) was not found to have a significant impact. Additionally, the results indicate that the feeling of urgency (H1a) mediates the relationship between time pressure and impulsive buying behaviour, the feeling of excitement (H2a) mediates the relationship between price promotion and impulsive buying behaviour, and perceived enjoyment (H3a) mediates the relationship between interaction and impulsive buying behaviour among Gen Z consumers in Sweden. Keywords: “Live Streaming Commerce” “Live Streaming E-commerce” “Time Pressure” “Price Promotion” “Interaction” “Impulsive Buying Behaviour” “Urgency” “Excitement” “Perceived Enjoyment” “Quantitative Research”.

Cette thèse doctorale démontre que la difficulté pour un consommateur de se rappeler ses expériences passées de consommation d’un produit préféré influence son désir. Plus particulièrement, ce travail étudie comment le désir est influencé par le type d’information, sémantique ou épisodique, que l’individu se rappelle sur ses expériences passées de consommation pendant une tâche de rappel difficile, ainsi que par la difficulté attendue de la tâche de rappel et par la pression du temps. Nous avons utilisé une méthode expérimentale et avons conduit trois études empiriques. Les hypothèses ont été testées à partir de données collectées de trois échantillons différents : des consommateurs Péruviens, Chinois et Français. Les participants sont principalement des étudiants universitaires. Un total d’onze scénarios expérimentaux ont été présentés aux participants, incluant divers types de produits (boissons rafraîchissantes, produits hédoniques et activités de loisir). Notre contribution peut aider les professionnels en marketing à agir en prenant en compte le rappel des consommations gratifiantes passées. Afin d’évoquer davantage de désir chez le consommateur, les conditions devraient rendre difficile le fait pour celui-ci de se rappeler ses expériences gratifiantes de consommation passées ; les marketeurs devraient se focaliser notamment sur l’information sémantique des expériences passées et soumettre le consommateur à une pression temporelle. Cette recherche se focalise sur un rappel holistique d’expériences passées et sur le processus de récupération d’information à partir de la mémoire, et confirme la théorie du processus dual de Chaiken et Trope (1998) / This thesis demonstrates that difficulty in recalling past consumption of a preferred product influences the desire to consume that product. More specifically, this research evaluate how desire is influenced by what kind of information from past consumption experience is recalled (semantic or episodic information) during a difficult recall task, by the expected difficulty of recall task, and by time pressure. An experimental method was adopted and three empirical studies were conducted. Hypotheses were tested on data collected across different samples: Peruvian, Chinese, and French consumers. Participants were principally university students. A total of eleven experimental scenarios were presented to participants including different types of products (soft drinks, hedonic products, and leisure activities). Questionnaires were administrated by web and face-to-face. Our contribution has the potential to help marketers take action regarding the recall of past rewarding consumptions. To evoke more desire, consumers must be conditioned to difficult recalls of past consumptions of preferred products; marketers must specially focus on semantic information of past experiences and condition consumers with a time pressure. The results suggest that the type of information processed (semantic versus episodic) and time pressure influence the effect of the difficult recall of past consumption on desire. This research focuses on a holistic recall of past experiences and the retrieval process of information from memory, and confirms the Chaiken and Trope (1998)’s Dual-Process Theory

Tidigare forskning har visat att tidspress och arbetsbelastning som vi i denna studie kallar pressfaktorer är vanliga orsaker till arbetsrelaterad stress för revisorer. Forskning har även visat att långvarig stress är ett växande folkhälsoproblem som kan få förödande konsekvenser om man inte hanterar den. Något som oss veterligen inte är beforskat är hur sambandet mellan pressfaktorer och arbetsrelaterad stress påverkas av fysisk aktivitet.      Syftet med denna studie är att förklara hur sambandet mellan revisorers pressfaktorer och arbetsrelaterad stress påverkas av fysisk aktivitet. För att uppnå syftet har litteratur som behandlar tidspress, arbetsbelastning, arbetsrelaterad stress och fysisk aktivitet använts. Det har konstruerats tre hypoteser utifrån tidigare forskning. För att testa hypoteserna användes en webbaserad enkätundersökning riktad till personer som arbetar inom revision.   Studien visar att tidspress och arbetsbelastning är förklarande faktorer till arbetsrelaterad stress för revisorer. Däremot visar resultatet inte att fysisk aktivitet har en modererande effekt på det positiva sambandet mellan pressfaktorer och arbetsrelaterad stress. Resultaten visar dock att fysisk aktivitet har en mildrande effekt direkt kopplat till den arbetsrelaterade stressen.   Studiens viktigaste bidrag är att ge ökad insikt till revisionsbranschen om att sambandet mellan pressfaktorer och arbetsrelaterad stress är vanligt förekommande vilket kan få revisionsbyråer att rikta fokus på att hitta lösningar för att minska arbetsrelaterad stress. Dessutom bidrar studien till ökad kunskap till samhället i stort om stress som ett växande folkhälsoproblem, att fysisk aktivitet har flera positiva hälsoeffekter samt kan användas för att minska arbetsrelaterad stress. / Previous research has shown that time pressure and workload, which in this study are referred to as pressure factors, are common reasons for work-related stress for auditors. Research has also shown that prolonged stress is a growing public health issue that may lead to severe consequences if not addressed. As far as we are aware, there has yet to be any research conducted in regard to the association between pressure factors and work-related stress and how it is affected by physical activity   The aim of this study is to explain how the association between pressure factors and work-related stress is affected by physical activity. To achieve this aim, we have used literature covering time pressure, workload, work-related stress and physical activity. Three hypotheses have been constructed using previous research. To test the hypotheses a web-based survey was used, aimed specifically toward employed auditors.   Our study shows that time pressure and workload are explanatory factors to work related stress for auditors. However, the result does not point to physical activity having a moderating effect on the positive relation between pressure factors and work-related stress. The results do however show that physical activity directly connected to the work-related stress has a mitigating effect.   The most important contribution of the study is to give an increased insight to the auditing profession that the relation between pressure factors and work-related stress is indeed common which could help auditing firms to focus on finding solutions to reduce work-related stress. Our study also adds knowledge to society as a whole, that stress is a growing public health issue and that physical activity has a wide variety of positive health benefits and may be used to decrease work-related stress.

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Abstract Background: Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for evidence that confirms a person’s preconceptions. Confirmation bias among software testers is their tendency to validate the correct functioning of the program rather than testing it to reveal errors. Psychology literature suggests that time pressure may promote confirmation bias because time pressure impedes analytical processing of the task at hand. Time pressure is perceived negatively for its effects in software engineering (SE), therefore, its effect on confirmation bias may exacerbate software quality. Objective: We aim to examine confirmation bias among software testers. Additionally, we examine the effect of time pressure on confirmation bias and how time pressure affects the testers’ perception of the performance. We also question what other antecedents to confirmation bias exist in software testing and how they lead to it. Method: We first examined the state of the art research on cognitive biases in SE using systematic mapping. Then, we empirically examined the feasibility of using students in further experiments. An experiment with 42 students (novice professionals) investigated the manifestation of confirmation bias and whether time pressure promotes it. Another experiment with 87 novice professionals examined the perception of the performance of software testers under time pressure. A grounded theory study based on the interview-data of 12 practitioners explored other antecedents to confirmation bias in software testing and how they lead to it. Results: Time pressure emerged as a major antecedent to confirmation bias in the grounded theory. Testers prefer to validate the correct functioning of the program under time pressure. However, time pressure could not significantly promote confirmation bias among testers. Software testers significantly manifest confirmation bias irrespective of time pressure. The perception of performance is also sustained irrespective of time pressure. Conclusion: Testers should develop self-awareness of confirmation bias and improve their perception of performance to improve their actual testing. In the industry, automated testing may alleviate confirmation bias due to time pressure by rapidly executing the test suites. / Tiivistelmä Tausta: Vahvistusharha tarkoittaa taipumusta hakea ennakko-odotuksia vahvistavaa todistusaineistoa. Ohjelmistotestaajien vahvistusharha tarkoittaa taipumusta varmistaa ohjelmiston oikea toiminta mieluummin kuin hakea siitä virheitä. Psykologinen tutkimus esittää, että aikataulupaine voi lisätä vahvistusharhaa heikentämällä työn analyyttista tarkastelua. Aikataulupainetta pidetään ohjelmistotekniikan soveltamiseen kielteisesti vaikuttavana asiana, minkä johdosta sen vaikutus vahvistusharhaan voi heikentää ohjelmiston laatua. Tavoite: Tarkastelimme ohjelmistotestaajien vahvistusharhaa tutkimalla aikataulupaineen vaikutusta vahvistusharhaan ja testaajien käsitykseen testauksen tehokkuudesta. Lisäksi kysymme, mitkä muut tekijät johtavat ohjelmistotestauksen vahvistusharhaan, ja millä tavoin. Menetelmä: Ensiksi tarkastelimme ohjelmistotekniikan kognitiivisten harhojen viimeisintä tutkimusta systemaattista kirjallisuuskartoituksella. Sitten tutkimme kokeellisesti, miten yliopisto-opiskelijat soveltuvat käytettäväksi tutkimusjoukkona vahvistusharhan kokeellisessa tutkimuksessa. Kokeellinen tutkimus, johon osallistui 42 opiskelijaa (aloittelevaa ammattilaista), tarkasteli vahvistusharhan lisääntymistä aikataulupaineen vaikutuksesta. Toinen kokeellinen tutkimus, johon osallistui 87 aloittelevaa ammattilaista, tarkasteli ohjelmistotestaajien käsitystä testauksen tehokkuudesta aikataulupaineen alla. Kahdeltatoista ammattilaiselta haastattelemalla kerätystä tutkimusaineistosta tarkasteltiin ankkuroidun teorian menetelmällä muiden mahdollisten tekijöiden vaikutusta vahvistusharhaan. Tulokset: Ankkuroidussa teoriassa aikataulupaine osoittautui merkittäväksi vahvistusharhan tekijäksi. Ammattimaiset ohjelmistotestaajat haluavat mieluummin validoida ohjelmiston oikean toiminnan aikataulupaineessa. Toisessa kokeellisessa tutkimuksessa aikataulupaine ei kuitenkaan lisännyt merkittävästi testaajien vahvistusharhaa, vaan testaajien vahvistusharha ilmeni merkittävästi aikataulupaineista riippumatta. Myös käsitys työn tehokkuudesta säilyi riippumatta aikataulupaineesta. Johtopäätös: Ohjelmistotestaajien on syytä kehittää tietoisuuttaan vahvistusharhasta ja parantaa käsitystään työn tehokkuudesta parantaakseen testaustyötä. Teollisuudessa automaattinen testaus voi lieventää aikataulupaineen aiheuttamaa vahvistusharhaa nopeuttamalla testisarjoja.