33 research outputs found

    Sport Modalities, Performance and Health

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    Sport modalities are highly practiced in order to improve many aspects of human beings, including performance and health. The increasing interest in the quantitative and qualitative aspects of sport training is ascribable to the fact that several training systems and new methodologies are appearing in all sport modalities. These methodologies can have different effects on the organism depending on the degree of training.On the other hand, some of the main objectives in sport research are to describe match activity and to detect effective performance indicators. A better knowledge of players' performance adaptations and game dynamics during competition is extremely useful for optimizing the training process. The need to develop training methodologies according to actions occurring during the game is essential for each sport

    Managing Customer Complaints in Online Auction Markets

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    The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies managers in the online auction industry used to manage customer complaints to improve customer satisfaction. The targeted population consisted of 4 managers of online auction companies in the southwestern region of the United States. The conceptual framework for the study was Argyris and Sch�n\u27s double-loop learning theory. Data were collected via semistructured interviews with business managers, observation of company operations and behaviors, review of documentation, and member-checking activities. Data analysis consisted of text interpretation of data and notes using coding techniques. Data analysis resulted in 5 themes: business orientation, customer purview, complaints handling, coping strategies, and learning abilities. The implications of this study for positive social change include facilitating the growth of online markets and increasing lower-cost purchasing opportunities for consumers with limited access to conventional marketplaces

    Handbook for NGO Success with a Focus on Animal Advocacy

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    This handbook has been divided into four parts: Animal Protection Issues, Ways of Tackling an Issue, Running an Animal Protection Society and Essential Skills. Part 1 looks at the welfare issues affecting companion animals, farm animals, wildlife, working animals, animals in entertainment and experimental animals, and offers practical strategies to tackle these issues. Part 2 of the handbook considers the various ways of raising the status and improving the treatment of animals. The two main routes, legislation and education, are examined first, followed by practical advice on how to campaign, lobby and use the media to your benefit. Part 3 discusses the main components of running an animal protection society. It outlines the key considerations for establishing a society, as well as how to develop a strategy, manage projects and fundraise. Finally, the importance of support services, libraries and publications is examined. Part 4 gives an overview of many of the professional and personal skills required to run an effective animal protection society: leadership, team building, time management, holding effective meetings, giving presentations, stress management, dealing with compassion fatigue, continuous learning and maintaining motivation.https://www.wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/ebooks/1029/thumbnail.jp

    Proximate and ultimate drivers of breeding-group choice and reproductive success in male spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta)

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    In group-living species, the choice of the breeding group and the social rank in the hierarchy of the group strongly influence an individual’s fitness. Yet the causes and consequences of variation in breeding-group choice and dispersal propensity, and the proximate mechanisms through which social rank influences an individual’s ability to access mates and reproduce remain poorly understood. This thesis has three main aims: (i) identify the drivers of the coexistence of dispersal and philopatry among males in the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), a large, group-living carnivore; (ii) assess whether and how social rank and social and physiological constraints influence reproductive investment and success in male hyenas; (iii) improve the applicability of non-invasive hormone concentration measurements. The thesis combines long-term data on the behaviour, physiology, survival and reproductive success of male spotted hyenas with demographic data from all eight social groups of a free-ranging hyena population in Tanzania. In Chapter 3, I show that philopatric male and dispersers are of similar phenotypic quality, follow the same process and apply the same rules to choose and settle in a breeding group, and have similar survival and reproductive success. I also show that social rank is a strong determinant of male access to mates and reproductive success in spotted hyenas. Philopatric males gain reproductive benefits associated with their high social rank and these benefits increase the propensity of males to choose their natal group as a breeding group. The results demonstrate that the distribution of breeding females across natal and nonnatal groups is an important determinant of dispersal patterns and of the coexistence of philopatry and dispersal in male spotted hyenas. In Chapter 4, I develop a novel method to standardise hormone metabolite concentration measurements when substantial changes in the accuracy of an immunoassay occur. The method is based on repeated assaying of a small number of samples and restores the comparability of the measurements. The method constitutes an effective alternative to the often impracticable re-assaying of complete sample sets. In Chapter 5, I show that males with a high social rank are less constrained by physiological stress than low-ranking males, owing to their greater opportunities to express dominance and enjoy the buffering effect of social bonds. This allows high-ranking males, including philopatric males, to allocate more time than low-ranking males to fitness-enhancing social and sexual activities, and to focus their sexual investment on females of high reproductive value. These results are consistent with the results of Chapter 3 and may explain why philopatric males and high-ranking immigrants are particularly successful at siring offspring with females of high reproductive value. The thesis provides insights into (i) the role of demographic variability and the distribution of breeding partners in driving the evolution of dispersal and in shaping dispersal patterns within populations; (ii) the traits that underpin differences in competitive ability and reproductive performance between males of different social rank; and (iii) the role of social rank and of social and physiological constraints in shaping differences in life history and reproductive success among males in group-living species.Bei gruppenlebenden Arten wird die Fitness von Individuen stark durch die Wahl der Fortpflanzungsgruppe und den sozialen Rang in der Hierarchie der Gruppe beeinflusst. Die Ursachen und Folgen von Unterschieden in der Wahl der Fortpflanzungsgruppe und der Abwanderungsneigung sowie die Mechanismen, durch die der soziale Rang den Zugang zu Paarungspartnern und den Fortpflanzungserfolg beeinflusst, sind weitgehend unbekannt. Diese Arbeit hat drei Hauptziele: (i) Ursachen für die Koexistenz von Abwanderung und Ortstreue (Philopatrie) bei Männchen der Tüpfelhyäne (Crocuta crocuta), einem großen, gruppenlebenden Raubtier, zu identifizieren; (ii) den Einfluss des sozialen Ranges und sozialer und physiologischer Eigenschaften auf die Investitionen in die Fortpflanzung und den Fortpflanzungserfolg bei Tüpfelhyänen-Männchen zu ermessen; (iii) die Anwendbarkeit von nicht-invasiven Hormonkonzentrationsmessungen zu verbessern. Die Arbeit verbindet Langzeitdaten über das Verhalten, die Physiologie, das Überleben und den Fortpflanzungserfolg von Tüpfelhyänen-Männchen mit demographischen Daten aus allen acht Clans einer freilebenden Hyänenpopulation in Tansania. In Kapitel 3 zeige ich, dass abgewanderte und philopatrische Tüpfelhyänen-Männchen von ähnlicher phänotypischer Qualität sind, die gleichen Prozesse und Regeln anwenden, um eine Fortpflanzungsgruppe auszuwählen und sich darin niederzulassen, und ähnliche Überlebenswahrscheinlichkeiten und Fortpflanzungserfolge haben. Ich zeige auch, dass der soziale Rang den Zugang zu Paarungspartnern und den Fortpflanzungserfolg beeinflusst, dass philopatrische Männchen durch ihren hohen sozialen Rang einen hohen Fortpflanzungserfolg haben, und dass die Vorteile von Ortstreue die Wahrscheinlichkeit der Männchen erhöht, ihre Geburtsgruppe als Fortpflanzungsgruppe auszuwählen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Anzahl der Paarungspartner in der Geburts- und anderen Gruppen das Abwanderungsverhalten und die Abwanderungshäufigkeit bestimmt und die Koexistenz von Abwanderung und Ortstreue bei Tüpfelhyänen-Männchen begründet. In Kapitel 4 entwickle ich eine neuartige Methode zur Standardisierung der Messung von Hormonmetabolitenkonzentrationen wenn wesentliche Änderungen in der Messgenauigkeit eines Immunoassays auftreten. Das Verfahren basiert auf der bei jeder Messung wiederholten Analyse einer kleinen Anzahl von Proben und stellt die Vergleichbarkeit der Messungen her. Es ist eine effektive und effiziente Alternative zur oft undurchführbaren wiederholten Analyse aller Proben. In Kapitel 5 zeige ich, dass Männchen mit einem hohen sozialen Rang mehr Möglichkeiten haben, Dominanz auszuüben und von der Pufferwirkung sozialer Bindungen zu profitieren als Männchen mit einem niedrigeren Rang. Hochrangige Männchen werden dadurch weniger stark durch physiologischen Stress eingeschränkt als tieferrangige Männchen. Dies ermöglicht es hochrangigen Männchen, einschließlich philopatrischen Männchen, mehr Zeit in fitnessfördernde soziale und sexuelle Aktivitäten zu investieren als tiefer rangige Männchen und besonders viel in Weibchen mit hohem Fortpflanzungswert zu investieren. Diese Ergebnisse stehen im Einklang mit den Ergebnissen von Kapitel 3 und können erklären, warum philopatrische Männchen und hochrangige Einwanderer besonders häufig Nachkommen mit Weibchen von hohem Fortpflanzungswert zeugen. Die Arbeit liefert Einblicke in (i) die Rolle der demographischen Variabilität und der Verteilung von Paarungspartnern für die Evolution von Abwanderung und Philopatrie und die Entstehung von Abwanderungsmustern auf Populationsebene, (ii) Merkmale, die Unterschiede in der Konkurrenzfähigkeit und der Investition in Fortpflanzung zwischen Männchen unterschiedlichen sozialen Ranges verursachen, und (iii) die Rolle des sozialen Ranges und sozialer und physiologischer Eigenschaften bei der Entstehung von Unterschieden in der Lebensgeschichte und des Fortpflanzungserfolgs zwischen Männchen bei gruppenlebenden Arten

    Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities

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    Effects of structure on efficacy of public relations problem-solving processes.

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    The unit of analysis for this study was the group. Treatment groups A were trained in a modified public relations problem solving (PRPS) process which used CPS techniques as decision making procedures. The treatment groups B were trained in the traditional PRPS process; and the control groups were not trained.It was concluded that training in CPS activities may have a significant effect on idea quantity and participant satisfaction--at least when public relations campaigns are considered.Although inter-rater reliability on the quality of ideas was too low to compare the three groups, two judges' ratings were summed for each idea and average quality scores across groups for each condition were compared. This analysis revealed a non-significant effect for the quality of ideas.The results indicated that there was a significant difference in the quality of the problem statements developed between the three groups. However, a post hoc analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the problem statements produced between groups trained in the modified PRPS process and the traditional PRPS process. The results of the study indicate that groups trained in the modified PRPS process generate significantly more ideas than groups trained in the traditional PRPS and the control groups.The research question for this study was: What effect does training in techniques of divergent and convergent activities in creative problem solving (CPS) have on public relations problem solving processes? To answer this question, this study focused on the differences between three groups in terms of the quality of problem statements, the quantity of ideas about strategies, the quality of ideas about the strategies, and participants' satisfaction levels.The study revealed that subjects trained in the modified PRPS process were more satisfied with their perception of freedom to participate and the quantity of ideas generated by their groups than subjects trained in the traditional PRPS. In addition, the results reveal that participants' satisfaction level on "perceived freedom to participate" was positively related to their satisfaction level on the quantity and quality of ideas generated and the process used by them.The results show that subjects trained in the modified PRPS process were more satisfied with their small group communication than subjects trained in the traditional process. The results show, however, that ideas produced by subjects trained in the traditional PRPS process and in the control groups are significantly better than ideas produced by the subjects trained in the modified PRPS.The groups were given a hypothetical public relation case. The quality of the problem statements and ideas generated by the groups were evaluated by two judges. The quantity of ideas was measured by counting the number of ideas about the public relations campaign strategies generated by each group of subjects. The satisfaction levels of individuals were measured by participant's self-reports after finishing the experiment task

    Two-Dimensional Machiavellianism: Conceptualisation, Measurement, and Well-Being

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    Individuals learn to influence and manipulate others to function as part of society. Machiavellianism captures one’s willingness to orchestrate the behaviour of others against their interests, rights, and well-being. Research focuses primarily on a single Machiavellianism dimension. This thesis, however, contends that Machiavellianism comprises two correlated dimensions: a views dimension that captures one's cynical and distrusting view of humanity and the world, and a tactics dimension that captures one’s willingness to endorse exploitative and amoral behaviours when deemed advantageous. This thesis aimed to develop a stronger understanding of each dimension, and this required developing stronger psychometric instruments. The secondary aim was to test the presupposition of no psychopathological cost to Machiavellianism. After an initial foray into Machiavelli and Machiavellianism in the first two chapters, Chapter 3 identifies a robust Machiavellianism factor-structure and how each dimension relates to psychopathological domains in 1478 US and 218 Australian participants. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that Machiavellianism comprises two robust dimensions which could be reliably captured through a 10-item subset of the Mach-IV scale, named Two-Dimensional Mach-IV (TDM-IV). Further, Machiavellian views associated with all major psychological domains, while Machiavellian tactics related only to the externalising and thought dysfunction domains. Machiavellianism is two-dimensional, with each dimension having distinctive psychopathological implications. The study in Chapter 4 investigates whether these two dimensions are universal, or merely measurement artefacts within Study 1. If universal, this research further aimed to develop a nomological network to better understand the nature of each dimension. International collaborators shared 15 datasets, which comprisedover 17,000 participants. The two-factor structure was reproducible and structurally equivalent across cultures, languages, types of respondent, response category length, age, and gender. Further, each dimension was situated within a different constellation of broad personality traits, developmental pathways, emotionality, and behaviour. Therefore, the two dimensions appear to be core aspects of Machiavellianism and need to be independently captured in future research. The TDM-IV derives from the Mach-IV, inheriting many of its psychometric concerns that reduce the accuracy of its inferences, such as confusing item wording and not accounting for acquiesces appropriately. To overcome these weaknesses, Chapter 5 presents the development and validation of the Two-Dimensional Machiavellianism Scale (TDMS). The TDMS had excellent psychometric properties in six independent samples involving over 3800 participants, based on confirmatory factor analysis, longitudinal structural equation modelling, and item response theory. The scale provided invariant measurement across all samples and a test-retest sample, was internally consistent, and provided most information in the low to high average range. This study demonstrates confirmatory and discriminatory validity with existing measures of Machiavellianism, broader personality taxonomies, socio-political attitudes, psychopathy, narcissism, and morality vignettes. Finally, Chapter 6 explicates this two-dimensional Machiavellianism construct and discusses key areas for future investigation, including latent profiles, longitudinal modelling of each dimension’s development, and cross-cultural equivalence. Together, this research demonstrates that: a) Machiavellianism comprises two distinct dimensions, b) the TDMS, as a psychometrically robust measure of Machiavellianism, should replace current measures of Machiavellianism, and c) the presupposition of psychopathological immunity among Machiavellians is false
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