The risk of psychological derailment in complex environments

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Organisational PsychologyStratified Systems Theory classifies roles within organisations according to varying discontinuous levels or layers of work (Stamp, 1981). These levels are differentiated according to the time frames within which employees typically see results, the level of responsibility they are expected to take on, as well as the complexity of the work they are engaged in (Jaques, 2007a). The aim of the current study was to contribute towards existing literature on managerial derailment by investigating whether there is an association between the level of work and the risk of derailing behaviour, and if the degree of fit between an individual’s level of work and their current and future cognitive capability is associated with the risk of derailing behaviour. Derailing behaviour is conceptualised as destructive actions that have a detrimental effect on the career progression or success of an individual (Freedman, 2005). Archival data was made available to the researcher from a single large, international telecommunications organisation based in South Africa. Participants who had been assessed using the Modified Career Path Appreciation (MCPA) as well as the Hogan Development Survey (HDS) were included in the study. The final sample (n=252) consisted of managers working at various levels of the organisation who had been assessed for the purposes of either selection or development during 2015. Overall, the research hypotheses were not supported. Contrary to what was expected, a higher level of work was not associated with a greater risk of derailing behaviour. In fact, a greater number of derailers were evident at a lower level of work when compared to a slightly higher level of work. Furthermore, contrary to what was hypothesised, those whose level of work exceeded their current or future capabilities did not display a greater risk of derailing behaviour than those who achieved fit with their environment. On the contrary, a greater risk of derailing behaviour was found for those whose current or future capabilities exceeded that required by their level of work. No differences in the types of derailing behaviour reported were found to be associated with the level of work an individual is operating at, the degree of fit they experience between their current capability and their work environment, or the degree of fit they experience between their future capability and their work environment. All the analyses conducted reinforced the same finding that participants in the sample were more likely to report a high risk of displaying derailers falling into the ‘moving against’ category, regardless of these factors.GR201

Employee Turnover: The Effects of Labor Market Classification, Professionalism, Career Commitment, Career Opportunity, Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, and Ease of Movement.

This paper extends previous research by analyzing the effects of selected variables on employee turnover decisions. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to: (a) examine both the relation of ease of movement to turnover and intent to leave and the relation of job satisfaction to perceived career opportunities, as moderated by labor market classification; (b) test the relation of professionalism to organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and turnover; and (c) examine the relation of perceived career opportunities to turnover and intent to leave, as moderated by career commitment. Subjects were Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses and Nurses\u27 Aids (n = 302) employed by two medium sized hospitals in a southern community. Questionnaires were used to measure independent variables, and six months after the initial questionnaire distribution, turnover data were collected from hospital records. Given the dichotomous nature of turnover as a dependent variable, analyses were conducted using both moderated and logistic regression techniques so as to compare results. The results suggest that professionalism should be considered as a construct separate from career commitment when predicting turnover. Labor market classification was found to significantly moderate the relationship between job satisfaction and perceived career opportunities, although it did not moderate the relationship between ease of movement and turnover. Career commitment was found to significantly moderate the relationship between perceived career opportunities and intent to leave, although it did not moderate the relationship between perceived career opportunities and turnovers. There is evidence that moderated regression may be a more stringent test than logistic regression when a dichotomous dependent variable is employed. Results are discussed in terms of their impact on managing turnover and on future investigations in this theoretical arena

Obscenity and Expression: Profanity and Swear Words in the Theatre

In American culture, obscenity is becoming ever more present in daily speech. Theatre, as a reflection of society, often utilizes this language in performance. Through research into biology, social constructs, and personal motivations this thesis explores what makes profane language powerful and emotional as well as offensive. Obscenity was directly linked to emotional and visceral reactions in audiences, making it an effective tool for the playwright. Also considered is the cultural and historical evolution of profanity and the attempts to control its usage in performance. The use of obscene or offensive language by playwrights and other theatre artists to create characters and scenes was examined with a close investigation into the work of William Shakespeare and David Mamet. Shakespeare\u27s use of offensive language was a means to skirt the censors at work in his day. Both authors use profanity and offensive language to declare the social and economic status, as well as the education level of characters. Additionally, changes in characters and differences between characters are developed by their use of obscenity

TOXIC CYANOBACTERIA IN THE TROPICS: EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON THE GROWTH AND TOXIN PRODUCTION OF MICROCYSTIS SPECIES ISOLATED FROM SINGAPORE RESERVOIRS

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

An ex-situ mesocosm study of emergent macrophyte effects on phytoplankton communities

10.1127/fal/2019/1179FUNDAMENTAL AND APPLIED LIMNOLOGY1923225-23

Adults with late diagnosed PKU and severe challenging behaviour: a randomised placebo-controlled trial of phenylolanine-restricted diet.

BACKGROUND: Although early diagnosis and treatment in phenylketonuria (PKU) leads to excellent outcomes, a population of adults born before the introduction of newborn screening exists. They can have severe intellectual disabilities and behavioural problems, and are often dependent on full-time carers. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a diet that lowers blood phenylalanine concentration can have significant benefits upon behaviour. METHODS: A prospective double-blind randomised placebo-controlled crossover trial of phenylalanine-restricted diet was performed in a group of 34 adults (aged 21-61 years, median 49) with late diagnosed PKU with severe challenging behaviour. RESULTS: Only 17 completed the 60 week study: seven withdrew before the end of the baseline period; five withdrew during the first diet period; five withdrew during the second diet period (after moving into placebo phase). The mean (SD) blood phenylalanine was 1570 (222) micromol/l during baseline, 553(158) mumol/l during the active phase and 1444 (255) micromol/l during the placebo phase. In the 22 participants exposed to both active and placebo phases, no differences were demonstrated in behaviour assessed by the Aberrant Behavior Checklist and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, behaviour diaries or on video analysis of direct observations. However, 76% of carers' comments were scored as positive during the active phase, compared with 54% during the placebo phase (chi(2) = 38.06, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: There are significant challenges in studying people with intellectual disabilities and considerable difficulties in instituting phenylalanine-restricted diet in this population. However, if attempted, there are potential benefits to quality of life for the individuals with PKU and their carers