Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Self-directed change'

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and in the Dept. of Cognitive Science, 2009.<br>Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Jul 22, 2010). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-12, Section: B, page: 7883. Adviser: Linda B. Smith.

In South Africa, the trend has been towards the decentralising of authority and giving greater powers to schools. This implies the active involvement of the school governing body members, the school management team members and the Level One educators in the day-to-day functioning of the school. Whilst some schools have welcomed this change and seen this devolution of power as an added advantage contributing to the efficacy of schools, some schools have struggled, while others have failed dismally to cope with this added responsibility of managing their own resources. The researcher, being an educator involved in this transition, has been intrigued by the success of some self-managing schools and the failure of others. The following words of Oliver Wendell Holmes have inspired the investigator to conduct this research to ascertain the reasons for the success of certain schools and the failure of others: “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Since the performance of schools is normally ranked according to their matriculation pass rates, this research focused on six self-managing schools in the Port Elizabeth District. These schools were selected on the basis of their matriculation performances in 2008. Two of the schools had achieved an above 85 percent matriculation pass rate (Category A); two obtained a 50 percent pass rate (Category B); while the other two schools obtained matriculation pass rates of between 25 percent and 30 percent (Category C). Although the research relied strongly on a qualitative method of inquiry, because of the nature of the data and the need to obtain a better understanding of the feelings, attitude and perceptions of those in management positions, governing body positions and members of the personnel, multiple instruments for data collection such as a literature review and the study of school documents and questionnaires, were used. This inclusion of these multiple instruments for obtaining information, which is also called triangulation, contributed to the reliability and validity of the empirical investigation. Although the data was presented in the form of tables and graphs, vi which alludes to a quantitative approach, a narrative interpretation of the findings, which is associated with a qualitative method of inquiry, was also presented. An analysis of the findings revealed that there was a great amount of involvement of the principals, school management team members and Level One educators in Category A schools, which had a matriculation pass rate of above 85%, in the following change management strategies: the establishment of a vision, planning and organising, teamwork, training and development, communication, praise and incentives, and evaluation and feedback. There was also a great contribution by the school governing body members. However, the study revealed that Category B and Category C schools did not effectively use communication, praise and incentives and evaluation and feedback as change management strategies. It was evident from the empirical investigation that in Category B and C schools, the school governing body members were less, or not involved in the usage of the change management strategies applied. According to the results based on the six-facet model of Emotional Intelligence, Category A schools obtained 80% and above in the competencies relating to the self and social domain. Category B schools fluctuated between 50 percent and 80 percent in both dimensions, while Category C schools fluctuated between 30 percent and 80 percent. The findings suggest that there should be greater involvement of all stakeholders, especially the school governing body members, in the establishment of a vision, planning and organising, communication, teamwork, training and development, praise and incentives and the provision of feedback and evaluation for self-managing schools to become effective and improve their performances. Professional development, especially in the areas pertaining to Emotional Intelligence competencies such as personal and interpersonal skills, should be prioritised. This thesis proposes that, on the basis of the investigation carried out at the six participating schools on the influence of Emotional Intelligence on the change management strategies adopted in self-managing schools, schools use strategies such as the establishment of a vision, planning and organising, communication, teamwork, training and development, praise and incentives and evaluation and feedback to ameliorate the damaging impact of change. There should be continuous training and development at schools, especially for the school governing body members, who are elected every three years. The newly elected school governing body members need to develop the necessary skills to effectively contribute to the efficacy of schools. The human resource is the vital ingredient in schools, thus for any progression or improvement, all stakeholders need to be informed, trained and enriched. Since Emotional Intelligence can be learned, professional development in the area of Emotional Intelligence should be given more thought and included in training courses, focusing on the development of personal and interpersonal skills. The Emotional Intelligence training should be conducted as part of teacher training courses as well as on an annual basis for educators already in the teaching system, since Emotional Intelligence can influence the use of change management strategies at schools and enhance the efficacy of the functioning of self-managing schools.

This study aims to measure the managerial skills of managers working in the banking industry. To do so, the newly developed managerial skills measuring instrument of Thekiso (2011) was used by to determine skills for managerial competence in the banking industry. The seven managerial skills that are covered in the questionnaire are: Self awareness skills; Self directed career planning; Integrative skills; Planning and controlling skills; Organizing skills; Leading skills; and Managing change skills. Even though some skills may appear on a less frequent basis, six of the seven skills were rated to be of a high importance, with their means ranging between 4.008 and 4.480 on the 5–point Likert scale. Training in the form of mentoring and stewardship programs, to transfer knowledge and introduce existing relationships to up and coming leaders, would be of great value for companies in the banking industry to foster these seven managerial competency skills. By implementing training and mentoring programs on a much broader scale, organisations can train and use their leaders’ abilities to gain competitive advantage in the market.<br>Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

The focus of this dissertation research involves surface charge manipulation of functionalized monolayers. Application of potential to acid or base terminated organic films immobilized on electrodes results in the ionization of the terminal groups. The ionization of these groups using applied potential provides conditions favorable the control of polyelectrolyte deposition to the monolayer surface. Research is presented that asserts that the interfacial pH of acid or base terminated monolayers responds to applied potential as a result of the accumulation of phosphate counterions to the monolayer-solution interface. Results obtained from applied potential modulation of surface charge endeavors strongly suggest that manipulation of terminal group ionization with applied potential “turns on“ or “turns off“ the charge of the monolayer. Switching on the surface charge of functionalized monolayers using applied potential yields conditions that make it possible for the promotion or inhibition of electrostatic attachment of polyelectrolyte to the monolayer surface. Electrostatic interactions between immobilized polyelectrolytes and redox probes result in changes in electron transfer that can be monitored with electrochemical impedance measurements. Impedance measurements provide a qualitative assessment of the degree of potential-driven polyelectrolyte self assembly. The electrostatic interactions between the redox probe in solution and the terminal region of monolayers directly affects the extent of charge-transfer between the electrode and the redox probe in solution. For this reason, impedance measurements are able to provide an indication of whether or not potential drives to electrostatic deposition to the terminal region of a functionalized monolayer. Unlike impedance measurements, quartz crystal microbalance measurements provide quantitative mass assessments that confirm polyelectrolyte deposition of inhibition under the direction of applied potential. Application of appropriate potentials is shown to induce variations in the electrostatic interactions between redox probes in solution and terminal groups of monolayers. Variations in the electrostatic interactions between the modified electrode and the redox probe modulate electron transfer that produces varying current. Since scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) relies on modulation of feedback current underneath a ten-micrometer platinum tip, SECM provides a means for monitoring of potential-driven surface charge modulation. Experiments presented in this dissertation will show that in addition to monitoring the effect of applied potential on the charge of ionizable surface groups, SECM can also be used to selectively deposit a polyelectrolyte to the surface of a carboxylic acid terminated monolayer. The SECM tip was rastered over the surface of a functionalized monolayer in the form of a simple pattern while the electrode was immersed in a dilute polyelectrolyte solution. As the SECM tip was moved and potential stepped more positive than the PZC, ionization was confined ionization to one spot encouraging localized ionic self assembly.<br>Ph. D.

Most Kenyan high school dropouts do not have a school reentry option, and without a high school diploma, they lack access to tertiary or higher education institutions for training and career development. This case study was an investigation of how an adult learning center in Kenya educated high school dropouts and helped them to gain access to vocational training or higher education. The research questions addressed the pedagogy, learning experiences, and curriculum of the Baraka Adult Learning Center (BALC) and also focused on how the BALC met students' aspirations, needs, and goals based on the perceptions of teachers and adult learners. The conceptual framework was based on liberatory education theory, transformative learning theory, and andragogy. Data collected from classroom observation s, curriculum review, and interviews with 9 current students, 3 former students, 5 teachers, and the principal were analyzed inductively by sorting and coding to generate emergent themes. The results of the study indicated that instructors followed the regular high school curriculum with little adaptation and lacked training about teaching adult learners and self-directed learning approaches. The adult learners perceived returning to school as getting a second chance. A professional development project for BALC instructors was developed to address some of the needs identified in the study. This training could have an impact on the adult learners by better assisting them to gain access to vocational training and higher education.

The principal theory in the field of public relations, grounded in the landmark Excellence Study headed by J.E. Grunig (1992), has moved from viewing activist groups as posing a threat to organizational effectiveness, to recognizing their positive influence on the development of Excellent public relations practices, to incorporating the activist perspective into the main research agenda. The public relations practices of activist groups are similar to those of their target organizations, and research has demonstrated that both parties are more likely to achieve their respective goals if both use symmetrical strategies. Factors that have been found to be critical to the success of activist groups include their ability to maintain the viability and legitimacy of the organization and the issue(s) it pursues, and their ability to build relationships of trust with its members, complementary organizations, legislative bodies, and the press. Since web-based communication has become a principal source of counterbalancing their disadvantage in resources vis-à-vis the targeted institution(s), the ability to take advantage of the potential of online media has also become critical to the success of activist groups. Another important source for counterweighing the “deep pockets” of their corporate or governmental adversaries, and thus a critical factor for success, is the “motivation and fervor” of the members of activist groups. Whereas the public relations behavior of corporations and governments is primarily cued by highly rational and regulated guidelines at the organizational (meso) level, activist public relations behavior is often grounded in highly emotional considerations at the personal (micro) level. This raises the question: how can the public relations practices of an activist group affect its members at the personal level? Bandura’s model of self-directed change (1990) offers a promising framework for addressing this question, as it facilitates the evaluation of an activist group’s public relations campaign in terms of its effectiveness in reinforcing the motivation, social and self-regulatory skills, and self-efficacy of individual members. The model suggests that effective activist public relations practices are not only successful in preserving viability and legitimacy at the meso level, but also enhance empowerment at the micro level.<br>text

Faced with global challenges, like environmental degradation, poverty, social injustice, and discrimination against marginalized societal groups, it is important to develop strategies that promote concern for the well-being of others and encourage prosocial action. Engaging in prosocial behaviors can contribute to positive social change through reducing discrimination, improving the situation and well-being of those in need, and fostering more sustainable personal lifestyles. One important factor that limits human prosociality is our ‘finite pool of worry’, the fact that humans have only finite resources, physiologically, cognitively, and socially (Linville & Fischer, 1991; Weber, 2006). Effortful and costly prosociality (Dovidio, 1984; Gneezy, Imas, Brown, Nelson, & Norton, 2012; Rand, Greene, & Nowak, 2012; Rand & Nowak, 2013; Simpson & Willer, 2008), especially towards distant and unknown others, stigmatized groups, or the natural environment, may not receive preference in the allocation of resources over self-related goals and the fulfillment of crucial personal needs. One of the most fundamental human needs is establishing and maintaining a positive self-image (Epstein, 1973; Heine, Lehman, Markus, & Kitayama, 1999; Leary, Tambor, Terdal, & Downs, 1995). This dissertation investigates two strategies for motivating prosocial behavior that leverage this need for a positive self-image and the fact that humans are motivated to fulfill it. Paper I explores anticipated emotions in the context of pro-environmental decision making. It assess the effects of inducing people to consider their future feelings with a certain decision they are about to take. Results show that inducing people to anticipate pride from prosocial action versus guilt from inaction is relatively more effective at instilling pro-environmental motivation. Furthermore, exploratory findings point toward potential reactance to attempts to solicit prosocial behavior by prompting anticipated guilt. Papers II and III explore the potential of a values affirmation intervention to motivate prosocial behavior. Starting from self-affirmation theory (Steele, 1988), paper II hypothesizes that the act of affirming one’s values may increase positive self-directed emotions (‘positive self-regard’) which can translate into downstream prosociality. It proposes a potential explanation for this effect, such that a heightened positive sense of self, stemming from engaging in the affirmation intervention, may reduce worry about the self, thus freeing up cognitive and emotional resources to engage in behaviors directed towards others. Results show that a values affirmation intervention can successfully promote prosocial behavior towards unknown and distant others in the form of volunteering time and donating real money to charity. As hypothesized, positive self-regard mediates the effect of the affirmation intervention on prosociality. Paper III extends the scope of the work to situations in which the beneficiaries of the prosocial action are members of marginalized and stigmatized societal groups, such as ex-prisoners. It tests the generalizability of the hypothesized affirmation effects in two countries, Nigeria and the United States. Results show that engaging members of the public in a values affirmation intervention can reduce discriminatory tendencies and promote prosociality towards ex-prisoners in both countries under investigation. Implications and recommendations for policy and practice are discussed in each paper. This dissertation is of high theoretical as well as applied relevance and makes important contributions to scholarship and practice. It contributes to the advancement of psychological theory as well as its application potential to help foster social change in an endeavor to address some of the most pressing and challenging social issues nations around the world face.

D.Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)<br>Over the past four decades we have witnessed the emergence of amazingly sophisticated means of cardiovascular diagnosis and therapy. For the first time in many years, some Western countries could report a decline in cardiovascular deaths. During this same span of years we have witnessed the remarkable development of an array of technological achievements that include the means for invasive diagnostic procedure such as cardiac catherization, and non-invasive methods of echocardiography, magnetic, radio-isotopic and positron imagery which provide detailed diagnostic and prognostic information. This innovations along with synthetic grafts have permitted surgical interventions that would not have been conceivable at the outset of this cardiovascular odyssey. Another major advance has been the appearance of new pharmacological modalities; the diuretics, the beta-adrenergic receptors and angiotension converting enzyme inhibitors, the calcium antagonists and other anti-hypersensitive agents, a spectrum of antiarrhythmic compounds, anticoagulants and fibrinolytic therapy, and the promise of still more innovative and novel modes of therapy which will appear via genetic engineering. Over the past years there has been equally significant development in the area of cardiovascular epidemiology. These advances include the demonstration of validity and the efficacy of various therapeutic programmes by the unique development of complex multi-center trials, as well as long-term population-based studies. Through this endeavours specific risk factors that impart independent risk ofpremature cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has been identified. Some of these risk factors are clearly not modifiable such as advancing years, male gender and race. Others are at least partly modifiable: predisposition to diabetes myelitis and increased body mass. By virtue of multi-center trials we have clear evidence that cigarette smoking, rising systolic and diastolic arterial pressures, serum cholesterol levels, and diabetes are modifiable. It is a known fact that not all individuals with coronary artery disease are cured by medication or by means of a surgical intervention. In addition to this, the reduction of traditional biomedical risk factors have been shown to be insufficient in averting the reocclusion and the further occlusion of coronary arteries in patient populations.

The purpose of this research is to describe and analyze the public relations elements of Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s campaign to prevent underage drinking. The focus will be Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and its current communication strategies and possible future initiatives. An analysis of underage drinking in the United States provides the necessary background for MADD’s change in its prior mission statement and goals. The public relations strategies of MADD will be analyzed through the characteristics of organizational excellence, models of public relations and focus principally on the factors for self-directed change. After discussing the basic foundations of MADD’s current campaign, an analysis of underage drinking on college campuses explains the need for a separate campaign for the college community. The results of MADD’s public relations and campaign will be discussed in closing.<br>text

This research study is an exploration of the self-directed professional development of teachers, teaching in public schools in an era of democracy and educational change in South Africa. Amidst an ever-changing educational system, these teachers - Mbeje, Shabeer, Carolina, Shakila and Tasneem - position themselves as self-directed teacher-learners. As self-directed teacher-learners they adopt particular learning practices which enable change within the broader discourses of public schooling. Life-story interviews were used to enter into the public and private spaces of these five teachers which offered me glimpses of how particular systems shaped their identities, and how the meanings of teacher-learner shaped their learning practices. I employed the thematic restorying approach to represent the narratives. Through collaboration with the teachers in this study, I identified critical moments in their lives which shaped their self-directed learning for change within the broader discourses of public schooling. The reconstructed narratives are located within the social, political and educational systems of apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa Positioning this study in the critical paradigm, I developed a multi-layered framework of analysis and interpretation. I offer my interpretations of the stories through three lenses: restorying the field texts - the self through story; the teacher-learner in relation to socio-cultural contexts, and practices of self-directed learning. This study shows that as teacher-learners learn for change through self-directed learning , they develop their agency as transformative intellectuals, which is necessary for the reworking of South African public schools. Self-directed learning is critical for the transformation of the teacher-learner: as their race, class and gender meanings are disrupted for new meanings of teacher- learner. In their becoming they consciously and subconsciously create a “new professional teacher-learner” for South African public schooling.<br>Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Accelerating technological and social innovation drives the need for graduates ready for self-directed lifelong learning. Self-directed learning (SDL) projects are now an integral part of many formal undergraduate programs across the disciplines. A Personal Development Portfolio (PDP) based on Grow’s Iterative Staged Self-directed Learning Model was introduced into a second year Information Systems course to raise awareness of the need for SDL and enable students to drive their own learning. The study evaluates the success of the PDP in preparing graduates as self-directed lifelong learners. Students’ reflective writing and learning journals, together with submitted portfolio work was taken as evidence of success and difficulties. Resistance often accompanies the changes introduced by SDL. This research therefore also explores the potential for business change management principles in mediating change to the educational environment. Student engagement with SDL was found to be accomplished with mixed success; most students demonstrated initial resistance, while many developed into focused reflective learners over time. While students were able to define appropriate learning goals and reflect on progress and achievement, mixed ability in specifying resources, strategies and validation to support their learning was found. Creating change readiness through messaging, cooperative SDL and using adapted change management models were of use in refining the SDL process.

Low participation in and poor adherence to regular exercise presents a major challenge for health promotion programs (Centers for Disease Control, 1990; Dishman, 1994). The workplace provides a unique context to reach a large proportion of society for multiple health promotion programs. Effective workplace interventions are likely those combining environmental and behavioural change models from a variety of fields, and are tailored as much as resources will allow to the needs and circumstances of the workplace culture and to individuals participating in the program (Green and Cargo 1994). Few studies in the workplace context, however, have focused on integrated programs drawn from a variety of fields to facilitate exercise behaviour change. Even less evidence exists about application of learning following worksite health promotion programs. The purpose of this study was to examine application of learning following an integrated worksite health promotion program. The aim of the program was to empower participants individually and collectively with knowledge, attitudes, skills and experiences to think critically and to self-direct exercise behaviour change. Green and Kreuter's (1991) Precede-Proceed model was used as the guiding framework for the planning and evaluation processes in a worksite setting. Twenty-six clerical employees in the University of British Columbia's Department of Housing and Conferences participated in a four-week intervention program and twenty-two clerical employees participated in a waiting-list control group. An eclectic set of quantitative and qualitative tools examined participant experiences and outcome measures pertaining to exercise behaviour change. Structural changes occurred in the workplace environment to facilitate healthful behaviours. Quantitative findings indicated that positive changes occurred for the experimental group during the program and at a three- month follow-up with respect to exercise self-efficacy, exercise stages of change and exercise behaviour (p<0.05). Qualitative analysis revealed that a myriad of individual, social and other contextual factors shaped whether and how learning was applied. Motives to attend the program, previous experiences, critical thinking and self-directed learning skills, and power to influence significant others and resources in the context of application influenced exercise behaviour. Furthermore, application varied by type, frequency, intensity and duration to suit specific needs and circumstances. Learning was applied to enhance motivation for brisk walking, fitness classes, holistic health behaviours and time with significant others. Two conclusions are drawn from this study. First, a worksite health promotion program developed by integrating behaviour change models drawn from a variety of fields can be effective for exercise behaviour change. Second, in the context of application individual and social contextual strategies are required to enhance exercise behaviour. Theoretical concepts and intervention strategies to facilitate critical self-directed learning for exercise behaviour change are discussed.

Innovation is a necessity, not a nicety - but many companies still think of innovation as being important rather than urgent. For innovation to be successful, it requires different behaviours and new ways of thinking. It is fundamentally a human activity; hence the people that make innovation a reality are the inner workings of this process. In this study, a measurement tool has been designed to assess the different types of personalities that exist in new product development teams. A model has also been proposed. This model classifies the different personalities according to their dominant traits. It was derived from a tool that is well known within many innovation driven organisations: the model for assessing brand personalities that is very similar to the Heylen model. Using this model, a new model is proposed for the assessment of individual personalities. The individual personality types were established and the overall team structure was examined to determine if diverse personality innovation teams have any correlation with the perceived output of innovation. This study served the purpose of determining if this relationship exists as well as introducing a new model for the classification of different personality types. Three companies within the Durban region were selected and upon investigation it was learned that there does exist a relationship between diverse personality innovation teams and the perceived output of the process. It was learned that diversity does contribute to the measured innovation output. There were four different personality types classified. It was established that too many of one or more type of personality (e.g. originators or effectors) or the lack of other types (in this case motivators) in a new product development team hinders the optimal output of the process i.e. it effectively delays innovation and a valuable market offering since the abundant personality types dominate with their respective functions and inhibit other critical functions for the innovation journey to run smoothly. Effective innovation is about each personality type adding his/her contribution to the process. In this study it was established that not many motivators were identified in teams and an increase in originators and effectors correlated with a decrease in perceived innovation output. Each team member exists in a team at the opportunity cost of another, and it is essential that the right mix of personalities be present for effective innovation.<br>Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, 2003.

Text in English<br>Exploring the Impact of Emotional Intelligence Training in the Workplace. The complexity of mental development in humans together with human interaction in the social context presents itself to be a continued source of investigation and exploration. Emotional Intelligence (EI) is such a field of study in the discipline of psychology. Researchers emphasized the importance and value of emotional development ("soft-skills") equal to cognitive development (“hard-skills”). EI abilities are associated with key skills and competencies required for operating successfully in today’s organizations. This study focused on this theme specifically and tried to determine how EI training impacted on the success of the individual who fits the modern working profile and how emotionally intelligent employees are beneficial to organisational success overall. An ethnographic qualitative study (including an autoethnography) was performed on individuals of different participant groupings who completed the Neuro-Link EI Program. The aim was to assess if they showed increased growth in areas of EI, specifically addressed in the program namely self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and social management. Findings indicated that EI training works with positive results. It was of great value to the individual having an immense impact on their personal lives. It further had a major positive impact on the group dynamics of individuals who attended the training. At companies where facilitators presented the program, EI training had a positive impact. A conclusion on the impact that such training had on the two companies whose staff members directly participated in this study, was not yet possible at the time of the study. The development of an awareness model for the promotion of EI training in the workplace is recommended. This may increase available knowledge regarding corporate EI training but also accelerates an emerging, but a too slowly growing movement.<br>Psychology<br>M.A. (Psychology)

The complexity of mental development in humans together with human interaction in the social context presents itself to be a continued source of investigation and exploration. Emotional Intelligence (EI) is such a field of study in the discipline of psychology. Researchers emphasized the importance and value of emotional development ("soft-skills") equal to cognitive development (“hard-skills”). EI abilities are associated with key skills and competencies required for operating successfully in today’s organizations. This study focused on this theme specifically and tried to determine how EI training impacted on the success of the individual who fits the modern working profile and how emotionally intelligent employees are beneficial to organisational success overall. An ethnographic qualitative study (including an autoethnography) was performed on individuals of different participant groupings who completed the Neuro-Link EI Program. The aim was to assess if they showed increased growth in areas of EI, specifically addressed in the program namely self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and social management. Findings indicated that EI training works with positive results. It was of great value to the individual having an immense impact on their personal lives. It further had a major positive impact on the group dynamics of individuals who attended the training. At companies where facilitators presented the program, EI training had a positive impact. A conclusion on the impact that such training had on the two companies whose staff members directly participated in this study, was not yet possible at the time of the study. The development of an awareness model for the promotion of EI training in the workplace is recommended. This may increase available knowledge regarding corporate EI training but also accelerates an emerging, but a too slowly growing movement.<br>Psychology<br>M.A. (Psychology)