Digital Commons Network^™

Life Stories Of Nikkeijin Seeking Better Opportunities: The Motivation Of Brazilian Immigrants In Japan, Marisa Utida Bellini

Theses and Dissertations

The immigration of Brazilian-Japanese to Japan has started as recently as the early 1980s as a result of an economic downturn in Brazil and labor shortages in Japan. In a recent study published by the Ministry of Justice in Japan, there are about 250,000 Brazilians currently working throughout Japan. Even though most of the Brazilians are second or third generation of Japanese descent, they are not fluent in Japanese, thus resulting in many cultural problems and misunderstandings. Some research has examined about the immigration of Brazilians (nikkeijin) to Japan, but none has investigated their acquisition of Japanese as a second …

Effects Of Telephone Weight Loss Coaching On Body Composition In Adults: A Randomized Controlled Study, Amy Jensen Cook

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To determine the extent to which coaching over the telephone is an effective method in promoting the loss of body weight and body fat percentage. Research Methods and Procedures: Over a period of four months, in a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study, 120 overweight and obese (BMI 25-35 kg/m²) adults either received telephone coaching or no coaching. In addition, each participant was randomly assigned to take a supplement or placebo daily. Body weight and body fat percentage were measured at baseline, two months, and four months. Body weight was measured on an electronic scale and body fat percentage was …

African American Public School Principals In East Tennessee: Motivation For Leadership., Joe L. Canada

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore and document the factors that motivated African American public school administrators in a selected school system in East Tennessee to become school leaders. The study highlighted barriers and challenges, support mechanisms, and perceptions of training. If minority educators are to be actively recruited and retained, there must be an understanding of the factors that motivate them to progressively seek administrative leadership positions.

The African American public school administrators' experiences were collected through 17 one-on-one personal interviews. The interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, coded, and used to answer the 4 research questions.

The primary …

Intercultural Communication Needs Of Mississippi Agricultural Students, Employers, And Hispanic Workers, Rosa Elena Vozzo

Theses and Dissertations

As the inclusion of Hispanic labor in the Mississippi workforce increses, it is necessary to prepare our students to communicate with these workers. The purpose of this study was to determine the attitude toward Spanish speakers, their culture, and the study of Spanish among agricultural students at Mississippi State University. The study also sought to discover cultural differences that could affect communication between American managers and the Hispanic workforce.The Friedman (1997) questionnaire was administered to 204 students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Additionally, open interviews were conducted with 10 participants: four Mexican Hispanci workers, two community leaders, …

The Determinants Of Executive Compensation In The Commercial Banking Industry, David A. Romer

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study is to examine the viability of two basic theories of compensation to explain executive compensation in the banking industry. The two executive compensation motivation theories are sales/sales growth maximization and profit/shareholder wealth maximization. Overall, strong support is found for both theories. This research also seeks to significantly expand, compared to previous research, the number of banks investigated. This study succeeds, with over a four-fold increase in the number of banks analyzed, including over 330 banks not previously used in the literature. This investigation is further motivated by the paucity of banking studies on compensation …

Clarifying The Cohesion-Performance Relationship In Teams: Backup Behavior As A Mediating Mechanism, Matthew S. Prewett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between team cohesion and team performance has been extensively studied, but behavioral mediators of this relationship have not been adequately assessed. This study proposed that backup behavior mediates the relationship between team cohesion and team performance. In addition, it was also hypothesized that team goal commitment would moderate the relationship between team cohesion and team backup behavior. 138 participants forming 46 teams of three were assigned to one of fours conditions to test this framework: high cohesion/high goal commitment, high cohesion/low goal commitment, low cohesion/high goal commitment, and low cohesion/low goal commitment. Results indicated no significant differences between …

An Investigation Of Gender Differences In Motivation Of Senior Administrators In Virginia Community Colleges Using Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory., Jewell Bevins Worley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the gender differences regarding motivation in the individuals who serve in senior administrative positions in Virginia's community colleges. Institutional morale can be damaged by administrators who become dissatisfied with their positions. Institutions use millions of dollars yearly to conduct searches for individuals to replace senior administrators who leave their positions because of lack of job satisfaction or high job dissatisfaction. This study also addressed the possibility of differences between male senior administrators and female senior administrators regarding job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction.

Frederick Herzberg' 2-factory theory of motivation regarding job satisfaction and …

Motivation And The Dietitian: Dietitians Must Increase Their Efforts To Motivate And Bring About Long-Term Success In Their Clients, Cory Ann Hansen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Perhaps the most difficult aspect of a dietitian's job is motivating clients to make necessary changes in their lives to benefit their health. Although most people are capable of enduring short-term attempts at healthy living, a lifetime of appropriate dietary habits is difficult for virtually everyone. One of the greatest challenges of long-term success is a lack of motivation. This signifies that it is not skills or knowledge that people lack in general. Therefore, dietitians must focus part of their efforts on motivation rather than simply teaching people what they need to do. Methods that have been found to be …

Effects Of Cooperative Learning On Motivation, Learning Strategy Utilization, And Grammar Achievement Of English Language Learners In Taiwan, Hui-Chuan Liao

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

To examine the effects of cooperative learning on EFL students in Taiwan, a 12-week quasi-experimental pretest-posttest comparison group research study was designed. Two college classes (42 students each) in Taiwan participated in the study, one receiving grammar instruction through cooperative learning and the other through whole-class teaching. Three specific research questions guided the study. The first looked at effects of cooperative learning on motivation, the second on out-of-class strategy use, and the third on grammar achievement. Additional exploratory questions examined these results across subgroups within each class as well as the relationships between the dependent variables. Data were collected via …

Differences In Academic Performance And Self-Regulated Learning Based On Level Of Student Participation In Supplemental Instruction, Ana Mack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined differences in academic performance and self-regulated learning based on levels of student participation in Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions in two introductory undergraduate biology and chemistry courses offered at University of Central Florida in the Spring 2006 semester. The sample consisted of 282 students enrolled in the biology class and 451 students enrolled in chemistry. Academic performance was measured using students' final course grades and rates of withdrawal from the courses. The self-regulated learning constructs of motivation, cognition, metacognition, and resource management were measured using the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Relationships between students' gender and ethnic …

College Student's Motivation For Physical Activity, Lori Lynn Delong

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine college students' motivations to be physically active by merging the perspectives of self-determination theory and the transtheoretical model. The secondary purpose was to examine the effects of a required physical activity course on college students' levels of physical activity. The premise is that both the theory and model can be used to help predict physical activity outcomes. Participants were 277 male and female students at a small private college. Motivation, self-determination, stage of change, self-efficacy, decisional balance, and leisure time activity levels were assessed using an online survey. Results revealed that activity …

Employees' Attitudes Toward Motivation Techniques And Assessment Methods In A Health Care Organization, Deborah C. Ison

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The completion of this study will answer the following goals: 1. What are employee's attitudes regarding motivation techniques and assessment methods used in this organization? 2. What effects do the employee motivation techniques and assessment methods utilized in this organization have on employee satisfaction and retention? 3. What role does management play in employee motivation and retention effectiveness and how can this role be improved?

How Voice Affects Perceptions Of Relationship Wih Adults, Ownership, And Engagement In Youth, Melissa D. Wade Cater

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if youth voice affects the ownership and engagement experienced by youth in a county 4-H program. For the treatment group, a youth-led approach was used where "having a voice" included youth sharing decision-making power with the adults in the program. The comparison group consisted of 4-H members in three other clubs in the county. These youth experienced an adult-led approach where the decisions about the club programming were made strictly by the adults. The Youth Voice Survey instrument was developed to assess youths' perceptions of ownership, engagement, and relationship with adults at …

Self-Directed Work Teams: Do They Impact Employee Motivation And Accountability To Reduce, Melissa Noyes

Theses

This thesis attempted to tie Self-Directed work teams (SDWT) to safety performance through research, employee surveys and statistical analysis. The ultimate focus of the thesis was to answer two related research questions. To answer the questions required a trip down a road that is not, at this time, traveled frequently by safety professionals or other management. It is not to say that managers throughout the world are unaware of SDWT, but because SDWT are not used in many companies, it was difficult to obtain information to fully attack the problem. However, the focus remained on answering the problem, and defining …

Differences In Motivation For Participation And Attitudes Toward Management Among Rock Climbing Sub Groups: Implications For The Benefits-Based Management Approach, Amy L. Ackerman

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to develop a scale that would measure the motivation for participation of rock climbing subgroups, determine what differences exist among rock climbing subgroups and confirm the Rock Climbers' Attitudes toward Management Scale. Respondents were given an on-site questionnaire at three rock climbing areas in the United States. Respondents identified themselves according to their preferred type of climbing (e.g., traditional climbing, sport climbing, and hybrid climbing) and their preferred mode of climbing (e.g., lead climbing, top roping, and both equally). Exploratory factor analysis identified five factors for the Rock Climbing Motivation Scale: competition, control, escape, …

The Lived Experience Of Nurses Working With Student Nurses In The Acute Care Clinical Environment, Donna Coffey Hathorn

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to describe the lived experience of nurses’ who work with baccalaureate student nurses in the acute care clinical environment. Because of the nursing shortage nursing education is challenged with equipping a safe qualified workforce while preventing or reducing student attrition. Students may choose to leave the profession or receive less than optimal learning experiences when exposed to negative socialization behaviors of nurses while in the clinical environment. Findings from this study can be used to foster collaboration between nursing education and nursing service in the development of positive clinical environments for nurses …

The Influence Of Sustained Cb1 Blockade During Adolescence On Breakpoints In A Progressive-Ratio Paradigm, Mayo Jerry Wright Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The developmental psychopharmacology of cannabinoids is poorly understood and little is known about the developmental consequences of repeated exposure to cannabinoid antagonists. In these experiments, male Long-Evans rats were treated with SR141716A, a cannabinoid antagonist, throughout adolescence and allowed unrestricted access to food. Control groups were treated with vehicle during the same developmental period and allowed either unrestricted access to food or were pair-fed with a member of the SR-treated group. Motivation to work for food was measured in progressive-ratio sessions at varying levels of food deprivation. For rats that consumed fewer calories throughout adolescence, whether because of pharmacological intervention …

Implicit Theories Of Weight Management: A Social Cognitive Approach To Motivation, Jeni L. Burnette

Theses and Dissertations

Just as scientists develop general conceptual explanations of the phenomena they investigate, individuals also develop intuitive theories about such human characteristics as intelligence, personality, and athletic ability. These theories, unlike scientist's theories, are not explicitly articulated or documented, and so they are termed implicit theories. Implicit theories, in achievement motivation, distinguish between the belief that human attributes are fixed (entity theory) or malleable (incremental theory) and have been shown to have far-reaching consequences for motivation, goal-orientations, and regulatory strategies in an array of domains. This dissertation extended implicit theories research to the domain of body-weight management. Drawing from an elaborate …

Self-Determination In Physical Education: Designing Class Environments To Promote Active Lifestyles, Charity Leigh Bryan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between self-determination, perceptions of the motivational climate, attitude, perceived ability, engagement in physical activity, and health-related fitness indicators. Two structural models related to engagement/intention to engage in physical activity and health-related fitness were tested. The premise of both models is that perceived competence predicts the outcome variables (engagement or health-related fitness), with self-determination, attitude, and motivational climate predicting perceived competence. Participants were 827 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. Motivation, perceptions of the climate, attitude, perceived competence, and self-reported physical activity levels were assessed using surveys. Pedometers were used to record …