Democratic Contestation, Accountability, and Citizen Satisfaction at the Regional Level. CES Germany & Europe Working Papers, No. 04.2, 2004

Democratic theory tells us that competition between political parties fosters more responsive government by disciplining elected leaders. Yet party competition may not always attain the levels desirable for holding leaders accountable, notably at the sub-national level. This paper hypothesizes that variations in competition-induced accountability affect regional, or state, government behavior, and that this variation is reflected in citizen satisfaction with regional government performance. The hypothesis is confirmed using survey data from sixty-eight German state election studies. Specifically, a widening of the gap between the two main parties of each state is shown to affect subsequent individual-level satisfaction negatively. This finding presents a conjecture that should be generalizable to other countries with strong sub-national units.

Medidas não farmacológicas no alívio da dor no trabalho de parto

Enquadramento: A dor do parto resulta de complexas interações, de caráter inibitório e excitatório e, apesar de os seus mecanismos serem análogos aos da dor aguda, há fatores próprios do trabalho de parto de natureza neurofisiológica, obstétrica, psicológica e sociológica que intervêm no seu limiar. Neste sentido, os métodos não farmacológicas podem auxiliar a parturiente no alívio da dor, reduzir os níveis de stresse e ansiedade e, consequentemente promover uma maior satisfação. Objetivos: Demonstrar evidência científica de se os métodos não farmacológicos usados no alívio da dor no trabalho de parto são mais eficazes quando comparados com a não utilização de nenhum método, placebo ou qualquer outro método; verificar o uso de medidas não farmacológicas no alívio da dor do parto; averiguar quais as variáveis sociodemográficas, variáveis contextuais da gravidez e contextuais do parto que interferem no recurso a medidas não farmacológicas no alívio da dor do parto. Métodos: No estudo empírico I seguiu-se a metodologia de revisão sistemática da literatura. Foi realizada uma pesquisa na EBSCO, PubMed, Scielo e RCAAP, de estudos publicados entre 1 janeiro de 2010 e 2 de janeiro de 2015. Os estudos encontrados foram avaliados de acordo com os critérios de inclusão previamente estabelecidos e, posteriormente, foi feita uma apreciação da qualidade dos estudos, por dois revisores, utilizando a “Grelha para avaliação crítica de um artigo descrevendo um ensaio clínico prospetivo, aleatorizado e controlado” (Bugalho & Carneiro, 2004). No final, foram incluídos no corpus do estudo 4 artigos. O estudo empírico II enquadra-se num estudo quantitativo, transversal, descritivo e retrospetivo, desenvolvido no serviço de Obstetrícia do Centro Hospitalar Cova da Beira, segundo um processo de amostragem não probabilística por conveniência (n = 382). A recolha de dados efetuou-se através da consulta de processos clínicos de mulheres com idade ≥ 18 anos, que tiveram um parto vaginal com feto vivo após as 37 semanas de gestação. Resultados: Os métodos não farmacológicos usados no alívio da dor no trabalho de parto são mais eficazes quando comparados com a não utilização de nenhum método, placebo ou qualquer outro método. Numa amostra constituída por 382 mulheres, com uma idade média de 30,95 anos (±5,451 anos), em 34,6% dos casos foram aplicadas as medidas não farmacológicas no alívio da dor no trabalho de parto, sobressaindo a respiração e o relaxamento (86,3%). Em alguns casos, ainda que em menor número, foi aplicada a hidroterapia isolada (6,9%) ou associada à respiração e ao relaxamento (5,3%), bem como a hipnose (0,8%) e a associação entre respiração e massagem (0,8%). Conclusão: De acordo com os resultados obtidos e com base na evidência científica disponível, importa referir que é essencial que os cuidados não farmacológicos de alívio da dor no parto sejam explorados, por serem mais seguros e acarretarem menos intervenções. Desta feita, os profissionais de saúde que prestam assistência às mulheres durante o trabalho de parto e parto têm de ter acesso ao conhecimento acerca desses métodos e os seus potenciais benefícios, a fim de os poderem aplicar com maior segurança, o que resultará indiscutivelmente numa maior humanização do parto, caminhando-se no sentido de uma maternidade mais segura. Palavras-chave: Trabalho de parto; dor de parto; terapias complementares; terapias alternativas

Étude longitudinale de l’impact de la satisfaction envers les avantages sociaux novateurs sur l’intention de rester chez les travailleurs du secteur des technologies de l’information et des communications

The objective of this thesis is to understand the impact of satisfaction with innovative benefits on the intention to stay of the information and communications technology industry (ICT) workers. In order to investigate this question, a general research hypothesis was presented based on a literature review and on Blau’s social exchange theory (1964) and Maslow’s theory of needs (1943). The general research hypothesis states that satisfaction with innovative benefits increases intention to stay through time. The data used in this thesis were collected as part of a larger research on the relationships between compensation, training and skills development and attracting and retaining key employees. The longitudinal data come from an office located in Montreal of a major international company from the ICT sector. The study population consists of workers newly hired between April 1st, 2009 and September 30th, 2010. The results confirm the research hypothesis showing that satisfaction with innovative benefits increase intention to stay through time. Among the various innovative benefits studied, the results indicate that it is the satisfaction with the gym at work that best predicts intention to stay of workers. Other innovative benefits significantly related to intention to stay are the games library, the lounge, the medical clinic and the library in the workplace. Also, longitudinal analyses reveal that it is mainly the differences between the individual characteristics of the employees who best explain intention to stay than the differences across time of the same worker. This thesis concludes by discussing the best way for industrial relations managers to use the results in order to retain their employees. Then, the limits of the study and some directions for further research are also presented.

Intimacy, sexual satisfaction and sexual distress in vulvodynia couples : an observational study

Note de l'éditeur : This article may not exactly replicate the final version published in the APA journal. It is not the copy of record. / Cet article ne constitue pas la version officielle, et peut différer de la version publiée dans la revue.

Affective Commitment and Job Satisfaction among Non-family Employees: Investigating the Roles of Justice Perceptions and Psychological Ownership

Due to numerous characteristics often attributed to family firms, they constitute a unique context for non-family employees’ justice perceptions. These are linked to non-family employees’ pro-organizational attitudes and behaviors, which are essential for family firms’ success. Even though scholarly interest in non-family employees’ justice perceptions has increased, more research is still needed, also because the mechanism connecting justice perceptions and favorable outcomes is not fully understood yet. We address this gap by explicitly investigating non-family employees’ justice perceptions and by introducing psychological ownership as a mediator in the relationships between justice perceptions (distributive and procedural) and common work attitudes (affective commitment and job satisfaction). Our analysis of a sample of 310 non-family employees from Germany and German-speaking Switzerland reveals that psychological ownership mediates the relationships between distributive justice and affective commitment as well as job satisfaction. This represents valuable contributions to family business research, organizational justice and psychological ownership literature, and to practice.

Results of consumer satisfaction survey. Final report.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.

The American vegetable practice, or, A new and improved guide to health. : Designed for the use of families. : In six parts. Part I. Concise view of the human body, with engraved and wood-cut illustrations. Part II. Glance at the old school practice of physic. Part III. Vegetable materia medica, with colored illustrations. Part IV. Compounds. Part V. Practice of medicine, based upon what are deemed correct physiological and pathological principles. Part VI. Guide for women, containing a simplified treatise on childbirth, with a description of the diseases peculiar to females and infants. /

Errata and advertisement for "New England Depot. D.L. Hale" at end of v. 2.

Satisfaction of the automotive fleet fuel demand and its impact on the oil refining industry. Final report.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Research and Development, Washington, D.C.

Relationships between airman interests and career satisfaction.

"ASTIA document no. AD151 038."

Teacher-pupil studies and their relationship to satisfaction with student teaching /

Includes bibliography.

Social security client satisfaction /

"Control # OAI-02-87-00041."

An economist's view of job satisfaction and worker alienation / by Daniel S. Hamermesh.

Cover title.

The economics of job satisfaction /

Cover title.

Moderating effect of allocentrism on the pay referent comparison-pay level satisfaction relationship

Pay referent comparisons (comparisons of one's salary to that of others) such as other-inside (salary of other people in the organisation), other-outside (the market rate), and cost-of- living, have been shown to influence pay level satisfaction. Bordia and Blau (1998) identified family as another referent that had a significant effect on pay level satisfaction in a sample of public and private sector employees in India. The finding was interpreted in view of the importance of family in collectivistic cultures. In the study reported here, the moderating influence of an individual differences variable, allocentrism-idiocentrism (the individual level conceptualisation of collectivism-individualism) on pay referent comparison-pay level satisfaction relationship was investigated. A sample of 146 employees from three public sector organisations in India participated in the study. In line with the predictions, results showed that after controlling for age, tenure, and pay level, pay referent comparisons explained more variance in pay level satisfaction for allocentrics than for idiocentrics. Family and pay level were stronger explanatory variables of pay level satisfaction for allocentrics and idiocentrics, respectively, while cost of living was a significant explanatory variable for both sub-groups.