title: The Effects of Physical Work Environment Satisfaction and Shared Workspace Characteristics on Employee Behaviors Toward Their Organization: Using Environmental Control as a Mediator.

authors: MacMillan, Chelsea

subjects: Organizational Psychology

abstract: This study investigated personal control of the work environment, at the individual level, and how it may act as a mediator for employee reactions towards their organization based on specific workspace characteristics and physical work environment satisfaction (PWES). Accordingly, this research aimed to contribute to management understanding of the way that providing employees‟ control of their workspace environment could benefit an organization by fostering greater commitment and positive workplace behaviors.
The theoretical model suggests that the three predictor variables (PWES, need for privacy, and social density) would have a direct relationship with a) the four employee behaviors: affective commitment (AC), psychological strain, organizational citizenship behaviors-individual (OCBI), and counterproductive workplace behavior (CWB), and b) with perceived environmental control. The model also suggests that perceived environmental control would mediate the relationships between each of the predictor variables and the employee behaviors.
An online questionnaire was completed by 133 employees working in open plan office environments in New Zealand. PWES was found to have a positive relationship with AC and perceived environmental control. Need for privacy related positively with CWB, and negatively with AC, positive wellbeing, and perceived environmental control. Finally, social density was also found to relate negatively with AC and perceived environmental control. Environmental control was a significant mediator for 5 of the 15 (30%) mediation relationships predicted: PWES and AC, need for privacy and AC, need for privacy and positive wellbeing, need for privacy and CWB, and finally social density and AC. Indirect effects were found for 3 of the 15 (20%) predicted mediation relationships: PWES and AC, need for privacy and AC, and need for privacy and CWB.
The major implications of this research are that it is important for organizations to acknowledge the physical and control aspects of the work environment as well as the social and management aspects. This research shows that open plan organizations in New Zealand could benefit from providing their workforce with greater environmental control. This means finding ways to enhance the work environment through greater privacy design and less socially dense work spaces should be considered by management and organizational psychology professionals in New Zealand as effective steps to organizational success. Further implications of this study and directions for future research are discussed in the final chapter.

text: The Effects of Physical Work Environment Satisfaction and Shared Workspace Characteristics on Employee Behaviors Toward Their Organization: Using Environmental Control as a Mediator. This study investigated personal control of the work environment, at the individual level, and how it may act as a mediator for employee reactions towards their organization based on specific workspace characteristics and physical work environment satisfaction (PWES). Accordingly, this research aimed to contribute to management understanding of the way that providing employees‟ control of their workspace environment could benefit an organization by fostering greater commitment and positive workplace behaviors.
The theoretical model suggests that the three predictor variables (PWES, need for privacy, and social density) would have a direct relationship with a) the four employee behaviors: affective commitment (AC), psychological strain, organizational citizenship behaviors-individual (OCBI), and counterproductive workplace behavior (CWB), and b) with perceived environmental control. The model also suggests that perceived environmental control would mediate the relationships between each of the predictor variables and the employee behaviors.
An online questionnaire was completed by 133 employees working in open plan office environments in New Zealand. PWES was found to have a positive relationship with AC and perceived environmental control. Need for privacy related positively with CWB, and negatively with AC, positive wellbeing, and perceived environmental control. Finally, social density was also found to relate negatively with AC and perceived environmental control. Environmental control was a significant mediator for 5 of the 15 (30%) mediation relationships predicted: PWES and AC, need for privacy and AC, need for privacy and positive wellbeing, need for privacy and CWB, and finally social density and AC. Indirect effects were found for 3 of the 15 (20%) predicted mediation relationships: PWES and AC, need for privacy and AC, and need for privacy and CWB.
The major implications of this research are that it is important for organizations to acknowledge the physical and control aspects of the work environment as well as the social and management aspects. This research shows that open plan organizations in New Zealand could benefit from providing their workforce with greater environmental control. This means finding ways to enhance the work environment through greater privacy design and less socially dense work spaces should be considered by management and organizational psychology professionals in New Zealand as effective steps to organizational success. Further implications of this study and directions for future research are discussed in the final chapter.

year: 2012

title: Toward a political theory of social innovation: collective intelligence and the co-creation of social goods.

authors: Peters, Michael A.

subjects: social innovation

abstract: This paper proposes a political theory of social innovation. The paper begins by introducing and reviewing recent claims made for the ways in which social innovation can co-create public goods and services by utilizing forms of collection intelligence (CI) and CI Internet-based platforms. The paper provides a discussion and classification of the literature on collective intelligence before investigation the question of new forms and ways of delivering public goods and services through forms of co-creation and co-production.

text: Toward a political theory of social innovation: collective intelligence and the co-creation of social goods. This paper proposes a political theory of social innovation. The paper begins by introducing and reviewing recent claims made for the ways in which social innovation can co-create public goods and services by utilizing forms of collection intelligence (CI) and CI Internet-based platforms. The paper provides a discussion and classification of the literature on collective intelligence before investigation the question of new forms and ways of delivering public goods and services through forms of co-creation and co-production.

year: 2015

title: Hei oranga mo ngā wāhine hapū (o Hauraki) i roto i te whare ora

authors: Palmer, Stephanie

subjects: Psychological wellbeing

abstract: This thesis had four-main objectives. In the first instance, it aimed to improve understanding of psychosocial variables which may mediate the quality of Māori childbirth experience, namely: social support, coping strategies, cognitive appraisal, ethnic identity and psychological wellbeing. Secondly, it aimed to examine the relationship between these variables and the quality of childbirth experience. Thirdly, this thesis aimed to develop and pilot-test an instrument for the measurement of waiora among Māori. And fourthly, this thesis aimed to test whether waiora was a predictor of participants' childbirth experience. 
Thirty-one self-identified Māori women took part in the research. All participants gave birth at Thames Hospital in Hauraki during 1994. Attention is drawn to various ethical and methodological issues which have importance in the development of kaupapa Māori and Māori centred health research paradigms, such as, the role of koha, the validity of kanohi-ki-te-kanohi recruitment strategies and the need for collaborative decision-making processes. 
Prenatal waiora, ethnic identity, cognitive appraisal, coping strategies and social support predicted both quantitative and qualitative indicators of perinatal outcome. Obstetric technology was a very strong predictor of maternal postpartum perceptions and feelings of satisfaction or wellbeing. A preliminary model of the relationship between prenatal and perinatal predictors of Māori childbirth experience is presented. 
This research identifies the need to develop knowledge on psychosocial mediators of Māori childbirth experience. It is likely, however, that the quality of Māori childbirth experience will benefit from strategies which foster feelings of waiora and ethnic identity. The likelihood of a relationship between waiora and te ao Māori childbirth resources may hold particular interest for Māori. A range of strategies to improve the reliability and validity of Hōmai te Waiora ki Ahau as a tool for the measurement of waiora have been identified. As an outcome measure, this tool may have value in a range of contexts.

text: Hei oranga mo ngā wāhine hapū (o Hauraki) i roto i te whare ora This thesis had four-main objectives. In the first instance, it aimed to improve understanding of psychosocial variables which may mediate the quality of Māori childbirth experience, namely: social support, coping strategies, cognitive appraisal, ethnic identity and psychological wellbeing. Secondly, it aimed to examine the relationship between these variables and the quality of childbirth experience. Thirdly, this thesis aimed to develop and pilot-test an instrument for the measurement of waiora among Māori. And fourthly, this thesis aimed to test whether waiora was a predictor of participants' childbirth experience. 
Thirty-one self-identified Māori women took part in the research. All participants gave birth at Thames Hospital in Hauraki during 1994. Attention is drawn to various ethical and methodological issues which have importance in the development of kaupapa Māori and Māori centred health research paradigms, such as, the role of koha, the validity of kanohi-ki-te-kanohi recruitment strategies and the need for collaborative decision-making processes. 
Prenatal waiora, ethnic identity, cognitive appraisal, coping strategies and social support predicted both quantitative and qualitative indicators of perinatal outcome. Obstetric technology was a very strong predictor of maternal postpartum perceptions and feelings of satisfaction or wellbeing. A preliminary model of the relationship between prenatal and perinatal predictors of Māori childbirth experience is presented. 
This research identifies the need to develop knowledge on psychosocial mediators of Māori childbirth experience. It is likely, however, that the quality of Māori childbirth experience will benefit from strategies which foster feelings of waiora and ethnic identity. The likelihood of a relationship between waiora and te ao Māori childbirth resources may hold particular interest for Māori. A range of strategies to improve the reliability and validity of Hōmai te Waiora ki Ahau as a tool for the measurement of waiora have been identified. As an outcome measure, this tool may have value in a range of contexts.

year: 2002