title: The Relationship Between Individual Personality Characteristics and Person-Job Fit Among Primary and Secondary School Teachers in New Zealand

authors: Chan, Jing Yi (Daphne)

abstract: Research has shown that individual personality characteristics are strongly related to an employee’s affective and behavioural responses to the job and/or workplace (Barrick & Mount, 1991; Judge & Bono, 2001, Kumar & Bakhshi, 2010). The perception of positive person-job fit was proposed as a favourable employee response in this research, and hypotheses that are relevant to individual personality characteristics and person-job fit were examined. The concept of person-job fit refers to the degree which an individual’s knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), preferences, needs and values align with his/her job requirements (Brkich, Jeffs & Carless, 2002). The two types of person-job fit are the match between the KSAs of an individual and the demands of the job, also known as demands-abilities fit, and the match between the preferences, needs and values of an individual, and what is supplied by the job, also known as needs-supplies fit (Lauver & Kristof-Brown, 2001). The relationship of person-job fit, both demands-abilities fit and needs-supplies fir with a number of affective and behavioural responses, such as job satisfaction, turnover intention and organisational commitment, was also explored.

A total of 179 teachers from 88 primary and secondary schools completed an online self-report questionnaire. The results revealed that extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and emotional stability were positively and significantly correlated with demands-abilities fit, while extraversion, agreeableness and emotional stability were positively and significantly correlated with needs-supplies fit. Both demands-abilities fit and needs-supplies fit were positively and significantly correlated with job satisfaction, turnover intention, affective commitment and normative commitment. Mediation analysis revealed an indirect effect for conscientiousness on the relationship between demands-abilities fit and job satisfaction, as well as for emotional stability on the relationship between demands-abilities fit and continuance commitment.  Emotional stability mediated the relationship between demands-abilities fit and job satisfaction, and needs-supplies fit and job satisfaction. The practical implications from these findings, as well as recommendations for future research, are discussed

text: The Relationship Between Individual Personality Characteristics and Person-Job Fit Among Primary and Secondary School Teachers in New Zealand Research has shown that individual personality characteristics are strongly related to an employee’s affective and behavioural responses to the job and/or workplace (Barrick & Mount, 1991; Judge & Bono, 2001, Kumar & Bakhshi, 2010). The perception of positive person-job fit was proposed as a favourable employee response in this research, and hypotheses that are relevant to individual personality characteristics and person-job fit were examined. The concept of person-job fit refers to the degree which an individual’s knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), preferences, needs and values align with his/her job requirements (Brkich, Jeffs & Carless, 2002). The two types of person-job fit are the match between the KSAs of an individual and the demands of the job, also known as demands-abilities fit, and the match between the preferences, needs and values of an individual, and what is supplied by the job, also known as needs-supplies fit (Lauver & Kristof-Brown, 2001). The relationship of person-job fit, both demands-abilities fit and needs-supplies fir with a number of affective and behavioural responses, such as job satisfaction, turnover intention and organisational commitment, was also explored.

A total of 179 teachers from 88 primary and secondary schools completed an online self-report questionnaire. The results revealed that extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and emotional stability were positively and significantly correlated with demands-abilities fit, while extraversion, agreeableness and emotional stability were positively and significantly correlated with needs-supplies fit. Both demands-abilities fit and needs-supplies fit were positively and significantly correlated with job satisfaction, turnover intention, affective commitment and normative commitment. Mediation analysis revealed an indirect effect for conscientiousness on the relationship between demands-abilities fit and job satisfaction, as well as for emotional stability on the relationship between demands-abilities fit and continuance commitment.  Emotional stability mediated the relationship between demands-abilities fit and job satisfaction, and needs-supplies fit and job satisfaction. The practical implications from these findings, as well as recommendations for future research, are discussed

year: 2012

title: Alternative sulfur acquisition pathways in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

authors: van Niekerk, Stacy Lyn

subjects: Microbiology

abstract: Neisseria gonorrhoeae is an obligate human pathogen responsible for the sexually transmitted infection, gonorrhoea. Its success as a pathogen is partly due to robust defence mechanisms that provide protection against oxidative stress encountered during infection. Reduced sulfur compounds such as glutathione, cysteine and methionine are integral to this response and pathogenic growth.

Due to a large genomic deletion and pseudogenes, N. gonorrhoeae is incapable of sulfur acquisition via traditional routes and therefore cannot grow when sulfate is the sole sulfur source. However, N. gonorrhoeae can grow in the presence of thiosulfate but lacks the ability to reduce thiosulfate via the conventional thiosulfate reduction pathway. This raises questions of how N. gonorrhoeae acquires sulfur for cysteine biosynthesis?

We have identified two sulfurtransferase enzymes (Str and PspE) in N. gonorrhoeae that we hypothesise provide sulfur in the form needed for cysteine synthesis. We show these enzymes have thiosulfate-thiol sulfurtransferase activity and, importantly, produce sulfide that could be utilised for cysteine biosynthesis. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Str is a promiscuous enzyme with respect to thiol acceptor substrates and, intriguingly, is capable of cyanide detoxification. Our N. gonorrhoeae sulfurtransferase deletion strain has a reduced ability to grow when thiosulfate is the only available sulfur source, supporting our hypothesis that Str utilises exogenous inorganic thiosulfate. However, due to functional redundancy provided by the presence of the second sulfurtransferase, PspE, construction of a double knockout strain is essential in understanding the full effect of these enzymes in relation to pathogenicity.

Our proposed energetically favourable pathway of thiosulfate reduction via sulfurtransferase enzymes could be pivotal in advancing our understanding of how pathogens fulfil their sulfur requirements. However, much is to be elucidated regarding the role of these ubiquitous enzymes in bacterial pathogens. Herein, this thesis offers insight into the versatility, function, and formal mechanisms of sulfurtransferases within N. gonorrhoeae.

text: Alternative sulfur acquisition pathways in Neisseria gonorrhoeae Neisseria gonorrhoeae is an obligate human pathogen responsible for the sexually transmitted infection, gonorrhoea. Its success as a pathogen is partly due to robust defence mechanisms that provide protection against oxidative stress encountered during infection. Reduced sulfur compounds such as glutathione, cysteine and methionine are integral to this response and pathogenic growth.

Due to a large genomic deletion and pseudogenes, N. gonorrhoeae is incapable of sulfur acquisition via traditional routes and therefore cannot grow when sulfate is the sole sulfur source. However, N. gonorrhoeae can grow in the presence of thiosulfate but lacks the ability to reduce thiosulfate via the conventional thiosulfate reduction pathway. This raises questions of how N. gonorrhoeae acquires sulfur for cysteine biosynthesis?

We have identified two sulfurtransferase enzymes (Str and PspE) in N. gonorrhoeae that we hypothesise provide sulfur in the form needed for cysteine synthesis. We show these enzymes have thiosulfate-thiol sulfurtransferase activity and, importantly, produce sulfide that could be utilised for cysteine biosynthesis. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Str is a promiscuous enzyme with respect to thiol acceptor substrates and, intriguingly, is capable of cyanide detoxification. Our N. gonorrhoeae sulfurtransferase deletion strain has a reduced ability to grow when thiosulfate is the only available sulfur source, supporting our hypothesis that Str utilises exogenous inorganic thiosulfate. However, due to functional redundancy provided by the presence of the second sulfurtransferase, PspE, construction of a double knockout strain is essential in understanding the full effect of these enzymes in relation to pathogenicity.

Our proposed energetically favourable pathway of thiosulfate reduction via sulfurtransferase enzymes could be pivotal in advancing our understanding of how pathogens fulfil their sulfur requirements. However, much is to be elucidated regarding the role of these ubiquitous enzymes in bacterial pathogens. Herein, this thesis offers insight into the versatility, function, and formal mechanisms of sulfurtransferases within N. gonorrhoeae.

year: 2021

title: Indigenizing outdoor play in New Zealand: A conversation analysis approach

authors: Bateman, Amanda

abstract: This chapter focuses on a single case analysis of one trip to a local bush reserve in New Zealand. The observations included in this chapter begin by exploring the way in which a promise to the Maori God Tane Mahuta is managed by the teachers and children at the beginning of the excursion. The promise made is part of the mundane, everyday activity engaged in by these children and teachers during their weekly visit to the bush reserve, where every child is required to recite a phrase that promises not to hurt the creatures, animals or plants of Tane Mahuta when they are playing in the forest. In the first of the video-recorded episodes, explicit reference to Tane Mahuta is initially oriented through one of the children reciting the promise, unprompted, at the beginning of the recording. The second observation reveals one of the teachers explaining to a child the rules of entering the forest: that you have to ask permission from Tane Mahuta before you enter. When a child does not want to say the promise, he is encouraged to do so collaboratively with the teacher before entering the forest. Only once the child has said the promise does he enter, demonstrating the importance of the verbal commitment and participation in the accountable action of promise-making by the participants prior to entering the forest.

text: Indigenizing outdoor play in New Zealand: A conversation analysis approach This chapter focuses on a single case analysis of one trip to a local bush reserve in New Zealand. The observations included in this chapter begin by exploring the way in which a promise to the Maori God Tane Mahuta is managed by the teachers and children at the beginning of the excursion. The promise made is part of the mundane, everyday activity engaged in by these children and teachers during their weekly visit to the bush reserve, where every child is required to recite a phrase that promises not to hurt the creatures, animals or plants of Tane Mahuta when they are playing in the forest. In the first of the video-recorded episodes, explicit reference to Tane Mahuta is initially oriented through one of the children reciting the promise, unprompted, at the beginning of the recording. The second observation reveals one of the teachers explaining to a child the rules of entering the forest: that you have to ask permission from Tane Mahuta before you enter. When a child does not want to say the promise, he is encouraged to do so collaboratively with the teacher before entering the forest. Only once the child has said the promise does he enter, demonstrating the importance of the verbal commitment and participation in the accountable action of promise-making by the participants prior to entering the forest.

year: 2017