Dissertations / Theses: 'Self-interest'

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Collins, Aron Shawn. "Conflict and Cooperation: Self-Interest Versus Other-Interest?" W&M ScholarWorks, 1991. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539625683.

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Hardwicke, Tery Vance. "Virtue and self-interest." The University of Waikato, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10289/2670.

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Why be moral? One possible, and compelling answer is that to act morally is in an agent's self-interest. Such an answer can be either elevationist (broadly speaking the Aristotelian/Platonic approach) where self-interest is elevated to coincide with living the good life, or reductionist where morality is defined as acting in an agent's self-interest. Elevationist moral theories appear flawed. If you are in possession of information that, if divulged, will bring about the deaths of others then it may be virtuous to stay silent. However, if staying silent results in you being slowly tortured to death in an effort to extract the information then it seems bizarre to suggest that in doing so you are flourishing, happy, or acting out of self-interest. Reductionist moral theories, acting for the 'good of self' rather than the 'good of others', are widely considered to be the antithesis of morality. Moral philosophers tend to attack such positions claiming that the doctrine of egoism is unworkable. It is commonly claimed that any theory which recommends 'an agent do x if x is in the agent's best interest' is inconsistent, incoherent, or contradictory and fails to meet the basic requirements of a moral theory (notably the requirement of universalisability). I begin this thesis with an examination of ethical egoism in its most widely known consequentialist form; i.e. an agent ought to act so as to bring about the best consequences for that agent. I examine the major criticisms of this theory and demonstrate that the axioms of egoism can be developed so as to overcome these criticisms. I argue that consequentialist based ethical egoism is coherent, consistent and noncontradictory. However, I go on to argue that while egoism can be formulated in a manner that overcomes all the aforementioned analytic criticisms it is a flawed moral theory in that within certain contexts the action deemed morally correct by egoism is, as a matter of fact, morally pernicious. That a theory contains a flaw is not reason enough to discard the entire theory and I go on to contend that the problem with egoism is the consequentialist approach, not the fact that it is based on self-interest. In Part 2 of the thesis I abandon the consequentialist approach and examine the possibility of a flourishing-based form of ethical egoism. I further develop the axioms of egoism established in Part 1 through an examination of the concept of flourishing (as commonly associated with virtue ethics). Ultimately I tread a path between the consequentialist and elevationist positions. While I do not elevate self-interest to acting virtuously I do contend that an egoist must adopt certain virtues if that egoist is to have the best possibility to flourish. However, I further contend that an egoist ought to act so as to promote that which the egoist values and that this agent-relative hierarchy of values, which necessarily contains certain virtues, determines the manner in which an egoist ought to act.

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3

Sutherland, Debbie. "Empathy and self-interest." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/tape15/PQDD_0024/MQ33854.pdf.

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4

Bitter, James Robert. "Self-Care, Self-Awareness, and Social Interest." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2015. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/5239.

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The paradox of living is that the best way to care for yourself is through positive connections with others, through making a contribution to the whole, and through loving as much as you can from wherever you are at a moment in time. Using mindfulness, personality priorities, and awareness exercises, the workshop focuses on living life more fully.

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5

Messing, Aaron Isaac. "Understanding cooperation and self-interest." Diss., Online access via UMI:, 2005.

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6

Minjarez, Jennifer Marie, and Jennifer Marie Minjarez. "On Morality and Self-Interest." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/625104.

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One of the oldest questions in the philosophical tradition regards the relationship between morality and self-interest. As human beings, we have prudential ends and motivations to which we are committed. However, we are also subject to moral norms and expectations, which often conflict with our prudential ends. It seems we face a contradiction: why should we be moral if it is not in our self-interest? Countless thinkers have tried to answer this question. I refer to their general endeavor as the "Reconciliation Project," which is a term borrowed from Gregory Kavka. Broadly, the goal of the Reconciliation Project is to reconcile the seemingly paradoxical concepts of morality and self-interest. The purpose of this paper is to explore and synthesize three unique approaches to the Project, so as to better understand them, and the human faculties of morality, self-interest, and rationality. The paper focuses namely on Kavka, Gauthier, and Schmidtz's approaches to the Project.

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Baldwin, Sharon. "Self-interest and the public interest, professional regulation in Saskatchewan, 1905-1948." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/tape17/PQDD_0022/MQ35827.pdf.

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Gottheil, Allen. "Redefining marketing, self-interest, altruism and solidarity." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp04/mq25993.pdf.

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9

Boyle, Mary O. "Personality and interest predictors of academic self-concept." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/28645.

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Robson, Matthew. "Inequality aversion and self-interest : an experimental approach." Thesis, University of York, 2018. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/20316/.

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Preferences relating to inequality aversion, the trade-off between equality and efficiency, and self-interest, the degree to which the ‘self’ is weighted in relation to ‘others’, are incorporated within structural models to explain prosocial behaviour, the act of giving to others. To observe such behaviour, incentivised laboratory and lab-in-the-field experiments are run. Structural preferences parameters are then estimated, at the individual, cluster and sample level, within the utility functions proposed. Noise in decision making is formally modelled with the Beta and Dirichlet distributions, which are formulated as random behavioural models. In the first chapter, distributional decision problems amongst groups of three are presented to participants within a laboratory experiment. Using multiple experimental designs and alternative perspectives, within-subject treatment effects are tested. The second chapter incorporates oneness, the closeness of connection to others, within a structural model to better explain the differential effects that social distance can have on distributional decision making. In a lab-in-the-field experiment in Mbale, Uganda, modified three-person dictator games are presented to participants to enable the observation of such behaviour, alongside an extensive survey. Finally, the third chapter focuses on N-person giving. Five alternative utility functions are formulated, which incorporate differing behavioural preference parameters; accounting for the distinction of self-other and between-other inequality aversion, congestion and minimum threshold levels. Both the goodness-of-fit and predictive accuracy of each model are compared, to identify the ‘best’ model for each individual. Within each of the three chapters, results show extensive heterogeneity in prosocial behaviour, which is accounted for through the estimated preference parameters. On average, participants have a substantial regard for others and a preference for reducing inequality, rather than increasing efficiency. The experimental design, perspective, oneness levels and number of recipients are shown to have significant, but differential, effects on prosocial behaviour.

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11

Taylor, Sarah G. "Virtue or Success? It Depends on Self-interest." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1369217510.

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Scherwin, Vicki Mara. "The overlooked dimension of leadership follower self-interest /." Diss., Restricted to subscribing institutions, 2009. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1872216381&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=1564&RQT=309&VName=PQD.

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Green-Demers, Isabelle. "When boredom gives birth to motivation, interrelations between interest-enhancing strategies, interest, and self-determination." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/tape15/PQDD_0011/NQ28344.pdf.

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Bishop, Elizabeth J. "An analysis of christian morality : inconsistency and self-interest." Honors in the Major Thesis, University of Central Florida, 2002. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETH/id/260.

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This item is only available in print in the UCF Libraries. If this is your Honors Thesis, you can help us make it available online for use by researchers around the world by following the instructions on the distribution consent form at http://library.ucf.edu/Systems/DigitalInitiatives/DigitalCollections/InternetDistributionConsentAgreementForm.pdf You may also contact the project coordinator, Kerri Bottorff, at kerri.bottorff@ucf.edu for more information.
Bachelors
Arts and Sciences
Philosophy

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15

Donoghue, E. D. "Self-regulation and the public interest : A question of confidence." Thesis, Queen's University Belfast, 2010. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.517277.

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16

Gibbs, David. "Non-executive directors' self-interest : fiduciary duties and corporate governance." Thesis, University of East Anglia, 2014. https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/49712/.

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The board of directors at a company usually comprises both executive and non-executive directors. Their role is to run and direct the company for its benefit since it is incapable of acting by itself. Where there is a separation of ownership and control it is recognised that there is a risk that those in control may use their power for self-interested means. Attention is often focused on the executive directors and how legal controls and governance mechanisms can reduce the possibility of self-interest in the performance of their functions. However, seldom are non-executives the focus of this problem yet they are playing an increasingly important role in the running and governance of the company. This thesis is an investigation in to whether the legal rules and governance mechanisms are suitable in reducing the possibility of self-interest amongst non-executive directors. The study uses multiple directorships as a proxy for non-executive self-interest to demonstrate whether the controls and incentives are suitable. It begins by examining the nature of a nonexecutive’s fiduciary liability to the company focusing on the nature and purpose of the duty to identify when and why the duty is owed. Identifying the nature and purpose of the duty will allow the thesis to demonstrate that existing authority and academic literature on the scope of a non-executive’s fiduciary duty is an unsuitable interpretation based on the company’s current objects and reanalyses it from the perspective of the non-executive’s undertaking on the board. Whilst the analysis concludes that this interpretation would offer a suitable scope in deterring self-interest the thesis continues by examining the enforcement of fiduciary duties by considering the new statutory derivative claim. This analysis reveals that enforcement is low and may reduce the deterrence the fiduciary duties themselves might have. With low levels of enforcement the thesis turns its attention to ex ante incentives, particularly corporate governance mechanisms, which can “nudge” the non-executive in to acting for the benefit of the firm. This analysis contains a review of the corporate governance theories and an empirical study to identify the ways non-executive self-interest may be reduced. The theoretical analysis considers the ways boards may be structured to reduce the potential for self-interested behaviour. Using multiple directorships as a proxy for self-interest the empirical analysis provides evidence as to whether they are in fact perquisite consumption and identifies possible means of control. It is considered herein that there are insufficient controls and incentives on non-executive behaviour, which may lead to increased self-interest to the detriment of the company.

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Liskey, Natalie A. "Clothing interest and self-perception of female adolescents with scoliosis." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/43095.

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This research investigated the relationships between clothing interest and self-perception among scoliosis patients and their non-handicapped peers. The objectives were (1) to investigate the differences in selected clothing interest factors and self-perception domains between female adolescents with scoliosis and non-handicapped female adolescents and (2) to investigate relationships between clothing interests and self-perception among female adolescents with scoliosis and non-handicapped female adolescents.

Data were obtained from 70 female adolescents of which 35 had scoliosis and 35 were non-handicapped. A clothing inventory, developed by Creekmore in 1963 and revised by Borsari in 1978, titled "Dimensions of Clothing Interest," was used to measure clothing dimensions of interest, conformity, modesty, psychological awareness, and self concept.

A second instrument, the "Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents", developed by Harter in 1988, was used to measure five domains of self-perception which were: social acceptance, athletic competence, romantic appeal, physical attractiveness, and global self-worth.

Master of Science

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18

Arbuckle, Nathan L. "Exploring the Conflict between Self-Interest and Concern for Others." The Ohio State University, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1316547011.

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Woods, Robert Cathal. "The virtuous polity Aristotle on justice, self-Interest and citizenship /." Connect to this title online, 2004. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1086112327.

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Dou, Remy. "The Interactions of Relationships, Interest, and Self-Efficacy in Undergraduate Physics." FIU Digital Commons, 2017. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/3228.

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This collected papers dissertation explores students’ academic interactions in an active learning, introductory physics settings as they relate to the development of physics self-efficacy and interest. The motivation for this work extends from the national call to increase participation of students in the pursuit of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. Self-efficacy and interest are factors that play prominent roles in popular, evidence-based, career theories, including the Social cognitive career theory (SCCT) and the identity framework. Understanding how these constructs develop in light of the most pervasive characteristic of the active learning introductory physics classroom (i.e., peer-to-peer interactions) has implications on how students learn in a variety of introductory STEM classrooms and settings structured after constructivist and sociocultural learning theories. I collected data related to students’ in-class interactions using the tools of social network analysis (SNA). Social network analysis has recently been shown to be an effective and useful way to examine the structure of student relationships that develop in and out of STEM classrooms. This set of studies furthers the implementation of SNA as a tool to examine self-efficacy and interest formation in the active learning physics classroom. Here I represent a variety of statistical applications of SNA, including bootstrapped linear regression (Chapter 2), structural equation modeling (Chapter 3), and hierarchical linear modeling for longitudinal analyses (Chapter 4). Self-efficacy data were collected using the Sources of Self-Efficacy for Science Courses – Physics survey (SOSESC-P), and interest data were collected using the physics identity survey. Data for these studies came from the Modeling Instruction sections of Introductory Physics with Calculus offered at Florida International University in the fall of 2014 and 2015. Analyses support the idea that students’ perceptions of one another impact the development of their social network centrality, which in turn affects their self-efficacy building experiences and their overall self-efficacy. It was shown that unlike career theories that emphasize causal relationships between the development of self-efficacy and the subsequent growth of student interest, in this context student interest takes precedence before the development of student self-efficacy. This outcome also has various implications for career theories.

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Abel, Karen Chandler Cynthia K. "Factors affecting academic interest and self perception of adolescent Hispanic females." [Denton, Tex.] : University of North Texas, 2007. http://digital.library.unt.edu/permalink/meta-dc-4011.

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Abel, Karen. "Factors Affecting Academic Interest and Self Perception of Adolescent Hispanic Females." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2007. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4011/.

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This investigation identifies deterrents to the educational, social, and cultural success of Latina adolescent females. Across the nation, and especially in states such as Texas and California, the Hispanic population is fast becoming the largest minority in society. Because the adolescent Hispanic population within the United States today will comprise much of America's future economic and social base, identifying and addressing educational, cultural, and social deterrents to their success becomes important not only for personal well-being, but for the well-being of future society as a whole. A second purpose was that of determining the efficacy of group-centered psychoeducational therapy in improving self-esteem and decreasing anxiety and depression symptoms in adolescent female Hispanic high school students. The experimental groups consisted of one group of seven female Hispanic adolescents who received computer and internet training and psychoeducational group counseling twice a week for five weeks. and a second group of five female Hispanic adolescents who received computer and internet training and psychoeducational group counseling twice a week for five weeks. The control group consisted of fourteen female Hispanic students who received no treatments. The Beck Depression Inventory was used to measure pre and post test levels of depression, the Beck Anxiety Inventory was used to measure pre and post test levels of anxiety, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem questionnaire and the Index of Self-Esteem were used to measure pre and post levels of self-esteem.

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Bonfiglio, Robert A. "The history of public relations in American higher education in the twentieth century : from self-interest to national interest /." Access Digital Full Text version, 1990. http://pocketknowledge.tc.columbia.edu/home.php/bybib/10937778.

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Orr, Shannon. "National self-interest in the cosmos, a regime analysis of outer space." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/tape15/PQDD_0020/MQ27534.pdf.

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Krueger, Guy J. "In the interest of students : exploring the efficacy of directed self-placement /." Available to subscribers only, 2005. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1079668311&sid=21&Fmt=2&clientId=1509&RQT=309&VName=PQD.

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Frimer, Jeremy Abraham. "Why be good? the development of enlightened self-interest in moral personality." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/37673.

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What motivates people to devote their lives to promoting the greater good? This dissertation advances the reconciliation model, which explains moral motivation within a developmental framework by positing that, for the mature, the relationship between self-promoting (agentic) and other-promoting (communal) motives transforms from one of mutual competition to one of synergy. That is, the model proposes that moral exemplars, in particular, integrate agency and communion in their psychological functioning. Most people, on the other hand, do not become highly virtuous partly because they developmentally stagnate, failing to integrate these motives. The majority of leaders and other successful people also fail to integrate the two, and instead continue to develop agentic motives while attenuating communal motives, resulting in unmitigated agency. Three studies test claims concerning the endpoints of development. Relying on a young-adult sample of student club leaders, Study 1 pinpoints the specific values that usually compete within the moral domain. Study 2 finds evidence of integrated agency and communion in the personalities of recipients of a national award for decades of contribution to the greater good (in contrast to a demographically matched comparison group). Study 3 explores the motives of a “moral dream team” compared to those of a similarly influential set of heroes, icons, leaders, and revolutionaries. The findings are that exemplars treat agency as a means to an end of communion while, for most influential people, agency merely begets more agency. Agency, communion, and the relationship between them hold considerable promise in explaining moral motivation, its development, and the processes that support lives of extraordinary moral commitment.

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De, Cremer David. "Beyond self-interest in social dilemmas : a relational model of co-operation." Thesis, University of Southampton, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.299416.

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Starr, Nicholas Comfort. "From Self-Interest to Virtue: On the Moral Imagination in Rousseau's "Emile"." Thesis, Boston College, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2345/3819.

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Thesis advisor: Christopher J. Kelly
This dissertation is a study of the moral and political significance of the imagination in Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Emile. Rousseau attributes to the imagination a pervasive influence over human life, claiming that it "gives birth not only to the virtues and vices, but to the goods and ills of human life" and that its "empire" makes men "good or bad, happy or unhappy on this earth." The dissertation examines the ambivalence of Rousseau's account, and shows how the model "natural education" of Emile depends on the proper handling of the imagination to cultivate virtue and to secure individual happiness. After first establishing what Rousseau means by "natural education" and what its particular goals are, I turn to the threat the imagination poses to the success of that education. Rousseau's attack on the imagination centers on its power to open the human heart to infinite desire. By generating ever-new and ever-expanding desires, the imagination renders men necessary to one another, causing dependence, weakness, and, ultimately, wickedness, and unhappiness. As a principal agent of man's departure from natural self-sufficiency, the imagination is at the center of the process that transforms natural self-love (amour de soi) into amour-propre, and makes genuine human satisfaction fundamentally elusive. Following these introductory chapters, the remainder of the dissertation argues that, despite this critique, Rousseau in fact relies on the imagination in the successive stages of Emile's moral education to protect his independence and to strengthen those aspects of natural self-love (amour de soi) that lend themselves to the cultivation of the social virtues. Tracing the role of the imagination through Emile's education in compassion, justice, natural religion, love, and virtue, I argue that the proper habituation of the imagination proves to be indispensable for securing both happiness and morality, for defending individual autonomy in the context of social life, and for reconciling, to the extent possible, the private and the public good. Moreover, although Rousseau's recourse to the imagination might initially seem to introduce an element of irrationality into Emile's education, Emile's imagination in fact aids his ability to live not only a moral life but also a rational life. In a variety of ways, detailed in the dissertation, Rousseau employs the imagination and its illusions to forestall other more crippling illusions, to reveal the social world and the passions of men for what they truly are, and to make Emile both moderate and wise. Finally, however, while Emile's moral education engages his imagination in the most salutary manner possible, both for himself and for others, it cannot wholly prevent the imagination from giving birth to desires that betray a disruption of natural wholeness. While these desires present a complicated set of issues, in general, they represent the compromise with natural self-sufficiency that is involved in even the most promising moral education
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013
Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Discipline: Political Science

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Gilliam, Kimberly A. "Effects of Professional Socialization Factors on Career Counseling Self-Efficacy and Interest." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1353088238.

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Benz, Jennifer Kirstin Carsey Thomas M. "A framework for understanding the role of self-interest in attitude formation." Chapel Hill, N.C. : University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2008. http://dc.lib.unc.edu/u?/etd,1940.

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Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2008.
Title from electronic title page (viewed Dec. 11, 2008). "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Political Science." Discipline: Political Science; Department/School: Political Science.

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Dutra, Paula H. "Institution interaction and regime purpose considerations based on TRIPS/CBD /." Ohio : Ohio University, 2007. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?ohiou1180729582.

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Luke, Iain Ronald Mackenzie. "Moral thinking and the self-interest axiom in the history of economic analysis." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.624794.

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Neeves, Peter M. "Performance Implications of Fortune 500 Companies' Self-Interest in Corporate Social Responsibility Activities." ScholarWorks, 2015. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/2674.

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Numerous prior studies examining the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and corporate financial performance have produced mixed results. Consumers expect alignment between corporation's CSR and business activities, yet a paucity of research examines the nature of CSR activities as related to corporate financial performance. Corporate leaders lack direction as to what CSR activities are most impactful. CSR is grounded in stakeholder theory, ethical work climate, and servant leadership theories. The relationship between self-interest in CSR activities, an index of alignment between business activities and CSR activities, and financial performance as measured by return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), and change in market value added (MVA) as a percentage of assets has been underresearched. This study examined the financial performance of 77 companies from the 2014 Fortune 500. Information for the construct of self-interest in CSR activities was obtained from the websites of the sample companies. Correlational analysis was used to examine the relationship between self-interest in CSR activities and financial performance metrics. Multiple regression was used to control for firm size, industry, and CSR perception. Self-interest in CSR activities was found to be a significant predictor of both ROA and ROE, and was not found to be a significant predictor of change in MVA as a percentage of assets. This study contributes to positive social change by helping to illustrate a business case for CSR, providing leaders with incentive to invest in socially responsible activities in line with their business activities. Increased CSR activity directly benefits the most marginalized in a society, including those populations who lack voice.

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Caines, Valerie Dawn. "Late-Life Career Choice: The Antecedents of Self-Employment Interest for Older Workers." Phd thesis, Canberra, ACT : The Australian National University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/142418.

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Workforce ageing has stimulated research interest in entrepreneurship in later life. For older workers, self-employment is an important alternative to waged employment. The literature addressing entrepreneurial motivation has mainly examined young cohorts, and less is known about how age-related factors intersect with entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial motivation in later life is multifaceted, involving a social transaction whereby entrepreneurial interest is developed in a context-dependent social process. Accordingly, the social context in which people work and live influences their interest in entrepreneurship. For instance, older people as entrepreneurs are often viewed as socially unacceptable, which can dissuade their move towards self-employment. The present research draws on social learning theory and social cognitive career theory (SCCT) to explore self-employment in later life and develop and test a mediated model of self-employment interest over three studies. Study 1 explored factors influencing late-career decisions and how self-employment is perceived among the other late-career options, such as retirement. Results of interviews with 31 professional association members (aged 40 years and above) identified several age-related factors that influence older worker’s self-efficacy and outcome expectations in the work domain. A model of late-career interest was developed incorporating the study results. The prominence of self-employment in the narratives supported the proposition that self-employment is an important career option in later life. Study 2 tested a model of self-employment interest focusing on the effects of future time perspective and social support on entrepreneurial self-efficacy - pre-venture, outcome expectations and self-employment interest. Findings from a sample of 174 members (aged 40 years and above) of a professional association revealed that an open-ended time perspective positively influenced entrepreneurial self-efficacy – pre-venture, and Support positively influenced outcome expectations. Consistent with SCCT, entrepreneurial self-efficacy – pre-venture mediated the relationship between future time perspective and self-employment interest, and outcome expectations mediated the relationship between Support and self-employment interest. Study 3 examined the influence of age norms. Findings from a sample of 598 financial services employees (aged 45 and above) supported prior hypotheses, replicating Study 2. Additionally, favourable age norms were positively related to entrepreneurial self-efficacy - pre-venture and outcome expectations. Consistent with SCCT, entrepreneurial self-efficacy - pre-venture and outcome expectations mediated the relationship between age norms and self-employment interest. Examination of the two-way interaction effect between age norms and future time perspective on entrepreneurial self-efficacy found that when age norms are favourable and time perspective is open ended, entrepreneurial self-efficacy – pre-venture was at its highest. The two-way interaction effect between age norms and Support on entrepreneurial self-efficacy - pre-venture suggested that when age norms were highly favourable, support was not related to entrepreneurial self-efficacy – pre-venture. However, when age norms are not favourable, Support was positively related to entrepreneurial self-efficacy - pre-venture, suggesting that age norms and Support complement each other in the development of interest in self-employment. This research extends current career and entrepreneurship theory in several ways. First, the inclusion of age-related psychosocial and sociocultural factors in the model shed light on the intersection between older age, the contextual environment and development of self-employment interest. Second, the findings support earlier arguments that older entrepreneurship is a social process whereby the social context in which people work and live influences their interest in entrepreneurship, and that entrepreneurial behaviour among older people needs to be sanctioned and supported to occur. Finally, the findings suggest the utility of SCCT in informing the development of self-employment interest in the late career stage. Practical implications, limitations and suggestions for future research directions are also discussed.

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May, Melissa M. "Whites opposition to race targeted policies : the effects of racial attitudes and self-interest." Virtual Press, 2004. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1293375.

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This study examined the effects of white's opposition to race targeted policies. Using the 1998 General Social Survey this paper investigated self-interest and racial attitudes theories to help explain levels of opposition to giving government aid to blacks, preference in hiring blacks and the amount of assistance given to blacks. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Logit, and Ordered Logit regression models are used to test these two theories of white's opposition. The self-interest hypothesis states that whites who have higher levels of self-interest are less likely to support race targeted policies. Findings do not have strong support for the self-interest hypothesis. However, the racial attitudes hypothesis, which states whites who believe that African Americans' have lower levels of ability are less likely to support race targeted policies, was supported. Based on this study's findings; individuals who possess racist attitudes are more likely to oppose race based policies than self-interest attitudes.
Department of Sociology

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Winters, Desiree Marie. "Using Playable Case Studies to Influence Teen Girls' Self-Efficacy and Interest in Cybersecurity." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2019. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/7558.

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Various factors dissuade women from the field of cybersecurity. Educational interventions are needed to mitigate the negative effects of stereotypes and low perceived self-efficacy and help girls gain interest in learning about cybersecurity. This thesis focuses on an intervention targeted to increase teenage girls' interest and self-efficacy in cybersecurity: the Cybermatics Playable Case Study. Findings from a mixed-methods study in which a focus group was conducted with 7 middle school girls, interviews were conducted with 2 high school girls, and pre- and post- simulation survey was collected from all 9 participants reveal tensions between enjoyment and frustration in the girls' experience with Cybermatics and their desire for both autonomy in completing tasks and the availability of help when needed. Almost all of the study participants indicated that their experience with the Playable Case Study made them more interested in cybersecurity and feel more confident in their ability to do well in a cybersecurity class, although the quantitative data revealed considerable complexity in the girls' perceptions of these constructs and significant lack of prior knowledge of cybersecurity. Quantitative survey data illustrates correlations between successful completion and enjoyment of the simulation, interest, and self-efficacy. Qualitative data from the focus group and 2 individual interviews shed light on what may be the simulation's greatest benefit: giving exposure to cybersecurity to teen girls in a way that is interesting and provides an accurate portrayal of the work of a security analyst.

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Malmin, Kareema Najme Rahim. "Predicting Academic Success and Failure Implications for Stereotype Threat, Motivation, Interest, and Self-Regulation /." [Chico, Calif. : California State University, Chico], 2009. http://csuchico-dspace.calstate.edu/xmlui/handle/10211.4/172.

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Shichida, Toshi. "The Workings of Admiration and Adoration in Contrast to Self-Interest Within Religious Families." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2016. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5843.

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The workings of admiration and adoration within individuals and the family as attitudes against self-interest were investigated. Interviews with American families in two New England states from ten Christian denominations (n = 20) were analyzed qualitatively. As a result, admiration was observed among almost all the families. Three means-end structures emerged in regard to spouses' configuration of the components of adoration, and these three groups of families indicated different features of family. The spouses of the Holistic Devotion (HD) group devoted all resources to God, rejecting the quest for self-interest, defining marriage/family as a coherent unit to serve God. The children participated in this attitude, expressing a similar devotion to God and rejection of self-interest. The spouses of the Personal God (PG) group perceived God as a meaning-maker and a benefactor who was involved in marriage, having multiple goals including spiritual growth and marital care and togetherness. The children expressed similar goals, including family togetherness and affirmation of satisfaction of self-interest. The spouses of the God-as-Benefactor (GB) group mentioned only admiration, and perceived that God was less involved in marriage; they valued marital care that functioned as mutual satisfaction of self-interest. The children similarly sought family togetherness, were centered in self-interest, and religion was instrumental to their self-interest. Six functions working in the family relationships of the HD group were elaborated, and the unique ontology behind these functions was analyzed.

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Lindgren, Emilie, and Inara Rudko. "Speglingen av organisationers egenintresse i remissvar : En studie av yttranden över fyra av Statens Offentliga Utredningar." Thesis, Södertörn University College, School of Business Studies, 2009. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-2786.

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Objective: In this thesis, we assume that the organizations' interests are governing their behavior/positions. It seems possible to draw conclusions about organizations'interests on the basis of the behavior / positions that will appear in the givenopinions on Swedish Public Investigations. The purpose of this thesis is toidentify self-interests of the studied organizations as they appear in their givenopinions.

Method: The authors have made a qualitative and quantitative study of the opinions.

Theoretical perspective: The basis of the study is the organization theories that focus the self-interest oforganizations.

Empiric: Information is taken from four Swedish Public Investigations: the New Company Act, International Accounting for Swedish companies, Abolition of the audit requirement for small and medium sized enterprise and Simplified accounting. Altogether 310 opinions have been given on these, out of which we have studied 59. Furthermore, we have collected information on tasks, activities and objectives from the websites of the opinion giving organizations.

Conclusions: In the literature, we found, as mentioned, that organizations havet hree self- interests which we define as general self-interests. They are the interest in survival, resources and power. We have found - what we believe – an additional general self-interest of organizations, namely the interest to avoid accountability and transparency. It was possible to divide the organizations intogroups with high community of interest within each group while the community between the groups was low. This provides an empirical support to Dimaggio’s and Powell’s theory which says that organizations in specific areas are similar. This means that it is possible to study the interest of organizations, without studying the individuals in an organization. We found that the owner's interests expressed in tasks, activities and objectives of the organization are important factors affecting the organization's interest structure. We also found indications - however unclear - that the public interest has an impact on the organizations' self interests. We also found an interest to protect its own market which can be related to the general interest of resource influx under Pfeffers and Salanciks theories of resource dependence.

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Baldino, Donald James. "I've Got a Right to Sing the Blues: An Egoist Conception of Rights." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2011. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/121248.

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Philosophy
Ph.D.
Rights today are a jumble of conflicting and incompatible claims. Without correction, the concept of rights will be eroded and eventually abandoned. The loss would be tragic, because rights are essential to our long-term planning and success. Incompatible claims have arisen from incommensurable conceptual foundations. Historically and essentially, rights are egoistic. Attempts to justify rights according to other criteria - divine command, human dignity, altruism, utilitarianism - fail on their own terms. Egoism or self-interest is fully compatible with social responsibility and with regard for the interests of others. The nature of rights is examined and ethical diversity is defended. The evolution of rights is traced from Roman antiquity through medieval developments through modern refinements, with particular attention paid to the rights theories of Gerson, Grotius, Hobbes, and Locke. A will theory of rights is proposed based on contract rather than on natural law and teleology. This will theory is explained using state of nature theory, with reference to Olson's logic of collective action. It is contrasted with the egoistic theories of Rand and Smith, with the utilitarian will theories of Hart and Wellman, and with the interest theories of MacCormick and Kramer.
Temple University--Theses

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Lin, Yuet-yim Veronica. "The fable of economic animals an empirical study of the impacts of shocks and crises on the Hong Kong real estate industry /." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2006. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B36224856.

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Kuhn, Tatjana. "The International Science Programme in Bangladesh : A case of self-interest, interdependence or social empowerment?" Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Statsvetenskap, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-81854.

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The aim of this thesis is to analyze different forms of North-South development assistance with regard to its widespread critique and to examine whether the field of international research capacity building holds alternative development cooperation strategies that have the potential to reconcile some of the criticisms. The focus is on the International Science Programme (ISP) and the empirical research carried out in Bangladesh and Sweden on the ISP-Bangladesh collaboration in the form of semi-structured interviews constitutes the core case study evidence. Three theoretical perspectives – realism, interdependence liberalism and constructivism – provide the framework of the case study and serve as guiding tools to understand the ISP’s role and motivations as an actor in international relations. The main goal is to investigate whether the ISP can be best perceived as an instance of self-interest, interconnectedness or social empowerment.

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McWhaw, Katherine A. "The interaction of goal orientation and interest on students' use of self-regulated learning strategies." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape11/PQDD_0005/MQ44890.pdf.

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Arhinful, Daniel Kojo. "The solidarity of self-interest social and cultural feasibility of rural health insurance in Ghana /." [S.l. : Amsterdam : s.n.] ; Universiteit van Amsterdam [Host], 2003. http://dare.uva.nl/document/71020.

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Bano, Masooda. "Self-interest, rationality and cooperative behaviour : aid and problems of cooperation within voluntary groups in Pakistan." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.440557.

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Birtles, Sara. "A green space beyond self-interest: the evolution of common land in Norfolk, c.750-2003." Thesis, University of East Anglia, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.399801.

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This study investigates common land in Norfolk from the Middle Saxon period to the present day, charting the significant changes in form, use, legal standing, and popular perception that occurred. Exploring the subject from a 'long-view' allows this dissertation to expound and to develop theories only observable from such a perspective, yet, by studying closely the range of individual commons within a single county, it is equally able to recognise and advance theories of local significance. Although arranged chronologically, three largely separate but interrelated aspects of common land are evolved: commons as landscape, commoning as the embodiment of a social relationship between landowner and commoner, and commoning as a detached concept describing a theory of societal interaction. From its beginnings in the Saxon period through to the present day, the important points of development and transition are indicated, discussed and related to larger social and economic trends. Many of the developments in common land are national in scope but this study ties them firmly to detailed changes within the local landscape. By looking at commons in Norfolk over 1200 years this dissertation concludes that common land is remarkable for its flexibility and for being able to adapt and to be adapted within a changing physical and economic landscape. However, because common land exists as a concept over and above its physical form, its relevance is also evolving within a social and intellectual landscape.

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Paton, Paul Douglas. ""In the public interest" : threats to self-regulation of the legal profession in Ontario, 1998-2006 /." May be available electronically:, 2008. http://proquest.umi.com/login?COPT=REJTPTU1MTUmSU5UPTAmVkVSPTI=&clientId=12498.

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Luccioni, Noelle Alexandra. "Elementary students perceptions of their teachers' self-efficacy, interest, and enjoyment of science and science teaching." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2019. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/556018.

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Teaching & Learning
Ph.D.
Current literature reveals that researchers are not using student perceptions as a large component to their data collection nor as an avenue to investigate how students pick up on their teachers’ self-efficacy (SE) for, interest in, and enjoyment of science teaching. In my dissertation, I explored the relationship between teacher beliefs, student perceptions of teacher beliefs, and student beliefs by developing and implementing instrumentation measuring students’ perceptions of their teachers’ SE, interest, and enjoyment for science and science teaching. In an effort to measure elementary students’ perceptions of their teacher’s SE, interest, and enjoyment of science and science teaching, I developed nine instruments and established reliability () for each. These instruments are the: (a) Teacher Instrument for Science Self-Efficacy ( = .852); (b) Teacher Instrument for Science Interest ( = .900); (c) Teacher Instrument for Science Enjoyment ( = .923); (d) Student Perceptions of Teacher Self-Efficacy Instrument ( = .635); (e) Student Perceptions of Teacher Interest Instrument ( = .661); (f) Student Perceptions of Teacher Enjoyment Instrument ( = .762); (g) Student Instrument for Science Self-Efficacy ( = .723); (h) Student Instrument for Science Interest ( = .767); and (i) Student Instrument for Science Enjoyment ( = .763). I administered these instruments to grade 3 elementary teachers (NT = 7) and grade 3 students (NS = 73) in three combined surveys: The Teacher Instrument for Science Self-Efficacy, Interest, and Enjoyment, which was made up of 51 Likert-scale items with six open-ended response prompts; the Student Instrument for Perceptions of Self-Efficacy, Interest, and Enjoyment of Science, which was made up of 25 Likert-scale items; and the Student Instrument for Science Self-Efficacy, Interest, and Enjoyment, which was composed of 24 Likert-scale items. The results of a MANOVA showed that there were no differences between groups, in this case teachers, when considering either student perceptions or student beliefs. The results of regression analysis showed that student perceptions of their teachers’ self-efficacy, interest, and enjoyment of science and science teaching are predictive of student interest in and enjoyment of science. Finally, the results of an SEM analysis showed specific predictive pathways that exist between the independent variables (perceptions of self-efficacy, interest, and enjoyment) and the dependent variables (student self-efficacy, interest, and enjoyment). More specifically, student perceptions of teacher self-efficacy predicted student interest; student perceptions of teacher interest predicted student interest and enjoyment; and student perceptions of enjoyment predicted student self-efficacy, interest, and enjoyment of science. Overall, I found that students generally perceive their teachers’ beliefs in science more negatively than teachers report for themselves and that student perceptions of their teachers’ beliefs are predictive of their own beliefs in science. These results hold implications for both research and practice. More specifically, my research provides a meaningful application of student perceptions and gives it weight to be considered in other areas of educational research such as teacher preparation and student achievement. My research provides more support for the impact teacher unpreparedness has on student belief development and on student achievement, given that my research has shown that student perceptions of their teacher SE, interest, and enjoyment are predictive of student beliefs in science. As educational researchers, we have to pay more attention to elementary teacher preparation in science. When teachers are not self-efficacious in science, they have a lower interest in science, thus enjoying it less and further perpetuating the cycle of beliefs development. My research in teacher and student beliefs supports what is already known about elementary teacher SE while also adding new findings regarding teacher interest and enjoyment of science. Further, by including student perceptions, we can continue to gauge the current conditions of various aspects of elementary teacher preparation and practice in science and reconsider its impacts.
Temple University--Theses

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Vargas-Machuca, Isabel. "Hispanic women's views on affirmative action: Self-interest, fairness, socio-political orientation, past discrimination, and acculturation." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1997. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1405.

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Tsakissiris, Jane. "The role of professional identity & self-interest in career choices in the emerging ICT workforce." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2016. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/91646/1/Jane_Tsakissiris_Thesis.pdf.

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The influence of professional identity and self-interest on the educational and career choices of the emerging Information and Communications Technology (ICT) workforce is considered in this thesis. Interviews were conducted with 52 ICT students from four Australian tertiary education institutions and the findings indicated that professional identity and self-interest should be considered together, rather than separately, to understand career decisions in relation to the ICT industry. Professional identity is associated with the accrual of symbolic resources including status and esteem, mastery, sense of belonging and attachment. By contrast, self-interest is associated with the perceived likelihood of the accrual of material (economic and social) resources.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Self-interest'

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