Using Self-Assessment to Build Self-Efficacy and Intrinsic Motivation in Athletes: A Mixed Methods Explanatory Design on Female Adolescent Volleyball Players

The aim of this mixed-methods study was to address the issue of burnout and lack of motivation in middle and high school student-athletes. As young athletes cope with school and stresses of extracurricular activities, they often react negatively to external feedback and motivation. The athletes often find themselves in a low state of self-efficacy due to perceived external pressures. This can lead to burnout and ultimately quitting the sport. This study utilized a model that was designed to use self-assessment to increase self-efficacy among athletes to promote a higher sense of accomplishment and motivation toward success. The athletes were all female volleyball players ranging from ages 10-18. Each athlete received a pretest to ascertain her level of motivation prior to the beginning of the athletic season. During their athletic seasons, 30 of the athletes participated in a weekly self-assessment program producing measurable quantitative data to be used as predictors. A sample selection of the athletes was also interviewed to allow for reflection on the study and produce qualitative data intended to predict possible outcomes of the study. Upon completion of the season the athletes took a post-test to measure their levels of motivation. The outcome of the study produced a statistical effect that demonstrated an increase in self-efficacy and self-determination in athletes, and subsequently increased motivation. The qualitative interview data corroborated the effect produced by the quantitative data

Perturbations of nuclear C*-algebras

Kadison and Kastler introduced a natural metric on the collection of all C*-subalgebras of the bounded operators on a separable Hilbert space. They conjectured that sufficiently close algebras are unitarily conjugate. We establish this conjecture when one algebra is separable and nuclear. We also consider one-sided versions of these notions, and we obtain embeddings from certain near inclusions involving separable nuclear C*-algebras. At the end of the paper we demonstrate how our methods lead to improved characterisations of some of the types of algebras that are of current interest in the classification programme.Comment: 45 page

Photonic Analogue of Two-dimensional Topological Insulators and Helical One-Way Edge Transport in Bi-Anisotropic Metamaterials

Recent progress in understanding the topological properties of condensed matter has led to the discovery of time-reversal invariant topological insulators. Because of limitations imposed by nature, topologically non-trivial electronic order seems to be uncommon except in small-band-gap semiconductors with strong spin-orbit interactions. In this Article we show that artificial electromagnetic structures, known as metamaterials, provide an attractive platform for designing photonic analogues of topological insulators. We demonstrate that a judicious choice of the metamaterial parameters can create photonic phases that support a pair of helical edge states, and that these edge states enable one-way photonic transport that is robust against disorder.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure

Binary and Millisecond Pulsars at the New Millennium

We review the properties and applications of binary and millisecond pulsars. Our knowledge of these exciting objects has greatly increased in recent years, mainly due to successful surveys which have brought the known pulsar population to over 1300. There are now 56 binary and millisecond pulsars in the Galactic disk and a further 47 in globular clusters. This review is concerned primarily with the results and spin-offs from these surveys which are of particular interest to the relativity community.Comment: 59 pages, 26 figures, 5 tables. Accepted for publication in Living Reviews in Relativity (http://www.livingreviews.org

The SNAPSHOT study protocol : SNAcking, Physical activity, Self-regulation, and Heart rate Over Time

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Influence of Strategic Contingency Factors on Performance of Large Manufacturing Firms in Kenya

Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to establish the influence of strategic contingency factors on performance of large manufacturing firms in Kenya by reviewing organizational structure, information technology, dynamic capabilities and leadership characteristics as the study variables with legal and regulatory environment as the moderating variable.Methodology: The study adopted a cross-sectional research design and descriptive survey design and the research philosophy was positivism. The study population study was 499 large scale manufacturing firms where a sample size of 217 firms was selected. Data was collected through the administration of questionnaires to operations managers.Results: The study findings revealed that organization structure has a significant influence on performance of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. Organization structure was found to be positively related to performance of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. Dynamic Capabilities was also found have a positive and significant influence on performance of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. On the relationship between leadership characteristics and organization performance, the study findings revealed that leadership characteristics have a positive and significant influence on performance of large manufacturing firms in Kenya.Policy recommendation: The study recommended that large manufacturing firms in Kenya should put in place better organizational structure strategies, improved information technology put in place strategies that encourage their leaders to have leadership characteristics and structural dynamic capabilities as they lead to high performanc

EFFECT OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION ON COMPLETION OF WASTE MANAGEMENT PROJECTS FUNDED BY UNITED NATION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IN KIBERA, NAIROBI CITY COUNTY IN KENYA

Purpose: Project monitoring is an on-going process while evaluation is occasional and aims at addressing relevance, effectiveness and impact of projects. The study main objective was to establish effect of monitoring and evaluation on successful completion of waste management projects funded by United Nation Development Programme in Kibera, Nairobi City County in Kenya. The study was guided by the following objectives; to establish the effect of project need assessment on successful completion of UNDP projects in Kenya, to determine the effect of project intervention design on successful completion of UNDP projects in Kenya, to assess the effect of project impact evaluation on successful completion of UNDP projects in Kenya and to examine the effects of project sustainability on successful completion of UNDP projects in Kenya. Methodology: The study used a descriptive survey research design. The study target population was program directors (10), project managers (10), and field extension supervisors (50). The study sample size was program directors 10, project managers 10, and field extension supervisors 50 who were sampled using census. The study used questionnaires for data collection that contained both open ended and close ended questions from the program directors, project managers, and field extension supervisors. Statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 22 was used for descriptive and inferential data analysis. The study used the multiple regression analysis models. The data presentation was done using charts, graph and tables. The 63% of (Program Directors, Project Managers and Project field extension supervisors) filled and returned the questionnaires. Results: The study found that monitoring and evaluation process influences successful completion of waste management projects funded by United Nation Development Programme in Kibera, Nairobi City County in Kenya. The study also found that Project Intervention Design and Project Impact Evaluation greatly influence successful completion of waste management projects funded by United Nation Development Programme in Kibera, Nairobi City County in Kenya. Conclusion and policy recommendation: The study concludes that project need assessment influences on successful completion of UNDP projects in Kenya. The study concluded that project intervention design significantly influences on successful completion of UNDP projects in Kenya. The study recommended that monitoring and evaluation influences successful completion of waste management projects funded by United Nation Development Programme in Kibera, Nairobi City County in Kenya. The study recommended that project intervention design significantly influences on successful completion of UNDP projects in Kenya to a great extent followed by project impact evaluation significantly influences on successful completion of UNDP projects in Kenya. The study recommended further research to be conducted on effect of monitoring and evaluation on successful completion of waste management projects funded by Nairobi City County Government to cover the 31.8% of the other factors. The study recommended other areas of study like effect of monitoring and evaluation process on successful completion of waste management projects funded by public private partnership. Also the study recommended further research to be conducted on using different variables

FACTORS AFFECTING EFFICIENCY IN TENDERING PROCESS IN THE ENERGY SECTOR IN KENYA.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine the factors that affect efficiency in tendering process in the energy sector with an aim of making recommendations. Methodology: The study employed a descriptive research design. The study preferred this method because it allowed an in-depth study of the subject. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires. The study employed stratified random sampling technique in coming up with a sample size of 154 respondents from a total of 253 target population in the energy sector in Kenya. Pilot study was carried out to establish the validity and reliability of the research instruments. The instruments were designed appropriately according to the study objectives. The data collected was analyzed by use of descriptive and inferential statistics. The study used multiple regression and correlation analysis to show the relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variables. The data generated was keyed in and analyzed by use of Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24 to generate information which was presented using charts, frequencies and percentages. Results: The results of regression analysis revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between dependent variable and independent variable at (β = 0.634), p=0.000 <0.05). The findings of the study indicated that information technology integration, regulatory framework, records management and supplier relationship management have a positive relationship with efficiency in tendering process in public procurement project. Unique Contribution to Policy and Practice: The study recommended that companies in the energy sector should embrace efficiency in tendering process and further researches should to be carried out in other institutions to find out if the same results can be obtained

INFLUENCE OF CUSTOMER FOCUS ON COMPETITIVENESS OF FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN KENYA

Purpose: Manufacturing firms are critical to the economic growth and development through provision of products and employment. Their competitiveness is therefore critical. The firms have been facing steep competition from foreign companies due to increased globalization. Strategic drivers have been found to be key enablers of firm competitiveness and performance. It is on this basis that the study sought to establish the influence customer focus on the competitiveness of food and beverage processing companies in Kenya. Methodology: The study was informed by commitment trust theory. Empirical studies were reviewed to provide the basis for research gaps to be filled by the current study. Descriptive research design was employed while the target population was the 187 food and beverage processing firms in Kenya. A census was used where all the 187 companies were contacted. Structured questionnaire was used to obtain the primary data which was analyzed through mixed method analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data while qualitative data was analyzed through content analysis. Inferential statistics were used to analyze the relationship between variables through the regression model. The findings were presented in form of tables, pie-charts and bar-graphs. Findings: It was established that customer focus was upheld in most of the surveyed food and beverage processing companies where after sale services, customer engagement and customer contacting were the main platforms applied. It was concluded that while most of the food and beverage processing firms recognized key strategic drivers (customer focus) as a major aspects of competitiveness, most of the firms did not practically embrace the drivers which could explain their continued lack of competitiveness. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommended that for the food and beverage processing companies to take their place in the local and global market, the management should embrace and keenly focus on customer focus