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Breaking The Ice: Prospects For Canadian-American Institutional Change In The Governance Of The Northwest Passage, Jeffrey Parkey Dec 2010

Breaking The Ice: Prospects For Canadian-American Institutional Change In The Governance Of The Northwest Passage, Jeffrey Parkey

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This study assesses four institutional approaches to governing the use of the Northwest Passage, including the current rules in use. The assessment is conducted through the use of expert interviews, a review of the theoretical literature, and an examination of comparative cases. Because of significant environmental changes underway in the Arctic region, institutional change for Northwest Passage management is receiving increased attention. Due to the potential environmental and security impacts of regularized ship transits through the Northwest Passage, a number of informed observers have discussed the need for considering alternative means of governing the waterway. The advantages and disadvantages of …


Development Of Guidance For States Transitioning To New Safety Analysis Tools, Priyanka Alluri Dec 2010

Development Of Guidance For States Transitioning To New Safety Analysis Tools, Priyanka Alluri

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With about 125 people dying on US roads each day, the US Department of Transportation heightened the awareness of critical safety issues with the passage of SAFETEA - LU (Safe Accountable Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act - a Legacy for Users) legislation in 2005. The legislation required each of the states to develop a Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) and incorporate data-driven approaches to prioritize and evaluate program outcomes: Failure to do so resulted in funding sanctioning. In conjunction with the legislation, research efforts have also been progressing toward the development of new safety analysis tools such as IHSDM (Interactive …


An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Service Quality, Transaction-Specific Satisfaction, And Overall Satisfaction In Predicting Golfers' Revisit Intentions, Joon Choel Lee Dec 2010

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Service Quality, Transaction-Specific Satisfaction, And Overall Satisfaction In Predicting Golfers' Revisit Intentions, Joon Choel Lee

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ABSTRACT
Every year, approximately 37 million people play golf and use golf course facilities with friends or family, and each group's perception of satisfaction differs. It is important and worthwhile to examine the variables that influence golfers' perceptions of service quality and satisfaction. Understanding which variables best predict behavioral intentions to revisit certain facilities is an important issue in the tourism industry, but few studies have investigated the relationships between service quality, transaction-specific satisfaction, and overall satisfaction in predicting revisit intention.
The purpose of this study is to compare and investigate conceptual frameworks that represent the relationship between golfers' perceived …


Social Networks In The Tourism Industry: An Investigation Of Charleston, South Carolina, Tianyu Ying Aug 2010

Social Networks In The Tourism Industry: An Investigation Of Charleston, South Carolina, Tianyu Ying

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Over the past decades, increasing attention has been given to the networking in the tourism industry (Lynch, 2000; Pavlovich, 2003). The existing literature mainly focuses on the interrelationships among tourism stakeholders at sector level and the structure of the interorganizational networks in tourism industry. However, little research has been done to examine the possible antecedents and outcomes of the tourism networks and the interrelationships between the network structures at different subject level (i.e., interpersonal and interorganizational) and in different social contexts (i.e., online and offline). The purpose of this study is to address these research gaps by empirically examining the …


The Wilderness In Wilderness Therapy Techniques, Jane Brison Aug 2010

The Wilderness In Wilderness Therapy Techniques, Jane Brison

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The fields of Therapeutic Recreation, Criminal Justice, and Psychology currently use wilderness therapy techniques in the treatment of adolescents experiencing difficult life transitions. While literature exists that reports on the effectiveness of Wilderness Therapy techniques in addressing the issues that adolescents' face, there is a lack of understanding regarding exactly why these programs work. One theme that has been minimally addressed in the literature is the role that the 'wilderness' plays in these therapeutic techniques. People's perceptions of the wilderness environment vary due to experience and exposure. These varying perceptions could play a role in the effectiveness of these techniques …


Inspiring Awe In The Outdoors: A Mechanistic And Functional Analysis, Joel Agate Aug 2010

Inspiring Awe In The Outdoors: A Mechanistic And Functional Analysis, Joel Agate

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The past decade has seen a movement within the field of psychology in which positive emotions have been emphasized as an important key to improved quality of life. The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions indicates that such emotions may provide enduring reservoirs of personal strength and may broaden thought-action repertoires, opening people`s minds to new possibilities. One emotion that has begun to receive some attention among positive psychologists is awe. While little is known about this emotion, researchers and scholars have indicated that natural and outdoor environments are common settings in which people experience awe. The purpose of this study …


Assessment Of Destination Brand Associations: An Application Of Associative Network Theory And Network Analysis Methods, Xu Chen Aug 2010

Assessment Of Destination Brand Associations: An Application Of Associative Network Theory And Network Analysis Methods, Xu Chen

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Recent tourism management research has seen increasing discussions of applying branding concepts into destination marketing. However, brand association and its importance in creating strong and unique brands have not been studied adequately. The purpose of this study was to identify the underlying dimensions that people use to describe destination brands and examine the structural relations of the destination's brand association.
Brand association focuses on analyzing the characteristics consumers' knowledge, perceptions and attitudes associated with a brand and how brand associations interact with each other. Research on brand association provides measurement constructs to evaluate branding effectiveness and offers marketing professionals the …


Sustainable Urban Transport: The Issue Of Equity In The Emerging Bric Countries, Tamara Tavares Aug 2010

Sustainable Urban Transport: The Issue Of Equity In The Emerging Bric Countries, Tamara Tavares

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Although sustainable frameworks for transportation have been widely discussed in the transportation planning field in recent decades, the issue of equity in transportation systems is still relatively unexplored in comparison to the other pillars of sustainability. Globally, the concept of equity gains different nuances in developed and developing countries, and have yet new implications when considering fast emerging nations. The objective of this paper is to investigate how transit policies in fast emerging economies are used to distribute equitable access to benefits and opportunities; and to derive lessons that can orient future cohorts of emerging cities and countries to use …


Can Deliberation Alter Patterns Of Influence? A Study On Local Government Decision-Making And The Deliberative Dialogue Process, William Molnar Aug 2010

Can Deliberation Alter Patterns Of Influence? A Study On Local Government Decision-Making And The Deliberative Dialogue Process, William Molnar

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This study surveyed South Carolina county council elected officials and citizens to examine the local government decision-making process, as it relates to influence and power in the growth and development arena. At its center were both the Kettering Foundation's deliberative dialogue forum model and their assertion that citizens want, and need, to be infused into the process. The study has three significant findings. First, forums did not alter citizen perceptions on who holds power and influence within the local government power structure. Second, decision-makers did not alter on which groups influence them as the type of issue moves from routine …


'First We Crawled, Then We Walked, Now We Want To Run': An Examination Of The Transition Processes Used By Inclusive Camps, Teresa Tucker Aug 2010

'First We Crawled, Then We Walked, Now We Want To Run': An Examination Of The Transition Processes Used By Inclusive Camps, Teresa Tucker

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ABSTRACT
The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the transition processes camps undergo when including campers with disabilities into the organized camp from the perspective of key individuals who championed inclusion. Despite research that supports inclusion and knowledge of best inclusive practices, few camps have implemented the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in a purposeful way. Understanding the components that facilitate a camp's adoption of inclusion and the roles people play to facilitate the inclusion process can provide camp professionals guidelines to ensure all campers have a positive inclusive camp experience. In this phenomenological study, in-depth interviews were conducted …


Establishing The Best Practices Related To Effective Student Development In Campus Recreation Student Employees, Lauren Toperzer Aug 2010

Establishing The Best Practices Related To Effective Student Development In Campus Recreation Student Employees, Lauren Toperzer

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Students play a vital role in the leadership and delivery of campus recreation programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate best practices related to effective student development techniques in high quality campus recreation programs affiliated with NIRSA (National Intramural Recreational Sports Association). NIRSA , in collaboration with CAS (Council for the Advancement of Standards), educates collegiate recreational sports professionals on the importance of providing a rich learning environment for student employees (nirsa.org, 2010). A campus recreation professional can put student development theory to practice and the student employee can gain effective professional development.
Data were collected through a …


The Interaction Of Motivational Climate And Self-Determination In Examining Commitment Level In Female Youth Sport, Kyle Player Aug 2010

The Interaction Of Motivational Climate And Self-Determination In Examining Commitment Level In Female Youth Sport, Kyle Player

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Research has shown that many benefits can be derived from youth sports. Practitioners need to be equipped with the skills to provide the best youth sport experience and retain participants. This is of particular importance for females because of their tendency to dropout at higher rates than males. The purpose of this research is to describe the effect that coach-created motivational climate has on female youth athletes' self-determination and goal orientation and how these variables affect their commitment level pre to post season. Research has shown that a coach initiated mastery climate will have a positive effect on girls' self …


A Leisure Education Program For Postsecondary Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Madalyn Weber Aug 2010

A Leisure Education Program For Postsecondary Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Madalyn Weber

All Theses

For individuals with intellectual disabilities finding and taking part in leisure experiences can be difficult without appropriate knowledge and skills. This study examined the use of a leisure education program with students enrolled in a post-secondary education program located on the campus of a mid-size southeastern university. This postsecondary educational program is designed to teach independent living and job skills to people ages 18-23 who have an intellectual disability. The -Leisure Ability Model is the conceptual framework for this study. Leisure attitude was measured through a revised version of the Leisure Attitude Measure; it assessed three components: cognitive, behavioral, and …


Funding The Way To Work: Transportation Policies With Provisions For Low-Wage Workers, Ronald Combs Aug 2010

Funding The Way To Work: Transportation Policies With Provisions For Low-Wage Workers, Ronald Combs

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Adequate access to employment is a primary factor in providing a means to self-sufficiency for disadvantaged populations. In order to secure and retain employment, people must enjoy a degree of mobility.
The Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) program enhances mobility for low-wage workers and low-income individuals by offering federal funding for locally planned and developed access projects. Funding for JARC projects is a combination of federal and local funding, with local funding derived from local sources, such as dedicated taxes, other local-level government-funded programs for disadvantaged populations, businesses or general accounts.
The objective of this research is to identify …


Deployed Electronic Medical Record Policy Compliance: An Intra-Department Principal-Agent Perspective, Mark Mellott Aug 2010

Deployed Electronic Medical Record Policy Compliance: An Intra-Department Principal-Agent Perspective, Mark Mellott

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To understand problems related to a policy of implementing a lifelong longitudinal electronic health record (EHR) more fully, this dissertation examines compliance with changes in policy over time. We analyze drivers of compliance with a required electronic medical record (EMR) by hospital clinicians completing the records for deployed service members. This study examines compliance as an outcome of principal-agent (PA) relationships, with the EMR modeled as the measure of success between one level of bureaucratic principal (i.e. medical command) with control over the necessary mechanisms in order to ensure compliance of agents (i.e., medical professionals).
Policy compliance is operationalized in …


Are Distracted Drivers Aware That They Are Distracted?: Exploring Awareness, Self-Regulation, And Performance In Drivers Performing Secondary Tasks, Matthew Crisler Aug 2010

Are Distracted Drivers Aware That They Are Distracted?: Exploring Awareness, Self-Regulation, And Performance In Drivers Performing Secondary Tasks, Matthew Crisler

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Research suggests that driving while talking on a mobile telephone causes drivers not to respond to important events but has a smaller effect on their lane-keeping ability. This pattern is similar to research on night driving and suggests that problems associated with distraction may parallel those of night driving. Here, participants evaluated their driving performance before and after driving a simulated curvy road under different distraction conditions. In experiment 1 drivers failed to appreciate their distraction-induced performance decrements and did not recognize the dissociation between lane-keeping and identification. In Experiment 2 drivers did not adjust their speed to offset being …


Changes In Visitors' Environmental Focus During An Appreciative Recreation Experience, Adam Mckay Aug 2010

Changes In Visitors' Environmental Focus During An Appreciative Recreation Experience, Adam Mckay

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Recreation that involves learning, viewing, observing, studying, identifying, or photographing nature (e.g., birds, plants, or wildlife) may be termed appreciative recreation. As appreciative wildland recreation participation continues to increase, an understanding of the development of on-site experiences for recreationists will be important for helping managers meet visitor needs, meet objectives for education during experiences, and managing social and ecological impacts related to the activity. The purpose of this study is to investigate the developmental nature of appreciative recreation experiences. Clawson and Knetsch (1966) are typically cited as the first researchers to identify that an outdoor recreation experience has multiple phases …


Helping Families Play: Developing A Framework For Family Recreation Programming, Sarah Agate May 2010

Helping Families Play: Developing A Framework For Family Recreation Programming, Sarah Agate

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Family recreation is an important part of life for many families, but many people may not be participating in as much family recreation as they would like, or some people may not be enjoying the family recreation activities in which they participate. The purpose of this study was to develop a framework for providing family recreation activities that can help all family members have enjoyable experiences. Ecological theory and leisure constraints theory were used to frame the study. The family accessibility conceptual framework was developed, tested, and modified for providing family recreation activities. A collective case study was conducted using …


Modeling Of On-Line Traffic Control And Management Network For Operational And Communication Performance Evaluation, Yan Zhou May 2010

Modeling Of On-Line Traffic Control And Management Network For Operational And Communication Performance Evaluation, Yan Zhou

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Communication systems are the backbone of every effective and reliable traffic control and management application. While traditional fiber optics and telephone communications have long been used in managing and controlling highway traffic, wireless communication technology shows great promise as an alternative solution in traffic management applications due to their suitability for deployment in rural areas, and their flexibility and cost-effectiveness for system expansion. However, the detailed characteristics of various wireless communication technologies and real performance in the field have not been systematically studied. To augment this existing knowledge so that traffic professionals may better utilize these technologies to improve traffic …


South Carolina Pole Related Crashes - A Qualitative And Quantitative Study, Sukumar Anekar May 2010

South Carolina Pole Related Crashes - A Qualitative And Quantitative Study, Sukumar Anekar

All Theses

South Carolina has its share of motor vehicle crashes. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2007, South Carolina was 4th in nation for rate of motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 people. Within South Carolina, run off road fixed object crashes account for 48\% of fatal crashes whereas these types of crashes count for only 21\% of fatal crashes nationally. Utility poles are only second to trees in fixed objects struck but they are intentionally placed mad made obstructions. This makes utility poles one of the most serious problems alongside South Carolina roadways. Over 5\% of the …


Self-Determination Theory And Therapeutic Recreation: The Relevance Of Autonomy, Competence, And Relatedness To Participant Intrinsic Motivation, Gena Bell May 2010

Self-Determination Theory And Therapeutic Recreation: The Relevance Of Autonomy, Competence, And Relatedness To Participant Intrinsic Motivation, Gena Bell

All Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the relevance of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, the three innate psychological needs proposed by self-determination theory, to participant intrinsic motivation. The three needs of SDT have not previously been examined in an exploratory manner or applied to efficacy research in therapeutic recreation. If applied, therapists could use them to increase intrinsic motivation towards interventions in their participants.
The first manuscript discusses intrinsic motivation and self-determination and their presence in leisure and therapeutic recreation research. It details the experimental manipulation of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in a 2 x 2 x 2 design. …


Effectiveness Of Participation In A Leisure Education Program On Knowledge Of Aspects Of Community Reintegration For Individuals Who Have Recently Sustained Spinal Cord Injuries, Stephanie Marsden May 2010

Effectiveness Of Participation In A Leisure Education Program On Knowledge Of Aspects Of Community Reintegration For Individuals Who Have Recently Sustained Spinal Cord Injuries, Stephanie Marsden

All Theses

According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), there are approximately 12,000 individuals who sustain a spinal cord injury (SCI) every year (NSCISC, 2009). The purpose of this study was to examine effectiveness of a leisure education (LE) intervention on knowledge of aspects of community reintegration for
individuals who have recently sustained spinal cord injuries. The current study documents outcomes of LE programming for individuals with SCI receiving treatment at a large rehabilitation hospital located in a large city in the southeastern United States. The
Leisure Competence Measure (LCM) was utilized to assess participant's leisure awareness and leisure …


The Process Of Outreach To Under-Served Communities By National Park Service Employees, Emily Zivot Jan 2010

The Process Of Outreach To Under-Served Communities By National Park Service Employees, Emily Zivot

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The National Park Service (NPS) has recognized a need to conduct outreach to people from communities that it recognizes as underserved. This paper offers an examination of outreach programs that were included in a 'best practices' database by the NPS. Primary data for this study came from interviews, recorded and transcribed, with two groups of experts: NPS employees who developed or conducted outreach programs and senior managers in the NPS. Unlike traditional park programming, outreach programs are designed with non-visitors in mind. Outreach programs are supported by different rationales, have different goals, employ different methods, and offer different challenges than …