Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of An Integrated Library Computer System On Job Characteristics In Public Libraries, Richard J. Harris

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Management

This study investigated the effects of computerization with an integrated library system (ILS) on job characteristics in public libraries.

Two different but complementary research design components were used. One component consisted of a case study of the Norfolk (Virginia) Public Library, where an ILS was implemented between 1988 and 1995. The case study relied on data from interviews, archival sources, and questionnaires. The other component was a mail survey of public library workers across Virginia.

Case study interview data was analyzed by coding. Time series analysis was used to examine trends in budget and staffing. Pattern matching logic was used …

The Experiences Of Mid-Career Elementary Teachers, Susan H.L. Johnston Edd

Dissertations

The demographics of the teaching population in British Columbia indicate a significant number of teachers in mid career. Their cares, concerns, and interests dramatically influence educational activity in the province. The experiences of these educators lie within a context of major restructuring of the entire provincial school system and substantive educational change mandated by the government of British Columbia. Using a phenomenological approach, this study explores the experiences of seven, mid-career, elementary school teachers in one British Columbia school district; investigates how these teachers experience system-wide, mandated, educational change; and suggests implications of these understandings for leadership practice. During three, …

Survivors Of Downsized Organizations: An Analysis Of Organizational Variables Before And After Downsizing, Roger Scott Young

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Auditing Troubled Employees In The Public Sector, Lila Mehdiyar

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Commercialising Government : A Challenging Agenda, John Dixon

Centre for Public Policy Studies : CPPS Working Paper Series

Commercialisation is the product of a government deciding to address the perceived inadequate performance of public agencies by forcing civil servants to pursue a results-oriented approach to their management using business principles and practices. Its implementation brings into focus a variety of policy issues that governments must address. Moreover, effective commercialisation of a public agency requires the adoption of a commercial framework that then sets the context for the necessary structural, cultural and procedural changes. To implement such changes requires on-going political commitment and adroit senior executive civil servants. Effective commercialisation is, above all, the outcome of an incremental organisational …

The State Of The Parties, Second Edition, John C. Green, Daniel M. Shea

The State of the Parties Second Edition

The first edition of this book originated from research coordinated at the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics in 1993. While it seems odd that a second edition would follow just two years later, we felt compelled to move in this direction for the following reasons: The 1994 midterm election had a dramatic impact on party politics, several of the conditions touched upon in the first volume have continued in the last two years, and the debate over the precise role of parties in American politics has taken on a new quality. The second edition reflects the impact of …

The Basic Course In Organizational Communication: A National Survey, Donald Treadwell, Ronald L. Applbaum

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article presents a study on the basic organizational communication course in the U.S. Organizational communication is an increasingly popular subject of study on university campuses. The number of departments offering organizational communication coursework is increasing and more students are attracted to this area of study. The course is offered at the upper-division undergraduate level and for just under half the departments has no prerequisites. The most frequently cited course objectives are to provide an overview of theories about organizations and to help students analyze problems in organizations.

Large-Scale Institutional Change To Implement An Urban University Mission: Portland State University, Judith A. Ramaley

Higher Education

In response to calls for accountability and effectiveness, public universities are reviewing their missions and are adopting measurable mission-specific goals. An emerging distinctive institutional type is the urban university, an institution characterized by the nature and extent of its responsiveness to the research and educational needs of complex metropolitan regions. This paper concerns the national environment for organizational change, a model for change, and a case study of one urban university that has pursued comprehensive and systemic change in its academic and administrative environment to direct resources to the support of its distinctive urban mission.

Recent Books

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

No abstract provided.

A Description Of Merger Applied To The Montana State University Context, Stephen L. Coffman

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article reports on the description of merger applied to the Montana State University context. Eastern was renamed on July 1, 1994, as Montana State University (MSU)-Billings. The Billings Vocational Technical Institution was then merged with MSU-Billings, and renamed the College of Technology. There is considerable debate on campus as to the nature of the merger. There is also potential benefit for students in this merger. MSU-Billings should be better able to attract the best students if enough of these positive outcomes are realized. The final positive outcome of the merger to be presented concerns the public. If history and …

The Study Of Leadership In Experiential/Adventure Programs, Gabriel Demola

Honors Theses

Very simply, an experiential/adventure program consists of assigning a designated group to complete a series of challenging tasks in an outdoor setting. The following research will explore the ways in which experiential/adventure education serves as an effective tool for teaching leadership. The paper will describe the attributes which make it an effective tool and delve into the distinctions of the experimental/adventure program. It will also study and analyze the results of tests used to determine its effectiveness and long term retainability of the skills developed by students in these programs. Furthermore, this paper will demonstrate how this unique style of …

Student Change Leadership, A Renewal Process For Organizations : A Case Study Of The 1995 Panhellenic Rush Revision, Melanie Sandukas

Honors Theses

Greek organizations experienced a national revival in the late eighties. According to Mrs. Scott's figures, rush participation increased on sixty percent of campuses in 1995. However, in these times of negative publicity and litigation, nervous university administrators question the merit of the Greek system. In "The Survival of Greek Life: Concerns and Solutions" Robert Ackerman states, "The fact that change is necessary suggests that some fraternities and sororities are falling short of the ideals upon which they were founded." He observes, "Change, when it does occur, all too often appears to result from an attempt to avoid problems or from …

Criminal Law And Criminology: Survey Of Recent Books, Juliet Casper Smith

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

A Conceptual Plan For The Provision Of Reception Facilities In The Philippines, Elson Estioko Hermogino

World Maritime University Dissertations

This dissertation synthesizes a conceptual plan for the provision of reception facilities to improve marine environmental protection in the Philippines. The study is premised on the perception that the various pollution control measures formulated by the Philippine Coast Guard, which are mandated to address ship source pollution, are not being implemented due to the absence or severe inadequacy of the needed reception facilities in ports. The extent of maritime activities is presented while the various legislation, rules and regulations adopted by the Government concerning marine environmental protection in general, and the provision of reception facilities in particular, are examined. In …

Empowering Communities Of Color Through Computer Technology, Michael Roberts

Trotter Review

As we hurtle towards the 21st century, an increasing number of individuals start to realize that the ability to use computers and information technology resources effectively will determine how well individuals, organizations, and communities function in a rapidly changing technological society. Numerous studies, including one conducted in the Summer 1995 of Boston's Black community by Freedom House and The Trotter Institute, and highlighted in this issue, have documented the need of Americans—students, workers, unemployed, youth, adults and senior citizens, to become knowledgeable and proficient in the use of computers and information technology. There are several questions that do face communities …

Assisting Defense Conversion Technology Transfer Efforts. A Case Study Of Ohio's Miami Valley, Marissa C. Salvador

Theses and Dissertations

Major changes in the geopolitical environment and the social and economic needs of the United States have resulted in resources being shifted away from national defense. Although the expected decrease in defense spending should not be harmful in macroeconomic terms, it can be devastating locally. To mitigate the effects of the drawdown, individual states and local communities must search for ways to bolster their local economies. One avenue that can be pursued to enhance future economic growth is the transferring of technologies to the commercial sector. Intermediary organizations have emerged to facilitate the process of technology transfer by serving as …

The Process Of Implementing An Un-Doing Racism Through Inclusiveness Plan: A Case Study, Megan C. Toal

Theses and Graduate Projects

The United Way of Minneapolis has recently required all funded agencies to develop a plan to become more racially inclusive. The plan addresses five areas: governance, human resources, programming, administration, and community contacts. The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of what the process of implementing an inclusiveness project looked like in one metropolitan social service agency, Theoretical and conceptual frameworks were derived from literature on organizational behavior, in addition to research on the history of exclusionary and differential practices in social work towards people of color.

Individual interviews, focus groups, and written documentation of the process …

The Effect Of Hospital Restructuring On Nurses' Perceptions Of Their Work Environment, Judy Reeve

Theses and Graduate Projects

Hospital restructuring has become commonplace in today’s competitive health care market. Often, such restructuring results in significant effects on the employees of the organization. Registered Nurses who continue to deliver patient care at the bedside may find themselves caught between duty to their patients and duty to their employer, yet there is Iittle research available which evaluates the effect of restructuring on either the nurse or the patient. This descriptive study analyzes staff Registered Nurses’ perceptions of their work environment following restructuring. Principles of restructuring, as delineated by Freeman & Cameron, served as the theoretical framework for this analysis. A …

Spartan Daily, May 2, 1995, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 104, Issue 60

Spartan Daily, May 1, 1995, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 104, Issue 59

The Hormones Of Pregnancy Alter Somal Size In The Medial Preoptic Area Of The Rat Brain, Lori A. Keyser

Master's Theses

Formerly non-responsive females will display maternal behavior (MB) following pregnancy and parturition. The behavioral alterations are believed to occur in response to hormonal changes that accompany pregnancy. The medical pre optic area (MPOA) regulates hormone-induced MB. The current study examined neuronal changes which might account for the modified behavior. Twenty adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned a hormone condition: ovariectomized (OVX), ovariectomized/hormone-treated (P+E₂), intact diestrus (DI), or pregnant (PREG). Animals were killed, and their brains fixed in Golgi-Cox solution. Somata of the MPOA and related cortex were measured in each group using a Bioquant imaging system. Pregnant females …

A Meta-Analysis Of The Effect Of Computer-Assisted Instruction On The Academic Achievement Of Students In Grades 6 Through 12: A Comparison Of Urban, Suburban, And Rural Educational Settings, Edwin Patrick Christmann

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This meta-analysis analyzed grades 6 through 12 school students' academic achievement effect sizes from experimental, quasi-experimental, and correlational studies that examined the effects of microcomputer-based computer-assisted instruction (CAI) on the academic achievement of urban, suburban, and rural students across various subjects. Those studies compared secondary students who were exposed to CAI with those who were exposed to traditional instructional strategies.

A total of 3,476 students participated in 24 studies which resulted in 35 conclusions. The sample size ranged from 28 to 425; the mean sample size was 140 students.

The mean effect sizes of urban, suburban, and rural students uncovered …

The Nutritional Impacts Of European Contact On The Omaha: A Continuing Legacy, Christiana Miewald

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

For the majority of Native American tribes on the Great Plains, contact with Euro-Americans resulted in a number of changes in their lifeways. For the Omaha tribe, the introduction of both the horse and firearms meant a diversification in nutritional strategies and a florescence in their culture. After being confined to their reservation in 1855, the Omaha continued to remain largely self-sufficient in food production. During the early years of the reservation until the turn of the century, the Omaha were highly successful farmers, producing surpluses of cash• and garden variety crops. In this paper I argue that today the …

Impacts And Effects Of Service Topic Bibliography, Robin Vue Benson, Robert D. Shumer, Madeleine S. Hengel

Bibliographies

Many claims have been made about the impact of service-learning on participants, programs and communities. From positive influences on psychological, social and intellectual development to effects on alienation, attitudes and social behavior, service-learning has been mentioned as a method of achieving these outcomes. Additional reviews of the literature in areas related to civic participation and general engagement in the public, political process indicate that service-learning can have an affect on the civic development of youth.

On the other hand, some studies have indicated service-learning does not always have the desired outcomes. As Dan Conrad points out in his review of …

Implementing Community Policing: A Documentation And Assessment Of Organizational Change, Emmajean Williams

Dissertations and Theses

Four research questions guided this documentation and assessment of the Portland Police Bureau's conversion to community policing. These questions generated a description of the events and circumstances that created the perceived need for change in the Bureau's role and function; a search for justification for selecting community policing as an alternative policing approach; a comparative analysis of past attempts to implement innovative change of a similar dimension in police organizations; and an assessment of the process by which the Bureau implemented this new policing strategy.

The findings indicate that the prominent factors driving this change are first, the limitations of …

Implementing Total Quality Management In The Public Sector, Cynthia J. Lewis

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Gender Composition And Socio-Political Orientation On Group Satisfaction, Stacy Lynn Haase

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Leadership Style On Subordinates' Supervisory Satisfaction, Mazen Diab

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This research examined the effect of leaders' style and its effect on supervisory satisfaction. The leadership styles that were examined were participative and nonparticipative. In addition, three work related activities of decision making, problem solving, and goal setting were studied under the two leadership styles and their effect on satisfaction with supervisor was examined . Three local companies participated in the research providing a total of 45 subjects. The rest of the sample was obtained from undergraduate students providing a total of 95 subjects. The results showed that participative leadership had a positive effect on supervisory satisfaction. In our sample, …

Leading Change In The Healthcare Industry : Sentara Health Systems, Norfolk, Virginia, Heather S. Heitz

Honors Theses

After going through the steps of implementing a change in Sentara Health Systems, I learned that using my visionary and participatory leadership skills contributed to my success in leading a change in the organization. First, I used my visionary leadership skills to encourage each individual to envision processes, to support each other, and to use resources which would motivate the group to do something that they wanted to do. Also, I used a participatory leadership to ensure that the subordinates were involved in the group's goals throughout the change process. By empowering people to have responsibility when changes are made …

What Tqm Has To Contribute To Change Management, Ladonna Mcmurray Geddes

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

The article discusses the principles of total quality management (TQM) and its application to organizational change management. TQM aims to continuously deliver customer satisfaction and improve products, processes and services. Identifying and developing methods of measuring organizational problems and progress and cultivating teamwork within the organization are also parts of the TQM agenda. TQM focuses on problem solving and emphasizes the role of business intelligence and employee participation in initiating meaningful organizational changes.