Digital Commons Network^™

A Performance Appraisal Model For Postsecondary Education, Peggy Connolly

Dissertations and Theses

Purpose. Although performance appraisal is an important factor in the successful operation of organizations, it is often a difficult and threatening task. Traditional approaches to evaluation have proved to be neither effective nor in legal compliance. This problem affects postsecondary institutions, where customary subjective appraisal contributes to undesirable employment discrimination.

This study provides postsecondary administrators with an effective and legally defensible model of performance appraisal. Research addressed these questions: (1) What does statutory law mandate in appraisal? (2) What issues, patterns, and decisions concerning appraisal have been identified through the judicial process, and what degree of consistency has been shown …

Fluorinated [Beta]-Sultones As Precursors To Fluorinated Sulfonic Acids, And New Fluorosulfonyl Containing Monomers/Polymers, Javid Mohtasham

Dissertations and Theses

Sulfur trioxide (SO₃) adds to fluoroolefins of the form RCF=CF₂, (where R = F, SF₅, CF₃, CF₃OCF₂, CF₂=CF(CF₂)₂, CF₃(CF₂)₃O, CF₃O(CF₂)₂OCF₂, or CH₂ClCHClCH₂), yielding the fluorinated [beta]-sultones, RCFCF₂OSO₂. In the case of CF₃(CF₂)₃OCF=CF₂, a reverse addition occurs, giving the sultone, CF₃(CF₂)₃CF₂2OCFCF₂SO₂O. The fluoro [beta]-sultones are capable of undergoing different reactions, such as rearrangement, hydrolysis, esterification, and polymerization. These reactions, will result in the formation of compounds containing the fluorosulfonyl grouping (SO₂F); it is this group that yields the corresponding sulfonic acid upon base/acid treatment.

The addition of sodium bisulfite to CF₃CF= CF₂ and CF₃(CF₂)₄CF=CF₂ in the presence of (C₆H₅CO)₂O₂ and Na₂B₄O₇·10H₂O …

Staff Development And The Process Of Teacher Change: A Case Study, Christene Kay Jones

Dissertations and Theses

This case study documented a staff development program which was the major component of a public school/university partnership between Portland State University and the Lake Oswego School District, a suburb of Portland, Oregon. A select group of 34 Lake Oswego teachers and 4 administrators participated in the Joint Ventures in Instructional Leadership Program which included classes in learning and instructional theory, techniques of peer sharing, instructional strategies and models of teaching, and approaches to the teaching of higher order thinking skills. The program included 7 full days and 4 evenings of instructional training which occurred throughout the 1986-87 school year. …

Organizational Inducements And Social Motives: A Game Theoretic Analysis, Richard G. Davis

Dissertations and Theses

Game theory was used to analyze compensation systems based on individual and group incentives. Payoff formulas were developed for these incentives assuming different preferences for individual and social outcomes. Two levels of contributions were considered: (1) Defection. The minimum acceptable level of contributions, and (2) Cooperation. A level of discretionary contributions above the minimum. The discretionary contributions associated with cooperation were represented as a cost to the individual.

A classification scheme for uniform n-person games was developed using the approach of Rappaport and Guyer (1966) for 2 x 2 games. This classification scheme defines the natural outcome (cooperation or defection) …

Traditional College-Age Students' Attitudes Toward Arnold's Seven Building Blocks Decision-Making Strategy, Mary Ellen Wernow

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to learn more about the attitudes of traditional college-age students toward Arnold's Seven Building Blocks decision-making strategy (John D. Arnold, 1978. The Art of Decision Making. New York: Amacom). to identify student characteristics which could predict those students who are most likely to respond in a positive manner to the strategy and to determine which of the steps in the strategy students perceive as being helpful. The sample population consisted of 62 traditional college-age students currently enrolled in four Oregon educational institutions. Data was gathered through the Decision Making Inventory (Johnson, Coscarelli, and Johnson. …

Relationships Between Teacher Perceptions Of Principal Support And Teacher Allocation Of Time, Betty Hutchinson Flad

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher allocation of time and to examine if that allocation of time was related to teacher perceptions of principal behaviors and school policies. The study emerged from a review of the time-on-task literature and the principal effectiveness literature which suggested that teacher allocation of time might be related to principal behaviors and school policies. Three research questions were posed: (1) How do teachers allocate time to teaching responsibilities? (2) What perceptions do teachers have of principal behaviors and school policies at their schools? (3) Is there a relationship between teacher perceptions of …

The Characteristics Of The Teacher Evaluation Process As Perceived By Elementary Teachers And Principals, Peter H. Taylor

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of elementary teachers and principals of the evaluation system used in two suburban school districts near Portland. Oregon. The two districts involved in the study used the ITIP model for instruction and teacher evaluation over a period of several years. The Teacher Evaluation Profile (TEP) developed by the Northwest Regional Education Laboratory was the instrument used in the study of teachers. A modified version of the TEP was used with elementary principals. The population of the study consisted of 233 elementary teachers from grades K-6 and 14 elementary principals. The …

Collective Bargaining For Educational Administrators: Oregon And Washington Principals' Perceptions Of Working Conditions, Patricia Ann Boles

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between collective bargaining for public school principals and principals' perceptions of their working conditions. Specifically, this study examined the perceptions of working conditions for a sample of principals who had statutory authority to bargain collectively (Washington) and a sample of principals who did not have such authority (Oregon). This type of study can make a contribution to the knowledge base for educational leadership, administrative behavior and governance dynamics within educational organizations. Methodologically, this descriptive study utilized a survey research design. Survey research permits data gathering from a relatively large number …

A Comparison Of Assistant Principal And Principal Perceptions Of The Assistant Principalship As A Training Ground In The Secondary School, Patricia Ann Howell

Dissertations and Theses

Although the assistant principalship has been an important part of American secondary schools for over thirty years, the educational establishment has yet to arrive at a formal definition of the assistant principal's role in that institution. Researchers have tended to find the assistant in a role defined by procedures. At the same time, they have called for a new definition of the assistant based on policy-making activities. This outcome has had several important consequences, not the least of which has been failure to provide formal guidelines for training assistants in their role and preparing them for future administrative assignments. This …

Chemical Modification Of Skeletal Muscle Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Vesicles: A Study Of Calcium Permeability, Janice F. Stuart

Dissertations and Theses

Skeletal muscle contains an internal membrane system called the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) whose function is to regulate the Ca²⁺ concentration of the myoplasm. Ca²⁺ is transported into the SR from the myoplasm via a Ca²⁺ dependent ATPase thus lowering the myoplasmic Ca²⁺ concentration. Ca²⁺ exits from the SR via a Ca²⁺ releqse pathway resultingin the increase of myoplasmic Ca²⁺. Muscles contract when the myoplasmic Ca²⁺ concentration is > 5 uM and relax when the Ca²⁺ concentration is lowered below 1 uM. The Ca²⁺ dependent ATPase has been extensively studied but …

Adults As Students: Ego Development And The Influence Of The Academic Environment, Shannon Moon Leonetti

Dissertations and Theses

This study was based on the premise that one outcome of education is ego development. The research was based on Jane Loevinger's theory that ego development is the central frame-of-reference through which people view themselves and their relationships with others. The study looked for evidence of ego development in adult students and for contributing factors, including academic environments. It compared the ego levels of students aged 35 to 55 at two higher education institutes and some experiences that are common to most colleges.

The variables compared were based on Loevinger's levels of ego development and theories of academic environments of …

Ultrashort Pulse Production In Synchronously Pumped Mode-Locked Dye Laser Systems, Duncan Leo Macfarlane

Dissertations and Theses

The concern of this dissertation is the understanding and improvement of a class of lasers that is responsible for some of the shortest optical pulses available today. In particular, we seek ways to produce from synchronously pumped mode-locked dye laser systems, shorter pulses of higher intensity with improved pulse-to-pulse consistency. Specific topics.that are discussed herein include the study of the role of the pump pulse in synchronously pumped mode-locked lasers, the study of the pulse shaping and shortening due to an intracavity saturable absorber, and the study of a fundamental pulse train instability associated with these lasers.

Commercial Activities And The Geography Of Movement In A West African Urban Market: A Study Of Market-Stall Traders In Onitsha With Implications For Transport Policy, Krys Chukwuma Ochia

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to understand the non home-based travel behavior of urban market traders in Onitsha, Nigeria, where 58-70% of the labor force is engaged in trading.

Relevant trip-inducing variables--gender, location, a means of personal transportation, size of stall and, type of good sold--were selected to assist in theorizing about the travel behavior of traders. Using a systematic sampling methodology, 246 stalls were selected and the MLR model was applied in data analyses.

The results show that a typical stall is occupied by either one or two traders. There are three male traders for every female trader …

Strategic Implications Of R&D Investment On Dynamic Business Systems, George F. Farrimond Jr.

Dissertations and Theses

The United States' ability to compete in many international markets has been based on competitive advantage in high-technology products. Until recently, these industries had a favorable trade balance but in 1987, it slipped to deficit of $0.6 billion. Management of research and development programs is one of the most important elements in remaining competitive. Therefore, this research study of 291 high-technology firms was undertaken to determine if: (1) a positive relationship exists between the amount of investment in research and development (R&D) and a firms success in sales, net income, or market share, (2) excessive investment in R&D would decrease …

A Preliminary Analysis Of Beneficiary Discharge Status And Post-Hospital Placement Before And After The Implementation Of Medicare's Prospective Payment System, Anne Marguerite Wilkinson

Dissertations and Theses

In recognition of the inherently inflationary nature of retrospective reimbursement, the Reagan Administration enacted legislation that substantially changed Medicare's hospital reimbursement system. The Prospective Payment System (PPS) mandated paying hospitals a fixed payment, set in advance, based on the patient's diagnosis rather than retrospectively paying for all services delivered to a patient. Critics contend that PPS introduces incentives for hospitals to conserve resources during the hospital stay and to shift care to less costly settings, both potentially affecting quality of care to the elderly. The question addressed by this dissertation is whether there were changes in the discharge health status …

Preferred Perceptual Learning Styles Of Chinese Students, Alex Albert Pia

Dissertations and Theses

The basis for this study was work done by Joy Reid (1987) of Colorado State University. Reid's work analyzed the pref erred perceptual learning styles of several groups of English as a Second Language students and one group of American students. The learning styles concept has been established on the theory that students have a particular mode through which they learn best. The learning styles analyzed in this study were: auditory, visual, kinesthetic, tactile, individual, and group. The objectives of this study were to determine the relationships that exist between the preferred perceptual learning styles of P.R.C. and American students …

Bone Tool Assemblages As An Aid To Shell Mound Site Typologies On The Northwest Coast, Doria Lee Fingerhut Raetz

Dissertations and Theses

Fifteen bone tool assemblages from shell midden sites were compared. Three of these are unpublished sites from Prince Rupert Harbor. They were grouped using cluster analysis. Inter and intragroup variation in bone tool assemblage structure was analyzed. One of the objectives of this study was to generate hypotheses about the function of the unpublished sites by comparing their bone tool assemblages with those from sites which are better understood by looking for underlying patterns in the bone tool assemblages. Other objectives were to test the utility of using bone tool assemblages as a diagnostic tool in analyzing sites and to …

Nitrogen And Iron Interactions In Filamentous Cyanobacteria, David Allen Hutchins

Dissertations and Theses

The investigations described in this paper are an attempt to further define and quantify the interrelationship of nitrogen fixation and iron nutritional physiology in these two species. Chapter II will present and compare data on nutritional ratios of field collected Trichodesmium colonies and laboratory Anabaena cultures, with the intent of examining possible correlations between observed iron levels and protein nitrogen and chlorophyll concentrations, as well as nitrogen fixation rates. Chapter Ill is an examination of nitrogen fixation and siderophore production in Anabaena with emphasis on the possible implications of hypothesized synergistic effects of these two physiological capabilities on cyanobacterial dominance …

A New Approach To State Minimization Of Finite State Machines, William Yue Zhao

Dissertations and Theses

A complete program to ease the task of large scale Finite State Machine (FSM) minimization presented in this thesis: TDFM (Two Dimensional FSM Minimizer), is a part of the DIADES system. DIADES is an Automatic Design Synthesis System whose development in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Portland State University is supported in part by a research grant from SHARP Microelectronics Technology.

The Physiology And Biochemistry Of Isolated Skeletal Muscle Mitochondria : A Comparative Study, Mark Lowell Wagner

Dissertations and Theses

The physiological limit to maximum aerobic capacity (VO₂max) in vertebrates has been attributed to cardiovascular oxygen delivery, to the ability of the muscle cells to consume oxygen, or to a fine-tuned development of all components of the respiratory system such that no single component can be shown to limit VO₂max. The above hypotheses have each been developed using different experiments with different animals. The comparative studies uniting these animals and methods are limited. In order to further our knowledge of the cellular limit to VO₂max, skeletal muscle mitochondria were isolated from species representing four …

Portland Student Services, Inc. : The Establishment Of Student-Run Housing In Portland, Oregon, 1969-1971, Michael Keith Brewin

Dissertations and Theses

Portland student Services, Inc. (PSS), a non-profit student housing corporation, was created under circumstances that were especially arduous. Although thousands of students attending Portland State University in the late 1960s needed housing, state law prohibited the university from providing residential facilities . Many students lived in dilapidated apartment buildings in downtown Portland and faced dislocation from urban renewal programs initiated by the Portland Development Commission. Activists who set out to establish student-run housing also faced hostility from policymakers who resented student-led initiatives in politics and university governance.

However, these dedicated student activists aligned with members of the Portland business community …

The Preparation And Involvement Of Oregon Speech-Language Pathologists In Dysphagia, Christine Marie Gaynor

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the amount, type, and content of training acquired by SLPs presently working in dysphagia management, as well as their level of involvement. A questionnaire was sent to 97 Oregon SLPs. Of these, 77 (80%) responded, and 52 met criteria. The resulting data indicated that SLPs involved with dysphagia work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, and private practice. Seventy-two percent of the subjects have been involved with dysphagia management for less than 10 years; 79% treated between 1 and 10 patients for dysphagia the month prior …

The Role Of Episcopal Theology And Administration In The Implementation Of The Settlement Of Religion, 1559-C. 1575, Caroline J. Litzenberger

Dissertations and Theses

The term, Elizabethan Settlement, when applied solely to the adoption of the Prayer Book in 1559 or the Thirty-nine Articles in 1563, is misleading. The final form of the Settlement was the result of a creative struggle which involved Elizabeth and her advisers, together with the bishops and the local populace. The bishops introduced the Settlement in their dioceses and began a process of change which involved the laity and the local clergy. Through the ensuing implementation process the ultimate form of religion in England was defined.

Slope Stability As Related To Geology At Rainier, Columbia County, Oregon, James Douglas Gless

Dissertations and Theses

Rainier, Oregon, has experienced problems in the development of residential and commercial sites, utilities, and transportation facilities as a result of slope instability. This study of slope stability at Rainier was conducted at the request of city officials.

Subsistence Variability On The Columbia Plateau, Ricky Gilmer Atwell

Dissertations and Theses

Long-term human dietary change is a poorly understood aspect of Columbia Plateau prehistory. Faunal assemblages from thirty-four archaeological sites on the Plateau are organized into fifteen aggregate assemblages that are defined spatially and temporally. These assemblages are examined in terms of a focal-diffuse model using ecological measures of diversity, richness and evenness. Variability and patterning in the prehistoric subsistence record is indicated. Major trends in human diet and shifts in subsistence economies are documented and the relationship between subsistence and some initial semi-sedentary adaptations on the Plateau is clarified.

Social Construction Of Sexual Equality In Distilled Beverage Advertising, Kathleen Dianne Lecoe-Cannucci

Dissertations and Theses

One aspect of the role of advertising in the process of maintaining and reinforcing or challenging the socially constructed worlds of maleness and femaleness, and especially the portrayal of the "woman's place," was explored in this study.

Revisiting The Rediviva : First Mate Robert Haswell's Account Of The Columbia Rediviva's Activities In China And On The Return Journey During The Second Voyage, Lucinda Joy Herrick

Dissertations and Theses

From 1787 to 1793 a group of Bostonians plied the sea otter pelt trade between the northwestern coast of the North American continent and Canton, China. By chance, in May of 1792, their captain, Captain Robert Gray discovered the Columbia River, thereby feeding the popular belief in a transcontinental river and strengthening subsequent American claims to the Pacific Northwest.

Presented here is a previously unpublished portion of First Mate Robert Haswell's log of the second voyage. This portion spans the dates October 3, 179 2 through May 2 6, 1793 and records the voyage from the completion of trade in …

Cultural Relativism In Intercultural Communication Theory : A Descriptive And Heuristic Study, Ellen Linnea Trygstad

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine how the concept of "cultural relativism" is used in the current literature pertaining to intercultural communication. This concept is central to much of the work being done on face-to-face intercultural communication, but a preliminary review of that literature indicated ambiguity and lack of concurrence among authors' views regarding the concept. This research was designed to describe the range of authors' views on cultural relativism as well as to provide some historical and critical perspective regarding "cultural relativism."

Sediment Dynamics On The Shore Slopes Of The Puget Island Reach Of The Columbia River, Oregon And Washington, Timothy Abbe

Dissertations and Theses

Water waves generated by wind and ships; ebb tidal currents; water level fluctuations; and dredging impact sediment transport in shallow water of the lower Columbia River. Observations were made over a one-year period after sand dredged from the navigation channel was placed at three study sites in the Puget Island region, 46°15'N 123°25'W, Oregon and Washington. Sediment composition is fine to medium grained, low density dacitic volcanics with small percentages of pumice, heavy minerals, and basalt.

Naive Listener Judgments Of Esophageal Air Intake Noise Acceptability, Janet Gordon Daucsavage

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the judgments by naive listeners of the acceptability of esophageal air intake noise and compare those ratings to their judgments of overall esophageal speech proficiency. The primary question this study sought to answer was: Are naive listener judgments of overall esophageal speech proficiency significantly correlated with naive listener judgments of esophageal air intake noise acceptability? The secondary question asked was: Are naive listener acceptability judgments of air intake noise significantly correlated with sophisticated listener acceptability judgments of air intake noise?