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A Study In The Relationships Between Organizational Structures And Public Relations Practitioner Roles, Allison Stokes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While there exists extensive research in the area of public relations roles, as well as the arena of organizational structure, little research focuses on the relationship between organizational structure and the role of the public relations practitioner in the organization.

This study will provide a review of the different types of organizational structures, as well as a review of public relations practitioner roles. Organization theory literature supplies information on the characteristics of each structure, including levels of complexity and decentralization involved in each organizational type. Public relations literature includes research that aids in formulation of role classifications that may be …

"And So He Plays His Part:" Theatrical Prejudice And Role-Playing In As You Like It And King Lear, Erin Rutter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although most critics affirm the importance of interior direction and role-playing in many of Shakespeares plays, there is a considerable disagreement concerning the result of this role playing: does it lead to positive growth or to degeneration? Moreover, this debate is often associated with the sixteenth-century controversy about the role of the theater in society. Some moralists insist that the theater can be an instrument for instilling virtue while others view the theater as sinful, debasing, and a catalyst to social breakdown. In this thesis, I will explore the antitheatrical prejudice in the early modern era and show how Shakespeare …

Comparison Of The Use Of Single And Multiple Oxidants On The Generation Of Particulate Matter In Water Distribution Systems Derived From Groundwater Sources Containing Hydrogen Sulfide And Dissolved Organics, Rochelle J. Minnis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Due to increasingly stringent regulations, concerns about disinfection byproduct formation, and the need for improved control of distribution system water quality, there has been a shift towards the use of alternative disinfectants and oxidants in the production of drinking water. Technologies that modify water chemistry, such as hydrogen peroxide, UV irradiation, chlorine and/or chloramines may result in the generation of mineral and organic precipitates. Turbidity provides an indirect measure of the presence of particles by evaluating the light scattering properties of water. Turbidity levels are currently not monitored or regulated in treated groundwater.

An important water quality parameter that influences …

Safety Effects Of Left Turn Overflow At Signalized Intersections, Isaac Kwamena Sankah

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Signalized Intersections on the State Roads in Hillsborough and Pinellas County, Florida with observed left turn lane overflow (spill) were selected for a safety and operational study. The study analyzed the crash data for safety hazards that the situation presents. Crashes within 100 feet from the center line of the crossroad of intersections under study to distances 200 feet beyond the end of the turn lane were chosen for the analysis. Left turn overflow is the situation at the approach of an intersection where left turning vehicles back up from the turn lane into the through traffic lane.

Crashes within …

Development And Implementation Of A Dsp Based Air Detector System To Prevent Embolism During Hemodialysis Therapy, Nhat Nguyen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the design of a DSP based air detector system to prevent air embolism during Hemodialysis, which is a treatment option for kidney failure disease. Hemodialysis consists of removing blood from the body, filtering and treating the blood to remove toxic substances such as wastes and fluids, reestablishing proper chemical levels in the blood and returning the processed blood to the body. The functions of hemodialysis are performed through the use of a dialyzer, which is also known as an artificial kidney. During hemodialysis small air bubbles may infiltrate the tubing used during the therapy and combine to …

Mosaic, Vicki L. Kennedy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mosaic is the story of Alicia O'Day, a woman who looks back at her life from the vantage point of middle age and attempts to arrange the shards of her past into something meaningful. As she relates her story, illustrating her errors, we realize she has changed and grown enough to see herself with added wisdom and humor. The chaos of her younger days is seen as a learning process. The broken vessel has been mended, and the scars from the seams add interest to the original piece.

As Alicia reviews her life, she glues the broken fragments back into …

Seeking Story: Finding The Modern Day Folktale In The Daily News, Brandice Palmer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the local news story for evidence of the folktale tradition. It examines a range of local news stories for their folktale functions. The study compares the cultural and psychological function of the news story to that of the folktale and compares the functional definition of folklore to that of journalism. The study also explores the idea of a classifiable sphere of formal character, motif and plot functions that may be explored within the news story and folktale texts. This study builds on the premise that the study of folklore should be at the center of a consideration …

Reducing Pollutants In Industrial Stormwater Runoff: Improved Water Quality Protection Using Prioritized Facility Regulation, Lindsay M. Griffen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stormwater pollutants originating from industrial facilities can lead to degraded water quality, even in residentially dominated regions of the country. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit program regulates stormwater pollutants generated at industrial sites using Multi-Sector General Permits (Generic permits) for industrial facilities and a permit requirement for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) operators. All industrial facilities within 11 broad categories of industry are responsible for self-identifying the need to comply with the Generic permit, and subsequently, implementing self-selected pollution prevention strategies. MS4 operators are required to identify and inspect “high risk” industrial and commercial facilities that may …

Exploring The Role Of Social Support In Heterosexual Women’S Use And Receipt Of Non-Lethal Intimate Partner Violence, Kathryn A. Branch

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The concept of social support has been found to be a protective factor in women's intimate partner violence victimization. However, little is known about the relationship between women's social support and their intimate partner violence perpetration. Research evidence demonstrates that women's perpetration of violence is surprisingly frequent, particularly in women younger than age 30. This study investigated the role of social support in heterosexual women's use and receipt of non-lethal aggression against an intimate partner among 673 female college students. The implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.

Modeling Hurricane Evacuation Vulnerability: A Case Study Of Pinellas County, Florida, Raymond A. Miller Jr.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Determining where people are most likely to suffer losses and have difficulty in evacuating from a hurricane is important to developing a hurricane response strategy. This thesis proposes a methodology for modeling and assessing evacuation vulnerability to a specific hurricane and applies this method to study Pinellas County, Florida.

The vulnerability of Pinellas County to evacuation problems and the degree of loss that may be suffered from a hurricane is quantified in the Hurricane Evacuation Vulnerability Index. This index is the sum of three indices that represent social, transportation, and geophysical aspects of hazards research. Social vulnerability is assessed with …

Three-Dimensional Digital Image Processing And Reconstruction Of Granular Particles, Jorge A. Rivas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a method for digitization of the two-dimensional shape of granular particles by means of photo microscopy and image processing techniques implemented using a software package from Media Cybernetics, Inc: Image-Pro Plus 5.1 and the add-ins Scope-Pro 5.0, SharpStack 5.0 and 3D Constructor 5.0. With the use of these tools, it was possible to implement an efficient semi-automated routine that allows the digitization of large numbers of two-dimensional silhouettes of particles in minimum time, without endangering the quality and reliability of the shapes obtained. Different sample preparation techniques, illumination systems, deconvolution algorithms, mathematical functions, filtering techniques and programming …

Investigating Turnover Intention Among Emergency Communication Specialists, Yufan Liu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study tested a model that uses job stressors, equity sensitivity, perceived organizational justice, and job satisfaction to explain turnover intention and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). An online survey was distributed to emergency communication specialists from 14 emergency communication centers in Florida. The supervisors in these emergency communication centers were asked to rate their employees on OCB. Responses to the survey and the OCB ratings were analyzed using structural equation modeling to evaluate the fit of a theoretical model to those data. Results showed that the model fit the data reasonably well and nearly all the hypotheses were supported. Specifically, …

Examining The Attitudes Toward Mathematics Of Preservice Elementary School Teachers Enrolled In An Introductory Mathematics Methods Course And The Experiences That Have Influenced The Development Of These Attitudes, Joy Bronston Schackow

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The reform movement in mathematics education has recognized affective factors as an important area where change is needed. This study examined the attitudes toward mathematics of preservice elementary teachers entering an introductory mathematics methods course. The methods course utilized constructivist instructional methods, such as the use of manipulatives, cooperative group work, problem solving, and calculators. Qualitative methods were used to explore participants attitudes toward mathematics and the experiences that have led to the development of these attitudes. The study sought to determine the extent to which preservice teachers attitudes toward mathematics changed during the methods course and the correlation between …

Investigating The Hispanic/Latino Male Dropout Phenomenon: Using Logistic Regression And Survival Analysis, Dorian Charles Vizcain

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explored the factors associated with dropping out of middle school and high school among Hispanic/Latino male students. Predictor variables investigated were: age, home language, retention history, SES, program of studies, suspensions, and GPA. Data were from a large urban school district in the state of Florida. A sample of 865 Hispanic/Latino male Latino students in the 8th grade in 1995-96 was followed longitudinally every year to the year 2000-01. Survival analysis and logistic regression were used to examine the data.

The research questions were: 1) What is the relation between age, home language, retention history, SES, program of …

Creation, Analysis, And Evaluation Of Remote Sensing Sinkhole Databases For Pinellas County, Florida, Larry D. Seale Jr.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A database of likely sinkholes in Pinellas County, Florida, created using airborne laser swath mapping (ALSM a.k.a LIDAR for light detection and ranging), correlates poorly with other databases of likely sinkholes created from modern and historic aerial photographs. Urbanization appears to be the cause of the poor correlation. Buildings obscure much of the ground surface in urban areas, and many man-made depressions can be confused with natural sinkholes. Additionally, the lack of air photos contemporaneous with the ALSM data hinders ALSM analysis in rapidly developing areas.

Selecting a lightly-developed portion of the county for further study reduced the effects of …

From Chapel To Chamber: Liturgy And Devotion In Lucantonio Giunta’S Missale Romanum, 1508, Lesley T. Stone

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A missal is the liturgical book containing the prayers and readings for the celebration of the Mass. Originally designed in large folio format, the simultaneous arrival of the printing press amidst a shift in the celebration of Mass from a communal to a private sphere resulted in the proliferation of the small and more portable octavo-size missal. Missals traditionally contained minimal illustrations prior to printing, resulting in their strict classification as a liturgical object. This thesis questions the previous established boundaries which categorize medieval objects as related to a particular type of religious activity. In other words, missals have been …

Third Grade Retention And The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test: An Exploratory Study, Heather A. Powell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Literacy is a growing national concern, resulting in federal legislation (e.g., No Child Left Behind Act) instituting higher accountability for states and schools with regard to reading instruction and remediation. As a result, Floridas statewide measure of achievement, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) is now tied to retention decisions in third grade as part of the new pupil progression plan in the state. In its first year of implementation (2003), 23% of third-grade students failed the FCAT and over 28,000 were retained.

Research has consistently shown retention to be a negative experience for children; even when academic gains are …

Gender Stereotypes Of Citizenship Performance And Their Influence On Organizational Rewards, Lisa Wilkinson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gender differences were investigated on ratings of citizenship performance (altruistic behaviors in the workplace). Self, peer, and supervisor ratings were collected on the three dimensions of citizenship performance (personal support, organizational support, and conscientious initiative) with scale type and gender as possible moderators of citizenship performance ratings.

Two hundred and twenty-four individuals performance ratings were collected, from different companies across the United States. The majority of these participants were white and female, and the largest industry sampled was the customer service industry. Participants were asked to complete a performance rating about themselves and have their peers and supervisor evaluate their …

Teaching Excellence: Perceptions Of Community College Students, Gary Robert Oesch

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Numerous efforts to assess teaching excellence have been attempted, but systematic research has produced limited results at best. This study expanded upon recent studies focusing on how students' perceptions and attitudes can be used to identify the best course environments and the qualities of teaching excellence. This is especially critical considering that most previous empirical research has been conducted at the university level, while community colleges have been mostly overlooked. Thus, little is know about community college students' perceptions of teaching excellence. To assess their views of teaching excellence, a questionnaire was given to students from one community college to …

Discourse And Disconnect: Black Teachers And The Quest For National Board Certification, Paula J. Leftwich

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Discourse and Disconnect: Black Teachers and the Quest for National Board Certification Paula J. Leftwich ABSTRACT Black teachers have been under-represented proportionate to their presence in the teaching population in both the application for and achievement of certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. This study sought to explore the possibility of a disconnect between the discourses of Black teachers and the discourses of the National Board Certification process. Further, it was designed to investigate the effectiveness of targeted mentoring strategies to increase the participation rate and achievement rate of Black teachers in this complex and lengthy process. …

An Empirical Examination Of Job Stress And Management Of Emotionally-Based Behavior: Frontline Social Service Personnel Perspective, Doreen Sams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Frontline service personnel (FSP) play an invaluable role in the marketing mix by directly influencing the customers perception of both the service organization as well as the service quality during the face-to-face delivery service encounter (Ashforth and Humphrey 1993). The purpose of this dissertation is to examine how sources of job stress for FSP such as perceived customer demands, role ambiguity, role conflict, role overload, and emotional labor and various mediators such as job autonomy, emotional intelligence, and emotion-focused coping directly and indirectly influence job stress and outcome variables such as attitudes, behaviors, physical consequences, emotional exhaustion, job performance, and …

Molecular Subtyping And Antibiotic Resistance Analysis Of Salmonella Species, Aparna Tatavarthy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The genus Salmonella, comprised of 2400 serotypes, is one of the leading causes of foodborne illnesses in the US and has been used for the deliberate contamination of food. A rapid system for detection, isolation, typing and antibiotic susceptibility profiling is essential for diagnosis and source tracking in natural outbreaks or a bioterrorism event. Pure culture is essential for molecular typing and antibiotic resistance testing. The virulence and the resistance mechanisms of Salmonella are rapidly evolving and many are still unexplained. The first aim of the study was to rapidly detect and isolate Salmonella from intentionally contaminated food. The …

The Relationship Between Teaching Experience And Style And Primary Student Gains In Mathematics Using An Integrated Learning System, Marilyn N. Meub

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to ascertain using multiple tools and methods, the impact of teachers' interaction with primary students on mathematics performance using the Successmaker Integrated Learning System to determine effective teacher practices. The sample of nineteen primary teachers from an elementary school in southwest Florida included five first grade teachers, seven second grade teachers, and seven third grade teachers.

Data analysis included total years of teaching experience, years of experience in Florida schools, and years of experience at each grade. Both the total years of teaching and the years of teaching at the research site …

Microfinance In Neoliberal Times: The Experience Of An Egyptian Ngo, Sarah A. Tobin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Development non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are under immense pressure to adhere to the programs and methods put forth by external donors, particularly if the NGOs rely on the funding to sustain their own organizations. Those external donors that represent neoliberal ideologies and enforce neoliberal practices, particularly in the area of microfinance, maintain a power that most recipient NGOs cannot evade. This becomes a difficult position for the NGOs to navigate as they try to accomplish good work in their communities. This research project is a study into the experience of one NGO, the Egyptian Development Organization (EDO), as it implemented microfinance …

Stress And Cognitive Performance In Older Adults, Christopher B. Rosnick

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current dissertation sought to examine stress in three different, but overlapping, ways. The first study examined how self-reported negative life events, in the aggregate and individually, are associated with cognitive performance. The results suggested that there was no significant relationship between the aggregate measures of self-reported negative life events and cognitive performance. On the other hand, several individual negative life events were associated with cognitive functioning. The findings support previous research indicating that using estimates of individual stressors rather than aggregate measures of stressors increases the predictive validity of stress measurement.

The second study assessed the cross-sectional and longitudinal …

Zooplankton Of The West Florida Shelf: Relationships With Karenia Brevis Blooms, Kristen M. Lester

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Karenia brevis are common on the West Florida Shelf (WFS), yet little is known of the relationships between zooplankton and K. brevis. A comprehensive analysis was undertaken to examine 1) perturbations in zooplankton community composition within K. brevis blooms 2) the contribution of zooplankton ammonium and phosphate excretion to K. brevis bloom nutrient requirements, and 3) the role of zooplankton grazing in K. brevis bloom termination. Prior to undertaking the first portion of the study, an examination of the perturbations in the normal zooplankton assemblage within K. brevis blooms, it was first necessary to …

Mental Health Policy And Services In Tampa, Florida, Shelly Yankovskyy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

During the summer of 2004 I interned with the Mental Health Association of Greater Tampa Bay (MHA), a local affiliate of the National Mental Health Association. My time spent with the MHA became a gateway into the world of mental health. In the course of fulfilling my duties, I developed a particular interest in understanding the services that are available to persons, especially adults seeking treatment/services for mental illness. Through the MHA I was introduced to a wide range of people who have some link to mental health services, including psychiatrists, therapists, policy makers, and lawyers. This thesis utilizes an …

Characterizing Sound Production In Nearshore Rockfishes (Sebastes Spp.), Bryan Nichols

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rockfishes of the genus Sebastes are trophically important in most nearshore environments of the west coast of North America, and support important commercial and recreational fisheries. Though the 72 northeast Pacific species have drumming muscles along their swim bladders, little is known about sound production in the genus. Sounds produced by nearshore rockfish were recorded using fixed hydrophones and underwater video in aquaria, and acoustical dataloggers in the field. Sounds were analyzed from six species: Sebastes nebulosus, S. atrovirens, S.carnatus, S. chrysomelas, S. caurinus, and S.maliger. These six species are closely related, mostly bottom …

The Compositional Style Of Francesco Geminiani: A Reflection Of Theory And Practice In His Music And Guida Armonica Treatise, Valerie R. Weber

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Francesco Geminiani was highly regarded as a violinist, composer, and theorist during the late Baroque era. During his lifetime he was considered equalin status to the foremost composers of the day; however, relatively little information is available regarding his life and works today. This lack of information is largely a result of controversy among his peers regarding the merit of his work, specifically in reference to melodic style, structural consistency and harmonic practices. Critical views of such authors as Sir John Hawkins and Charles Burney have been reflected in later historical writings, considerably suppressing further interest in the composer.

The …

Expanding The Science Of Successful Aging: Older Adults Living In Continuing Care Retirement Communities (Ccrcs), Kathryn H. Petrossi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rowe and Kahns theory of successful aging identifies three main components of aging successfully: reducing the risk of disease and disability, maintaining high cognitive and physical function, and engagement with life. While there is compelling evidence that suggests the legitimacy of this concept in the 50-75 year old community dwelling population, three areas of expansion are necessary: 1.) programmatic research; 2.) extending the existing research samples to include older samples and those living in continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs); and 3.) the integration of data collection and analysis to move beyond investigation of just one successful aging outcome to include …