Digital Commons Network^™

Market Orientation, Competitive Strategy Type And Performance In Independent Retail Businesses : A Contingency Analysis In A Market Town Context, Philip Rhys Megicks

Plymouth Business School Theses

In recent years there has been significant interest in the performance of independent retail businesses located in UK market towns as they face up to new patterns of competition and demand. However prior to this study there has been only a very limited understanding of the factors that contribute the success and failure of these individual small businesses. This thesis fills a gap in the literature relating to the performance of these small firms through empirical analysis and the application of management research methods in a contextual setting. Based upon a comprehensive review of relevant literature spanning the boundaries of …

A Power Scheduling Software Package For Planetary Habitats, Gary W. Huband

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

Mankind has established a permanent presence in space with the International Space Station. The next step is building habitats on the Moon or Mars. However, these habitats will have to be nearly self-sustaining because replenishment from Earth will be costly. Power for life support and other electrical devices will be limited and must be monitored and allocated. This thesis develops the framework for power scheduling software to perform these tasks.

The software includes a graphical user interface (GUI) to allow the user to interact with the power schedule, a database and server, and a simulation for the effects of device …

Struggling High School Readers' Responses To A Literature-Rich Curriculum, Fran Harrison Stephens

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

The purpose of this study was to determine how struggling readers in 11th grade Applied Communications classes responded to literary texts that are typically taught to college-prep students. Differentiation of literature for college-prep and techprep students began in the early twentieth century; since then, noncollege-bound students have traditionally studied literary texts that have been rewritten on a lower reading level to accommodate struggling readers in these classes. In this research project, I taught 11th grade Applied Communications students the same literature that college-prep students read; using a qualitative research design, I analyzed the impact of this literature on these students. …

Messages For Girls: Looking At The Representation Of Women's Short Fiction In American Literature High School Anthologies, Aurelia Ramage Tippett

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

The purpose of this qualitative study was to answer the question "What messages about the image of womanhood are available to adolescent females in female-authored short fiction that appears in a variety of American literature textbooks used since 1965, a few years preceding racial integration and widespread coverage of the women's movement in rural Georgia, through 2000?"

Five American literature anthologies that were used in the Laurens County Georgia School System for instruction in the required American literature course since 1965 were collected. Short fiction written by women was identified and then the researcher identified those women writers whose short …

Behavioral And Reproductive Aspects Of Captive Maxwell's Duiker (Cephalophus Mawellii) Husbandry, Janet Mcneill Mackinnon

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

Female Maxwell's duikers (Cephalophus maxwellii) were studied at the Wildlife Survival Center on St. Catherine's Island, Georgia. The objectives were to quantify the effects of housing on activity budgets and progesterone cycling. Four animals were studied across two housing situations: housed individually versus housed in a grouped setting. Behavioral observations revealed no significant change in access to resources, rumination, or repetitive behaviors, once animals were housed together. Fecal samples were collected in order to determine levels of progesterone through radioimmunoassay (RIA). Fluctuations in progesterone levels revealed no clear estrous cycles. Animals showed less variability in progesterone levels and …

Quantification Of Marine Megafaunal Distribution Patterns Using A Remotely Operated Vehicle, David Matthew Parry

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

This thesis documents the development and application of the Automated Benthic Image Scaling System (ABISS), a novel structured lighting array for calculating image scale, accounting for perspective, to allow quantitative non-destructive megafaunal sampling using observations from a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). Megafauna are important components of marine soft sediment assemblages that influence the composition of the associated assemblage and the flux of energy across the sediment-water interface, by altering the physical and chemical characteristics of the sediment during bioturbation. However, megafaunal species are not sampled adequately using traditional techniques. Megafaunal abundance estimates derived from ROV observations were validated against those …

Measuring Efficiency Of Container Ports: An Analysis By Organisational And Ownership Structure, Vincent Francis Valentine

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Fundamental to any business is the concept of performance. This can be compared by using the competition as a benchmark for achievement or by comparing performance with previously defined goals and objectives. Stakeholders constantly demand to know whether their investmerit in a company is obtaining an adequate return and whilst there are established accounting techniques to calculate return on investment or capital employed, calculating efficiency can be rather a grey area in some industries. Ports are no exception and it is only by comparison that performance can be evaluated. Ports are, however, a complex business with many different sources of …

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham & Margaret Mellis - The Gendered Construction Of 'St Ives' Display, Positioning And Displacement, Nedira Yakir

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

Compared to other avant-gardes of modernism the detailed analysis of what has come to be known as the 'St Ives School' is still in its infancy, and lags behind the detailed attention lavished on modernisms in Paris, New York and other western capitals. Most publications about St Ives are by English non-academic agents: The Tate, and popularist writers. Both groups are entrenched to varying degrees in monographic writing that privileges and enhances the masculine myth of the (male) artist as genius. This thesis examines the means and modes that brought about masculine reputation construction and aims to deconstruct much of …

Educational Administrators' Perceptions Of The Use Of School Performance Profiles To Improve Student Performances, Eleanor Jean Janufka

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

The purpose of this study was to examine educational administrators' perceptions of the use of school performance profiles to improve student performances. Using a survey instrument developed and validated at the University of Texas at El Paso, the perceptions of Chatham County administrators were examined and analyzed. Through the analysis of the open-ended questions and the Likert scale survey, the administrators' responses clearly showed that they accept the use of the school performance profiles to improve student performances, but they have doubts about the fairness of the documents as accountability measures. In addition, a significant difference was identified between the …

High School Coaches' Perceptions Of Sport Psychology And Sport Psychologists, Jonathan W. Barnes

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Human Capital, Social Capital, And The Ethnic Enclave Economy On The Earnings Of Immigrants (The Case Of The Mariel Cuban Émigrés), Todd Macegan West

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

This thesis analyzes the extent to which an enclave economy affects the earnings of immigrants compared to that of human and social capital. Ordinal Least Squares (OLS) multiple regressions are used to compare the degree of effects of independent variables on earnings: the first equation is the baseline model for the enclave economy, the second incorporates human capital, and the third incorporates social capital. The dependent variable is monthly earnings. The independent variables include (1) a set of control variables, (2) the primary and enclave labor-markets, and (3) human and social capital characteristics. Findings show that an enclave economy has …

Student Perceptions And Use Of Electronic Financial Aid Service Delivery, Kerri L. Chapman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

Few argue the premise that financial aid is one of the most vital services offered to college students. Over fifty percent of today's college tuition is actually paid by some form of student aid, whether it is from federal, state, private, or institutional resources. The public perception of the role of financial aid has changed drastically since its inception, the acceleration of which over the past decade has been staggering. The face of higher education itself has undergone a metamorphosis of sorts, with technological advancements at the forefront of the change. Technology has revolutionized the way we do business in …

The Perception Of Ceos And Cios In Regard To Planning And Information Systems Success In Higher Education In The Southeastern United States, Howard Chambless Woodard

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

As information systems become an ever-increasing part of the educational infrastructure, their successful implementation and operation become paramount and strategic. It appears that information systems have not been utilized in a paramount or strategic fashion by education, especially in organizations of higher education.

The intent of this research was to identify the perceptions of the presidents/chief executive officers (CEOs) and the senior information systems executive'chief information officers (CIOs) in not-for-profit institutions of higher education, accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and whose highest conferred degree is a master's degree or higher. The study reviewed certain institutional and …

School Choice: Perceptions Of Magnet Schools And Charter School Principals And Parents In Georgia, Mark Lee Boyd

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of parents and administrators in selected magnet schools and charter schools in Georgia. The intent was to give administrators of schools in Georgia an understanding of which parents in Georgia are most apt to make a school choice. Additionally, the study was aimed at providing administrators with an understanding of the factors parents considered when selecting a school for their children and what sources of information the parents utilized to find information necessary to make a choice.

To collect data, a survey was distributed to parents and administrators in six magnet …

The Level Of Involvement Of Georgia's Principals In Providing Inclusive Special Education Services, Marie Penkunas Klofenstine

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

Increased responsibility of principals for all programs, including special education, comes at a time when administrative training provides minimal information on special education programs (Malloy 1996). Even though the trend in Georgia toward more inclusive practices has resulted in a call for major changes in teacher education programs, there have been little changes requiring principals to be competent, knowledgeable, or to take coursework related to special education administration. The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of involvement of Georgia's school principals in special education service delivery in their schools. The dependent variables were three specific categories related …

Investigating Nitrogen Pollution In The Canoochee River, Evans County, Georgia, Chandra Marie Pitt Brown

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

No abstract provided.

Attitudes Toward People With Disabilities In The Social Context Of Dating And Marriage: A Comparison Of American, Taiwanese, And Singaporean College Students, Roy K. Chen, M. G. Brodwin, E. Cardoso, F. Chan

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to examine the attitudes of American, Taiwanese, and Singaporean students toward people with disabilities in the general context, as well as the specific social context of dating and marriage. The participants include 212 Taiwanese, 115 Singaporean, and 186 American students. They were given the Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons Scale, Form A (ATDP-A) and the Attitudes Toward Dating and Marriage Scale (ATDMS); the results indicated significant differences between American and Asian students in both the general and specific social contexts. Female American students consistently revealed the most favorable attitudes toward people with disabilities. Implications for …

History, Hate And Hegemony: What's A Journalist To Do?, Bonnie Brennen, Lee Wilkins

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Congress's Power To Promote The Progress Of Science: Eldred V. Ashcroft, Lawrence B. Solum

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This essay investigates the issues raised by Eldred v. Ashcroft, in which the Supreme Court may decide whether the Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA) exceeds Congress's authority under that clause. The essay frames the issues in Eldred v. Ashcroft by discussing the history of copyright legislation in general and the CTEA in particular and then summarizing the procedural history of Eldred v. Ashcroft. The essay then undertakes a detailed investigation of the text of the Intellectual Property Clause, with a special emphasis on the interpretation of the clause by the first Congress and early judicial decisions. Three elements …

The Effects Of Administrative Factors On Police Officer Job Performance, Irick Anthony Geary Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The topic of police management and its effect on officer arrest rates is an important issue that has not received the level of attention it deserves. There is an abundance of available training and a push for better trained police executives. In the present study the relationship between police administrative factors and officer arrest rates are addressed using data from a national probability sample of police departments.

The study uses ordinary least squares regression to analyze the independent relationship between police administrative factors, as measured by the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, and officer arrest rates, as measured by …

The Relationship Between Exercise Knowledge And Exercise Self-Efficacy For The Prevention Of Osteoporosis, Suzanne M. Leclaire

Masters Theses

The conceptual framework for this study was Self-efficacy (Bandura, 1977), based on Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986). The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between exercise knowledge and exercise self-efficacy for the prevention of osteoporosis in young adults. Population selection was based on clinical research findings that bone health is affected by habits early in life, such as calcium intake and establishing regular exercise, which affect bone health in later years. The study was a secondary data analysis of 353 females and males 18 to 35 years of age, primarily Caucasian (92.9%). Results from …

An Analysis Of Consistent Inclusion Programming District Wide, Laura N. Vos

Masters Theses

Inclusive education is the newest and largest change that the district being examined has had to face in recent years. However, within the six elementary buildings, inclusion is delivered in different ways. The inconsistency amongst the buildings in regards to inclusion was examined to determine if the effects have a positive or negative impact on the district as a whole. An interview/questionnaire was administered to twenty-five samples throughout the district. The interviews determined overwhelmingly that the practices are inconsistent, but whether the effect was positive or negative was debateable. The study also found common successful practices, shared commonalities and concerns …

The Aftereffects Of The Boarding School Experience For Native Americans In Michigan, Sharon Marie Brunner

Masters Theses

This study focused on the family history and boarding school experience of nine Native Americans in the state of Michigan. Primary questions were utilized to gain information regarding perseverance and problems still being faced as they tie to their boarding school experience. Interview participants were selected who attended the Mt. Pleasant and Holy Childhood boarding schools. These individuals reported both negative and positive recollections about their boarding school experiences. Themes were derived from the interview summaries and utilized for the analysis portion of this project. The results revealed similarities and differences between the experiences of those who attended both institutions. …

When Litigation Is Not The Only Way: Consensus Building And Mediation As Public Interest Lawyering, Carrie Menkel-Meadow

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

British social philosopher Stuart Hampshire recently articulated the fundamental and foundational principles of the modem conflict resolution movement (and I do call it a movement). He asserted that, "there will always be a plurality of different and incompatible conceptions of the good and there cannot be a single comprehensive and consistent theory of human virtue. Correspondingly, "our political enmities in the city or state will never come to an end while we have diverse life stories and diverse imaginations.'' Hampshire, a socially progressive, socialist philosopher hoped to articulate universal conceptions of the good. In his lifetime of reflection on this …

Judicial Elections And Campaign Finance Reform, Roy A. Schotland

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

In the judicial realm, the issue of campaign finance cuts across all states that use any form of election as part of their selection or retention system, whether the elections are partisan or non-partisan. The raising of money for campaigns is a task that has to be performed in all states that use any form of election. Like many other things that we have discussed today it seems to involve a sort of balancing act. The state certainly has a strong interest in protecting the integrity of its judiciary and encouraging the public perception of the judiciary as an institution …

The Acquisition Of Technological Capability: Towards An Analytical Model, Zulkieflimansyah Zulkieflimansyah

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Pembangunan Indonesia

In neo-classical framework, technology is defined in a static way. It is a product, a package, that is produced by one set of firms or other institutions and consumed or used by another. And as firms all operate on a given production function, their technological tasks is merely to choose whichever technology is most appropriate to their needs. The firms can shift their position on the production function effortlessly in response to change in economic circumstances. The evolutionary approach, on the other hand, views technology in a more dynamic way. The successful adoption of technology involves more than merely the …

Education In Indonesia's Regional Economic Development Before Fiscal Decentralization, Anna Maria Siti Kawuryan

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Pembangunan Indonesia

Indonesia is a diverse country with uneven resource endowment across its provinces. This study examines the effects of human capital investment policies on the promotion of more equitable income growth across provinces. First, the rate of return to education is estimated for each province using the 1976 and 1989 Indonesian National Labor Force Surveys (SAKERNAS). Then, regional economic indicators are used to explain differences in the rates of return to education among provinces and to develop and test hypotheses regarding the contribution of investment in education to personal income growth in different regions in Indonesia.

The study finds large differences …

Dampak Penerbitan Obligasi Pemerintah, Friska Parulian

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Pembangunan Indonesia

This paper is written in order to explain all about the act of issuing government bonds in Indonesia_ It starts with the background, which was the collapse of many banks, then, the consequences of this act. The huge number of these bonds relative to all variables in economy such as MI, M2, and also GDP will make some problems in the future. It will burden the budget by worsening the deficit and also influence the allocation. Furthermore, it has crowding out effect to the private sector. Another big problem is how to market these bonds. Facing the condition of capital …

Physical-Statistical Modeling And Optimization Of Cardiovascular Systems, Dongping Du

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Heart disease remains the No.1 leading cause of death in U.S. and in the world. To improve cardiac care services, there is an urgent need of developing early diagnosis of heart diseases and optimal intervention strategies. As such, it calls upon a better understanding of the pathology of heart diseases.

Computer simulation and modeling have been widely applied to overcome many practical and ethical limitations in in-vivo, ex-vivo, and whole-animal experiments. Computer experiments provide physiologists and cardiologists an indispensable tool to characterize, model and analyze cardiac function both in healthy and in diseased heart. Most importantly, simulation modeling empowers the …

Jabatan Agama Islam Perak (Jaipk) : Suatu Tinjauan Terhadap Peranan Dan Perancangan Masa Depannya Terhadap Sekolah Menengah Agama Rakyat (Smar) Di Perak / Paharudin Arbain., Paharudin Arbain

Student Works (2000-2009)

No abstract provided.