Digital Commons Network^™

An M-Star Model Of Dynamic, Endogenous Interdependence – A.K.A. Network-Behavior Coevolution – In The Social Sciences, Jude C. Hays, Aya Kachi, Robert J. Franzese

Working Papers

Spatial interdependence, the interdependence of outcomes across units, is theoretically and substantively ubiquitous and central across the social sciences. The empirical clustering of outcomes on some dimension(s), spatial association, is also obvious in most contexts. However, outcomes may exhibit spatial association for three distinct reasons. Units may be responding similarly to similar exposure to similar exogenous internal/domestic or external/foreign stimuli (common exposure), and/or units’ responses may depend on others’ responses (contagion). A third possibility arises when the putative outcome affects the variable along which clustering occurs (selection: e.g., homophily). Severe empirical difficulties confront the accurate estimation and distinction of these …

The Use Of Descriptive Words And Metaphor In Patient And Carer Experience Of Palliative Day Care: Secondary Analysis Of A Qualitative Study., J Richardson, J Grose

School of Nursing and Midwifery

BACKGROUND: An independent evaluation of changes to the delivery of Palliative Day Services was carried out during 2006-2007 using interviews with service users. The analysis found that the words and metaphors employed by users of services emphasized their emotional response to the changes, and helped to explain their depth of feeling about their experiences, warranting further investigation. AIM: To conduct a secondary analysis on interview data collected for the Day Services Evaluation Study in order to understand how patients and their carers use descriptive words and metaphor when talking about their experiences of palliative day services. METHODS: Interview transcripts from …

The Use Of Descriptive Words And Metaphor In Patient And Carer Experience Of Palliative Day Care: Secondary Analysis Of A Qualitative Study, J Richardson, J Grose

School of Nursing and Midwifery

BACKGROUND: An independent evaluation of changes to the delivery of Palliative Day Services was carried out during 2006-2007 using interviews with service users. The analysis found that the words and metaphors employed by users of services emphasized their emotional response to the changes, and helped to explain their depth of feeling about their experiences, warranting further investigation. AIM: To conduct a secondary analysis on interview data collected for the Day Services Evaluation Study in order to understand how patients and their carers use descriptive words and metaphor when talking about their experiences of palliative day services. METHODS: Interview transcripts from …

Evaluating The New Fema Post Pkemra, Christine G. Springer

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Presentations

In 2002, with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and more than 20 other agencies/entities became part of a new organizational entity. Subsequent performance failures by FEMA, specifically preparation for and response to Hurricane Katrina, led to a number of internal and external reviews and investigations to determine the causes of these failures and to identify potential solutions. Congressional concern led to the passage of PL109-295, the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006, which set in motion a series of expectations and provided considerable resources for FEMA’s ‘transformation’. Since then, …

Initiatives And Experiences Of The Liber Division On Library Management And Administration, Jolanta Stepniak

Proceedings of the IATUL Conferences

No abstract provided.

Does Student Leadership Participation Enhance The Development Of Emotional Intelligence, Michelle Breanne Curro

Master's Theses

Emotional Intelligence is believed to explain how emotions may be used, monitored, and measured to predict workplace success and failure, the suggestion that if individuals can balance the emotions within themselves and others, they can use their skills to better their organization. This study explored the development of Emotional Intelligence in the ASI Student Manager Team in comparison to Student Government members at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) during the fall 2008 quarter. The Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) was used to assess student leaders’ Emotional Intelligence (EI) development (N = 27). A two sample t-test …

A Computational Framework For Certificate Policy Operations, Gabriel A. Weaver, Scott Rea, Sean W. Smith

Computer Science Technical Reports

The trustworthiness of any Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) rests upon the expectations for trust, and the degree to which those ex- pectations are met. Policies, whether implicit as in PGP and SDSI/SPKI or explicitly required as in X.509, document expectations for trust in a PKI. The widespread use of X.509 in the context of global e-Science infrastructures, financial institutions, and the U.S. Federal government demands efficient, transparent, and reproducible policy decisions. Since current manual processes fall short of these goals, we designed, built, and tested computational tools to process the citation schemes of X.509 certificate policies defined in RFC 2527 …

Ohio's Balanced Growth Program: A Case Study Of Collaboration For Planning And Policy Design, Wendy A. Kellogg

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This paper describes the collaborative planning process for a new landscape planning programme in Ohio that seeks to influence land urbanisation patterns through joint local land use decision making on a watershed basis. The programme was developed through a collaborative process by a state agency-appointed task force that included agency staff and a wide range of stakeholders. The paper describes the process in terms of the collaborative mechanisms, the participants, the programmatic outputs, and the social and organisational outcomes that set the foundation for enhanced watershed quality through better land use decision-making practices. Key collaborations formed during the process were …

A Final Assessment Of Stages Theory: Introducing A Dynamic States Approach To Entrepreneurship, Jonathan Levie, Benyamin B. Lichtenstein

College of Management Working Papers and Reports

Stages of Growth models were the most frequent theoretical approach to understanding entrepreneurial business growth from 1962 to 2006; they built on the growth imperative and developmental models of that time. An analysis of the universe of such models (N=104) published in the management literature shows no consensus on basic constructs of the approach, nor is there any empirical confirmations of stages theory. However, by changing two propositions of the stages models, a new dynamic states approach is derived. The dynamic states approach has far greater explanatory power than its precursor, and is compatible with leading edge research in entrepreneurship.

Considerations Of Distance Education Integration: A Qualitative Study, Jennifer L. Styron, Shuyan Wang, Ronald A. Styron Jr.

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

As higher education institutions determine whether or not to initiate or expand distance education offerings, there are many considerations and levels of decision making that need to be measured. This study investigated the role of key administrators at the departmental chair and dean levels in expanding distance education offerings. Findings of this study included faculty and student considerations, resources and external support, and integration costs of distance education offerings as major considerations within distance education decision making. Furthermore, the need for realistic timelines, planning for the associated costs of distance education offerings, and current tenure and promotion policies are discussed. …

An Evaluation Of Interventions Designed To Impact Nurses : A Pilot Project, Pamela G. Bing Perry

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This pilot project was designed from a systems approach as defined within the field of marriage and family (MFT). Systems theory has been used successfully in examining and working with organizational relationships as exemplified in the work of Edwin H. Friedman. His contribution includes several books specifically developed for use in organizations; one that was tailored for religious groups; and another for managers (Friedman, 2007). While other MFT modalities have also been used effectively with organizations, the complexity of the influences operating within an organization most closely matches the systems approach. For this reason, this is the conceptual framework applied …

The Innovation Challenge: Transformational Leadership In Technological University Libraries, Charles Townley

Proceedings of the IATUL Conferences

No abstract provided.

Complexity Leadership In Bureaucratic Forms Of Organizing: A Meso Model, Mary Uhl-Bien, Russ Marion

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

We consider Complexity Leadership Theory in contexts of bureaucratic forms of organizing to describe how adaptive dynamics can work in combination with administrative functions to generate emergence and change in organizations. Complexity leadership approaches are consistent with the central assertion of the meso argument that leadership is multi-level, processual, contextual, and interactive. In this paper we focus on the adaptive function, an interactive process between adaptive leadership (an agentic behavior) and complexity dynamics (non-agentic social dynamics) that generates emergent outcomes (e.g., innovation, learning, adaptability) for the firm. Propositions regarding the actions of complexity leadership in bureaucratic forms of organizing are …

A Survey Of Perspectives On Intergovernmental Relations: A Comparative Analysis Of The Czech And Slovak Republics, Phillip J. Bryson, Gary C. Cornia, Scott M. Smith

Faculty Publications

The results of a survey of local government officials from the Slovak and Czech Republics taken in December of 2005 are presented and analyzed. Attitudes about and perspectives of intergovernmental fiscal relations in the two republics are probed. Differences and similarities in Czech and Slovak views are established regarding some of the perceptions of: local autonomy and the sufficiency of available funds; whether or not public services are supplied by the appropriate levels of government; the potential benefits of adopting a serious rather than a nominal property tax; and the flexibility of local budget planning in Czech and Slovak cities …

Enterprise Information Technology Organizational Flexibility : Managing Uncertainty And Change, Karen Prast Patten

Dissertations

Chief Information Officers (CIOs) lead enterprise information technology organizations (EITOs) in today's dynamic competitive business environment. CIOs deal with external and internal environmental changes, changing internal customer needs, and rapidly changing technology. New models for the organization include flexibility and suggest that CIOs should create and manage an enterprise IT organization that is more flexible in order to manage change and prepare for uncertainty, but they do not define what is meant by flexibility.

The first objective of this exploratory and ethnographic research study was to understand how uncertainty and unexpected change are currently managed by CIOs. The second was …

Building School Connections Through Integrating Extracurricular Programs, Grete E. Gerber

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop an integrated extracurricular program and evaluate its effectiveness on improving middle school students' emotional connectedness to the school. The integrated extracurricular program provided an opportunity for a diverse group of students to work cooperatively as a team toward a common goal.

The program's first extracurricular activity was a Haunted House event which was utilized for this study. Participants in the study included 232 students and 21 staff members. Two separate surveys were administered to the student and staff participants. Each survey resulted in general opinions about the effectiveness of the integrated extracurricular …

Air Force Institute Of Technology Research Report 2008, Office Of Research And Sponsored Programs, Graduate School Of Engineering And Management, Afit

AFIT Documents

This report summarizes the research activities of the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management. It describes research interests and faculty expertise; lists student theses/dissertations; identifies research sponsors and contributions; and outlines the procedures for contacting the school. Included in the report are: faculty publications, conference presentations, consultations, and funded research projects. Research was conducted in the areas of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Electro-Optics, Computer Engineering and Computer Science, Systems and Engineering Management, Operational Sciences, Mathematics, Statistics and Engineering Physics.

Success From The Voices Of Educators, Katherine Eddy Cox

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines teachers' conceptions of success through interviews of fourteen educators from a rural county in a Mid-Atlantic state. The results find that the critical elements of success are student-oriented, practice-oriented, and policy-oriented; the consensus definition of success is caring for individual students; and the beliefs and values of educators are in making a difference for every student. Relationships, joy in learning, and fair testing are enabling of success within the community and culture studied. In terms of challenges and needs---parents are often named as the biggest barrier to success; secondly, having time to teach as well as possible; …

Feminism, Globalism, And Leadership: How Women Make A "Worldly" World, Scott C. Hammond, Susan R. Madsen, Jory Jensen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

The influx of women into leadership, management, and idea leader roles is clearly one of the significant aspects of globalization over the last 50 years. While women are still underrepresented in global business and politics, their influence on reconceptualizing leadership models is undeniable. While it would be difficult to precisely determine a “feminist” perspective on leadership, idea leaders such as Follett, Kanter, and Wheatley have influenced the concept and practice of leadership beyond any gender construct. The unique themes within their work are present in the global dialogue that is reframing how we think about leadership. This paper will discuss …

10 Years Of Sustainability At Scotash, Dr Nigel Cooke, Peter J. Quinn

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Ubs First Quarter 2009 Financial Reporting, Union Bank Of Switzerland (Ubs)

Documents

No abstract provided.

Factors In The Implementation Of Online Courses Of Study In Selected Community Colleges In Mississippi, Kenneth Lamar Done

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine administrators’ attitudes toward the significant factors for facilitating the implementation of online courses at select community colleges in Mississippi. The population for this study included all presidents, vice presidents, deans, business managers, directors of campus technology, and distance learning coordinators at the select community colleges in Mississippi. The total population was 79 administrators. For this study, 79 questionnaires were electronically distributed to the participants, 70 (89%) were returned. 1 (2%) was excluded due to incomplete answers. 69 questionnaires (87%) were analyzed and used for this study. The findings show that in terms of relationships …

Understanding The Change Styles Of Teachers To Improve Student Achievement, Arlene May Green Bigby

Dissertations

The topic of this dissertation is the understanding of teacher change styles to improve student achievement. Teachers from public schools in a state located in the northern plains were surveyed regarding their Change Styles (preferred approaches to change) and flexibility scores. The results were statistically analyzed to determine if there were differences in change styles and flexibility scores when compared for level of certification, gender, length of teaching career, subject area taught, and size of school in which the educator was working. The results were also analyzed for any differences in the Change Styles and flexibility scores between teachers working …

Towards A Sustainable Development Facilitator’S Toolkit: Ecological Perspective, Aaron Gilbee

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

World problems are becoming more complex, and as a result, there is a need for guided methodologies to tackle these through facilitation. This project contains 10 tools that were identified and described for the initial development of a facilitator’s toolkit for problems related to sustainable development. A literature review that identified common perspectives and a thinking pattern associated with sustainable development. Of the perspectives identified with sustainable development, a natural ecological perspective was taken and guided the toolkit development. Implications from this project demonstrated that the approaches found within the readings aligned with the CPS Thinking Skills Model (Puccio, et …

Concerns And Perceptions Of Faculty Using Web-Based Instructional Technology., Elizabeth Romero Fuerte

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined faculty levels of implementation of Web-based instructional technology (WBIT) and computer self-efficacy beliefs (CSE) as factors associated to faculty perception of institutional mechanisms and its relative importance as conditions supporting the implementation of WBIT in higher education. Using a sample of 334 faculty teaching at selected universities in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, faculty perceptions of support mechanisms for the implementation of WBIT were examined. Results revealed that it is possible to develop faculty profiles that include psychological and behavioral variables and that adding such variables improve the prediction of faculty levels of technology implementation. Furthermore, findings from …

The Effect Of Teacher Leader Interactions With Teachers On Student Achievement: A Predictive Study., Winifred Riney Cohron

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research literature acknowledges the importance of teacher leadership in school reform initiatives. The literature is replete with qualitative studies describing the experience of teacher leadership in its variety of enactments. The meager amount of existing quantitative data suggests that teacher leadership may have no impact on student learning. This non-experimental, quantitative study examined the relationship between specific teacher leader interactions with teachers and student achievement. Using an online survey, participants responded to online survey questions about their interactions with teachers around five leadership constructs identified by Lambert (1998) and adapted by the researcher with permission from Dr. Lambert and the …

The Nomination And Motivations Of Irish Non-Executive Directors Of Listed Companies, Anna Egan, Rebecca Maughan, Joseph Coughlan

Conference papers

This paper reports the preliminary findings of an empirical investigation into the process of appointing non-executive directors and their motivations behind the adoption of the position. While research into the board of directors has been extensive, little deliberation has been given to the motives of non-executives who choose to sit on boards (Roberts, 2002). Given that the board of directors has been charged with much more responsibility in recent years and is being held to a higher level of accountability than would historically be expected (Donnelly and Kelly, 2005), the choice of non-executives to continue to take up roles on …

The Transition To High School: Freshmen Transition Practices, Teresa J. Mckenzie

Dissertations

The transition to high school is a pivotal time for freshmen. Recognition of the importance of the ninth grade year and establishing freshmen transition programs are critical in addressing the nation’s declining graduation rates. The purpose of this study was to investigate the practices, programs, or interventions used in Missouri to assist freshmen in making a successful transition to high school. For this research, all high school principals across the state were given the opportunity to contribute to the study. There were 183 schools, both public and nonpublic, that responded to the survey. From the data, 60.1% of Missouri high …

Book Reviews, Parameters Editors

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

A Postmodern Story Of Meaning Making In A Residence Life Organization: A Transformational Change Process, Pamela Graglia

Dissertations

Current research on change and transformation in higher education frequently relies on models which “clean up” the messy process of creating change into easily consumed lists of strategies. However these reductive strategies may be incomplete and alternatives which provide a more complex picture of the process of change have been suggested. Additionally, while sensemaking has been identified as critical to transformation, little research exists on meaning making during change processes in higher education settings.

Using social constructivist epistemology and a postmodern theoretical framework, the purpose of this qualitative inquiry was to explore how individuals in a higher education organization make …