Digital Commons Network^™

Building An Inclusive Workplace Culture: With Special Focus On The South African Context, Seth Naicker

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We are living in a world of ever-increasing diversity. It is diversity in general, but also diversity specific to the aspect of people. People are engaging one another across culture, language, race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, abilities, and class. In some ways, the world has become smaller. One can be sitting in South Africa, and engaging people through social media throughout the world. Facebook has made our world smaller. However, in and amongst our growing diversity there are continued social factors of prejudice, lack of human rights, and warring nations because of their differences, for example the difference of faith, and …

Perceptions Of Questionable Research Practices In Social Work And Other Disciplines, Anita M. Gordon, Cindy Juby, Helen C. Harton

Faculty Work

Outline

 Background on research misconduct

 Study purpose and method

 Overview of descriptive results

 Regression results

 Limitations

 Implications for reducing misconduct

Annual Report Of The Registrar 2015/2016, University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Contents:

--- Definitions
--- Some Comparisons
--- Annual Report Data
--- Summary of Attendance
--- Attendance by Session
--- Degrees Granted 2015/16
--- Degree Summary 2015/16
--- Program Certificates 2015/16
--- Miscellaneous Enrollment Information
--- Degrees Granted by College, Degree and Racial/Ethnic Classification

Divided We Fall: How The International Criminal Court Can Promote Compliance With International Law By Working With Regional Courts, Tatiana E. Sainati

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Kenya's 2007 presidential elections inflamed deep-seeded ethnic tensions in the country, sparking violence that left thousands dead and more than half-a-million civilians displaced. After the bloodshed, Kenya failed to investigate, prosecute, and punish those responsible for the atrocities. The Prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC) launched an investigation into the Kenyan situation, acting under his statutory authority, and eventually brought charges against six high-ranking Kenyans, including President Kenyatta. After years of investigations, the Prosecutor ultimately withdrew the case against the Kenyan President--a potentially fatal failure heralded by some as the death knell of the ICC.

During the course of …

Assessing The Affective, Heather G. James, Rebecca Nowacek

Library Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

The Sea Is Rising… But Not Onto The Policy Agenda: A Multiple Streams Approach To Understanding Sea Level Rise Policies, Juita-Elena (Wie) Yusuf, Katharine Neill, Burton St. John Iii, Ivan K. Ash, Kaitrin Mahar

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

There has been little policy effort to address sea level rise in coastal states in the US. It is important to examine, at the state level, how the multitude of different (and changing) actors with different preferences and perspectives contribute to such inertia. This study examines state-level legislative inaction with regards to sea level rise. Using Kingdon's multiple streams framework, we draw a picture of the policy landscape in Virginia as one where the problem of sea level rise is perceived as a low priority, with little consensus on achievable policy solutions, and is politically controversial. We find that policy …

Reliability And Concurrent Validity Of An Alternative Method Of Lateral Lumbar Range Of Motion In Athletes, Mark D. Hecimovich, Jeffrey J. Herbert

Faculty Publications

Background: Cricket bowling involves combined spinal movements of side bending and rotation and, consequently, injury to the low back is a common problem. Therefore the assessment of lumbar spine kinematics has become a routine component in preseason screening. This includes static measurement of lateral spinal flexion as asymmetrical range of motion may predispose an athlete to low back injury.

Objectives: This study examined intra-rater reliability and concurrent validity of the fingertip-to-floor distance test (FFD) when compared to a criterion range of motion measure.

Methods: Thirty-four junior-level cricket players aged 13‑16 years were recruited. Lumbar spine lateral flexion …

Supporting Nutrition For Australian Childcare (Snac): The Development, Implementation And Evaluation Of An Online Nutrition Education Intervention, Ruth Wallace

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The provision of a nutritious diet in a child’s early years can have an immense effect on their future health and wellbeing. Due to the increasing number of children attending child care, this setting is strategically placed for teaching children important food literacy skills and establishing positive eating habits, which remain through to adulthood. However, food served in child care facilities is often not of the best nutritional quality (Zuercher, Grace, & Kranz, 2011) and there is lack of positive role modelling among staff. Both of these factors pose obstacles to a health-promoting environment for the children who attend.

The …

Pedagogy In Performance: An Investigation Into Decision Training As A Cognitive Approach To Circus Training, Jonathan Burtt

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research project represents the first formal research conducted into the potential application of Decision Training in an elite circus arts school environment. The research examines the effects of the introduction of Decision Training—a training model developed for sports applications—into the elite circus arts training program at the National Circus School (NCS), a key circus arts school in one of the world’s most vital circus domains, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Decision Training, a cognitive-based training model, has been shown through extensive sports-based research to support the development of decision-making ability and self-regulatory learning behaviour, both of which are fundamental for the …

Understanding Influences On The Critical-To-Success Factors In Online Brand Communities, Stephanie A. Meek

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In an internationally competitive market a company’s brand is its most valuable asset, and increasing and retaining loyal customers is key to long-term success. Forging binding relationships between consumers and their brand is therefore of critical importance to most organisations (Lhotáková, 2012). Previous studies indicate that online brand communities (OBCs) effectively facilitate such relationships (Backhaus, Steiner & Lugger, 2011; Madupu & Cooley, 2010) and provide companies with reliable marketing intelligence to potentially gain a competitive advantage.

OBCs are online forums dedicated to a specific brand, where consumers gather and exchange information and socialise. Today they are more prevalent than ever …

The Experience Of Role Balance Among Australian Working Women With Multigenerational Caring Responsibilities, Kiah Lee Evans

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Approximately 10% of women in developed countries are working sandwich generation women, who combine paid employment with ongoing multigenerational caring responsibilities for at least one child under 18 years and one parent or parent-in-law. This role combination is expected to become more common due to the increased workforce participation of women, childbirth at an older age, reduced fertility rates, an ageing population and a trend towards community based care. Although there are numerous benefits related to membership in the working sandwich generation, there are also a range of costs related to role participation and quality of life. In particular, these …

An Exploratory Investigation Into The Impact Of Downsizing On Occupational Stress And Organisational Commitment, Bridget Girak

Theses : Honours

Downsizing has become an increasingly widespread organisational strategy to reduce costs in order to improve performance and remain globally competitive. However, the negative effects associated with survivor syndrome, a term used to describe a set of attitudes, feelings and perceptions that occur in employees who remain within an organisation following involuntary dismissal, continue to plague many organisations post-downsizing. Despite this prevalence of downsizing, little attention has been paid to explore the interrelationships between downsizing, occupational stress and organisational commitment of those who remain. Thus, the purpose of this research is to understand the effects of downsizing on survivors’ occupational stress …

Choreographing Intimacy: The Making Of ‘[They] Slipped Briskly Into An Intimacy From Which They Never Recovered’ – A Dance Film, Antonio Rinaldi

Theses : Honours

In this investigation, I have utilised a practice-led research methodology to capture ‘intimacy’ in film, specifically, the medium of dance film. The exegetical work is divided into the written research with an accompanied dance film component; however they should be viewed as an integrated thesis. The aim of my research was to develop my choreographic practice through a film that is a sensory and evocative exploration of intimacy. I argue that the film components of dance film (directing, cinematography, editing and the like) uniquely capture an intangability of dance and the complexities of human intimacy in a manner that is …

Knocking On The Door: Examining The Practice Of Classical Singers At A Performing Arts Institution, Laura Pitts

Theses : Honours

Practice is a major part of the everyday existence of musicians at a performing arts institution, and is of particular importance for singers, who are not just learning to sing but also building their vocal instrument along the way. The purpose of this study was to examine the practice of classical singers studying at a performing arts institution, through an interpretive case study approach. Participants completed a multi-part survey which asked logistics of their singing practice, their use of practice strategies, how these strategies were acquired, and the influence of various factors related to practice. The quantitative and qualitative data …

Physical And Moral Forces: An Analysis Of World War Ii’S 1944-1945 Ardennes Offensive Using Clausewitzian Theory, Rebecca Griffin

Theses : Honours

This thesis employs Carl von Clausewitz’s theory on moral forces to conduct an analysis of World War II’s 1944-1945 Ardennes Offensive. The literature largely focuses on presenting the physical components of the offensive, neglecting the moral. This thesis aims to fill this gap by presenting an analysis of the utilisation and effects of both physical and moral forces in the Ardennes Offensive and determining the importance of each to the outcome. Analysing the planning and execution of the offensive through this theoretical perspective reveals that moral forces played a significant part in Allied success in the Ardennes. The analysis exposed …

The Concert Pianist Myth: Diversifying Undergraduate Piano Education In Australia, Helen Mather

Theses : Honours

As classically-trained pianists we are in the unique position among musicians of having many employment opportunities in performance areas. In an industry where so many talented musicians are struggling to find work, pianists are regularly being offered performing work. With opportunities to pursue careers in solo performance, chamber music, accompaniment, conducting, opera or ballet repetiteur work, and in many more related disciplines, pianists are arguably the musicians with the most opportunities to create a career involving performance. However, are pianists in tertiary institutions developing the skills that would enable them to work in the music industry? Upon entering a university …

Embracing The Abject: Explored Through Kristeva’S Theory Of The Maternal And The Abject In The Creative Work “Listening”, Michelle Symes

Theses : Honours

Kristeva and Jung are both concerned with marginalization. For Jung, it is marginalization of the hidden unconscious (Hauke, 2000). For Kristeva, it is marginalization of the hidden physical realm of women and the “feminine” (Hauke, 2000, p127). Using Kristeva as my primary theorist, I will compare her subject-inprocess theory of the maternal and abject to Jung’s static unitary theory of individuation and the Shadow. Because of the parameters of this project, I have not been able to focus on the nature of Jung’s central feminine principle. By comparing Kristeva to Jung, women’s shame, as represented by patriarchy’s rejection of the …

Could Fish Feel Pain? A Wider Perspective, Yew-Kwang Ng

Animal Sentience

Key’s (2016) target article provides some strong arguments but also makes some logical mistakes. The arguments are not sufficient to support a definite conclusion that fish cannot feel pain. A multi-faceted perspective taking into account brain structure, chemical secretion in brain, animal behavior, and evolutionary biology may be useful and appears, at least in some aspects, to suggest the opposite conclusion from that of the target article.

Should Fish Feel Pain? A Plant Perspective, František Baluška

Animal Sentience

Key (2016) claims fish that fish do not feel pain because they lack the necessary neuronal architecture: their responses to noxious stimuli, according to Key, are executed automatically without any feelings. However, as pointed out by many of his commentators, this conclusion is not convincing. Plants might provide some clues. Plants are not usually thought to be very active behaviorally, but the evidence suggests otherwise. Moreover, in stressful situations, plants produce numerous chemicals that have painkilling and anesthetic properties. Finally, plants, when treated with anesthetics, cannot execute active behaviors such as touch-induced leaf movements or rapid trap closures after localizing …

Fish Pain: An Inconvenient Truth, Culum Brown

Animal Sentience

Whether fish feel pain is a hot political topic. The consequences of our denial are huge given the billions of fish that are slaughtered annually for human consumption. The economic costs of changing our commercial fishery harvest practices are also likely to be great. Key outlines a structure-function analogy of pain in humans, tries to force that template on the rest of the vertebrate kingdom, and fails. His target article has so far elicited 34 commentaries from scientific experts from a broad range of disciplines; only three of these support his position. The broad consensus from the scientific community is …

Fish Pain: A Painful Topic, Carl Safina

Animal Sentience

If fish cannot feel pain, why do stingrays have purely defensive tail spines that deliver venom? Stingrays’ ancestral predators are fish. And why do many fishes possess defensive fin spines, some also with venom that produces pain in humans? These things did not evolve just in case sentient humans would evolve millions of years later and then invent scuba. If fish react purely unconsciously to “noxious” stimuli, why aren’t sharp jabbing spines enough? Why also stinging venom?

Leveraging On Organizational Culture For Innovative Services: A Case Study Of Prof. Kenneth Dike State Central Elibrary, Awka, Nkem Ekene Osuigwe Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The accepted way duties are performed, processes are patterned and problems are solved make up the organizational culture of a workplace. A healthy organizational culture provides opportunities for realization of full potentials of staff, moves leaders in the workplace to develop strong strength of purpose and direction in performing their duties, also encourages enthusiasm about new ideas and adaptation to change. The 21^st century public library needs to embrace changes in order to remain relevant in its community by leveraging on its organizational culture which could be adapted to promote innovative services. Non-traditional SMS information services to People Living …

Classifying Identity: Organizing An Lgbt Library, Kristine Nowak, Amy Jo Mitchell

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Although we tend to see classification as a socially and morally neutral activity, classification systems often incorporate societal prejudices and marginalize disadvantaged populations. These systematic prejudices are not only problematic because they are oppressive, but they also impair successful information access. In this paper, we will discuss our work as librarians at the Gay and Lesbian Services Organization (GLSO), a pride center in Lexington, Kentucky. We will discuss the problems that resulted from initially using Library of Congress classification to classify a library of LGBT materials, as well as our decision to create a unique classification system for that collection. …

Promoting Sexuality Education In Tertiary Institutions: Expected Roles Of Women Librarians In Nigeria, Nkechi N. Amaechi Dr. (Mrs.), Linda I. Anyalebechi, Ifeyinwa Aidah Ariole

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper aimed at x-raying the expected roles of women librarians in promoting sexuality education on within the Nigerian context. The study adopted the desk-research approach where extensive literature review was used in generating data for the study. The findings reveals that women can organize talks for women and young people in the rural areas, organize sex education seminars in collaboration with students Affairs Division in tertiary institutions, use social media platform to disseminate information relating to sexuality education among others. Challenges relating to cultural, religious factors, low literacy level among rural women were identified in the paper. The paper …

Applying Utaut In Clinical Informatics Research, Kehinde Abayomi Owolabi Mr, Evans Neil Dr, Patrick Thokozani Mhlongo Prof

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The paper discussed unified theory of acceptance and use of technology UTAUT as theoretical foundation for clinical informatics research. Highlighting the efforts to promote the use of clinical informatics in sub-Sahara Africa cannot be over-emphasized. UTAUT theory has evolved to become a key model in understanding factors that influence human behaviors toward acceptance and rejection of technology.

Qualitative content analysis through conceptual and literature analysis was used to explore previous studies in the research domain. Research has been conducted on application of UTAUT in various fields such as internet use, mobile banking and e-learning. But not much has been done …

Managing Stress Among Librarians In Selected University Libraries In Ogun State Nigeria, Promise Ilo

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

Stress is evident in every workplace, irrespective of type or location. This study revealed that librarians experience stress in federal, state and private universities. However, there are variations in the levels of stress experienced by librarians from private, state and federal universities. According to the findings, there is no significance difference in the causes of stress among the various kinds of libraries studied. The causes are rather evident in physical, environmental, organizational, cultural, and managerial factors. There is high prevalence of stress among women of child bearing age as a result of the interface between home and the workplace. …

Using Online Controlled Experiments To Examine Authority Effects On User Behavior In Email Campaigns, Lim Kwan Hui, Ee-Peng Lim, Binyan Jiang, Achananuparp Palakorn

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Authority users often play important roles in a social system. They are expected to write good reviews at product review sites; provide high quality answers in question answering systems; and share interesting content in social networks. In the context of marketing and advertising, knowing how users react to (quails and messages from authority senders is important, given the prevalence of email in our everyday life. Using a real-life academic event, we designed and conducted an online controlled experiment to determine how email senders of different types of authority (department head, event organizer and a general email account) affect the range …

Investigating The Influence Of Offline Friendship On Twitter Networking Behaviors, Young Soo Kim, Felicia Natali, Feida Zhu, Ee-Peng Lim

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We investigate the influence of offline friendship in three specific areas of Twitter networking behaviors: (a) network structure, (b) Twitter content and (c) interaction on Twitter. We observe some interesting findings through the empirical analysis of 2193 pairs of users who are online friends. When these pairs of users know each other offline, they are more likely to (1) respond to the online gesture of friendship from their friend, (2) share mutual online friends, (3) distribute and gather information in their friend’s Twitter network, (4) pay attention to their friend’s tweets, (5) post tweets that might be of interest to …

Episodic Volunteering And Retention: An Integrated Theoretical Approach, Melissa K. Hyde, Jeff Dunn, Caitlin Bax, Suzanne K. Chambers

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Episodic volunteers (EVs) are vital for non-profit organization activities. However, theory-based research on episodic volunteering is scant and the determinants of episodic volunteering are not well understood. This study integrates the volunteer process model and three-stage model of volunteers’ duration of service to explore determinants of EV retention. A cross-sectional survey of 340 EVs assessed volunteering antecedents, experiences, and retention. Social/enjoyment (β =.17) and benefit (β = −.15) motives, social norm (β =.20), and satisfaction (β =.56) predicted Novice EV (first experience) retention, satisfaction (β =.47) and commitment (β =.38) predicted Transition EV (2-4 years intermittently) retention, and supporting the …

Changes In The Plasma Proteome At Asymptomatic And Symptomatic Stages Of Autosomal Dominant Alzheimer's Disease, Julia Muenchhoff, Anne Poljak, Anbupalam Thalamuthu, Veer Gupta, Pratishtha Chatterjee, Mark Raftery, Colin Masters, John Morris, Randall Bateman, Anne Fagan, Ralph Martins, Perminder Sachdev

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The autosomal dominant form of Alzheimer's disease (ADAD) is far less prevalent than late onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD), but enables well-informed prospective studies, since symptom onset is near certain and age of onset is predictable. Our aim was to discover plasma proteins associated with early AD pathology by investigating plasma protein changes at the asymptomatic and symptomatic stages of ADAD. Eighty-one proteins were compared across asymptomatic mutation carriers (aMC, n = 15), symptomatic mutation carriers (sMC, n = 8) and related noncarriers (NC, n = 12). Proteins were also tested for associations with cognitive measures, brain amyloid deposition and glucose …