Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Study To Research The Feasibility Of Establishing A Southern New Jersey Chapter Of The Public Relations Society Of America, Joanna F. Bruschi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to research the feasibility of establishing a southern New Jersey chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

Some major findings included: (a) more than fifteen southern New Jersey members of PRSA are interested in joining a southern New Jersey chapter; (b) more than thirty public relations practitioners, not holding membership in PRSA, are interested in joining a southern New Jersey chapter of PRSA.

The findings of the author's survey concluded that establishing a southern New Jersey chapter of PRSA is feasible.

Christian Conservative Bias In Newspaper Print: A Content Analysis, Ted Christian

Theses and Dissertations

The major purpose of this study was to analyze the content from six major U.S. newspapers regarding their coverage of Christian Conservatives. The newspapers chosen for the study were the: New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Washington Times and Atlanta Journal and Constitution.

Articles from these newspapers from June 1993 through July 1994 were analyzed for their bias against Christian Conservatives or lack thereof. Samples were selected from the newspapers during the time frame chosen when one or more of the following five descriptors appeared in the newspaper text: Christian …

Persuasion Theories In The Practice Of Public Relations In The 1990'S, Susan E. Owens

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to present ways in which persuasion theories are currently used in public relations and how persuasion theories could be used in public relations. Some public relations textbooks devote a chapter or section to persuasion theories and how they relate to public relations. The public relations practitioner needed a publication that expanded on these theories and provided cases of how they are used in public relations today.

To research persuasion theories and current application of them, current textbooks and periodicals were reviewed at several libraries. The searches at Rowan College, Richard Stockton College and Ocean …

Environmental Attitudes And Behaviors: An Examination Of The Antecedents Of Behavior Among Air Force Members At Work, Mark S. Laudenslager

Theses and Dissertations

A questionnaire was randomly distributed to members of the United States Air Force at Wright Patterson AFB, OH, with 307 returned. The survey was designed to test the theory of planned behavior (TPB) model developed by Icek Ajzen, and the organizational theory of planned behavior (OTPB) model explored in this research effort. Validation and measurement of the TPB in relation to an organizational setting was accomplished, with the organizational theory of planned behavior (OTPB) developed. The behaviors and intentions individuals have towards recycling, energy conservation, and carpooling were examined, with the demographic variables of gender, age, and education also investigated. …

A Comparative Study Of The Sounds Of Kuo-Yu And Taiwanese, Chia-Jung Fan

Theses and Dissertations

This study was made to explore the pronunciation rules between Taiwanese and Kuo-yu, which are the two major languages used in Taiwan today, by comparing selected features of their phonological systems. The purpose was to provide the future researchers and Taiwanese learners more information on sounds, which will be helpful in the maintenance and future development of the Taiwanese language.

In the introduction, there is a brief description of the background and formation of Taiwanese and Kuo-yu. In chapter two, the syllable structure and phonetic systems of Taiwanese and Kuo-yu are introduced. The following three chapters are about the three …

Records Analysis And Classification System: A Proof Of Concept System For The Automated Classification Of United States Air Force Records, David W. Snoddy

Theses and Dissertations

The records management process utilized within the Department of Defense (DoD) is currently labor intensive. Work is being done to automate portions of this process, but classifying documents and assigning disposition instructions remains a labor intensive, manual operation. Although the requirement for this capability was identified by a DoD sponsored study, an automated computer-based system which can classify and apply disposition instructions has yet to be developed for use within the DoD. This thesis study presents a proof of concept computer program called the Records Analysis and Classification System (RACS) which was developed to demonstrate computer-based techniques for the automated …

Converting Publications In The Air Force To Sgml: A Recommendation Based On Commercial Experience, Shari T. Miles

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research was to determine those benefits of SGML that the Air Force can use in its publications process and to determine if benchmarking can improve the Air Force's migration to an electronic publishing environment. To accomplish this, the author completed an exploratory, qualitative study which defined the components and benefits of SGML and the benchmarking application and process. The qualitative techniques for this research included a literature review and questionnaire. The literature review covered both SGML and benchmarking. The questionnaire was an exploratory instrument that was sent to 60 commercial enterprises. The results of the questionnaire …

Exploring The Policy Issues Of Electronic Freedom Of Information Act Requests Through The Use Of The Government Information Locator Service, Lori A. Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

This study provides a preliminary view of the policy issues involved with allowing electronic Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests through the use of the Government Information Locator Service. The author used an exploratory, qualitative methodology consisting of an extensive literature review and a self-administered questionnaire that was sent to 54 Air Force (AF) FOIA managers. The literature review revealed that an informed citizenry is critical to a democratic society. To ensure its citizens have the opportunity to stay informed, Congress has enacted and amended laws to protect public access to federal information. The primary benefits of electronic FOIA requests …

Manipulating The Ooda Loop: The Overlooked Role Of Information Resource Management In Information Warfare, Gregory M. Schechtman

Theses and Dissertations

A ground-swell of interest in information as a weapon of warfare is growing within the U.S. armed services. Military strategists are looking at information as a tool to leverage our forces and make them irresistible in battle. Yet, there is little agreement as to what information warfare (IW) is, let alone how it is best fought. This fundamental disagreement is serving as an impediment to unified actions as the Air Force seeks its role in this arena. In particular, information resource management practitioners are questioning their role in supporting this mission. This thesis discusses limitations of existing information warfare interpretations …

Whose Information Is It Anyway? An Argument For Information Stewardship, Trevor W. Plant

Theses and Dissertations

Information is an important resource for businesses and government, with information quality influencing decision quality, and highlighting our need to manage our information well: as a resource. Information Resource Management (IRM) has as its goal the management of information as a resource, but has not been implemented with the level of success expected. Problems with the implementation of IRM are indicated by the presence of redundant or inconsistent data, inability to share information across systems, and difficulty finding the information on systems. We propose that these difficulties are related to behaviours linked to perceived ownership of corporate information by organisational …

Digital Rosetta Stone: A Conceptual Model For Maintaining Long-Term Access To Digital Documents, Steven B. Robertson

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the rapid evolution of technology, future digital systems may not be able to read and/or interpret the digital recordings made by older systems, even if those recordings are still in good condition. This thesis addresses the problem of maintaining long-term access to digital documents and provides a methodology for overcoming access difficulties due to technological obsolescence. A review was conducted to determine the long-term access methods that have already been suggested by other researchers. These previously suggested methods are then combined with other ideas that were encountered and conceived while performing research for this project. The combination of …

Automated Document Conversion: A Manager's Perspective, Fredrick W. Knaak Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Technological advances in our workplaces have made electronic documents pervasive throughout the USAF, DoD, and civilian world. Managers are recognizing the need to establish electronic document management systems to handle these diverse forms of documents. Unfortunately, they have been faced with essentially "reinventing the wheel," when it comes to determining which types of paper-based documents are best suited to conversion to an electronic format. There is also a lack of clearly identifiable cost factors associated with automated document conversion (ADC) for managers to use when conducting an economic analysis of a potential imaging application. This thesis addresses the problem of …

Analysis Of Air Force Environmental Justice Methodology, Barbara E. Owens

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to analyze AFCEE's draft environmental justice methodology. The study provides background on the meaning of environmental justice along with related terminology, and covers historical events of the environmental justice movement leading up to the publication of EO 12898. A discussion of EO 12898, subsequent draft guidance, and other pertinent literature leads to the development of evaluation criteria used to analyze both AFCEE's methodology and an application of that methodology: the March AFB Disposal Final Environmental Impact Statement Given that AFCEE formed their own methodology to address environmental justice prior to any definitive guidance regarding …

Air Force Media Use And Conformance With Media Richness Theory: Implications For E-Mail Use And Policy, Heather L. Adams

Theses and Dissertations

Communication has become a major aspect of a manager's job. When communicating, they are faced with many choices of what media to use - some include face-to-face, telephone, e-mail, or written. Managerial effectiveness can improve if managers make appropriate media choices. Thus, it is important to study how Air Force managers perceive media and what kind of choices they are making based on those perceptions. Media Richness Theory suggests that media choices are affected by content reasons, situational reasons, and symbolic reasons. This study examined Air Force managers and found they conform highly with Media Richness Theory in their media …

The New Logic Of Hypertext: Electronic Documents, Literary Theory, And Air Force Publications, Gordon G. Geison

Theses and Dissertations

Hypertext systems offer electronic links that can instantly join related documents with the click of a mouse. Some observers predict that in the next few years hypertext will become the predominate technology of communication. Such a revolutionary transformation of our culture's basic system for sharing information is bound to have a profound and wide-ranging impact. At this early stage in hypertext's evolutionary development, no empirical study can be expected to capture the long-term implications of this new technology. An exploratory survey was distributed to 100 large corporations to gather their initial assessment of the revolutionary implications of hypertext. The results …

A Model For Successful Reutilization Of A Military Installation: A Case Study Of Gentile Air Force Station, Maria L. Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research concerning base closure and reutilization focused on the roles of government agencies and the assistance they provided. This study looks at the community and the impact of installation closure. The process of planning for reuse of an installation is difficult and confusing. The guidance provided by the government has changed drastically since the first closures announced in the 1988 Base Realignment and Closure Committee recommendations. This study focuses on the strategy employed by Kettering, OH to successfully reuse Gentile AFS upon closure. As the final part in a longitudinal study, the research focus was lessons learned and implementation …

The Impact Of Changes In Geographic Mobility On The Wages Of The Military Family Between 1985 And 1992, Barry M. Krauss

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine what changes in the geographic mobility of the military family took place between 1985 and 1992, and this mobility's subsequent impact on the labor force participation of the military spouse, and the real wages of military family members. The study showed that mobility was significantly lower for military personnel and their spouses in 1992 than it was in 1985, the labor force participation and real wages for military spouses were greater in 1992 than they were in 1985, and real wages for military personnel declined between 1985 and 1992. A sensitivity analysis …

Predicting Fraudulent Behavior: An Examination Of Characteristics Commonly Exhibited By Fraudulent Dod Contractors, Dwayne P. Sellers

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between company size, slack, return on investment, and the frequency of fraudulent behavior. A model is proposed in which an increase in company size and a decrease in company slack and return on investment would increase the frequency of fraudulent behavior. A test of the model showed strong support between a relationship between company size and incidents of fraudulent behavior. Additionally, the results suggest that levels of slack may contribute to the frequency of fraud. Further tests provide no support for the relationship between the decrease in return on investment and the increase in the …

Guidelines For College And University Publications Directors On Building Effective Partnerships With Printers And Graphic Designers, Susan L. Enzman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis project was to compose guidelines to help facilitate communication and understanding between graphic designers and printers as they work together to service higher education publication offices.

A review of previous research pertinent to this study was conducted. Original research was undertaken in the form of a mail survey distributed to 100 publication directors/managers at four year colleges and universities throughout the country.

The survey was used to determine how various publications offices operate and to elicit suggestions publication directors/managers have for working effectively with graphic designers and printers.

The core of this project was the …

Effective Motivation Of Front-Line Employees, Regina M. Audio

Theses and Dissertations

Motivating front-line employees to perform at optimum levels is a challenge for managers and business owners. Non-management employees from Southern New Jersey for-profit and non-profit companies responded to a survey to offer comments as to which of six specific types of motivational phrases would best motivate them to perform optimally in common workplace situations involving: quality, teamwork, personal responsibility to organizational policy and procedure, initiative, and customer service issues. Participants considered top performers by their managers were asked to choose which phrase would best motivate them in each situation in an attempt to identify which phrases are most effective in …

Reading Interests Of Fifth And Sixth Grade Boys, Judith E. Sheridan

Theses and Dissertations

Fifth and sixth grade boys were studied to determine their reading interests for the purpose of developing a bibliography of books that the boys had read and enjoyed to use for collection development for the school library. One class of fifth grade students and one class of sixth grade students were surveyed to determine their reading attitudes, habits, and interests. Reading logs were kept during a three month period recording books that the students read during that time and enjoyed. Both boys and girls participated in the data collection portion of the study.

Major findings reinforced the author's perceptions that …

The Interdisciplinary Approach To Learning: Theory, Design, And Implementation, Kathleen E. Ratz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to examine a synergistic form of learning known as the integrated curriculum. An interdisciplinary approach to teaching, the integrated curriculum seeks to explore the connections and interrelations that exist between academic subject areas in order to create educational experiences that reflects what We know about the learning process.

Discussed in the thesis are the theoretical and philosophical background of this form of experiential learning, historical attempts at implementation, current thinking on design and implementation, and finally practical applications. Conclusions are drawn from all of the above sources and a list of essential criteria for …

Modern Storytelling: The Power Of Myth Revisited, Laura J. Kaighn

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis paper examines the art of storytelling in its modern form. Its purpose is to evaluate the continued use and worth of fairy tale literature within a modern, industrialized society. Through the use of fairy tale literature and interviews with local storytellers it attempts to redefine storytelling as an essential art form and educational medium.

Storytelling not only perpetuates our cultural norms and values, but also our sense of humanity as well. Storytelling fulfills a deep need for us to define ourselves through our stories, the shells of our societal seeds. The art is experiencing a renaissance, and a …

Changing Role Of The Female In Mythically Based Fantastic Literature And Films For Young Adults, Deborah Dougherty Dietrich

Theses and Dissertations

Psychoanalysts Sigmund Freud and C.G. Jung first noted the archetypal symbolism to be found in the dreams, myths and legends of people around the world. Bruno Bertelheim, a disciple of Freud, and renowned mythologist Joseph Campbell applied these principles of universal symbolism to help explain the continuing appeal of fairy tale, legend and myth in contemporary society. The thesis addresses the universality of these archetypal messages as mirrored in contemporary fantastic fiction for young adults, showing how the adolescent rite of passage explored in the heroic quest myths of primitive peoples is still used in many works of fantastic literature …

Runaways In Young Adult Fiction – A Survey And Annotated Bibliography, Anna E. Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to compare causes and consequences for runaways in real life with those in young adult fiction, in order to ascertain whether any similarity exists between the two. The thesis also provides an annotated bibliography of young adult books about runaways.

Research was carried out to obtain information about what real runaways must face, and various guides to young adult literature were consulted in order to evaluate fictional runaway lifestyles.

With few exceptions, real lives of runaway children bear very little resemblance to those of their fictional counterparts. In fiction, happy endings (or at least …

A History And Bibliography Of The Lenni Lenape, Theresa Doyle

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this history and bibliography is to promote knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of the Lenni Lenape. This goal will be accomplished by increasing the public's awareness of the availability of materials concerning the Lenape. Through this awareness it will become possible for people to access previously unknown sources.

The historical data covers what is known of the Paleo-Indians up through the arrival of the first European colonists and the final migration of the Lenape people. This coverage includes the controversial Wallum Olum. The bibliography and appendices are divided into sections in order to allow the reader to locate …

Cd-Rom Technology: How It Is Utilized In K-12 School Library Media Centers, Amy Jo Hufana

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate how CD-ROM technology is utilized in school library media centers in Cape May County, New Jersey and in other locations throughout the United States. A survey has been conducted to supply information about many aspects of CD-ROM use, including the types of hardware and software used, the extent of use of different types of programs, the responsibilities of library media specialists in utilizing and managing CD-ROM resources, and the amount of use by teachers, students, and others. Library media specialists from Cape May County and other locations in New Jersey have responded …

Recommendations For A Policy Regarding Online Searching At The Cape May County Library, Linda L. Melroy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to ascertain and compare the methods used by other New Jersey public libraries in order to best serve their patrons' needs in a technological society. The libraries of today, including Cape May County Public Library, are facing the challenge of providing online services to an ever more sophisticated clientele. At the same time, the funds for these services may be difficult to obtain.

A questionnaire was sent to fifteen New Jersey public libraries, twelve of whom responded. Questions involving the type of online searching being done at their institution were raised. Also questioned were …

Is Access Synonymous With Use?: Evaluation Of Access And Use Of Technology In Salem County High Schools, Romine B. Rosenberger

Theses and Dissertations

The high schools of Salem County were studied for their use of technology in general and the Internet specifically. Literature regarding the effective use of technology in education nationwide was researched. It was found that even though Salem County has access to much technology, it is underutilized, due primarily to lack of thorough professional development. Particular attention was given to Internet technology because of grants received by the county for the express purpose of establishing a local node for use by the schools in the county. A preliminary review of the literature indicated that the scope of the study needed …

A Study Of The Implications Of The Internet Upon Two-Way Symmetric Communication In Public Relations, Tarek M. El-Kharboutly

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined the implications and ramifications of the advent of online communication technologies, such as the Internet, on the profession of public relations.

As brokers of information, public relations professionals must adapt to and incorporate online tools into their arsenals. As the consumer public takes to the Internet in search of information, the Internet provides a means by which organizations can gauge which issues are of concern. It is the only alternative to falling out of touch with a restless consumer public that demands ever-higher levels of customer service.

The author presented a case study of the Pentium microprocessor …