The stratigraphy of the Fishguard volcanic complex and associated sediments, SW Dyfed, Wales

This thesis describes the geology of a Lower Palaeozoic terrain, situated west of the town of Fishguard, SW Dyfed, Wales. The area is dominated by the Fishguard Volcanic Complex (Upper Llanvirn), and sediments that range in age from the Middle Cambrian to the Lower Llandeilo. The successions represent an insight into sedimentation and volcanism for c. 100 Ma. along the south-western margin of the Lower Palaeozoic Welsh Basin. The stratigraphy of the sedimentary sequence has been completely revised and the existing volcanostratigraphy modified. The observed complexity of the stratigraphy is primarily the consequence of Caldedonide deformation which resulted in large scale repetition. Fold-thrust tectonics dominates the structural style of the area. Caledonide trending (NE-SW) cross-faults complicate preexisting structures. Middle Cambrian (?) sedimentation is documented by shallow marine clastics and red shales deposited within tidal - subtidal environments. Upper Cambrian sedimentation was dominated by shallow marine `storm' and `fair weather' sedimentation within a muddy shelf environment. Shallow marine conglomerates and heterolithic intertidal siliciclastics mark the onset of Ordovician sedimentation during the lower Arenig transgression. Mid-Arenig sediments reflect deposits influenced by storm, fair-weather and wave related processes in various shallow marine environments, including; shoreface, inner shelf, shoaling bar, and deltaic. Graptolitic marine shales were deposited from the upper mid-Arenig through to the lower Llandeilo; during which time sediments accumulated by pelagic processes and fine grained turbidites. The varied nature of sedimentation reflects both localised change within the depositional system and the influence of larger regional eustatic events. Ordovician subaqueous volcanic activity produced thick accumulations of lavas, pyroclastics, hydroclastics, and hyaloclastics. The majority of volcanism was effusive in nature, erupted below the Pressure Compensation Level. Basaltic volcanism was characterised by pillowed lavas and tube networks, whilst sheet-flow lavas, pillow breccias and minor hyaloclastites developed locally. Silicic volcanism was dominated by rhyolitic clastics of various affinities, although coherent silicic obsidian lavas, sheet-flow lavas and pyroclastics developed. Hypabyssal intrusives of variable composition and habit occur throughout the volcanic successions. Low-grade regional metamorphism has variably affected the area, conditions of the prehnite-pumpellyite and greenschist facies having been attained. Numerous secondary phases developed in response to the conditions imposed, which collectively indicate that P-T conditions were of low-pressure facies series in the range P= 1.2-2.0 kbars and T= 230-350oC, under an elevated geothermal gradient of 40-45oC km-1. Polymineralic cataclastites associated with Caledonide deformation indicate that tectonism and metamorphism were in part contemporaneous.

The quality of sales manager:salesperson exchanges perspective under problem resolution conditions

Building on social exchange theory and qualitative inquiry, managerial responsiveness, caring, and aggressiveness were uncovered as three key social exchange dimensions used by sales managers when dealing with problem situations in the salesforce. We used Australian data to develop measures of these three constructs. Results of the development process indicate that the measures show good validity. Further to this, we also provide examination of the relationship of the three exchange dimensions with key organizational outcomes. Overall the findings suggest that the three constructs are important in sales manager problem resolution exchanges, and that they may ultimately influence the success of sales organizations.

The discretionary role of the line manager in inspiring work engagement and innovative behaviour:a study of social exchange and job resources in the public sector

This thesis is about the discretionary role of the line manager in inspiring the work engagement of staff and their resulting innovative behaviour examined through the lens of Social Exchange Theory (Blau, 1964) and the Job Demands-Resources theory (Bakker, Demerouti, Nachreiner & Schaufeli, 2001). The study is focused on a large British Public Sector organisation undergoing a major organisational shift in the way in which they operate as part of the public sector. It is often claimed that people do not leave organisations; they leave line managers (Kozlowski & Doherty, 1989). Regardless of the knowledge in the literature concerning the importance of the line manager in organisations (Purcell, 2003), the engagement literature in particular is lacking in the consideration of such a fundamental figure in organisational life. Further, the understanding of the black box of managerial discretion and its relationship to employee and organisation related outcomes would benefit from greater exploration (Purcell, 2003; Gerhart, 2005; Scott, et al, 2009). The purpose of this research is to address these gaps with relation to the innovative behaviour of employees in the public sector – an area that is not typically associated with the public sector (Bhatta, 2003; McGuire, Stoner & Mylona, 2008; Hughes, Moore & Kataria, 2011). The study is a CASE Award PhD thesis, requiring academic and practical elements to the research. The study is of one case organisation, focusing on one service characterised by a high level of adoption of Strategic Human Resource Management activities and operating in a rather unique manner for the public sector, having private sector competition for work. The study involved a mixed methods approach to data collection. Preliminary focus groups with 45 participants were conducted, followed by an ethnographic period of five months embedded into the service conducting interviews and observations. This culminated in a quantitative survey delivered within the wider directorate to approximately 500 staff members. The study used aspects of the Grounded Theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) approach to analyse the data and developed results that highlight the importance of the line manager in an area characterised by SHRM and organisational change for engaging employees and encouraging innovative behaviour. This survey was completed on behalf of the organisation and the findings of this are presented in appendix 1, in order to keep the focus of the PhD on theory development. Implications for theory and practice are discussed alongside the core finding. Line managers’ discretion surrounding the provision of job resources (in particular trust, autonomy and implementation and interpretation of combined bundles of SHRM policies and procedures) influenced the exchange process by which employees responded with work engagement and innovative behaviour. Limitations to the research are the limitations commonly attributed to cross-sectional data collection methods and those surrounding generalisability of the qualitative findings outside of the contextual factors characterising the service area. Suggestions for future research involve addressing these limitations and further exploration of the discretionary role with regards to extending our understanding of line manager discretion.

"I'm a better manager":A biographic narrative study of the impact of personal trauma on the professional lives of managers in the UK

This doctoral study aims to understand how experiences of critical illness or bereavement affect the way managers view and approach their work and their relationships at work. This is an interpretative phenomenological study examining the subjective meanings of personal experience and is underpinned by biographic narratives from four participants and interviews with their nominated workplace witnesses (i.e. colleagues who worked alongside the individual at the time of their trauma). As a consequence of the findings that have emerged across this study, three contributions to theory are presented. All four participants described their traumas as a professional growth experience for themselves as managers, which resulted in self-reported and observed behaviour change at work. Consequently, the first area of theoretical contribution is a suggested extension to the post-traumatic growth (PTG) framework (Calhoun & Tedeschi, 2006) with the addition of a new behavioural dimension called ‘managerial growth’, when applied to the context of ‘ordinary’ organizations. The second area of theoretical contribution arose through the reflexive process that was created during data collection where participants and their witnesses remembered episodes of compassion interaction at work. The second area of contribution thus seeks to extend the existing model of compassion at work (Dutton, Worline, Frost and Lilius, 2006), by conceptualising compassion as a dyadic process between a compassion ‘giver’ and a compassion ‘receiver’ in which the compassion receiver ‘trusts or ‘mistrusts’; ‘discloses’ or ‘withholds’; ‘connects’ or ‘disconnects’ with the compassion giver. The third area of contribution is a new conceptualisation of reflexivity, ‘three-dimensional reflexivity’ (3DR) (Armstrong, Butler and Shaw, 2013). 3DR brings together three of the elements that have been missing from critically reflexive management research; by working with multiple variants of reflexivity in the same study; surfacing different reflexive voices to guard against the researcher’s (potentially) solipsistic own; and remaining sensitive to the concept of reflexive time. In doing so, 3DR not only provides a deeper understanding of individual lived experience; it is also a vehicle in which self-insight is gained. Furthermore, by engaging in its practice, those involved in this study have developed both personally and professionally as a result.

Leader trustworthy behavior and organizational trust:the role of the immediate manager for cultivating trust

Drawing from both trust-building theory and interpersonal trust literature, we investigate how trust between a leader and follower may be leveraged to influence organizational trust. We also explore the mediating mechanisms of this link and test a potential moderator. A cross-sectional, multi-foci design was adopted and participants were 201 employees within a public sector organization. Leader trustworthy behavior was found to predict organizational trust, mediated by trustworthiness perceptions and trust in the leader. Support for the boundary condition was found; namely, when leaders were more senior, the relationship between trustworthy behavior and organizational trust was stronger. The findings suggest that leaders can meaningfully influence organizational trust perceptions through the enactment of trustworthy behavior, although the strength of this effect varied as a function of their position.

The politics of the new Germany

The Politics of the New Germany takes a new approach to understanding politics in the post-unification Federal Republic. Assuming only elementary knowledge, it focuses on debates and issues in order to help students understand both the workings of Germany's key institutions and some of the key policy challenges facing German politicians. Written in a straightforward style by four experts, each of the chapters draws on a rich variety of real-world examples. Packed with boxed summaries of key points, a guide to further reading and a range of seminar questions for discussion at the end of each chapter, this book highlights both the challenges and opportunities facing policy-makers in such areas as foreign affairs, economic policy, immigration, identity politics and institutional reforms. The book also takes a bird's-eye view of the big debates that define German politics over time, regardless of which party happens to be in power. It pinpoints three key themes that have characterised German politics over the last sixty years; reconciliation, consensus and transformation. Table of Contents: Introduction 1. Germany and the Burden of History 2. Germany’s Post-War Development, 1945-1989 3. Towards German Unity? 4. A Blockaded System of Government? 5. The Party System and Electoral Behaviour: The Path to Stable Instability? 6. Economic Management: The End of the German Model? 7. Citizenship and Demographics: A Country of Immigration? 8. The Reform of the Welfare State? 9. Germany and the European Union: A European Germany or a German Europe? 10. Foreign and Security Policy: A New Role for the Twenty-First Century? 11. Conclusion

The politics of the new Germany

The Politics of the New Germany continues to provide the most comprehensive, authoritative and up-to-date textbook on contemporary German Politics. The text takes a new approach to understanding politics in the post-unification Federal Republic. Assuming only elementary knowledge, it focuses on a series of the most important debates and issues in Germany today with the aim of helping students understand both the workings of the country's key institutions and some of the most important policy challenges facing German politicians. For this second edition, the content has been comprehensively updated throughout, augmented by additional factboxes and data, and features new material on: •Grand coalition •Lisbon treaty •Constitutional court •Financial crisis •Reform of social policy •Afghanistan. Written in a straightforward style by three experts, each of the chapters draws on a rich variety of real-world examples. In doing so, it highlights both the challenges and opportunities facing policy-makers in such areas as foreign affairs, economic policy, immigration, identity politics and institutional reform. The book also takes a bird’s-eye view of the big debates that have defined German politics over time, regardless of which political parties happened to be in power. It pinpoints three key themes that have characterised German politics over the last sixty years; reconciliation, consensus and transformation. The book is a comprehensive, yet highly accessible, overview of politics in 21st Century Germany and should be essential reading for students of politics and international relations, as well as of European and German studies.

School mathematics and dyslexia: aspects of the interrelationship

This investigation sought to explore the nature and extent of school mathematical difficulties among the dyslexic population. Anecdotal reports have suggested that many dyslexics may have difficulties in arithmetic, but few systematic studies have previously been undertaken. The literature pertaining to dyslexia and school mathematics respectively is reviewed. Clues are sought in studies of dyscalculia. These seem inadequate in accounting for dyslexics' reported mathematical difficulties. Similarities between aspects of language and mathematics are examined for underlying commonalities that may partially account for concomitant problems in mathematics, in individuals with a written language dysfunction. The performance of children taught using different mathematics work-schemes is assessed to ascertain if these are associated with differential levels of achievement that may be reflected in the dyslexic population few are found. Findings from studies designed to assess the relationship between written language failure and achievement in mathematics are reported. Study 1 reveals large correlational differences between subtest scores (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Wechsler, 1976) and three mathematics tests, for young dyslexics and children without literacy difficulties. However, few differences are found between levels of attainment, at this age (6 ½ - 9 years). Further studies indicate that, for dyslexics, achievement in school mathematics, may be independent of measured intelligence, as is the case with their literacy skills. Studies 3 and 4 reveal that dyslexics' performances on a range of school mathematical topics gets relatively worse compared with that of Controls (age range 8 - 17 years), as they get older. Extensive item analyses reveal many errors relating strongly to known deficits in the dyslexics' learning style - poor short-term memory, sequencing skills and verbal labelling strategies. Subgroups of dyslexics are identified on the basis of mathematical performance. Tentative explanations, involving alternative neuropsychological approaches, are offered for the measured differences in attainment between these groups.

A comparison between static and kinetic visual attention as a means of detecting age-related deterioration of the visual system and driving performance

A critical review of previous research revealed that visual attention tests, such as the Useful Field of View (UFOV) test, provided the best means of detecting age-related changes to the visual system that could potentially increase crash risk. However, the question was raised as to whether the UFOV, which was regarded as a static visual attention test, could be improved by inclusion of kinetic targets that more closely represent the driving task. A computer program was written to provide more information about the derivation of UFOV test scores. Although this investigation succeeded in providing new information, some of the commercially protected UFOV test procedures still remain unknown. Two kinetic visual attention tests (DRTS1 and 2), developed at Aston University to investigate inclusion of kinetic targets in visual attention tests, were introduced. The UFOV was found to be more repeatable than either of the kinetic visual attention tests and learning effects or age did not influence these findings. Determinants of static and kinetic visual attention were explored. Increasing target eccentricity led to reduced performance on the UFOV and DRTS1 tests. The DRTS2 was not affected by eccentricity but this may have been due to the style of presentation of its targets. This might also have explained why only the DRTS2 showed laterality effects (i.e. better performance to targets presented on the left hand side of the road). Radial location, explored using the UFOV test, showed that subjects responded best to targets positioned to the horizontal meridian. Distraction had opposite effects on static and kinetic visual attention. While UFOV test performance declined with distraction, DRTS1 performance increased. Previous research had shown that this striking difference was to be expected. Whereas the detection of static targets is attenuated in the presence of distracting stimuli, distracting stimuli that move in a structured flow field enhances the detection of moving targets. Subjects reacted more slowly to kinetic compared to static targets, longitudinal motion compared to angular motion and to increased self-motion. However, the effects of longitudinal motion, angular motion, self-motion and even target eccentricity were caused by target edge speed variations arising because of optic flow field effects. The UFOV test was more able to detect age-related changes to the visual system than were either of the kinetic visual attention tests. The driving samples investigated were too limited to draw firm conclusions. Nevertheless, the results presented showed that neither the DRTS2 nor the UFOV tests were powerful tools for the identification of drivers prone to crashes or poor driving performance.