"I Know Who I Am: Self-constitution and the Unreliable Narrator"

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-06

The influence of financial participation and participation in decision-making on employee job attitudes

This study investigates the direct and indirect effects of financial participation (FP) and participation in decision-making (PDM) on employee job attitudes. The central premise is that both financial participation and participation in decision-making have effects on job attitudes, such as integration, involvement and commitment, perceived pay equity, performance-reward contingencies, satisfaction and motivation. After reviewing the theoretical and empirical literature and testing two theoretical frameworks, developed by Long (1978a) and Florkowski ( 1989), a new model was constructed to consider a combined effects of both FP and PDM, herein referred to as employee participation (EP). The underpinning of the model is based on the assumption that both ( a) the combination of financial participation and participation in decision-making ('employee participation'), and (b) participation in decision-making produce favourable effects on employee job attitudes. The test of the new model showed that employee participation does not produce more favourable effects on employee job attitudes, than does participation in decision-making on its own. The data were gathered from a questionnaire study administered in a large British retail organization that operates two types of ownership schemes - profit-sharing and SAYE schemes.

Comparison of cellulose solubilisation rates in rumen and landfill leachate inoculated reactors

The aim of this study was to conduct a number of controlled digestions to obtain easily comparable cellulose solubilisation rates and to compare these rates to those found in the literature to see which operational differences were significant in affecting cellulose degradation during anaerobic digestion. The results suggested that differences in volumetric cellulose solubilisation rates were not indicative of the true performance of cellulose digestion systems. When cellulose solubilisation rates were normalised by the mass of cellulose in the reactor at each time step, the comparison of the rates became more meaningful. Cellulose solubilisation was surface area limited. Therefore, changes in the loading rate of cellulose to the reactor altered the volumetric solubilisation rate without changing the mass normalised rate. Comparison of mass normalised solubilisation rates from this study and the literature demonstrated that differences in reactor configuration and operational conditions did not significantly impact on the solubilisation rate whereas the difference in composition of the microbial communities showed a marked effect. This work highlights the importance of using appropriately normalised data when making comparisons between systems with differing operational conditions. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

O USO DAS TECNOLOGIAS DA INFORMAÇÃO E COMUNICAÇÃO NO CAMPO OPERACIONAL DA GUARDA CIVIL METROPOLITANA DE SÃO PAULO DESAFIOS À GESTÃO DE PESSOAS

Esta dissertação apresenta um estudo exploratório sobre a experiência de implantação de um sistema digital de segurança. O estudo teve como locus a Guarda Civil Metropolitana de São Paulo e o objetivo geral da pesquisa é analisar o uso das tecnologias da informação e comunicação no campo operacional da organização. Primeiramente foi realizada a pesquisa bibliográfica para rastreamento de temas análogos. Foi possível verificar a escassez de estudos sobre as tecnologias da informação e comunicação na Segurança Pública no Brasil. Dos raros trabalhos encontrados o que deu inspiração para essa pesquisa foi o experimento realizado em Brasília, na área de Gestão do Conhecimento e da Tecnologia da Informação, que investigou a integração de sistemas de info rmações na Segurança Pública do Distrito Federal. Para a realização deste estudo de caso adotou-se a metodologia qualitativa com pesquisas bibliográfica, documental e de campo (entrevistas e observações diretas). Os resultados obtidos demonstram a necessidade de investimentos em tecnologias da informação e comunicação, objetivando a integração e a interoperabilidade das organizações de Segurança Pública. Os resultados também confirmaram os achados em pesquisas e estudos sobre a violência urbana que apontam que só os investimentos na estrutura técnica, em pessoal, em gestão de segurança, chamada política de combate à violência e à criminalidade, não resolve. É preciso urgência na gestão de políticas públicas integradas para combater as causas provocativas da violência e da criminalidade que são a miséria crescente, o desemprego, a falta de serviços públicos eficientes, em especial no setor da saúde e da educação e a ausência de políticas sociais, todos entendidos como violência.(AU)

LUCAS 13,1-5 MEMÓRIA PERIGOSA DAS VÍTIMAS

O seguinte trabalho desenvolve o tema da violência contra o movimento popular na Galiléia, segundo o texto de Lucas 13,1-5. Esse texto não tem paralelo nas outras duas fontes sinóticas, nem em João, nem em Tomé, nem no grupo Galileu que escreveu a fonte Q; quanto a esses eventos históricos que narra o texto, não há referência nem em Flávio Josefo, nem em outros historiadores da época. Isso quer dizer, que estes versículos são uma fonte própria de Lucas, uma fonte autônoma, chamada por alguns como fonte L (ou fonte S). A abordagem deste texto de Lucas, feita por grande parte de pesquisadores na área bíblica, preocupa-se com os temas de pecado e arrependimento, deixando na margem a situação das vítimas e as ameaças de Jesus para seus ouvintes. Neste sentido, este trecho de Lucas é de grande importância. Estes versículos expressam a realidade sócio -política. Seu conteúdo é um sinal de conflito e de denúncia contra o sistema imperial romano que não passou desapercebido para o redator do texto e nem para o seu auditório. Trata-se, portanto, da memória das vítimas da opressão. Apresentamos a seguir, a pesquisa em três capítulos esboçados brevemente. O primeiro descreve o agir específico dos procuradores ou governadores romanos, nas províncias comandadas por eles; ao mesmo tempo, a reação do povo e os seus protestos. A nossa ênfase recairá sobre o procurador romano Pôncio Pilatos. Nos valeremos das fontes bíblicas, extra-bíblicas e pseudo-epígrafas. No final, destacaremos a relevância e o papel central do texto Lucas 13,1-5. No segundo capítulo, o centro será a exegese de Lucas 13,1-5, relacionando-o com o contexto maior que, em nosso caso, é chamado itinerário de viagem para Jerusalém , e com um contexto imediato que é o capitulo 13 de Lucas. No final, perguntaremos pelo grupo ou grupos que podem estar por trás destes versículos, e a importância da fonte L, como fonte primeira que se insere no Evangelho de Lucas. O texto de Lucas 13,1-5 aparece como texto autônomo, memória das vítimas; ele contrasta com a visão moderada dos relatos da Paixão nos sinóticos, frente a uma realidade de opressão. O terceiro capítulo constitui-se num ensaio de articulação destes dois capítulos com a realidade atual, especificamente com a situação de guerra, violência e morte na Colômbia, junto aos esforços atuais por reconstruir a memória das vítimas do povo colombiano, memória que dá sentido e dignifica a oferenda de suas vidas.(AU)

VIOLÊNCIA PSICOLÓGICA CONJUGAL EM UNIVERSITÁRIOS: ESTUDO DE FATORES DE RISCO

A pesquisa aborda a violência psicológica tal como é definida pela Organização Mundial de Saúde (KRUG, 2002) Usamos também a definição de violência psicológica utilizada por Straus e Sweet (1992). Nosso objetivo geral foi identificar a ocorrência de violência psicológica conjugal entre estudantes universitários, e a correlação desta com fatores de risco. E os específicos foram verificar sua correlação com a auto-estima, a ingestão de álcool, a faixa etária, o número de filhos e o rendimento familiar dos participantes. Tivemos respondentes de ambos os gêneros, casados ou em união estável, com idades entre 16 e 60 anos e alunos da Universidade Metodista de São Paulo. A pesquisa de campo foi realizada na Universidade Metodista de São Paulo e abordou universitários da graduação, graduação tecnológica e cursos seqüenciais. Esta pesquisa é uma pesquisa descritiva e sua amostragem foi não-probabilística de conveniência, responderam ao instrumento 246 pessoas, que foram escolhidas com base nos critérios de inclusão e na sua disponibilidade imediata para responder à pesquisa. Obtivemos mais respondentes do gênero feminino (145) do que do masculino (100). O instrumento foi composto por: Escala de Táticas de Conflito (CTS1), Escala de Auto-Estima e Autoconceito de Rosenberg e um Questionário Sócio-demográfico Adaptado. A CTS 1 foi usada para medir a violência familiar, a escala de auto-estima foi usada para verificar a atitude positiva ou negativa das pessoas e o questionário foi usado para complementar dados sobre a história pessoal e conjugal dos respondentes. Foram analisados 246 instrumentos através do Estatístico SPSS 13,0 for Windows. Os resultados demonstraram que aproximadamente 30% das pessoas de ambos os gêneros e da amostra total apresentaram alto grau de violência psicológica. Verificamos que existe uma tendência de que quanto menor a auto-estima dos respondentes maior o grau de violência psicológica. Constatamos também a inexistência de correlação linear entre violência psicológica, costume de ingerir bebida alcoólica e quantidade de bebida alcoólica ingerida pelos respondentes. Este dado não é corroborado pela literatura pesquisada. Portanto, percebemos que o álcool em si diz pouco enquanto fator de risco para a ocorrência da violência psicológica. Sua articulação merece ser mais investigada e melhor delineada por meio da busca de conhecimentos e práticas que contribuam para a saúde da população. Concluímos que a violência psicológica conjugal muitas vezes é banalizada e tida como natural

Night terrors:Women's experiences of (Not) sleeping where there is domestic violence

The management of sleep is embedded within the social context of individuals' lives. This article is based on an exploratory study using focus groups of the sleep problems encountered by 17 women survivors of domestic violence. It argues that fear becomes the organizing framework for the management of sleep and illustrates how this takes place both while living with the perpetrators of violence and after the women have been rehoused. It argues that sleep deprivation is a method used by the perpetrators to exert control over women and that this has long-term implications for women's physical and mental health. © 2007 Sage Publication.

Location and network effects on innovation success:evidence for UK, German and Irish manufacturing plants

Recent developments in the new economic geography and the literature on regional innovation systems have emphasised the potentially important role of networking and the characteristics of firms' local operating environment in shaping their innovative activity. Modeling UK, German and Irish plants' investments in R&D, technology transfer and networking, and their effect on the extent and success of plants' innovation activities, casts some doubt on the importance of both of these relationships. In particular, our analysis provides no support for the contention that firms or plants in the UK, Ireland or Germany with more strongly developed external links (collaborative networks or technology transfer) develop greater innovation intensity. However, although inter-firm links also have no effect on the commercial success of plants' innovation activity, intra-group links are important in terms of achieving commercial success. We also find evidence that R&D, technology transfer and networking inputs are substitutes rather than complements in the innovation process, and that there are systematic sectoral and regional influences in the efficiency with which such inputs are translated into innovation outputs. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V.

Interviewing adult witnesses and victims

In this chapter, we discuss the interviewing of adult witnesses and victims with reference to how the extant psychological and linguistic literature has contributed to understanding and informing interview practice over the past 20 years and how it continues to support practical and procedural improvements. We have only scratched the surface of this important and complex topic, but throughout this chapter we have directed readers to many in-depth reviews and some of the most contemporary research literature currently available in this domain. We have introduced the PEACE model and described the Cognitive Interview procedure and its development. We have also discussed rapport building, question types and communication style, all with reference to witness memory and practical interviewing. Finally, we highlight areas that would benefit from research, for example conducting interviews with interpreters, and how new training initiatives are seeking to improve interview procedures and interviewer practice.

Exploring civil servant resistance to M-government:a story of transition and opportunities in Turkey

The concept of mobility, related to technology in particular, has evolved dramatically over the last two decades including: (i) hardware ranging from walkmans to Ipods, laptops to netbooks, PDAs to 3G mobile phone; (ii) software supporting multiple audio and video formats driven by ubiquitous mobile wireless access, WiMax, automations such as radio frequency ID tracking and location aware services. Against the background of increasing budget deficit, along with the imperative for efficiency gains, leveraging ICT and mobility promises for work related tasks, in a public administration context, in emerging markets, point to multiple possible paths. M-government transition involve both technological changes and adoption to deliver government services differently (e.g. 24/7, error free, anywhere to the same standards) but also the design of digital strategies including possibly competing m-government models, the re-shaping of cultural practices, the creation of m-policies and legislations, the structuring of m-services architecture, and progress regarding m-governance. While many emerging countries are already offering e-government services and are gearing-up for further m-government activities, little is actually known about the resistance that is encountered, as a reflection of civil servants' current standing, before any further macro-strategies are deployed. Drawing on the resistance and mobility literature, this chapter investigates how civil servants' behaviors, in an emerging country technological environment, through their everyday practice, react and resist the influence of m-government transition. The findings points to four main type of resistance namely: i) functional resistance; ii) ideological resistance; iii) market driven resistance and iv) geographical resistance. Policy implication are discussed in the specific context of emerging markets. © 2011, IGI Global.

Stakeholder accounting : the case of the electricity industry in England and Wales

This thesis proposes to explore the potential for stakeholder based accounting as a means to explain the social performance of organisations. It argues that organisations have a contract with society and as a consequence they must be accountable to that society for their actions. Further, it is suggested that as part of this accountability there is a broader need in the public interest for social accounting. Due to the pluralistic nature of modern societies it is argued that a stakeholder framework is one way in which this accountability can be achieved. In order to consider the nature of such social accounting a case study of the electricity industry in England and Wales is undertaken. This industry is very important to modern society, has significant environment implications and has a recent history of remarkable change. These factors make it an interesting and unique case within which to consider accountability. From the performance measurement and accounting literature and a series of interviews with both stakeholders and privatised companies a model of stakeholder performance is developed. This is then used to analyse the electricity industry in England and Wales since privatisation. The objective is to demonstrate how certain stakeholders have fared, whether they have won or lost. Further, institutional and resource dependency theories are used to consider what factors determine the relative success or failure of the different stakeholder groups. Finally the possible implications of recent developments in Social Accounting Standards, such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), AccountAbility 1000 (AA1000) and Social Accountability 8000 (SA8000), and the potential for Internet reporting are considered.

Work stressors, strains and hospital unit performance

Hospital employees who work in an environment with zero tolerance to error, face several stressors that may result in psychological, physiological, and behavioural strains, and subsequently, in suboptimal performance. This thesis includes two studies which investigate the stressor-to-strain-to-performance relationships in hospitals. The first study is a cross-sectional, multi-group investigation based on secondary data from 65,142 respondents in 172 acute/specialist UK NHS trusts. This model proposes that senior management leadership predicts social support and job design which, in turn, moderate stressors-to-strains across team structure. The results confirm the model's robustness. Regression analysis provides support for main effects and minimal support for moderation hypotheses. Therefore, based on its conclusions and inherent limitations, study one lays the framework for study two. The second study is a cross-sectional, multilevel investigation of the strain-reducing effects of social environment on externally-rated unit-level performance based on primary data from 1,137 employees in 136 units, in a hospital in Malta. The term "social environment" refers to the prediction of the moderator variables, which is to say, social support and decision latitude/control, by transformational leadership and team climate across hospital units. This study demonstrates that transformational leadership is positively associated with social support, whereas team climate is positively associated with both moderators. At the same time, it identifies a number of moderating effects which social support and decision latitude/control, both separately and together, had on specific stressor-to-strain relationships. The results show significant mediated stressor-to-strain-to-performance relationships. Furthermore, at the higher level, unit-level performance is positively associated with shared unit-level team climate and with unit-level vision, the latter being one of the five sub-dimension of transformational leadership. At the same time, performance is also positively related to both transformational leadership and team climate when the two constructs are tested together. Few studies have linked the buffering effects of the social environment in occupational stress with performance. Therefore, this research strives to make a significant contribution to the occupational stress and performance literature with a focus on hospital practice. Indeed, the study highlights the wide-ranging and far-reaching implications that these findings provide for theory, management, and practice.

Antecedents and consequences of market orientation : an examination in the joint ventures' relational context

Market oriented behaviours have been found to be important predictors of business success across a wide array of studies. Despite their potential importance, research into market oriented behaviours in the joint venture (JV) context is very scarce. This study represents a novel attempt to address this gap by examining a set of antecedent factors which arises from sources outside a traditional firm’s boundary. An extensive review and synthesis of the market orientation and JV literature yielded a set of context-specific antecedent factors relevant to the JV’s relational context. In accordance with the perspective offered by the transaction cost theory, a system of hypotheses about the effects of these antecedent factors on JV’s market oriented behaviours was developed. In order to test these hypotheses, empirical evidence was collected by means of a mail survey to international joint ventures operating in the coastal regions of mainland China. A sample of 191 JV firms was collected as a result. Following well established procedures for scale development and purification as recommended in the methodology literature, the scales were critically trimmed and reviewed for their psychometric properties. The conceptual model was tested with a structural equation model. Results suggested that a number of context-specific antecedents are in fact important determinants of JVs’ level of market oriented behaviours. In addition, the linkage between market oriented behaviours and market performance was also successfully established.

Making sense of violence: a study of narrative meaning

Dramatized violence has been a feature of entertainment in western civilization throughout history. The function of film violence is explored and compared to violence encountered in real life. The role of narrative in individuals' meaning-making processes is also investigated. Six adults were individually interviewed using a semi-structured schedule and narrative analysis was implemented. The findings revealed that real life violence is experientially distinct from film violence but narrative was found to be central to participants' quest for the meaning of violence in both contexts. The narrative framework of violence and whether it is justifiable were fundamental to participants' understanding. The function of violent film was found to be multifaceted: it can teach viewers about the consequences of violence; it allows them to speculate about their own and others' reactions to violence; and it provides an opportunity to experience something which is ordinarily outside of our experience in order to satisfy our human existential needs.