This thesis is the documentation of an empirical study using quantitative methods to identify variables that are impacting on the delivery of Music in the learning area Arts and Culture in South Africa. These variables were extrapolated from surveys, interviews and questionnaires. The learning area Arts and Culture is one of the eight compulsory learning areas for all learners from Grades 4-9 in South Africa. One of the four strands is Music. The research question was formulated on the basis that a perceived problem existed in the delivery of Music in the learning area Arts and Culture. This supposition is supported by the literature review. The employment of univariate descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations of two-variable relationships and chi-squared tests to draw inferences about the relationship between categorical variables were adopted to quantify which variables are impacting on the delivery of Music in the learning area Arts and Culture. Four dominant approaches to Music were defined as key issues: -- Governmental policies on educational reform -- Learning area Arts and Culture -- International viewpoints -- An African perspective on Music The findings on these dominant approaches to Music revealed that the government policy of decentralisation was employed as a mechanism to address the disparities in education. The curriculum implemented, Curriculum 2005, was also employed as a structure to redress the dispersed education system that existed prior to the democratic participation of South African citizens. A comparative analysis of international countries reviewed depicts arts education as an encompassing field with discrete arts disciplines. South Africa, conversely, adopts an integrated approach to the arts in the learning area Arts and Culture. This aligns to an African perspective of Music, having no subject boundaries and with the performing arts disciplines seldom separated in creative thinking. The findings in these dominant approaches to Music led to the further delineation of the research question into three main avenues of inputs: -- human resources -- physical resources -- the societal role of the arts The analysis of the data obtained from the educators indicated that all educators possess a qualification of some kind, but that there is a lack of specialisation in Music. Those who have an arts qualification alluded to the fact that they have a natural bias towards the art form in which they received their training. Statistical analysis proved that the type of school influences the level of implementation, the budget and the accessibility of resources for Music. The research indicates that the response of the learners to the learning area Arts and Culture in South Africa is associated with the grade of the learner, the race of the learner and whether the learner acknowledges the value of learning about Music or not. Although school principals view the learning area as an integral part of education, they raised justified concerns pertaining to the learning area. On the basis of the identification and quantification of variables impacting on the delivery of Music in the learning area Arts and Culture in South Africa, recommendations are made. / Thesis (DMus)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Music / unrestricted

Bakgrund: Forskning påvisar att självskadeproblematiken har ökat vilket delvis kan bero på samhällets ökande krav på unga människor. I omvårdnadsmöten med unga människor som har ett självskadebeteende redovisar forskning att sjuksköterskor brister i att uppmärksamma patienternas verkliga problem på grund av att de saknar kunskap. Detta kan leda till frustration och maktlöshet. Syfte: Studiens syfte var att beskriva på vilket sätt sjuksköterskan skapar omvårdnadsmöten med unga människor som har ett självskadebeteende. Metod: Empirisk studie med kvalitativ ansats utifrån semistrukturerande intervjuer med fyra sjuksköterskor verksamma vid barn-och ungdomspsykiatrin. Innehållsanalys modifierad efter Malterud (2009). Resultat: Ur innehållsanalysen har tre kategorier utvecklats; Insikt om den andre, Insikt om sig själv och Insikt om att ta hjälp av andra. Dessa beskriver betydelsen av att sjuksköterskan har insikt i mötet med unga människor som skadar sig själva. Slutsats: Analysens resultat, Insikt om den andre, Insikt om sig själv och Insikt om att ta hjälp av andra förtydliggjorda och förklarade med Erikssons teori att mötet med unga människor med ett självskadebeteende sätts lidandet i ett nytt ljus, sjuksköterskan har modet att bekräfta sig själv och att det finns samspel i en gemenskap. Klinisk betydelse: Förhoppningen med denna studie är att upplysa blivande sjuksköterskor och legitimerade sjuksköterskor om innebörden av att ha insikt om den sårbara patienten, insikt om sig själv och insikt om att se sina begränsningar för att ta hjälp av andra genom reflektion och kunskap. / Background: Research shows that self-injury problems have increased which may partly be due to society's increasing demands on young people. In nursing meetings with young people who have a self-injury, research reports that nurses fail to pay attention to patients' real problems because of their lack of knowledge. This can lead to frustration and powerlessness. Objective: The aim of the study was to describe how nurses create care meetings with young people who have a self-harm behavior. Method: Empirical study with qualitative approach based on semi-structuring interviews with four nurses working in child and adolescent psychiatry. Content analysis modified after Malterud (2009). Results: From the content analysis three categories developed; insight about the other, insight about oneself, and insight of the support of others. This describes the role of the nurse insight in dealing with young people who harm themselves. Conclusion: Analysis results, Insight about the other, Insight about oneself and Insight to enlist the help of other clarified and explained by Erikson's theory that when dealing with young people with self-harm is suffering in a new light, the nurse has the courage to acknowledge himself and that there is interaction in a solidarity. Clinical significance: The hope of this study is to inform prospective nurses and registered nurses the importance of having knowledge of the vulnerable patient, understanding oneself and insight to see its limitations in order to enlist the help of others through reflection and knowledge.

[pt] O gerenciamento da cadeia de suprimento (GCS) recebeu muita atenção de acadêmicos e praticantes da indústria no que tange a grandes empresas. Contudo, existe uma carência de estudos do GCS focados em pequenas empresas. Isto se faz necessário em função das diferenças entre as realidades de grandes e pequenas empresas, implicando na dificuldade de aproveitar o conhecimento acumulado já existente de GCS para as pequenas empresas, e na importância que as pequenas empresas têm para a economia de diversos países, em particular as emergentes, como a Brasileira. Neste contexto, a presente dissertação de mestrado tem como objetivo avançar no conhecimento do GCS em pequenas empresas por meio da análise de práticas de GCS em empresas no Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Brasil). As práticas analisadas nesta pesquisa são gestão de relacionamento com o cliente, práticas de gerenciamento de operações, planejamento e processos de negócios e gestão do relacionamento com fornecedores. A metodologia adotada é composta de três etapas, as quais visam através da adoção das quatro abordagens do MIT GeneSys coletar dados acerca do perfil do gerente e da empresa, das práticas de negócios utilizadas pela empresa, mapear os ativos da empresa, verificar quais práticas de GCS são utilizadas, determinar quais atividades e quanto tempo o tomador de decisões gasta nelas e em quais atividades ele gasta mais tempo. Sendo consolidada nessa dissertação a assessoria dada às empresas, pois após todo o processo da coleta de dados foi realizado um feedback à empresa, através de uma apresentação dos resultados com as recomendações. Como resultado, a dissertação oferece um guia prático para implementar e gerir com sucesso práticas de GCS em pequenas empresas, o qual está disponível para que as empresas possam utilizar. / [en] Supply chain management (SCM) has received a lot of attention from academics and industry practitioners when it comes to large companies. However, there is a shortage of SCM studies focused on small enterprises. This is necessary due to the differences between the realities of large and small enterprises, resulting in the difficulty of harnessing the existing accumulated knowledge of SCM for small enterprises, and the importance that small enterprises have for the economy of various countries, particularly emerging ones, such as the Brazilian. In this context, this master dissertation aims to advance the knowledge of SCM in small enterprises by analyzing SCM practices in enterprises in the State of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). The practices analyzed in this research are customer relationship management, operations management practices, planning and business processes and supplier relationship management. The methodology adopted consists of three stages, which aim to adopt the four approaches of MIT GeneSys to collect data about the profile of the manager and the company, the business practices used by the company, map the company s assets, verify which practices of SCM are used, determining which activities and how much time the decision maker spends on them and on what activities he spends the most time. The advice given to the companies was consolidated in this dissertation, since after the entire data collection process, a feedback was made to the company, through a presentation of the results with the recommendations. As a result, the dissertation provides a hands-on guide for successfully implementing and managing small enterprises SCM practices, which is available for the companies to use.

KM is the process of creating value from the intangible assets of an enterprise. It deals with how best to leverage knowledge internally in the enterprise (in its individual employees, and the knowledge that gets built into its structures and systems) and externally to the customers and stakeholders. As KM initiatives, projects and systems are just beginning to appear in organisations, there is little research and empirical field data to guide the successful development and implementation of such systems or to guide the expectations of the potential benefits of such systems. In addition, about 84 per cent of KM programmes failed or exerted no significant impact on the adopting organisations worldwide due to inability to consider many critical factors that contribute to the success of KM project implementation. Hence, this study is an exploratory investigation into the KM implementation based on an integrated approach. This includes: (1) a comprehensive review of the relevant literature; (2) a comprehensive analysis of secondary case studies of KM implementations in 90 organisations presented in the literature, in order to arrive at the most critical factors of KM implementation and their degree of criticality; (3) exploratory global survey of 92 organisations in 23 countries that have already implemented or are in the process of implementing KM; (4) in-depth case studies of four leading organisations to understand how KM implementation processes and the critical factors identified are being addressed. Based on the empirical findings of the study, 28 critical factors were identified that must be carefully considered in the KM implementation to achieve a successful project. Moreover, the study proposes an integrated model for effective KM implementation which contains essential elements that contribute to project success. / Government of Saudi Arabia represented by King Saud University.

In the last decade, the rapid economic development in the Middle East has encouraged organisations to implement modem quality management and strategic initiatives such as Six Sigma to ensure continuous improvement and achieved excellence. Six Sigma is a comprehensive business strategic quality programme and a systematic process improvement methodology for achieving, sustaining and maximising business success. The proper implementation of Six Sigma leads to breakthrough in profitability through ensuring quantum gains in product/service quality, customer satisfaction and productivity. This research presents an empirical exploratory and comparative study that aims and attempts to bridge the gap in the existing literature of Six Sigma by investigating the current implementation status of Six Sigma in organisations of three Middle East countries (namely, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and United Arab Emirates (UAE)). The reasons/benefits that encourage Middle East organisations to implement Six Sigma projects, the challenges commonly faced during implementation, the critical success factors (CSFs) for effective implementation and the organisations’ satisfaction with the implementation are investigated. The key issues of Six Sigma implementation and their criticality relating to the experience of the implementing process of Six Sigma projects are explored through an extensive review of the relevant literature. The data were collected from a combination of quantitative (232 questionnaires) and qualitative (74 semi-structured interviews) methodologies. The research covered 44 organisations from manufacturing and services sectors and large, small, and medium enterprises (SME) sizes, which have implemented or were implementing Six Sigma projects in the selected countries at the time of study. The study findings identified 15 significant reasons/benefits which encourages Middle East organisations to implement Six Sigma projects, 13 major challenges commonly faced during implementation, 19 CSFs for effective implementation and level of the organisations’ satisfaction with the implementation. Based on the research findings, a generic model for successful and effective implementation of Six Sigma in Middle East organisations is developed and proposed. The research concludes that Six Sigma implementation in Middle East organisations still in early stage, most organisations have outstanding opportunities to implement the Six Sigma project successfully and effectively with tangible and intangible benefits. In addition, all the responding organisations, which are actively implementing Six Sigma programme, regardless of their countries, sectors and sizes are highly satisfied with the implementation results. However, the research output highlights that an improvement culture must be developed and promoted throughout the organisation to ensure long-term benefit and sustainable success. Furthermore, the research makes recommendations on development of an implementation strategy in Middle East organisations. Finally, a number of suggestions are made for future research.

[pt] A avaliação de desempenho em operações humanitárias é questão-chave, pois possibilita melhores resultados e rapidez no atendimento. Uma das perspectivas de avaliação está relacionada a quanto as operações humanitárias podem ser efetivas e eficientes na ajuda aos beneficiários. Nesse sentido, o objetivo principal deste estudo é propor um framework para avaliação de desempenho de operações humanitárias, a partir da percepção dos beneficiários. Para isso, 22 artigos são selecionados e 130 indicadores são identificados por meio de uma revisão sistemática da literatura. Com base nestes resultados, são propostos uma taxonomia de critérios pré e pós-desastres, uma agenda de pesquisa específica para aprimoramento do tópico e um framework para avaliação do desempenho. Em seguida, um estudo empírico abordando o caso sobre a queda da área de lazer de um prédio é conduzido, composto por uma survey, com os moradores do prédio e um estudo de caso com a empresa responsável pela obra. A survey apresenta 44 respostas com satisfações, insatisfações, pontos positivos e negativos da operação pós-desastre, onde os principais resultados apontam que existem insatisfações relacionadas a questão de adaptação ao novo local de moradia e o principal ponto positivo diz respeito a rapidez nos primeiros atendimentos as pessoas afetadas. Os resultados do estudo de caso apontam que a empresa se preocupa com a satisfação dos seus clientes e é flexível para atendimento das necessidades dos mesmos. Assim, os resultados conferem uma primeira validação do framework, sendo sugerido como pesquisas futuras o desenvolvimento de estudos aprofundando outros tipos de desastres. / [en] Performance evaluation in humanitarian operations is a vital issue, as it enables better results and faster service. One of the evaluation perspectives is related to how humanitarian operations can be effective and efficient in helping beneficiaries. In this sense, the main objective of this study is to propose a framework for evaluating the performance of humanitarian operations, based on the beneficiaries perception. For this, 22 articles are selected and 130 indicators are identified through a systematic review of the literature. Based on these results, a taxonomy of pre- and post-disaster criteria, a specific research agenda for topic improvement, and a framework for performance evaluation are proposed. Then, an empirical study addressing the case about the fall of the leisure area of a building is conducted, consisting of a survey, with the residents of the building and a case study with the company responsible for the work. The survey presents 44 responses with satisfactions, dissatisfactions, positives, and negatives of the post-disaster operation, where the main results indicate that there are dissatisfactions related to the issue of adaptation to the new place of residence and the main positive point concerns the speed of the first visits affected people. The results of the case study indicate that the company is concerned with the satisfaction of its customers and is flexible to meet their needs. Thus, the results give a first validation of the framework, being suggested as future research the development of studies deepen other types of disasters.

In September 2014, a new regulation was proposed in Sweden, which indicates aset of rules of giving way under different types of bicycle intersections. Meanwhile,new definitions were endued to bicycle passages and bicycle crossings. After thepriority of cyclists is guaranteed at bicycle crossings, potential delay for motorvehicles in the mainstream should not be ignored as well.Therefore, inspired by the previous study from Movea, this thesis project is goingto focus on unsupervised bicycle passages and bicycle crossings, with the aim ofassessing and inspecting the impacts of different bicycle intersections on vehicledelays.The relationship between delay and flows at bicycle intersections has beenresearched in detail. Initially, an empirical study has been carried out on the basisof data from field measurements. In addition, a microscopic traffic simulationmodel has been constructed for the analysis of theoretical situations. The delay isproved to have a linear relationship with vehicle flow and bicycle flow. However,the linear relationship based on field data turns out to be different from the onefrom simulation output.

Most research on the effects of race on people’s lived experiences focuses on how race affects the lives of people of color. Since the 1990’s, a growing body of literature has focused on “Whiteness” in society. Most “Whiteness Studies” focus on how “White” developed as a racial category and how various ethnic/national groups (e.g., Irish, Italians, Jews, Germans) came to be included under that racial label. However, nearly a century ago, in 1935, sociologist W.E.B. Du Bois referred to the public and psychological wage for Whiteness—in part, meaning the societal gravity or weight that the label “White” tends to carry. Du Bois’ oft-quoted proposition has never been empirically tested. The present study used the experimental method to empirically test Du Bois’ proposition. Using mock job applications that were identical except that (1) the applicant’s photograph had been electronically manipulated to vary race (Black or Caucasian) and sex (male or female) and (2) the application either did or did not suggest the applicant had a pending criminal charge. Each participant evaluated one mock applicant on a variety of employment and personality scales. Major findings show a main, usually negative, effect of criminal records status on ratings. Interaction effects show that participants ranked Black applicants with a pending criminal record higher than Whites with a pending record, while the reverse was true when applicants had no criminal record. Social desirability bias, and other possibilities (e.g., heightened socio-political consciousness and identification) – are discussed as possible explanation effects, including absence of prominent race or sex effects. / African American Studies

The research sought to investigate the Critical Excellence Factors (CEFs) that drive Excellence in banking industry. Moreover, it examines whether customers perceive the service of an excellent bank differently from a less-excellent bank. Three hypotheses were formed then tested through case study and survey strategy (triangulation), within the Saudi banking industry context. The study combines the EFQM excellence model as an internal assessment tool (case studies), with the SERVQUAL gap model for external assessment (questionnaires). Analysing and contrasting the two sets of results allowed the study to achieve its main objective. Based on the empirical work, the study identifies several CEFs that must be carefully considered when driving excellence in banking. These factors were proposed in a generic integrated model for driving Excellence in Banking.

Autostereoskopische Monitore ermöglichen das spontane dreidimensionale Betrachten des gezeigten Inhaltes, ohne dass zusätzliche Betrachtungshilfen notwendig sind. Eine solche räumliche Wahrnehmung kann auch für die Kartographie vielfaltige neue Visualisierungsmöglichkeiten bieten. Allerdings wurden dafür bisher kaum Gestaltungsregeln formuliert. Gerade das ist aber notwendig, um das Potential dieser 3D-Monitore richtig nutzen zu können. Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit der Gestaltung kartographischer Inhalte auf autostereoskopischen Monitoren und soll damit einen Beitrag leisten, solche Monitore in naher Zukunft optimal für kartographische Zwecke einsetzen zu können. Nach der Beschreibung des Forschungsstandes hinsichtlich 3D-Visualisierungstechniken und Minimaldimensionen kartographischer Inhalte an Monitoren behandelt die vorliegende Arbeit zwei empirische Untersuchungen. Im ersten Teil werden verschiedene graphische Elemente hinsichtlich ihrer Mindestgröße untersucht. Angelehnt an bereits vorhandene Empfehlungen für 2D-Monitore sowie Untersuchungen an gedruckten Lentikulardisplays werden Schrift, Linien und einfache Zeichen verschiedener Größe bzw. Strichstarke bezüglich ihrer Lesbarkeit an einem Lentikularmonitor getestet. Um eine Mindestgröße sinnvoll festzulegen, soll hierbei das Kriterium erfüllt sein, dass 90 % der Befragten die gezeigten Wörter, Linien bzw. Zeichen in mindestens dieser Größe lesen konnten. Neben den Mindestgrößen wird in dieser ersten Studie zudem die Erkennbarkeit und Unterscheidbarkeit von verschiedenen Tiefenebenen untersucht. Anhand von Positionssignaturen, die sich blockweise in unterschiedlichem Abstand zum Betrachter befinden, d.h. in verschiedenen Tiefenebenen liegen, wird ermittelt, ob und wie gut eine Unterscheidung dieser Ebenen möglich ist. Insgesamt werden in dieser ersten Studie neun Hypothesenpaare überprüft. Die zweite empirische Untersuchung, die in dieser Arbeit vorgestellt wird, befasst sich mit der Wahrnehmungsleistung in thematischen Karten an 2D-Monitoren und an 3D-Monitoren. Anhand von einfach gestalteten thematischen Karten werden die Antwortzeit und die Antwortgenauigkeit bei der Lösung einfacher Aufgaben analysiert. Getestet wird an dem gleichen Monitor, der bereits für die Untersuchung zu den Minimaldimensionen genutzt wurde und vergleichend dazu an einem ähnlich großen 2D-Monitor. In dieser zweiten Studie werden zwei Hypothesenpaare überprüft. Darüber hinaus werden die Ergebnisse mit einer parallel am Geografischen Institut der Ruhr-Universität Bochum stattgefundenen Studie verglichen. Die Projektpartner testeten unter sehr ähnlichen Bedingungen einen zweiten Lentikularmonitor. Anhand des Vergleichs beider Studien werden erste Schlussfolgerungen gezogen, die für eine Gestaltung kartographischer Inhalte an Lentikularmonitoren im Allgemeinen gültig sind. Die Ergebnisse der ersten Untersuchung zeigen, dass die Minimaldimensionen von Schrift, Linien und einfachen Zeichen am untersuchten 3D-Monitor weniger stark von den Empfehlungen für normale 2D-Monitore abweichen als im Vorfeld vermutet wurde. Bei der zweiten Studie hingegen lässt sich anhand der untersuchten thematischen Karte hinsichtlich der Wahrnehmungsleistung schlussfolgern, dass eine Visualisierung am 3D-Monitor zwar keine Verbesserung der Antwortgenauigkeit bewirkt, wohl aber eine deutliche Reduzierung der Antwortdauer. In der zweiten empirischen Untersuchung liegen Daten zu weiteren Testkarten vor, die die in dieser Arbeit vorgestellten Ergebnisse verifizieren konnten. In weiterer Analysearbeit sollen diese Erkenntnisse in naher Zukunft zur Verfügung gestellt werden. Darüber hinaus wird empfohlen, die Untersuchungen auf verschiedene 3D-Monitore auszuweiten, um eine Allgemeingültigkeit der ermittelten Erkenntnisse verifizieren zu können bzw. um detailliertere Empfehlungen zur Gestaltung thematischer Inhalte auf 3D-Monitoren geben zu können. / Autostereoscopic monitors allow spontaneous three-dimensional perception of the visualised content without the need of any additional viewing aids. Such a kind of spatial perception can also allow multiple new visualisation options in the field of cartography. So far, there are hardly any rules given for an optimal design of such cartographic visualisations. But, this is essential in order to use the potential of these 3D monitors correctly. Therefore, this work deals with the design of cartographic content on autostereoscopic monitors. Thus, it shall contribute to an optimal use of such a monitor for cartographic purposes in the near future. After describing the state of research regarding 3D visualisation techniques and minimum dimensions of cartographic content on monitors in general, the present work discusses two empirical studies. In the first study, several graphic elements are analysed regarding their minimal legible size. Some lettering, lines and simple symbols are tested regarding their legibility on a monitor which uses the lenticular foil technology. The test patterns are based on existing recommendations for 2D monitors and studies on printed lenticular foil displays. A simple rule was chosen to be able to specify minimum sizes for the tested elements: at least 90 % of the test persons have been able to read the test words, lines or symbols in this size. Furthermore, the first study investigated the ability to differentiate several depth planes. With the help of point symbol blocks which are located in different distances to the viewer, i.e. which are located in different depth planes, it is examined if the participants can differentiate these planes easily. Altogether, nine pairs of hypotheses are analysed during this study. The second empirical study which is presented in this work, deals with the map reading performance in thematic maps visualised on 2D monitors and on 3D monitors. Using thematic maps of simple design the response time and response accuracy are analysed for solving simple map reading tasks. The used 3D monitor was the same as for the first study. Further, the same questions were asked for the thematic maps shown on a normal 2D monitor with nearly the same size as the 3D monitor. In this second study two pairs of hypotheses are analysed. Moreover, the findings are compared with a similar study which was conducted at the Geographic Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum. The project partners tested the thematic maps on a second lenticular monitor under very similar conditions. Based on a comparison of both studies an attempt will be made to draw some conclusions that are generally valid for a design of cartographic content on lenticular monitors. The results of the first study show that for the examined 3D monitor the minimum dimensions of lettering, lines and simple symbols differ less from the recommendations for normal 2D monitors than assumed before the studies. The findings of the second study for map reading efficiency on thematic maps show that the visualisation on a 3D monitor reduces the response time of the questions. However, the correctness of the answers does not improve between the 2D monitor and the 3D monitor. In the second empirical study data of more test maps than used in this work is available. It shall be used in further analyses for trying to verify the results presented here. In addition, it is recommended to extend the studies on different 3D monitors to verify a general applicability of the findings or to give more detailed recommendations for the design of thematic content on 3D monitors.