兩岸關係的研究者，除了將歷史的糾結、族群的認同、經濟的利益以及不對稱力量等等的因素，作為分析兩岸關係的重要變項之外，兩岸互動當中的「代理人結構」，也是兩岸關係當中學者所重視的一個重要變項。 「代理人結構」的產生原因，主要是由於大陸與台灣雙方政府均強調避免官方接觸，而採用透過民間單位對談互動的模式，而這種互動的模式除了以「委託」、「複委託」結構呈現出來， 兩岸文教交流事務當中我政府與非營利組織間的所有互動關係，也類似這樣的模式。而在這種政府與非政府組織間的互動結構當中，非營利組織在與政府互動時的行為態樣，相關理論歸納出幾種不同的模式，有與政府充分配合的「合作模式」、有利用政府資源遂行自己目的的「吸納模式」、有認同政府目標而分工併行的「互補模式」，也有與政府相互對抗的「衝突模式」（Najam,2000）。至於其效果，不同的理論對其效果有著不同的詮釋，例如：有研究談判的學者，認為如果非營利組織配合政府的官僚控制模式，則這種兩階段談判的結構，可以為政府爭取到談判的空間（Raiffa, 1996:15-16）；而主張社群主義的學者則認為這種結構可以透過互動，使非營利組織與政府產生合作的集體意識（Haeberle, 1987:180），進而與大陸方面相抗衡；但根據公共選擇理論的經濟人假設，理性的「代理人」透過「吸納」政府資源以達成自己目標的模式，是一種必然的現象，政府同理亦可提供資源來誘導非營利組織的行為（Dunleavy, P., and B. O'Leary,1987: 114-115）；當然，也有學者不斷強調非營利組織與政府之間的衝突對立關係（Kramer et al., 1993:123），而在對立狀況下，若非營利組織採取「疏離」的模式，反而可以減少彼此之間的衝突。由此可見，對於政府與非營利組織之間的互動樣態及其優劣，不同的學者有不同的看法，呈現「人言言殊、莫衷一是」的情況。 自民國86年起，筆者任職於主管兩岸事務的行政院大陸委員會，89年亦曾在辦理兩岸文教交流活動的非營利組織工作，在工作的過程當中，發現相較於其他政策領域，兩岸文教交流互動當中的政府與非營利組織的互動關係並非只有某一種固定的行為模式，而是呈現出更多元的關係，而上述不同理論所描繪的互動模式，均能在兩岸文教交流領域過程當中獲得實證的案例來佐證，並且各種互動模式似乎是非營利組織根據時空的變化而有意做出來的選擇行為。 正因為這些多元的選擇行為模式，筆者一直深受下面問題所困擾：「從實然面的角度來說，非營利組織與政府在互動的時候，在什麼情況下會選擇什麼模式?其原因為何?」，此一問題，便是吾人之所以欲進行本研究之初步動機。進一步來說，若能了解非營利組織如何選擇不同模式以及其原因，政府才能據此思考應該採取的因應之道，兩岸文教交流事務才有辦法順利推動。 而為能了解兩岸文教交流當中，非營利組織與政府在互動時模式選擇的問題，必須解決兩方面的問題，首先，由於此一領域當中的行為模式相當多元，因此筆者必須建立一個能夠具有窮盡性及互斥性的分類模式才足夠「描述」現實的各種狀態。其次，每個實際政策領域中影響政府與非營利組織的變數並不盡相同，因此，本研究必須找出影響實際互動的變數以及其原因，才能夠將變數與選擇模式的行為將結合。為達前項目標，本研究將整理中外文獻以彙整出一個具有描述功能的分類模式，為達後項目標，本研究亦將以實際觀察作為方法，歸納出影響選擇行為的變項。 / Due to the fact that Chinese and Taiwanese governments both put emphasis on avoiding official contacts while entrusting private organizations with cross-strait dialogues and interactions, a so-called “proxy structure” has been established. Meanwhile, the interactions between Taiwan’s government and non-profit organizations in dealing with cross-strait cultural and educational affairs also resemble this structure. However, the results of the “proxy structure,” when interpreted based on different theories, are roughly categorized into four modes, including “cooperation,” “co-optation,” “complementarity” and “confrontation.” Now that there are multiple modes to choose from, I have been perplexed all along by the following question: “From a pragmatic viewpoint, when non-profit organizations interact with Taiwan’s government, which mode will be chosen under what circumstances and why?” The core concept of this research lies in this very question. To be more accurate, only when the question how non-profit organizations choose from different modes and why is answered, can Taiwan’s government think, act and react accordingly and cross-strait cultural and educational affairs be handled smoothly. In order to find the answer to this question, first of all, a categorizing model with both exhaustivity and mutual exclusivity and capable of “describing” all kinds of scenarios in the real world was established. Following that, observations were conducted to pinpoint the variables that affect real-life interactions and their causes. Thirdly, information was obtained through in-depth interviews to evaluate the accuracy and applicability of the above-mentioned categorizing model. In-depth interviews has proven that the categorizing model established in the research has a predicting ability with a considerable degree of accuracy and can act as a reference for future researchers conducting quantitative studies.

Visualizations in the most general sense of external, physical representations of information are older than the invention of writing. Generally, external representations promote external cognition and visual thinking, and humans developed a rich set of skills for crafting and exploring them. Computers immensely increased the amount of data we can collect and process as well as diversified the ways we can represent it visually. Computer-supported visualization systems, studied in the field of information visualization (infovis), have become powerful and complex, and sophisticated interaction techniques are now necessary to control them. With the widening of technological possibilities beyond classic desktop settings, new opportunities have emerged. Not only display surfaces of arbitrary shapes and sizes can be used to show richer visualizations, but also new input technologies can be used to manipulate them. For example, tangible user interfaces are an emerging input technology that capitalizes on humans' abilities to manipulate physical objects. However, these technologies have been barely studied in the field of information visualization. A first problem is a poorly defined terminology. In this dissertation, I define and explore the conceptual space of embodiment for information visualization. For visualizations, embodiment refers to the level of congruence between the visual elements of the visualization and their physical shape. This concept subsumes previously introduced concepts such as tangibility and physicality. For example, tangible computing aims to represent virtual objects through a physical form but the form is not necessarily congruent with the virtual object. A second problem is the scarcity of convincing applications of tangible user interfaces for infovis purposes. In information visualization, standard computer displays and input devices are still widespread and considered as most effective. Both of these provide however opportunities for embodiment: input devices can be specialized and adapted so that their physical shape reflects their functionality within the system; computer displays can be substituted by transformable shape changing displays or, eventually, by programmable matter which can take any physical shape imaginable. Research on such shape-changing interfaces has so far been technology-driven while the utility of such interfaces for information visualization remained unexploited. In this thesis, I suggest embodiment as a design principle for infovis purposes, I demonstrate and validate the efficiency and usability of both embodied visualization controls and embodied visualization displays through three controlled user experiments. I then present a conceptual interaction model and visual notation system that facilitates the description, comparison and criticism of various types of visualization systems and illustrate it through case studies of currently existing point solutions. Finally, to aid the creation of physical visualizations, I present a software tool that supports users in building their own visualizations. The tool is suitable for users new to both visualization and digital fabrication, and can help to increase users' awareness of and interest in data in their everyday live. In summary, this thesis contributes to the understanding of the value of emerging physical representations for information visualization.

Arrays of free-standing metallic nanorods are promising candidates for sensors, switches and spectroscopy. They have structure sizes much smaller than the wavelength of visible light, feature a long-axis surface plasmonic resonance (LSPR) and show metamaterial-like properties. This thesis provides a detailed investigation of their linear optical properties and highlights some nonlinear optical aspects. By means of graded structures having a tunable LSPR and three different theoretical models -- a numerical multiple-multipole method (MMP) model, a semi-analytic collective surface plasmon (CSP) model and an analytic dipolar interaction model (DIM) -- the optical properties were analyzed. Using the DIM, the experimentally observed blueshift of the LSPR in comparison to a single nanorod is confirmed and a physical explanation is provided. The LSPR strongly depends on the angle of incidence and the rod diameter. However, for a varying length the changes are small with the long-axis mode showing a lower energy limit. The detailed arrangement of the nanorods and the azimuthal angle of the incoming light plays only a minor role for small nanorod separations. Similarly, the dependence on the metal is the same as for single particles, whereas the sensitivity to the surrounding dielectric is much stronger than in the single-particle case. For longer nanorods made of silver, angle-dependent higher-order modes are observed and reproduced using MMP. The CSP model is applied and Fabry-Pérot-like oscillations of the CSPs are found. The propagating nature of these modes leads to the discovery that the p component of the transmitted light experiences a phase jump and to the observation of polarization conversion inside the structures. Negative refraction is found in nanorod arrays; it is revealed that a negative energy flux occurs only within a bandwidth given by the LSPR of a single nanorod and the array resonance. For smaller wavelengths, the in-plane component of the Poynting vector reverses, leading to an (extraordinary) positive flux. At the LSPR itself, the flux parallel to the surface is found to be zero. The negative refraction is also exploited to mimic a nanolens with structure parameters that are infact technical realizable. In the visible regime the nanolens shows a NA of 1.06 and superlens-like features such as identical rotation and linear translation of image and object. The nonlinear measurements on graded structures are conducted using femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy resulting in kinetics showing either an increased transmission or absorption with signal changes of up to 40%. By converting them to transient spectra and by comparison with the literature, electron distribution changes at the Fermi edge and hot electrons/phonons are identified as the main reasons for the changes. Probing at the inflection points of the LSPR reveals ultrafast signals. Using transient spectra they are traced back to a short blueshift of the LSPR. / Strukturen aus frei stehenden metallischen Nanostäbchen versprechen interessante An­wendungen als Sensoren, Schalter und in der Spektroskopie. Da ihre Strukturgrößen kleiner als die Wellenlänge des sichtbaren Lichtes sind, besitzen sie eine langachsige Oberflächen­plasmonenresonanz (LSPR) und weisen metamaterialartige Eigenschaften auf. In dieser Dissertation werden die linearen und nichtlinearen optischen Eigenschaften solcher Struk­turen im Detail untersucht. Mit Hilfe von Gradientenstrukturen, die eine durchstimmbare LSPR besitzen, und dreier theoretischer Modelle – eines numerischen Modells basierend auf der Methode der mul­tiplen Multipole (MMP), eines semianalytischen Modells kollektiver Oberflächenplasmonen (CSP) sowie eines analytischen dipolaren Interaktionsmodells (DIMs) – werden die op­tischen Eigenschaften analysiert. Unter Verwendung des DIMs wird die experimentell beobachtete Blauverschiebung der LSPR im Vergleich zur Resonanz eines Einzelstäbchens bestätigt und eine physikalische Erklärung dafür geliefert. Die LSPR ist stark vom Einfallswinkel und vom Stäbchendurch­messer abhängig. Im Unterschied dazu sind die Änderungen bei einer Längenvariation klein, wobei die langachsige Mode ein unteres Energielimit aufweist. Weiterhin haben die genaue Anordnung der Stäbchen und der azimutale Winkel des einfallenden Lichtes nur einen untergeordneten Einfluss. Die Abhängigkeit vom verwendeten Metall ist analog zu einem Einzelstäbchen, während die Empfindlichkeit in Bezug auf das Umgebungsmedium wesentlich stärker ist. Längere Nanostäbchen aus Silber zeigen winkelabhängige Moden höherer Ordnung, welche mittels MMP reproduziert werden können. Das CSP-Modell wird ebenfalls darauf ange­wendet, wobei Fabry-Pérot-artige Oszillationen der CSPs entdeckt werden. Die propa­gierende Natur der CSPs führt zur Entdeckung eines Phasensprungs der p‑Komponente des transmittierten Lichtes sowie zur Beobachtung von Polarisationskonversion in den Strukturen. Nanostäbchen-Arrays weisen außerdem negative Brechung auf. Es wird gezeigt, dass ein negativer Energiefluss nur in dem Wellenlängenbereich zwischen der LSPR der Einzelstäb­chen und der Arrayresonanz auftritt. Für kleinere Wellenlängen kehrt sich die in der Ebene befindende Poynting-Vektor-Komponente um, was zu einer (außerordentlichen) positiven Brechung führt. An der LSPR selbst ist der zur Strukturebene parallele Fluss Null. Die negative Brechung wird ferner ausgenutzt, um eine Nanolinse mit realistischen Struktur­parametern zu simulieren. Im sichtbaren Bereich zeigt sie eine NA von 1,06 und super­linsenartige Eigenschaften, wie eine identische Rotation und eine lineare Translation von Bild und Objekt. Die nichtlinearen Messungen an Gradientenstrukturen werden mittels Femtosekunden-Pump-Probe-Spektroskopie durchgeführt und liefern Kinetiken, welche entweder eine ver­stärkte Transmission oder eine verstärkte Absorption mit Signalstärken von bis zu 40% aufweisen. Durch Konvertierung in transiente Spektren und Vergleich mit der Literatur werden eine veränderte Elektronverteilung an der Fermi-Kante und heiße Elektronen/Pho­nonen als Ursache für die Änderungen gefunden. Das Abtasten mit dem Probe-Puls an den Wendepunkten der Resonanz offenbart ultraschnelle Signale. Mit Hilfe der transienten Spektren wird dies auf eine kurzzeitige Blauverschiebung der LSPR zurückgeführt.

Arrays of free-standing metallic nanorods are promising candidates for sensors, switches and spectroscopy. They have structure sizes much smaller than the wavelength of visible light, feature a long-axis surface plasmonic resonance (LSPR) and show metamaterial-like properties. This thesis provides a detailed investigation of their linear optical properties and highlights some nonlinear optical aspects. By means of graded structures having a tunable LSPR and three different theoretical models -- a numerical multiple-multipole method (MMP) model, a semi-analytic collective surface plasmon (CSP) model and an analytic dipolar interaction model (DIM) -- the optical properties were analyzed. Using the DIM, the experimentally observed blueshift of the LSPR in comparison to a single nanorod is confirmed and a physical explanation is provided. The LSPR strongly depends on the angle of incidence and the rod diameter. However, for a varying length the changes are small with the long-axis mode showing a lower energy limit. The detailed arrangement of the nanorods and the azimuthal angle of the incoming light plays only a minor role for small nanorod separations. Similarly, the dependence on the metal is the same as for single particles, whereas the sensitivity to the surrounding dielectric is much stronger than in the single-particle case. For longer nanorods made of silver, angle-dependent higher-order modes are observed and reproduced using MMP. The CSP model is applied and Fabry-Pérot-like oscillations of the CSPs are found. The propagating nature of these modes leads to the discovery that the p component of the transmitted light experiences a phase jump and to the observation of polarization conversion inside the structures. Negative refraction is found in nanorod arrays; it is revealed that a negative energy flux occurs only within a bandwidth given by the LSPR of a single nanorod and the array resonance. For smaller wavelengths, the in-plane component of the Poynting vector reverses, leading to an (extraordinary) positive flux. At the LSPR itself, the flux parallel to the surface is found to be zero. The negative refraction is also exploited to mimic a nanolens with structure parameters that are infact technical realizable. In the visible regime the nanolens shows a NA of 1.06 and superlens-like features such as identical rotation and linear translation of image and object. The nonlinear measurements on graded structures are conducted using femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy resulting in kinetics showing either an increased transmission or absorption with signal changes of up to 40%. By converting them to transient spectra and by comparison with the literature, electron distribution changes at the Fermi edge and hot electrons/phonons are identified as the main reasons for the changes. Probing at the inflection points of the LSPR reveals ultrafast signals. Using transient spectra they are traced back to a short blueshift of the LSPR. / Strukturen aus frei stehenden metallischen Nanostäbchen versprechen interessante An­wendungen als Sensoren, Schalter und in der Spektroskopie. Da ihre Strukturgrößen kleiner als die Wellenlänge des sichtbaren Lichtes sind, besitzen sie eine langachsige Oberflächen­plasmonenresonanz (LSPR) und weisen metamaterialartige Eigenschaften auf. In dieser Dissertation werden die linearen und nichtlinearen optischen Eigenschaften solcher Struk­turen im Detail untersucht. Mit Hilfe von Gradientenstrukturen, die eine durchstimmbare LSPR besitzen, und dreier theoretischer Modelle – eines numerischen Modells basierend auf der Methode der mul­tiplen Multipole (MMP), eines semianalytischen Modells kollektiver Oberflächenplasmonen (CSP) sowie eines analytischen dipolaren Interaktionsmodells (DIMs) – werden die op­tischen Eigenschaften analysiert. Unter Verwendung des DIMs wird die experimentell beobachtete Blauverschiebung der LSPR im Vergleich zur Resonanz eines Einzelstäbchens bestätigt und eine physikalische Erklärung dafür geliefert. Die LSPR ist stark vom Einfallswinkel und vom Stäbchendurch­messer abhängig. Im Unterschied dazu sind die Änderungen bei einer Längenvariation klein, wobei die langachsige Mode ein unteres Energielimit aufweist. Weiterhin haben die genaue Anordnung der Stäbchen und der azimutale Winkel des einfallenden Lichtes nur einen untergeordneten Einfluss. Die Abhängigkeit vom verwendeten Metall ist analog zu einem Einzelstäbchen, während die Empfindlichkeit in Bezug auf das Umgebungsmedium wesentlich stärker ist. Längere Nanostäbchen aus Silber zeigen winkelabhängige Moden höherer Ordnung, welche mittels MMP reproduziert werden können. Das CSP-Modell wird ebenfalls darauf ange­wendet, wobei Fabry-Pérot-artige Oszillationen der CSPs entdeckt werden. Die propa­gierende Natur der CSPs führt zur Entdeckung eines Phasensprungs der p‑Komponente des transmittierten Lichtes sowie zur Beobachtung von Polarisationskonversion in den Strukturen. Nanostäbchen-Arrays weisen außerdem negative Brechung auf. Es wird gezeigt, dass ein negativer Energiefluss nur in dem Wellenlängenbereich zwischen der LSPR der Einzelstäb­chen und der Arrayresonanz auftritt. Für kleinere Wellenlängen kehrt sich die in der Ebene befindende Poynting-Vektor-Komponente um, was zu einer (außerordentlichen) positiven Brechung führt. An der LSPR selbst ist der zur Strukturebene parallele Fluss Null. Die negative Brechung wird ferner ausgenutzt, um eine Nanolinse mit realistischen Struktur­parametern zu simulieren. Im sichtbaren Bereich zeigt sie eine NA von 1,06 und super­linsenartige Eigenschaften, wie eine identische Rotation und eine lineare Translation von Bild und Objekt. Die nichtlinearen Messungen an Gradientenstrukturen werden mittels Femtosekunden-Pump-Probe-Spektroskopie durchgeführt und liefern Kinetiken, welche entweder eine ver­stärkte Transmission oder eine verstärkte Absorption mit Signalstärken von bis zu 40% aufweisen. Durch Konvertierung in transiente Spektren und Vergleich mit der Literatur werden eine veränderte Elektronverteilung an der Fermi-Kante und heiße Elektronen/Pho­nonen als Ursache für die Änderungen gefunden. Das Abtasten mit dem Probe-Puls an den Wendepunkten der Resonanz offenbart ultraschnelle Signale. Mit Hilfe der transienten Spektren wird dies auf eine kurzzeitige Blauverschiebung der LSPR zurückgeführt.

Process mining es una disciplina que ha tomado mayor relevancia en los últimos años; prueba de ello es un estudio realizado por la consultora italiana HSPI en el 2018, donde se indica un crecimiento del 72% de casos de estudio aplicados sobre process mining con respecto al año 2017. Así mismo, un reporte publicado en el mismo año por BPTrends, firma especializada en procesos de negocio, afirma que las organizaciones tienen como prioridad en sus proyectos estratégicos el rediseño y automatización de sus principales procesos de negocio. La evolución de esta disciplina ha permitido superar varios de los retos que se identificaron en un manifiesto [1] realizado por los miembros de la IEEE Task Force on Process Mining en el 2012. En este sentido, y apoyados en el desafío número 11 de este manifiesto, el objetivo de este proyecto es integrar las disciplinas de process mining y data visualization a través de un modelo de interacción de lineamientos que permitan mejorar el entendimiento de los usuarios no expertos1 en los resultados gráficos de proyectos de process mining, a fin de optimizar los procesos de negocio en las organizaciones. Nuestro aporte tiene como objetivo mejorar el entendimiento de los usuarios no expertos en el campo de process mining. Por ello, nos apoyamos de las técnicas de data visualization y de la psicología del color para proponer un modelo de interacción de lineamientos que permita guiar a los especialistas en process mining a diseñar gráficos que transmitan de forma clara y comprensible. Con ello, se busca comprender de mejor forma los resultados de los proyectos de process mining, permitiéndonos tomar mejores decisiones sobre el desempeño de los procesos de negocio en las organizaciones. El modelo de interacción generado en nuestra investigación se validó con un grupo de usuarios relacionados a procesos críticos de diversas organizaciones del país. Esta validación se realizó a través de una encuesta donde se muestran casos a dichos usuarios a fin de constatar las 5 variables que se definieron para medir de forma cualitativa el nivel de mejora en la compresión de los gráficos al aplicar los lineamientos del modelo de interacción. Los resultados obtenidos demostraron que 4 de las 5 variables tuvieron un impacto positivo en la percepción de los usuarios según el caso que se propuso en forma de pregunta. / Process mining is a discipline that has become more relevant in recent years; proof of this is a study carried out by the Italian consultancy HSPI in 2018, where a growth of 72% of case studies applied on process mining is indicated compared to 2017. Likewise, a report published in the same year by BPTrends, a firm specialized in business processes, affirms that organizations have as a priority in their strategic projects the redesign and automation of their main business processes. The evolution of this discipline has made it possible to overcome several of the challenges that were identified in a manifesto [1] made by the members of the IEEE Task Force on Process Mining in 2012. In this sense, and supported by challenge number 11 of this manifesto, the objective of this project is to integrate the disciplines of process mining and data visualization through an interaction model of guidelines that allow to improve the understanding of non-expert users in the graphical results of process mining projects, in order to optimize the business processes in organizations. Our contribution aims to improve the understanding of non-expert users in the field of process mining. For this reason, we rely on data visualization techniques and color psychology to propose an interaction model of guidelines that allows us to guide process mining specialists to design graphics that convey clearly and understandably. With this, it seeks to better understand the results of process mining projects, allowing us to make better decisions about the performance of business processes in organizations. The interaction model generated in our research was validated with a group of users related to critical processes from various organizations in the country. This validation was carried out through a survey where cases are shown to these users in order to verify the 5 variables that were defined to qualitatively measure the level of improvement in the compression of the graphs when applying the guidelines of the interaction model. The results obtained showed that 4 of the 5 variables had a positive impact on the perception of users according to the case that was proposed in the form of a question. / Tesis

Syfte – En förstudie på fallföretaget identifierade ett problem som ledde till att syftet och frågeställningarna formulerades. Studien syfte innebär att undersöka hur underhåll av en leverantörsrelation kan påverka ett speditörföretag. För att svara på studiens syfte har det brutits ner i två frågeställningar: Hur arbetar ett speditörföretag med sina leverantörsrelationer? Vilka är möjligheterna till att förbättra en leverantörsrelation? Metod – Studien är genomförd som en fallstudie med enfallsdesign. Empiri är insamlat med intervjuer, dokumentstudier och litteraturstudier. Litteraturstudien utgör grunden för studiens teoretiska ramverk som innehåller teorier inom leverantörssegmentering, interaktionsmodellen, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) och Key Account Management (KAM). Resultat – Studiens resultat innefattar att underhåll av leverantörsrelationer med hjälp av leverantörssegmentering, interaktionsmodellen, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) och Key Account Management (KAM) på ett fördelaktigt sätt bidrar till ett bra underhåll av leverantörsrelationer och förbättringsmöjligheter till tätare relationer. Implikationer – Med hjälp av befintliga teorier inom relationshantering bidrar studien med att underhålla och förbättra leverantörsrelationer. Studien riktar sig emot ett mindre utforskat område för transport- och speditörföretags underhåll och förbättringar av leverantörsrelationer. Begränsningar – Studien är utförd enbart på ett speditörföretag vilket begränsar studiens generaliserbarhet vilket påverkar studiens resultat. Studien har inte tagit hänsyn till kostnader för implementering för förbättringsåtgärder i arbete för bättre relationer samt att leverantörens synvinkel inte är undersökt. / Purpose – A pilot study at the case company identified a problem that lead to the purpose and research questions. The purpose of this study is to investigate how maintenance of a supplier relationship can affect a forwarder company. To answer the study's purpose, it has been broken down into two research questions: How does a freight forwarding company work with its supplier relationships? What are the opportunities to improve a supplier relationship? Method - The study is conducted as a case study with one-case design. Data is collected with interviews, document studies and literature studies. With the literature study, the basis for the study's theoretical framework contains theories in supplier segmentation, the interaction model, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Key Account Management (KAM). Results - The study's results include that maintenance of supplier relationships by means of supplier segmentation, the interaction model, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Key Account Management (KAM) in a beneficial way contributes to good maintenance of supplier relationships and improvement opportunities for closer relationships. Implications - Using existing relationship management theories, the study helps to maintain and improve supplier relationships. The study targets a less explored area for transport and freight forwarding companies' maintenance and improvements in supplier relationships. Limitations - The study is conducted only at one freight forwarding company which limits the generalizability of the study which affects the study's results. The study has not taken into account the costs of implementation for improvement measures in work for better relationships and that the supplier's point of view has not been examined.

<p>Instructional theories often view the work of instructors from a psychological perspective while playing little emphasis on the communicative aspects. However, there are vital communicational influences on and implications for instructional practice and the instructional process as a whole. As such, this work begins with the position that instruction is, in its entirety, a communicative process. A comparison is made between the three basic models of communication (transmission, interaction and transaction) and three main educational theories (behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism). This comparison shows that there are alignments between the transmission model of communication and behaviorism, the interactive model of communication and cognitivism, and the transactional model of communication and constructivism. These similarities are explored over three major instructional activities – lesson planning, lesson delivery and assessment. Subsequently, three real-life scenarios were presented to illustrate how the three basic models of communication are manifested in the classroom. Given the applicability of the models of communication to the instructional process, the practical utility of approaching instruction from a communicative perspective is discussed. Potential implications for educational practitioners and scholars are discussed afterwards.</p>

Plurale Weltinterpretationen praktizieren wir täglich, meist ohne uns darüber bewusst zu sein. Zustande kommen sie durch die gleichzeitige und gleichwertige Existenz verschiedener Modelle der Weltinterpretation. Sie sind Produkte menschlicher Schöpferkraft und stehen als parallele Realitäten einander ergänzend und einander widersprechend nebeneinander. Das Buch führt am Beispiel der Tyva Südsibiriens in zwei Modelle der Weltinterpretation und in die Praxis des Umgangs mit ihnen ein. Es zeigt, wie einzelne lokale Akteure zwei von mehreren Modellen flexibel zum Einsatz bringen, um Situationen zu deuten und in ihnen zu handeln. Es wird deutlich, welchen Regeln die Tyva dabei folgen, welche Gründe sie leiten und welche Folgen sie zu tragen haben. Das Ergebnis ist ein Bild zeitgenössischer Kultur, das der gegenwärtig gegebenen Flexibilität und Pluralität des menschlichen Deutens, Handelns und Verhaltens gerecht wird. / Plural World Interpretations are part of our everyday lives, even if we are not aware of the fact. They result from the simultaneous existence of different but equal models for interpreting the world we live in. These models are the product of human constructivity and co-exist as parallel realities, complementing and contradicting each other. Based on fieldwork among the Tyva of southern Siberia, the book discusses the practice of dealing with this multiplicity of world interpretations and shows how individual actors oscillate flexibly between two of many possible models for interpreting specific situations and act on them. The rules Tyvans apply in varying contexts, the reasons behind their choices and the consequences they have to deal with, are analysed. The result is an account of contemporary culture that explores the flexibility and plurality of human interpretation, action and behaviour. / Мы используем множественные интерпретации мира (нем. plurale Weltinterpretationen) ежедневно и, в большинстве случаев, неосознанно. Осуществляется это за счёт одновременного и равноценного сосуществования различных моделей мировоззрения. Они являются продуктом творческой деятельностей человека и сосуществуют в качестве параллельных реальностей, дополняя и, одновременно, противореча друг другу. На примере тувинцев Южной Сибири данная книга знакомит с двумя моделями мировоззрения, а также с практикой их применения. Показывается, как локальные акторы гибко применяют две из существующего множества моделей: и для того, чтобы действовать в складывающихся ситуациях, и чтобы толковать их. Станет понятным, каким правилам при этом следуют тувинцы, какими мотивами руководствуются и какие это имеет последствия. Результатом явится картина современной культуры, которая будет отвечать имеющимся на данный момент запросам гибкости и многообразия в мировоззрении, действиях и поведении человека.

This study is an exploration, through ethnographic and auto-ethnographic inquiry, of the personal world, gambling experiences and underlying biopsychosocial vulnerabilities of three individual case studies - one male and two females - each representing a different sub-type of pathological gambler. It comprises the integration and implementation of a psycho-structural stage matching model to explore comorbidity and identify certain biopsychosocial manifestations in the respective stages of pathological gambling. Long term treatment strategies were identified and patient treatment matching was explored. Further, it comprises my personal relationship and therapeutic treatment of these sub-types of gamblers over a period of one year and longer. In this study it is hypothesized that formulating appropriate matching long term treatment strategies should be based on the stage of change, the phase in the psycho-structural model, as well as the gambler's underlying vulnerability. From this a comprehensive gambling disposition profile can be completed with proper intervention matching approaches. A number of other hypotheses emerged from this study that could provide valuable information and serve as a guideline to those working with pathological gamblers. / Psychology / D.Phil.

This study is an exploration, through ethnographic and auto-ethnographic inquiry, of the personal world, gambling experiences and underlying biopsychosocial vulnerabilities of three individual case studies - one male and two females - each representing a different sub-type of pathological gambler. It comprises the integration and implementation of a psycho-structural stage matching model to explore comorbidity and identify certain biopsychosocial manifestations in the respective stages of pathological gambling. Long term treatment strategies were identified and patient treatment matching was explored. Further, it comprises my personal relationship and therapeutic treatment of these sub-types of gamblers over a period of one year and longer. In this study it is hypothesized that formulating appropriate matching long term treatment strategies should be based on the stage of change, the phase in the psycho-structural model, as well as the gambler's underlying vulnerability. From this a comprehensive gambling disposition profile can be completed with proper intervention matching approaches. A number of other hypotheses emerged from this study that could provide valuable information and serve as a guideline to those working with pathological gamblers. / Psychology / D.Phil.