多層次傳銷近年成長快速，目前國內已有200 餘家的傳銷公司，每年銷售額高達百億以上，預期未來將持續快速成長。當有上百萬人加入傳銷公司，成為「直銷商」的今天，對於此種攸關民生發展的新型態服務業，實有必要加以深入研究，以掌握時代脈動，本研究希望能夠從服務傳送系統的角度發覺其實際的運作方式。 　　本研究希望能達至的目的為： 　　1.探討多層次傳銷其服務傳送系統的內涵，即傳銷公司、直銷商與顧客之間的互動關係。 　　2.了解在其服務傳送系統中，哪些環節是其關鍵成功之處。 　　3.分析在此服務傳送系統中的潛在問題，及其可能的解決之法。 　　此一研究乃是以個案訪談的探索性實證方式進行，選擇安麗、丞燕、雙鶴作為個案訪問的公司，據此來發展相關命題，及提出結論建議。 　　文中將服務傳送系統分成前場及後場，前場包含產品、相關服務、服務人員、及顧客，後場則為後勤系統、激勵制度、教育訓練及理念灌輸，以及廣告、形象等八大構面，來分析多層次傳銷的運作方式，把多層次傳銷的產品特色、直銷商角色、獎金制度、榮譽階級等，都做了一個簡單的介紹，盼能夠對於從事相關行業及對多層次傳銷有興趣的人提供些許的幫助。

自2004年開始安麗公司陸續在全台各地成立『體驗中心』，此舉可說是多層次傳銷事業的創舉，不但是全新概念，直銷商與顧客皆可在此體驗中心內試用、體驗與購買安麗公司各項商品，目前也受到許多會員的好評。 本研究以安麗體驗中心最重要的兩項元素『服務創新』與『體驗行銷』，作為研究內涵，以瞭解安麗體驗中心在『服務創新』與『體驗行銷』上對『顧客滿意度』與『顧客忠誠度』之間的關係。本研究以『問卷調查法』進行，並輔以『焦點訪談』。問卷於台北地區直銷商中心進行發放，發放對象為事業型直銷商、一般直銷商與消費型顧客；共發出600份，最後回收510份，整體問卷信度達.974。焦點訪談部分，則訪談安麗事業型直銷商8人，及兩位安麗公司高階主管。研究結果顯示，受訪者認為安麗公司不論在服務創新、體驗行銷、顧客滿意度與顧客忠誠度上都具有良好表現。且透過相關分析與迴歸分析也可看出會員認為服務創新程度越高，越能提高滿意度與忠誠度；同樣地，體驗行銷程度越高，滿意度與忠誠度也越高。透過焦點訪談，也看出受訪者對於安麗公司在服務創新與體驗行銷上都具有高滿意度，也建議安麗公司能充分利用體驗中心的場地，舉辦更多讓消費者能實際參與的活動。 / Since 2004, Amway has been implementing a pioneering initiative by establishing the Amway Experience Centers (AEC) around Taiwan, introducing a brand new concept into the multi-level marketing business. Distributors and customers can try, experience and purchase various Amway products at the AEC. So far, the AEC has received many favorable views from Amway members. This study explores the two most important elements of the AEC – service innovation and experiential marketing, in order to gain a picture of the relationship between the service innovation and experiential marketing of the AEC and the customer satisfaction and customer loyalty of Amway. The study was conducted with the method of questionnaire survey, complemented with focus interviews. The questionnaires were delivered at the Distributor Centers in Taipei area, aiming at career-type distributors, general distributors and consumer-type customers. Totally, 600 questionnaires were delivered, among which 510 were collected ultimately, reaching a total questionnaire reliability of .974. In the part of focus interviews, 8 career-type distributors and 2 Amway executives were interviewed. Findings of the study show that all interviewees gave a high opinion of the performance of Amway in terms of service innovation, experiential marketing, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. In addition, through regression analysis and other related analyses, it can be seen that Amway members think that the better the performance of service innovation, the higher the customer satisfaction and loyalty, similarly, the better the performance of experiential marketing, the higher the customer satisfaction and loyalty. Through focus interviews, it can be seen that the interviewees have very high satisfaction with Amway’s performance on service innovation and experiential marketing. They also suggested that Amway make full use of the AEC to hold more activities that are suitable for consumers to participate in.

Physical education is important to promote physical activity of adolescents with and without disabilities, but many adolescents are not active during physical education classes. Innovative instructional strategies are imperative to change this phenomenon, but it will be challenging to develop effective instructional strategies without thorough understanding of students' physical activity behavior in physical education settings. Two studies were conducted to comprehensively understand physical activity behavior of adolescents with and without disabilities in inclusive physical education classes at middle schools. The first study investigated the utility of the integrative theory to predict students' physical activity intentions and behavior at the intrapersonal level. A total of 577 participants, including 24 adolescents' with disabilities, were recruited from 8 middle schools in Korea. In a prospective design, participants' psychosocial constructs and physical activity data were collected by survey questionnaires and electronic pedometers. A multilevel (design-based) structural equation modeling using maximum likelihood estimation with robust standard error correction found that students' attitudes, subjective norms, and barrier-efficacy significantly predicted students' goal intentions. Students' implementation intentions and task-efficacy were significant predictors of physical activity behavior. In addition, implementation intentions completely mediated the relationship between goal intentions and physical activity behavior. The second study investigated three conceptual models, including process-product model, student mediation model, and ecological model, to predict students' physical activity behavior at the interpersonal and environmental levels. A total of 13 physical educators teaching inclusive physical education and their 503 students, including 22 students with disabilities, were recruited from 8 middle schools in Korea. A series of multilevel (model-based) regressions with maximum likelihood estimation showed that the ecological model was the most effective model in prediction of students' physical activity behavior. Specifically, it was found that teachers' teaching behavior and students' implementation intentions were significant predictors of the students' physical activity behavior when interacted with gender, disability, lesson contents, instructional models, and class locations. In conclusion, findings suggest that intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental predictors provide a systematic account in the understanding of students' physical activity behavior in physical education settings. Future studies should consider all three factors simultaneously to effectively develop instructional strategies that promote physical activity of adolescents' with and without disabilities in physical education classes. / Graduation date: 2013

L’oggetto della ricerca è costituito dalla cooperazione territoriale tra regioni confinanti e geograficamente non contigue che appartengono a Stati diversi nell’ambito dell’Unione europea. La tematica è studiata come caso specifico dell’internazionalizzazione delle regioni attraverso alcuni approcci disciplinari tipici degli studi europei, la multi-level governance, i policy networks e l’europeizzazione. L’analisi ripercorre le tappe principali dell’evoluzione della cooperazione territoriale in Europa, evidenziando l’impatto sulla stessa dei contesti giuridico-costituzionali nazionali e delle politiche delle istituzioni sopranazionali (Consiglio d’Europa e Unione europea). Lo studio è particolarmente incentrato sul ruolo giocato dalle caratteristiche delle singole regioni nella determinazione delle scelte e delle strategie in materia di cooperazione territoriale. A livello empirico, viene effettuata una comparazione tra le quattro regioni italiane del nord a Statuto ordinario. / Object of the research is the territorial cooperation among regions belonging to different States in the context of the European Union. With the term “territorial cooperation”, we refer to both cross-border and interregional cooperation. We deal with the topic as a specific case of the internationalization of the regions from a European studies’ perspective (multi-level governance, policy networks, Europeanization). The analysis is focused on the main stages of the evolution of the territorial cooperation in Europe, highlighting the impact on the issue of the heterogeneous national constitutional contexts and the supranational institutions’ policies (Council of Europe and European Union). In particular, we concentrate on the role of the regions’ features on their choices and strategies about territorial cooperation. The case-study is the comparison of the four Italian regions with ordinary statues.

A crucial limitation of research on strategic planning is that it has always viewed strategic planning as a single process in a corporation. In practice, strategic planning in complex multi-business corporations has evolved into a network of multi-level and multi-unit strategic planning processes. This makes it challenging for managers and strategists to undertake the activities needed to run those strategic planning systems effectively. The interactions between strategy practitioners as they enact those planning processes play a crucial role in determining effectiveness of the planning process as a whole. Therefore, this thesis is based on a conceptual framework that represents strategic planning as a network of collaboration amongst quasi-independent processes taking place across multiple levels and units. This thesis adopts an embedded design within two in-depth case studies and one pilot case study to examine the strategising activities, practices and interaction dynamics of strategic planning within the M-form based firms. The result articulates the dynamics of strategy practitioners’ interactions in a series of four generic interaction patterns: (1) the Bilateral Scheme, (2) the Cohesive Facilitation Scheme, (3) the Ambassadorial Coordination Scheme, and (4) the Supervisory Driven Scheme. The result also sheds light on the extended roles of strategic planning within a multi-level and multi-unit environment, and on how different actors contribute to the vertical and horizontal aspects of strategic planning. The findings of this research have implications for both theory and practice. This thesis mainly contributes to strategy as practice perspective, strategic planning literature, organisational theory, situated learning literature, sensemaking perspective on practice, power theory, and agency theory. Theoretically, this study introduces a new method for examining the practice of strategic planning based on studying strategic planning links between practitioners representing horizontally as well as vertically differentiated units. In doing so, I have represented strategic planning as a multi-unit as well as a multi-level process, and hence have been able to show how it operates as a network of collaborative relationships and activities. This extends the view of strategic planning prevailing in the literature, which portrays a largely hierarchical, vertically-based structure. Practically, the results provide managers and practitioners with an illustration of how different practitioner roles and managerial levels contribute in distinctive ways to strategic planning from both horizontal and vertical perspectives. It is apparent from my investigation of the case study firms that their planning and decentralised decision-making mechanisms are linked together heterarchically as well as hierarchically.

影像辨識一直是電腦視覺中很重要的技術，且伴隨著行動裝置與相機的普及，人們更加重視辨識的準確度與效能，以區域梯度分佈及直方圖表示方法為基礎的影像特徵描述子，如SIFT與SURF，是近十多年來的物件辨識技術中所採用的主流演算法，然而此類特徵表示法，常需要為多維度的資訊提供大量的儲存空間與複雜的距離計算流程，因此，近年來有學者提出了另一種形式的區域二元特徵描述子 ( Local Binary Descriptor, LBD)，以二元架構建立描述子，使得LBD能在較少空間之下提供可相抗衡的辨識率。 本論文提出以多元編碼機制之區域特徵描述子(LMLED)，乃基於LBD的基本架構，但改以多元編碼取代LBD的二元編碼方法，利用緩衝區的架構達到更強的抗噪性，並提出降維方法以承襲二元編碼在儲存空間的優勢，使得多元編碼機制之區域特徵描述子能在不影響匹配能力與儲存空間的情況下，得到更佳的影像辨識能力。 / Efficient and robust object recognition is an important yet challenging task in computer vision. With the popularity of mobile equipment and digital camera, the demand for effectiveness and efficiency in image recognition has become increasingly pressing. In the past decade, local feature descriptors based on the distribution of local gradients and histogram representation such as SIFT and SURF have achieved a certain level of success. However, these descriptors require a large amount of storage and computing resources for high dimensional feature vectors. Hence, local binary descriptor (LBD) arises and becomes popular in recent years, providing comparable performance with binary structure that needs dramatically lower storage cost. In this thesis, we propose to employ multi-level encoding scheme to replace binary encoding of LBD. The resultant descriptor is named local multi-level encoding descriptor (LMLED). LMLED takes advantage of multiple decision intervals and thus can achieve better noise resistivity. Methods to reduce the dimension have been devised to maintain low storage cost. Extensive experiments have been performed and the results validate that LMLED can achieve superior performance under noisy condition while maintaining comparable matching efficacy and storage requirement.

This dissertation explores the influences on individual decision making in a complex, real world context – the New Zealand wool supply chain. It asks two fundamental questions, first, how do decision makers make decisions in their everyday settings and, second, how is decision making learned and improved through experience and contextual factors. Two contextual aspects of decision making were also examined; these included whether decision making processes varied as a result of uncertainty and risky surroundings, or in cooperative and competitive environments. Further examination included revealing how being a member of a (multi-layered) group influences individual decision making. In-depth qualitative interviewing of sheep farmers, and associated supply chain members in the wool industry was undertaken. Three key decision journeys were explored from both the 'psychological' and the 'social' schools of social psychology in order to give detail on the flow of decision making influences through human systems (whether entities were present, or implied). One of the main aspects of this study was to employ, by analogy, an analysis inspired by the concept of multi-level selection from evolutionary theory as a means of understanding decision making in such a complex, layered system. Other contributions include commentary on the nature of social psychological studies of decision making, suggestions for the expansion of naturalistic decision making to include processes occurring on more than one 'level' of context, the framing of information in the media and the judgment of information sources on the part of experienced and inexperienced farmers, and, the role that globalization may play in driving decision making behaviour.

La conception des machines électriques a une longue tradition et l’approche « business as usual » est un processus itératif d’essais et d’erreur, certes convergent mais nécessairement stoppé prématurément, car trop couteux. Un perfectionnement récent a consisté à remplacer les prototypes et les maquettes par des prototypes virtuels, entièrement numériques, comme ceux fournis par la méthode des éléments finis. Néanmoins, le procédé s’arrête toujours sur une frustration car le concepteur n’est jamais sûr d’avoir exploré complètement l’espace de conception qui s’offre à lui. La démarche de conception optimale se propose d’améliorer ce processus en le guidant, c'est-à-dire en proposant une méthodologie, et en l’automatisant, c'est-à-dire en proposant des outils logiciels. Mais dans cette démarche apparaissent de nombreuses difficultés. Ainsi, les objectifs généraux de cette thèse sont multiples. Il s’agit de définir des problèmes d'optimisation spécifiques représentatifs des choix structurels et d’élaborer des benchmarks de référence : discret, multiphysique, multidisciplinaire, multi-objectif et multi-niveaux. Ensuite, il faut rechercher, adapter et qualifier les méthodes d'optimisation les mieux à même de résoudre ces problèmes. Enfin, les différentes méthodes d'optimisation proposées sont implantées et testées de façon à prouver leur efficacité et leur adaptation. Un objectif secondaire mais important est de les capitaliser et diffuser les connaissances élaborées / The design of electrical machinery has a long tradition and the business as usual approach is a tries and errors iterative process, certainly converging but necessarily stopped prematurely as too expensive. A recent upgrade has been to replace the prototypes and models by virtual prototypes, fully numerical, such as those provided by the finite element method. Nevertheless, the process stops always on a frustration, because the designer is never sure to have completely explored the design space that offers to him. The optimal design approach proposes to improve this process by guiding it, i.e. by proposing a methodology and by equiping it, i.e. by providing software tools. But in this approach many difficulties appear. Thus, the general objectives of this thesis are multiple. It is to define specific representative optimization problems of the structural choices and develop reference benchmarks of optimization: discrete, multi-physics, multidisciplinary, multi-objective and multi-level. Then, it must seek, adapt and describe the best optimization methods able to solve these problems. These methods are implemented and tested in order to prove their efficiency and adaptation. A secondary but important objective is to capitalize and disseminate the developed knowledge

La conception d'un système électrique est une tâche très complexe qui relève d’expertises dans différents domaines de compétence. Dans un contexte compétitif où l’avance technologique est un facteur déterminant, l’industrie cherche à réduire les temps d'étude et à fiabiliser les solutions trouvées par une approche méthodologique rigoureuse fournissant une solution optimale systémique.Il est alors nécessaire de construire des modèles et de mettre au point des méthodes d'optimisation compatibles avec ces préoccupations. En effet, l’optimisation unitaire de sous-systèmes sans prendre en compte les interactions ne permet pas d'obtenir un système optimal. Plus le système est complexe plus le travail est difficile et le temps de développement est important car il est difficile pour le concepteur d'appréhender le système dans toute sa globalité. Il est donc nécessaire d'intégrer la conception des composants dans une démarche systémique et globale qui prenne en compte à la fois les spécificités d’un composant et ses relations avec le système qui l’emploie.Analytical Target Cascading est une méthode d'optimisation multi niveaux de systèmes complexes. Cette approche hiérarchique consiste à décomposer un système complexe en sous-systèmes, jusqu’au niveau composant dont la conception relève d’algorithmes d'optimisation classiques. La solution optimale est alors trouvée par une technique de coordination qui assure la cohérence de tous les sous-systèmes. Une première partie est consacrée à l'optimisation de composants électriques. L'optimisation multi niveaux de systèmes complexes est étudiée dans la deuxième partie où une chaîne de traction électrique est choisie comme exemple / The design of an electrical system is a very complex task which needs experts from various fields of competence. In a competitive environment, where technological advance is a key factor, industry seeks to reduce study time and to make solutions reliable by way of a rigorous methodology providing a systemic solution.Then, it is necessary to build models and to develop optimization methods which are suitable with these concerns. Indeed, the optimization of sub-systems without taking into account the interaction does not allow to achieve an optimal system. More complex the system is more the work is difficult and the development time is important because it is difficult for the designer to understand and deal with the system in its complexity. Therefore, it is necessary to integrate the design components in a systemic and holistic approach to take into account, in the same time, the characteristics of a component and its relationship with the system it belongs to.Analytical Target Cascading is a multi-level optimization method for handling complex systems. This hierarchical approach consists on the breaking-down of a complex system into sub-systems, and component where their optimal design is ensured by way of classical optimization algorithms. The optimal solution of the system must be composed of the component's solutions. Then a coordination strategy is needed to ensure consistency of all sub-systems. First, the studied and proposed optimization algorithms are tested and compared on the optimization of electrical components. The second part focuses on the multi-level optimization of complex systems. The optimization of railway traction system is taken as a test case

Introdução - A preocupação com a qualidade e disseminação dos dados em inquéritos é crescente no mundo. A integração entre banco de dados, planejamento da amostra, questionário e entrada de dados é fundamental para que resultados observados sejam válidos e precisos. A bibliografia pesquisada apontou que os inquéritos raramente produzem arquivos organizados, padronizados e prontos para disseminação, o que impossibilita estudar diferentes objetos de investigação com base em informações já coletadas. Objetivos - Implementar modelo hierárquico para entrada de dados em inquéritos epidemiológicos. Métodos - Foi utilizada a UML (Linguagem de Modelagem Unificada) para o projeto lógico e o Makeview do Epi Info para obtenção das estruturas de dados. Os testes foram feitos em um setor censitário do inquérito Acesso a Medicamentos - FAPESP. A documentação foi gerada no Makeview com ajuda de uma macro do Excel. Resultados - O modelo permite criar arquivos relacionais flexíveis, conforme a necessidade do objeto de estudo, com unidades estatísticas escolhidas dentre os 4 níveis hierárquicos: setor censitário, domicílios, indivíduos e questões específicas. Conclusão - A possibilidade de criar infinitas visões sobre os dados representa um avanço em comparação com o modelo plano. Deve ser usado como padrão em inquéritos epidemiológicos, pois permite estudar o efeito de conglomeração das unidades de análise, além de viabilizar a disseminação com dados organizados. O Epi Info pode ser usado para implementar modelos hierárquicos que considerem as variáveis do plano amostral. / Introduction - Concern about the quality and data dissemination in surveys is growing in the world. The integration between database, sample planning, questionnaire and data entry is fundamental to the accuracy and validity of the results. The bibliography showed that investigations rarely produce organized files, standardized and ready to dissemination, which makes impossible the study of various investigation objects based on information already collected. Goals - Implement hierarchical model for data entry in epidemiological surveys. Methods - It was used the UML (Unified Modeling Language) for the logical project and the Epi Info Makeview to obtain the data files. The tests were made in a census block of the Access to Medicines - FAPESP survey. The documentation was generated in Makeview with help of an Excel macro. Results - The model allows you to create flexible relational files, as the need to study subject, with statistical units chosen amongst the 4 hierarchical levels: census blocks, households, individuals and specific issues. Conclusion - The ability to create infinite views on the data represents a breakthrough in comparison to the flat files. It should be used as standard in epidemiological surveys, it allows studying the effect of conglomeration of analysis\' units, besides enabling the dissemination with organized data. The Epi Info can be used to implement hierarchical models that consider the variables of a sampling plan.