Liu, Jian. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 86-91). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter 1 --- Introduction of Matching Mechanisms --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background for College Admissions Problem --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Background for Internet Advertising Market --- p.3 / Chapter 2 --- Application I: College Admissions Problem Revisited --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1 --- Three Basic Mechanisms --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Boston Mechanism --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Gale-Shapley Student Optimal Mechanism --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Top Trading Cycles Mechanism --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2 --- College Admissions Mechanisms Around the World --- p.12 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Serial Dictatorship in Turkey --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- JUPAS in Hong'Kong SAR --- p.14 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- College Admissions in Mainland China --- p.16 / Chapter 2.3 --- Generalized Model for College Admissions: JUPAS Revisited --- p.19 / Chapter 2.4 --- Extension to Marriage Problem --- p.23 / Chapter 2.5 --- Strategy Analysis in Extended Marriage Problem --- p.27 / Chapter 2.6 --- Strategy Analysis in JUPAS --- p.30 / Chapter 2.7 --- Efficiency Investigation via Simulation --- p.33 / Chapter 2.7.1 --- Efficiency Definition --- p.33 / Chapter 2.7.2 --- Simulation Design --- p.36 / Chapter 2.7.3 --- Simulation Results --- p.38 / Chapter 3 --- Application II: Search Engines Market Model --- p.42 / Chapter 3.1 --- The Monopoly Market Model --- p.42 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- The Ex Ante Case --- p.43 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- The Ex Post Case --- p.45 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Formulated As An Optimization Problem --- p.51 / Chapter 3.2 --- The Duopoly Market Model --- p.54 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Competition for End Users in Stage I --- p.54 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Competition for Advertisers in Stage II and III --- p.57 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Comparison of Competition and Monopoly --- p.65 / Chapter 3.3 --- Numerical Results and Observations --- p.70 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Baseline Setting --- p.71 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Effect of Supplies --- p.74 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Effect of Discount Factors --- p.75 / Chapter 4 --- Related Work --- p.78 / Chapter 5 --- Summary and Future Directions --- p.83 / Bibliography --- p.86

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The purpose of this thesis was to synthesize evidence on symptoms of psychosis in post-secondary students, including participant characteristics, prevalence, risk factors, interventions, and reported experiences. The design was a mixed-methods systematic review, modeled on the Joanna Briggs Institute and PRISMA guidelines, with all standard systematic review procedures followed. A search in nine databases yielded 26 (published between 2006 and 2018) articles for inclusion. Data were analyzed according to objectives and reported using synthesis tables and narrative summaries. Average age of participants was 21 years and most identified as female and Caucasian. Prevalence of psychosis across the included studies was inconclusive. Risk factors associated with symptoms of psychosis included substance use, depression, and younger age. There were five interventions with mixed results and three studies about experiences. While five promising interventions exist, inadequate testing and replication limits confidence in their effectiveness. There is a notable deficit in qualitative evidence exploring the experiences of students with symptoms of psychosis.

This thesis explores how church-founded liberal arts colleges--specifically fundamental/evangelical liberal arts colleges--stayed the drift toward secularization. It uses comparative case studies to examine the structures and beliefs which enabled "staying" schools to resist secularization. Social reproduction theories are used to explain both the reproduction of the dominant culture (secularization) and the reproduction of a subculture (fundamentalism/evangelicalism). Secularizing institutions conform to state incentives and so reproduce what the state sees as necessary for societal survival. Resisting institutions isolate themselves from the dominant culture by establishing boundaries which let in only what accords with the church and so reproduce a culture the church sees as necessary for the survival of evangelicalism/fundamentalism.

Stress can lead to poor health and loss of productivity among employees across occupations. Stress does not only affect individuals but also organizations by causing work absence and staff turnover. Academics in Malaysian public universities are no exception. Due to the rapid developments in tertiary education, academics in Malaysian public universities are believed to be experiencing increased job demands that potentially lead to increased stress. This study was carried out to examine: i) the direct effect of role stressors (i.e. role overload, role ambiguity and role conflict) on strain; ii) the direct effect of strain on the outcomes of strain (i.e. cynicism, professional efficacy, and organizational commitment); iii) the moderation effects of organizational support, peer support, and self-efficacy on the relationships between role stressors and strain; iv) the mediation effect of strain on the relationship between role stressors and strain; and v) the mediation effect of outcomes of strain (i.e. cynicism, professional efficacy, and organizational commitment) on the relationship between strain and intention to leave among those academics. This study used a non-experimental two-wave panel design. Eleven of the 12 study variables were measured using pre-existing scales except for self-efficacy, iii which was measured by items specially developed for this study. A longitudinal survey with a six-month time interval yielded 357 respondents (academics) at time 1 and 210 respondents at time 2. Data were analyzed using multiple regression, hierarchical regression, and structural equation modeling (SEM) to test for direct effects, moderation effects and mediation effects respectively. The findings of this study indicate that academics who experienced increased levels of role stressors were more likely to have increased levels of strain. Subsequently, the strained academics were more likely to show higher levels of cynicism and lower levels of professional efficacy and organizational commitment. The predicted moderators (i.e organizational support, peer support, and self-efficacy) had no significant influence on the relationships between role stressors and strain. Mediation analyses consisted of two parts. In the first part, I found that strain strongly mediated the relationship between role ambiguity and outcomes of strain (i.e. cynicism, professional efficacy, and organizational commitment). In the subsequent mediation analysis, I found that cynicism and organizational commitment fully mediated the relationship between strain and intention to leave, but not professional efficacy.

Equal opportunity offices have been described as agencies of organisational change, and the term ‘cultural change’ has been used to describe aspects of equal opportunity work.Universities are sites of organisational cultures where equal opportunity officers have worked in Australia for the past decade. In this time there have been significant changes to higher education, in terms of the size of the university sector in Australia, and also in terms of funding, governance and management. These changes in universities provided the context for questions about the roles of equal opportunity officers in universities, and how they may have changed. This research investigated the practice of equal opportunity officers in universities by using a grounded theory approach to generate understandings about how this group of university staff may have impacted on university cultures. The study develops links between theories of culture and organisational change that was situated in the practices of equal opportunity officers.The research identified a central conceptual category that was described as ‘picking the pitch’, as the main theme in the work of equal opportunity officers in identifying issues and gaining support for a cultural change agenda. All of the preliminary themes that were identified, and the interactions, the observations and the analysis of culture were prerequisites for ‘picking the pitch’.The thesis uses the research for further reflection and integration of the goals of equal opportunity, and the means that were available to equal opportunity officers to achieve these goals. The interactions of power and influence, and some of the limitations on equal opportunity officers are discussed.In the thesis the usefulness of the concept of culture to equal opportunity officers is examined, along with the underpinning theories about the mind of humanity that contributed to their approach to their task.Finally, the thesis discusses the impact of the research for equal opportunity officers, and for the universities in which they worked.

There is little empirical evidence relating to how university administrative employees view the performance appraisal process (Analoui & Fell, 2002). The aims of this study were: (1) to determine the purpose of the performance appraisal system used at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), and (2) to investigate administrative staff perceptions and understanding of this appraisal system. Areas investigated included (1) how allied staff viewed the process, (2) how prepared they were for the process, (3) did it impact on their motivation, and (4) did it help or hinder career development. From the research findings, the researcher prepared a set of recommendations for AUT Human Resource department. The recommendations were intended to assist in making AUT performance appraisals more meaningful and relevant to administrative staff, and foster a better awareness of the benefits of undertaking the process. This study was a partial replication of the Analoui and Fell study undertaken in the UK. Like the study being replicated, this current study was also exploratory basic research adopting a triangulation method. This consisted of the positivistic methodology adopting the cross-sectional survey - structured closed questions questionnaire; the phenomenological methodology using an explanatory case study whereby audio-taped semi-structured interviews were conducted; and the use of researcher (myself) as research instrument. AUT documents relating to performance appraisal were also reviewed. Ethics approval was sought from AUT Ethics Committee. The Analoui and Fell questionnaire and interview guide were modified to suit the AUT context. The sample consisted of 543 staff members. The return rate of the staff survey was 20 per cent.The study found that there was no evidence that the respondents wanted the process discontinued even though comments from those who had been through a Performance and Development Review (P&DR) and Formative Appraisal (FA) indicated a range of both positive and negative experiences. Respondents felt that they were adequately prepared and that they were involved in the pre-appraisal process. In terms of performance appraisal as a motivational tool, few respondents felt that the process motivated them. There was evidence that FA was beneficial in helping with career development. The stated main purposes of AUT performance appraisal were: to assist in administrative (pay increase and promotion), and developmental (training) decisions, with the latter purpose being secondary. Recommendations resulting from the current research findings include: (1) that the current process should be evaluated, and (2) appraisers and appraisees should undertake training prior to an appraisal. On-going research should be undertaken to find out how administrative staff in the wider NZ university sector view the process. To follow-on from the current research, a longitudinal study should be undertaken of administrative staff reactions immediately after an appraisal. Research should also be undertaken to investigate if administrative staff will associate completion of the performance appraisal process which includes the setting of goals with an increased work overload.

Universities around the world are increasingly focusing on entrepreneurial activities. In Australia, the growth of international entrepreneurial activities has resulted in the creation of a billion-dollar export-oriented sector. These activities include the recruitment of international students to Australian campuses, the development of Australian university campuses in offshore locations, and the delivery of Australian degree programs at both onshore and offshore locations in partnership with universities, professional associations and private corporations. Australian universities currently receive on average around seven percent of revenues from these sources, with some depending on international entrepreneurialism for as much as one-third of revenues. Managing these activities in an efficient, effective and sustainable manner has thus become critically important to virtually every institution in the Australian higher education sector. Long dependent on government funding, Australian universities have found the rise of international entrepreneurialism a significant shift. As is the case when businesses become international, universities are faced with the need to manage the complexities, risks and challenges associated with international operations. To date, little empirical work has been undertaken which explores and examines how Australian universities are managing their international entrepreneurial business operations. The aim of this study is thus to respond to this research gap by exploring how Australian universities, particularly in terms of their Faculties of Business, organise and manage international entrepreneurial activities. The research examines management approaches, practices and processes at five Australian universities. Two are highly international, metropolitan universities recognised around the world as leaders in international entrepreneurialism. Two are smaller, regional institutions, while the fifth university is a medium-sized metropolitan institution which had in recent times moved aggressively to develop its international activities. Document analysis, observation and interviews with senior institutional managers, academic managers and academics at each university revealed several common themes arising in institutional approaches. These included an emphasis on diversified, offshore growth; a degree of movement towards structural centralisation, particularly in the highly international universities which had been historically highly decentralised; the presence of generally supportive organisational cultures; a perception among academic managers and academics that most international activities remain driven by financial imperatives; the perceived potential for detrimental impacts on academic research arising from increased involvement in international activities; the existence of a common concern among senior institutional managers for the effects of Faculty of Business dominance of international programs in their institutions; a tendency for most organisational learning to be informal, except in the highly international institutions; and a preference for decentralised strategic leadership which included a degree of oversight by internationally experienced senior institutional managers. A Strategic Advantage Model of Internationalisation is presented representing a theoretical and conceptual synthesis of the findings. Building on previous work undertaken in the field, the model focuses on the need for institutions to achieve best practice and competitive advantage through the leveraging of organisational and strategic competencies, the pursuit of executional advantages, the implementation of strategically decentralised leadership and the development of international business competencies.

This thesis reports research which employed quantitative data collection methods to investigate pre-service teacher perceptions of extended practicum learning environments of pre-service teachers at a Catholic university and their self-efficacy for future teaching. By drawing on learning environment research, practicum in teacher education literature, student teacher practicum evaluation data and stakeholder perceptions of dimensions of the ACU extended practicum learning environment, an instrument, a 72-item questionnaire, the Extended Practicum Learning Environment Inventory (EPLEI) was developed and validated. To establish relationships between student teacher perceptions of the extended practicum learning environment and their self-efficacy for future teaching, a Student Teacher Efficacy Instrument (STEI) was also developed. Data were collected from student teachers using the EPLEI and the STEI. In 2001, the total sample consisted of 64 students. Recognising that there are a number of dimensions to the learning environments of the extended practicum and to assess differences in student teacher and supervising teacher perceptions of the same extended practicum learning environment, supervising teachers responded to an analogous form of the EPLEI. In 2002, the sample consisted of 57 student teachers and their supervising teachers. Statistical analyses were performed on the quantitative data and revealed some statistically significant differences in the way student teachers and supervising teachers perceive the same environment. Statistical analyses also revealed significant differences in student teachers perceptions of extended practicum environments in relation to school type. Student teachers who participated in the extended practicum in Catholic schools perceived the learning environments more positively than student teachers in State and Other Christian schools. The analyses revealed significant associations between student teacher perceptions of the extended practicum learning environments and their self-efficacy for future teaching. This research clearly demonstrates that extended practicum experiences of student teachers at a Catholic university are affected by features at both classroom and school levels

[Abstract]: This doctoral dissertation research reports on the exploration of higher education academics’ pedagogical responses to complex societal postindustrialchange. The topic arises from a deep personal interest in processes of societal change and the need for such processes to be in the professional practices ofacademics. The research problem that guides the study is: In what way(s) and to what extent can University instructors be assisted to incorporate change-basedconcepts in their pedagogical practices through application of a conceptual framework for change infusion?In response to the problem, a change infusion model (CIM) arises from an analysis of authoritative literature on change. Change infusion is an educational process that utilises key concepts from theories of change to provide ameaningful context for pedagogical practice in times where pervasive societal transformation is the norm. Gay’s (1995) multiple stages of infusion are of particular importance in the CIM. The generation of the theoretical definition of infusion in the CIM provides practising academics with an explanatory system that enables them to infuse significant elements of change into pedagogicalpractices. In essence, the CIM purports to guide instructors to move beyond teaching about change to teaching for change.The research design includes the cognitive-constructivist theoretical foundations, with particular reference to Dewey (1933), Piaget (1951), Lewin (1951), Schön (1983, 1987), Calderhead (1988), and Patton (2002). Ofparticular importance is the analysis of opinions concerning pedagogical practice of a small number of University practitioners after engaging with theCIM during each of the three stages of trials. The trials utilize the cognitiveconstructivist quality of reflection as a means to link theory to practice.The conclusions from the research support a conceptual model, such as the CIM, for use to teach for change. As a result of the Stage 3 trial research in particular, the conceptual model from the beginning point of the study isrefined, thereby hopefully providing a useful tool for academics in a wide range of contexts and disciplines to respond in meaningful ways to the process ofmajor change that impinge upon them and their work.