This study investigates how the members of four different role-playing communities on the online platform Second Life perform social as well as dramatic roles within their community. The trajectories of power influencing these roles are my main focus. Theoretically I am relying primarily on performance studies scholar Richard Schechner, sociologist Erving Goffman, and post-structuralists Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze and Felìx Guattari. My methodological stance has its origin primarily within literature studies using text analysis as my preferred method, but I also draw on the (cyber)ethnographical works of primarily T.L. Taylor, Celia Pearce, and Mikael Jakobsson. In this dissertation my focus is the relationship of the role-player to their chosen role especially in terms of the boundary between being in character, and as such removed from ”reality,” and the popping out of character, which instead highlights the negotiations of the social, sometimes make-belief, roles. Destabilising and problematising the dichotomy between the notion of the online as virtual and the offline as real, as well as the idea that everything is ”real” regardless of context, my aim is to understand role-play in a digital realm in a new way, in which two modes of performance, dramatic and social, take place in a digital context online — or inworld as many SL residents call it.

本研究旨在了解國中校長遴選政策中組織的政治歷程，以微觀政治的角度來了解遴選組織中的政治現象，並用質性的研究方式訪談八位遴選政策參與者探求遴選過程的全貌，以分析國中校長遴選政策中個人及團體如何以權力為背景進行協商，運用那些處理衝突與利益的策略，以及探討遴選勝出的關鍵要素。最後探求國中校長遴選制度中，權力變化與協商對象改變的演化過程，並研究遴選政策帶來的省思與回應，作為未來改進的建議與參考之用。 本研究的結論如下： 一、以不變應萬變的「萬年校長」時代確實已成為歷史遺跡。 二、遴選委員會與政治勢力及政治策略的運作產生相當大的關聯。 三、遴選委員組成的「優勢聯盟」可以有效的決定校長的聘任。 四、在校長遴選過程中，參與的各方都有必要與其他人進行協商。 五、參與的各方之間因校長遴選而形成了上下交織的權力網絡。 六、協商產生了價值、權力解決了紛爭。 七、智慧的應用政治的策略，考驗行政者的管理藝術。 八、正視政治策略在校長遴選制度運作中的必要性與正當性，才能解決核心問題。 九、協商必須有權力做背景，協商中就有各種權力在其中運作。 十、決定國中校長任用的權力流動方向從省→縣市→學校及社區。 十一、遴選政策發展下去，最大的權力者竟然是被遴選的對象。 十二、「校長難為」應將是一種贊美與肯定。 十三、校長遴選就是一個政治制度，是眾人之事，也是協商妥協下的產物。 十四、適當與配合才是遴選政策的真知。 根據研究結論，提出下列建議： 一、對遴選政策主管單位的建議： (一)明定主事者及參與者的權力與責任。 (二)正視政治策略在校長遴選制度運作中的必要性與正當性。 二、對候聘校長的建議： (一)努力增加實力，學習互助合作。 (二)熟悉協商與權力運作技巧。 三、對後續研究的建議： (一)擴大研究範圍。 (二)改變研究方法。 / The Research in the Selections of Junior High School Principals --The Viewpoints of Organizational Negotiation and Power Manipulation Chang, Ching-Ying Abstract This research primarily hopes to understand the political process and framework in the selections of junior high school principals. It will achieve this aim by examining the aforementioned selections from a micro-political standpoint, and will seek to grasp an overview picture of the electoral process through qualitative research. The research will also analyze the role of individual and group power struggles in the principal selection campaign tactics by examining their political management and tactics for handling conflicts and interests. Additionally, it will discuss the crucial key factors that led to some principal political victories and successful selections. Last, the research will study feedbacks and afterthoughts brought on by these electoral tactics and policies, so they can be used as suggestions and references from future improvements.

世界貿易組織（World Trade Organization, WTO，簡稱世貿組織），是現今最重要的經貿組織之一，在經濟全球化背景下，WTO對推動轉型國家的經濟發展，加速它們金融全球化和貿易自由化，促進其資金、技術、人員等更加自由流動，發揮著不可替代的重要作用。俄羅斯雖已是許多國際經貿組織的成員國，但至今卻尚未加入WTO。為研究加入WTO對俄羅斯整體經濟的影響，本文採用文獻探討、歷史研究方法與SWOT分析。首先，簡介WTO及其入世規程，歸納整理世界各主要先進工業國家與俄羅斯加入WTO之協商談判進程，以及俄羅斯為期早日入世所作之努力；其次，以SWOT分析俄羅斯入世對其農、工、服務等產業及對其整體經濟的正負面效益，最後，剖析俄羅斯入世對其他WTO會員國及全球之影響，評估俄羅斯入世之利弊。 　　本論文研究發現，俄國之入世進程雖因農業補貼、能源價格、開放服務業市場等議題爭辯，導致其入世延宕。然根據SWOT策略綜合分析，俄羅斯各產業優缺點及入世後所帶來的機遇與挑戰，入世之長期總體經濟效益仍將高過於其短期經濟衝擊。 / The World Trade Organization (WTO) is one of the most important economic and trade organizations. Under economic globalization, the WTO pushes funds, technologies, and persons to interflow freely in the whole world, which acts an important role. Although Russia was a member of many international economic and trade organizations, it didn’t join the WTO yet till now. 　　This study had used the literature survey, historical approach and SWOT analysis to research the process and effects of Russia’s accession to the WTO. Firstly, make a brief introduction and regulation of the WTO, generalize and compress the accession negotiations and issues among Russia and the main industrial countries, and the efforts of Russia will make it accelerated join to the WTO. Secondly, estimate the positive and negative effects of Russia’s agriculture, industry, service industry, and whole economy with the SWOT analysis if Russia is going to be a member of the WTO. Finally, analyze the influence on WTO members and the whole world, and estimate the advantages and disadvantages of Russia’s joining of the WTO. 　　The author found that the negotiations on issues as agriculture subsidies, energy price, and opening services market had resulted in Russia delayed to the WTO. Furthermore, realize the strengths and weaknesses of Russia’s industries, the opportunities and threats after Russia’s joining of the WTO according to the SWOT analysis, and it will get much more economic benefit in the long-term than the economic impact in the short-term.

In this thesis I investigate the economic determinants and consequences of corporate governance (broadly defined) in Canadian “comply or explain” governance disclosure regime. I find that the quality of governance in firms varies in the cross-section and is associated with firm value as economic theory suggests. Furthermore, I find the effectiveness of board and audit committee has a strong impact on the auditor-client management relationship in their negotiation over financial reporting. Such relationships then influence financial reporting quality and audit fees. Overall, my results support that the theorized advantages of “comply or explain” allow firms greater flexibility in tailoring their governance practice to their specific circumstances. Such tailored governance practice is more efficient and cost-effective and serves the interests of shareholders by 1) improving firm value; 2) constraining managerial opportunism; and 3) improving audit quality without incurring higher audit fees. / Thesis (Ph.D, Management) -- Queen's University, 2013-07-26 11:29:18.86

The increasing diversity of societies is one of the most important educational issues of the globalised era. However, while some attention has been paid to the schooling experiences of racial, ethnic and immigrant minorities in Western societies, little research has been conducted with religious adolescents. This thesis explores the complexities of religious adolescents’ experiences of English secondary schools. As an exploratory study, I employed an emergent research design carrying out loosely-structured, group and single interviews at eleven places of worship to investigate the schooling experiences of 99 adolescent Christians, Jews and Muslims. In order to interpret their reported experiences, I applied a theoretical model based on the Students’ Multiple World Framework in conjunction with concepts of religious identity negotiation and construction. The interview data show how Christians, Jews and Muslims negotiate their religious identities in the context of the numerous challenges presented by secondary schools in a religiously plural and largely secular society. In classroom worlds participants perceived their religious traditions to be distorted, inaccurately or unfairly represented. In peer worlds participants reported that they could experience prejudice, and criticism of their beliefs. Christians, Jews and Muslims reported two principal management strategies in the face of these challenges, either: declaring their religious identity openly, or by masking it in public. The findings of this study are highly relevant to debates about the role of religion in education, including those concerning faith and Church schools and the nature and purpose of the curriculum subject Religious Education.

Cette thèse est consacrée à l'étude du projet de création d’un Etat palestinien. Elle pose la question de la possibilité de la naissance d’un tel Etat, conformément aux critères juridiques et politiques de l'Etat. Analysées les causes de l’échec des tentatives précédentes. Nous avons constaté que depuis la défaite des armées arabes en 1967, et à ce jour, la direction palestinienne n’avait pas une stratégie claire, aggravé par les divisions internes, ainsi que par la volonté manifeste de l'occupant israélien de rendre plus difficile une telle création.Notre recherche vise à montrer que si l'Etat palestinien peut être créé en droit, sa viabilité reste subordonnée à la bonne volonté d'Israël, quand bien même il bénéficierait de soutiens diplomatiques sincères de l’ensemble des acteurs internationaux. Ainsi, les Palestiniens se voient proposer, après les accords d'Oslo, plus qu'une autonomie et moins qu'un Etat,(Etat client), car dépourvu de toute forme de souveraineté. La « communauté internationale » n'a manifestement pas fait assez de pressions pour contraindre Israël à geler la colonisation, et ce malgré ses promesses de créer un Etat palestinien viable et indépendant, selon les présidents américains successifs.Ce travail aboutit à la conclusion que le projet d'un Etat palestinien est devenu un projet irréaliste dans le contexte politico-juridique actuel. / This study investigates the proposal to establish a Palestinian State in accord with international policy and law. The research also looks into the reasons for the failure to establish such a state following the defeat of Arab armies in 1967 until the present time. These reasons can be summarized in the lack of clear strategic policy for the Palestinian leadership, the internal division of the Palestinian political institutions, and the Israeli practices and measures against Palestinians and the Palestinian leadership on both international and national levels to stop the establishment of this state.This study attempts to show that in the absence of true international support for a Palestinian State, the existence and vitality of such a state would depend on Israel's good intentions. However, the prospects to establish this state seem unattainable as a result of Israel's refusal to abide by international law and in the absence and inability of the international community including the consecutive American Presidents to exert pressure on Israel to even freeze settlement. Following Oslo Agreement, Palestinians found themselves in a situation to establish an entity that is more than autonomous self-rule but still less than a fully-fledged state. The study concludes that the possibility to create a Palestinian State has become unrealistic in current political and legal contexts.

This dissertation inquires into the issue of solving group conflicts in kindergartens, presents opinions, quotations and comparison of Czech and foreign authors, derives from both local and foreign sources. In the theoretical part it brings forth findings from the stated area, defines the term "conflict", delineates the basic types of conflicts, deals with group conflicts in the context of the influence of an individual on the inception of a conflict. In the second half of the theoretical part it focuses on the settlement and prevention of conflicts. The research, coming from the goal of the inquiry, is directed in the same spirit. The research part presents the results of the inquiry, describing and analysing the causes and solutions of group conflicts in practice. The evaluation then leads to answering the research questions. The work is designed so the broadest range of headmasters and administrators of kindergartens could make use of it.

This thesis deals wiht the subsidies as a tool for solving positive externalities in the environmental field. The theoretical part explains the principle of externalities, and offers three variants of their solution - a system of taxes and subsidies, according to A.C. Pigou, the negotiation of compensation, according to R. Coase, and connected property. From these theoretical concepts are in reality to solve positive externalities mainly used subsidies. Selected subsidies programs for environmental protection are subject to the following analysis. Classic example of positive externality is considered pollination activity of bees. Therefore, the second half of thesis describes how this agricultural sector, beekeeping, depends on subsidies. This thesis proposes another solutions to develop and streamline the sector without the use of subsidies.

La thèse explore le lien entre la politique étrangère et la survie politique et économique des villes hanséatiques (Hambourg, Brême et Lübeck) et des duchés de Mecklembourg-Schwerin et de Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp de 1650 à 1730, à travers les relations diplomatiques entretenues par ces petits États avec la France. Les différentes stratégies qu’ils mettent en œuvre afin d’être considérés comme des partenaires diplomatiques par la France font l’objet de la première partie. La deuxième partie est consacrée aux pratiques de la négociation développées par ces États au contact de la France, à leur manière de communiquer avec cette puissance concurrente de l’autorité impériale, ainsi qu’à la prise de décision en matière de politique étrangère. La question de la souveraineté de ces États constitue le fil directeur de la réflexion : ces États, qui jouissent du droit de négocier avec les puissances étrangères à l’Empire, resten soumis à l’autorité de l’Empereur. La troisième partie pose la question de la professionnalisation de la fonction de diplomate dans l’Empire. Trois aspects sont développés. Les éléments permettant de parler de l’émergence d’un métier sont évoqués dans un premier temps, ainsi que les résistances des diplomates à cette première professionnalisation. La situation financière et la vie matérielle des diplomates permettent ensuite de poser la question de leur place dans la hiérarchie sociale de l’époque. Enfin, ces éléments sont complétés par un questionnement sur la culture des diplomates, notamment à travers les relations qu’ils entretiennent avec la République des Lettres et l’analyse de publications, littéraires ou savantes, qui leur sont consacrées. / Through the diplomatic relations maintained with France by the Hanseatic towns (Hamburg, Bremen and Lubeck) and the duchies of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp from 1650 to 1730 this thesis will explore the link between foreign policy on the one hand and economical and political survival on the other hand. Therefore, the strategies these states develop in order to make themselves considered as valuable partners by the French government form the first part of the thesis. The second part focuses first on the practice of negotiation these states elaborated in contact with France and then on the way they communicated with a power that challenged the authority of the Emperor. Finally the decision-making in the field of foreign policy is regarded. The question if these small states may really be considered as sovereign states is the leitmotif of this thesis as these small states and Hansestic towns are in fact allowed to negotiate with external powers of the Empire. The third part deals with the diplomatic profession. The question is if the function of a diplomat is becoming a genuine profession or not. To this, three topics are studied: the elements which show that the function of a diplomat is indeed becoming a career is presented first as well as the powers of resistance to this evolution. In a second step the financial situation and the material life of the diplomats allow to examine the place of the diplomats in the social hierarchy. These subjects are at last completed by a closer look on the culture of the diplomats through their close ties to the Republic of Letters and the analysis of literary and scientific publications dedicated to their action.

Les besoins, toujours plus grands, en énergie et la pollution de la planète, due à l'utilisation d'énergies polluantes non-renouvelables, obligent à concevoir de nouveaux modèles énergétiques durables et fiables. Ces nouveaux modèles se fondent, aujourd'hui, sur une intégration massive des énergies renouvelables dans le réseau électrique. Le problème des énergies renouvelables est leur caractère intermittent, dépendant des conditions météorologiques, la plupart du temps. L'arrivée des nouvelles technologies de l'information et de la communication permet l’intégration d’une couche informationnelle au réseau énergétique lui permettant d'être intelligent et d'entrevoir la possibilité d'une gestion distribuée des énergies renouvelables. Ces énergies étant principalement décentralisées, contrairement aux imposantes centrales nucléaires, au charbon, au gaz et au fioul, sont produites directement chez le consommateur. Le consommateur devient alors un prosumer capable de répondre à ses besoins énergétiques, voire même d'agir comme un producteur s'il produit plus d'énergie qu'il n'en consomme. Mais l'arrivée d'une pléthore de petits acteurs capables d'acheter et de vendre de l'énergie, en temps réel, dans un marché comprenant les puissants acteurs traditionnels du marché peut être une source de volatilité pour les prix de l'énergie. Des variations importantes des prix peuvent conduire à des situations néfastes en déstabilisant le réseau. Pour faire face à ce problème, nous avons développé un premier mécanisme de négociation automatique, sur trois échelles de temps, qui impose des contraintes sur la demande ainsi que sur les prix pour garantir leur stabilité. Ce mécanisme s'appuie sur des entités représentatives (producteurs, prosumers et agrégateurs) pour gérer l'offre et la demande sans toutefois prendre en compte l'impact sur le réseau des contrats négociés entre ces entités. Le second mécanisme, fondé sur la technologie Blockchain, permet des négociations bilatérales décentralisées et prend en compte les impacts physiques de chaque échange d'énergie entre prosumers, garantissant ainsi l'intégrité du réseau. Le mécanisme ainsi proposé se soustrait à une gestion de la stabilité du réseau par des tiers / Increasing needs in energy, and earth pollution, coming from the use of polluting and non-renewable energy, make it indispensable the design of new energetic models, sustainable and reliable. Today, these new models are based on a massive integration of renewable generators in the grid. The renewable integration issues come from their stochastic features, depending on the weather conditions, most of the time. The coming of new information and communication technologies allows the integration of an information layer to the energy grid allowing it to be smarter and allow to have a glimpse of the possibility of a decentralised management of renewable energy. These energy being mainly decentralised, unlike imposing nuclear, coal and gas power plants, are produced directly at the customer's location. Consumers become, then, a prosumer able to answer to its own energetic needs,and maybe to act as a producer if it produces more energy than it consumes. But, the coming of a plethora of small actors, able to buy and sell energy, in real time, in a market containing the more powerful actors, traditional in the market, can be a source of volatility for energy prices. Considerable variations of the price can lead to detrimental situations by disturbing the grid. To face this problem, we developed a first mechanism for automatic negotiations, on three time scales, which decrees constraints on demand and on prices in order to guarantee their stability. This mechanism rely on representative entities (producers, prosumers and aggregators) to manage demand and supply without taking into account the impact on the grid of the negotiated contracts between these entities. The second mechanism, based on blockchain technology, allows bilateral decentralised negotiations and take into account the physical impacts on the grid of each energy exchange between prosumers, guaranteing then, the grid integrity. The proposed mechanism exempt itself from a management of the grid stability from a centralised third part