The primary objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between internal environment, organizational form, and financial performance in hotel chains. Using a contingency framework, this study investigated the match between internal environmental factors--such as capital scarcity, monitoring cost, and asset specificity--and organizational form--such as company owned, franchised, or combination of both--in an attempt to distinguish between high and low performing hotel chains. The key findings of this study indicate that hotel chains which showed a "match" between the monitoring cost of their internal environmental factors and organizational form performed better than if those elements did not match. The other finding of this study indicates that hotel chains operating under different organizational forms, such as company-owned, franchised, and combination of both, did not differ in their financial performance levels which were measured in terms of return on investment and growth in unit sales. This study contributes to the body of knowledge in the lodging industry by introducing the contingency theory in investigating the interrelationship between internal environment, organizational form, and financial performance. In other words, this study utilized internal environmental factors such as capital scarcity, monitoring costs, and asset specificity as moderators in order to measure their impact on organizational forms and financial performance relationship. Specifically, this study provides unique ways to measure the internal environmental factors, organizational form, and financial performance: (1) capital scarcity was measured using financing activities data included in the statement cash flows, (2) organizational form of the firm was categorized into company-owned, franchised, and combination of both, and (3) financial performance was measured using return on investment (ROI) and growth in unit sales. From the industry point of view, the findings of this study will aid in recognizing organizational form in conjunction with internal environment and financial performance. This study provides empirical support with regard to the relative models in predicting appropriate organizational form that will show better financial performance. In other words, the firm that evaluates and analyzes its internal environmental factors could have the adequate organizational form that generates high profitability. From the theoretical point of view, this study provides a body of knowledge in franchising by providing empirical findings with regard to internal environmental factors in explaining the relationship between organizational form and financial performance. Furthermore, this study contributes to the existing agency theory literature in franchising by providing empirical research to the evaluative contingency theory. / Ph. D.

In this study the researcher attempts to advance the understanding of the structure of firm buying centers for air travel services. First, an attempt is made to find empirical support for the proposition that firm air travel service buying centers can be grouped on the basis of their size, degree of complexity, centralization, and formalization. The study investigates the relationship of size, structure, and technology of the organization as a whole to the structure of the buying center. Diagraphs, or pictures representing the members of the buying centers, and the communication flows between those members, allow the researcher to record three constructs of buying center complexity: lateral involvement, vertical involvement, and connectedness. The size of the buying center is defined as the number of people within the organization who participated in the buying process from the reservations phase to the final payment of the supplier. The degree of centralization is determined by the number of communications between the travel manager and other buying center members. Formalization of the buying center was operationalized as the percent of written versus verbal communication in the buying process, the extent to which the process was governed by rules and policies, and the degree of compliance with policy. Significantly different mean values were found in buying center size and the degree of written versus verbal communication across the three cluster analysis-derived groups. None of the other buying center variables were found to differentiate the groups. Of all the organizational variables, only firm size, as measured by the absolute value of air travel purchases per year, was found to be a better-than-chance predictor of group membership. Additional research on participation during the contract negotiation phase is suggested. It is further proposed that future researchers wishing to study corporate travel in an industrial marketing context begin to study influence on, in addition to participation in, the buying process. It is further suggested that these issues should be investigated in the context of global as well as domestic organizations and evaluated on a longitudinal basis. / Ph. D.

No description available.

Syftet med denna uppsats var att undersöka om läroböckernas berättelser levde upp till den normativa demokratisyn som formuleras i LPO 94 och om berättelsen om det moderna Sveriges framväxt kan tillskrivas ett värde för alla elever. Undersökningen bygger på en kvalitativ läromedelsanalys av tre vanligt förekommande läroböcker i historia för grundskolans senare del. Vi har i läroböckerna fokuserat på berättelser om det moderna Sveriges framväxt som kan kopplas till begrepp som demokrati, rättigheter, solidaritet och jämställdhet. Utifrån läroböckerna, LPO 94 och aktuell forskning har vi diskuterat huruvida den historiska framställningen av det moderna Sveriges framväxt kan tillskrivas ett allmängiltigt värde. Undersökningens resultat visade att läroböckerna förmedlade en historia som tydligt gick att härleda till läroplanen. Aktuell forskning visade samtidigt att begreppet demokrati är åsidosatt inom skolan och att det på sin höjd sammankopplas med en instrumentell förståelse av begreppet. Vi menar att en grundläggande historisk förståelse av närkontexten är nödvändig för att kunna utveckla och fördjupa ett historiemedvetande. / The purpose of this thesis was to investigate how textbook narratives were compatible to the normative view formulated in the curriculum of 1994 and if narratives concerning Sweden’s modernization ascribe a value to all pupils. The investigation is based on a qualitative textbook analysis of three commonly used history textbooks within upper level compulsory school. In the textbooks we have focused on narratives concerning Sweden’s modern development connected to notions as democracy, civil rights, solidarity and equality. On the basis of textbooks, curriculum and current research we discuss whether the historical account of Sweden’s development ascribe a value that is generally applicable. The result of the investigation showed that the textbooks mediated a history with close connection to the aim of the curriculum. Simultaneously current research points out how the notion of democracy is neglected within the educational system and at its best is connected with a one dimensional understanding of the idea. We conclude that pupils need a basic understanding of the nearby historical context to be able to develop their historical awareness.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur Lpo 94 påverkat lärarens yrkesroll i Idrott och hälsa. Undersökningsgruppen består av åtta stycken lärare i södra Skåne. Huvudfrågeställningen lyder enligt följande; Vad innebar Lpo 94 för lärarna i Idrott och Hälsas arbete? Frågan följs även upp av tre stycken underfrågor; Hur upplever lärarna att tolkningen av målen för Lpo 94 förändrats från dess intåg fram till idag? Vad innebar arbetslagen och den förändrade organisationen för lärarna i Idrott och Hälsas arbete? Var lärarna i Idrott och Hälsa redo för förändringen? Detta görs genom en kvalitativ intervjumetod. Resultatet visar på att arbetet med Lpo 94 gått väldigt långsamt och fortfarande inte efterföljs på många skolor. Detta kan till viss del bero på den ökade arbetsbördan som lärarna i Idrott och hälsa upplever. Lpo 94 innebar en ny organisation som genomsyrades av nya samarbetsformer i form av arbetslag, mentorskap och andra former av tidskrävande merarbete. Idrottsämnet och dess nya utformning var inte anpassat för de organisatoriska förändringar som skolan genomgick. Vidare diskuteras och analyseras hur de olika lärarna hanterar det nya uppdraget samt vad de olika värderingarna och handlandena kan grunda sig i. I studien behandlas också ämnet Idrott och hälsa och dess legitimitet i förhållande till andra ämnen samt vilka andra faktorer som påverkat idrottslärarnas arbete efter införandet av Lpo 94. / The aim of this study is to show how the Lpo 94 has affected the teachers professional role in Physical education. Eight teachers from the south of Skåne were used as informants. The main question asked is; What impact did the Lpo 94 have to teachers of Physical education? The main question is also monitored by three subqueries: How do the teachers in Physical education feel that the interpretation of the objectives for Lpo 94 have changed from its entrance until today? What did the “work team” and the changing organization influence the teachers in Physical education? Were the PE teachers ready for the change?A qualitative interview method is used and the results show that the progress of Lpo 94 has gone very slowly and that it still hasen´t been enforced in many schools. According to the PE teachers there are several reasons to why it hasen´t been enforced but a common denominator is the increased workload. Lpo 94 meant new organizations, new cooperation in teams, mentoring and other forms of time-consuming burdens. Physical education and its new design were not adapted to the organizational changes that the school underwent at the same time. Further discussed and analyzed in the study is how the various teachers handled the new assignment and what their different values and actions can be based on. The study also deals with Physical Education and its legitimacy in terms of other school subjects and other factors that have affected the PE teachers work after the introduction of Lpo 94.

The rigorous load-flow analysis of Distribution Networks requires the modeling of mutual coupling, multiphase possibilities and unbalanced loading. The Ladder Load-Flow Method meets these requirements, but is limited to radial systems. The Switch Compensation Method presented here, extends the Ladder Load-Flow Method to solve Distribution Networks. A network analysis program has been developed using the Electric Power Research Distribution Engineering Workstation (DEWorkstation). The program uses the pointers provided by the DEWorkstation to represent the connectivity of the system. The use of these pointers increases the speed of execution while naturally handling the sparsity of the system. The user is also provided with "on line" attribute and topological data maintenance. The extension technique is based on Thevenin's Theorem. This approach allows the accurate determination of the equivalent impedance for networks which contain series and shunt elements. The equivalent impedance can be changed during the iterative solution process. This allows the algorithm to simulate the operation of control devices which significantly alter the impedance of the network. A transformer model for the forward and reverse trace of the Ladder Method is also presented. / Ph. D.

Experimental spatial dynamics modeling is a new approach to dynamics modeling using high-spatial-density experimental data from a scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV). This instrument measures the surface velocity of vibrated structures. Time-signal data from the LDV is statistically modeled with multiple linear regression for harmonically excited structures. A weighted least-squares discrete finite element formulation is developed to solve for the complex-valued continuous 3-D velocity response field from sampled velocity data. The formulation is derived from the steady-state solution of the differential equation with spatial and temporal components of harmonic structural dynamic response. Linear, quadratic, cubic, and cubic B-spline basis functions are used to form isoparametric finite elements in the dynamic response model. Velocity measurements acquired from multiple positions are transformed into a single model that minimizes the least-squares error between the experimental data and the field equations in the 3-D shell element model. A multiple point nonlinear registration algorithm is developed to determine position and orientation of the LDV relative to the test structure. Polygonal shape models are successfully integrated with the experimental spatial dynamic response models via polygon ray intersection. Finite element shape models are generated from simple flat surfaces or extracted from existing finite element models of 3-D structures. By postprocessing the model solution, many dynamic properties including rotations, full-field strains and stresses, and acoustic prediction are derived from the dynamic response representation. Visualization software was developed for animation of the 3-D spatial dynamic response models with superimposed color to represent the postprocessed results. The interactive graphics allow presentation and investigation of the experimental spatial dynamics. To examine the method, an analytical test model is defined to simulate the surface velocity response of a structure with both in-plane and out-of-plane harmonic vibration. Random and uniformly spaced measurements of the simulated dynamic system are acquired from multiple locations. Applications of experimental spatial dynamics modeling, postprocessing, and visualization are also demonstrated with five different test structures. Through mesh refinement, increase in order of the basis functions, and additional sampling, the finite element models are converged to statistically qualified solutions. / Ph. D.

Crop production systems which utilize the biomass produced by rye (<i>Secale cereale</i> ) to suppress weed growth and conserve soil moisture have been developed at Virginia Tech. The success of alternative, reduced-input crop production systems has encouraged research into the potential for breaking the traffic-tillage cycle associated with conventional tillage crop production systems. The fragile residues encountered in agricultural crop production, whether incorporated into the soil or distributed on the soil surface, provide minimal protection against compaction by wheeled vehicles. The potential of an intact cover crop to reduce machine-induced effects on soil properties that affect primary crop growth was the subject of this study. A randomized complete block experiment was conducted at the Whitethorne Farm in Montgomery County, Virginia. One set of plots was arranged on a terrace adjacent to the New River in a fine, mixed, mesic, Aquic Argiudolls. Another set of plots was arranged on an upland site, a river terrace tread, in a fine-loamy, mixed, mesic, Typic Hapludults. Three rye cover crop treatments were examined. In one, a live cover crop was completely undisturbed prior to tracking by a wheel-type tractor. In another, the cover crop was chemically desiccated, and in the third treatment, all above-ground biomass was removed from plots prior to machine traffic. The treatments permitted investigation of the effects of crop condition on machine-induced soil compaction and the contribution of root reinforcement to the alteration of soil response to machine traffic. A fall-tilled fallow treatment served as an experimental control. Three levels of traffic were investigated: one pass, three passes, and five passes. Undisturbed soil core samples were analyzed to determine machine-induced effects on dry bulk density, pore size distribution, and saturated hydraulic conductivity. The treatments affected soil response to machine traffic. The cover crop treatments altered the soil-plant microenvironment, affecting soil parameters that influence compactibility. Soil compaction was attenuated by the reinforcing effect of a network of undisturbed roots within the soil. There was no convincing evidence that above-ground biomass contributed directly to the reduction of machine-induced compaction effects. Soil response to machine traffic was limited to the uppermost 15 cm of the soil profile. / Ph. D.

Four experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of naloxone, an opioid receptor antagonist, on pituitary LH secretion in Holstein cows during two periods after parturition and two phases of the estrous cycle. In experiment 1, 24 cows (12 primiparous; 12 multiparous) received either saline (n = 12) or 1 mg/kg naloxone (n = 12) i. v. at 14 1 days postpartum. Blood samples were collected at 15-minute intervals for 2 hours before and 2.5 hours after naloxone or saline. Serum LH concentrations increased (P < .05) in response to naloxone injection in both primi- and multiparous cows. Saline injection did not affect LH concentrations. In experiment 2, 27 cows (13 primiparous; 14 multiparous) received either saline (n=14) or 1 mg/kg naloxone (n=13) i. v. at 28 ± 1 days postpartum. Blood samples were collected as in the previous experiment. Naloxone did not affect serum LH concentrations in either primi- or multi-parous cows at 28 days postpartum. In experiment 3, estrous cycles were synchronized via prostaglandin administration (25 mg) in 22 cows (10 primiparous; 12 multiparous). Cows received either saline (n=11) or 1 mg/kg naloxone (n=11) Lv. during the luteal phase of the estrous cycle. Blood samples were collected as in the previous experiments. Luteinizing hormone concentrations were not affected by naloxone in either primi- or multi-parous cows during the luteal phase of the estrous cycle. In experiment 4, the same cows used in experiment 3 received a second dose of prostaglandin (25 mg). Thirty-six hours later, during the follicular phase of the estrous cycle, the cows received either saline (n =9) or 1 mg/kg naloxone (n = 11) i. v. Naloxone increased (P < .05) serum LH concentrations in both primi- and multi-parous cows in the follicular phase. These results suggest that LH release in the early postpartum dairy cow is regulated, at least in part, by endogenous opioid pep tides , and the ability of naloxone to affect LH secretion may change as days postpartum increases, perhaps due to changes in degree of inhibition by endogenous opioid peptides, and (or) changes in serum progesterone concentration due to onset of ovarian activity during postpartum period. It appears that the modulation of LH secretion may be mediated via opioids during the follicular phase of the estrous cycle. However, an opioid-mediated mechanism for modulation of LH secretion was absent or overridden by progesterone feedback during the luteal phase of the estrous cycle. / Master of Science

This research is a replication of part of Dr. Catherine Price's dissertation study "An Empirical Study of Professional Association Meetings from the Perspective of Attendees" (1993). The paper presented is a research study in the area of meeting/conference attendee preferences. This research tested which attributes of meeting selection were of importance to a particular population. Dr. Price (1993) identified four variables as important attributes for attendees in their selection of a meeting. They were: a) education, b) leadership, c) networking, and d) professional savvy. The primary hypothesis was directed at confirming the validity of these attributes. Four factors emerged in the analysis of this study. Three factors were identical to the Price (1993) study. These factors were: a) education, b) leadership, and c) networking. The fourth factor that emerged was named potpourri. Ultimately, this study attempted to be significant in assisting meeting planners in the preparation of more effective meetings. / Master of Science