The aim of this research was to explore empirically how firms create and implement strategic decisions (SD’s). The research was inspired by the need to understand further organizational process underpinning SD’s phenomenon and potentially contribute to the overall performance of firms. Previous research on SD’s has been focusing on the formal strategic planning approaches, which have been criticized for their highly prescriptive views of SD’s, separating creation from implementation, and focusing on the content and discrete elements rather than the holistic process. Despite all these studies, our understanding of the actual nature of the SD phenomenon from creation to implementation remains incomplete. Motivated by the need to look empirically and holistically at this very complex social phenomenon, this research problematizes the above aspects of SD’s literature and positions this research within a wider social and descriptive process based approach. The research employed qualitative and Analytic Induction (AI) methodologies, and addressed the above need in three projects. The objective of each project has evolved and lead to the emergence of the final findings, which suggest a possible answer to the overall research aim. The Scoping Study proposed a theoretical framework of successful SD’s implementation factors. Project 1 went further and investigated these factors empirically. Project 2 developed empirically the process of how people actually create and implement SD’s. In Project 3, this process was analysed through the theoretical lens of the sensemaking perspective and was applied by practitioners through an empirically tested diagnostic tool. This research has made a step towards a better understanding of SD’s in practice and contributed to the academic knowledge by proposing a different, yet viable descriptive process, which can improve the overall quality of the SD’s, and potentially lead to better performance.

The aim of this research was to explore empirically how firms create and implement strategic decisions (SD’s). The research was inspired by the need to understand further organizational process underpinning SD’s phenomenon and potentially contribute to the overall performance of firms. Previous research on SD’s has been focusing on the formal strategic planning approaches, which have been criticized for their highly prescriptive views of SD’s, separating creation from implementation, and focusing on the content and discrete elements rather than the holistic process. Despite all these studies, our understanding of the actual nature of the SD phenomenon from creation to implementation remains incomplete. Motivated by the need to look empirically and holistically at this very complex social phenomenon, this research problematizes the above aspects of SD’s literature and positions this research within a wider social and descriptive process based approach. The research employed qualitative and Analytic Induction (AI) methodologies, and addressed the above need in three projects. The objective of each project has evolved and lead to the emergence of the final findings, which suggest a possible answer to the overall research aim. The Scoping Study proposed a theoretical framework of successful SD’s implementation factors. Project 1 went further and investigated these factors empirically. Project 2 developed empirically the process of how people actually create and implement SD’s. In Project 3, this process was analysed through the theoretical lens of the sensemaking perspective and was applied by practitioners through an empirically tested diagnostic tool. This research has made a step towards a better understanding of SD’s in practice and contributed to the academic knowledge by proposing a different, yet viable descriptive process, which can improve the overall quality of the SD’s, and potentially lead to better performance.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the processes of change for female victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) who successfully completed a domestic-violence focused couples treatment (DVFCT) program with their male partners. Enhancing our understanding of the change processes for women who choose to remain in their relationships helps therapists develop more effective IPV treatment models when both partners are involved in treatment. While a goal of DVFC treatment is to end the violence, this study highlights the changes women victims made and how they evolved throughout the treatment process. This study describes those changes in order to develop targeted interventions to bring these changes about more purposefully. Two women were selected from a pool of 30 women who successfully participated in a 12 session DVFC treatment program. Videotapes of 12 couples therapy sessions were analyzed using modified analytic induction (Manning, 1991). The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1982, 1984) processes of change guided the analysis. Using modified analytic induction, we described participants changes in attitudes and behaviors and the identifiable markers of these changes. Findings highlight a relational change process between spouses. / Master of Science

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how race-related stress influenced marital satisfaction among ten African American married couples. Each couple participated in a 60 to 90 minute interview and completed a measure of marital satisfaction. Using phenomenology, symbolic interactionism, and family systems theory as a theoretical lens, this study described how African American married couples came to understand if and how the phenomenon of race-related stress influenced their marital satisfaction, and what meanings they created from this experience. Using modified analytic induction, couples discussed how their individual factors influenced their perceptions of race-related stress. Race-related stress couples also discussed how the phenomenon strengthened and challenged their marital satisfaction. It was also discovered that couples with race-related stress developed ways of coping with race-related stress in an effort to protect their marital satisfaction. One of the ten couples reported not experiencing race-related stress. A conceptual model, future research, and clinical implications from these findings are discussed. / Master of Science

Despite positive steps toward the suppression of racial discrimination in the United States capital punishment process, the enduring effects of a cultural legacy of Black oppression (e.g., slavery; segregation; lynching) and historic and systemic racial discrimination in the criminal justice system have persisted to the present day. The purpose of the current study is to explore whether this enduring cultural legacy still exists by examining whether juries in rape-involved capital murder trials in North Carolina are more likely to recommend a sentence of death when the defendant is a Black male and the victim is a White female (compared to White male victims and White female victims). Within an analytic induction framework, the current study utilizes qualitative hypothesis testing to critically test each of the rape-involved homicide cases in an effort to elucidate the legal (e.g., circumstances of the case) and extra-legal (e.g., race of the defendant and victim, respectively; multiple dimensions of the ECL) factors that influence death sentence recommendations in North Carolina during this time period. The qualitative analysis involves the comprehensive reading and documentation of case narratives and newspaper articles in which I re-sort (i.e., reclassify) the hypothesis-supporting, hypothesis-non-supporting, and hypothesis-rejecting cases while considering the salient circumstances of the trial (e.g., aggravating circumstances; perceived brutality of the crimes committed) and the influence of multiple dimensions of the ECL (e.g., the liberation hypothesis; credibility of the White female victim). Findings from the qualitative analysis failed to show support for the ECL hypothesis (24.1% of trials showed support for the hypothesis, 19% of trials rejected the hypothesis, 57% of trials did not show support for or reject the hypothesis). While the findings did not show support for the ECL hypothesis in any context, the rich information uncovered in the extensive review of LexisNexis case narratives and newspaper articles that had a direct bearing on the qualitative findings and interpretations that could not be identified in a quantitative approach to the data (e.g., a juror’s expression of racial attitudes that was the single greatest piece of evidence showing support for the ECL; detailed descriptions of especially brutal trial circumstances that may have influenced jury sentencing decisions; the perceived credibility or chastity of the victim; the inclusion of relevant trials and exclusion of trials not appropriate for analysis) demonstrates the value of a qualitative approach to the study of racial discrimination in jury sentencing decisions.

Esse estudo apresenta a proposta de uma reconstrução metodológica da obra de Florian W. Znaniecki, intelectual polonês, com a finalidade de evitar a ocorrência de ecletismo metodológico em estudos de sociologia comparada. Nesse sentido, argumentamos em favor da forte presença dos fundamentos metodológicos propostos por Henri Poincaré na obra de Znaniecki, devendo ser um fato não negligenciável em análises de sua obra. / This study presents a proposal for methodological reconstruction of the work of Florian W. Znaniecki, Polish scholar, with the purpose of preventing the occurrence of methodological eclecticism in comparative sociological studies. In this sense, we argued in favor of the strong presence of methodological foundations proposed by Henri Poincaré in the work of Znaniecki, which shouldnt be a negligible fact in future analyses of his work.

Esse estudo apresenta a proposta de uma reconstrução metodológica da obra de Florian W. Znaniecki, intelectual polonês, com a finalidade de evitar a ocorrência de ecletismo metodológico em estudos de sociologia comparada. Nesse sentido, argumentamos em favor da forte presença dos fundamentos metodológicos propostos por Henri Poincaré na obra de Znaniecki, devendo ser um fato não negligenciável em análises de sua obra. / This study presents a proposal for methodological reconstruction of the work of Florian W. Znaniecki, Polish scholar, with the purpose of preventing the occurrence of methodological eclecticism in comparative sociological studies. In this sense, we argued in favor of the strong presence of methodological foundations proposed by Henri Poincaré in the work of Znaniecki, which shouldnt be a negligible fact in future analyses of his work.

La traite et l’esclavage négriers transatlantique n’ont jamais été étudiés d’un point de vue criminologique. En fait, à part l’histoire, peu de disciplines des sciences sociales et humaines se sont intéressées aux évènements qui constituent la traite et l’esclavage négriers transatlantique. Toutefois, de récentes recherches commencent à se pencher sur les séquelles résultant des multiples victimisations (agressions physiques et psychologiques) subies par les Noirs durant la traite et l’esclavage négriers transatlantique. Nous postulons que la criminologie peut également contribuer à une meilleure compréhension de ces évènements. Ainsi, cette étude vise à sonder les perceptions des Afro-descendants sur les victimisations et les conséquences de la traite et de l’esclavage négriers transatlantique. L’analyse des entretiens réalisés démontrent clairement que la traite et l’esclavage négriers transatlantique n’appartiennent pas seulement au passé. Au contraire, la traite et l’esclavage négriers transatlantique restent présents dans les esprits et les cœurs. Ils sont surtout perçus comme une source de victimisations actuelles touchant la communauté africaine et antillaise tels que la faible confiance en soi, la faible estime de soi, la hiérarchie de la couleur, le racisme interne…Aussi, tous les répondants plaident pour au moins une forme de réparation (pécuniaire et monétaire, éthique ou politique, historique, éducative, psychologique, diplomatique) des conséquences de la traite et l’esclavage négriers transatlantique. Les entrevues mettent également en évidence une division dans les représentations basées sur la version (fonctionnaliste ou intentionnaliste) de cette histoire, ainsi que des différences de représentations selon le groupe ethnique d’appartenance (Africain ou Antillais). / The transatlantic slave trade has never been studied in a criminology way. In fact, with the exception to history, few disciplines in the social sciences and human studies have made interest to study the surrounding events of the slave trade. However, recent studies have begun to seize the multiple victimizations (physical and psychological attacks) undergone by Blacks during the transatlantic slave trade. We postulate that criminology can also contribute to a better understanding of the transatlantic slave trade, therefore, this study aims to evaluate Afro-descendants perceptions of the transatlantic slave trade victimizations and effects. The qualitative interview data clearly illustrates that the slave trade does not belong to the past. It is quite the contrary, the slave trade is still vivid on the spirits and the hearts. The atlantic slave trade effects hit the Afro-descendants in their daily life by means of low self esteem, low self confidence, skin color hierarchy, internal racism and self hatred. Consequently, all respondents argue for, at least, a form of reparation (monetary, ethical or political, historical, educational, pscychological, diplomatic) for the atlantic slave trade and its consequences. The data, moreover, shows that there is a division in the representations of the atlantic slave trade between those who believe the functionalist approach and those who believe the intentionalist approach, and also differences of representations according to the ethnic group (African or Carraibean).

La traite et l’esclavage négriers transatlantique n’ont jamais été étudiés d’un point de vue criminologique. En fait, à part l’histoire, peu de disciplines des sciences sociales et humaines se sont intéressées aux évènements qui constituent la traite et l’esclavage négriers transatlantique. Toutefois, de récentes recherches commencent à se pencher sur les séquelles résultant des multiples victimisations (agressions physiques et psychologiques) subies par les Noirs durant la traite et l’esclavage négriers transatlantique. Nous postulons que la criminologie peut également contribuer à une meilleure compréhension de ces évènements. Ainsi, cette étude vise à sonder les perceptions des Afro-descendants sur les victimisations et les conséquences de la traite et de l’esclavage négriers transatlantique. L’analyse des entretiens réalisés démontrent clairement que la traite et l’esclavage négriers transatlantique n’appartiennent pas seulement au passé. Au contraire, la traite et l’esclavage négriers transatlantique restent présents dans les esprits et les cœurs. Ils sont surtout perçus comme une source de victimisations actuelles touchant la communauté africaine et antillaise tels que la faible confiance en soi, la faible estime de soi, la hiérarchie de la couleur, le racisme interne…Aussi, tous les répondants plaident pour au moins une forme de réparation (pécuniaire et monétaire, éthique ou politique, historique, éducative, psychologique, diplomatique) des conséquences de la traite et l’esclavage négriers transatlantique. Les entrevues mettent également en évidence une division dans les représentations basées sur la version (fonctionnaliste ou intentionnaliste) de cette histoire, ainsi que des différences de représentations selon le groupe ethnique d’appartenance (Africain ou Antillais). / The transatlantic slave trade has never been studied in a criminology way. In fact, with the exception to history, few disciplines in the social sciences and human studies have made interest to study the surrounding events of the slave trade. However, recent studies have begun to seize the multiple victimizations (physical and psychological attacks) undergone by Blacks during the transatlantic slave trade. We postulate that criminology can also contribute to a better understanding of the transatlantic slave trade, therefore, this study aims to evaluate Afro-descendants perceptions of the transatlantic slave trade victimizations and effects. The qualitative interview data clearly illustrates that the slave trade does not belong to the past. It is quite the contrary, the slave trade is still vivid on the spirits and the hearts. The atlantic slave trade effects hit the Afro-descendants in their daily life by means of low self esteem, low self confidence, skin color hierarchy, internal racism and self hatred. Consequently, all respondents argue for, at least, a form of reparation (monetary, ethical or political, historical, educational, pscychological, diplomatic) for the atlantic slave trade and its consequences. The data, moreover, shows that there is a division in the representations of the atlantic slave trade between those who believe the functionalist approach and those who believe the intentionalist approach, and also differences of representations according to the ethnic group (African or Carraibean).