Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio University, August, 2004. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 75-81)

Texte remanié de: Doct.-diss.--Anthropology--Berkeley, Cal., 1974. / Bibliogr. p. 195-202. Index.

This study examined the attitudes of young educated Hazaras towards Hazaragi, a politically low-prestigious language spoken in Afghanistan. The instrument included a questionnaire made of Attitude questions and Descriptive questions. The respondents expressed their beliefs about the linguistic entity of Hazaragi, desire to maintain Hazaragi, value of Hazaragi, and domains of use of Hazaragi. The results showed that half of the Hazaras who participated in the study considered Hazaragi to be a language whereas the other half did not. The majority of the participants demonstrated a commitment to maintain Hazaragi and to speak Hazaragi. With regards to domains of use, Hazaragi was considered most suitable for casual settings and use with friends. For formal contexts, such as university lectures or a government office, Dari was considered more appropriate. Gender differences were examined through independent t-tests which showed that the attitudes and perceptions of male and female Hazaras did not differ significantly. Although significant gender differences were not found, the male participants had an overall more positive attitude towards Hazaragi than the female participants.

Authentic leadership, its fundamental values, and its mediated effects on employee outcomes were studied. Past leadership studies have had different situational or environmental objectives, have concentrated mostly on the short or medium terms and have not focused on the core, fundamental values of leadership. Most of the existing leadership studies with different situational or environmental objectives have focused on the personality or behaviour of the leader and on the resulting psychological and financial outcomes, rather than on employee outcomes. Situations and environments have become increasingly complicated and their complexities cannot be explained by a single leadership style. As a result, concerns about the effectiveness of conventional leadership styles have been well noted. Both business practitioners and academic researchers are interested in finding a leadership style that works in different situations and environments, and has the potential to deliver the best, legitimate, ethical follower outcomes. Authentic leadership is the recent research focus. Harter (2002) described the fundamental concept of leader authenticity as to 'know thyself' and 'to thy own self be true'. Walumbwa, Avolio, Gardner et al. (2008, p. 94) further defined authentic leadership as 'a pattern of leader behaviour that draws upon and promotes both positive psychological capacities and a positive ethical climate, to foster greater self-awareness, an internalised moral perspective, balanced processing of information, and relational transparency on the part of leaders working with followers, fostering positive self-development'. In this study, the authenticity of a leader and the mediated effects of authentic leadership on employee outcomes were studied. Possible boundary conditions and limitations of the work were also considered. Demographic information was included with tenure-related control variables. The mediated effects of authentic leadership on employee outcomes through the psychological capital, social exchange, and uncertainty management mediation processes were examined. Drawing on the well-established theoretical background of psychological capital theory and social exchange theory, the psychological capital and social exchange mediating processes were empirically tested. The uncertainty management process was also empirically tested, by considering how employees prioritise decisions when facing uncertainties during interactions between leaders and followers. A research model was developed to study the effects of authentic leadership on the follower attitude outcome of job satisfaction and the behavioural outcomes of helping behaviour and employee voice behaviour. The direct and mediated effects of authentic leadership on employee outcomes were investigated. Questionnaires were prepared based on past studies and data were collected to empirically test the research model. The data were collected in dyads, giving 409 pairs of validated questionnaires from leaders and followers. The 409 followers worked with 103 direct supervisors or leaders in 50 organisations in Hong Kong. The study achieved its aims. Authentic leadership was found to play a significant role in followers' perceptions and to affect the followers' helping behaviour and job satisfaction. Post-hoc testing indicated that authentic leadership can be a leader's core value, regardless of the situation or environment that the leader is in. The results reinforced that authentic leadership plays an important role with a transformational objective. The psychological capital process of the self-efficacy of the leader played a full mediating role in employee voice behaviour, but not in the other two processes using trust and psychological safety as mediators. All three mediating processes had partial mediation effects on job satisfaction, possibly due to the high authenticity of the leaders in the sample. The social exchange process of trust in leaders fully mediated helping behaviour, but the other two processes using self-efficacy and psychological safety as mediators did not. Using psychological capital theory and social exchange helped to explain and understand the mediating mechanisms by which authentic leadership affects employee outcomes. The results reinforced the construct validity of authentic leadership theory. The study achieved all four of its objectives. The contributions of the study, its implications for future studies and business practitioners, and its limitations are discussed. Recommendations for future research are also included.

The purpose of this thesis is to elucidate the effects of language ideologies on African-American students' feelings of acceptance and identity in the classroom. For African-American students, the use of African American English is valued for its cultural inclusivity yet is shunned for its lack of linguistic capital in educational settings. This creates an antimony which furthers alienates the home dialect, often African-American English (AAE) from the dominant code, Standard American English (SAE). For this study, 18 African-American students, ages 12-13 were interviewed. Respondents were given a mixed response questionnaire administered in an interview format. The responses were then analyzed using basic statistical analysis. Statistical Power to detect effects was very limited due to small sample size. The results suggest that students valued the use of African American English for personal and home settings but did not find it appropriate for use in school when addressing the teacher. Implications suggest that educators should be ardent about developing an ethno-linguistic culture in the classroom. Teachers and administrators should work to affirm students' home language, where language learning begins, and use this linguistic knowledge in order to propel students forward academically.

JEFFREY LAMOND JONES, for the Master's degree of Science in Recreation, presented on April 6, 2009, at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. TITLE: Attitudes of Division I Athletes Concerning Their Collegiate Environment Major Professor: Dr. Regina Glover The purpose of this study is to investigate the attitudes of Division I student athletes concerning their university, coaches and athletic administrators, environment, and individual actions. The study consisted of student athletes from a Division I University during the Fall 2008 semester, a total of 117 questionnaires were distributed and 86 were returned. Sampling theses student athletes provided a diverse sample which included student athletes from different sports, ethnic background, gender, class rank, financial scholarship status, credit hours and weather study hall was mandatory. Surveys were placed with the Athletic department study table monitor who distributed the surveys from December 1 through December 12 to individual student athletes as they arrive to check-in from 8:00 am - 9:30 pm for study hall hours. A total of 117 questionnaires were distributed and 86 were returned. Of the 86 student athletes, 48(54.7%) were males and 38(45.3%) were females. This study included 34 (19.8%) freshmen, 17 (39.5%) sophomores, 15 (17.4%) juniors, and 20 (23.3%) seniors. The survey format and the 28 questions were based upon a panel of experts who were interviewed and participated in a pilot study to determine the number of items on the survey. A five point Likert-type scale was used to measure the perceived level of agreement in each of the areas. Descriptive statistics of frequency and percent were used for demographics to describe the sample overall mean which was computed for the 28 statements as well as individual mean. The results showed that only a small amount student athletes had a difference in attitudes in regards to the survey questions. The lowest mean score for any question on the questionnaire was 1.54. The highest mean score for any questions on the questionnaire was 4.25. Out of the 7 variables in which the study was based upon, student athletes indicated a difference in attitudes based upon weather study table hours were mandatory. There were no significant difference found between attitudes and year in school, sport, ethnicity, gender, financial scholarship, or credit hours. The study revealed that student athletes were more likely to have a difference in their attitudes based upon their study hall status, meaning student athletes with mandatory study hall will more likely have a different attitude than student athletes who are not required to attend study hall.

Master of Science / Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources / Ryan L. Sharp / Elk in Kansas were an abundant tallgrass prairie species prior to European settlement. Elk were extirpated in the 1870s and reintroduced in the late 1980s. After three decades, wild populations continue to be low in spite of good biological conditions. Broad, low stakeholder acceptance are a suspected limiting factor. Wildlife stakeholder acceptance capacity (WSAC) and tolerance models helped to frame results from an internet based survey (n=460) directed to all Kansas counties. Respondents reported high mean positive wildlife values, acceptance for elk population increase, and significantly (p<0.05) higher personal acceptance for elk than the level of acceptance they perceived in others. Encountering wild elk in Kansas was unrelated to acceptance but strongly predicted providing wildlife habitat on private land. Hunters reported the strongest wildlife attitudes but this result was not correlated with elk acceptance. Intangible benefits (e.g. positive meaningful experiences) strongly affected (p<0.00) wildlife attitudes and elk acceptance. Tangible benefits (e.g. money) was unrelated to wildlife values but respondents who reported tangible benefits from four or more wildlife species showed higher acceptance for elk on personal property than groupings based on other variables. WSAC theory suggests social carrying capacity for elk is significantly above the current population and Kansans are more accepting of wildlife than previously thought. Wildlife managers may be encouraged by these results to conduct their own social feasibility study regarding increasing the elk population to a more ecologically sustainable level.

Study done on 15 teachers in 2 counties in North Florida--P. xvi. / Kimberly R. Burgess. / Typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 328-339).

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, 2009. / Chiropractic in Israel has become a more integrated part of many aspects of health care policies, in that it is practised in multidisciplinary medical teams, is now included in HMOs and hospitals services, and has contributed to research and military programmes. However, the chiropractic profession still has its problems. Without laws or legitimate recognition to protect chiropractors, the playing fields could never be levelled for all chiropractors in Israel. Patient use and demand for complementary and alternative practitioners, including chiropractors, is gradually increasing. However, there has been no research to investigate the perceptions of chiropractors, medical doctors and chiropractic patients (i.e. key stakeholders) regarding the integration of the chiropractic profession in the Israeli health care system. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the perceptions of a selected group of stakeholders about the integration of the chiropractic profession in the Israeli health care system. Such an exploration might help the profession to secure its position and claim a higher status in society. This is desirable to educate the public and the authorities on the many positive advantages of chiropractic, include access to chiropractic services for people who traditionally have not been able to use these services because of economic barriers or internal government and authorities limiting laws, as well to enhance its public image such as honesty, integrity and objectivity in the health care, and to avoid any criticism of organized medicine. It therefore stands to reason that the factors that might contribute to this type of development should be considered as soon as possible in those countries where chiropractors practise. This type of investigation is important not only in the Israeli setting, but indeed in every country where the profession is aiming toward increased recognition and awareness of the contribution of chiropractic to health care. Chiropractic now has the opportunity to expand its influence and take a more active role in health care issues. Therefore, although geographically removed, South Africa stands to gain interesting and useful information from an investigation of this nature. The investigation was carried out within a post positivist approach close to that of critical realism, using an interpretive methodology. The sampling was purposive as individuals were targeted for their knowledge in three main topics, these being the scope of chiropractic practice, inter-professional relations between Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) and Medical Doctors (MDs), and developmental issues. The participants included five chiropractors, three medical doctors and three chiropractic patients, who all resided in the metropolitan area of Tel Aviv. were presented in tabular form in order to facilitate analysis and interpretation. Although there were some discrepancies regarding the knowledge and background of the participants about the topics discussed, all the participants met the inclusion criteria. The results show that chiropractic stands at the crossroads of mainstream and alternative medicine. Therefore it is important to establish a leading statement on identity, which must be clear, concise and immediately relevant to both the public and the profession. Although inter-professional relations between MDs and DCs in Israel are improving, further research should be conducted to provide suggestions on how chiropractors can overcome barriers and improve communication with MDs and other health care professionals in the Israeli health care system. In general, the participants agreed that governmental legislation, recognition and support are important endorsements with respect to the societal relevance and development of the profession. Therefore issues such as public awareness of chiropractic education and scope of practice, research and evidence-based practice must be emphasized accordingly in order to facilitate the development of chiropractic practice in Israel. / M

D.Ed. / The White Paper on Education and Training (RSA, 1995:12) states that in many schools serving the majority of the population, there has been a precipitous decline in the quality of educational performance. The decline, amongst other things, is the result of ineffective school management and negative educators' work attitudes. Perhaps the most important challenge in improving the quality of education in South African schools is to prepare school managers and educators effectively to carry out their responsibilities in order to ensure that effective teaching and learning takes place. The White Paper on Education and Training (RSA, 1995:22) stresses the necessity of developing expertise and skills that will enable educators to stimulate learning. South Africa has introduced a new education system, Outcomes Based Education, that forms part of the government's plan to transform the country's education. In this way, the new generation will be better equipped for life (Lister, 1997:8). This means that educators need to adjust to a completely new way of teaching and school managers need additional skills and knowledge to manage the new education system effectively in their schools. Further, the new system of education, termed Curriculum 2005, gives an educator the room to create the kind of lessons that any creative educator would like to teach, and lessons should be designed to suit the learners. Curriculum 2005 introduces a remarkable amount of flexibility into the teaching process. 'Creativity' is the word that best encapsulates the new curriculum, which means that educators will have to be creative and committed (Lister, 1997:9). Whilst the new education system presents an exciting and stimulating challenge for educators and school managers, an inordinate amount of its success, rests on the positive work attitudes of educators, and effective school management.