Invasive Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) have spread throughout the Mississippi River basin and threaten native species. The Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley has numerous water-control structures. These structures could potentially be operated to limit expansions of invasive fishes. My goal was to examine the effects of two water-control structures on movements of Silver Carp within a floodplain network of waterbodies, including an oxbow lake (Eagle Lake; LA, MS). I monitored Silver Carp movements with an acoustic array and bi-monthly active tracking. No movements occurred through the structure managed to deter carp while nine carp passed through the structure that is not managed to limit carp movements. The passages happened when i) the structure was opened, ii) hydraulic head was near zero, and iii) when Silver Carp are reportedly staging and spawning. Ultimately, my findings could help managers tailor operations of similar water infrastructure to slow the spread of invasive species.

No / Despite the United Kingdom College of Radiographers aspiration that first line reporting or commenting by radiographers be normal practice, radiographers have not as yet embraced these opportunities in clinical practice and the number of radiographer commenting (initial reporting) schemes in operation is currently limited. This study explores radiographer opinion with regard to commenting with the aim of establishing the perceived opportunities and barriers to operating a commenting scheme with respect to trauma radiography. Method A survey of 79 radiographers working within a single multi-centre Trust in the north of England was undertaken using a questionnaire. Attitudinal statements were used to elicit information on perceived opportunities and barriers to the implementation of radiographer commenting. Results Fifty three questionnaires were returned within the specified time frame (n-53/79; 67.1%). A number of barriers to implementing a commenting scheme were identified including time, technology, anatomical confidence and training. Opportunities included improving professional profile and increased professional contribution to decision making within the patient pathway. No correlation was demonstrated between respondent demographic and responses suggesting that opinions expressed were not influenced by hospital site, radiographer grade or years experience. Conclusion Radiographers generally had a positive attitude towards the implementation of radiographer commenting and felt that their operation was both beneficial to patient care and the professional profile of radiographers. However, a number of barriers were identified and while concerns regarding training may be increasingly addressed by the Department of Health’s e-learning image interpretation package, the impact of changes in technology and subsequent service operation have not yet been fully evaluated.

Magister Educationis - MEd / Insights into the experiences of students at TVET colleges can inform policies and practices. This paper focuses on an investigation into students’ experiences of access, and barriers to participation, and success at a TVET college in the Western Cape. I mainly used the theories by Margaret Archer (2003), Anthony Giddens (1979; 1984), Albert Bandura (1989; 2001; 2006), Steven Hitlin and Glen H. Elder (2006), Kjell Rubenson and Richard Desjardins (2009), and K. Patricia Cross (1981) related to structure and agency to analyse my data. Data was collected from interviews with the exit level students at a TVET college who are registered for a National Certificate (Vocational) programme. The evidence of this qualitative research revealed that students experience several institutional, dispositional and situational barriers, but find ways of overcoming these in order to complete their studies successfully. Findings show that elements of ‘agency’ such as ‘intentionality’ ‘forethought’ and self-reflectiveness are prevalent in the ways that students overcome barriers. The findings further revealed that the majority of participants accessed vocational education at a TVET college to improve their lives with the desire and intention to study further. This study generally suggests that intentionality and resilience, amongst other factors, are important elements of agency and are used to explain and interpret the positive relationship between agency, barriers to participation and success.

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Many sentinel events in acute care centers can be attributed to miscommunication of patient information at shift change. A growing body of evidence supports the implementation of bedside shift report as the standardized approach to ensure effective communication by staff. The purpose of this study was to identify the barriers that impede nurses from fully participating in bedside shift report in order to create an educational initiative to develop the nursing staff's proficiency in performing bedside report. Lewin's change theory served as the framework for the project. Data for the staff development project were collected using a focus group approach with 18 nurse participants. A classic method of analysis, defined and outlined by Krueger and Casey (2009), was used to identify themes and categorize results. A second evaluator of the data supported thematic findings. Nurses revealed barriers consistent with the literature including frequent interruptions, patient confidentiality, sensitive issues, and inconsistent report content. Barriers identified by this study, but not evident in the reviewed literature, included staff unavailability to answer call lights and having to receive report and transfers during report. An education plan was developed based on perceived barriers and evidence in the literature. Implications for positive social change include interventions to refine the current practice of bedside shift report in order to promote effective and efficient communication at change of shift. Findings can inform nursing units in the hospital and other facilities to achieve patient-centered care and improved outcomes. It is critical that nurses understand the positive impact that consistent, timely, and effective shift reports have on providing safe, quality patient care.

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Digital transformation has a significant impact on various areas of public sector organizations across the globe. While its most noticeable effect is proposed at the organizational level, digital transformation influences operational efficiency and performance. Digital transformation can enhance operational efficiency, for instance, by enabling accelerated decision-making processes through analytics and big data. Automation and improved business processes also contribute to operational efficiency. However, these organizations often encounter significant challenges in digital transformation, particularly cultural and structural barriers. While plenty of research is exploring digital transformation in private and public organizations, specific insights into the context of Swedish municipalities still need to be explored. Prior research has shown that digital transformation involves overcoming several barriers. In response to the research, this study aims to analyse the most impactful obstacles in digital transformation in public organizations: cultural and structural barriers within Swedish municipalities. The research strategy is a survey-based study involving semi-structured interviews with IT directors and managers from 14 municipalities undergoing digital transformation. The data collected was analysed using thematic analysis. The data analysis has identified a total of 19 barriers, with 11 being newly discovered and 8 reaffirmed from prior research literature and internal documents to achieve data triangulation. These findings provide a deeper understanding of these barriers, promoting the successful implementation of digital transformation strategies in the public sector.

Research report presented to SBL, Unisa, Midrand. / This thesis addresses the transformational barriers against women’s advancement in South African Platinum mining companies. The four key objectives of the study were derived to answer the research questions, that is: if South African Platinum mining companies recognize such advancement as a business imperative, if women can advance in such companies, if women need support to advance in these companies and lastly if the leadership of the said companies is embracing women’s advancement and talent. A literature review on the knowledge base of transformation was conducted to determine global, South African, industry and sector perspectives on the issues of the study and to contextualise the latter. The central research tool utilised was a questionnaire using a Likert-5 type rating scale and open-ended questions to elaborate on the objectives. Employees, on C3 level and higher in terms of the Patterson Grading System as traditionally used in the given industry, hailing from various companies of this kind were selected to respond to the questionnaire which was mailed to them. Open-ended questions were used in the development of themes and the data was analysed on the basis of tables and graphs. The findings were that transformational barriers against women’s advancement in these mines are rife. Most women were not afforded opportunities to grow, and were not given sufficient support. The study also found that leadership focuses more on economic benefits in terms of the bottom-line exclusively to human capital interventions, thus failing to strike the balance. The study concluded with recommendations as to what can be done to improve the situation with which women in these firms are faced.

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The refugee crisis has escalated significantly in Europe, becoming one of the main destinations for refugees. Sweden is one of the largest European recipients for asylum applications and was taking in the largest number of refugees in Europe in 2015 in terms of per capita; at 15 refugees per 1,000 inhabitants. With this large flow of refugees into Sweden, a large number of needs arise among the refugees along with a number of challenges concerning integration. These needs and challenges could potentially become attractive business ideas and Sweden should, theoretically, be seeing a significant increase in entrepreneurial activity with a focus on these issues. However, the phenomenon that is observed is that this does not appear to be the case with this crisis. Entrepreneurial activity does not appear to have increased significantly in relation to the refugee crisis in Sweden. Why is that? What are the underlying barriers that hinder individuals from engaging in the entrepreneurial process during the refugee crisis in Sweden? This study finds that the three main barriers after having collected 52 responses are 1) no time/ other priorities, 2) capital requirements and 3) lack of information. Furthermore, many of the barriers that were identified have to do with the individuals’ reluctance to enter the entrepreneurial process. A total of 21 respondents identified such a barrier - that is 40.4% of the responses collected. If the majority of individuals in Sweden are unwilling or reluctant to present innovative ideas, then the difficulty that arises is finding an efficient solution that reaches a large part of the population.