Decision making is a central concept in the study of both politics and organizations. Although much research has examined how individuals make decisions, there has been substantially less work on the consequences of these decisions. My dissertation focuses on two groups of decision makers, candidates running for office and public managers, and the effect of their decisions on the electorate and organization, respectively. The dissertation explores the impact of candidates' decisions regarding their campaigns on the electorate by examining campaign advertising during the 2000 Presidential Election. I focus on two candidate decisions. The first is to focus on certain issues as a way to prime the public to see the candidate as having certain traits, namely empathy, morality, and leadership ability. The second is to show voters that the candidate is like them by activating (i.e. priming) feelings of social identity among women, African-Americans, and Latinos. Using campaign advertising data and public opinion data, I analyze the effect of campaign advertising on voters' evaluations of the candidates to determine the effectiveness of these strategies. Results find that an effective strategy was for the candidates to air ads describing themselves as having certain traits. Talking about issues does not have much of an effect on voters' candidate evaluations. Appeals to women were not effective. Appeals to African-Americans were only effective for the Democratic candidate, and appeals to Latinos were only successful for the Republican candidate. I examine the decisions of public managers by focusing on middle level bureaucrats and the consequences of their decisions on their agencies. The agencies are public schools in Texas and the middle managers are principals. From a dataset of over 1,000 Texas school districts, I create a measure of principal quality which I then use to explore the impact of middle management on multiple school performance measures and to compare the influence of principals and superintendents on performance. I also examine the effect of principals within in the organization, namely how principals affect the turnover of the workers under them. Results find that principals have a direct and beneficial influence on organizational performance measures such as standardized test scores, college readiness, and turnover. To summarize the results more generally, the dissertation finds that the decisions actors make within the political process matter in important and significant ways.

The Battle of Sailor's Creek, 6 April 1865, has been overshadowed by Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House several days later, yet it is an example of the Union military war machine reaching its apex of war making ability during the Civil War. Through Ulysses S. Grant's leadership and that of his subordinates, the Union armies, specifically that of the Army of the Potomac, had been transformed into a highly motivated, organized and responsive tool of war, led by confident leaders who understood their commander's intent and were able to execute on that intent with audacious initiative in the absence of further orders. After Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia escaped from Petersburg and Richmond on 2 April 1865, Grant's forces chased after Lee's forces with the intent of destroying the mighty and once feared protector of the Confederate States in the hopes of bringing a swift end to the long war. At Sailor's Creek, Phil Sheridan, Grant's cavalry commander was able to put his forces south and west of Lee's Army trapping it between Sheridan's cavalry and George Meade's Army of the Potomac. After fighting a brutal, close quarters engagement, Union forces captured or killed the majority of two of Lee's corps, commanded by Richard H. Anderson and Richard S. Ewell, and severely attrited a third corps under John B. Gordon, leaving Lee only James Longstreet's corps intact to continue the struggle.

Thesis (M.P.A.)--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 2003. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2925. Typescript. Abstract precedes thesis as preliminary leaves iii-iv. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 70).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2003. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 156 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 148-156).

Thesis (M.A.)--Georgia State University, 2007. / Title from file title page. Michael Binford, committee chair; Daniel Franklin, Richard Engstrom, committee members. Electronic text (54 p. : ill. (some col.)) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed May 8, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 52-54).

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed Jan. 7, 2008). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1967. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

ABSTRACT This conceptual review is an introductory exploration of campaign evaluation's potential to support broader development processes. The review is not conclusive, but maps theoretical and empirical themes, highlights debates, identifies potentially constructive approaches, and notes areas for further investigation. It considers how a critical understanding of social systems, development paradigms and communication models may enhance campaign evaluation's transformative role. The review finds accountability to campaign funders often drives evaluation, rather than a commitment to those who most need to benefit from development. Amongst other factors, this limits evaluation's contribution to social change. The author concludes that 'constructive' evaluation differs from one context to another - each campaign requires a unique approach to optimise and sustain development outcomes. However, there remains considerable scope to develop campaign evaluation theory and practice for public value. This will require extensive dialogue; critical reflection; multidisciplinary, cross-sectoral and interorganisational collaboration; and greater commitment to sustainable development.

<p>This research is a case study of a certification drive that took place at Brock University. The study views the "certification campaign" as the critical factor in the rejection of unionization among Brock University faculty in the 1983-84 academic year.</p><p></p><p> Two factors led the researcher to examine the role of the certification campaign in the rejection of unionization at Brock University: First, the same reasons that led faculty elsewhere to unionize were also the reasons underlying the attempt at unionization among Brock University faculty. These were the unsatisfactory grievance procedures, anti-administration sentiments and unsatisfactory salary settlements; second, Brock university exhibited the same characteristics of those institutions where faculty often adopted collective bargaining. That is, Brock University was one of the young, recently established, growing universities. </p><p></p><p> seventeen faculty members were interviewed to assess two aspects of the certification campaign: a) how the arguments in favour of certification were received; b) how the campaign leadership was perceived. Axelrod (1982) maintains that all successful unionization campaigns appealed to their constituency both in terms of the arguments that they presented and also through their leadership. The interview data indicate that the arguments presented by the campaign leaders in favour of certification were not supported by faculty members, including those faculty in favour of unionization. The campaign leadership, on the other hand, did not have a favourable standing among those faculty who opposed collective bargaining in 1983-84. The campaigners were described as less mature in terms of their age and service in the university; they were perceived as political ideologues and mainly concerned with the power structures within the university. </p> / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)