This thesis questions the prevailing historical models of the medieval family, using the Paston family as a test case. It reviews the theories of three prominent historians of the medieval family: Lawrence Stone, Ralph Houlbrooke and Joel Rosenthal. Whether the Paston family and particularly the women fit the models of families as defined by the above mentioned historians is the underlying question. If the Paston family does not fit these models, what does that tell us about the current assumptions made concerning the fifteen th century family? The thesis illustrates that the family models of Stone do not always apply to the Pastons. Houlbrooke's and Rosenthal's ideas on family are much more reflective of the lives actually led by the Pastons. Therefore, while we can not say that the Pastons were average, they were certainly not exceptional. The lives of the women did not fit the models as established by Stone. Their power came from the home itself, as they managed the estates, educated their children, protected their property and looked after the future financial interests of the family. Houlbrooke allows for this form of power in his studies on women. Rosenthal tends to skirt the issues of women focusing more on the power that they received as widows not as wives. If the theories of our three historians were correct or encompassing enough they would have enfolded the Paston family. Houlbrooke's theories did this. Rosenthal's arguments did not include all aspects of the family, particularly children and education. Stone's arguments, with few exceptions, did not fit the Pastons at all. If we allow for a diversity of family structures and a diversity of roles and relationships within that structure, then we will have a much more accurate picture of the fifteenth century family.

No description available.

No description available.

The region of interest in this study is the ocean area to the north of the Western Australian coast; that is, the Timor Sea. It is the tropical cyclones (TC) that generate in this area that most often affect the people and industries located in this region of Western Australia. Accordingly, it is the case that there is a continuing need to improve our understanding of these systems using both observations and numerical models. After an introduction to the problems caused by TCs in the north of Western Australia, a description is made of the study area. A review of the various meteorological systems that can be identified in the tropics is provided. This is followed by a history of research on cyclogenesis. A detailed discussion is undertaken on the current state of knowledge of tropical cyclogenesis. This theoretical understanding subsequently is applied to three case studies. Following a description of the data used and the analysis techniques, the three case studies are presented. In each case study, a system, which later becomes a tropical cyclone, is analysed during the genesis period. The three case studies examined in this thesis are, case 1 (TC Tim, 1994), case 2 (TC Elaine, 1999) and case 3 (TC Isobel, 1996). In each case, the system was studied for at least 10 days prior to it being named. This approach was adopted to ensure that any potential development was not overlooked. A system is named when it reaches sufficient intensity for gale force winds to exist in all quadrants around the centre of that system. For each case, the environment in the vicinity of the location where the system was initially identified was studied until an evolving system was identified. Monitoring of the system continued until it was named. / Observations from the Geostationary Meteorological Satellite and the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program comprised the physical data set. In parallel with this data collection activity, meteorological products from a numerical model were catalogued over the same time interval. The thesis presents comparisons of the satellite products and the model output over the study period. In part, motivated by the outcomes of this comparison, it was determined to investigate further prospects for using the array of satellite-derived products that might be more appropriate for use as a forecasting support tool. Finally, as an example, a prototype index is proposed which has potential to demonstrate the degree of development of a system. In this work, for want of a name, this index is termed the Hamilton Index (HI). It uses meteorological products derived from the microwave DMSP series of satellites and provides a temporal sequence of values of the index that are applied to monitor the developing of the TC systems in the three case studies. The meteorological variables used in the index were selected because they were accepted indicators of tropical cyclogenesis identified in the research literature. When applied to the three case studies, the HI showed a significant improvement in sensitivity to the state of development of the systems, especially when compared to the computer model data examined for the case studies.

A multiple case study of four foreign franchisors was conducted in 2000 to study the critical success factors of international franchising in East Asia. The four franchisors were chosen because they possess different international franchising capabilities and are at varying levels of internationalisation. This study provides a useful insight into how a foreign franchisor should approach and compete successfully in East Asia. Firstly, the research provides a conceptual model, which displays the six key categories and success factors for international franchising in East Asia. The study has made a significant contribution in identifying two new categories that have mostly been neglected by researchers in international franchising. Secondly, the study reveals a unique form of master franchising that is being practiced in East Asia. Thirdly, the effective management of Asian partners is found to begin with recruiting the right partners with the desired characteristics and subsequently developing a long-term mutually beneficial working relationship with the partners. Finally, successful franchisors were found to believe strongly in the power of branding and niche marketing in East Asia.

Abstract not available

Abstract not available

Offshore software development (OSD) is a leading business sector in the present ‘glocal’ IT marketplace, and vendors in different countries are opening software development centres worldwide to take advantage of the new business opportunities. However, software development is both a technical and a social process as various software modules need to be integrated, which requires ongoing interaction between the stakeholders. The software modules rely upon local knowledge regarding customer wants, project specific features, chosen design methodologies by development team members and synchronisation of activities to confirm the next design iteration. This study focuses on knowledge sharing processes involving the interplay between acquiring local knowledge and applying the knowledge acquired into the design of the client-specific software builds. New knowledge is created as new processes are applied and new outcomes realised, resulting in re-definition of software development practices. Building on existing theories with empirical case study evidence, this research reveals the socio-technical influences on knowledge management in the OSD process. Ideographic research methods have been applied to bring sensitivity in the everyday organisational activities for knowledge sharing across diverse social and cultural groups within two country contexts (New Zealand and India). Empirical data from ten case studies is used to inductively develop a conceptual framework, which has been applied to make within case and cross case comparisons across three levels of analysis (micro, meso and macro) for knowledge sharing. The micro level analysis explores individual key success drivers (behaviours and methodologies), the meso level explores organisational level practices (work processes and structures) and the macro level gives a holistic evaluation across two country contexts. Country contexts reveal that New Zealand vendors share closer cultural proximity with their clients, are engaged in client facing skills and have further outsourced software development tasks to other low cost countries. The Indian vendors are involved in software construction, prefer technical specialist skills and have defined more discipline in their software development processes. The thesis offers new insights on how vendors’ shape their software development styles based upon their beliefs and understanding of the offshore market and is especially relevant to both vendors and clients who intend venturing into the offshore market.

The combination of entrepreneurship and strategy is gaining increasing recognition as a pathway for growth within both individual organisations and national economies. Hence the benefits emerge from both a micro and macro economic perspective. Essentially, however, research on strategic entrepreneurship, being the intersection of entrepreneurship and strategy remains in the early stages. While the benefits of combining entrepreneurship and strategy are well established, specific details and underlying elements of strategic entrepreneurship as a concept remain under-developed and unsubstantiated. Prevailing models of strategic entrepreneurship are limited in number, conceptual in nature, and do not yet have practical or empirical support. Thus the question arises as to what constitutes strategic entrepreneurship?In order to address this issue a preliminary framework of strategic entrepreneurship is derived from the literature on both entrepreneurship and strategy, in order to identify the intersection of the two. This framework is then examined in the context of activity which is recognised as both entrepreneurial and strategic within three state-owned enterprises. Thus the research question addressed is:What constitutes strategic entrepreneurship in both theory and practice in the context of SOEs?Based on this examination, six elements are identified as central to strategic entrepreneurship, being opportunity identification, innovation, acceptance of risk, flexibility, vision, and growth. Additional findings uncovered inductively from the data reveal a number of supporting elements which foster strategic entrepreneurship, including strategy, culture (encompassing both people and confidence), branding, operational excellence, cost efficiency, and transfer and application of knowledge.Thus, an enhanced understanding of strategic entrepreneurship as a concept is obtained, being activity which is both entrepreneurial and strategic in nature, and characterised by the integration of the six core elements. Findings indicate strategic entrepreneurship is a concept not bound by context, and thus, may be applied to various forms of business. Such businesses which do create strategic entrepreneurship activity and are able to maintain a balance of the core elements over time have the potential for both competitive advantage and wealth creation.

My experience of baby loss was an isolated learning experience and the main objective of my research was to help better resource other women who may find themselves lost in the system caring for women when their babies die. Particularly, I wanted to highlight and possibly remedy the invisibility of women and their babies that die between 12 and 20 weeks gestation. Loss Before Life Begins was written as four journalistic articles with one of the goals to be that all or some of the articles achieve publication in a mainstream New Zealand magazine. I focussed all the research on the last 20 years, beginning in 1985. Firstly, because it coincides with the establishment of Miscarriage Support Auckland, the first group of its kind in New Zealand. Secondly, because it ensured that the participants' stories would be relevant in the current context of how baby loss is treated by society, the media and the health system. Each article had a specific purpose and aim. Firstly, The Language of Loss investigated the background of our popular understanding of baby loss, including the legal categorisations of baby loss in different gestational periods. It also included research into the language commonly used by health professionals working with women whose babies have died. Quotes from the five women who were participants in the thesis were interwoven in the article. Their stories illustrated the effects of insensitive language on a woman's experience, and the perception of care and treatment received by health professionals. Then I reviewed all mainstream media articles published in New Zealand from 1985. This disclosed the lack of articles about baby loss, and the general dearth of practical information provided when stories did appear. Secondly, And Mother Makes Me was the narrative of the five women's stories interviewed about their babies' deaths between 12 and 20 weeks gestation. I discovered that this timeframe is 'invisible' because women under 20 weeks are not part of the obstetric system, and are cared for by nurses instead of midwives. These mothers are invisible, as are their babies' deaths. Article three, The 'System' and the People Working In It encompasses the sometimes conflicting views of four leading health professionals. Possible explanations for why women whose babies die under 20 weeks are treated differently to women whose babies are considered stillborn were included. Conflicting views about the importance of the media's role emerged. Small changes in the use of medical language by health professionals were outlined. Finally, possible reasons for society's difficulty with the concept of death, and specifically the difficulties when a woman's baby dies before its life has begun were uncovered. The fourth and final article, The Way It Is and The Way It Could Be summarised the background reading; media analysis from the last 20 years; the themes from the five women's stories; and the array of health professionals' views. Included are a number of specific meaningful ways that health professionals, media outlets and society can better support the invisible women when their babies die. These include updating medical language printed in brochures; including fact boxes in editorials; giving women and their families an opportunity to talk about their losses; and reviewing 'the system' that allows women who lose babies between 12 and 20 weeks to be cared for by nurses instead of midwives.