Many of the recent armed conflicts have taken place in cities of the Developing World. In the resulting emergency situations, water supply and sanitation are among the most essential services to restore. They form part of the urban services available to the city dwellers that are commonly managed by local water sector institutions. This is, in principle, acknowledged by aid agencies but partnerships between them and water sector institutions do not always happen because of concerns such as: independence vis-a-vis the local government; possible corruption arid inefficiency problems; and political obstacles. Moreover, agencies prefer short-term structural rehabilitation to long-term institutional development, for which they do not always feel sufficiently qualified and experienced. This study tackles the problem by determining how these partnerships influence the performance of aid operations, in particular in terms of efficiency I effectiveness in the case of emergency response and of sustainability and coverage in the case of rehabilitation. It is based on a number of case studies selected in: Kabul (Afghanistan); Jaffna (Sri Lanka); Monrovia (Liberia); Beni (Democratic Republic of Congo); Port-au Prince and Port-de-Paix (Haiti), and Grozny (Chechnya in the Russian Federation). For emergency operations, findings show that partnerships tend to take place when the type or level of technology involved and/or security conditions do not allow the aid agency to work independently from water utilities. Partnerships do not necessarily influence efficiency I effectiveness in the short term but are beneficial because they prepare for rehabilitation. In terms of rehabilitation, findings suggest that current practice maintains a separation between large-scale rehabilitation projects and community-based projects focusing on specific neighbourhoods. This has a detrimental effect on sustainability and fails to address the needs of the most vulnerable populations. The study recommends a more coordinated approach that involves a reform of funding patterns, in order to reconcile sustainability and universal service.

With the trend of globalization, competition on the 21st century’s global economy is complex and filled with challenges. More and more MNCs realize that effective leadership, as a foundation of competitive advantage, plays a crucial role in better performance of the organizations. Both practitioner and theorists thus pay numerous attention to the study of effective leadership in different countries. However, researchers still report noticeable absence of cross-cultural research in the field of the three major Western leaderships study, i.e. charismatic leadership, transformational leadership and transactional leadership. An urgent need raises to further investigate the major Western leadership styles in non-Western contexts. The study aims to explore the most effective leadership style in MNCs Chinese Subsidiaries and to answer the question “why it differs from the Western world?” through applying the Western leadership theories into Chinese business practices. Eventually, the causes behind these differences have been disclosed and discussed. By reviewing 18 peer-reviewed articles, the attributes of the three major Western leadership styles are identified. Subsequently, all dimensions of the three leadership styles are ranked in terms of effectiveness and activity. As a result of combining the rank and all the identified attributes, a theoretical model of the three leadership styles is proposed. Based on a multi-case study approach in the Chinese context, the empirical data is collected through semi-structured interviews with five Chinese managers and five Chinese followers. The result of qualitative data analysis suggests that the most effective Chinese leaders’ behaviors belong to the transactional leadership style. With reference to the proposed theoretical model, this finding differs from the Western leadership theories. The study further reveals the major causes that lead to the differences between the Chinese practices and the Western theories. Seven implications were thus concluded. The study contribute to better understanding the applicability and effectiveness of the Western leadership theory in non-Western contexts, particularly China, and further address the weakness of cross-culture research reported in existing literature. The implications of this study give advice to MNCs that are paying increasing attention to exploring effective leadership style in China.

The purpose of this study was to explore the transition experience of three individuals with intellectual disabilities, members of their family, their former transition program coordinator, and members of their support network including current employers or support service providers. This qualitative study used Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological model and Kohler’s (1996) Taxonomy for Transition to frame three case studies designed to capture the transition experience of young adults with disabilities who exited a university-based, school district funded, transition program. Using Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological perspective, which focused on a behavior or interaction of people across multiple environments, the aim was to interview individuals from the micro, meso, and exo levels within the individuals’ systems of support. The transition experience took place outside the bounds of a school and involved a broad network of support that ranged from close nuclear ties between the individual with disabilities and their family members to broader social ties between the individual with disabilities and their employer or support service provider. A total of nineteen interviews were conducted for this study. Each interview lasted between twenty to ninety minutes in length. Individuals were asked to participate in an interview to respond to pre-scripted, open-ended questions based around Kohler’s (1996) five domains of transition within the Transition Taxonomy. The nineteen interviews were transcribed, coded and organized around themes linked to the five domains of transition: student-focused planning, student development, program structure, family involvement and interagency collaboration. In addition to the five domains of transition, five additional themes were common across members of the three case studies. These additional themes included: • It Takes a Strong Interconnected Network • Recognizing Narrative is Critical • Inclusion is Important to the Community • A Knowledgeable Transition Coordinator is Integral • Life is Comprised of a Series of Transitions The transition from high school to post-school life includes a focus on employment and independent living. That transition is unique and personal, but regardless of the person, a network of support is required to ensure success. The three young adults who were interviewed and around whom the case studies were developed exemplify the importance of maintaining a strong support network as you plan for and implement the transition from school to post-secondary life. Each young adult has utilized ties with family and members of their community to secure paid employment, maintain their social circles, and expand their level of independence.

This research study sought to understand how Canadian counsellors in the province of Ontario negotiated and constructed their professional identity amid unfolding regulatory changes. These changes would bring restrictions to both title use and practice of psychotherapy once the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario was established and legislation was fully enacted. For those who identify with the title of ‘counsellor’ and share overlapping scopes of practice with psychotherapy it is uncertain what they will draw upon to construct, rework or maintain their counsellor professional identity. The intention was to build a descriptive, experiential account of the identity work being done by counsellors as they navigated through the uncertainty accompanying this period of transition. A qualitative single case study design was used to explore the particularity of this contemporary occurrence of professional identity construction employing multiple data collection sources to garner a holistic picture of this phenomenon. Input was gathered from twenty-four Ontario counsellors who were students, novice or experienced practitioners who either participated in two semi-structured interviews (n=10) or an asynchronous virtual focus group hosted in the discussion forum of Blackboard Learn™ (n= 14). Additional data sources included the use of a demographic questionnaire, participant observation, and document analysis. In order to augment more subtle or deeper meaning levels additional data collection instruments were employed and these included the use of participant diagramming, a request for a descriptive metaphor, and graphic elicitation diagram. Using a thematic analysis strategy, a within case and cross analysis of the embedded subunits was undertaken. Findings from the data analysis revealed a number of salient themes that offered insights into how counsellors construct their professional identity during periods of uncertainty. There were five higher order or global themes which emerged: (a) counsellors have a sense of agency around the construction and communication of their professional identity, (b) identity construction is a process of organic, emergent growth that continues throughout professional life; (c) the shaping and negotiation of counsellor professional identity is guided by values; (d) when change contexts arise counsellors safeguard identity integrity by protecting its distinctiveness, definitional parameters and characterization in practice settings; and (e) during transition periods counsellors are willing to execute adaptive shifting as part of their identity work provided this does not infringe upon their professional values. Results indicate that meaning, values and agency galvanize the professional identity work done by counsellors and during transition brought about by a significant exogenous change event, such as the recent moves toward professional regulation, these negotiation strategies prevail. This case study took advantage of a contemporary instance of counsellor professional identity construction during unprecedented change to provide not only a rich description of this phenomenon but also to introduce a thematic diagram to act as a starting point for further discussion. Implications for counsellors, counsellor education and training programs, the profession, and future research are each discussed along with ideas for fostering informal avenues for counsellors across the experience spectrum to nurture their professional identity in a protean, agential manner.

This dissertation uses a case study approach assess the postcrisis communication between the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Roane County community following the 2008 coal ash spill. More specifically, the researcher explores the relationship between organizational renewal and community involvement by means of an in-depth case study analysis. The dataset includes transcripts from interviews with Tennessee Valley Authority leaders, as well as neighboring community members, all of whom were involved in the postcrisis recovery. Supporting data was collected from archival records made available to the public online and dedicated specifically to the Roane County project. The results, implications for practitioners, and future research are discussed. The major findings of this case study offer insight into the ways in which the discourse of renewal can be expanded to incorporate elements of community involvement, thus working toward a collaborative approach to the renewal framework.

This study investigates how mathematics teachers help Visually Impaired (VI) learners to construct mathematics knowledge. This investigation involved identifying the challenges encountered by high school mathematics teachers in teaching mathematics to VI learners, the approaches used and the assistive technology used to adapt and modify the curriculum to accommodate VI learners, and also aid the learners to access and construct mathematics knowledge. A constructivist approach was employed, allowing a discussion of how high school mathematics teachers redefine their position from that of a teacher to that of a facilitator who guides and stimulates VI learners to construct their own knowledge. A case study of two teachers from one of the special schools that offer mathematics up to FET phase was conducted. Data were collected from the teachers through classroom observation and semi-structured interviews. The study revealed that the teachers‘ experience resulted in a variety of challenges in teaching mathematics to VI learners. This finding further reveals that the approaches used to teach mathematics to VI learners are not different from those used in mainstream education. However, modification to the curriculum content is inevitable. Additionally, the selection of the appropriate approach and the effectiveness of using it to assist the VI learner depends on the skill, knowledge and the experience of the teacher in teaching mathematics to VI learners. The study also revealed that assistive technology is essential for enlarging the text to the correct font of the learner and translating print text to braille to help blind learners complete their tasks. For example, while a transformer HD is used to enlarge text, the scientific notebook, Math Type and Duxbury programs are used to generate braille text. Additionally, the Tactile View and View Plus programs are used to produce embossed sketches, while Perkins braillers and talking calculators provide further independence. Due to the limited number of participants in the study and the focus on a single case, the dissertation does not aim to generalise the results to all special needs schools in South Africa. However, the findings will be of great benefit to those teachers teaching mathematics in special needs schools with VI learners to take a step forward in introducing mathematics at FET phase level. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / MEd / Unrestricted

No description available.

No description available.

<p>Nursing is a primary partner on the interprofessional team, yet there is minimal empirical evidence of nurse educators acting as architects of interprofessional education. Feminist poststructuralism (FPS) guides an exploration of nursing’s engagement in interprofessional education (IPE) using Yin’s (2009) case study methodology. A multiple case design of three English-language baccalaureate nursing programs investigates research questions: What are the antecedents of nursing’s engagement in IPE; how are nurse educators/nursing faculty engaged in IPE; how does gender impact nursing’s involvement in IPE development and implementation; and, how is nursing’s IPE engagement impacted by contextual factors inherent in health professional and academic contexts? Data from documents, archival records, individual and focus group interviews, field notes, non-participant observation, and a demographic questionnaire are reported in three individual case reports. A cross case analysis report is interpreted through FPS tenets including language, discourse, subjectivity, and power. Findings indicate that despite valuing IPE, nursing’s IPE engagement is minimal, inconsistent, and diverse in the presence of discrepant and/or uncertain understandings of the term interprofessional. The cross-case analysis outcome speaks principally of nursing’s general experience in the academy, with IPE engagement seemingly providing the vehicle to convey messages of enduring concern and tension inherent in nursing’s experience in the academy. Prominent concepts uncovered include nurse academic, professional subjectivity, and professional identity. Historic, hegemonic discourses of women, nurse, and nursing’s relationship with medicine impact nursing’s professional subjectivity such that nurse academics’ sense of professional self and professional confidence are viewed as antecedents to nursing’s IPE engagement.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Problem:  Triggered by the present emission scandal of Volkswagen, we came across the fact that corporate crises constitute a revenant topic in the business world. They often entail significant consequences for the affected companies such as reputation damages, financial losses and loss of trust from stakeholders. Also the people working at these companies experience exceptional situations, managers as well as employees on all levels. Corporate crises can be influenced by many factors, for instance through internal triggers like power distance, transparency and communication. These factors can influence the development of a corporate crisis in a positive as well as in a negative manner.  Purpose:  With the underlying study our goal was to find fostering and hindering factors for corporate crises that are connected to internal processes within multinational companies. Initially we sought to understand which impact organizational structures have on the crisis management in a company. Later in our study, the impact of corporate culture as well as cultural origin emerged and caught our interest. That resulted in a shift of our focus towards the impact of a company’s cultural origin on corporate crisis management.  Method:  For the underlying master thesis, we conducted 17 semi-structured interviews with 13 companies and investigated the real-life case of Volkswagen through secondary data. Based on that we created 14 case studies. Through a highly explorative iterative process, we further analyzed our collected data going back and forth between our empirical data and emerging theory.  Main Findings:  Our empirical data suggested that corporate crises can be triggered internally, initiated for example by strict governance, hierarchy and insufficient transparency. Moreover, organizational structures are strongly influenced by the corporate culture of a company. Corporate culture, furthermore, seems to be strongly influenced by the cultural origin of a company, regarding decision-making procedures, responsibilities and communication. Finally, in the perception of our respondents within our empirical study there is a link between the cultural origin of a company and its crisis management.  Contribution:  Although crisis management constitutes an exhaustive researched topic, we were able to contribute to the area of crisis management with an empirical indicator of the cultural origin of a company constituting an impacting factor for corporate crisis management. This coherence has not been acknowledged by crisis management literature to a meaningful extent so far.