This research investigates the interaction process between building clients and construction professionals. The context of the interaction is the first meeting between the parties to discuss a potential construction project. The objective of the research was to determine whether clients, with differing levels of construction experience, and construction professionals, from different disciplines (architects, quantity surveyors, consulting engineers and contractors), exhibit distinctive interaction characteristics, both in terms of how they interact and the subject matter of their interactions. In order to test a number of hypotheses about the interactions an experimental procedure was developed. This involved arranging a series of interviews between the different client types and the construction professionals. 44 interviews were conducted with each one being recorded and then transcribed. Additional data was collected in the form of participant questionnaires and personality tests. Transcripts were coded using systems developed for this investigation, using measures of nature of interaction and subject matter. Processing and analysis of the data was conducted using ethnographic computer software and programs written specifically for this research project. A database was created from the interview data which allows selective retrieval of segments of interviews. The database comprises of approximately 215,000 words, with 58,000 codes assigned to text segments. The results of the analysis are presented in both quantitative and qualitative forms, and show that there are significant differences in the interactions. In interviews between inexperienced clients and professionals the professionals make the greater contributions, dominating the clients. There is a reversal of the roles when experienced clients interact with professionals, with the clients assuming the dominant position. In addition the results show that in interviews between inexperienced clients and professionals, the four professional disciplines emphasis different factors. All professionals raise issues relating to primary factors such as time, cost and quality. However, the discussion of other building factors was more specific to a particular professional discipline. Finally, the research also concluded that the element of personality differences in interviews was an influential factor in determining whether their outcome was perceived as successful by the participants.

This research investigates the interaction process between building clients and construction professionals. The context of the interaction is the first meeting between the parties to discuss a potential construction project. The objective of the research was to determine whether clients, with differing levels of construction experience, and construction professionals, from different disciplines (architects, quantity surveyors, consulting engineers and contractors), exhibit distinctive interaction characteristics, both in terms of how they interact and the subject matter of their interactions. In order to test a number of hypotheses about the interactions an experimental procedure was developed. This involved arranging a series of interviews between the different client types and the construction professionals. 44 interviews were conducted with each one being recorded and then transcribed. Additional data was collected in the form of participant questionnaires and personality tests. Transcripts were coded using systems developed for this investigation, using measures of nature of interaction and subject matter. Processing and analysis of the data was conducted using ethnographic computer software and programs written specifically for this research project. A database was created from the interview data which allows selective retrieval of segments of interviews. The database comprises of approximately 215,000 words, with 58,000 codes assigned to text segments. The results of the analysis are presented in both quantitative and qualitative forms, and show that there are significant differences in the interactions. In interviews between inexperienced clients and professionals the professionals make the greater contributions, dominating the clients. There is a reversal of the roles when experienced clients interact with professionals, with the clients assuming the dominant position. In addition the results show that in interviews between inexperienced clients and professionals, the four professional disciplines emphasis different factors. All professionals raise issues relating to primary factors such as time, cost and quality. However, the discussion of other building factors was more specific to a particular professional discipline. Finally, the research also concluded that the element of personality differences in interviews was an influential factor in determining whether their outcome was perceived as successful by the participants.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the aspects of therapy as proposed by "common factors" literature (e.g., extratherapeutic change, hope and expectancy, therapy technique, and therapeutic relationship) by surveying the clients of a university based family therapy clinic. Data were used to provide information about what factors are therapeutically helpful according to the client's perspective. Surveys provided a quantitative and qualitative description of the client's therapeutic experience and were compared with those aspects of therapy found in the research. Quantitative results indicate that therapeutic relationship, client motivation, factors outside of therapy, and hope and expectancy accounted for around 49% of the variance of clients' perception of change and about 73% of the variance of clients' perceptions of therapy helpfulness. Findings further suggest that the clients' level of hopefulness and expectancy for positive change is the most significant predictor for both client change and therapy helpfulness. Qualitative results indicate that the therapeutic relationship is considered by clients to be the most helpful aspect of their therapeutic experience. / Master of Science

Parents with adolescents often find themselves caught in the stress and strain that normally accompanies this stage of life. It is when parents cannot meet the demands of troubled adolescents that they find themselves seeking family therapy. Most of what is reported about the process of therapy continues to be from the therapist's or reseacher's perspective. There has been an increased interest in what clients have to say about their experiences. The purpose of this study was to develop a detailed description of how parents of adolescents who attended family therapy in private practice settings viewed their experiences. Fifteen parents who had been to therapy with their adolescent were recruited by their therapist to be interviewed for this study. A multicase qualitative design and constructivist theoretical framework guided the investigation. The constant comparative analysis was used to develop four core categories that described the subtitles of parents' therapeutic experience. Five case stories illustrated the core categories and parents' quotes were used to further embellish the findings. The findings included parents' experiences prior to beginning therapy, during therapy as well as reflections in retrospect. The pre-therapy presentation, based on expectations and past experiences in treatment, affected the way parents initially approached therapy. A supportive therapeutic climate was necessary for parents to trust and become open to possibilities and do the hard work required to make changes. The story of their current experience was part of the family therapy process. Parents recognized changes and what they valued about their experiences in family therapy. / Master of Science

Magistrinis darbas „Elektroninių dokumentų surinkimas ir klasifikavimas įmonės klientų atsiliepimų monitoringo sistemoje“ yra monitoringo sistemos dalis, skirta įvairioms įmonėms efektyviau tvarkyti klientų atsiliepimus (elektroninius dokumentus). Tai galima atlikti pritaikius ir sujungus keletą efektyvių algoritmų į vieną bendrą sistemą, modelį. Šiame modelyje panaudotų algoritmų pagalba galima rankiniu ar automatiniu būdu surinkti elektroninius dokumentus, suklasifikuoti juos į atitinkamas kategorijas ir nukreipti nagrinėjamus dokumentus atitinkamai atsakingam žmogui. Sukurtas modelis turėtų paspartinti įmonės paslaugų tobulėjimą, sutrumpinti reakcijos laiką į klaidų pranešimus ar nusiskundimus. Pagrindinės sistemos galimybės ir privalumai: • Gana paprastas sistemos valdymas; • Pritaikyti 2 algoritmai elektroniniams dokumentams surinkti; • Dokumentų klasifikavimo rezultatų tikslumui užtikrinti pritaikyti raktinių žodžių svorių nustatymo algoritmas ir pakartotinis patikslinimas 10% ribose. Magistrinio darbo pirmajame skyriuje, iškelta įmonių klientų atsiliepimų surinkimo ir klasifikavimo problema. Apžvelgtos jau egzistuojančios monitoringo sistemos, nustatyti sistemų pagrindiniai pliusai bei minusai. Esamų informacijos surinkimo ir klasifikavimo algoritmų analizė. Pateiktos bendros analizės išvados. Antrajame skyriuje apibrėžti monitoringo sistemos realizuotame modelyje siūlomi sprendimai, įmonės klientų atsiliepimų stebėjimui ir vertinimui. Pavaizduoti realizuoto modelio... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / “Gathering and classification of electronic documents in feedback from clients company monitoring system” is a part of all monitoring system. This part of monitoring system will help companies for effective clients feedback analization. This we can do, by adapting some effective algorithm, to one common system. In this, feedback of companies clients monitoring system, model used algorithm, we can handle e-documents in classical or automatical way and clasify them into predifined categories. Created model has to increase companies improvement and speed up reaction time to errors messages. Main system possibilities ant advantages: • Rather simple system control; • Adapted 2 algorithm for gather e-documents; • For documents clasification adapted keywords weight algorithm. In the first section of this paper, raised companies clients feedback gathering ant clasification problems. Review main advantages and disadvantages of existing monitoring systems. In the second section of this paper, offer solutions for companies monitoring system. Introduced with monitoring system model, user interfase and database schemes. In the third section of this paper, described all experiments and conclusions.

This thesis presents a comparison among two different open-source company-solutions, taking into account the cost, performance and functionality. The compared open-source solutions are: LTSP and Openthinclient. The thesis also explains the normal client/server environment, fat- and thin-client environments and the concept of cloud computing. Giving a final answer to which product is the best is a challenging task since they both have strong and weak sides. Depending on what the customer is after when looking to invest into an open-source alternative of thin-client solutions, the result will be different.

Dans ce travail de recherche, nous analysons des phénomènes de connivence à caractère oppositionnel, désignés sous le terme de « résistance conjointe » impliquant des salariés au contact et des clients dans le cadre de la relation de service. Pour cela, nous explorons trois courants de la littérature que sont : la résistance des salariés, la résistance des consommateurs et la relation de service. Cette recherche qualitative est adossée à trois études de cas : une grande enseigne culturelle, une entreprise issue du service public et une organisation du secteur de la santé. Elle est principalement constituée d’entretiens de salariés au contact que nous qualifions de « résistants ». Les résultats de nos travaux montrent que les salariés au contact tentent d'associer les clients à leur actions résistantes selon une échelle à trois degrés : résister au nom de, résister pour et résister avec. Dans le prolongement de cette recherche, nous proposons un modèle théorique de compréhension du fonctionnement de la relation de service. Basé sur la notion de « double rapport social », ce modèle décrit et analyse l'apparition de phénomènes de résistance au sein de la relation service. Mots-clés : Résistance, résistance du personnel au contact, résistance des clients, résistance conjointe, relation de service, rapport social / On behalf of, for and with the consumers, front-line workers’ resistance around the service relationship. In this research, we analyze collusion phenomena with an oppositional character, referred to as “joint resistance”, involving front-line workers with consumers within the service relationship. For this, we explore three streams of literature that are: employees resistance, consumer resistance and the service relationship. This qualitative research is backed by three case studies : a large cultural retailer, a privatized postal service and an organization of the health sector. Our study consists mainly of interviews of front-line workers’ wich we designate as “resistants”. The results of our studies show that front-line workers try to associate the consumers to their resistant actions on a scale of three levels: resist on behalf of, resist for and resist with. In continuation of this research, we propose a theoretical model of understanding of the service relationship. Based on the concept of “double social relationship”, this model describes and analyzes the emergence of resistance phenomena in the service relationship. Keywords: resistance, front-line workers’ resistance, consumer resistance, joint resistance, service relationship, social relationship

The field of regulated financial services has been ill-served by marketing theory. As a consequence: (1) the nature of marketing in this sector has been misunderstood; (2) the key mechanism for generating new business in the field, namely, referrals, has been the subject of serious misapprehension; and, (3) the guidance offered to practitioners has been negligible. In particular, the role of the independent financial advisor (IFA) appears to have been conceptualised as a sales role, and the nature of the relationship between the IFA and the client has been addressed as though it were a straightforward buyer-seller relationship, with the IFA selling products to the client. It is unlikely that these conceptualisations were ever satisfactory and following recent regulatory changes in the sector they have become even less relevant. Since January 1st 2013 commission-based selling of financial investment products to consumers has been prohibited so that independent financial advice has become largely a fee-based service. The focus of this research is on referrals as a method of generating new business; the research context is the UK independent financial advice industry. The objectives of the study are to: (1) define and conceptualise referrals in the context of the financial advice industry; (2) develop a framework of the referral process; (3) provide practitioners with empirical evidence in connection with their embedded beliefs about referrals in this industry; (4) explore whether (as many practitioner believe) it is possible to actively manage referral generation within a financial advice business; and, (5) to investigate the importance of referrals as a means of generating new business for advisors. It was found that practitioners believe they influence referrals in four main ways: excellent service, higher qualifications, contact frequency and speed of response. However the results of this study clearly indicate that referrals are not the outcome of agency; they are a random occurrence, determined by happenstance and the result of an opportunist conversation between a prospect and a client. In turn, contrary to the advice of consultancy providers, asking for referrals was found to be ineffective and not welcomed by consumers. While word-of-mouth (WOM) often instigates referral generation, the value of WOM, needs be treated with caution, since consumers were found to have limited understanding of the service provided by independent advisors. Despite the importance consumers attribute to investment performance practitioners do not, commonly, provide investment benchmarks nor do consumers use analytical tools to assess the performance of their advisor. The absence of performance measures connects with the finding that practitioners have difficulty in describing what they do hence consumers are uncertain how to describe the service and what to say about it when asked.

Mindfulness meditation is an emerging trend, and previous research conducted focused on benefits of mindfulness meditation as a training technique for beginning counselors, symptoms mindfulness meditation may alleviate, and specific types of mindfulness meditation (e.g., Feldman, Greeson, & Senville, 2010; Greason & Welfare, 2013; Khoury et al., 2013; Sedlmeier, et al., 2012). Little research exists on the client’s experiences when mindfulness meditation is used within the counseling session; therefore the primary goal of the present study was to explore experiences and potential benefits of mindfulness meditation and its clinical application in session. Because previous research done on mindfulness meditation used a quantitative approach, the present study utilized a qualitative approach which allows richer and more descriptive data from the participants. Themes which emerged from the data included: (1) variations of individual experience, (2) mental, physical, and emotional components, (3) perceptions of mindfulness meditation, (4) preferences for mindfulness meditation, and (5) continued practice implications.