Aided by the development of information technology, the balance of power in the market place is rapidly shifting from marketers towards consumers and nowhere is this more obvious than in the online environment (Denegri-Knott, Zwick, & Schroeder, 2006; Moynagh & Worsley, 2002; Newcomer, 2000; Samli, 2001). From the inception and continuous development of the Internet, consumers are becoming more empowered. They can choose what they want to click on the Internet, they can shop and transact payments, watch and download video, chat with others, be it friends or even total strangers. Especially in online communities, like-minded consumers share and exchange information, ideas and opinions. One form of online community is the online brand community, which gathers specific brand lovers. As with any social unit, people form different roles in the community and exert different effects on each other. Their interaction online can greatly influence the brand and marketers. A comprehensive understanding of the operation of this special group form is essential to advancing marketing thought and practice (Kozinets, 1999). While online communities have strongly shifted the balance of power from marketers to consumers, the current marketing literature is sparse on power theory (Merlo, Whitwell, & Lukas, 2004). Some studies have been conducted from an economic point of view (Smith, 1987), however their application to marketing has been limited. Denegri-Knott (2006) explored power based on the struggle between consumers and marketers online and identified consumer power formats such as control over the relationship, information, aggregation and participation. Her study has built a foundation for future power studies in the online environment. This research project bridges the limited marketing literature on power theory with the growing recognition of online communities among marketing academics and practitioners. Specifically, this study extends and redefines consumer power by exploring the concept of power in online brand communities, in order to better understand power structure and distribution in this context. This research investigates the applicability of the factors of consumer power identified by Denegri-Knott (2006) to the online brand community. In addition, by acknowledging the model proposed by McAlexander, Schouten, & Koenig (2002), which emphasized that community study should focus on the role of consumers and identifying multiple relationships among the community, this research further explores how member role changes will affect power relationships as well as consumer likings of the brand. As a further extension to the literature, this study also considers cultural differences and their effect on community member roles and power structure. Based on the study of Hofstede (1980), Australia and China were chosen as two distinct samples to represent differences in two cultural dimensions, namely individualism verses collectivism and high power distance verses low power distance. This contribution to the research also helps answer the research gap identified by Muñiz Jr & O'Guinn (2001), who pointed out the lack of cross cultural studies within the online brand community context. This research adopts a case study methodology to investigate the issues identified above. Case study is an appropriate research strategy to answer “how” and “why” questions of a contemporary phenomenon in real-life context (Yin, 2003). The online brand communities of “Haloforum.net” in Australia and “NGA.cn” in China were selected as two cases. In-depth interviews were used as the primary data collection method. As a result of the geographical dispersion and the preference of a certain number of participants, online synchronic interviews via MSN messenger were utilized along with the face-to-face interviews. As a supplementary approach, online observation was carried over two months, covering a two week period prior to the interviews and a six week period following the interviews. Triangulation techniques were used to strengthen the credibility and validity of the research findings (Yin, 2003). The findings of this research study suggest a new definition of power in an online brand community. This research also redefines the consumer power types and broadens the brand community model developed by McAlexander et al. (2002) in an online context by extending the various relationships between brand and members. This presents a more complete picture of how the perceived power relationships are structured in the online brand community. A new member role is discovered in the Australian online brand community in addition to the four member roles identified by Kozinets (1999), in contrast however, all four roles do not exist in the Chinese online brand community. The research proposes a model which links the defined power types and identified member roles. Furthermore, given the results of the cross-cultural comparison between Australia and China showed certain discrepancies, the research suggests that power studies in the online brand community should be country-specific. This research contributes to the body of knowledge on online consumer power, by applying it to the context of an online brand community, as well as considering factors such as cross cultural difference. Importantly, it provides insights for marketing practitioners on how to best leverage consumer power to serve brand objective in online brand communities. This, in turn, should lead to more cost effective and successful communication strategies. Finally, the study proposes future research directions. The research should be extended to communities of different sizes, to different extents of marketer control over the community, to the connection between online and offline activities within the brand community, and (given the cross-cultural findings) to different countries. In addition, a greater amount of research in this area is recommended to determine the generalizability of this study.

Cable television is an essential part of Taiwanese¡¦ life and its penetration has been already over 80%. However, the community public are lacking of positive identification toward system operators because of some problems resulting from rapid development of the industry and industrial features. The system operators not only serve the principal client, the community public, but also play the key roles in the whole working. Unfortunately, cable system continues to merge and to converge since the Cable Radio And Television Law enacted.Besides, due to the financial default of over-competition, the cable television system operators ignore the operation and development of community relationship, which is highly associated with sustainable running itself. This is also the main discord between the cable television system operators and the community public.To make a comprehensive survey of the related research on cable television, most of them focus on the performance, management strategy, rating, satisfaction and program planning. Generally speaking, these researches lack of the discussion of community relationship. Therefore, the purposes of this research include three dimensions. n To discuss the operation of cable television system operators in managing community relationshipn To find out the requirement of the community public toward cable television system operatorsn To offer operational suggestions to the cable television system operatorsThis research aims at the cable television system operators in Kaohsiung as the target group. In order to understand the community public¡¦s needs of the cable television system operators, this research first takes advantage of focus group discussion to survey the community opinion leaders¡¦ comment and depth interview method to discuss how system operators manage their community relationship as well.The third step of this paper is to add quantitative dimension to complete the research. In this part, a survey to understand the opinions of community public regarding to the community relationship that cable television operate is processed. The last part of this paper explains the data with relationship marketing in three dimensions: identification, satisfaction and participation. This paper expects to offer operational suggestions to the cable television system operators.The main results as follow:n The cable television system operators offering the basic service obtain the identification and satisfaction from the community public.n The cable television system operators view the constructional participation as the highest level in building up the community relationship.n The community public highly expects the cable television system operators to play a local media role.n The cable television system operators should improve the participation and the relationship with community public.

his thesis argues that anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) are the imperfect expression of a new type of community-based liability which seeks to regulate an individual’s behaviour in the context of his relationship with a particular community. The combination of civil and criminal elements in ASBOs stems from a political will to address responsibility for behaviour which is harmful to a community. Despite the central conceptual role played by the community relationship in ASBOs, legal provisions have failed to define the nature of that relationship, relying on judicial discretion to shape the orders’ application in practice. Judicial interpretation of ASBO legislation confirms the alternative nature of the orders, and the importance of the concept of community in creating a different type of liability. From a theoretical perspective, communitarian principles provide a basis for explaining how the individual/community relationship can justify and shape liability. The figure of a responsible individual constituted by his social interactions forms the premise of this type of liability, and the concept of community in this context is established as a fluid rather than rigid notion, defined as a social group connected by a range of specific interests. A model of community-based liability can be constructed from these principles: interference with a community’s interests can justify the imposition of liability, provided the individual’s behaviour represents a wilful engagement with that particular community. This model of liability provides a useful framework through which to re-examine ASBOs. While the case law broadly adopts the defining elements mentioned above, the use of ASBOs shows examples of misapplications of the principles of a community-based model of liability. Nevertheless, this framework also shows how ASBOs can be seen as a flexible and potentially integrative approach to regulating different types of individual/community relationships, despite the missed opportunities sometimes created by their practical application.

Evaluation of an Early Intervention System at a Law Enforcement Agency. Robert Scott Russell, 2014: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler School of Education. ERIC Descriptors: Computer Software Evaluation, Crime Prevention, Law Enforcement, Police Community Relationship, Program Evaluation. The problem addressed through this program evaluation was that no formal study had been conducted regarding the implementation and effectiveness of the BlueTeam Program (BTP) within the law enforcement agency (LEA) serving as the study site. The BTP is a program that utilizes a computer application to track officer behaviors and alert administrators to potential trends in officer misconduct and complaints against officers. The program evaluation was guided by the process and product segments of Stufflebeam's (2003) content, input, process, and product model. To conduct the evaluation, the researcher used a mixed methods approach for analyzing both qualitative and quantitative data. The perceptions of LEA stakeholders regarding the BTP, such as the sufficiency of staffing, budget, training, and ongoing support for effective implementation, were first collected. Quantitative data, consisting of archived, deidentified indicators of officer misconduct and complaints against officers acquired through the BTP, were then analyzed. Findings of the study were that the BTP was effective in reducing incidents of officer misconduct and complaints against officers and for use in identifying which alerts were valid indicators of misconduct and complaints against officers. The one concern of stakeholders involving the BTP was limited nighttime vision; the recommendation for program improvement is that this shortcoming be addressed to determine possible solutions. Recommendations for future research involve the need for initial determinations, as well as formative evaluations, pertaining to the following three areas: (a) ascertaining the way in which the early intervention system will be used, (b) identifying the indicators of misconduct that will be tracked, and (c) determining the threshold at which the system will issue an alert.

No / The central concern of this article is to advocate an inclusive and pluralistic notion of a public sphere similar to those advocated by feminist writers such as Iris Marion Young and Nancy Fraser. These ideas complement the plethora of initiatives from statutory and voluntary agencies to take on board the participation and voices of children and young people. This reflects a movement away from simplistic top¿down governance through the State towards a co-production of governance through partnerships and community involvement. However, children's participation in this public sphere is constrained through the inhibition of children's voices. These inhibitions, it is argued, pervade the private and intermediary as well as public spheres of children's lives. Thus it is unrealistic to expect children to adjust to an undifferentiated and often hostile public arena.

MASTER'S DISSERTATION ABSTRACT Name: Pavlína Bíliková Field of study: Addictology Supervisor: doc. MUDr. PhDr. Kamil Kalina CSc. Number of pages: 76 Name of dissertation: Sex and partner relationship in therapeutic community Master's dissertation abstract Presumptions: Therapeutic communities for drug users define the so-called cardinal rules for their clients in order to ensure their safe environment. In case of breaching these rules the client is usually expelled from the community. One of these cardinal rules is the one prohibiting sex or partner relationship between members of community. There is an active discussion amongst specialist about its conception and exact content. The presumptions of this dissertation are the ambiguities in the conception of the rule, its content, classification and ways of use. Aims: The aim of this work is the analysis and evaluation of the nature of the rule prohibiting sex and relationship in communities from the point of view of therapists from Czech communities for drug users. Furthermore, the author aims to map the contemporary state of interpretation of the given rule and the way of its use in Czech therapeutic communities. Methods used: The theoretical part of this work uses document analysis. The practical part is constituted by a qualitative study. The data were...

The rapid and continuous deterioration of the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria in the last four decades has been a major source of concern for the government and practitioners. Hence, the region has been the subject of continuous conflicts and violence between the host communities and the oil producing companies. Despite the effort of the government and practitioners, none have looked at the relationship elements and/or the quality of relationship between these two key stakeholders within the context of the Nigeria oil and gas industry. This research study makes a new contribution to the field of relationship marketing in the area of relationship quality by providing a detailed understanding of relationship elements, and determinants and dimensions of relationship quality. The research study focuses on the oil producing company to host community relationship in the Niger delta region of Nigeria, which was investigated in detail. A qualitative approach was adopted as it is considered appropriate for the research focus, which was to investigate and assess the understanding of different community actors in respect to the quality of relationship between the oil producing companies and host communities in the Niger delta region of Nigeria. In addition, explore how these actors described both the relationship elements and relationship quality constructs, and related this to their understanding of the relationship between the oil producing company and host community. Semi-structured interviews, as the primary method of data collection were conducted with different community actors. The literature review, as the secondary method of data collection were primarily used as a tool to double check and validate the interview findings. Sixteen community actors provided their views and opinions of the relationship between the oil producing companies with the host communities in the region. This research study extended the application of relationship quality frameworks that were conducted in a developed economic environment such as the United Kingdom and United States of America to a developing economic environment such as Nigeria through the replication of these frameworks and re-testing their constructs and propositions in order to develop a detailed and comprehensive framework of relationship quality in the context of a business-to-community (B2Com) relationship in a unique commercial context. In addition, this research study uncovered the importance of mutual goal and culture of the community people in addition to pre-identified constructs (i.e. mutual benefit, communication, control mutuality) as the key determinants of relationship quality for the oil producing company when engaging the host community in the relationship building process. This research study also explored the research on dimensions of relationship quality subjecting its main constructs (i.e. trust, satisfaction and commitment) to a rigorous qualitative test. Doing this, the finding further emphasised some consensus between these dimensions of relationship quality. In addition, the developed framework highlighted the importance of including the relationship elements (i.e. actor bonds, resource ties and activity links) when assessing the quality of the relationship between business and its community. In conclusion, this research document recommendations (such as, the local community forming a complete and harmonious whole when relating with external bodies, the need for international oil and gas companies in Nigeria to gain adequate and appropriate insight and understanding into the role(s) played by each of the actors within the Niger Delta community, and the importance of oil and gas practitioners developing and maintaining a mutually beneficial relationship in the region) for various stakeholders within the NOGI.

Através do Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento, o Brasil passou a receber diversos empreendimentos na área de infraestrutura. São muitos os projetos em fases de planejamento ou já em execução, em sua maioria localizados em regiões historicamente esquecidas pelo poder público. Os conflitos ocasionados por tais empreendimentos, envolvendo empresas e comunidades, caracterizam-se como sendo complexos, revelando desequilíbrios de poder e envolvimento de diversos atores. Tomando o conceito de conflito a partir das contribuições de Simmel, e entendendo que ele se manifesta também em aspecto latente, como na subjetividade e na formação de identidades, o conflito somente pode ser administrado por meio de métodos que consigam atuar em todos os seus níveis. O presente trabalho tem como objetivos centrais o de entender como o método da mediação pode contribuir para administrar os conflitos entre empresas e comunidades e investigar como estes conflitos estão sendo resolvidos, hoje, no Brasil. A metodologia utilizada foi qualitativa, por meio de exaustivas leituras de fontes primárias, secundárias e terciárias. Também foi feito o uso de entrevistas in loco e à distância, com lideranças e especialistas. Estudos e entrevistas in loco também foram utilizadas em dois casos: Usina Hidrelétrica de Belo Monte e Mina de Juruti. Os resultados obtidos versam sobre as possibilidades e resultados do uso da mediação em conflitos complexos envolvendo empresas e comunidades, criando paradigmas e indo além dos casos estudados aqui. Portanto, este trabalho conclui que, apesar do incentivo de uso de métodos alternativos (consensuais), os conflitos ainda são largamente resolvidos apenas pelas formas tradicionais da justiça brasileira. Como consequência, temos soluções de baixa qualidade para todas as partes envolvidas. A mediação, por sua vez, se mostra como um método bastante eficaz, com potencial de reconciliar e prevenir novos conflitos. Logo, ela deve ser institucionalmente incentivada e merece ser muito mais explorada para administrar os tipos de conflitos aqui estudados. / Through the Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento (Growth Acceleration Program), Brazil started developing several infrastructure projects. There are many initiatives at the planning stage and many are already implemented, mostly of them in regions historically forgotten by the government. The conflicts caused by these projects, which involves companies and communities, are characterized as being complex, revealing imbalances of power and the involvement of several actors. Considering Simmel\'s concept of conflict, and understanding that it manifests itself also in a latent aspect, such as subjectivity and the formation of identities, conflict can only be managed through methods that can deal with all of its several levels. The main objectives of this work is to understand how the mediation method can contribute to manage conflicts between companies and communities and to investigate how these conflicts are being solved today in Brazil. The methodology used was qualitative, through exhaustive readings of primary, secondary and tertiary sources. It was also used on-site and remotely interviews with leaders and specialists, besides case studies, such as Belo Monte Hydroelectric Plant and Juruti Mine. The results obtained are related to the possibilities and results of the use of mediation in complex conflicts involving companies and communities, creating paradigms and going beyond the examples used here. Therefore, this work concludes that, despite the growing incentive to use alternative (consensual) methods, conflicts are still largely solved only by the traditional system of Brazilian justice. As a consequence, we have low quality solutions for all parties involved. Mediation, in turn, has proven to be a very effective method with the potential to reconcile and prevent further conflicts. Hence, it should be institutionally encouraged and deserves to be much more explored to manage the type of conflicts studied here.

This study is an historical study of parent participation in school level decision making, particularly in curriculum issues, in relation to the Victorian Government policies of Devolution through the 1980s. It was conducted as a case study of one rural secondary school, examining how the role of parents in the school�s curriculum development and associated decision making structures may have changed during the decade from the early 1980s to the early 1990s. Three conceptual models were established, which served as analytical frameworks for the field data: a Theory model of how school level participation could operate, a Policies model deriving from the expectations of the major Government policies of the time, and an Historical model based on research and analyses of practice in Australia and overseas. The findings indicate that little effective parent participation developed or took place in the school over the period under study. Major contributing factors identified are the lack of policy direction and official mechanisms, especially in implementation of change, the definition of appropriate participant roles, the culture of traditional authorities in education (teacher in the classroom, principal in school processes and bureaucracy in administration), and the local factors of community attitudes and demographic profile. While the local factors are significant, it is concluded that the policies did not provide sufficient direction or mechanism to overcome the entrenched culture of traditional authorities in schooling. Changes in practice were directed more by the influence of specific personalities in single situations than any development of general attitude or institutional structure.

This study is an historical study of parent participation in school level decision making, particularly in curriculum issues, in relation to the Victorian Government policies of Devolution through the 1980s. It was conducted as a case study of one rural secondary school, examining how the role of parents in the school�s curriculum development and associated decision making structures may have changed during the decade from the early 1980s to the early 1990s. Three conceptual models were established, which served as analytical frameworks for the field data: a Theory model of how school level participation could operate, a Policies model deriving from the expectations of the major Government policies of the time, and an Historical model based on research and analyses of practice in Australia and overseas. The findings indicate that little effective parent participation developed or took place in the school over the period under study. Major contributing factors identified are the lack of policy direction and official mechanisms, especially in implementation of change, the definition of appropriate participant roles, the culture of traditional authorities in education (teacher in the classroom, principal in school processes and bureaucracy in administration), and the local factors of community attitudes and demographic profile. While the local factors are significant, it is concluded that the policies did not provide sufficient direction or mechanism to overcome the entrenched culture of traditional authorities in schooling. Changes in practice were directed more by the influence of specific personalities in single situations than any development of general attitude or institutional structure.