The focus of this research is the construction of a shared vision for the environment. Specifically, the purpose of this research was to examine the construction of shared vision between different rhetorical communities for the Lake Omapere Restoration Project. In this investigation, I applied Bormann's (1972; 1983) symbolic convergence theory to the communication processes of the Resource Management Act (1991). The intended outcome of this research was to gain further understanding of the communication processes in place within the Resource Management Act 1991 in order to foster a more holistic, bicultural approach for the development of Aotearoa New Zealand*. My premise was that shared understanding through storytelling could be a useful tool for producing equitable bicultural environmental decisions. This research is concerned with how that shared vision is created rhetorically. It is based on the theoretical understanding that language constructs people's social reality (Escobar, 1996; Pearce, 1989). The literature review established that people make sense of the material world through language, deep emotional connection to the land and decision-making processes. This discussion of the different ways people come to view the material world provided the background for the central research question. The primary research question that guided the investigation was how do different rhetorical communities construct shared vision for the environment? In order to answer this question data were collected using archival records retrieved from the Northland Regional Council. The analysis of the data involved the application of Bormann's (1972; 1983) symbolic convergence theory to the construction of shared vision for the polluted condition of Lake Omapere in Northland. The fantasy theme analysis of the texts revealed two fantasy themes personifying Lake Omapere: first, the story of the dying lake, followed by second fantasy theme of the salvation of the lake. These two fantasy themes provided the rhetorical ground for the evolution of shared rhetorical vision for the restoration of the wellbeing of Lake Omapere. Following Bormann (1972; 1983), the study showed that symbolic convergence theory accounts for the irrational as well as rational aspects of positive collaborative action for the environment. This research has contributed to knowledge by showing that Bormann's (1972; 1983) symbolic convergence theory is a useful framework for explaining the process by which different rhetorical communities construct shared vision. The fantasy theme analysis approach was specifically designed for this research. Burke's (1966) "hexed" pentad was used in the initial stages of analysis to determine the elements of the fantasy themes. This study showed that construction of shared vision encompasses at least three forms of communication: consciousness creating, raising and sustaining. The study also contributed further questions as to the nature of the resulting shared vision. This study shows that the democratic dialogue that is produced from sharing stories can result in justice. The emergence of shared vision produced a new reality and an altered worldview where kaitiakitanga** has become a crucial focus for the future of Lake Omapere. The restoration of the wellbeing of Lake Omapere through establishing kaitiakitanga is now a rhetorical reality and will shape future decisions made regarding the management and restoration of the lake. The implications involved with incorporating the indigenous spiritual relational perspectives in legislation are a crucial concern for environmental decision-making both locally and internationally and further application of symbolic convergence theory research in this area is recommended.* Aotearoa New Zealand combines both the Māori and English names and is used in this thesis to acknowledge the bicultural intention of environment resource management.** Stewardship.

Ever since the Toyota Production System (TPS) was re-named and introduced into the western culture as the Lean philosophy, many studies and articles have been published where the benefits of this philosophy are highlighted and directly related to improvements on the performance and efficiency of manufacturing processes, more specifically in the car manufacturing industry. Since the focus of these studies has been mostly on measurable benefits, the human aspect that exists in every organization and the effect that Lean can have over this aspect have been left out of the spotlight. Because of this, the present study has the main purpose of presenting the findings obtained by a limited number of studies performed on the subject, and based on their results, determine what type of effects can a new way of work based on the Lean principles have over the mental and physical well-being of people, and which aspects are important to consider when implementing Lean in order to avoid negative results and negative effects on people. By identifying the potential effects that Lean could generate over people, and the aspects related to them, the present study is intended to provide a wider vision to the reader about the two components that the Lean philosophy is built on, one being a practical component made of tools and another focused on the development and motivation of people inside an organization, and the potential consequences of giving relevance to only the practical side of Lean. In addition, the present study also emphasizes the importance of certain aspects that are always present in the context of any organization, as is the case of culture, which have been identified through the experiences collected by different studies and have been determined as essential to be considered in any strategy of implementation of Lean. With all this information, the present study is expected to provide readers with the basic knowledge that any Lean implementation effort should consider in order to increase the chances of a successful implementation of Lean where positive results are obtained while the safety and well-being of employees is maintained in the process. Even though the present study does not involve the study of a particular case, the information collected and presented in this work summarizes all the relevant knowledge that has been acquired by all the limited studies performed on this interesting topic, and therefore represents a very good step towards the acknowledgment of the importance that the human aspect has on the final outcome of any Lean implementation.

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that international legal considerations played a vital role in the Cuban Missile Crisis All major areas of legal considerations are discussed, including both an American and Soviet perspective. An analysis of the American approach to the crisis exemplifies the participation of various departments of the Executive )branch, Congress, the Executive Committee of the National Security Council, and the President. The approach by the Soviet Union in justifying the deployment of offensive nuclear weapons and the Kremlin's objection to the U. S. quarantine of Cuba were influenced by legal considerations. The time period that this study encompasses is August 1962 through October 1962, a period much'longer than is usually associated with the crisis.

Context: Data is at the heart of any information system. Choosing the appropriate database and its operation is a major decision for any company and choosing from the pool of different options can can feel overwhelming. In this thesis we take a look at the main factors to consider when making your decision, to help you with the whole process. This thesis will explore the selection, prioritization and considerations when choosing a database. It is aimed at exploring the recent uptake and impact of NoSQL in companies and analyze the results of the literature and empirical study. Aim and Objectives: Our aim is to investigate the recent uptakeand continued use of NoSQL databases in software development companies. It is imperative to know how companies are choosing to adopt the right technology for their application. The objective is to provide instructions for companies on how to choose the right DB for their needs and what to consider. Method: Interviews are conducted to find out the process/approach that practitioners employ when choosing the database technology. Then an analysis of the considerations and their priority is conducted using a questionnaire. The focus is on the considerations, meaning factors to consider when choosing a database. Results: The result of the interviews show that infrastructure is the most essential consideration when choosing a DB, and the survey questionnaire show that consistency is the most essential consideration. Conclusions: The result suggests that there are several essential considerations when choosing a database. Furthermore, we conclude that the challenges of adopting NoSQL technology may be the following: only provide eventual consistency, which can impact availability and performance, reliability, the challenges of transitioning, keeping track, lacking data integrity, handling of complex queries, and security and privacy risks.

The growth of Independent Study divisions of the state-supported educational institutions of the area covered by the states of Utah, Nevada, Idaho and Wyoming, and the increasing demands for the establishment of new curricular offerings, coupled with these states' limited financial resources, make the exploration of possible cooperative offerings a rather crucial necessity. The purpose of this study was to develop and appraise the climate for developing a consortium of the Independent Study divisions of Utah State University, University of Utah, University of Nevada, University of Idaho, and University of Wyoming. A systematic sequence of approach for accomplishing the stated objectives was developed and prospective problems faced in the implementation of the proposed model were identified. The possibilities of developing the above mentioned consortium were explored through the following sequential approach: Step 1. Conduct a review of related literature, with special emphasis on the processes involved in the development of consortia. Step 2. Informally disseminate the objectives of the study among potential participants and, then, appraise their reactions. Step 3. Conduct a thorough feasibility study through individual exploratory interviews with the potential participants. Step 4. Extract and channel the expressed desires of the potential participants into a systematic approach to consortium development. Step 5. Obtain feedback on the proposed systematic approach and recommendations.

Business is an incredible social construct of the world, consisting of firms that are part of and arise from society. However, businesses have come under increasing scrutiny from internal and external stakeholders over sustainable business practices. A sustainable business model creates a balance between integrity, equity and financial prosperity, the so-called triple-bottom-line. Environmental, social and governance issues (ESG) have become the modern-day proxy for sustainable business practices. The relationship between sustainable business practices and corporate financial performance is a relatively new but prominent area of research in practice and academia in South Africa. This study explores the relationship between ESG disclosure performance and the corresponding corporate financial performance (CFP) for 70 sampled firms listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) between the periods 2011 and 2019. In line with international and South African research, ESG in its composite and disaggregated form was considered against a select number of CFP metrics. Select accounting-, market- and qualitybased CFP metrics were considered. Quantitative research methods were employed, using panel regression models to investigate the ESG-CFP relationship where ESG was the independent variable while the CFP metrics were individually considered as the dependent variables. All CFP data was obtained from Bloomberg and Bloomberg's proprietary ESG scores were used. This study finds a statistically significant negative relationship between ESG and the selected CFP metrics. Upon disaggregating the ESG scores, it was evident that the E- and S-scores were also significantly and negatively related to the CFP metrics whilst the G-score was positively related to CFP, but it was not statistically significant. The empirical evidence suggests that over a nine-year investment horizon, higher ESG disclosure performance detracts from firm fundamental and market performance. Further interpretation of the results in conjunction with the literature may suggest that ESG ought to be seen as an insurance policy against excessive underperformance during volatile periods and not a CFP enhancer. Therefore, being “over-insured with ESG” may lead to underperformance.

No / Skeletal muscle has long been established as a highly multifunctional organ, playing a vital role in locomotion, whole-body metabolic and energy homeostasis, and thermoregulation. More recently, emergent evidence has highlighted a potent secretory role for muscle, producing and releasing “myokine” molecules that act in autocrine, paracrine, or endocrine fashion to govern muscle physiology and regulate whole-body homeostasis via multi-tissue cross talk mechanisms. Myokines represent promising therapeutic targets in health and disease, with their discovery, measurement, and functional importance being a hotbed of research across numerous physiological contexts. Here, we provide an overview of myokines and summarize current understanding of their biological role(s). We also outline primary approaches for myokine analysis, including detailed methodology for performing omics-driven myokine prediction, while further appraising both method-specific and general technical considerations to provide an evidence-based approach for designing and conducting myokine experiments.

The existing buildings in the UK are not designed to be functionally adaptive to fit a spectrum of purposes. Alternatively, scrapping these buildings and building anew does not appear to be an economically viable and environmentally sustainable solution either. Proactive solutions to respond to future potential changes of use are rare in previous and current building designs, which ultimately make these buildings functionally redundant. At present, curiosity about adaptable buildings is spreading among owners, developers and policy makers; however, no detailed investigation has been undertaken to identify the economic costs and benefits of adaptability in new buildings. Thus, the present endeavour was designed to bridge this gap. The research exploited both case studies and survey designs to explore the answers to the above problem. Two case studies were undertaken to establish that building changes occur over time, as well as to assess their economic implications in the current built environment at both macro and micro levels. Three web-based surveys (WBS) were designed and circulated among quantity surveyors and architects of the 100 leading consultancy practices in the UK to identify both the design and economic aspects of adaptability in buildings. The total numbers of respondents to WBS1, WBS2 and WBS3 were 13, 32 and 42, respectively. In addition, data was collected from semi-structured interviews with two policy makers, two structural engineers, a quantity surveyor and a facilities manager. Unstructured interviews with a senior planner, a project manager, two architects and a services engineer were used to clarify the issues of design and planning for adaptability in buildings. The findings were interwoven to develop a conceptual framework to identify the economic considerations for adaptability in new buildings. Two workshops were undertaken with the industry partners for the Adaptable Futures research project to verify the results obtained from the case studies and to test the usability of the developed conceptual framework. The group members had multi-disciplinary backgrounds of architecture, quantity surveying and structural engineering, allowing a robust grounding for verification. The results contribute to the body of knowledge in two ways. Firstly, the developed conceptual framework identifies the economic considerations (costs and benefits) for change of use in buildings within the wider context of adaptability over the lifecycle aspects. This will assist owners/clients and developers in their economic decisions for designing new buildings for potential adaptations. Secondly, the research findings strengthen the reliability of the existing body of knowledge whilst confirming the urgent need for designing new buildings towards potential adaptations. In addition, the findings strongly emphasise plan depth and floor to ceiling height as the most influential design parameters for building change of use, the details of which are not highlighted in the previous literature.

This document offers performers, scholars, and enthusiasts of Olivier Messiaen’s Vingt Regards sur l’enfant-Jésus a summary of recent research on both the composer and the composition, while probing new directions for future Messiaen and Vingt Regards research. After an opening chapter which contains a brief biography of the composer, Chapter two draws from Messiaen’s two theoretical treatises, the Technique de mon Langage Musicale and the Traité de Rythme, de Couleur, et d’Ornithologie to consider analytical issues surrounding the work. These two documents reveal a wealth of rhythmic and harmonic innovations, as well as a unique connection between sound and color. A particularly significant contribution here is the discussion of Traité in the context of the Vingt Regards. In addition to relevant context from before and after the Vingt Regards, Chapter three discusses religious considerations surrounding the work, including Biblical references, cyclical themes, other formal and symbolic considerations, and the influence of Dom Columba Marmion’s Christ dans ses mystères. The cogent summary of the Marmion is this chapter’s most notable contribution. Chapter four discusses literary considerations relating to the Vingt Regards, including the influences of Messiaen’s family, his personal readings and writings, and Maurice Toesca’s Les Douze Regards, cited in the preface to the music. The chapter also examines the important connection between the Vingt Regards and L’Âme en bourgeon (The Soul in Bud), a set of poems Messiaen’s mother wrote while pregnant with him. The links between the Vingt Regards and L’Âme en bourgeon, deeply analyzed for what is believed to be the first time, are not only thematic, with their similar subjects of birth and infancy, but also include ties to Messiaen’s musical forms, a somewhat overlooked and perhaps somewhat criticized element of his musical language. References to “le ‘Cas’ Messiaen” are part of the document’s efforts to show how the analytical, religious, and literary considerations are all deeply interwoven in both the life of the composer and in this monumental work written at such a challenging historical hour. / text

Syftet med denna kvalitativa intervjustudie var att få förståelse för hur socialsekreterarnas handlingsutrymme och kunskap används vid placeringsöverväganden av barn och unga i samhällsvård. Med hjälp av våra frågeställningar ville vi få svar på, dels hur socialsekreterarna beskriver sitt handlingsutrymme vid placeringsöverväganden, dels hur socialsekreterarna förhåller sig till kunskap vid dessa bedömningar. Studiens intervjupersoner var socialsekreterare som har arbetat eller arbetar med att placera barn och unga. Utifrån det våra intervjupersoner har berättat är vår slutsats att socialsekreterarnas bedömningar påverkas av flera faktorer. Dessa faktorer var bland annat resursbrist, lagstiftning samt vägledning av arbetsledning. Kunskapskällor som socialsekreterarna använde sig av var klienternas och kollegornas erfarenheter samt egna erfarenheter. Socialsekreterarna nämnde inte handlingsutrymme i arbetet utan poängterade enbart de begränsningar de hade vid utförandet av arbetet. Vår tolkning är att socialsekreterare beskriver begränsningar och diskussionerna i arbetet kan vara en anledning till att den inte vill ensamt ansvara i de svåra bedömningarna. / This is a qualitative interview study, of how social workers´ used their discretion and knowledge when they consider placements of children and youths in out-of-home-care. In our study we wanted to answer these questions. The first question we wanted to answer was how social workers´ describe their discretion in placement considerations. The second question was how social workers´ use knowledge in these judgments. The study's respondents were social workers´ who have worked or still working with children in out-of-home-care. Based on what our interviewees told, we came to the conclusion that social workers´ judgments’ are subject to several factors. These factors included lack of resources, legislation and supervision of management. However, the study revealed that social workers´ did not use research. Instead they used their own experiences, the clients´ actual situation and colleagues´ experiences as sources of knowledge. Social workers´ did not mention their discretion, but pointed out the limitations they had in performing the work. Their answers indicated that they did not want to be responsible in these difficult judgments and therefore they used their colleagues´ and the management.