published_or_final_version / Economics and Finance / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Politics and Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

Public Private Partnership (PPP) procurement has developed in many countries, as an effective way for governments to allay their financial burden and/or improve the efficiencies of public services. However, PPP has also experienced many ups and downs in its applications. As a collaborative venture between public and private sectors, the quality of the relationship between them has been shown to be a key contributor to the success of a PPP project. However, no study has, as yet, conceptualized and tested an integrative framework for modeling and addressing the relational aspect in PPP projects. This study aims to fill this gap. Moreover, the revamping of PPP in the above direction, would align with what is found to be a much larger trend, in moving from traditional management to relationship approaches in project management in general and on built infrastructure projects in particular. The general purpose of this study is to make an original contribution to relationship research in PPP, by addressing the importance of this intangible side of PPP, through developing a strategic relationship management framework for parties engaged in PPP projects. Having examined relational research in joint ventures, alliancing and inter-organisational collaboration, it is found that game theory, transaction cost analysis and relational contracting have a direct bearing on inter-organisational relationships in infrastructure projects. Consequently, they are adopted as the theoretical foundations for this research. This study first investigates the ‘hard side’ of PPP relationships, analyzing their variables based on semi-structured interviews with PPP experts. Further, the ‘soft side’ of PPP relationships, is found to be influenced mainly by inter-organisational trust and commitment. This is also investigated in this research by intensive literature review of inter-organisational relationships. A relational variables and indicators model for PPP projects is then developed. Quantitative research data was collected from two questionnaire surveys, targeting international experiences. The first survey was aimed to examine the intensifying and/or moderating effects of various relational variables. The second survey was designed to identify the Critical Success Factors of relationship management in PPP context. Qualitative research data was consolidated from a case study and follow-up structured interviews. Findings from surveys, case study and interviews were then triangulated to develop a strategic framework for better relationship management for infrastructure PPP projects. The findings from this research make a specific contribution to relationship management research; while the ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ sides provide lenses for both PPP parties to examine their relationship with their respective partners. The proposed strategic framework consists of a Relationship Management Scheme and Guidelines to be implemented in different PPP phases, through addressing the sustainability of the relationship. It provides an initial scheme or base approach for project parties to manage the relationships proactively rather than reactively. Besides, this research also helps to identify relevant relational components that can be incorporated or directly used in criteria for pre-tender selection. Such screening and special attention to these critical components can also help to develop more sustainable relationships and attain better value for money through PPP procurement in practice. / published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This thesis explores the identity formation of three EFL pre-service teachers during their teaching practicum in a school-university partnership school in Mainland China. Drawing on the sociocultural perspective, learning-to-teach is conceptualized as student teachers participating in and becoming a member of the communities of practice (Wenger, 1998) which consist of boundary-crossing members from both activity systems of the university and the school (Engestrom, 1987, 1999, 2001). Following a poststructural perspective, the student teachers’ learning-to-teach is also conceptualized as a process of “arguing for” (MacLure, 1993) their professional identities under dominant social discourses. Foucault’s (1983, 1985) concept of ethical identity formation elaborated into a framework of four ethico-political dimensions for doing teacher identity (Clarke, 2009) is adopted to further analysethe interactions between social structure and individual identity transformation. An ethnographic qualitative case study approach was adopted. Data collection methods included ethnographic observations of classroom interactions, focus group discussions and routine school activities, semi-structured interviews of student teachers and mentors, and collectioin of documents such as university teaching practicum documents, lesson plans, reflective diaries and newsletters. Both “content analysis” and “modified analytic induction” (Bogdan & Biklen, 2007; Merriam, 1998; Patton, 2002) were adopted to conduct within-case and cross-case data analysis. The multi-method approach allowed the researcher to collect and interpret data from both holistic and in-depth research perspectives which also enabled triangulations during data analysis. The analysis indicated that historical, cultural, political and economic forces intertwined and formed general social discourses. Their influences permeated into the discourses of both the university and the school activity systems. Due to the contradictory discourses of ELT education between the two institutions, the boundary-crossing learning-to-teach activities were replete with tensions, asymmetrical power relationships, and interpersonal conflicts, which combined to become driving forces for the different transformations of the three student teachers’ identities within the school-university partnership activity system as a global community of practice (COP). Due to different individual backgrounds, inner tensions and interpersonal conflicts within the COP, the student teachers led dissimilar legitimate peripheral participation (Lave & Wenger, 1991)trajectories through identifying themselves with different local sub-cops (T-cop and S-cop) in various modes of belonging. Under the domination of contradictory institutional discourses, the student teachers exercised their creative agencies and managed to find the “spaces” for their own freedom of self-formation via four ethico-political dimensions. Through critical reflection on the relation between the care of self and the care of others, the student teachers clarified, readjusted and reinforced their telos which is part and parcel of the ongoing interactions among the four ethico-political aspects of teacher identity. Based on the contradictions identified in this research, a critical and ethical pedagogy framework for EFL teacher education was conceptualized for ELT and teacher education programmes. This thesis also serves as an attempt to address teacher identity issues from the integrated perspectives of both sociocultural and poststructural approaches (Morgan, 2007) and to introduce the concept of ethico-politics of teacher identity to EFL teacher education. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Public Private Partnership (PPP) is a kind of cooperative venture between the government (public sector) and business sector (private sector). Over the past decades, the Hong Kong Government intends to expand the use of PPP in delivery of development projects and public services, such as the Hong Kong Disneyland, the Cyberport, the construction of public infrastructures and management and operation of infrastructures. The shift in using PPP to deliver public services from traditional service delivery by government departments and non-government organizations imposes a significant implication to the governance in Hong Kong as well as in its financial and revenue aspect. The dissertation consists of four Sections. Section 1 is the introduction. In Section 2, I will conduct a literature review on the PPP in the aspects of its definition, concept, history and underlying theories. There are different forms of private sector involvement in public project, depending on the degree of private participation and involvement from the public sector. For example outsourcing in providing public services, build-operate-transfer (BOT) mode for providing infrastructure, service PPP. The various forms of PPP and the common usage of different forms on different aspects would be discussed. The considering factors, benefits and potential risks of adopting PPP will also be examined in this section. Though there exist various forms of PPP, there are common elements which must be included for a successful PPP, namely, common goal between the private and public, efficiency, transparency in selection of partner, risk sharing and accountability etc, which I will discussed in this section. In addition, the conditions for effective PPP and some recommended good practices of PPP will be detailed in this section. In Section 3, I will focus on 2 major forms of PPP adopted in Hong Kong and evaluate the performance of such applications through case study. The first PPP form is the BOT in which HK Government has adopted for providing numerous infrastructures like Cross Harbour Tunnel. The second one is the service PPP through which the Government contracts out the service provision to a contractor who works as a partner with Government. This form is widely used in the management and maintenance for road network and public lighting system. I will evaluate the above application of PPP (“Cross Harbour Tunnel” case and “Management and maintenance of road network and public lighting system” case) based on the principle and elements mentioned in Section 2. In the last part of the dissertation, recommendations are made for better development of PPP, in particular the ways for minimizing the ambiguity in accountability and responsibility between the public and private parties as well as increasing transparency to public. Finally, conclusion is drawn according to the whole study. / published_or_final_version / Politics and Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

The aim of this study is to describe condition for cooperation between motherlanguage teachers and ordinary teacher in Swedish school. The investigation is based on a case study with teachers in one school and tries to find implications, causes and possible solutions for this problem. The theoretical framework of the investigation is based on intercultural and educational theories. Qualitative methodological approach in form of semi-structure interviews is used. The investigation shows, among other things, that it is differences and monocultural attitudes in both groups that becomes an obstacle for professional cooperation between teachers in mother language and ordinary teachers. The investigation also shows that the implications for motherlanguage teachers are problems with planning and teaching students. The results discussion suggests that guiding values come in focus through an action oriented research with external researcher competence that actively take part and lead the process. One important area is to consciously lead the project with democracy where difference ideas and opinions do not make other person an enemy but an opponent. Examples of training unthinking and automatic way to respond and communicate with and about others that seems like a stranger to us is a step in development in a form of transcultural ability

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Context. Video games are a big entertainment industry. Many video games let players play against or together. Some video games also make it possible for players to play against or together with computer controlled players, called bots. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used to create bots. Objectives. This thesis aims to implement cooperative behaviors between two bots and determine if the behaviors lead to an increase in win ratio. This means that the bots should be able to cooperate in certain situations, such as when they are attacked or when they are attacking. Methods. The bots win ratio will be tested with a series of quantitative experiments where in each experiment two teaming bots with cooperative behavior will play against two teaming bots without any cooperative behavior. The data will be analyzed with a t-test to determine if the data are statistical significant. Results and Conclusions. The results show that cooperative behavior can increase performance of two teaming Real Time Strategy bots against a non-cooperative team with two bots. However, the performance could either be increased or decreased depending on the situation. In three cases there were an increase in performance and in one the performance was decreased. In three cases there was no difference in performance. This suggests that more research is needed for these cases.

Interdisciplinary cooperation among people trained in technical and economic fields has been identified as an important success factor in new venture teams. However, empirical findings also indicate that individuals often refuse to engage in close and trustful relationships with representatives of other disciplines. Thus the question arises whether education programs on interdisciplinary cooperation may be suitable to prepare students for future activities in multifunctional business start-up teams. In this study, we investigate the psychological effects of an interdisciplinary business planning course held at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration with the intention of promoting cooperation between technology-oriented professionals and business management students. The findings show that this course experience changes the students' attitudinal beliefs with respect to representatives of the technical discipline by reducing stereotypical assumptions. At the same time, the course fosters awareness of the challenges involved in cross-disciplinary cooperation. The more students communicate with their technical counterparts and the more they familiarize themselves with the technical aspects of the project, the stronger these effects become.(author's abstract)