This thesis traces the development of the New Zealand education reforms which began in the late 1980s from their ideological and theoretical foundations, especially those of human capital theory, through policy development and implementation. Polytechnic business programmes are used as a case study to illustrate the impact of the reforms and of one of the principal mechanisms by which the reforms were expected to be implemented-the National Framework. Evidence is provided that leads to policy questions regarding the implementation of the Framework under the aegis of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. These concerns include competency based learning and administration and delivery complexities. The links between the reform intentions and the actuality of implementation are also examined. The assumption that the education reforms are expected to have significant impact on the country's economic performance is examined and factors which impact on workplace organisation and productivity and which may constrain the effects of improved worker education and training are discussed. The instrument of ‘the market’ as a means of achieving both efficiencies and effectiveness in tertiary education is also reviewed. There appears to be an absence of a common understanding of the nature, composition and behaviour of education markets. Indicative evidence is also provided regarding the complexity of student investment decisions with regard to tertiary education decisions. This study provides evidence to support human capital theory as a force influencing the decision to undertaken tertiary education, but as part of a much more complex model of the tertiary education decision making process than it would appear that policy makers have considered. Evidence is presented that leads to questions regarding the assumption that industry will take ownership of the reform processes. Evidence is presented of industry indifference and inertia to the reforms. Recommendations for the re-examination of developments to date are made, together with research programmes to provide a sound empirical base for future policy making. Without a structured critical review of the reform intentions versus the emerging actuality, there is a danger that the reforms may, in part at least, prove to be both inefficient and ineffectual. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

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Temple University's Leadership Academy (LA), instituted in 2006, is a six and a half -month leadership development program for mid-to-senior-level administrators and full-time faculty at Temple University. This mixed method study addresses the program's effectiveness from the perspective of 216 graduates who took part in the academy during the first six years of its operation. Leadership development programs work to enhance the affective, behavioral, and cognitive skills of program participants. At present, few research studies provide in-depth evaluations of such programs. To determine the effectiveness of the LA at Temple University (TU), a 28-question electronic survey was distributed to the graduates of the program to gather data on participant reactions, transfer of learning, and behavioral change. Collected information also included responses from 15 interviews designed to augment the survey data. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed. Two different theoretical models of program evaluation were used to determine program effectiveness: Kirkpatrick's (2006) Four Levels of Evaluation model and Grove's (2002) EvaluLead Framework for leadership program evaluation. Comparisons made and inferences drawn from the data led to an assessment of overall program effectiveness and the determination of whether key differences existed across several demographic categories: gender, age, race, primary role, etc. / Educational Administration

While states have traditionally relied almost solely upon local property taxes for the main support of public education, other revenue sources have included sales, bank shares and occupational taxes at the local level. With the passing of the Local Tax Enabling Act in 1965 at the state level, most Pennsylvania school districts were empowered to collect non-real estate taxes (General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1965). On November 11, 1986, an earned income tax resolution was approved and adopted by the Township of Upper Dublin with an effective date of January 1, 1987. On June 1, 1993 the School District of Upper Dublin and the School Board of Directors followed suit and approved and adopted an earned income tax resolution. Currently, all School District of Upper Dublin residents pay a one-percent earned income tax (Lukoff, 1986). The earned income tax revenues are shared equally between the township and school district. The major aim of this study was to assess real estate property taxpayer attitudes in the School District and Township of Upper Dublin towards the earned income tax. More specifically, did taxpayers believe that the earned income tax held steady, or reduced, real estate property taxes? The study employed one primary data collection strategy: a questionnaire mailed to a random sample of real estate property taxpayers in the School District of Upper Dublin. This methodology allowed the researcher to gain a more thorough understanding of the issue and to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. The study revealed that taxpayers in the school district and township did not generally believe the earned income tax had reduced and/or held steady real estate property taxes. When the tax was instituted two decades ago, reducing real estate property taxes was one purpose, as was finding an additional source of revenue for the school district and township. Additionally, taxpayers in the study viewed the earned income tax as a "good" or "fair" tax and certainly recognized the purpose of the tax to fund education and township services via another source of revenue. Accordingly, school district and township officials must recognize that taxpayer's feelings translate into implications for public policy. These implications include recognizing the mistrust and misinformation associated with the tax and developing a better informed public. Officials must recognize that taxpayers seem to believe that the earned income tax is a "good" and/or "fair" tax, but are required to pay it like any other tax. / Educational Administration

Globalisation has changed the higher education landscape dramatically in the past 20 years, especially for business schools. Accordingly, universities have had to adopt different internationalisation strategies in order to cope with this shifting context of globalisation and its many ramifications. In this thesis, a phenomenological approach has been adopted to examine how one French business school, ESC Clermont, has implemented internationalisation. Through this methodological approach the nature and processes of internationalisation have been examined using the lived experiences of participants at the school. The research shows how institutional engagement, strategic management, happenstance and a specific organisational structure shaped the internationalisation processes. An internal culture of openness and a commitment to language learning also contributed to furthering the internationalisation agenda. The findings show how the interaction between structure and agent were crucial in the school’s internationalisation process. This research also demonstrated that individual initiatives only happen within a favourable context which is created essentially by the culture and driven by the leadership. This study has also demonstrated the need for integrative strategic management of the organisational processes and the faculty. An important finding of this research is that internationalisation is a complex process that requires constant interaction between the people in the institution and the changing environment. The thesis presents a framework to assist in understanding the dynamics between the various dimensions of strategy, operations and faculty management in the internationalisation process. These dynamics are complex and require sensitive, on-going strategic management and open policies to ensure that the faculty members buy into the internationalisation activities. Finally, this study has enabled the researcher to reflect on his own role in the internationalisation process.

The purpose of this non-experimental, quantitative study is to investigate the relationship between the use of project-based learning (PBL) by secondary business teachers and time spent in professional development of secondary business teachers for the teaching of 21st century skills. The four identified 21st century skills that will be researched include: (1) critical thinking, (2) collaboration, (3) communication, (4) creativity and innovation. A sample of 316 secondary business teachers were surveyed about their classroom practice and reflection of teaching 21st century skills. This study used a modified version of the 21st Century Teaching and Learning Survey. Survey results were analyzed for relationships using correlational and regression analysis. Business teachers reported a statistically strong relationship between the use of PBL and the teaching of 21st century skills. A statistically significant relationship between time spent in professional development and the teaching of 21st century skills was not found. Regression results indicated that the use of PBL had an impact on the teaching of 21st century skills. This research guides teachers, school administrators, and CTE directors at the state and district level towards the creation of professional development and implementation strategies when applying PBL methods in career and technical education settings.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Instructional Systems, Leadership, and Workforce Development. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

One of the major developments marking the global economy is the emergence of regional trading blocks. This study takes into account this trend and it addresses a question about business administration departments in Mexican universities: To what extent and in what ways do they reflect the influence of NAFTA and globalization on their curriculum, structure, and mission? Conceptually, the study draws on dependency theory and institutional theory. Dependency theory was useful for understanding globalization in Mexican business administration as affected through business and linkages to the U.S. Institutional theory was useful in understanding and explaining specific mechanisms experienced by the departments as they relate to the different professional organizations in society. This study considered four departments located in large public and private universities in Northwestern Mexico. Documents and interviews were the two principal sources of data. This investigation involved the analysis of 46 documents, and 26 interviews conducted with administrators and faculty in Business Administration programs. The analysis of data indicated that private departments hold national and international relationships that influence curriculum change while the public departments are more nationally oriented in relationships and curriculum change.

<p>In today&rsquo;s global, dynamic, and uncertain business environments, the need for developing leaders and managerial talent throughout the organization is increasingly evident, especially for multinational companies. While the important role of job assignment for leadership and managerial development has been well recognized, there is no aligned, comprehensive global leadership development model. This study focused on understanding leadership development assignments and experiences of successful Japanese managers who are functioning in for-profit multi-national Western companies in the consumer products industry in Japan. A sequential explanatory mixed method design incorporating phenomenological interviews was used to first explore work-related strengths and developmental experiences and key competencies of 24 high performing managers working in the consumer goods industry, representing three different companies. 6 individuals were selected to participate in the phenomenological interview process. </p><p> Key findings from phase 1 research among 24 respondents are (a) while challenging job is the most effective method for leadership development, that alone cannot always develop effective leaders, and (b) effective leaders have more number of challenging assignments and work experiences. Phase 2 research, phenomenological interview was conducted among 6 most effective leaders selected based upon 360 feedback survey results. There were 3 types of developmental experiences those effective leaders found very effective: (a) business challenges, (b) interpersonal and cultural challenges, and (c) developmental relationship. Key findings from phase 2 research are (d) effective leaders have experienced dual challenges from key developmental work&mdash;both business challenge and interpersonal (or cultural) challenges, (e) they possess both business skills and interpersonal skills, (f) they have learned and strengthened both business management and interpersonal skills through overcoming challenges on the job, (g) they have a positive and open mindset and positive attitudes toward new challenging, learning and achievements, (h) they have learned through self reflection during and after developmental experiences. Of note, all of them have had a significant learning and influence from their boss(es) in their career. </p><p> Incorporating the findings from this research, I recommend a systemic leadership development approach that integrates challenging assignments with reflective learning, skill development supports, 360 feedback, and thorough performance review system, involving boss. </p>

<p> The efficiency and efficacy of the U.S. healthcare system has been in question for decades. We spend more per capita than any other industrialized nation while consistently realizing inferior health outcomes for our population as a whole when compared with many industrialized nations. In 1965, the proportion of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) attributed to healthcare was approximately 6%. Today, the share of GDP spent on healthcare by the United States is almost 18%. This number is 5% higher than the next two countries, the Netherlands and France (spending 12.0% and 11.8% of their GDP on healthcare respectively) according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The proportion of GDP spent on healthcare in 2020 is estimated to reach 20%, with the nation's increasing healthcare expeditors reducing resources available for other worthy government programs, eroding wages, and undermining the competitiveness of U.S. industry. </p><p> This dissertation explores longitudinal outcome data for Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipients in healthcare in the dimensions of patient outcomes (mortality, complications and patient safety), as well as hospital financial and efficiency measures (average length of stay, expense per discharge and profitability). Source data from Truven Health Analytics (formerly Thomson Reuters) are used to evaluate changes in level, immediacy/latency and trend in the years prior to versus the years after becoming a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient. In support of the hypothesis, being a recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in healthcare explains slight enhancements in clinical outcomes, while hospital financial and efficiency measures all showed overwhelmingly positive operating results.</p>