Thesis (B.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING / Bibliography: leaf 47. / by John Christopher Moran. / B.S.

Magister Educationis - MEd / This study investigated the factors that impacted positively or militated against the implementation of a learning support programme (ISP) in grade R classes at two primary schools located in the same poor socio-economic area within the Cape Metropole of the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Learner Support Teachers used this programme to enhance learning in grade R and was called an Intervention Support Programme (ISP). The purpose of the ISP was to improve the school readiness skills of the Grade R learners in four domains: language development, gross and fine motor skills, auditory perceptual skills and visual perception. The study followed a qualitative research approach and was guided by a case study research design. The sample comprised both designers as well as implementers of the ISP who were school-based as well as education district-based officials to explore their views and/or experiences of the ISP. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews after all ethical protocols were followed. The data was analysed using a thematic approach. The findings highlighted, that despite the learners experiencing barriers to learning, they improved by participating in the ISP. The study identified the following factors that facilitated the successful implementation of the ISP: the grade R teachers and LSTs’ work experience and qualifications, their positive attitudes and commitment towards teaching, the designers, implementers and grade one teachers’ positive views about the ISP, the constant review of the ISP, and adapting the ISP to suit local learning and teaching contexts of the schools. The study also identified the following factors that militated against the successful implementation of the ISP: the non- involvement of the ISP implementers (grade R teachers and LSTs) in the input and design of the ISP, the nonalignment of the school curriculum (CAPS) with the ISP, the manner in which ISP leaners were selected, time constraints regarding the delivery of the curriculum, the non- or under-involvement of parents and the community in their children’s schooling, the non-involvement of principals in the ISP and the unrealistic expectations of the district- based officials with regard to the ISP. The study also makes recommendations about how the ISP could be improved to enhance its effectiveness.

Objetivo: Estimar o impacto da vacina conjugada contra o meningococo C (VCMC), na incidência e mortalidade, nas coortes de nascidos com e sem indicação de vacinação, no município de São Paulo (MSP); e estimar a efetividade direta da VCMC segundo esquema do Programa Nacional de Imunização. Métodos: O impacto foi avaliado por estudo descritivo, abrangendo casos de doença meningocócica (DM) notificados ao MSP, de 1998 a 2012. A definição de caso é a adotada pelo Ministério da Saúde. Descreveu-se o comportamento da DM no MSP para todo período e analisou-se a tendência da incidência e mortalidade da DM global e por faixa etária de 2008 a 2012, utilizando o modelo de Poisson. O impacto da VCMC foi analisado por meio das razões de taxas de incidência e mortalidade nos períodos anterior e posterior a introdução da VCMC. Estimou-se a fração prevenida na população (FPP) para mensurar o impacto, comparando-se taxas de incidência e mortalidade globais da DM, por faixa etária e sorogrupo C, de 2012 com as de 2009. Para estimativa da efetividade da VCMC utilizou-se estudo de caso-controle de base populacional, com quatro controles para cada caso, pareado pela área de residência dos casos. Casos e controles foram selecionados entre nascidos a partir de janeiro/2009. Casos eram aqueles com DM pelo sorogrupo C confirmado por cultura e/ou reação em cadeia de polimerase em tempo real, de 2011 a 2013, internados em hospitais do MSP, notificados à vigilância do município. Controles foram selecionados entre crianças residentes na vizinhança dos casos, sem história de DM. A efetividade da vacina foi estimada pela fórmula (1-odds ratio para vacinação). As odds ratios (OR) não ajustadas e ajustadas e respectivos intervalos de confiança (IC95 por cento ) foram estimados por regressão 11 logística condicional múltipla. A associação entre ser vacinado com VCMC e a variável dependente, DM pelo sorogrupo C, foi mensurada pela estimativa da OR após ajuste para potenciais confundidores. Resultados: O impacto da VCMC na incidência da DM por todos os sorogrupos, mensurado pela FPP foi de 62,7 por cento , 69,6 por cento e 61,4 por cento para, respectivamente menores um, um e dois anos; na DM pelo sorogrupo C de 81,6 por cento e 67,9 por cento para menores de dois anos e de dois a três anos. Houve impacto na taxa de mortalidade global da DM medido pela FPP de 86,2 por cento e 77,8 por cento respectivamente para menores de dois anos e de dois a três anos e na mortalidade da DM pelo sorogrupo C a FPP foi de 84,2 por cento para menores de quatro anos. A efetividade da VCMC foi de 97,7 por cento (IC95 por cento :99,6 por cento -89,6 por cento ) ajustada para idade, número de pessoas no quarto da criança e renda familiar. Conclusões: A estratégia brasileira com a VCMC resultou em elevado impacto nas coortes de nascidos com indicação de vacinação, mais acentuado nas taxas de mortalidade, sugerindo que a vacina confere não só proteção para a doença, mas também para formas mais graves. A VCMC foi altamente efetiva na faixa etária alvo. / Objective: To assess the impact of meningococcal C conjugate vaccine (MCCV), to estimate incidence and mortality rates of meningococcal disease (MD) in birth cohorts recommended and not recommended for vaccination and to measure direct vaccine effectiveness of the National Vaccination Program immunization schedule. Methods: We assessed the impact of MCCV in a descriptive study including cases of MD reported in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, from 1998 to 2012. We used the standard case definition recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health for MD reporting. We assessed changes in the disease epidemiology in the city for the entire study period and estimated incidence and mortality rates of MD (overall and by age group) from 2008 to 2012 using Poisson regression models. We conducted an impact analysis of MCCV by comparing incidence and mortality rates of MD before and after vaccine introduction. We also estimated the population prevented fraction (PPF) by comparing incidence and mortality rates of MD between 2009 and 2012 in the entire population and by age group and serogroup C. To measure vaccine effectiveness, we carried out a population-based case-control study matched for area of residence with a 4-to-1 ratio of controls to cases. Cases and controls were selected among children born from January 2009. Cases were those children admitted to the citys hospitals who were diagnosed with MD serogroup C (MDC) confirmed by culture and/or real-time polymerase chain reaction and reported to the surveillance system from 2011 to 2013. Controls were selected among children with no history of MD from neighboring areas of cases. We calculated vaccine effectiveness using the formula (1 odds ratio [OR] for 13 vaccination) and estimated crude and adjusted ORs and related 95 per cent confidence intervals (95 per cent CI) by conditional multiple logistic regression. We assessed the association between MCCV vaccination and MDC the dependent variable by estimating OR after adjustment for the potential confounders. Results: There was an impact of MCCV on the incidence of MD in all serogroups, the PPF among children under age one, age one, and age two were 62.7 per cent , 69.6 per cent , and 61.4 per cent , respectively; and in serogroup C, the PPF in children under age two and age two to three were 81.6 per cent and 67.9 per cent . There was also an impact on the overall mortality rate of MD, the PPF in children under age two and age two to three were 86.2 per cent and 77.8 per cent ; and on mortality of MDC, the PPF was 84.2 per cent in children under age four. MCCV effectiveness in children was 97.7 per cent (95 per cent CI 99.6 per cent 89.6 per cent ) after adjusting for age, number of persons per room, and household income. Conclusions: The MCCV strategy implemented in Brazil had a high impact on birth cohorts recommended for vaccination. This impact was more pronounced on mortality rates, which suggests that, in addition to preventing disease, MCCV can prevent more severe forms of MD. MCCV proved highly effective in the age groups targeted.

Writing instruction has been neglected, both in teacher preparation courses and in professional development in literacy. Yet, the adoption of new standards and teacher evaluation systems by many states demands increased writing instruction and teacher “effectiveness” in providing it. Teachers, then, have faced higher expectations for writing instruction with little support for what those expectations mean or how to enact them in their own contexts. To meet these demands, it has been suggested that teachers must see themselves as writers in order to work most productively with children as writers. Therefore, if teachers must identify as writers to be “effective,” then teachers who do not identify as writers are also denied an identity as “good teachers.” These static, binary identity categories serve as “cover stories” to obscure a much more complicated reality. Informed by critical writing pedagogy and a literacy-and-identity studies framework, this study explored how teacher-writers in one school-based writing group perform, understand, and narrate their identities as writers and teachers of writing. Utilizing a narrative inquiry methodology for group meetings and interviews, I analyzed the complex, fluid, and sometimes contradictory identities of teacher-writers, and the construction, reconstruction, and mobilization of stories within and about the group. The static, binary identities group members claimed served as cover stories, the static categorical writer-selves that we construct in relation to our conceptions of an idealized writer. My study concluded that the relative autonomy of the writing group provided a shelter from the school culture of accountability where emotion and profanation were possible. This work proposed that, in acknowledging the complex nature of writing identities and the “unofficial” emotional lives of teachers, we can push beyond a static writer/non-writer binary and disrupt a hierarchical, outcome-based notion of staff development. As a result, space for staff development, in which a diverse school community joins together to engage in experiences, learning, and identity work that make space for emotion, may be created.

No description available.

A competition agency represents an independent regulatory institution, which takes the form of an administrative body. A competition authority enables the development of markets and displays to market operators and new players a dedication to the principles of free markets and fair competition. In other words, a competition authority should intervene in a timely manner to correct any anti-competitive behaviour and implement the necessary remedies; it should be equipped with an adequate knowledge of the market in order to make its decisions. Moreover, its involvement should be predictable, that is, it should have a positive influence on markets. Furthermore, a competition agency should continuously evaluate its role as public institution and law enforcer by following the economic and legal evolution of the jurisdiction in which it operates. Until recently, the debate has predominantly revolved around the substance of competition law. However, in recent years, the evaluation of the performance of competition agencies has been embraced by numerous countries, including developing ones. This is because most emerging countries around the world have progressively been opening their domestic markets to competition, which led to giving more power to competition agencies to monitor markets. As this perspective has not been explored in the context of Maghreb countries, which also represent developing economies, this research endeavours to do so. Therefore, the aim of this research is to analyse the extent to which the performance of competition agencies in Maghreb countries influences the enforcement of competition law.

The objective of this research is to evaluate Human Resources managerial/development effectiveness (HRM/DE) of frontline managers from the perspectives of managers themselves and stakeholders in the public health sector (PHS) of Ghana. The study did this through the development of a conceptual framework which combined the use of integrated organisational and management theoretical perspectives and contextual variables. The study employed the mixed methods research methodology which combined both empiricism and post post-positivists' views with critical realism as the underpinning philosophy. A total of 18 district directors of health, from two regions were purposively sampled and interviewed utilising an in-depth open ended questionnaire through the discussion. Additionally, key policy makers were interviewed and focus group discussions held and a structured questionnaire completed by another group of employees, who assessed managers' capabilities. Discourse analysis was used for the analysis with the aid of Nvivo 7 for the qualitative material whilst quantitative data were analysed using simple descriptive statistics. Findings were triangulated using Marquart and Zercher's (2000) cross-over track analysis framework. Findings show research questions were answered. Majority of district directors lack managerial competencies; are less interested in HRM/D activities, less confident of their human resource skills and less sure of the political and representational skills required of managers. In particular, it is necessary to take account of the political structure of the PHS of Ghana; significant differences exist in power, individual or group interests, values, assumptions and expectations. However, most district directors have tried to indigenise HRM/D practices as a way of motivating and retaining staff. Core Human resources managerial competencies from the perspectives of the three sampled groups have been compiled. It is the first time such a study has been conducted in the PHS of Ghana and which has therefore made inroads in the existing literature and has contributed to HRM/D literature information in Africa particularly Ghana. It also paves the way for understanding management in the African context and perspective and specifically in health care settings. This study has gone beyond the two groups of respondents and proved that the use of multiple respondents generates rich findings and unveiled what would normally have not been possible if single respondents were used.

Managing and transferring knowledge within a corporation becomes the ultimate key for survival in the Knowledge Age. Internal knowledge is often unique and lays the foundation for a company’s competitiveness. Effective and fast knowledge transfer (KT) is particularly critical to KIFs such as IT consultancies, R&D based companies or firms in the software industry. Intrafirm KT is a complex undertaking though and a number of initiatives fail. Therefore, achieving optimal KT is a compelling need. The aim of this thesis is to explore what kind of process-oriented framework helps create optimal KT practices in a KIF by applying and adapting the Scrum management and control practices. Scrum was initially formalised for the development of software and can be used to manage complex projects. Enhancing Scrum to enable intra-firm KT represents a novel approach, involving diverse roles across a team of employees and making use of their respective capabilities. The work makes a contribution to knowledge by introducing clearly defined KT process steps and documentation tools - underpinned by motivational practices, transparency and accountability of individual employees to find ways for them to impart their knowledge. It proffers an extension to existing frameworks and models. The study could be highly relevant for practitioners concerned with intra-firm KT for two reasons. Employing the newly developed approach helps investigate appropriate organisational contexts and, more importantly, provides a practical set of tools to assist with the task of enabling KT. The form of a case study within a KIF, a consultancy firm focussed on digital business transformation, has been chosen as the foundation for the inquiry. The research strategy is rooted in a participatory paradigm. Qualitative data captured in the company were specifically developed through participatory action research (PAR). Documentary analysis, non-participant observation, and open-ended interviews ahead of iterative action-reflection cycles contributed to providing new learning for a team of highly qualified Knowledge Workers (KWs). Overall the team of consultants that was the focus of this case study believes that knowledge in the firm will be transferred faster and sustainably by employing practices of interaction and adaptation within a knowledge-friendly and motivational environment. The time required to phase new consultants into existing projects, where KT was indispensable, was reduced significantly by 50% from four to two weeks. The research suggests that the newly developed process-oriented framework can greatly improve KT practices in a KIF by applying practices of gathering data and information (Aggregating), prioritising them (Featuring), reviewing KT progress (Reviewing), and utilising newly acquired knowledge (Doing). The key findings of this work, the AFRD-process and the AFRD-framework, were subject to an audit by an expert panel from the Fresenius University of Applied Science in Munich, Germany, and practitioners in a machine engineering company in Augsburg, Germany.

Organizations are continuously confronted with decision-making in their daily business practice. Information technology plays a key role, supporting and automating decision-making processes, enabling the flow and distribution of information and knowledge and enhancing collaboration and exchange across the entire organization. Both, decision-making and information technology combine social and technological aspects of collaboration and collective action within a socio-economic system. Social media technologies such as corporate social networks, collaborative projects, instant messengers, content sharing platforms, blogs, micro-blogs, rating and voting systems, influence how human beings collaborate, build communities, exchange information, and jointly create content. This thesis combines aspects of social and behavioural science, collective decision-making and information technology into a qualitative research project. The main objective of this thesis was to explore and to gain a deep understanding of the implications of the integration of social media technologies to enhance collective judgement and the complex decision-making processes within corporate and less formal contexts. Therefore, this research identified real, potential and perceived benefits, disadvantages and barriers of social media integration in collective decision-making processes. The outcome focusses on evidence to establish whether social media technologies are capable of advancing the collective decision-making process. This study applied an exploratory qualitative research approach, which incorporated semi-structured interviews, multiple case studies and documentary data. Three case studies built the foundation of the field research conducted over a period of nine months, resulting in thirty semi-structured interviews. For each investigated site, ten individuals from various departments and different roles participated in thirty to forty minutes, semi-structured interviews recorded at their premises. Documents shared by the interviewees such as internal presentations, videos, meeting minutes and communication notes added to the overall data set. The key findings can be divided into three focus areas, (a) social media within a business environment and organizational readiness, (b) social media and collective action in business such as mass collaboration and problem solving and (c) social media integrated in collective decision-making derived from the benefits, disadvantages and barriers identified. Real benefits surfaced in the area of communication, interaction, involvement, reproducibility, aggregation and the independence of physical presence. From a communication perspective, the decision-making process benefits from utilizing different channels to convey and present information. These communication channels facilitate synchronous and asynchronous interaction, engaging different parties such as stakeholders, committees, experts, management and other participants in the process. Since the information created is continuously captured and stored, social media adds the benefit of reproducibility to the collective decision-making process. Rating and voting functions aggregate thoughts, opinions, and monitor, at an early stage of the process, tendencies and reflective developments in the group. Finally, rating and voting mechanisms build a collective choice acknowledged by a majority of a business collective. Social media relieves the requirement of physical presence in a collective decision-making process utilizing the corporate Intranet and the Internet. This adds flexibility to the selection of the participants and provides a basis of employee engagement from small to large-scale endeavours. Potential benefits relate to some extent to the explored real benefits. They focus on motivation of social interaction and collaboration, building relationships, enhancing the flow of information and fostering a reflective culture capable of collectively solving problems. From an organizational behaviour perspective, these benefits are capable of stimulating employees to engage in organizational topics, and utilizing organizational intelligence by sharing knowledge and experience to support collective decision-making. Perceived benefits include enhanced communication, interaction, involvement, and acceptance, variety of opinions, engaging employees in collective actions and integrating experts. Perceived disadvantages concentrated around social interaction. They manifested as distraction, losing focus on objectives, biased information, and loss of control, opinion manipulation, information overload and a less formal nature of the process. Barriers were identified in the area of abuse of personal information, additional workload in the daily business, unclear benefits, refusal to share knowledge, lack of trust about the information created and presented, manipulation of opinions, and continuous availability. The results of the thesis provided the evidence that utilization and integration of social media in the collective decision-making process depend on organizational readiness, which relates to the context. Social media application differs from the application in the Internet since social conformity, cohesion and internal competition influence participation and outcome. This means, the ability to integrate employees in collective action and the utilization of social media requires, besides acceptance of the new technology, a culture of openness, and willingness to share, engage and contribute. Therefore, this research suggests, from a managerial perspective, focussing on collective action capabilities, utilizing social media as an enabler to connect employees, to stimulate interaction, participation, and capture and support the information flow during a decision-making process. Recommendations for future research suggest analysing organizations in longitudinal studies to explore how they gain advantage of collective action concerning aggregation of knowledge using social media as a platform.

Skill deficiencies in organisations affect performance, productivity, economic growth and development. Despite quantitative studies and current policy discussions, which acknowledge that skill deficiencies have negative impacts on both employers and employees in developed countries, these studies placed little or no emphasis on the potential impact of skill shortages in developing economies. On the other hand, descriptive studies on skill shortages in Nigeria gave accounts of possible effects on economic growth, however, relatively little is known about the incidence of skill deficiencies experienced by organisations and their impacts on business and employee performance, growth and development. This mixed methods study explored the impact of skill deficiencies on organisations' performance, economic growth and infrastructure delivery, effects on employees, how these effects are managed and possible ways of sustaining skills. A sequential explanatory mixed methods design was used to explore both employers' and employees' experiences of skill deficiencies and possible management measures. This method facilitated the exploration of both convergent and divergent views between employers and employees, assisted in avoiding the subjectivity of using only employers' accounts and provided avenues for capturing salient features of why skill deficiencies occur. Both employers and employees participated in the survey (n=263) and interviews (n= 45). The results suggest that although oil and gas organisations experienced significant skill deficiencies on both business and employee performance and infrastructure delivery; higher impacts were felt in upstream organisations. The economic consequences of skill shortages on individuals, firms and aggregate economy extends to job satisfaction, hiring costs, adoption of new technologies and new work processes, workload, turnover and commitment. Both employers and employees identified that current skill deficiencies affect their performance, potentials for growth and provision of services to clients, adding that the many consequences necessitated the use of various skill and workforce development strategies in managing these effects. Even with the recognition that incidence of skill shortages require supply side response, while skill gaps needs training; the results nonetheless showed that training was used for both skill shortages and skills gaps alongside other workforce development. The findings clarified the causes and extent of skill deficiencies on organisations and proposes changes for remediation of these deficiencies. One of the changes required relates to the need for collaboration and partnership of the social partners of skills, and building links between the world of learning and the world of work. Overall, the structural factors highlight the need for reforming and rejuvenating the education system and investing in skills.