Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Full text release at OhioLINK's ETD Center delayed at author's request

Introduction: Several national trials have demonstrated the efficacy of lifestyle interventions on decreasing the incidence of type 2 diabetes in adults with prediabetes. Behavior change pertaining to physical activity (PA) and diet were central to these lifestyle interventions; however it is likely a majority of adults with prediabetes are not currently meeting public health guidelines for PA and dietary intake. Little information is available on different influences of behavior central to prediabetes treatment. Given these findings, further investigation into potential influences on the efficacy of prediabetes service provision is warranted. Purpose: This dissertation aimed to explore prediabetes service provision to identify potential influences on PA and dietary intake in adults with prediabetes. Methods: The first study used Grounded Theory methodology to obtain opinions on necessary components of an optimal diabetes prevention program from health professionals (n=20) and adults with, or at high risk of, prediabetes (n=12). The second, third, and fourth studies involved individuals with prediabetes (N=232) in Northern Alberta, Canada. Participants completed a mailed survey assessing various demographic, health and behavior influences in August-September, 2008. Results: Data from Study 1 identified four influences on behavior change in adults with prediabetes: service provision, knowledge or confusion, motivational influences, and goal-setting. Potential strategies to increase effectiveness of prediabetes programs were also identified. In Study 2, individuals with prediabetes achieving PA guidelines (38%) reported higher physical and mental health-related quality of life compared to those not meeting PA guidelines. In Study 3, a number of preferences for PA and PA programming were identified. Activity status, health, and demographic variables all demonstrated significant influence on different PA preference variables. In Study 4, behavior-specific social cognitive theory constructs including self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and goal formation demonstrated significant associations with each other and PA, fat, and fibre intake. Conclusions: Evidence suggests it is possible to prevent or delay the progression of prediabetes to diabetes with small changes in body weight, physical activity and dietary intake. The results reported in this dissertation identified a number of factors that may influence potential success of a prediabetes program to promote behavior change and increase the public health impact of prediabetes prevention programs.

Grounded theory method was used to explore the experiences of patients suffering the effects of psychological trauma who had received eye movement desensitization and reprocessing approach (EMDR) as treatment. Saturation of the categories was achieved with the analysis of 15 interviews. The basic social psychological process that emerged is transforming suffering and the core category is changes in perception. The three subcategories, relinquishing, presencing and emerging, form the conceptual framework for the stages of transforming suffering. The stages of relinquishing, presencing and emerging contain concepts and their properties to guide practice. The two dimensions of processing subsumed within each stage are temporal perspectives (past, present and future) and processing fields (physical field, cognitive field and transformative field). These concepts help explain the progression of the patient to experience resolution of the trauma and/or related symptoms/behaviors. Transforming suffering: changes in perception using EMDR is the resultant substantive theory. The implications of this theoretical framework for psychotherapeutic practice and future research are reviewed.

Invasive procedures are often painful and distressing for children and disturbing for their parents. The purpose of this study was to develop a substantive theory of parental perceptions of their school-aged child's responses to an outpatient minor surgical procedure with nitrous oxide. The sample included 22 parents of 21 children who underwent a nitrous procedure. Participants were recruited from the pediatric surgery department at a children's hospital. Semi-structured, audio-recorded interviews were conducted with each participant. Grounded theory method was used to simultaneously collect and analyze the data using the constant comparative method. The findings of the study revealed parental impressions involving a process of various emotions and behaviors. The identified process began at procedural scheduling, progressing through the procedure, and terminated going home. The core category derived from the data was Weathering the Storm before the Calm by Securing Connections. This core category describes the complexity of parental impressions and all categories subsumed by the core category. Six major categories and seven subcategories derived from the data represent parental impressions. Parental feelings of anxiety and fear arose during initial phases of the process. Parents attempted to deal with these stormy feelings in several ways. Parents experienced a sense of calmness after the procedure upon realizing their child was safe. The theme that weaves through the entire process is the parental-child connection and parental presence during the nitrous procedure. Parents also identified barriers and facilitators they faced during this process. The substantive theory that emerged provides nurses with an understanding of the stormy and subsequent calm phases parents endured. This information offers clinicians unique interventions to help parents get through this process. Future research needs extension to other settings such as radiology and other specialties such as plastic surgery and urology. Further research warrants investigating children's perceptions to their procedure with nitrous oxide.

The purpose of this study was to discover a theory on how women decide to deliver their babies by cesarean section instead of experiencing a trial of labor and expected vaginal delivery when it is appropriate. The specific goals are to answer the research questions: What is the decision-making process by which healthy, low-risk women choose to deliver their babies by cesarean delivery in the absence of medical indications? What antecedents occur to influence a pregant woman's decision to undergo a maternal request cesaren section? Seven women from the surrounding Knoxville area underwent in-depth interviews. To qualify for the study, the women had to be healthy and low-risk, had an elective cesarean section within the last two years, be 18 years or older and reside in the East Tennessee area. Symbolic interactionism and feminism were utilized to provide a theoretical framework for the study. The grounded theory methodology by Strauss and Corbin (1990) was used to develop the core category, context, antecedents, intervening factors and consequences. From the data, a substantive theory was identified, "Having an elective c-section: Doing what's best." The antecedents of the women's decision were being scared and perceiving a cesarean section as an easier way to give birth. Women made this choice after gathering information and seeking support from health care providers, friends and family within the context of progressing through the pregnancy. Once the decision was made and the cesarean section was performed, the women voiced happiness with their decision and in having a good outcome. The findings of this study may assist office nurses, public health nurses, midwives, advanced practice nurses, childbirth educators and other women's health nurses to educate women on their childbirth options and hopefully to reduce the rate of maternal request cesarean deliveries.

Brands, and the process of branding, are of considerable importance in both marketing academia and practice. Although most research has focussed on the positive attitudes and behaviours that consumers have toward brands, there is a growing interest in anti-consumption. This thesis contributes to anti-consumption research by exploring the phenomenon of brand avoidance. Earlier studies investigating the avoidance of brands have been one-dimensional, failing to account for the wide range of reasons underlying brand avoidance. Therefore, this thesis addresses the limitations of existing models by providing an integrative and comprehensive approach to understanding brand avoidance. As an anti-consumption phenomenon, brand avoidance concerns the negative interaction between consumers, as social actors, and brands, as meaningful objects, within a social and historical context. Therefore, this thesis adopts an interpretive approach, a social constructionist epistemology, and historical realist ontology. Since research in the immediate area of brand avoidance is limited, this thesis employs a grounded theory methodology to analyse, code, and generate theory from the qualitative data gathered through 23 in-depth interviews. Four main types of brand avoidance (experiential, identity, deficit-value, and moral) and the circumstances in which brand avoidance may be restricted or alleviated (avoidance antidotes) emerge from the data. Existing literatures are used to further inform these findings and an original negative brand promises framework is developed to help increase understanding of the brand avoidance phenomenon. The main components of this research are then integrated into an emergent theoretical model of brand avoidance. This model offers a synopsis of how the various brand avoidance constructs may relate to one another and to other pertinent branding concepts within a consumption system. Combined, the findings of this thesis provide a comprehensive appreciation of why consumers avoid certain brands in addition to potential insights that may be used in the management of brand avoidance. Overall, this thesis contributes knowledge to the growing field of anti-consumption research by providing an innovative overview and an integrative understanding of an under-explored domain, brand avoidance. / Foundation for Research Science and Technology (Project number UOWX0227). The University of Auckland Graduate Research Fund. The Business School Post Graduate Research Grant.

Die sozialen Sicherungs- und Fürsorgesysteme in Deutschland befinden sich in einem radikalen Umbau im Sinne eines neoliberalen Gesellschaftsmodells mit der Folge, dass sich die gesellschaftlichen Widersprüche und Konflikte zuspitzen. Gleichzeitig weisen die aktuellen Debatten in der Sozialen Arbeit darauf hin, dass die gesellschaftlichen, und damit strukturellen, Widersprüche in deren Mitte angekommen sind. Sie manifestieren sich u.a. in Handlungsdilemmata, mit denen die Sozialarbeiter/innen in ihrem Berufsalltag und in ihrer pädagogischen Praxis konfrontiert sind und auf die sie reagieren (müssen). Hier liegt auch der Ausgangspunkt der vorliegenden Arbeit. Es wird der Frage nachgegangen, welche Strategien die in der Jugendberufshilfe tätigen Sozialarbeiter/innen bei der Konfrontation mit sich widersprechenden Handlungsanforderungen entwickeln, die sich aus den institutionellen und gesellschaftlichen Rahmenbedingungen einerseits und der sozialpädagogischen Berufspraxis andererseits ergeben. Von besonderem Interesse ist die Frage, welche Probleme und Handlungsdilemmata überhaupt von den Sozialarbeiter/innen wahrgenommen werden. Der Fokus dieser Arbeit liegt auf der Jugendsozialarbeit, und insbesondere auf der Jugendberufshilfe, als demjenigen Teil des sozialen Sicherungssystems, der sich speziell an individuell beeinträchtigte und sozial benachteiligte Jugendliche richtet und an ihrer Übergangsproblematik ansetzt. Dem qualitativen Forschungsansatz der grounded theory folgend werden zwei Fallanalysen von Sozialarbeiterinnen durchgeführt, die als Beraterinnen am Übergang Schule – Beruf tätig sind. Die Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass die Umgangsformen mit Handlungsdilemmata in einem engen individuellen, institutionellen sowie gesellschaftlichen Kontext stehen, da sie stets gleichsam eine individuelle, institutionelle und gesellschaftliche Funktion erfüllen.

Syftet med studien är att belysa åtta lärares vägar till fostran av elever i klassrummet. I bakgrunden finns, förutom en kort inledning om mitt intresse för analyserat område en begreppsutredning där jag definierar för studien centrala begrepp. I litteraturdelen presenteras både normativ och deskriptiv litteratur då tidigare emprisk forskning finns i begränsad mängd. De refererade källorna är av både äldre och nyare karaktär. Aktuella variabler i urvalet är lärares kön, undervisningsstadium, antal år i yrket och skolans upptagningsområde (status och typ av bebyggelse). Datainsamlingen har skett med en etnografisk metod där observationer, informella intervjuer och formella intervjuer har följt varandra. Analysen har skett med hjälp av procedurer som hämtats från grounded theoryansatsen där kodning och kategorisering av data har följt metodens mönster. De kategorier som växt fram är ett steg på vägen till en teorigenerering. Resultatet visar att det finns två huvudkategorier då det gäller lärares vägar till fostran, explicit och implicit påverkan. Explicit påverkan sker i form av värderingsöverföring och negativ och positiv förstärkning. Implicit påverkan sker med hjälp av det sociala klimatet, arbetssättet och materiella miljön. Studien visar att lärare är personliga i sin fostran av elever och att de fostrar på både ett medvetet och ett omedvetet sätt. Studien bekräftar annars den refererade litteraturen vad gäller lärares vägar till fostran av elever i klassrummet.

Denne studien har fokus på PP-rådgiverens perspektiv på arbeid med problematferd i skolen. Jeg valgte å vinkle min prosjektbeskrivelse og det videre arbeidet mot en studie av Pedagogisk - Psykologisk tjeneste (heretter PP-tjenesten). Nærmere bestemt rettes blikket mot PP-rådgiverens erfaringer med og perspektiv på arbeid med hjelpetrengende elever i skolen, deres foresatte og lærere. Å undersøke slike perspektiv kan ha interesse fordi PP-tjenesten har et særlig godt kjennskap til skolen og det som skjer der gjennom sin rolle som skolens hjelpetjeneste. Analysen bygger på intervju av 12 Pedagogisk-psykologiske rådgivere på 4 PP-kontor i Nord-Norge 1999 -2000 og på direkte observasjon i 30 møter av ulike typer som ble gjennomført på disse kontorene. ”Grounded Theory” er brukt som metodologi og metode. Jeg utviklet 5 substantive koder: 1) ”faglig usikkerhet”, 2) ”skjønn og fagkunnskap”, 3) ”å arbeide eklektisk” 4) ”respons på antatte forventninger” og 5) ”diagnosekommunikasjon”. På basis av de substantive kodene utviklet jeg følgende substantive kode: ”å jobbe eklektisk på basis av skjønn og fagkunnskap gir ulik grad av faglig usikkerhet”. I tillegg har jeg utviklet ulike ”typer” PP-rådgivere, ”eksperten”, ”brannslukkeren” og ”analytikeren”. De teoretiske hypotesene som ble utviklet i dette arbeidet har blitt relatert og drøftet i forhold til annen relevant forskning som for eksempel Bernsteins begrep ”den pedagogiske anordning”, der diskurser og makt er sentralt.

The steel industry is the foundation that country marches toward modern of development of civilization. According to the International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI) has announced that world crude steel output reached 1,239.5 million metric tons for the year 2006. In 1996, Mainland China produced 101.2 million metric ton of crude steel. By 2001 this had risen to 150.9 million metric ton, an increase of 49.1%. In 2006, China produced 418.8 million metric ton of crude steel, an increase of 313.8% in just ten years. China¡¦s share of world crude steel production has also increased exponentially. In 1996, China became the largest steel producing country in the world. China remains the largest single market and the strongest growth area. Steel use will increase by 13% in 2007 followed by another 10% in 2008 taking the total to 443 million ton by 35% of the world total. Subject that several important environments of steel marketing change, While China poses a severe threat to Taiwan in the Steel market, Taiwanese Steel manufacturers have to move to higher ground ahead of the rising tide of mainland competition. Grounded Theory (GT) is a research method most often associated with the social sciences, (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Thereafter Strauss in 1990 published Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques together with Juliet Corbin. Grounded theory was developed as a systematic methodology, and its name underscores the generation of theory from data. When the principles of grounded theory are followed, a researcher using this approach will formulate a theory, either substantive (setting specific) or formal, about the phenomena they are studying that can be evaluated. To research and investigate the changing of supply-chain by interviewing decisive persons in the business, its purpose is to make this thesis more deliberate in study structure and procedures and operational logic. This research can be classified into four main groups, such as raw material suppliers,horizontal competitor,down-stream user and co-opetition(co-operation and competition). The iron and steel industry is combined with four groups, this thesis focus on iron and steel producers. Taiwanese steel industry was forced to face several critical issues from market changing in Mainland China. 1. The industrial down-streamers in Taiwan move to Mainland China. 2.The developments of upper-streamers in China that brings an extra option for purchasing raw material. 3.An increasing stress comes from excess of new established steel companies in Mainland China. 4.The lower- cost substitutes in China invade worldwide steel market. But under the special political situation and common in language and culture, both Taiwan and China industries could have more strategically options in cooperation or competition. It is influencing the key element that this research is probing into China's Mainland and interacting with steel industry of Taiwan, utilize and take Grounded Theoretical research, sum up 129 open coding altogether , sum up 14 axial coding and five selective coding progressively . In order to understand the key elements of the steel industries of both sides of Taiwan Strait.