M.A. / South Africa finds itself in the socio-historical transition from the modern to the post-modern era, which influences every South African in all their life roles. One of the most prominent life roles is that of a career, which is also within a post-industrial transition state. It is imperative to develop a post-modern approach to career psychology to provide in the career needs of every individual within the given context of post-industrialisation and multiversalism. The objective of this study is therefore to define the position of career psychology in the post-modern paradigm, and to apply the Grounded Theory in developing an approach to establish career psychology in the post-industrial world of work. The research strategy consists of the Grounded Theory and more specifically the paradigm model. The post-modern approach to career psychology can be summarised as the narration of a life story, with the purpose to achieve a realistic and pro-active career choice within the context of st-industrialisation and multiversalism. The self takes a central position in the subjective and objective career contexts, and is influenced by the self s interpretation of its current and anticipated values, roles and life style. This pro-active process is future orientated, occurs in the present, and has its roots in the past. The post-modern approach to career psychology is flexible enough to integrate new or existing theories or approaches in career psychology or related disciplines.

Emerging technologies have changed the environment of global competition; many IT-firms are adapting new trends of offshore software development to attain latest and low costs services. This research report is aimed to fill the literature void on application outsourcing governance and emphasize on the components critical for a successful application outsourcing governance model. The research is conducted on a service-buyer IT-firm which forwards software development assignments to its vendors locally as well as globally. Research employs qualitative method where social constructivist philosophical worldview is used to gain practical understanding of participants’ viewpoints on the research topic; research uses inductive approach which is intended at theory building. Three types of interview methods are used for data collection; analytical process of Grounded Theory is used to analyze the data systemically. GT coding technique is used to code collected data into different concepts by constant comparison and by asking questions; similar concepts are gathered under different categories. One core category and seven key categories are emerged from the data; these categories represent the key components of application outsourcing governance model. Finally, these components integrate in order to form application outsourcing governance framework for successful deliveries of application outsourcing projects.

GlobalGAP (previously EurepGAP) is a voluntary business-to-business standard for food audit that has recently achieved the greatest acceptance worldwide (Campbell, Lawrence & Smith 2006) boasting implementation numbers of over 80,000 farms in 80 countries. Compliance with the standard is verified by means of the third party certification (TPC) audit, and is designed to (GlobalGAP 2008) assure European retailers that exporting producers have met their criteria for safe and sustainable agriculture (GlobalGAP 2007b). In 2004, cherry growers in the Southern Interior of British Columbia became the first GlobalGAP certified producers in Canada. This novelty afforded a unique opportunity to observe the introduction of the standard in an industrialized country with well-established regulations and where the capacity of producers to undertake the process was relatively high. A qualitative methodology was used in case studies of two communities to inductively study the implementation of ‘safe and sustainable agriculture’ certification and generate relevant research questions for deeper examination. Sensitizing concepts emerging from observations of the TPC audits (n = 20) evolved into two primary research objectives; 1) to understand the practical application and diffusion of a TPC standard and 2) to explore the efficacy of the TPC standard as a mechanism to promote sustainable agriculture within certain pre-existing contexts. Forty-four follow up interviews were conducted with growers that chose to certify (n = 24), those that did not (n = 14), and other key actors (n = 3). This thesis examines the research objectives over three chapters. The introduction provides the local and global context along with a review of GlobalGAP, agri-food governance and the role of private certification and retailer power. Chapter two presents the technological and sociological factors that influenced the stages of the diffusion of GlobalGAP TPC and compares these factors and outcomes to the technological and sociological components of sustainable agriculture. In the conclusion, policy strategies are offered to maximize the potential for this tool to promote sustainable agriculture along with suggestions for future research on the topic. / Science, Faculty of / Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES), Institute for / Graduate

Through this research study my aim was to critically examine the ways in which multimodal, autoethnographic art can enhance and expand educational experiences in general education art classrooms. The study investigates how participants’ perceptions of self and others within culture transform over a semester-long qualitative arts-based study. The study’s goal was to uncover teaching and learning strategies that help to disrupt traditional academic boundaries using autoethnography to create an engaged, cooperative university classroom environment. The participants for this study included 77 students in a general education art and culture course and myself as the co-teacher and researcher. Autoethnographic data were collected throughout the course in the forms of art research journals, pre-and post course questionnaires, researcher field notes, recorded class discussions, on-line discussion boards, notes from one-on-one student/researcher communications and field notes from participants’ final multimodal, autoethnographic art pieces and presentations. The methods used for the study were a modified version of arts-based and grounded theoretical research models. A heavy emphasis was placed on the participants art-making and sharing their work with others in the study. The findings from the study indicated most of, many of participants experienced advancement in their understanding of self within culture and developments of new insights into the experiences and perceptions of others in the study. Results from the study confirm a steady growth in participant engagement and development of cooperative class environment throughout the semester. This study contributes to existing scholarship on the generation of new knowledge from arts-based research models, multimodal autoethnograpy as method, teacher/student relationships in academia, and risk-taking in teacher professional development. The findings from the study might provide support and encouragement for meaningful discussions about the significance of exploring self through art making and art sharing in academic settings. By highlighting the achievements of the use of autoethnography as a method of inquiry, this study will add to the larger discussion of teacher and student identity in art education classrooms.

Local Food Systems (LFS) is a relatively new concept in geographical and planning research. Academic, professional, and public interest in LFS is in part a reaction against the social, environmental, and economic effects of a dominant Production Agriculture paradigm (Lyson, 2004), and growing concern with the potential impacts of climate change on the food supply (Ostry, Miewald, and Beveridge, 2011). While there is a growing public and policy interest in making transformative change in LFS, there is a lack of theoretical work that addresses how change processes in food systems occur. In this study, a classic Glaserian grounded theory research project investigated the subject area of local food system planning. The primary research goal was the development of a theory grounded in the experience of practitioners, elected officials, and members of the public. The emergent theory, called Transformative Incrementalism (TI) describes the social process underlying planning initiatives focused on achieving significant (transformative) change in local food systems. The data for this research project are drawn from interviews with 29 elected officials, public stakeholders, and planning staff in five communities with local food system initiatives. In addition, 10 member checking interviews were also conducted. The core category identified in the emergent TI theory was Power, with Values, Praxis, and Outcomes being other main themes. From this research, Power could be defined as the ability, through authoritative and non-authoritative influence, to have an effect on a person, process, action, or outcome. Values act as sources of power to the extent that they motivate and drive the actions of individuals and groups. Praxis includes activities designed to create, use, and maintain power, such as building relationships with other people that will give ongoing support for food planning initiatives. Outcomes include broader system and social changes resulting from local food system planning processes and activities. The main findings from this dissertation underscore the fact that the role of power has been largely ignored in the planning literature (Friedman, 2011; Flyvbjerg, 2012; Assche, Duineveld, and Buenen, 2014). Power is the main driver of change; therefore, a lack of understanding about what power is and how it operates would seem to compromise the ability of planning efforts to be effective. This research identifies and illustrates the interrelationship between the political, public, and bureaucratic spheres of actors, and examines how values, praxis, and outcomes are pivotal to transformative change in food planning initiatives. Transformative change is achieved through a long process of incremental efforts (programs, policies, and actions) by actors within the public, political, and bureaucratic groups whose values and beliefs converge and align over time. The incremental efforts are intended to support a transformative change goal. / Graduate

Background: Information technology (IT) has drastically changed the traditional way to do business. In theory, coordinating information sharing among organisational partners offers notable advantages through cost savings, productivity, improved decision making, and better customer service. Supported by modern information technology, business processes can change and be developed into new more effective forms, both internally and externally. However, as IT facilitates new business opportunities, it requires a steady flow of information and information exchange, both within intra- and inter-organisational contexts where a consensus on terms and definitions coordinating the uniform communication is vital. Purpose: With the focal point on inter-organisational information exchange, the purpose of the thesis is to define a set of guidelines for AI that can be used and adjusted according to the needs of a specific situation or context. Method: The thesis was carried out with a Multi Grounded Theory approach. Interviews were conducted at a local IT-company and with an associate professor of Informatics at Jönköping International Business School. Results: Five categories were discovered which impact AI: integration governance, project management, context, integration content, and testing. The result also implied the importance to distinguish between an operational and strategic level when working with Application Integration.

Background: Information technology (IT) has drastically changed the traditional way to do business. In theory, coordinating information sharing among organisational partners offers notable advantages through cost savings, productivity, improved decision making, and better customer service. Supported by modern information technology, business processes can change and be developed into new more effective forms, both internally and externally. However, as IT facilitates new business opportunities, it requires a steady flow of information and information exchange, both within intra- and inter-organisational contexts where a consensus on terms and definitions coordinating the uniform communication is vital. Purpose: With the focal point on inter-organisational information exchange, the purpose of the thesis is to define a set of guidelines for AI that can be used and adjusted according to the needs of a specific situation or context. Method: The thesis was carried out with a Multi Grounded Theory approach. Interviews were conducted at a local IT-company and with an associate professor of Informatics at Jönköping International Business School. Results: Five categories were discovered which impact AI: integration governance, project management, context, integration content, and testing. The result also implied the importance to distinguish between an operational and strategic level when working with Application Integration.

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Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the development and course of social phobia by analysing qualitatively all the textual material obtained about the persons with treatment-resistant social phobia who, during the years 1995-2000, underwent a surgical procedure called endoscopic sympathetic block (ESB) to alleviate their phobic symptoms. In the other part of this study, the effect of this surgical procedure on social phobia was assessed quantitatively. The qualitative part of the study was based on the phenomenologic-existential philosophy and the principles of grounded theory. The qualitative analysis revealed four kinds of parenthood in the families of socially phobic persons: a violent, alcoholic type, a dominant type with high demands, a negligent type and a good enough type. A "vicious circle of social phobia" was formulated as a substantial category. The quantitative part of the study was an open, prospective follow-up study, where 169 patients operated on for social phobia during the years 1995–2000 were followed up for 5 years, and the changes in their symptoms were estimated using a modified version of Davidson's brief social phobia scale and the Liebowitz quality of life scale. The quantitative and qualitative parts of the study were linked together by investigating each person's family background with a semi-structured interview. According to variation analysis of the results, all symptoms of social phobia seemed to be alleviated highly significantly by ESB, and the results remained similar throughout the follow-up. Reflex sweating of the trunk was the only significant side effect. Overall satisfaction with the operation was estimated to be 3.5 on a five-point scale, representing the description "some help of the operation". Thus, ESB can be regarded as an additional treatment method for social phobia if traditional treatment with medication and psychotherapy has not provided any help for the patient.

The aim of this study was to produce a grounded theory to describe the experiences of international students living in the UK and studying in a British university, and to understand and explain their behavioural responses to those experiences. Eighteen postgraduate international students were interviewed at a university in the south-west of England and the data was analysed using classic grounded theory methodology. The theory proposes that international students’ two biggest concerns are in regard to their English language skills and their detachment from home students. Students felt that their language skills were inadequate and they perceived themselves to be disadvantaged because of having to operate in a second language. They felt ignored when they attempted to reach out to home students and as a result they turned to co-nationals and recreated their home environment. International students were surprised at the size of the challenge they faced when they took up their studies and had to work hard to bridge the gap that existed between their academic and sociocultural skills and those needed in the UK. International students provided emotional, practical and academic support to each other but the academic support they offered to each other was not always good quality. International students engaged in a process of identity change during their stay in the UK which reflected the multiple and changing nature of their identities and during which they gained the skills they needed to be academically successful.