Multipurpose telecentres are considered as a phenomenon in international development efforts and have been an integral part of e-governance strategies of most developing countries. Their significance arises from the ascribed multipurpose nature and their potential to act as outreach posts for a range of services to rural households. The notion of multipurpose nature is taken for granted and there is very little evidence of the realisation of the expectations. The research commences by reviewing the underlying governance reforms and e-governance agendas. Further discussions highlight how the vast complexities associated with different services are trivialised in the light of the powerful arguments of New Public Management, good governance, managerial notion of integrated services delivery and technologically determinitic position on telecentres. The theoretical lens of the study is built by drawing on key concepts from intitutionalism, bureaucracy, and functional simplification and closure. The analytical capabilities and methodological apparatus of actor-network theory are also employed for the study. The research conceptualises services as heterogeneous actor-networks that include institutional actors. The role of institutions is considered, particularly that of bureaucracy by reflecting on its social foundations, organisational configurations and diversity taks. Using the concept of functional simplification and closure, the research highlights the need for human intermediation in providing services and thereby questions the simplistic notion of the multipurpose nature of telecentres. The research also highlights the institutional implications such as trust on intermediation. The arguments are made using an interpretive case study of e-governance services delivered through Akshaya telecentres in Malappuram district, Kerala, India. Case studies on two other specialised e-governance projects (offering specific sets of services) from Kerala were also undertaken to get insights on the phenomenon. The findings recommend the adoption of a multimode approach to service delivery. The research indicates that ICT interventions are more directly helpful to domain intermediaries than to rural households. The study also critically discusses the governance implications associated with outsourcing of goverment services through telecentres.

This study explores partnership working as a mechanism for effective public service delivery. It investigates into how Public-Social Enterprise Partnerships (P-SEPs) can utilise innovative models of user involvement and Service Innovation (SI) in the co-design and co-delivery of user-led socially-oriented services to young adults (18-24) in East England. It identifies the inability of P-SEPs to conceptually explore innovative models of user involvement and SI when engaging young-adult end users in the co-design and co-delivery of user-led solutions to `wicked` issues like `rough sleeping` as a gap in knowledge which I will explore three interrelated research questions in filling. This study draws conceptual inspiration from the network theory, the Pragmatic research paradigm and the inductive-deductive research strategy in exploring the Concurrent Mixed Method underpinned by Likert-scale questionnaires and semi-structure interviews as my data gathering instruments. The emergent conceptual framework from my data analyses posits that high users` perception of their involvement in the co-design and co-delivery of user-led public services can engineer satisfaction, transformational outcomes and high service quality. A fieldtrip provided the conceptual opportunity for me to explore three multiple-case studies in gathering qualitative data through semi-structured interviews administered to staff as these were coded, thematised and analysed using NVivo. Quantitative data from questionnaires administered to end users were analysed using Excel. Evidence gleaned from both strands was integrated and triangulated in complementing and enhancing my research findings. This study challenges misconceptions and dominant ideologies which underpin user involvement while making three interconnected contributions to knowledge. First, it extends the frontiers of knowledge in the discipline by creating new insights and articulating four innovative models of user involvement. Second, at the practical level, it contributes to the ongoing debate on conceptualising, modernising and delivering more effective userengineered public services by informing professional practice and policymaking. And third, at the theoretical level, it contributes towards the development of a theory on user involvement. It thus underlines the factual conclusion that high users` perception of their involvement in the co-design and co-delivery of user-led outcomes can engineer high user satisfaction, high service quality and transformational outcomes. It successfully re-positions the debates on user involvement on new conceptual and empirical grounds.

從服食雲母得仙的嶺南何氏女，到增城邑人何泰抗婚的女兒，最後成為以「仙姑之後」自詡的何姓居民敬奉的「仙姑婆」─女仙，未嫁女兒，祖姑，這幾種身份在帝國晚期共同交織出增江沿岸何仙姑信仰多元的面向，也揭示了這塊山水交會之地上的人群在流徙與生根落戶之間拓蕪興荒、聚合與爭競的歷史。本文結合文獻（text）、歷史（history）與田野調查（fieldwork），在區域社會史的架構和歷史人類學的理論關懷下，探討廣東增江地區以女神「何仙姑」之名為中心的傳說系統和崇拜活動，是如何具體在一方水土之上為不同的人群與勢力團體所襲用與創造，漸層堆疊交織成為帝國晚期的樣貌。透過析縷何仙姑信仰與增江沿岸社會從宋代自清中葉相互構造的歷史過程，本文試圖呈現神祇傳說與廟祀傳統背後所隱含的人群關係、社會樣貌與歷史文化傳統，並揭示神祇的靈顯之名是為何與如何鑲嵌進入地方社會的組織結構與文化肌理之中，以及在這樣的過程中被改變，留存，或新創。本文認為，增城何仙姑信仰具體說明了一方之神的靈顯之名，實為複雜的宗教、文化、地域傳統先後參與對話的結果。所謂地方宗教（local religion）傳統的「地方性」（localness），除了植根並展演於為特定地理疆界所定義的地域社會之中，實際上還是鄉土邊界以內和以外紛陳的政治社會文化勢力相互激盪和構造出來的產物。裰織仙名的歷程揭示了仙姑之名的不朽，實來自社區生活的展延、地方歷史敘事的不斷更新以及敬拜人群持續選擇與實踐的結果。本文指出，以「何仙姑」之名在地方社會中上為各方士庶所敬拜的神祇，對於敬拜者而言，不是同一位（the same/unified）神明，而是共同的（common/commonly shared）神明。在增江沿岸社會，「何仙姑」作為一個具有豐厚歷史文化積澱的神話人物，其傳說與廟祀實踐所體現的主流文化和神祇的多重形象，一方面為面臨不同機遇的行動者提供了豐富多元的象徵資源，一方面也在立場、動機互異的行動者之間鋪陳了一個可以對話與行動的共同基礎，這是此一信仰傳統能夠持續呼應世道並存續綿延的主要原因。 / Female deity, unmarried daughter, and grand paternal aunt─are the three dominant identities that have mutually characterized the cult of the Goddess He Xiangu (the Transcendent Maiden He) in the local society along the Zeng River in Guangdong since the mid-Qingto date. Drawing upon the perspective of regional social history and historical anthropology, this study adopts an interdisciplinary text-history-fieldwork investigation into how these three identities had overlapped over a period from the Song to the Mid-Qing. By mapping the historical and social settings wherein the cult had been crafted, I depict in detail the process through which the image and identity of the deity had been shaped, renovated, and appropriated by diverse social groups in multi-layered historical conditions. It is in fact the result of an on-going interactive dialogue among multiple religious, cultural, and local traditions. In this process of the social affairs associated with the legend and religious practices, the role of community and collective memories are proved decisive. The study shows that the localness of the local religion/cults was taken formed by the diverse socio-political powers and cultural traditions that not only existed within but also beyond the boundary of the given local society. Through elucidating the transformation of the cult, I consider that as a local symbol of divinity with abundant meanings, what the goddess meant to her believers may be of the same title "He Xiangu" but with variant interpretations according to different ways of adaptation from commonly-shared understandings among local communities. This explains the complexity of the legend and religious practices. In a shell, it also shows us how the cult meanders with the path of history and keeps echoing to the sound of the new world. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / 廖小菁 = The fabrication of divine prestige : the making of the He Xiangu cult and local society from the Song to the mid-Qing dynasty / Liao Hsiao Ching. / Thesis (Ph.D.) Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2014. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 208-235). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Liao Xiaojing = The fabrication of divine prestige : the making of the He Xiangu cult and local society from the Song to the mid-Qing dynasty / Liao Hsiao Ching.

Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) has garnered increasing attention from both academics and practitioners in the past two decades. However, a number of new debates have recently been opened up, throwing doubt on whether the adoption of SSCM practices really pays, and thus the commercial benefits of ‘going green’ in the context of SCM remain open to question. This thesis attempts to investigate whether SSCM practices can be both environmentally beneficial and commercially viable. In light of this, this research develops and empirically assesses a comprehensive SSCM drivers-practices-performance model. Data was collected from 186 UK automotive manufacturing firms, and analysed using the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) method. The complementary driving force of organisation environmental management (OEM), was identified as a necessary precursor to the successful SSCM adoption. The findings further suggest that while SSCM implementation delivers environmental improvements, it does not necessarily lead to improved cost performance, as only sustainable procurement was found to have a positive effect on cost performance. This research contributes to the existing knowledge by asserting that the implementation of SSCM practices leads to improved environmental performance, while the economic performance is partially compromised, sustaining a negative trade-off in terms of cost performance. Lastly, this research provides useful insights for both managers seeking to adopt SSCM practices and policy-makers and regulators seeking to further promote an SSCM agenda.

This thesis examines how urban spheres in influence in Leicestershire have impacted upon the development of infrastructure related to transport and commerce and the relationships between urban and rural areas in the county more generally. The thesis looks at the historical development of urban spheres of influence from the medieval period through to the mid-twentieth century. The relationship between town and country is shown to have undergone a significant evolutionary change, one hastened by the changes brought about by the industrial revolution. The thesis concludes by considering the implications which the changes enacted between the town and country may have on local government administrative boundaries which are often historically based.

O desenvolvimento de novos recursos terapêuticos capazes de acelerar o processo de reparo tem proporcionado avanços significativos no tratamento de lesões tendinosas. O objetivo do presente estudo foi analisar a influência da radiação LASER HeNe em cicatrização de tendões. Foi desenvolvido um modelo experimental de lesão de tendão de Aquiles através de um procedimento minimamente invasivo em coelhos adultos. Foram utilizados 40 animais distribuídos em quatro grupos de 10 animais (I, II III IV). No grupo I a lesão do tendão foi unilateral (pata direita) e o tendão lesado não recebeu estímulos com LASER. No grupo II a lesão foi unilateral (pata direita) e o tendão lesado recebeu estímulos com LASER. No grupo III a lesão do tendão foi bilateral e apenas a pata direita foi estimulada com LASER. No grupo IV foi realizada \"Sham Operation\" bilateralmente e apenas o tendão da pata direita recebeu estímulo com LASER. Todos os animais foram tratados com dose a 5 J/cm2 de forma pontual com contato direto durante 8 dias consecutivos, diariamente. Após este período os animais foram sacrificados e os tendões de Aquiles submetidos a ensaios mecânicos de tração em máquina de ensaio mecânico. Foram ensaiados 71 tendões, sendo 09 descartados. Embora não tenhamos observado diferença estatística significante nas comparações feitas entre os grupos, podemos notar que existiu uma tendência apontando que os tendões estimulados com LASER apresentaram resistência menor que os grupos controles. Estes resultados sugerem que o LASER diminuiu a resistência dentro das condições estudadas. Relevância Clínica: O presente trabalho mostra o conceito de que a irradiação LASER pode diminuir a resistência mecânica da cicatrização tendinosa em fases precoces do processo. / The development of new therapeutic resources addressing accelerating the repairing process has proportioned a meaningful advance in the treatment of tendon lesions. The purpose of the present study was to analyse the influence of He-Ne LASER radiation on tendon healing. An experimental model of Achilles tendon lesion was developed through a minimally invasive procedure in adults rabbits. We used 40 animals divided in groups of 10 animals each. In group I the tendon lesion was unilateral (right-paw) and the injured tendon did not receive LASER stimulation. In group II the lesion was unilateral (right-paw) and only, the injured side received LASER stimulation. In group III the tendon lesion was bilateral and only the right-paw was stimulated by LASER. In group IV bilateral sham operation was performed and only the right - paw received LASER stimulation. All the animals were treated with 5 J/cm2 dosis in a punctual way with direct contact for 8 successive days. After this period the animals were killed and the Achilles tendons were submitted to mechanical tests in traction on a mechanical testing machine. Seventy-one tendons were tested and 9 were discarded. No statiscally significant difference was observed in the comparison done between groups, however we could notice a tendency suggesting that the tendons stimulated by LASER presented a lesser mechanical resistance. These results suggest that LASER probably reduces the resistance in the studied conditions. Clinic Relevance: The present study supports the concept that LASER irradiation may induce an attenuation of the mechanical properties of the healing tendon in a very early phasis of the proccess.

Driver behaviour has become an important aspect of transport research and over the years a considerable number of car following models have been developed. However, many of these models do not accurately simulate actual driving behaviour due to a lack of suitable qualitative and quantitative data. Moreover, the inclusion of socioeconomic variables in the existing models to ascertain the effect on car following behaviour is lacking. This research underlines the need to further investigate driving behaviour and car following models and to develop techniques to provide a better understanding of driver-vehicle interactions during car following. It investigates data collection techniques and develop better techniques to enhance and improve the collection of microscopic driver behaviour and traffic flow data. This study developed a novel data collection technique which involved instrumenting a private vehicle with front and rear advanced radar sensors, both forward and rear facing video-audio recorders connected to GPS based time series speed and distance measurement devices, an in-vehicle computer logging vehicle speed and a CAN monitoring interface user program to provide real time monitoring and display of data. This system has been utilised to collect a more enhanced and reliable microscopic driver behaviour data in three consecutive vehicles movements which represents an improvement from previously used systems. Three different versions of the GHR car following model were produced for: car following car, truck following car and car following truck. Further analysis of the GHR model showed that in the case of car following car, car drivers responses to the lead car are more obviously stronger than in the case of truck following a car. A distance-based car following model and distance-based two-leader car following model that predict the safe following distance of following vehicles were developed to provide a better understanding of driver behaviour. An extension of these models to include gender, corridor (road) type and vehicle occupancy showed evidence of statistical significance of these variables on driver behaviour. A bus following model that predicts the “following distance” also has been calibrated to describe the interactions between a bus and a car within urban-rural driving conditions. In addition, data analysis showed that drivers were inconsistent with their driving behaviour and that there was variability in driving behaviour across the drivers observed in keeping a safe or desired following distance. This study provides a platform for a number of future research agendas including data collection techniques for collection of driver behaviour data; evaluation of different ITS technologies; impact assessment of ACC on driver safety and improvement of traffic microscopic simulation tools in order to strengthen their ability to simulate realistic transport problems for efficient and effective transportation systems.

Economic growth has continually remained an objective of every nation, particularly for lesser-developed countries such as the Small Island Developing States (SIDS). According to an UNCTAD (2014) report on “Small island developing States: Challenges in transport and trade logistics,” one way of attaining economic growth is by focusing attention on tackling the challenges faced by transport and trade logistics (UNCTAD, 2014). Given the unique characteristics of SIDS nations, notably high import content, insularity, geographic remoteness and small economies, populations and areas, all of these factors emphasize the importance of having “well-functioning, reliable, sustainable and resilient transportation systems, in particularly the maritime sector for SIDS development and international trade survival” (UNCTAD, 2014). Such policies would be consistent with what is generally referred to as ‘supply led' economic development, where improvements in transport related infrastructure result in economic growth (Cowie, 2010). Such an approach assumes there is a latent demand for a country/region's produce, but this is being prevented from being exploited, because of inefficiencies in, or a lack of adequate port infrastructures and human resources. These challenges constitute a key policy concern for the sustainable development of SIDS' ports and become not only a port concern but a national concern, as directing adequate funding to improving port efficiency, has become a top priority (UNCTAD 2014). For instance, according to the United Nations (UN), “benchmarks need to be established to monitor and improve port performance ... ”(UNCTAD, 2014), while SIDS such as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) aim to improve their maritime sector, claims that “...enhancing the maritime sector has the potential to fuel CARICOMs trade, increase port productivity and generate significant cost savings...” (CARICOM, 2013). This research aims to measure, analyse and compare port efficiency and productivity over a ten-year period (2001-2011), on 69 seaports, using non- parametric DEA based tests. The primary focus is on the Caribbean SIDS (referred as the Caribbean for abbreviation purposes), benchmarked against top ports. This is investigated from the realm of how port policy and development strategies have affected efficiency and productivity over time. This research attempts to present greater insight into SIDS ports, with reference mainly to the Caribbean, whilst the approach can become a springboard, implemented on other port types and regions of the world. Additionally, its practical contribution may become a better guide for international (UNCTAD), regional (CARICOM) and country level decision makers. Evolutionary technical efficiency and productivity for the Caribbean's Small Island Developing States (SIDS) ports, during the period 2001-2011 are evaluated. Moreover, the region's port development initiatives are assessed over the same period. Top ports received an average efficiency of 72%, outperforming the overall 66% average for Caribbean ports as was expected. Interestingly enough, efficiencies for top ports decreased on average by 0.5% per annum over the decade, whilst increases of up to 0.7% were found for Caribbean ports. Moreover, the region's productivity grew by 3.2%, compared to their larger top counterparts, of up to 2% per annum. This research concludes that trade volumes play an integral part in affecting efficiency and productivity. Additionally, given port development initiatives, the Caribbean's progresses in efficiency/productivity has been mainly the effects of scale and technical progress respectively. Since these ports are usually smaller scale and yield lesser throughput (compared to their larger counterparts), when they begin to grow, the focus is on enlarging their production scales, however, this is at the expense of adjusting internal practises. Compared to TOP ports, increases in productivity is solely the consequence of technical progress. Since these are usually larger scale ports and so likely yield more throughput, will likely be operating at the size of decreasing returns to scale. This suggests, that they are not properly focusing on internal practices and sizing their production scales to accommodate the rise in technical progress. The research findings can potentially influence decisions made by local and regional authorities in the Caribbean, when it comes to port development initiatives, as it provides an overview of efficiency/productivity, but more so that which impedes these progresses.

This thesis aims to develop a new way for port authorities to predict, analyse and make decisions in Port State Control (PSC) inspections. Under the New Inspection Regime (NIR), it is necessary to not only figure out the influence of new regime to the PSC system, but also provide some technical tools capable of predicting the inspection results and supporting the decision-making of port authorities when regulating the inspection policy. The study consists of analysis from multiple perspectives, both qualitative and quantitative. The risk factors influencing the inspection results and the decision-making of port authorities under NIR are identified through the practical inspection records and related literature. The Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) offers the historical inspection records within the region of Europe and the North Atlantic basin, reflecting different conditions in different periods. Given the different inspection system since 2011, port authorities require a brand new perception of the new inspection regime to estimate the inspection results, and further make decisions when making their own inspection policy. To achieve the objective, an incorporation of two types of models that have proved popular and superior is applied in this study. One is the risk assessment model of Bayesian network (BN), the other is the decision-making model of game theory. The BN models in this research utilize a data-driven approach called Tree Augmented Naïve (TAN) learning to derive the structure of the models. Based on the inspection reports collected from Paris MoU, two BNs that represent the situations of Paris MoU inspection system in different periods are constructed. Company performance, the new indicator, is viewed as one of the important factors influencing the inspection results for the first time and considered in the models. The BN model after the implementation of NIR can serve as the prediction tool for estimating inspection results under dynamic situations. Additionally, a comparative analysis between two models is conducted to clarify the influence on PSC inspection system brought by NIR. When constructing the non-cooperative strategic game model between port authorities and ship owners under NIR, the BN model outcomes play a crucial role in this process, highlighting the novelty of this model. Through the analysis and calculation on the payoff matrix, a Nash equilibrium solution representing the theoretical optimal inspection rate for port authorities is obtained. To validate the feasibility and practical significance of the game model, an empirical study is conducted. The statistics are quantitative and collected from different sources, i.e. Basic vessel information from the World Shipping Encyclopaedia (WSE), casualty information from IMO and Lloyd's Register of Shipping, PSC Inspection records from Paris MoU online inspection database, and the estimated value of different cost types from Drewry Shipping Consultants Ltd. The empirical study illustrates the insights of the optimal inspection policy for port authorities (i.e. with the increase of punishment severity, the optimal inspection rates experience a decreasing trend whatever the vessel condition), as well as providing suggestions for them when formulating the optimal inspection policy under various situations. Based on the BN model and the strategic game model after the implementation of NIR, the thesis eventually proposes a decision-making framework for port authorities to prioritise and select the strategies under different situations. The six-step framework incorporates a risk assessment approach and decision-making approach to provide a novel way to rank the candidate options of port authorities in terms of their resources, which enables decision-makers to find optimal strategies to improve the performance of the PSC inspection system under dynamic business environments. In general, this thesis provides important insights for port authorities to ensure that optimal inspection actions are taken to improve safety at sea in a cost effective manner. The two technical tools (i.e. the dynamic prediction tool for inspection results & the optimal inspection strategy), and the decision-making framework proposed in this project are helpful for port authorities within the Paris MoU region when regulating their inspection policy under NIR. Meanwhile, the comparative analysis in this study further clarifies the influence of NIR on new inspection system from different angles for the first time, demonstrating the introduction and implementation of NIR is a wise and positive decision.

This thesis investigates the development of capabilities by incumbent telecommunications operators in the context of the transition to the Next Generation Network (NGN). In particular, it examines the case of BT in the UK, as a large-scale first mover in this transition. The research is based on recent developments in the telecommunications industry, and the empirical evidence was obtained through documentary analysis and a large number of interviews. Using the resource-based view (RBV) as a foundation, the wider theoretical contribution of this thesis lies in the proposition that integrated solutions are constructed through the combination of platform strategy, project business and service innovation. A unique contribution is to consider the customer/user perspective, as the traditional literature on integrated solutions relies heavily on the supplier perspective. Another specific contribution is in the integration of two aspects of the platform strategy that are usually treated separately in the literature: (i) the reusability of components and subsystems; and (ii) the openness of the platform to external actors in order to drive innovation in the industry. The empirical evidence points to the development of the following approaches by BT: (i) the deployment of the network as a platform, integrating both aspects mentioned above; (ii) the adoption of a customer-centric approach which resulted in the establishment of a new business unit, BT Global Services (BTGS), that required the development of stronger capabilities in integrated solutions, especially in professional services (i.e. consultancy, project management and systems integration); (iii) the use of the term ‘open innovation' as a management injunction within BT in order to coordinate several initiatives which bring together internal and external collaborators and resources to innovate in services. The above approaches, however, have not changed BT's core capability in the provision of network/infrastructure services. The challenge is to connect BT's platform to their customers' networks and to shape long-term relationships to enhance the profitability of the integrated solutions. Finally, the findings suggest that the platform and customercentric strategies may not be enough (or even be the right ones) for the survival and growth in the long-term future of BT in the telecommunications industry. This is evidenced by the recent failure (as of 2008) of BTGS to provide professional services profitably.