The purpose of this study was to assess whether participation in a community college student leader program had an effect on the leadership behaviors of students based on five (5) practices measured by a student leadership practices inventory. By assessing these leadership behaviors, the community college was able to determine the effectiveness of the program and ways to improve the program's curriculum. This study addressed the following: 1) whether students who participated in a student leader program in a community college showed significant growth in leadership behaviors; 2) whether the growth in leadership behaviors of students who participated in a student leader program in a community college were significantly different from each other in regard to gender; 3) whether the growth in leadership behaviors of students who participated in a student leader program in a community college were significantly different from each other in regard to age. The student Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) developed by Kouzes and Posner (2002) was used as the main instrument in this study. The student Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) is a questionnaire with thirty (30) behavioral statements--six (6) for each of The Five Practices. The population of this study consisted of 62 student leaders who were participants in a student leader program at a community college. A pre LPI was given to 62 student leaders in the beginning of the school term. A post LPI was given to 62 student leaders at the end of the school term. Thirteen of the original student leaders dropped out of the program and were replaced by new student leaders. Thus, the total number of useable inventories for data input in this study was 49; this yielded a 79% return rate. This study supports the research that students who were involved in a leadership program gained leadership behaviors. In comparing the student leaders' pretest and posttest scores of the LPI, it showed that there was a significant difference in each leadership behavior. These leadership behaviors were: Challenging the Process, Inspiring a Shared Vision, Enabling Others to Act, Modeling the Way, and Encouraging the Heart. The results of this study also showed no significant difference in the student leaders' scores in the LPI in relation to the student's age group. According to Astin (1993), the student's age at the time of college entry was not significantly associated with changes in Leadership scores. This evidence supports the argument that increases in leadership skills during undergraduate years is associated with the college experience rather than the student's maturation. There were no significant differences between the male and female student leaders in regard to the five leadership practices with the exception of the leadership practice Challenging the Process. In this study, the male student leaders scored higher, 24.79, than the female student leaders, 22.37, in Challenging the Process. The focus group in this study highlighted the leadership behaviors the student leaders gained as a result of their involvement in the student leader program. Not only did the students grow in the leadership behaviors measured by the LPI, they also gained other leadership skills. In regard to their growth as a student leader, the students felt that they grew in many different areas. The opportunity allowed them to network with students, faculty, administration and staff, and gain leadership skills. These leadership skills included: listening skills, communication skills, stress management, multitasking and customer service. The students also believed in the importance of taking initiative, practicing patience and developing others.

In recent decades, conceptualizations of fatherhood have changed from a breadwinner ideal to fathers as caregivers. Despite this shift, fathers’ involvement with their children, on average, remains less than mothers’ involvement. This study examines the role of fathers’ gender roles (i.e., gender-role attitudes and provider-role attitudes) and work conditions (i.e., flexibility, supervisor and coworker support) as they independently, and in combination, predict father involvement with infants. Using a sample of 77 working class fathers, a series of path analyses were conducted with both mothers’ and fathers’ report of fathers’ involvement in fun and instrumental caregiving tasks. Results revealed that fathers with more egalitarian gender-role beliefs were more involved in fun tasks as reported by fathers, while fathers with more egalitarian provider-role beliefs were more involved in fun tasks as reported by mothers. Coworker support was associated with more instrumental and fun involvement. Fathers’ beliefs about gender-roles and their workplace flexibility interacted to predict their involvement in fun tasks, with more traditional fathers being more involved under conditions of high workplace flexibility. DocuSign Envelope ID: 5FB77C96-7C55-433C-B99A-496205649C1F iv Fathers’ provider-role beliefs interacted with their flexibility to predict mothers’ reports of their involvement in fun tasks, with more traditional fathers being more involved under conditions of high workplace flexibility. Thus, workplace flexibility may be an important predictor of father involvement for more traditional fathers, who would otherwise be less involved than their egalitarian counterparts. This study underscores the importance of supportive work conditions to increase involvement in fathers who would otherwise be less involved.

Broadening participation in engineering has been a pressing focus of engineering education research for decades. Despite efforts to improve engineering access for historically underrepresented groups, progress has been slow. The National Academy of Engineering and other governmental and professional agencies have voiced the need to increase the presence of women in engineering as a national priority. Women have always been underrepresented in engineering spaces and are too often told either explicitly or through negative treatment that they do not belong in engineering. This messaging is a barrier to broadening engineering participation for women; when women do feel like they belong, conversely, they are more likely to enter and remain in engineering spaces. My study was designed to understand women's experiences of belonging at different organizational levels. I investigate women's perceptions, competencies, motivations, and opportunities for belonging both within their engineering programs/colleges and outside of engineering at their institutions. Using this multi-level approach, I identified connections between belonging components at each level and found that the source of women's belonging and engagement matters for their overall levels of belonging and intentions to persist in engineering. The results of this study revealed that women experience higher levels of belonging outside of engineering than within their engineering programs. However, belonging in engineering related to students' intentions to persist toward their engineering degrees, but belonging outside of engineering did not. I also found that different activities relate to women's belonging at each level, which could have implications for how we support students in finding belonging. My findings present an opportunity for educators to be intentional about how and where they help students cultivate belonging. If we can help women find greater belonging in their engineering programs/colleges, we may be able to influence the likelihood that they persist in their engineering program in a way that belonging initiatives outside of engineering may not. / Doctor of Philosophy / Broadening participation in engineering has been a pressing focus of engineering education research for decades. Despite efforts to improve engineering access for historically underrepresented groups, progress has been slow. The National Academy of Engineering and other governmental and professional agencies have voiced the need to increase the presence of women in engineering as a national priority. Women have always been underrepresented in engineering spaces and are too often told either explicitly or through negative treatment that they do not belong in engineering. This messaging is a barrier to broadening engineering participation for women; when women do feel like they belong, conversely, they are more likely to enter and remain in engineering spaces. My study was designed to understand women's experiences of belonging at different organizational levels. I investigate women's perceptions, competencies, motivations, and opportunities for belonging both within their engineering programs/colleges and outside of engineering at their institutions. Using this multi-level approach, I identified connections between belonging components at each level and found that the source of women's belonging and engagement matters for their overall levels of belonging and intentions to persist in engineering. The results of this study revealed that women experience higher levels of belonging outside of engineering than within their engineering programs. However, belonging in engineering related to students' intentions to persist toward their engineering degrees, but belonging outside of engineering did not. I also found that different activities relate to women's belonging at each level, which could have implications for how we support students in finding belonging. My findings present an opportunity for educators to be intentional about how and where they help students cultivate belonging. If we can help women find greater belonging in their engineering programs/colleges, we may be able to influence the likelihood that they persist in their engineering program in a way that belonging initiatives outside of engineering may not.

Wildlife management requires understanding resources and involving stakeholders. The process Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) and Virginia Tech used to develop a black bear (Ursus americanus) management plan during 1999-2001 provided me with opportunities to understand diverse stakeholders and examine influences of participation on stakeholder knowledge, attitudes, and opinions concerning bear management. I used focus groups (with 5 key stakeholder groups), pre- and post-planning surveys, and interviews. I surveyed VDGIF biologists and managers (N = 21), members of a stakeholders advisory committee (N = 15), and members of 3 constituent groups representing bear hunters (N = 459), beekeepers (N = 442), and environmental interests (N = 500). I interviewed advisory committee members to validate survey results and evaluate the bear management plan. Participation apparently improved constituents' knowledge about bear management and their image of VDGIF bear management, and increased their support for controversial management options (e.g., lethal methods), but did not affect their opinions about bear hunting. Participation apparently had little effect on VDGIF staff opinions about bear management. Knowledge varied widely among constituent organizations. Bear hunting continues to be one of the most central, yet divisive, bear management issues in Virginia. Advisory committee members and VDGIF staff expressed satisfaction with the bear management plan and the planning process. Recommendations for wildlife decision-making processes include: balance science and public values in management, use multiple public involvement techniques, establish collaborative forums among stakeholders, reach out to all stakeholders, and nurture relationships with constituents during implementation. / Master of Science

New Product Development is a key strategy for company performance. Competencies involved in those projects are numerous and varied. Companies increasingly involve their suppliers in codevelopment projects to gather the most relevant knowledge, improve product quality and reduce time to market. Different levels of supplier involvement are defined in literature: white, gray and black box according to their responsibilities. This master thesis focuses on  he collaboration between supplier and customer in the case of New Product Development.  eflecting on existing literature, this master thesis first proposes a new taxonomy of boundary spanning, based on four main areas: knowledge transfer, knowledge translation, knowledge transformation and coordination. Secondly, each area is broken down into collaborative activities, which in turn are linked to the proper Information Technologies (IT). Finally, this typology is successfully confronted to two case studies.

Background: Commitment to patient engagement in research provides significant opportunities to advance our understanding of patients’ experience whilst fostering sensitivity and progress in research. Yet, people who are frail or seriously ill are rarely given the opportunity to partner across the course of a research study. Little is known about their impact on the conduct of research and the best ways of ‘meaningfully’ involving them as research partners. A series of studies using multiple methods were conducted to explore meaningful engagement of frail and seriously ill patients as partners in research. Study 1: A systematic review with narrative synthesis was conducted to describe the engagement of frail and seriously ill patients as research partners across the research cycle. Thirty eligible studies showed emerging evidence that research partnerships with frail and seriously ill patients can be achieved successfully. Frailty and serious illness present legitimate concerns due to the vulnerability of patient-partners but can be successfully mitigated when researchers ensure timing and methods of engagement are flexible and practical, and emotional needs of patient partners are consistently addressed. Study 2: A qualitative sub-analysis of the prior systematic review was conducted to identify ethical considerations of engaging frail and seriously ill patients as research partners. Findings revealed that researchers and patients should work together to clarify the intent and outcomes of the partnership, actively address relational and intellectual power differentials, recognize and minimize the potential for unintended harm, and strive to maximize the benefits of partnership. Study 3: An analytic autoethnography was conducted to explore how patient engagement is embodied and situated during serious illness. Findings provide a unique contribution to the discourse on representation and contested identity. Current concerns of tokenism are countered through recognition of ways in which patients ‘find’ and ‘make’ meaning through research partnerships. Partnering with seriously ill patients offers enormous potential to advance research through harnessing the power of embodied knowledge production. Conclusion: This dissertation highlights the importance of ensuring that the voices of frail and seriously ill patient-partners’ are heard first-hand. It further demonstrates, the current methodological imperative of patient engagement requires novel approaches to both enacting and evaluating patient engagement.

The study aims at finding reasons for teenagers’ involvement in crime in Sätra in Gävle, Sweden. Using a semi-structured interview method via Zoom of four participants who are involved with teenager who are into crime, the study sets out to answer the question about factors in the environment and community that leads teenagers into crime in Sätra. The findings were in line with the theoretical framework which was the Social Bonds theory, which has four components namely: attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. UsingATLAS.ti as a tool for analysis. Themes were created from the interview responses and the themes were analyzed based on previous research and chosen theory. In conclusion, these four components of the Social Bonds theory help explain the reasons for teenagers’ involvement in crime.

The present study explores the origins of fear of intimacy, specifically assessing parental involvement and attachment style. Correlations between each variable were analyzed and a mediation model was explored as well. Participants in this study (N = 372; mean age = 25.78; 86% female) completed scales to measure parental care, parental overprotection, attachment avoidance, attachment anxiety, and fear of intimacy. Data was analyzed to reveal correlational results that support the hypotheses. Negative correlations were found between parental care and attachment avoidance, attachment anxiety, and fear of intimacy. Parental overprotection was positively correlated with attachment avoidance, attachment anxiety, and fear of intimacy. Both attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety were positively correlated with fear of intimacy. Additionally, a mediation model assessed the extent to which attachment mediated the relationship between parenting and fear of intimacy. Attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety were both found to be partial mediators in this relationship; however, avoidance did not mediate when parental overprotection was considered the independent variable. These results link childhood experiences and adult relationships in a way that brings new light to the importance of parenting and attachment in shaping adult experiences. Results also make way for personal, clinical, and professional applications in the fields of education, parenting, and mental health.

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Purpose Ethical elaboration is an aspect of product involvement and this research examines the relationship between involvement and ethical consumption providing a more holistic understanding of ethical decision-­making. This paper identifies antecedents of both low and high involvement ethical product decision-­making at farmers’ markets, and with sustainable and energy efficient features in the housing market, respectively. Design/methodology/approach These aims are achieved through semi-­structured and in-­depth interviews with consumers and sellers of ethical products across low and high involvement domains. Findings The empirical investigation reveals new insights into the constructs considered when purchasing high involvement ethical products. Barriers are discussed and findings examine the relationships between trust, information, ethical motivation and signalling. Research implications A research process framework for the study of ethical decision-­making is presented, demonstrating that constructs are approached differently between involvement levels. A conceptual model providing steps for transferring knowledge gained from the research to practice is also developed. Practical implications This research aids in the dispersion of information among stakeholders so that sustainability and energy efficiency can be part of the standard real estate conversation. Social implications Sustainability and energy efficiency (SEE) housing is seen as a niche market and this research will help alter the behaviour of the stakeholders in order to incentivise consumers to change their purchase patterns to include SEE features. Originality/value Most of the work on ethical consumption deals with low-­involvement products. This study addresses high-­involvement ethical consumption within the housing market through a qualitative approach.