Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 55 pages. / Thesis (M.A.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: Previous research has examined the effectiveness of placing parents on a variety of incentive programs which would increase their likeliness to participate in school related activities. That research suggested that establishing school as a reinforcing environment for parents was vital. Due to these findings, this study examined the effects of a token economy on parent involvement at a low-income elementary school. Teachers were trained in the data collection method, and parental behavior was observed on a daily, weekly and bi-weekly schedule. Measures of social validity were obtained through teacher and parent questionnaires. The data from the research study suggested that the implementation of the token economy did increase the amount of parent participation, but only on a "micro" level. Parent involvement on a larger scale such as participation in after school activities such as PTA's and other large scale school related activities were not affected. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

This thesis examines the consequences of an increased institutional involvement in the recently emerging lending business known as peer-to-peer lending (P2PL). Since the P2PL business itself is a type of originate-to-distribute (OTD) lending model – in which the originator never carries the risk for the loans – this thesis investigates the effects it can have on the quality of the screening of potential borrowers, and if it could create a misalignment of interests between different stakeholders in the P2PL market. It also examines how the information asymmetry in the screening process is affecting moral hazard behavior and adverse selection problems. From the empirical research – which was gathered from interviews with significant participants in the Swedish P2PL market and the financial market as a whole – the authors find that an increased institutional involvement seems to come hand-in-hand with an increased loan volume, which creates incentives for the P2PL companies to ease their screening of borrowers and thus decreasing the average quality of the loans they originate. Furthermore, it shows evidence of great similarities between the current P2PL market and the sub-prime mortgage market that was the cause of the financial crisis in 2008. By comparing different geographic P2PL markets the thesis is providing the reader with four development phases that the P2PL markets seem to follow.

COO is a construct that refers to the country which a consumer associates a certain product or brand as being its source, regardless of where the product is actually produced. Scholars like Magnusson et al. (2011) argue that COO is a salient cue in consumers’ product evaluation and purchase intention. In contrast, Usunier (2006; 2011) and Samiee (2010) criticize the COO effect, by explaining that due to multinational production, integrated worldwide supply chains and global branding there are other cues that have become more salient in consumers’ decision- making process. The purpose of this thesis is to extend the understanding about the relationship of COO in consumers buying process. The research questions followed: To what extent does country of origin influence consumers’ product evaluations and purchase intention? To what extent does the level of involvement affect the relationship between country of origin and consumers’ product evaluation? To what extent does the level of involvement affect the relationship between country of origin and consumers’ purchase intentions. Applying a deductive approach, a quantitative research has been chosen for this thesis involving survey as the source for data collection in order to test this research four main concepts: COO, product evaluation, purchase intention and product involvement. The findings indicated that COO has a significant direct effect in consumers’ product evaluations and purchase intention. The results also indicated on that when consumers’ perceive products to be low involvement, the COO effect is greater in consumers’ decision-making process.

Public e-services are progressively used as a means for governmental agencies to interact and exchange information with citizens and businesses. These services are typically Internet-based and are meant to fulfill the three overarching objectives of egovernment; (1) to improve citizens’ interactions with the government, (2) to make governmental organizations more efficient and effective, and (3) to increase the transparency of government and lead to a more democratic society. The work presented in this thesis concerns how to identify those who affect the development of public e-services, and those who are affected by the implementation of a public eservice; hence public e-service stakeholders. The research is conducted according to the qualitative and interpretive research tradition. Based on theoretical and empirical work, conducted and analyzed using a hermeneutic approach, a conceptual framework is presented. The basis of the framework is laid by extracting, structuring, and interrelating concepts, models and methodologies concerning public e-services, public e-service stakeholders, and stakeholder involvement. The empirical foundation of the thesis, an interpretive case study, covers the development and implementation of a public e-service at a Swedish public sector organization. Data collection techniques include interviews, participatory observation, an open-ended questionnaire, and project documentation. The thesis presents two main knowledge contributions; 1) lessons learned from a public e-service development project involving multiple stakeholders; and 2) a conceptual framework for identifying, characterizing and involving stakeholders in the development and implementation of a public e-service. / En mängd myndighetstjänster, såsom ansökan om föräldrapenning, finns nu tillgängliga via Internet i form av offentliga e-tjänster. Dessa e-tjänster är tänkta att uppfylla tre generella mål: (1) att förbättra medborgares interaktioner med offentliga organisationer, (2) att effektivisera och förbättra administrativa processer inom den offentliga förvaltningen, samt (3) att öka den offentliga förvaltningens transparens och i förlängningen leda till ett mer demokratiskt samhälle. Arbetet som presenteras i avhandlingen syftar till att identifiera vilka intressenter som påverkar, och/eller påverkas av, utveckling och implementering av offentliga e-tjänster. Avhandlingen presenterar forskning som genomförts enligt en kvalitativ och tolkande forskningstradition. Baserat på teoretiskt och empiriskt arbete, genomfört och analyserat med en hermeneutisk ansats, presenterar avhandlingen ett konceptuellt ramverk. Ramverket är uppbyggt av extraherade, strukturerade och interrelaterade koncept, modeller och metoder angående offentliga e-tjänster, intressenter, och användarmedverkan. Det empiriska arbetet utgörs av en fallstudie av utveckling och införande av en offentlig e-tjänst vid en svensk offentlig organisation. De datainsamlingsmetoder som använts inkluderar intervjuer, deltagande observationer, en kvalitativ enkät, samt dokumentstudier. Avhandlingen presenterar två huvudsakliga kunskapsbidrag: (1) lärdomar från ett utvecklings- och implementeringsprojekt av en offentlig e-tjänst som involverar många olika intressenter, samt (2) ett konceptuellt ramverk för att identifiera, karaktärisera och involvera intressenter vid utveckling och implementering av offentliga e-tjänster.

New innovation and technology have influenced the development of product development processes and the four largest banks in Sweden have more or less been forced to adapt their products and services along new customer requirements. It may therefore be considered appropriate to involve customers in this process. This by collecting customer information and allow customers to influence the process to a greater extent. The payment solutions of Sweden’s largest banks' continue to evolve and to pay with electronic money has come to change banks' product development processes of payment solutions. This process should not only create an innovative product but should also be performed with continuous quality, sharp focus and prioritization, fast action, team focus, customer involvement, follow-through, and with a final product with strong competitive advantages that satisfies customer needs. The purpose of this study is with help from Sweden's four largest banking groups; Handelsbanken, Swedbank, Nordea and SEB, create the optimal product development process that includes customer involvement, customer impact, and clearly indicate where and how the collection of customer data should occur. This, with the help of a developed analysis tool - as a result of the study, can be applied to analyze the extent to which customers can be considered to be involved and influence the product development process. The four banks do not involve customers in a sufficiently large extent in the current situation in their product development processes. Customer information is collected but not always implemented and the instances where customers may be involved and influence are too few. By modifying the process and eliminating and adding new process phases and in these involve customers with complementary methods has an optimal product development process been developed with a focus on the collection of customer information, customer involvement and customer impact. This process aims to create competitive advantages for banks through increased customer focus. / Ny innovation och teknik har påverkat utvecklingen av produktutvecklingsprocesser och Sveriges största bankkoncerner har mer eller mindre blivit tvungna att anpassa sina produkter och tjänster utefter nya kundkrav, det kan därför anses lämpligt att involvera kunderna i processen. Detta genom att samla in kundinformation och låta kunderna påverka processen i en större utsträckning. Sveriges största bankkoncerners betalningslösningar fortsätter att utvecklas och att betala med elektroniska pengar har kommit att förändra bankernas produktutvecklingsprocesser av betalningslösningar. Denna process ska inte endast skapa innovativa produkter utan också genomföras med kontinuerlig kvalité, skarpt fokus och prioritering, snabba aktiviteter, team fokus, kundinvolvering, uppföljning och med en slutprodukt med starka konkurrensfördelar och som tillfredsställer kundernas behov. Syftet med studien är att med hjälp av Sveriges fyra största bankkoncerner; Handelsbanken, Swedbank, Nordea och SEB, skapa den optimala produktutvecklingsprocessen och påvisa vart i denna process kundinvolvering, kundpåverkan och insamling av kundinformation bör ske. Detta med hjälp av ett framtaget analysverktyg, ett resultat av studien, som kan tillämpas för att analysera i vilken utsträckning kunderna kan anses vara involverade och påverka en produktutvecklingsprocess.  I dagsläget involverar bankerna inte kunderna i produktutvecklingsprocessen i tillräckligt stor utsträckning. Kundinformation samlas in men implementeras inte alltid och tillfällen där kunderna kan vara involverade och påverka är få. Genom att modifiera processen och eliminera samt addera nya processfaser och i dessa involvera kunderna med kompletterande metoder har en optimal produktutvecklingsprocess framtagits med fokus på insamling av kundinformation, kundinvolvering och kundpåverkan. Denna process är avsedd att stärka bankernas konkurrensfördelar genom att sätta kunden i fokus.

This study explored public involvement within the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) using the co-orientational theory. Effective public involvement gives the public opportunities to be involved early in the planning and implementation of transportation projects that directly affect or may concern them. The co-orientational model looks at what an organization (FDOT) thinks about an issue (public involvement), what the public thinks of the issue, what the organization thinks the public thinks about the issue, and what the public thinks the organization thinks about the issue. This study investigated whether the FDOT management has an accurate understanding of the perceptions of the public and communicates effectively with them. To achieve accurate perceptions of the public, management must interact with the public to identify issues that could become potential crises if not addressed at an early stage. This study examined whether there is true consensus or dissensus among the public and the FDOT management and looked at the perceptions of both groups and the distance between them to see if the needs of the public and the Department can both be met. A critical part of this research included analyzing the opinions of the public to see if the public trusts government and the FDOT. Furthermore, this study set out to determine a relationship between trust and involvement and the different techniques used to communicate.Research was gathered through surveys to the public and to FDOT management. The public surveys were handed out at transportation public meetings across the state of Florida over a period of six months to gain the publics perception of the issue and the publics estimate of the management perceptions.

The purpose of this study was to examine the role that self-determination played in the transition process for young African American women with disabilities who exited high school with a special diploma and participated in a local transition program. Factors under study included the young women's autonomy, self-regulation, psychological empowerment, and self-realization (Wehmeyer, 1996). This examination of the perceptions of the transition process of young African American women with disabilities involved in-depth interviews with five young women and their parent or guardian. Additionally, The Arc's Self-Determination Scale (ASDS) and the Parent Self-Determination Practice Survey (PSDPS) were administered to determine the level of self-determination of the young women as well as the level of parental promotion of self-determination. Results showed that the young women were able to use self-determination in a variety of settings. Three of the five student participants demonstrated high levels of self-determination as measured by the ASDS when compared to the normative sample. Also, the parent or guardian of the young women provided multiple opportunities for the young women to practice self-determination in their homes and employment settings. Furthermore, the young women discussed several factors that they perceived to be strengths and challenges to using self-determination throughout and beyond the transition process. The findings have implications for school systems, social service agencies, and parents and guardians.

The purposes of this research were to determine the rate at which school psychologists engage in parent training/education with the parents of children with chronic behavior problems and to determine the relationships between school psychologists’ demographic variables, professional practice, training, and perception of barriers and their engagement in such activities. These variables have been found to be related to types of service delivery practices and were hypothesized to also be related to the rate and type of engagement in parent training/education activities by school psychologists. Five hundred school psychologists were randomly sampled from the membership of the National Association of School Psychologists and mailed a survey. One-hundred-fifteen (23%) of the targeted school psychologists returned a usable survey. Five school psychologists indicated that they engaged in parent training/education at least weekly and volunteered to engage in a phone interview with the researcher. The phone interview was conducted in order to gather more specific information regarding facilitators of the school psychologists’ engagement in parent training/education with the parents of children with chronic behavior problems. Data were analyzed using descriptive, correlational, linear, and qualitative methods. Results indicated that school psychologists’ rate of engagement in parent training interventions with the parents of children with chronic behavior problems occurred on average less than once per semester. The data also suggested that intensity of training and perception of barriers were most strongly related to school psychologists’ engagement in parent training/education activities. Other variables including school psychologists’ perception of available time, problem solving skills, and ability to communicate with school-based administrators also were indicated as impactful on school psychologists’ engagement in parent training/education activities. These findings have important implications for school psychology training programs. Specifically, school psychology training programs may wish to examine the intensity of training provided to trainees in not only parent training/education but also in time management, problem solving, and consultation.

Literature suggests strong, positive and mutual relationships between home and school lead to higher levels of success and achievement for students. Schools should begin to focus on being more aware and sensitive to the cultural and social wealth that marginalized families carry. When institutions of learning begin to tap into and embrace the strengths of their families, it is likely to be of mutual benefit for the students, staff and families. Utilizing qualitative research methodology, this study sought to understand African American grandmothers' perspectives on parental involvement, and identify strategies that supported, maintained, and facilitated their involvement in the educational process of the grandsons in their care. In this research study, I specifically sought to address the following questions: * How do African American grandmothers see their involvement in their grandchildren's education? * How have the grandmothers shaped their involvement in the education of the grandchildren under their care? What influenced their involvement? * What are their perspectives on the level of involvement in the education of the grandchildren under their care? * What do African American grandmothers see as barriers and opportunities as they try to guide their grandchildren through formal schooling? The cultural capital theoretical framework helped to understand and interpret the experiences of the African American grandmothers in this study raising their grandsons. The framework also helped to understand how each grandmother constructed and perceived their roles as grandmothers. In terms of support for the theory, the findings collected through interviews revealed that despite past oppressive conditions, barriers and cultural incongruence associated with schools, the grandmothers stayed abreast of and connected to school norms and practices for the benefit of their grandsons. Although each grandmother displayed a combination of capitals and wealth, aspirational wealth, resonated across each capital. Major themes of the study included: Grandmothers: Mothering and Leading by Example; Family and Communal Support: "It Takes a Village;" Grandmothers Engaging in Traditional Parental Involvement Activities; Grandmothers-Grandsons as Co-learners; and Grandmothers' Critique and Advice for Schools. Implications for future research includes creating supportive and caring school environments, ensuring that school leaders and staff display welcoming behaviors and demonstrate support in parental involvement programs, and school leaders and teachers having and maintaining high expectations. Understanding how African American grandmothers and other family members, construct, perceive and enact certain cultural wealth and social capital should become more prevalent in scholarly work and research. Parents of different races and culture favor different forms of involvement. Implications from this research study suggest that educators and school leaders must begin to acknowledge, address, and value the cultural differences and social wealth that African American grandmothers and family members possess.

This study investigated views, beliefs, and values about extracurricular activities of two sets of parents, Korean immigrant parents and American U.S. born parents, both groups of middle or higher class socioeconomic status with above college degrees. By examining how parents perceive their own involvement in their children’s extracurricular activities and how differently parents of recent immigration from Korea or of established European American descent become involved with their children’s activities, parents’ motivation and their role emerged using self-determination theory as a basis to explain the internalization underlying self-determined motivation. Participants in this study were 31 parents (approximately10 each from 3 activity groups) associated with three extracurricular activities for young children. This study used a mixed-methods approach. First, the degree of to which parents perceived their involvement based on parental support or pressure, the two factors from Anderson et al. (2003), were surveyed. Second, semi-structured face-to-face interviews were used to elicit in-depth information from three parents for each activity, selecting them based on their responses to the survey. The findings suggested that parents expect their children to find their own interest, build competence, and ultimately acquire autonomy by engaging in extracurricular activities. In terms of cultural differences, the results revealed that though there are cultural differences in their involvement, these parents were aware of possible gaps and strove to close these gaps to help their children. / text