This study endeavoured to investigate the effects of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) on the performance of International Joint Ventures (IJVs) by focusing on specific variables known to affect performance i. e. culture (national and corporate) and communication. Given the increasing use of ICTs in business processes this thesis focused on whether the utilisation of ICTs affected the communication and cultural dynamics within IJVs and whether any correlating effect on IJV performance occurred. Three research questions were developed, firstly, how ICTs impacted on communication between IN partners, secondly, how ICTs affected the cultural diversity that exists between partners and thirdly, if the use of ICTs in communication channels had any subsequent effect on IN performance. Research was undertaken using the multiple embedded case study approach allowing data to be linked to theory in an inductive and deductive process. The contextual setting was the European Telecommunications sector since it is a geographical area with an inherent cultural diversity and an industry with a significant number of IJVs. The sample selected focused on five IJVs created between UK and other EU partners during the time period 1995 to 1997. Data was collected primarily through the use of semi-structuredin terviews with directors of eachp arent company. Within and cross case analysis of the results enabled common themes and new ideas to emerge, indicating that the use of ICTs does affect communication channels and is dependent upon the importance of the interaction. Cultural diversity that exists between IJV partners is also affected but at a superficial level, however, results revealed that the use of ICTs does not enhance the performance of IJVs. Results also highlight unexpected findings, that of, two new variables affecting IJV performance which are a unique corporate culture and a common vision for the IJV.

In the study, six lecturers were surveyed to determine their pedagogical beliefs. The findings of the lecturers' beliefs survey indicated that no one lecturer strictly held one belief construct. They instead held a mixture of the beliefs and the distinction was in the actual mix.

Includes bibliographical references. / Over the last 15 years, many South African universities have established Writing Centres as places to provide academic writing support to their students. The services offered are mostly free and voluntary and as such, there are no strict regulations regarding who should use them, and how often they should visit. Consequently, writing centres especially the newly established ones struggle to monitor the progress of the students they have helped once they have left the place, or even reach students in the places where they continue to write in order to offer additional support to students, which could positively influence their writing self-efficacy. This design-based research case study reports on an intervention run by one such writing centre where social media, specifically Facebook due to its popularity among students, was explored as a technology that can be adopted to reach and offer help to students beyond the confines of its physical space.

This research involved the design, development and implementation of an online survey instrument to identify the physical learning environments and resources students use when studying an online course. It was found, through a review of the literature, that there was no appropriate instrument available for this purpose. It was also found that the term physical learning environment actually is not well defined in the literature. These two factors have been addressed in this research. The results obtained from the survey found that students used a mixture of physical learning resources such as textbooks, and online resources such as email and online submission of assessment items. However, none of these resources were used all the time. It was also established that the majority of students preferred to learn at home using either online or paper-based resource material. The results also showed that the library both as a resource and as a learning environment was not being used to its full potential.

The contemporary world challenges many traditional notions about the nature of organizations (Neher, 1997). Today, organizational structures with more complicated communication have appeared, such as "networks" and "virtual organizations." New technology brought about these changes by overcoming limited resources and locations. Without instantaneous computerized communication, complicated global organizations could not exist. The relationship between organizational structures and new technology has been of primary importance for managers designing hierarchical structures. Organizations must continue to meet the challenge of incorporating new technology into their companies. In this study, twenty employees from Fortune 500 companies were selected to participate in pre-questionnaires and telephone interviews. The data was summarized into eleven categories focusing on three research questions: Employee perceptions of reengineering organizations, adoption of new information communication technology, and the relationship between technology and organizational structure. The findings revealed more complicated communication occurring within organizations reflected through the adoption of information communication technology. Although information flow in most organizations remained vertical from top down, upper level managers were able to bypass mid-level managers and communicate directly with employees and vice versa. This showed the emergence of new organizations featuring less hierarchical structures.

An investigation into the nature of public space in the North American city, this research seeks establish a more appropriate approach to a complex situation. Due to the manner in which North America has developed, true public space is superseded by the dominance of the automobile and private commercial interests. When this condition is tempered with the proliferation of ICTs and internet technology issues of private and public inhabitation become paradoxical. As a result of this study a new navigational system and series of interventions are proposed. These interventions are offered as only one of an incalculable set of possibilities and hope to generate further dialogue. / February 2008

An investigation into the nature of public space in the North American city, this research seeks establish a more appropriate approach to a complex situation. Due to the manner in which North America has developed, true public space is superseded by the dominance of the automobile and private commercial interests. When this condition is tempered with the proliferation of ICTs and internet technology issues of private and public inhabitation become paradoxical. As a result of this study a new navigational system and series of interventions are proposed. These interventions are offered as only one of an incalculable set of possibilities and hope to generate further dialogue.

An investigation into the nature of public space in the North American city, this research seeks establish a more appropriate approach to a complex situation. Due to the manner in which North America has developed, true public space is superseded by the dominance of the automobile and private commercial interests. When this condition is tempered with the proliferation of ICTs and internet technology issues of private and public inhabitation become paradoxical. As a result of this study a new navigational system and series of interventions are proposed. These interventions are offered as only one of an incalculable set of possibilities and hope to generate further dialogue.

The idea that women are empowered through their learning and use of ICTs (ICTs are defined as computers, the Internet, and e-mail for the purposes of this thesis) has been adopted by international development agencies and the governments of most nations throughout the world. Hence, many agencies and governments have made courses on computers, the Internet, and e-mail available to women with the aim of empowering them. Empowerment is defined variously and has at its core the social, political, and economic development of women to create equality and challenge patriarchy. Women’s empowerment seeks to bring about societal change that will create conditions and structures that foster and maintain gender equality in all facets of life. This thesis examines the notion of women’s empowerment through ICTs. The first section of the thesis uses development and empowerment literature to define, explain, and critique women’s empowerment and the conditions under which it is supposed to operate. The second section presents, analyses, and discusses the data collected from a questionnaire answered by some Western Australian women on their experiences of ICTs courses offered by the Western Australian government and their subsequent life changes. The questionnaire was designed to establish whether or not women are empowered to create societal change and challenge patriarchy, as suggested in literature. The results from the questionnaire show that the majority of the women in the cohort were empowered to the intrapersonal (or micro-) level only. Hence, there was little evidence for the majority of women of the interpersonal (or meso-) level and no evidence of the societal (macro-) level empowerment of the women through ICTs. Therefore, this study does not support the contention that women are empowered through ICTs.

Abstract This article uses the plant-level data of Taiwan manufacturing industry to study the determinants in explaining the timing of information and communication technologies (ICTs) adoption. This paper then investigates whether there exists any difference in determining the utilization of ICTs among high-tech industries and traditional industries. We find size variable has the most significant effect while there appears a different impact in different industries.