This research provides insight into consumer perceptions of multiple private label brands being simultaneously offered by an individual retailer. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the current consumer perceptions of the three private label brands at Pick n Pay Stores, a South African retailer. Consumers are no longer being presented with a single private label brand, but individual grocery retailers offer multiple private label brands under one retailer. Pick n Pay Store’s current private label brands co-exist as PnP no name, PnP and PnP Finest, and are synonymous with the generic, classic, and premium private label brand concepts, respectively. The question can thus be posed whether consumers perceive private label brands differently and whether they will eventually purchase the private label brand. The research explores the subject of brand, and the nature and success factors of private label brands in retail. This was done by reviewing the literature that traced the rapid changes in the retail sector because of the increasing influence of private label brands on conventional retail practices and consumer behaviour. A conceptual framework was developed showing the constructs that may have relationships with the three private label brands of Pick n Pay Stores. Information regarding the different private label brand concepts was obtained from primary as well as secondary research. An empirical study of a quantitative nature in the form of a paper-based and online-based questionnaire was undertaken. Altogether 375 usable questionnaires were collected. The results of the empirical study indicated positive relationships of perceptions between all three of the Pick n Pay private label brands and their respective intention to purchase. Furthermore, there was a statistically positive relationship between the brand perceptions of Pick n Pay private label brands. The proposed framework is intended to shed light onto the interactions between the private label concepts to allow for meaningful strategic branding decisions to be made at senior business levels.

In the pursuit of originality, some interventions consciously stand in opposition to the existing. The approach I've taken is more holistic; rather than pursue the novelty of the moment, I've taken the stance that creativity in art and architecture is part of a continuum. With that in mind, I've attempted in this project to make this evolution apparent by bridging the existing to the new without reverting to historical mimicking. My design is not a heritage preservation project. I wanted to take what exists, re-think it, and build upon it. My proposal is for a downtown student residence for both individuals and families. It would take advantage of new developments in the area such as the new S.F.U. conference center, the new B.C.IT. complex, and other institutions already in place such as the S.F.U. at Harbor Center, and the Vancouver Community College. This student residence would be an inter-university residence, accepting students from all of these educational institutions as well as U.B.C. and Emily Carr. Its aim would be to establish greater social and academic links between the city's post-secondary educational institutes. This project feeds on what has already started to happen in the area and can re-introduce a residential population to the city core, generating new life and new activity which in turn will contribute significantly to the wealth of the urban fabric. In short, one can imagine the formation of a lively downtown university quarter. My proposed residence would be one seed sown in this larger vision. Besides feeling that I felt the project should be a dense urban scheme, it appeared imperative to me that my design foster a real sense of belonging, permitting the development of a small community within a community. In addition to public commercial space, the new program demanded realms of privacy, and more importantly a core, or center, around which a community could begin to form. From this organizational idea of a core the design started to take shape. The existing building opened up in the rear toward a court. A lane intersected it providing access and making it a space that could be both place and pathway for activity. The program turned towards this space marking it as the center, and animating it with the activity of daily life. The existing urban aesthetic informed my design language. Urban context is characterized by wall as a dominant element, tall vertical spaces, steel stairs and railing, hanging wires, and a strong demarcation between front, sides and rear accentuated by a change of brick at the corners. All these elements were to some degree absorbed, assimilated and reinterpreted in the work. The relationship of 'part to whole' became an important part of the process. Likewise, terminology in how I started to speak and think about the project. Words like old vs. new stopped being used as they aggravate the dichotomy between the parts. An effort was made not to mimic the existing building which would have produce a neo-historic building, this was not my goal. An effort was made not to objectify the existing building, rendering it a precious object. Nor did I deliberately attempt to contrast it, this would be counter-productive to the concept of the whole. Contrast aggravates the gap between then and now, disavowing integration and synthesis. My approach was rather one of complementing and complicity. Complicity is an interesting concept because it implies that two or more parties or parts come together toward a common goal, It also implies a dialogue. This is very different from contrast, for example, that is unidirectional. A dialogue receives and gives, and both parts form and are informed. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of / Graduate

Jürgen Habermas’ The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere has been described as outdated and incompatible with 21st century democracies. Among other things, Habermas’ initial formulation excluded the state from the public sphere. Recently, a revised model of the public sphere has emerged that positions the state and other law-making bodies at its centre. Although some theorists have embraced this revised model, others continue to exclude the state or oversimplify its role. While some research has examined how parliaments fit into this revised model, no research has been published on this in a Canadian context. This thesis attempts to fill this gap by answering the research question: Does the Canadian House of Commons constitute a form of the public sphere? To answer this question, the Canadian House of Commons is explored along three dimensions of the public sphere – structure, representation, and interaction. This system of classification conforms to the essential function and institutional criteria of classical theory and also accounts for revised models of the public sphere. Ultimately, this work argues that the Canadian House of Commons satisfies the structural and representational dimensions of the public sphere. Its interactional dimension, however, is found to be inconsistent with public sphere theory due to a lack of real deliberation and the pervasiveness of party politics.

The final thesis is focused on the topic of process management and its development in time. Business Process Management and workflow, are described in the thesis as well as its specification and classification. The paper compares these two concepts. The thesis also works with the methodology of ARIS and Balanced Scorecard which are applied in the selected process of the organization. The process is built on the BPMN notation which is also described in the thesis. The aim of the thesis is to examine and to analyze selected process of the organization with specific methodology, to specify potential problems in the process and to suggest possible solution.

In the present time, when prices of energy go up continually, we can hear more and more about the topic of energy-cutting. Important role in this sphere performs low-energy development. Passive houses, which are specific type of low energy houses, cut heat demand significantly. It means marked improvement with the view of energy saving, protection of the environment, but also quality of living. There is no doubt that these constructions bring numerous advantages, as evidenced by ever-growing number of passive houses abroad. Nevertheless, in the Czech Republic are very little passive houses. Partial intention of the thesis work is to highlight the importance of certification, which is able to contribute toward expansion of passive houses. The outcome of this part is proposal of the criteria for certification of passive houses in the Czech Republic. Principal aim of my diploma work is to compare passive house to common house in light of capital expenditures and operating costs and information about pay-off period of investment in low-energy buildings. Just matter of economic return is the most important criterion in decision making about construction of house or building.

This thesis set out to discern how women's representation, as a multi-faceted concept and process, plays out in the context of the House of Lords. The primary motivation of this inquiry concerned the reality that women are persistently under-represented in political chambers worldwide. Beyond this, scholarship has overlooked the site of the House of Lords despite significant advances made in women's presence that facilitate closer analysis. This is also compounded by the status of the chamber itself: in its 'transitional' phase post the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999 the chamber is suggested to act with greater legitimacy and effectiveness. Finally concentration upon the representation of women in the transitional House of Lords is pertinent as the chamber remains in a state of flux and there is an opportunity to prioritise women's representation as a key plank of the reform agenda. Normative feminist interpretations of representation are the primary frameworks of analysis. Methodologically, this research inquiry synthesised and triangulated the use of quantitative and qualitative research techniques in order to unpack the processes and influences upon all dimensions of women's political representation in the House of Lords. This helped to present a sufficiently nuanced analysis. There have been obvious attempts to numerically feminise the chamber, although there are systemic de facto and de jure reserved seats for men in the chamber which guard against radical improvements in women's descriptive presence. Women peers undertake important roles and the House of Lords maintains a culture and institutional norms that are befitting for women and feminised styles of politics which is positive for the symbolic representation of women. Finally, women peers actively seek to represent women through the agenda-setting features of the Lords, although the way this is manifested is mediated by political affiliation. The opportunities to substantively represent women through the legislative features of the House of Lords are narrower, although both male and female peers have successfully influenced legislative output to act for women.

Increasing cultural globalisation and the assertion of cultural identities present an interesting opportunity for cities in the postmodern Western World. An increasingly multi-situated polity must better reflect and serve an increasingly self-aware and heterogeneous population in search of better planning, community and social justice. A great deal of research in diversity issues has been conducted in various disciplines, but there is little integration of this theory and even less instruction as to its application. This thesis attempts to address the deficiencies - providing some rationale and some guidance towards the diversification of civic culture as a model of incorporation. Diversification requires a significant shift in our understanding of culture, identity, community and self - an end to mainstream and its hegemony. It places the onus for change on local institutions and operates on an assumption of difference, a desire for meaningful incorporation and a commitment to equality as equity. These principles translate into the pursuit of increasingly differentiated benefits, inclusive participation, varied discourse and inclusive definitions. For the transformation to be truly meaningful and systemic, it must take place in all agencies of civic culture: government, civil society, business, the media and family. A conceptual, prescriptive and evaluative framework for cultural diversification is thus elaborated. Change will require deliberate purpose and action. This thesis attempts to provide some direction by applying the discussion to a level at which most urban leaders, planners and cultural producers work. A local organisation in Vancouver, Canada - a reputed leader in diversity - is selected as a case to illustrate application of the developed framework and to enrich it with an initial investigation of how practitioners work towards the diversification of their individual institutions and their larger socio-cultural environment. It is hoped that strategies learned here, and in future applications of this research, can provide guidance for other organisations and that numerous small efforts will be rewarded with the gradual transformation of the whole. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

A number of lifestyle merchandising and advertising strategies are being used in the home furnishings industry. However, there is limited research regarding the effectiveness of these strategies. The purpose of this study was to explore consumers' attitudes toward the lifestyle concept. Analyses of several consumer behavior variables and descriptors offered noteworthy findings for the home furnishings industry. This study found that although lifestyle orientation is a valuable tool for delineating consumer markets, these segmentations were not significant determinates of consumers' preference for elements of the lifestyle construct. Retailers and manufacturers are not simply creating home furnishing collections that target the needs of specific psychographic segment, but rather creating lifestyles being aspired to obtain. Although respondents scored the attitude variables neutral, the current market environment offers many examples of successfully home furnishing implementations of the lifestyle concept. These success stories coupled with additional findings indicate consumers' positive response to lifestyle merchandising.

Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr opened Hull House, Chicago’s first settlement house, in 1889 as a means of confronting poverty, poor housing conditions, disease, discouragement, and other ills that flourished in the predominately immigrant Halstead neighborhood. Because Hull House volunteers lived at the House, in the center of the community, they were well-equipped to respond knowledgeably to the neighborhood conditions. Hull House residents worked for reform in areas such as education, labor, juvenile protection, immigration, welfare, housing, and suffrage and they provided the community with a plethora of activities and services during the Progressive Era. As the community expressed their needs, Hull House volunteers responded to them. This dissertation provides evidence that social activism did not just take the form of political engagement and occupational health efforts but that it also included disease and illness prevention efforts. An examination of activist work of the Hull House Woman’s Club helps create an understanding of the intersection of activism and disease and illness prevention, and how activists used strategies to improve the health and wellbeing of people at the turn of the century. Specifically, three groups of women—the neighborhood women, the club women, and public health knowledge-holders—came together to address public health issues in the Nineteenth Ward. Each of these three groups played an integral role in the success of Hull House public health activism; it was their coming together that enabled them to create such powerful change. This dissertation specifically examines the women’s efforts in 1894 to improve garbage collection and sanitation and their 1902 efforts to eliminate typhoid in their neighborhood. This dissertation argues that, despite a lack of formal public health education or training, Woman’s Club members utilized local knowledge to improve health conditions in the Nineteenth Ward in Chicago. Woman’s Club activists acquired public health knowledge and developed activist strategies and techniques inductively, through trial and error, as they were carrying out their activist work. This dissertation helps fill in the historical gaps by exploring the strategies Hull House volunteers used to prevent disease and illness prevention.

In Sweden, the housing sector accounts for about 40% of the country's energy consumption. Theself-contained houses account for about 20% of this energy consumption (Energimyndigheten,2021). Boverket is the authority in Sweden that regulates the laws and regulations that affectenergy use (Boverket, 2016). In addition to Boverkets regulations, there are external organizationsthat drive development to minimize households' energy use (Feby, 2019). One of theseorganizations is FEBY, they have designed requirements that can be used as a complement to theBBR requirements. The organization has developed the parameter heat loss rate, which calculatesthe buildings heat loss.This study has been carried out in collaboration with the house manufacturer Jörnträhus AB. Thegoal of the work has been to develop a house that meets FEBY 18's requirements for heat loss rateand then verify the house's performance against Boverkets energy classification. The study wasbased on a reference house provided by Jörnträhus. The house was modeled in the energy programVIP-Energy and then analyzed. After the analysis, it was found that the reference house's VFTreaches 58.15 W / m2Atemp. Thereafter, the house was remodeled in VIP-Energy with changes tothe constructions and the ventilation system. With these changes, the VFT was calculated at 27.49W / m2Atemp and achieves the bronze level for FEBY 18.Finally, four simulations were performed to check the primary energy of the house during differentscenarios. All simulations were carried out in Skellefteå municipality but with different conditions.Two of the simulations were carried out at a location with open space and the other two simulationswere performed at a enclosed location with much shadow. In the different scenarios, the heatingand ventilation systems were varied. The simulations showed that wind and solar heat loads canhave a greater impact on primary energy than some technical solutions like heat recovery in theventilation.