Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilitates better communication within the construction industry and has the potential to change the industry beyond recognition. The aim of this research is to develop a theoretical Digital Nervous System (DNS) model for the UK construction industry to enable companies to improve their corporate business performance. To accomplish the aim of the research, the author conducted extensive secondary and primary data collection. Two primary research techniques were adopted to elicit data and information from respondents, these were; questionnaire surveys and structured interviews. A comprehensive review of secondary data was undertaken, this included a review of published literature, both in print and electronic format. A theoretical DNS model has been proposed by the author in this research. This DNS model is able to support and integrate the following functions: To manage inner-company operations more efficiently using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Intranet technology. To use Extranets to improve communication with business partners by sharing up-to-date information. To exploit the potential of the Internet to increase interaction with the public, interest groups and potential clients. To create commercial benefits available to the construction industry through the use of e-Commerce. The potential benefits of utilising a DNS model for a construction organisation are significant. The possible improvements that can be attributed to adopting the DNS model proposed by the author of this research include: • Reduction in an organisation's costs and construction time. • Improved profits. • Reduction in defects and waste. • Increase in productivity and client satisfaction.

Things make us smart. Tools are made by humans aiming not only at solving technical problem but also developing high-order thinking. In a manner different from traditional mathematics lessons involving direct transmission of knowledge from teachers to students, tool-based mathematics classrooms fabricate an interactive teaching and learning environment. This environment fosters teachers' professional guidance based on students' manipulation of tools. The design of tool-based task aims to formulate students' learning experience via their own acquisition of knowledge through tool manipulations. Mathematics concepts can be visualized and manipulated by students through engaging in activities with tools generating tool-based signs and mathematics signs in a semiotic process. The role of mathematics teachers in tool-based mathematics classrooms is to provide well designed tool-based tasks and implement tool-based lessons in order to orchestrate students' learning, coupled with the endeavour of students' manipulating of tools.;Two new ideas, named didactical interactions and Tool-Task dialectics, were proposed in the study to effectively enforce mathematics teachers' instruction through tool-based pedagogy in interactive classrooms. The main objective of this study was to holistically investigate the implementation processes of tool-based lessons by mathematics teachers based on some theoretical perspectives. A multiple-case study, consisting of three cases with similar and different backgrounds, was conducted. Didactical cycle was one of the main theoretical frameworks, which framed analysis of the study. Based on in-depth analysis within and across cases, didactical interactions and Tool-Task dialectics were empirically developed to enrich tool-based education theories allowing teachers to demystify the cognitive development of students in tool-based lessons. The analysis of flows of the lessons uttered transition directions of critical phases ground on the theory; while pragmatic manipulations of tools operated by students and teachers' orchestration provided strong evidence to illustrate interplay between tools and tasks. Thus, the findings of the study potentially contributed to some aspects of tool-based mathematics education research.;Keywords: tool-based task design, tool of semiotic mediation, didactical cycle, didactical interactions, tool-task dialectic, mathematics classroom.

Rural areas are particularly affected by demographic ageing. In later life, the likelihood of living with chronic, manageable, physical conditions increases, affecting the ability to get out and about and be involved with the community. New digital technologies offer novel opportunities for overcoming physical barriers associated with engagement with others, which, amongst other benefits, can enhance wellbeing. These technologies may benefit all age groups in all types of community but could be of particular value in rural areas, which are characterised with dispersed settlement structures, accessibility restrictions and out-migration of family members and in-migration of new residents. The aim of this PhD project was to explore the potential benefits of digital technology, specifically designed for largely housebound older adults in rural North East Scotland, to enhance the sense of involvement they have with the local community. In this multi-methods project, sixteen interviews were conducted with largely housebound older adults living across North East Scotland, the majority in remote and accessible rural areas, to investigate how technology could enhance the sense of involvement older adults could have with their local community. These interviews, along with findings from two focus groups carried out with older adults, were used iteratively to inform the overall concept of the technology, followed by the design and development of a technology prototype. The prototype, entitled Window to the Outside World, was then evaluated with ten interviewees to explore whether live-streaming of local events could potentially enhance the sense of involvement one had with their local community, for those who were largely housebound in rural areas. The findings indicated that digital technologies, such as Window to the Outside World, carry much potential to provide supplementary avenues for increasing one's sense of involvement in the community for largely housebound older adults. There is scope to investigate whether use of such a technology could bring both individual and community-wide benefits for wellbeing, through increased opportunities for identity continuity, imaginative mobility as well as those gained from adopting a purely spectator role, and potential therapeutic benefits from the content of the footage. There is potential to develop the technology further to make it fit to their needs even more effectively.

Commercial prosthetic feet weigh about 25% of their equivalent physiological counterparts. The human body has a tendency to overcome the walking asymmetry resulting from the mass imbalance by exerting more energy. A two link passive walking kinematic model, with realistic masses for prosthetic, physiological legs and upper body, has been proposed to study the gait pattern with unbalanced leg masses. The 'heel to toe' rolling contact has significant influence on the dynamics of biped models. This contact is modelled using the roll-over shape defined in the local co-ordinate system aligned with the stance leg. The effect of rollover shape curvature and arc length has been studied on various gait descriptors such as average velocity, step period, inter leg angle (and hence step length), mechanical energy. The bifurcation diagrams have been plotted for point feet and different gain values. The insight gained by studying the bifurcation diagrams for different gain and length values is not only useful in understanding the stability of the biped walking process but also in the design of prosthetic feet. It is proposed that the stiffness and energy release mechanisms of prosthetic feet be designed to satisfy amputee's natural gait characteristics that are defined by an effective roll-over shape and corresponding ground reaction force combinations. Each point on the roll-over shape is mapped with a ground reaction force corresponding to its time step. The resulting discrete set of ground reaction force components are applied to the prosthetic foot sole and its stiffness profile is optimised to produce a desired deflection as given by the corresponding point on the roll-over shape. It is shown that the proposed methodology is able to provide valuable insights in the guidelines for selection of materials for a multi-material prosthetic foot.

O tema inovação vem sendo cada vez mais difundido e disseminado globalmente, o que por um lado é benéfico quanto à sua popularização e desmistificação, por outro lado corre o risco de se tornar uma referência retórica e superficial. Diante desse cenário, várias definições surgem e o conceito de inovação ultrapassa a barreira puramente tecnológica de produtos e processos para agregar questões de marketing e organizacionais. Contudo, os órgãos de fomento à inovação ainda sentem dificuldade na identificação do que é ou não inovação. Isso se dá pela falta de processos estruturados de análise que possibilitem maior segurança na avaliação de projetos ou propostas que envolvam oportunidades de inovação. Nesse contexto, o presente trabalho tem como principal objetivo propor um processo de análise para apoiar à caracterização de uma potencial inovação, identificando se ela é uma oportunidade de inovação e de que tipo.Trata-se de uma pesquisa aplicada de caráter exploratório. Como método foi utilizado a pesquisa bibliográfica e de campo, como técnica a testagem com 15 especialistas no tema, com abordagem prioritariamente qualitativa. Entre os resultados principais podem ser citados a proposta de processo de análise para apoio à caracterização da inovação e distinção de seus tipos composto por três blocos para análise, e a contribuição para definição do tipo de inovação em áreas de fronteira. Entretanto, observou-se ainda uma dificuldade de convergência, mesmo entre especialistas, para alguns casos avaliados, o que abre uma oportunidade para novas pesquisas no tema. / The innovation theme is becoming more widespread and disseminated globally, which in one hand is beneficial for their popularization and demystification, but on another hand runs the risk of becoming a rhetoric and superficial reference. On this given scenario, several definitions arise and the innovation concept goes beyond the purely technological barrier products and processes to aggregate marketing and some others organizational aspects. However, innovation promotion agencies still have issues on identify what is or is not innovation. That can be explained due to the lack of structured processes of analysis that enable safer proposals or projects evaluation involving innovation opportunities. On that context, the present work has as main objective to propose an analysis process to give support to a potential innovation characterization, identifying whether it is an innovation opportunity and at which typology it mainly fits. This is an applied and exploratory research. The used method was literature research and field testing as a technique with 15 experts on the subject, with primarily qualitative approach. Among the main results can be cited the analysis proposal process to sustain the innovation characterization and distinction of its typology, comprising three analysis blocks; and the contribution to define the innovation type in frontier areas. However, there was still identified a convergence difficulties, even among experts, for some cases evaluated, which opens an opportunity for further research on the topic. These cases are also described on this present work.

Empreendedorismo tecnológico refere-se ao uso de tecnologia para criar e explorar oportunidades de forma a gerar valor, baseado nos conceitos de empreendedorismo, e tecnologia que podem gerar inovação. Com base nessa definição, o CNPq demonstrou necessidade de entender as empresas empreendedoras tecnológicas, uma vez que estas podem ser solução para a crise econômica nacional. Por isso, esta dissertação objetivou explorar o processo empreendedor tecnológico nas empresas do SIMPLÁS. Portanto, a revisão da literatura abrangeu os temas empreendedorismo, inovação e empreendedorismo tecnológico, bem como seus processos. O método de pesquisa foi de natureza aplicada, abordagem qualitativa e objetivo exploratório, sendo que para tanto foram realizadas entrevistas em profundidade a partir de roteiro semiestruturado. Finalmente, as entrevistas foram analisadas por meio de análise de conteúdo, o que resultou em três modelos de processo, os quais foram separados de acordo com a rotina e a maturidade do processo empreendedor tecnológico. Os resultados mostram que o processo empreendedor tecnológico nas empresas embrionárias possui risco e incerteza como ameaças constantes, os quais podem forçar as empresas a encecrrar o processo, mesmo que elas estejam cientes da importância de perseguir oportunidades tecnológicas. Já as empresas baseadas em tecnologia preocupam-se constantemente em perseguir novas oportunidades, mesmo que nem sempre tenham procedimentos e estruturas adequadas. Finalmente, as empresas maduras possuem rotinas definidas para perseguir oportunidades tecnológicas, as quais resultam em inovações de produto e processo, dessa forma são consideradas pioneiras nos mercados em que atuam. Entretanto, a estratégia da empresa determina a necessidade de prospectar e buscar oportunidades tecnológicas independente do nível de maturidade do processo empreendedor tecnológico. / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, CAPES / Technology entrepreneurship refers to the use of technology to create and explore business opportunities in order to generate value, based on entrepreneurship and technology that may generate innovation. Based on this definition, CNPq indicated the need to understand technology-based firms, since they may be a solution to the national economic crisis. Thus, this master dissertation aimed to explore the technology entrepreneurial process in SIMPLÁS companies. Therefore, the literature review comprehended entrepreneurship, innovation, technology entrepreneurship as well as their processes. The research method was of applied nature, qualitative approach and exploratory objective, with in-depth interviews conducted based on a semi structured questionnaire. Finally, interviews were analyzed by content analysis, what resulted in three process models, which were arranged according to routines and technology entrepreneurial process maturity. Findings show that the technology entrepreneurial process in embryonic companies has risk and uncertainty as constant threats, what may force companies to stop the process, even though they are aware of the importance of pursuing technological opportunities. On the other hand, technology-based companies are constantly concerned in pursuing new opportunities, even though they may not always have infrastructure and procedures required. Finally, mature companies have defined routines to pursue technological opportunities, which result in product and process innovation, thus, they are considered pioneers in their markets. Nevertheless, the company’s strategy determines the need to prospect and pursue technological opportunities regardless of their technology entrepreneurial process maturity level

A difusão da inovação determina o processo pelo qual uma inovação é comunicada, informada por determinados canais, em um espaço de tempo, entre membros de um sistema social. Já a inovação de serviços engloba a importância de diferenciação de serviços para a estratégia das organizações, o que pode deixar a organização em uma posição vantajosa, na busca de diferenciação em produtos ou serviços. A partir da Aprendizagem em nível organizacional as empresas podem tornar-se abertas as mudanças, o que permite o desenvolvimento dos funcionários de forma individual e grupal, formal e informalmente, tornando-se um fator relevante da competitividade das organizações. Esta pesquisa buscou analisar como ocorre a aprendizagem de natureza formal e informal, nos níveis individual e grupal, na difusão da inovação em serviços através da interação dos funcionários de uma instituição financeira com atendimento digital. Assim, este estudo se caracteriza como de caráter qualitativo, com objetivo exploratório e descritivo, tendo adotado como estratégia de pesquisa de estudo de caso. O estudo de caso envolve funcionários de uma instituição financeira, localizada na cidade de Caxias do Sul, na Serra Gaúcha, que possui diferenciação no atendimento, de forma presencial e digital. Foi utilizada a triangulação entre três procedimentos de coleta de dados: entrevistas semiestruturada, observação participante e análise documental. Foram realizadas nove entrevistas, até a obtenção da saturação teórica, a análise de dados foi efetuada com categorização a priori e posteriori. A partir da análise dos achados em campo foi possível propor um esquema conceitual, que considera a aprendizagem formal e informal como complementares, e apresenta a sua interação entre os processos, os grupos que se estabelecem e através disto, como ocorre a difusão da inovação e aprendizagem organizacional, com práticas, normas, aprendizagem individual e grupal. Desse modo, as formas de aprendizagem da organização estão sendo construídas com base na relação existente entre os processos de aprendizagem e difusão da inovação. / The diffusion of innovation determines the process by which an innovation is communicated, informed by certain channels, in a space of time, between members of a social system. Service innovation, on the other hand, encompasses the importance of service differentiation for the organizations strategy, that can leave the organization in an advantageous position in the search for differentiation in products or services. From organizational learning onwards, companies can become open to changes, since this allows the development of employees individually and in groups, both formally and informally, making it a relevant factor in the organizations competitiveness. This research sought to analyze how formal and informal learning at the individual and group levels occur in the diffusion of innovation in services through the employees interaction of a financial institution with digital attendance. Thus, this study is characterized as having a qualitative character, with an exploratory and descriptive objective, having adopted as a case study research strategy. The case study involves employees of a financial institution, located in the city of Caxias do Sul, in the “Serra Gaúcha”, which has differentiation in attendance, face-to-face and digital one. Triangulation was used between three data collection procedures: semi-structured interviews, participant observation and documentary analysis. Nine interviews were carried out, until theoretical saturation was obtained, data analysis was performed with a priori and posteriori categorization. From the analysis of the field findings, it was possible to propose a conceptual scheme, which considers formal and informal learning as complementary, and presents its interaction between the processes, the groups that are established and through this, how occurs the diffusion of innovation and organizational learning, through practices, norms, individual and group learning. Thus, the learning forms of the organization are being built based on the relationship between the processes of learning and diffusion of innovation.

D. Ing. / The key objective of this thesis is clearly stated in its comprehensive title. In today’s fast moving, turbulent and highly competitive world, high tech companies and engineering-based organizations struggle possibly more than other businesses with the seemingly irrational, analogical events when most people in such organizations are rational, highly analytical persons. Value creation is one of the key objectives of modern high tech companies. Hence, the achievement of this ideal within the constraints and consideration of a myriad of factors requires a different approach and implies an ongoing transformation process which is not always based on rational aspects alone. If such a transformation is to be sustainable and takes place in a globally competitive framework, the approach has to be holistic and it has to consider many additional factors which tend to be considered as soft in the analytical world of high tech. The thesis formulates a management and leadership model which includes both the soft and hard factors in a comprehensive and collaborative manner. The model lends itself to understand and judiciously manipulate the dynamics of the high tech global business environment for sustained competitive advantage. The model recognizes and enables the manager and leader to address the many issues confronting them daily by giving a new strategic perspective with the help of sub-models. These sub-models form the anchors whereby a complex situation can be managed reasonably, effectively and hopefully wisely too. The suggested model is to a large degree independent of time and industry-space and is considered valid for a long time to come. Although aimed at providing a guideline at executive level of management in the high tech environment the suggested model is by no means limited to engineering nor is it limited to high tech companies. The framework and model anchors developed, are equally valid in other complexity-prone industries as can be confirmed by the author’s wide international practical experience in a number of industries, from Banking, Service provides, Health Systems, e-commerce, Petro-Chemical and others.

M.Inf. / As more publishers become involved in electronic publishing, information centres need to respond to the challenges of accommodating electronic journals in their collections, as electronic journals are becoming increasingly important to research. In this research the role of the electronic journal within the scholarly communication process is examined. The role played by information providers and information centres in facilitating access to particular content in electronic journals is also studied. Partnerships that are developing between publishers, secondary publishers and information centres are traced. The importance of the publisher in quality control is emphasized. The peer review process is identified as fundamental to the scholarly communication process. The research methods employed were to carry out a literature study and to examine methods of access to electronic journals on the WWW. The Websites of publishers, secondary publishers and information centres were examined, in order to discover how they simplify access to electronic journal content for end-users. A workflow model was devised to serve as a guideline in assisting information specialists in their management of e-journals. The important challenge facing the information specialist is to provide a value added electronic journal service. This can be achieved through producing indexes and abstracts and providing an evaluation of the different sources

There has been an increased interest on small-scale pumped irrigation (SSPI) in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA), however little is known on the adoption processes behind this technology. Moreover, the conditions for successful SSPI adoption remain largely unexplored. This research aims to achieve a deeper understanding of the present adoption processes to inform future policy. The thesis was framed around the diffusion of innovations model (Rogers 2003), using the systematic review methodology and field surveys. Interviews involving 212 farmers and 25 other stakeholders were conducted between 2013 and 2014 within 3 districts in Malawi. The responses were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The systematic review revealed that evidence relating to pump performance in SSA was limited, lacked standards and confined within particular regions. The field surveys identified that four different pumped systems have been adopted by farmers in Malawi; group treadle, individual treadle, group motorized and individual motorized. Farmers generally prefer individually managed pumps that are easy to operate and fit in with their existing farming practices. Adoption is driven either by the attributes of self-motivated farmers or by incentives such as free or subsidized pumps. While adoption by self-motivated farmers is consistent with Rogers (2003) model, adoption due to incentives shows differences. The research proposes a modification to the Rogers (2003) model and revised definition of success in SSPI adoption, leading to a new framework showing pathways of success. This framework identifies the routes taken by farmers who successfully adopt or discontinue using pumps. Incentive farmers are typically the poorer; these need continued external support to survive the learning curve. For self-motivated farmers, their higher socio-economic status supports successful adoption. To ensure sustainability, SSPI promoters need to offer continued support to incentive farmers and/or reduce barriers to accessing the pumps for self-motivated farmers.