The commitment required of a university or business school to gain international accreditation is significant, both in dollar terms and staff time. This thesis seeks to explain the motivations for business schools to seek accreditation with three major accrediting bodies, AACSB International, EFMD and AMBA, using a multiple-case study methodology underpinned by the frameworks of institutional isomorphism, bandwagon pressures and information asymmetry. Interviews were carried out with 17 business school deans; five deans of accredited schools in Europe, five deans of accredited schools in the United States of America and seven business school deans in New Zealand. All the New Zealand schools were either accredited, formally in the process of seeking accreditation or about to enter the application stage. The results provide supporting evidence for the notion that business schools are seeking accreditation in order to achieve legitimacy benefits rather than performance benefits, and that intangible benefits are seen as having more importance than the costs involved with achieving accreditation. It was also found that where the focus is at an international level, accreditation is found to be underpinned by information asymmetries whereby schools are seeking to gain legitimacy by providing signals to the market regarding their quality. At a regional or national level information regarding quality is more well known and, instead, isomorphic and bandwagon pressures become evident as the pathway towards legitimacy. This study will be of value to business school deans in understanding the forces they are being subjected to when considering the value of seeking international accreditation. The results provide an understanding of why, in the absence of a formal business case, a school may consider such a move, or may have entered the process without the hard data that identifies the costs and estimates the benefits in a measurable way. In this regard it will also be of value to all staff of business schools, and of the wider organisation, to understand the phenomenon that is accreditation.

Based on last years events that have taken place, events on the school Lundbergs and the police values of work, has the meaning of having a set of values been questioned. This study aimed to investigate and answer the fundamental values based on the common value basis for the government employees within an organization and how it perceived by employees. The new institutional theory was the framework for this qualitative study conducted with semi-structured interviews. Respondents were employees within the organization. Ethnographic qualitative methodology was the basis for our methodology and we used a thematic model of theme interpretation, communication and knowledge in our analysis. The study shows that there is a lack of communication regarding values and work values within the organization. It’s up to the employees themselves as individuals to become aware of the values and keep their work tied to it. It also emerged in the study that employees had little knowledge of the common core values of the civil service as an employee in the organization should assume in their daily work. The reason for this may be that values are general and can be perceived as self-evident principles, and this is a natural part of their work. Moreover, the study showed that there was a difference between employees who have been employed for quite some time and relative newcomers. Those employees who have been employed for quite some time possessed more knowledge about the values and values work. / Utifrån det senaste årets uppmärksammade händelser på Lundsberg och med polisens värdegrundsarbete, har innebörden av att ha en värdegrund ifrågasatts. Denna studie syftade till att undersöka och besvara hur värdegrundsarbetet utifrån den gemensamma värdegrunden för de statsanställda inom en organisation uppfattas av medarbetarna. Nyinstitutionell teori utgjorde referensram för denna kvalitativa studie som genomförts med semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Respondenterna var medarbetare inom organisationen. Etnografisk kvalitativ metodik låg som grund för vår studie och vi utgick från en tematisk modell med tema tolkning, förmedling och kännedom i vår analys. I studien framkom att medarbetarna upplever en brist i förmedlingen gällande värdegrunden och arbetet omkring den. Det är mycket upp till medarbetarna själva som individer att ta del av värdegrunden och hålla deras arbete knytet till den. Det framkom även i studien att medarbetarna inte hade någon större kännedom om den gemensamma värdegrunden för de statsanställda som medarbetare inom organisationen ska utgå från i sitt dagliga arbete. Detta kan bero på att värdegrunden är generell och upplevas som självklara principer samt redan är en naturlig del av deras arbete. Vidare visade studien att det fanns en skillnad i kännedomen mellan medarbetare som har varit anställda ett längre tag och relativt nyanställda. De med längre anställningstid hade större kännedom om värdegrunden och värdegrundsarbetet inom organisationen.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of St Andrews, April 2007.

In recent years, interest in the relations between government and NGOs and the implications of these relations for service delivery in developing countries has surged. This results from the increasing role of NGOs in many facets of development, especially in service delivery and poverty reduction. However, the focus of attention especially among researchers has been on the relations between central government and NGOs. Relations between local government and NGOs have received limited research attention, especially in developing country contexts. To contribute to opening the black box created as a result of the limited research interest, this study investigates the nature, driving forces and the implications of the relations between local government and NGOs for poverty reduction programme implementation in Ghana. The study adopts a qualitative research methodology, a multi-dimensional classification regime and a New Institutional Theoretical lens to investigate the phenomena. The study was conducted adopting semi-structured interviews and mini focus ground discussions; documentary reviews; and participant observations as the key data collection tools to document the nature, driving forces and the implications of local government and NGO relations in Ghana. This study establishes that the relations between local government and NGOs in Ghana are complex but fit into a four-dimensional classification typology of superficial and suspicious cordiality; tokenistic collaboration; friendly foes; and convenient and cautious partnerships. This typology is novel as previous studies have not classified the relations in this way. Further, it finds that a complex mix of forces drive the relations but in different directions - constraining and facilitating directions - contrary to conventional arguments that institutional isomorphic forces drive organisation into homogenisation. It adds that both the positive and the negative forces can be either beneficial or detrimental for poverty reduction programme implementation. In addition, the study establishes that the relations have more diverse implications for poverty reduction programme implementation than just the economic and efficiency arguments dominant in the extant literature. The relations have implications which are social, cultural, organisational, personality and political.

La politique et l’idéologie de la nouvelle gestion publique ont entraîné de nombreuses réformes et un mouvement de rationalisation des organisations du secteur public par la mise en place d’outils et de principes de gestion issus du monde de l’entreprise. La présente thèse analyse l’impact de la nouvelle gestion publique qui ne se limite pas à la dimension administrative des organisations qui y sont soumises. Cette transformation affecte aussi la relation que celles-ci entretiennent avec les usagers, comme c’est le cas dans le secteur médico-social. En analysant le fonctionnement du dispositif de prise en charge de l’autisme en France, cette étude révèle la proximité des logiques d’action du champ clinique avec celles de la gestion des ressources humaines. Prenant comme point de départ le cadre d’analyse de la biopolitique développé par Michel Foucault, notre travail démontre l’existence de cette articulation entre la clinique et la gestion tout en décrivant l’utilité de ce rapprochement pour les acteurs de la prise en charge des personnes autistes. Cette thèse s’inscrit dans une démarche de recherche fondamentale qui tente de repenser la transversalité des outils de GRH au sein des organisations par l’analyse de la production de discours et de la diffusion de savoirs. Il en ressort que la puissance du modèle de la GRH contribue à apporter d’importantes ressources cognitives à des acteurs qui doivent faire face à des situations extrêmement complexes et changeantes. Dans un tel contexte, l’obtention d’un résultat est très incertain car le traitement des cas d’autisme nécessite un travail qui ne peut être complètement maîtrisé. La réalisation des buts du dispositif ne peut alors se faire que par la construction d’une action collective où la recherche de légitimité des pratiques mobilisées assure avant tout une cohésion pluriprofessionnelle et une performance organisationnelle, à défaut de pouvoir mettre en œuvre une performance opérationnelle. / Politics and ideology of the New Public Management resulted in numerous reforms and in a process of rationalization of public sector organizations in the development of tools and management principles from the world of business. This thesis, which analyzes the impact of the new principles of public management, is not limited to the administrative aspects of the organizations to which they apply. This change regarding public management also affects the relationship that public sector organizations have with users, as is the case in the medico-social sector. By analyzing the operation of the management of autism in France, this study reveals the proximity of the logic of action of the clinical field with that of the management of human resources. Using bio-politics as the starting point of the framework of analysis developed by Michel Foucault, this work demonstrates the interrelationship between the clinical dimension and management while describing the utility of this work for supporting people with autism. This thesis is part of a process of fundamental research that attempts to rethink the cross-functionality of HRM tools in organizations by analyzing speech production and dissemination of knowledge. It shows that the power of the model of HRM helps to make available significant cognitive resources to actors who are facing extremely complex and changing situations. In this context, obtaining an outcome is very uncertain because the treatment of autism cases requires work that cannot be completely controlled. Therefore, this can be done only through building collective action where the legitimate mobilized practices ensure a multi-professional and organizational performance coherence, short of implementing an operational performance.

A decomposition D of a graph H by a graph G is a partition of the edge set of H such that the subgraph induced by the edges in each part of the partition is isomorphic to G. The intersection graph I (D)of the decomposition D has a vertex for each part of the partition and two parts A and B are adjacent iff they share a common node in H. If I (D) ≅ H, then D is an automorphic decomposition of H. In this paper we show how automorphic decompositions serve as a common generalization of configurations from geometry and graceful labelings on graphs. We will give several examples of automorphic decompositions as well as necessary conditions for their existence.

This study aims to explore the perspectives of the metropolitan regions’ social and/respective labor market administrations within organizational theoretical issues throughout a Scandinavian institutional analysis.  The study has been conducted with a triangulation method, which combines both qualitative and quantitative methods to increase the study's validity. Semi-structured interviews have been conducted with three administrative directors and three department heads from the regions Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. In addition, a questionnaire has been distributed to 60 respondents working within the social and/respective labor market administrations in the regions of Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö to obtain a broader understanding of the organizational theoretical thoughts circulating within the administration. Of these respondents, 23 responded to the questionnaire. The study is based on a theoretical framework grounded in Scandinavian institutional theory. By analyzing the study´s empiricism through a discourse analysis and Scandinavian institutional theory, this research contributes to a broader understanding of organizational theoretical issues in a Swedish context within the social and/respective labor market administration.  The results of the study through the triangulation show that Stockholm’s and Gothenburg’s social respective labor market administrations have preserved stronger isomorphic traits compared to Malmö’s social and labor market administration, which has stronger traits of Scandinavian institutional theory. The tendencies from Scandinavian institutional theory in Malmö’s social and labor market administration point to the centralized reform that has been made there, which has meant that by merging the social and labor market administration, they have become such a large administration that the rigid way of governing (which to some extent led to decoupling, but also the spread of ideas and organizational change) has taken over too much, which has led the pendulum to swing back to a more trust-based governance as compensation for its size.  The differences between the regions suggest that they have different organizational structures, which affect their way of organizing and thus their scope of action. The study contributes to an increased understanding of how organizational theoretical issues are reflected within the social and/respective labor market administrations in the metropolitan regions of Sweden. / Denna studie syftar till att utforska storstadsregionernas social och/respektivearbetsmarknadsförvaltningars perspektiv på organisationsteoretiska frågor ur en skandinaviskinstitutionell analys. Studien har genomförts med en trianguleringsmetod, som kombinerar både kvalitativa ochkvantitativa metoder för att höja studiens validitet. Semistrukturerade intervjuer hargenomförts med tre förvaltningsdirektörer och tre avdelningschefer från regionernaStockholm, Göteborg och Malmö. Dessutom har en enkät distribuerats till 60 respondentersom arbetar inom social och/respektive arbetsmarknadsförvaltningarna i regionernaStockholm, Göteborg och Malmö för att erhålla en bredare förståelse för deorganisationsteoretiska tankarna som cirkulerar inom förvaltningen. Av dessa respondentersvarade 23 på enkäten. Studien baseras på ett teoretiskt ramverk som är grundat i skandinavisk institutionell teori.Genom att analysera studiens empiri genom en diskursanalys och skandinavisk institutionellteori, bidrar denna forskning till en bredare förståelse för organisationsteoretiska frågor i ensvensk kontext inom social och/respektive arbetsmarknadsförvaltningen. Studiens resultat genom trianguleringen påvisar att Stockholms och Göteborgs socialrespektive arbetsmarknadsförvaltningar bevarat starkare isoforma drag till skillnad frånMalmös social- och arbetsmarknadsförvaltning som har starkare drag av skandinaviskinstitutionell teori. Tendenserna från skandinavisk institutionell teori i Malmös social- ocharbetsmarknadsförvaltning pekar på den centraliserade reform som gjorts där som inneburitatt genom att social och arbetsmarknadsförvaltningen slagits samman har de blivit en så passstor förvaltning att det rigida sättet att styra (som till viss mån lett till löskopplingar, men ävenidéspridning och organisationsförändring) tagit över för mycket vilket lett pendeln att svängatillbaka till en mer tillitsbaserad styrning som kompensation för dess storlek. Skillnaderna mellan regionerna talar för att de har olika organisationsstrukturer, vilketpåverkar deras sätt att organisera sig och därmed deras handlingsutrymme. Studien bidrar tillen ökad förståelse för hur organisationsteoretiska frågor återspeglas inom socialoch/respektive arbetsmarknadsförvaltningarna i storstadsregionerna i Sverige.

A graph in which every edge is labeled positive or negative is called a signed graph. We determine the number of ways to sign the edges of the McGee graph with exactly two negative edges up to switching isomorphism. We characterize signed graphs that are both sign-symmetric and have a frustration index of 1. We prove some results about which signed graphs on complete multipartite graphs have frustration indices 2 and 3. In the final part, we derive the relationship between the frustration index and the number of parts in a sign-symmetric signed graph on complete multipartite graphs.

No description available.

The purpose of this study is to critically examine family leave policies across universities in the United States to determine whether and to what degree they rely on traditional notions of motherhood and family. Conversations surrounding the lack of equitable and adequate family leave should be continued by researchers, advocates, and policymakers, but the inclusivity of current family leave policies warrants critical attention. The reliance on reproduction to define motherhood excludes individuals who cannot or choose not to give birth. This reliance also attaches mothering behaviors and norms to feminine bodies which works to reify gender inequalities. This project utilizes a mixed methods approach. Using a qualitative content analysis of family leave policies from different universities, I examine if and how they rely on aspects of physical birth, heteronormativity, and gendered language. I compare family leave policies across states that are (and are not) considered LGBTQ+ friendly. Secondly, I used a binary logistic regression analysis to test institutional isomorphism, specifically examining to what extent coercive and mimetic pressures affect family leave policy inclusiveness. I found that most policies are gender neutral and do not rely heavily on reproduction, but the implications of those that are highly gendered and rely on reproduction are enlightening. I found that only 8% of policies included LGBTQ+ specific protections. The regression model revealed that isomorphism is not the greatest predictor of policy inclusiveness, and that universities in less progressive states are more likely to have inclusive policies / Master of Science / The purpose of this research is to examine to what degree university family leave policies rely on traditional gender norms, biological reproduction, and heteronormativity, thus determining how inclusive family leave policies are of adoptive and LGBTQ+ families. Notions of traditional gender norms, biological reproduction, and heteronormativity can potentially exclude adoptive and LGBTQ+ families, as well as gender-nonconforming individuals. I compared universities in both progressive and conservative states to determine if state politics have any effect on family leave policy inclusiveness. I used a content analysis to examine these policies, where I individually coded each policy for gendered language, notions of biological reproduction, and LGBTQ+ protections. I also ran a statistical analysis to determine what variables have an effect on overall policy leave inclusiveness. I found that most policies are gender neutral and do not rely heavily on reproduction, but the implications of those that are highly gendered and rely on reproduction are enlightening. I found that only 8% of policies included LGBTQ+ specific protections. The statistical analysis revealed that state politics (i.e., informal pressures) are not the best indicator of policy inclusiveness, as universities in less progressive states are more likely to have inclusive policies.