Thesis advisor: Michael G. Pratt / In spite of an undeniably vast and multidisciplinary body of research on mergers and acquisitions (M&As) spanning more than 50 years, extant scholarship provides little insight into how two organizations that have struggled to integrate rebound from failure in their relationship. This dissertation examines two organizations—AMC Hospital and Community Hospital—that achieved this outcome nearly 16 years after they legally merged. To understand this phenomenon, I conducted an inductive, longitudinal qualitative study of these two organizations and their members using interviews, archival data, and observations as my data sources and grounded theory techniques to analyze the data and build theory. Extending prior research on M&As, multiple organizational identity management, and identities as resources in organizations, I advance the notion of multiple identity resourcing by examining how the negotiation of multiple organizational identities fostered greater resource sharing and generation during post-merger integration. Additionally, I elaborate prior research on meaning construction during strategic change by examining how managers’ interpretations of the power and intimacy dynamics in the merger relationship influenced their strategizing, which affected organizational-level episodes of success and failure during the integration process. More broadly, I demonstrate how practices at both the level of the merger relationship and the level of strategy implementation enable successful performance during post-merger integration. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015. / Submitted to: Boston College. Carroll School of Management. / Discipline: Management and Organization.

This study will, with the help of young people aged 15, strive to increase the knowledge about the importance of social media (with a delimitation to Instagram and Snapchat) in the everyday lives and social relationships of young people. To achieve this, the essay will focus on how young people describe their own experiences and experiences through the collection of data in the form of interviews through focus groups. The collection of the empirical material has been done through qualitative research method. We have used focus group interviews aimed at five groups where the informants were selected by criteria-controlled selection. Social media provides advantages and disadvantages. It is really just the latest tool that makes it possible to do what we have always done through the ages, which is to communicate with each other and tell stories, but now in a more exciting and creative way than ever with social media as a tool.

Thesis advisor: Michael G. Pratt / Through two inductive qualitative studies, this dissertation explores the surprising emergence, and members’ subsequent responses, to value-laden claims regarding “why we exist” – what members themselves and scholarship refers to as organizational purpose. Study One finds that, although unintended, the implementation of specific practices within this organization generated powerful emotional energy amongst members. Leaders subsequently grafted this energy into organizational symbols and engaged in meaning-making to articulate what this energy meant for why the organization existed. This study advances theories of organizational identity formation and Selznick’s institutionalism by highlighting an alternative unit of analysis focused on features of shared experiences rather than discourse, documenting an alternative generative mechanism focused on emotional energy, and recasting leaders not as ideological visionaries engaged in sensegiving, but by setting in place conditions to build, harvest, and articulate emotional energy. Study Two examines members subsequent responses to these value-laden claims, finding that members either broadly rejected claims finding them akin to a desired projected image or broadly accepted claims finding them to be real and implicating of the organization itself. These responses varied depending on various ways members construed the credibility of the organization, as well as the plausibility of the organization’s claims. This study advances theories of how members accept or reject organizational meanings by highlighting the ways in which members anthropomorphize organizations – treating them as if they were human beings – and evaluating claims in light of what they see as organizational traits, motives, and intentions. I addition, this study advances theory by identifying the critical importance of perceiving how products and services – “what we do” – is linked to claims regarding “why we exist.” / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015. / Submitted to: Boston College. Carroll School of Management. / Discipline: Management and Organization.

Ferramentas de publicação e instrumentos de mídia social, os diários virtuais íntimos, blogs de conteúdo temático relacionado ao cotidiano, exploram as potencialidades imersivas e interativas das mídias digitais e compõem percursos de sentidos no labirinto hipertextual anunciando a problemática do descentramento do sujeito, do interdiscurso e da autoria. Partindo de uma perspectiva teórica e metodológica enunciativa e discursiva, percorrem-se as instâncias sintáticas, semânticas e pragmáticas da materialidade do enunciado para investigar as formas de emergência do sujeito no espaço e no tempo e explorar analiticamente fenômenos da contemporaneidade: as articulações identitárias e as formas de subjetivação, o processamento da memória e a relação entre o público e o privado no ciberespaço. Tal metodologia de análise do corpus confere uma visão do objeto não apenas como um componente dos dispositivos de comunicação multidirecionais, mas como uma ferramenta de articulação narrativa de si, marcada por um modo de enunciação específico, diferente daquele dos diários íntimos tradicionais uma vez que o contexto hipertextual altera as condições de produção do discurso. Dessa metodologia baseada na Teoria da Enunciação e na Análise do Discurso de linha francesa depreende-se não apenas os mecanismos lingüísticos de insurgência subjetiva mas também as formas de inserção do sujeito na ordem do discurso. / As publication and social media tools, blogs related to individual daily routine explore the immersive and interactive potential from the digital media composing meaning circuits in the hypertextual labyrinth by considering a interdiscourse point of view. From a theoretical and methodological discursive perspective, either syntactic, semantic and pragmatic textual plans are evaluated in order to investigate the ways in which the subject emerges within space and time and to explore analytically the identity and subjectivity articulation, the memory process and the connection between public and private in the cyberspace. This method of analysis provides the object with a prospect of not only a component of multi-directional communication devices but as a tool to articulate the self narrative, marked by a specific form of enunciation that differs from the traditional journal due to hypertextual context that changes the discourse production. This methodology is based on the Theory of Enunciation and in the French Discourse Analysis, both focused not only on the linguistic mechanisms of subjective insurgency but also on the ways of the subject insertion in the order of discourse.

A lacuna existente na compreensão das repercussões do câncer de mama feminino para casais que vivenciaram esse processo motivou a realização deste estudo, que objetivou compreender os sentidos para o câncer de mama feminino entre casais que permaneceram unidos na vivência dessa enfermidade, por meio do referencial teórico do construcionismo social. Os dados foram coletados numa amostra de sete casais entrevistados separadamente, em entrevistas semi-estruturadas com a utilização do diário de campo. A partir disso, foram identificadas três grandes temáticas referentes aos sentidos do câncer e da conjugalidade. Os sentidos do câncer foram agrupados no item vivência da doença, que contém os temas: confirmação da doença e fase do tratamento, esta subdividida nos seguintes sub-temas: a) ficando mais em casa; b) conversando omitindo a doença; c) transportando as esposas; d) cuidado fornecido por outras mulheres; e) realização do serviço doméstico: terceirizado; f) sexualidade: afastamento. E os sentidos da conjugalidade foram agrupados na temática ser marido e ser esposa. Essas temáticas emergiram dos discursos dos entrevistados ancorados na história do câncer e na moral do modelo de conjugalidade tradicional. O câncer foi associado a uma doença com sentidos de provação e morte, que despertou nos participantes sentimentos de revolta e ansiedade e a relação com Deus. Além disso, o compromisso assumido no casamento e a não revelação dos sentimentos mais íntimos experimentados por eles em relação ao câncer de mama, possibilitou a manutenção do laço conjugal em meio à experiência dolorosa da doença. Diante disso, sugere-se a relevância da assistência interdisciplinar com o intuito de desconstruir a negatividade associada ao câncer, bem como a reflexão sobre a relevância do discurso religioso como ferramenta do cuidado assistencial a essa população. / The existent gap in the comprehension of repercussions of the feminine breast cancer for couples that lived this process motivated the accomplishment of this study, which aimed to understand the meanings for the feminine breast cancer among couples that stayed united in living of this illness, through the social construction theory. The data were collected in a sample of seven couples interviewed separately, in semi-structured interviews with the use of field notes. From this, were identified three thematic related to the meanings of cancer and related to couples\' life. The meanings of cancer were gathered in disease living item that has these themes: disease confirmation and phase of treatment. The phase of treatment was subdivided in the following sub-themes: a) staying more at home; b) talking omitting the disease; c) transporting the wives; d) care supplied by other women; e) accomplishment of the domestic service: servant; f) sexuality: stand back. And the meanings of couples\' life were gathered at the thematic to be husband and to be wife. These thematic emerged of the interviewees\' speeches anchored in the history of cancer and in the moral of traditional couples\' life model. The cancer was associated it a disease with meanings of probation and death, that emerged in the participants feelings of revolt and anxiety in relation with God. Besides, the commitment assumed in the marriage and the non revelation of the most intimate feelings experienced by them in relation to breast cancer, it made possible the maintenance of the matrimonial bow amid the painful experience of the disease. Before this, it is suggested the importance of interdisciplinary assistance with the intention to construct different meanings than negativity of cancer, as well as the reflection of the importance of the religious discourse as a tool in the care of this population.

Filiados às construções teóricas da Análise do Discurso de filiação francesa, pretendemos investigar as possibilidades de movimento do sujeito-aluno na produção e leitura dos textos, a saber, as posições de autor e leitor, assumidas, ou não, por alunos do Ensino Fundamental, de uma escola particular de Jaboticabal-SP. Entendemos que, ao ler e interpretar o sujeito assume determinados lugares discursivos, denominados por Pacífico (2002) como fôrma-leitor (repetição do sentido do texto) ou como função-leitor (historicização dos sentidos). Muitas vezes, constatamos, na prática, que estes conceitos não são conhecidos pelos professores, os quais trabalham a linguagem sem perceber se a criança assume uma determinada posição discursiva ou outra, ao ler e escrever. Nesse sentido, a Análise do Discurso fornece um dispositivo teórico que permite ao analista, mesmo sendo interpelado pela ideologia, duvidar dos sentidos legitimados e buscar os indícios presentes nos textos e a inscrição do sujeito em determinado espaço sócio-ideológico, a fim de compreender a singularidade da existência do enunciado produzido. Com base nessas considerações, este trabalho propõe-se a analisar redações de alunos das séries iniciais do Ensino Fundamental, observando, por meio das marcas linguísticas presentes nos textos, quais posições discursivas eles podem ocupar ao construir sentidos, se eles repetem os sentidos dos textos lidos (fôrma-leitor) ou se eles podem disputar os sentidos postos em jogo, questionar, historicizar o dizer (função-leitor). As análises que realizamos nos mostram que as possibilidades de o sujeito movimentar-se ao produzir ou interpretar um texto estão relacionadas às formações discursivas dominantes que circulam no contexto escolar. Há uma tentativa de naturalização de determinados sentidos e o silenciamento de outros, o que leva o sujeito, pelo efeito ideológico de evidência, a não questionar o sentido legitimado pelas instituições sociais. O resultado da nossa pesquisa mostra-nos que, a maioria dos sujeitos-alunos ficou na posição discursiva de fôrma-leitor e isso, a nosso ver, está relacionado a uma prática pedagógica pautada na interdição do sujeito ao arquivo (Pêcheux, 1997), ao interdiscurso, ao discurso polêmico (Orlandi, 1996). A partir desta pesquisa, entendemos que, trabalhar o interdiscurso no intradiscurso coloca em jogo o funcionamento da linguagem, as condições de produção discursivas, as quais nos levaram à interpretação de que, mesmo inseridos num contexto autoritário como o escolar, sujeitos e sentidos movimentam-se na construção do discurso e as posições discursivas fôrma-leitor/função-leitor ou função-leitor/fôrma-leitor são possíveis para o sujeito, desde que o discurso autoritário abra espaço para o discurso polêmico, permitindo ao sujeito estar em contato com uma multiplicidade de sentidos acerca de determinado tema. / Adopted by the theoretical constructions of French Analysis of Discourse, we intend to research possibilities of movement subject-student in production and reading of texts, more specifically the position reader-writer, taken or not by fundamental school students, in a private school in Jaboticabal- SP/Brazil. We understand that, while reading and interpreting the subject determinates discursive places, denominates by Pacífico (2002) as pattern-reader (repeating of text meaning) or like function-reader (historical view of the meanings). Many times, we realize in practice that these concepts are not known by teachers, the ones whom use the languages not noticing if the children hold on determinate discursive position or other, while reading or writing. In these sense, the Analysis of Discourse provides one theoretical device that allows the analyst, even been interpolate by ideology, to doubt the legitimated meanings and look for traces presents in the text and the subscription of the subject in determinate socio-ideological space, aiming to comprehend the singularity of existence of the produced enunciation. Based on these considerations, this work aim to analyze fundamental first grades students redaction, observing trough linguistics labels present in the text, which discursive positions they could occupy when building meaning, if they repeat the meaning from the read text (pattern-reader) or if they could quarrel the meanings presented, questioning them, putting the speech in a historical way (function-reader). Our analysis show that the possibilities of the subject to make moves while producing or interpreting a text are related to the discursive forms dominating that circulate on the school context. There is a tempting to naturalize determinate meanings and silence others that lead the subject, by the ideological evidence, to do not question the social institutional legitimated meaning. The results of our research show us that mostly students-subject stays on the discursive position of pattern-reader and that, to our sight, it is related to one pedagogical praxis guided by the closure of the subject to the file (Pêcheux, 1997), to the interspeech, to the polemical discourse (Orlandi, 1996). From this research we understand that to work with interspeech on the intraspeech put in risk the language function, the discursive production condition, that has leaded us to interpret that, even inserted in a authoritarian context, such as the school one, subject and meanings interact in the construction of the discourse and the discursive positions pattern-reader/function-reader are possible to the subject, since the authoritative speech open space to the polemical discourse, allowing the subject to be in contact with the multiplicity of meanings around determinate subject.

A presente pesquisa tem por objetivo estudar a maneira como a indústria automobilística brasileira tem abordado a sustentabilidade ambiental nos seus discursos publicitários. A iniciativa de lançar o olhar sobre tal dimensão da comunicação das marcas foi motivada, particularmente, pelos sentidos antagônicos projetados pelo bem automóvel na sociedade contemporânea. Por um lado, admirado como meio de transporte e mobilidade, e viabilizador de variadas expressões identitárias. E, por outro, criticado como ícone de um modo de vida baseado na cultura do excesso, que tem demandado a utilização insustentável de recursos naturais do planeta, tendo como um de seus resultados a produção de variados tipos de gases poluentes responsáveis pelo aquecimento global. O método adotado foi o da pesquisa bibliográfica combinada com a análise semiótica, de orientação peirceana, dos anúncios publicitários das marcas Fiat, Volkswagen, Chevrolet (GM) e Toyota veiculados na revista Veja no período de junho de 2008 a junho de 2011. Para maior alcance da observação, realizou-se a articulação do conhecimento adquirido por meio da leitura de vasto conteúdo científico sobre o mundo contemporâneo, o consumo, a publicidade e a sustentabilidade com a metodologia semiótica. O procedimento permitiu uma inserção aprofundada nos conteúdos dos anúncios das marcas da amostra para, dessa maneira, revelar as expressões sígnicas e os efeitos potenciais de sentido mais consistentemente projetados. Os resultados da pesquisa apontam para um cenário ainda em formação em que as marcas se esforçam para projetar sentidos relacionados ao respeito ao meio ambiente em um tipo de tradução restrita do conceito de sustentabilidade. Como consequência a publicidade das marcas apresentou-se refém de abordagens repetidas, circunscritas em uma estreita faixa discursiva, na tentativa de atender tanto às cobranças por engajamento à luta pela preservação do planeta, quanto preservar os seus modelos de negócios. As observações do estudo propõem, adicionalmente, reflexões importantes sobre a assimilação da sustentabilidade ambiental que podem ser extrapoladas para outras dimensões da vida contemporânea / This research aims to study how the brazilian automotive industry has addressed environmental sustainability in its advertisements speech. The initiative to gaze upon such a dimension of brand communication was prompted, particularly, by the antagonistic sense projected by automobile goods in contemporary society. On the one hand, admired as a mean of transportation and mobility, and facilitator of various expressions of identity. And, on the other hand, criticized as an icon of a way of life based on the culture of excess, which has demanded the unsustainable use of natural resources of the planet, having, as one of its results, the production of various types of greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. The Pierce oriented semiotic analysis methodology was adopted to study the advertisements of the brands Fiat, Volkswagen, Chevrolet (GM) and Toyota ran in Veja magazine from June 2008 to June 2011. To expand the range of observation, semiotic methodology was articulated with the knowledge gained through extensive reading of scientific content on the contemporary world, consumption, advertising and sustainability. The procedure allowed a deeper insertion on the content of the advertisements of the selected brands, thus revealing the expressions of signs and the potential effects of meaning more consistently casted. The research results point to a scenario in formation, where brands strive to project meanings related to respect for the environment in a restricted translation of the concept of sustainability. As a result, the advertising of the selected brands presented itself hostage of repeated approaches, circumscribed within a narrow discursive range, on the attempt to meet both the pressure to engage in the fight to preserve the planet and the wish to preserve their business models. The observations of the study suggest, in addition, important thoughts on the uptake of environmental sustainability that can be extrapolated to other dimensions of contemporary life.

O presente trabalho possui como tema a importância da presença de sentido nas aulas de Geografia. Nossa delimitação analítica está pautada na relação do sentido) como facilitador ou não do processo de ensino-aprendizagem em Geografia. O caminho investigativo emprega o Paradigma da Complexidade como desafio para a compreensão do mundo pautado nas técnicas da Pesquisa Qualitativa. As lentes desta pesquisa estão projetadas a partir do estudo do Espaço Geográfico, da Paisagem e do Lugar. A pesquisa possui como preocupação inicial o estudo de caminhos metodológicos que propiciem a percepção do sentido nas aulas, por meio da criação, vivência e atitude dos estudantes, a fim de que tenhamos clareza epistemológica para buscarmos aproximações com as demandas da área do ensino de Geografia. A partir disso, problematizamos os desafios que encontramos nas salas de aula, as proximidades que esta ciência pode possuir com o estudo do sentido e investigamos as possibilidades que favorecem maior atribuição do mesmo por parte dos alunos. Utilizamos como referência para o trabalho, as contribuições da linha psicanalítica denominada Logoterapia, formulada pelo psicoterapeuta vienense Viktor E. Frankl (2008), seu trabalho aponta para a superação das dificuldades a partir do encontro com o sentido que os sujeitos atribuem às suas vidas. Após tais aproximações teóricas, apresentamos atividades pedagógicas, baseadas nas contribuições da Logoterapia, nas teorias de Ensino da Geografia e na Epistemologia Genética de Piaget (1974), que consideramos apresentar elementos que favoreçam a atribuição de sentido pelos sujeitos envolvidos em suas aulas e propiciem a construção do conhecimento. O trabalho indica a necessidade de repensarmos nossas práticas, a fim de que nossas aulas possam ir ao encontro da vida de quem estuda Geografia, para que esses alunos desenvolvam habilidade de análise, de reflexão e aplicação do conhecimento estudado para com a vida. / The present work has as theme the importance of the presence of meaning in Geography‟s classes. Our analytical delimitation is based on the relationship of meaning as a facilitator or not of the teaching-learning process in Geography. The investigative path applies the Complexity‟s Paradigm as a challenge for understanding of the world based on Qualitative Research Techniques. The lenses of this research are projected from the study of Geographic Space, Landscape and of Place. The research has as initial concern the study of methodological ways that enable the sense‟s perception in the classes, through the creation, experience and attitude of the students, in order that we have epistemological clarity to seek approximations with demands of the Geography teaching‟s area. From this, we problematize the challenges that find in the classrooms, the proximities that this science can possess with the study of meaning and we investigate the possibilities that favor a large attribution of the same on the part of the students. We have like contributions of the psychoanalytic line named Logotherapy, it was developed by the Viennese psychotherapist Viktor E. Frankl (2008), his work aims at overcoming the difficulties from the encounter with the sense that the subjects attribute to their lives. After these theoretical approaches, we show pedagogical activities, based on the contributions of Logotherapy, in Geography‟s Teaching and the Piaget Genetics‟ Epistemology by Piaget (1974), which we consider as showing elements that favor the attribution of meaning by subjects involved in their classes and allow knowledge‟s construction. The work indicates the necessity to rethink our practices, so our classes can come to the meeting of life of those who study Geography, and these students develop analysis‟ ability, reflection and knowledge‟s application studied to life.

This dissertation focuses upon patterns and concepts of containment within selected Lieder from Hugo Wolf's Mörike collection. More specifically, I focus upon melody as a way of understanding how these found patterns and movements within melodic containers provide meaning. I focus on the melody for two reasons. First, my research here is the first to present such a detailed analysis of the melody. Second, the manuscripts of the Mörike-Lieder indicate that the melodic line was often an important referential point for Wolf. In my analysis, I focus upon six songs: "Der Knabe und das Immlein," "Ein Stündlein wohl vor Tag," "Frage und Antwort," "Lebe wohl," "An eine Äolsharfe," and "Das verlassene Mägdlein." Two central questions guide my analysis. First and most important, how can our knowledge of musical patterns reveal meaning within selected songs of the collection? Each song analyzed presents numerous melodic patterns that enhance our understanding of the poems. Second, how can these patterns lead to a better understanding of some of the ways that the individual songs of the collection relate to one another? As we will with the analysis of "Der Knabe und das Immlein," "Ein Stündlein wohl vor Tag," "Frage und Antwort," and "Lebe wohl," I propose that these four songs form two pairs. Here, the pair of "Frage und Antwort" and "Lebe wohl" create a newly identified song pair. The analysis follows a four-pronged approach applying Steve Larson's theory of musical forces, Candace Brower's theory of musical meaning, George Lakoff and Mark Johnson's cognitive metaphor theory, and Schenkerian analysis. Looking at the Mörike-Lieder from this vantage point will allow us to see how melodies flow in such a way as to suggest motions or metaphors as they relate to the poetic ideas. Known as the "Poet's Composer," I hope to illustrate that Wolf portrayed great sensitivity when setting the poetry and created unique links between specific songs. / 2015-03-29

The results indicate that such effects could be mainly attributed to activation of multiple semantic representations, in line with the primary goal of meaning access for spoken word comprehension. However, it seems that listeners sometimes do activate orthographic information for fine discrimination when the meaning was uncertain. / The study provides the first systematic set of data for the homophone family size effect, demonstrating its presence in spoken Chinese word recognition. / This study examined the homophone family size effect in spoken Chinese using monosyllabic and disyllabic homophones, and disyllabic words with a homophonic syllable. For each of these three types of words, the family size effect was measured in Exp. 1 to 3 using the auditory lexical decision task. In Exp. 1, participants showed slower response to monosyllabic homophones with a larger family size than those with a smaller family size. In Exp. 2, participants showed an opposite family size effect for disyllabic homophones (e.g. /mi4 feng1/[special characters omitted] and [special characters omitted]), that is, higher accuracy to disyllabic homophones than disyllabic non-homophones. In Exp. 3, the family size effect for disyllabic words with a homophonic syllable was found to be dependent on word frequency, an inhibitory effect was present for low frequency words, regardless of whether the first or the second syllable was the homophonic syllable. Using the same three types of words and the same task, Exp. 4 to 6 examined the neural basis of the family size effect with event-related potentials (ERPs). Results showed that the family size effect mainly resulted from access to the multiple semantic meanings associated with a spoken word. In addition, there was evidence that the multiple word-forms of a homophone were activated in a relatively early state (300--500 ms) during spoken word recognition when the first syllable of a disyllabic word was homophonic. / Wang, Wenna. / Advisers: Alan Chun-nang Wong; John Xuexin Zhang. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-07(E), Section: B. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-94). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract and appendix also in Chinese.