Malcolm Shepherd Knowles was a key writer and theorist in the field of adult education in the United States. He died in 1997 and left a large legacy of books and journal articles. This thesis traced the development of his thinking over the 46-year period from 1950 to 1995. It examined the 25 works authored, co-authored, edited, reissued and revised by him during that period. The writings were scrutinised using a literature research methodology to expose the theoretical content, and a history of thought lens to identify and account for the development of major ideas. The methodology enabled a gradual unfolding of the history. A broadly-consistent and sequential pattern of thought focusing on the notion of andragogy emerged. The study revealed that after the initial phases of exploratory thinking, Knowles developed a practical-theoretical framework he believed could function as a comprehensive theory of adult learning. As his thinking progressed, his theory developed into a unified framework for human resource development and, later, into a model for the development of self-directed lifelong learners. The study traced the development of Knowles’ thinking through the phases of thought, identified the writings that belonged within each phase and produced a series of diagrammatic representations showing the evolution of his conceptual framework. The production of a history of the development of Knowles’ thought is the major outcome of the study. In addition to plotting the narrative sequence of thought-events, the history helps to explicate the factors and conditions that influenced Knowles’ thinking and to show the interrelationships between ideas. The study should help practitioners in their use and appreciation of Knowles’ works.

This thesis presents a study of systems of the quality s administration, with focus on the Malcolm Baldrige Program for the education, analyzing the recommendations of the criteria: 1) leadership, 2) strategic planning, 3) students,interested parts and focus on the market, 4) information, analysis and knowledge administration, 5) focus on people and 6) administration of processes. Considering a qualitative research at Colégio Agrícola de Santa Maria (CASM) RS, which offers technical teaching and high school, it was carried out a survey on the practices of the school s administration, relating them to the criteria of such a Program. After the profile s description, strong points and improvement opportunity in the practices of the school s administration were identified, highlighting the teachers' high qualification and their pedagogical project. As improvement opportunity, it is suggested the identification of the students' needs, of the interested parts and of the market, which are contemplated in an action proposal of the quality for CASM, accomplishing this work s main objective / Esta dissertação apresenta o estudo de sistemas de gestão da qualidade, com foco no Programa Malcolm Baldrige para a educação, analisando as recomendações dos seus critérios: 1) liderança, 2) planejamento estratégico, 3) estudantes, partes interessadas e foco no mercado, 4) informação, análise e gerenciamento do conhecimento, 5) enfoque nas pessoas e 6) gerenciamento de processos. Mediante uma pesquisa qualitativa no Colégio Agrícola de Santa Maria/RS que atua no ensino técnico e médio, realizou-se um levantamento das práticas de gestão da escola, relacionando-as com os critérios do Programa citado. Após a descrição do perfil, identificaram-se os pontos fortes e oportunidade de melhoria nas práticas de gestão da escola, salientando-se a alta qualificação dos docentes e o seu projeto pedagógico. Como oportunidades de melhoria sugere-se a identificação das necessidades dos estudantes, das partes interessadas e do mercado, que estão contempladas em uma proposta de ações da qualidade para o CASM, cumprindo o objetivo principal deste trabalho

美國馬康巴立治國家品質獎 （MBNQA）的卓越績效標準被公認為是質量管理最佳實踐的準確反映。自1988年推出以來，為了保持其最佳實踐，MBNQA 準則標准通過多次修訂而不斷的更新，並協助美國組織檢測改進領域，為參與者帶來變化和積極成果。 本研究探討了台灣製造業質量管理與經營業績之間的關係。通過實施MBNQA績效卓越標準作為基準框架，本研究假設質量管理與強化領導力，戰略，客戶，知識管理，員工隊伍和運營的各個方面有強烈的相關性。 本研究採用個案研究法以及透過與副董事長和品保部經理深入訪談。結果顯示： • 雖然作為世界前五大繼電器工廠，目前個案公司的市場份額不足10％。儘管訂單有所增加，但由於中國經濟成熟，該公司未能實現達成訂單數量的目標。因此，他們正計劃開發一個採用智能化的現代化工廠，並於在2019年中完成。 • 為了提高市場份額和因為生產能力的限制，公司調整了資源分配。 2005年，他們降低了低利潤率家用電器繼電器的產量，並專注於汽車繼電器和綠色能源。兩者都為公司帶來更高的利潤，並被認為是未來的主要收入來源。 • • MB績效卓越標準的第七項核心價值（流程，以客戶為中心，員工隊伍，領導力和治理以及金融和市場）都顯示出了積極成果。但是在客戶服務，培訓方式，CSR活動等方面還可以再進一步提升。 / The Performance Excellence Criteria for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) are widely acknowledged as an accurate reflection of quality management best practices. Since its introduction in 1988, in the effort to maintaining its best practices, the Baldrige Criteria have continuously evolved through numerous revisions and has assisted United States’ organizations in detecting areas for enhancements, bringing forth changes and positive outcomes for participants. By implementing The Performance Excellence Criteria for MBNQA as the benchmark framework for the case company in Taiwan, this study hypothesizes that high quality management is correlated with the improvements throughout dimensions of leadership, strategy, customers, knowledge management, workforce and operations. This study employs the methods of case study as well as in-depth interviews with the vice chairman and the quality assurance manager. The results show: • Being known as the fifth largest relay plant in the world, currently, the market share of the case company accounts for less than 10%. Even though there are orders coming in, the company has not been able to fulfill them due to the developed Chinese economy. Thus, they are planning to develop a modern factory adopting the use of intellectual standards to be completed by mid-2019. • For market share improvement and production capacity limitations, the company has adjusted their resource allocation. In 2005, they lowered their production of their low profit turnover home appliance relays and focused on automotive relays and green energy. Both resulted in a higher profit generation for the company and are believed to be the future primary source of revenue. • The seventh core value of the MB Performance Excellence Criteria under results (process, customer-focused, workforce, leadership & governance and financial & market) has all shown positive outcomes. However, aspects such as customer service, training methods, CSR activities still has room for further enhancements.

This paper aims to contribute to knowledge of stereotypization mechanisms, bringing in the case of PR consultants. Using lenses of the key cultural form - film and television series - the project analyses a way of representing PR profession, as depicted on TV screen both in Czech Republic and the United Kingdom, during 2000-2017 time period. Theoretical frame is drawing on key ideas on stereotype, narrowed by film usage, as seen in the work of Walter Lippmann and others. Main hypothesis is based on assumption that negative media portrayal might interfere with professional reputation. Analytical part employs qualitative, thematical analysis that focuses on interpretation of personal features, behavioral characteristics and depiction of reocurring key themes. The final outcome then presents a professional portrayal of Public Relations on Czech and British television scene, builded up on prominent steretypes, accompanied by relevant quotes to illustrate the point. Key findings show undestanding communication as means of persuasion, leading to egoism, a lack of ethical values and dominant attitude in relation to clients and journalists. To prove the contribution argument that these negative attributes will further affect the future professional status of PR, the final insight illustrates such impact by...

This thesis looks at the pueblo theory as it was presented: whether there is anything supporting Rogers' theory, whether a pueblo could have existed in the area, and why the claim has been generally accepted by the archaeological community.

No description available.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the continuous improvement process of the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNCP). Results of surveys conducted annually by the TNCPE from postapplicants provided data from the state award applicants. Their responses offered indicators of satisfaction among different industry sectors (education, government, healthcare, manufacturing, nonprofit, and service) with the TNCPE services (criteria booklet, feedback report, site visit policy, TNCPE staff, and team of examiners). The survey data were obtained from the TNCPE office in Nashville, Tennessee in which award applicants were provided a series of survey questions. These questions involved the overall award program and the site visit experiences. Within the program award, data included 26 applicant responses while the site visit surveys included 107 applicant responses. In addition, an alpha level of .05 was used for all statistical tests. The major conclusions were: (1) there are differences in the industry sectors with the length of the site visit, team of examiners' team leader's leadership, and the clarity of the feedback report (control vs. influence). Other tests were not statistically significant.

This study aims to highlight the art critic Stig Johansson's position during two historical moments: 1962-63 and 1972. The theoretical and methodological framework is mainly derived from Pierre Bourdieu’s understanding of the art field and the art critic's role and mission within that specific field. Art criticism is an important text source for expanded knowledge of how the discussion of contemporary art has been conducted. In the first chapter of the thesis, I describe some of the investments that preceded Johansson’s role as art critic. These efforts are to be regarded as field-specific as they were preparing Johansson with the kind of social capital that won recognition in the art field. In the second part of the essay, I distinguish between the art critical genre and mission. Instead of limiting the study to art reviews, which is usually associated with the genre of art criticism, the thesis also include material such as debate articles and notices. The study of these different text types contribute to an increased understanding of how art criticism practice actually worked, and what was to be included in such practices during these historical periods. The third chapter is based on an empirical study and focus on three selected themes: the new, the political and the art critic role. The fourth part consists of a text analysis based on Malcolm Gee’s strategies for persuasion in art criticism. A presentation and discussion of the art critical material, and hence the position Johansson takes, contributes to an increased understanding of the negotiations that characterized the art field during the periods in question. The thesis contributes to a nuanced perspective on the production of meaning through problematizing positions and values in the Swedish art field during two important historical moments.

RPA, AI och IPA blir allt mer populära verktyg inom företagande. Detta trots att det till stor del saknas teoretisk förankrad förståelse för vilka förmågor teknologierna besitter och hur de kan understödja företagsledning. Som ett svar på den bristande tillgängligheten av forskning kring ämnet, syftade denna studie till att på ett inkluderande och övergripande plan, samla teknologiernas förmågor och nytta. Varpå dessa kunde kopplas mot verksamhetsstyrning i form av konceptet TQM. Studien genomfördes som en kvalitativ enfallsstudie, där fallet utgjordes av ett internationellt teknikföretag som arbetar med applikationer kopplat till teknologierna. Den empiri som fallet erbjöd samlades in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer, där företagets personal utgjorde studiens respondenter. Empirin jämfördes sedan med och kompletterades av den tidigare spridda teoretiska forskningen kring RPA, AI och IPA:s nyttjande och nytta. Ur sammankopplingen skapades en modell vilken gav en bred bild av teknologiernas nytta i relation till TQM och MBNQA-modellen som nyttjades för att konkretisera TQM. Resultatet antydde att RPA, AI och IPA kan utgöra viktiga verktyg för att stödja verksamhetsstyrning enligt TQM, och bidrog med en bred teoretisk referensram för teknologiernas förmågor i relation till verksamhetsstyrning. Studien belyste även behovet av mer forskning kring teknologiernas snabbt föränderliga förmågor i relation till verksamhetsstyrning och TQM. / RPA, AI, and IPA are becoming increasingly popular tools in the business sector. Despite their growing prevalence, there is a significant lack of theoretically grounded understanding of the capabilities these technologies possess and how they can support corporate management. In response to this research gap, the aim of this study was to comprehensively and inclusively gather the capabilities and benefits of these technologies. Subsequently, these factors were linked to business management through the concept of TQM. The study was conducted as a qualitative single-case study, with the case comprising an international technology company working with applications related to these technologies. The empirical data were collected through semi-structured interviews, with the company's personnel serving as the study's respondents. This empirical data were then compared with and supplemented by existing scattered theoretical research on the utilization and benefits of RPA, AI, and IPA. From this synthesis, a model was developed that provided a broad view of the technologies' benefits in relation to TQM and the MBNQA model, which was used to concretize TQM. The results suggested that RPA, AI, and IPA can serve as important tools to support business management according to TQM, and contributed a broad theoretical framework for the capabilities of these technologies in relation to business management. The study also highlighted the need for further research on the rapidly evolving capabilities of these technologies in relation to business management and TQM.

This essay aims to explore the complex interplay between race, religion, and violence as depicted in The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley. Through an exploration of Frantz Fanon's theories regarding recognition and violence, alongside James H. Cone’s concept of Black theology, the essay establishes a foundation for the analysis. This analysis will analyze Malcolm X’s evolving transformative identity and political agenda. The essay aims to understand Malcolm X’s engagement with Islamic teachings, his critique of Christianity, and his experiences with violence, and how these themes together shape his social and political agenda in his pursuit of liberation. Malcolm X challenges the racial narrative and argues that White people are devils. This perception undergoes a profound shift after his pilgrimage to Mecca. This transformative journey sheds light on the factors that shaped Malcolm X’s perspective on religion, racial separation, self-defense, and liberation. This essay argues that Malcolm X underwent a profound evolution of ideological perspectives after his affiliation with the NOI and his trip to Mecca, leading to a deeper understanding of Black liberation and the complexities of racial identity.