Text in German / This dissertation is a contribution to cybernetics, a sub-discipline ofPractical Theology. It is a dialogue between theology and management science. The first part discusses whether such a dialogue is reasonable at all. There are a lot of parallels between wisdom theology in the Old Testament and modern management theory. We discuss the benefits and the limitations of wisdom, and the way Israel took advantage of wisdom knowledge of the surrounding peoples. Finally, we draw conclusions for the way how church leadership could integrate knowledge from management theory. The main part of this dissertation is on anthropology and leadership. McGregor invented 1957/60 the so-called theories X andY. He demonstrated that leadership styles of managers are affected by the way they look at their subordinates. Leaders who regard people as lazy (theory X) will try to movitate people by extrinsic factors. Theory Y assumes that human beings have intrinsic motives to work. This assumption is an implicit basis of modem leadership concepts. The background and influence of these theories are explained. Especially, we follow the way from the anthropology of the reformators to theory X and from theory X (Taylorism) to theory Y. Limitations of theory Y are also discussed. In the next step we describe various facets of Old Testament anthropology dealing with man's willingness and capacity to work. The significance of the imago dei in this context is discussed by and large. Finally, we compare these facets with the theories X and Y. Result: The reformators emphasized one-sidedly the undignity of human beings implying that many Protestants consider theory Y as too positive, too humanistic. Old Testament portrays both the dignity and the undignity of human beings. Old Testament anthropology correlates better with theory Y. Thus theory Y is not an antibiblical theory. / Practical Theology / D.Th (Practical Theology)

This thesis is devoted to the language management of Russian-speaking university students and graduates in the socioeconomic context of the Czech Republic. The first, theoretical section, is based on the results of previous studies as well as statistical data. It delimits the concepts of language management and Language Management Theory describes the types of language management, and explains its processual character. The second, empirical section of the thesis, is devoted to a qualitative research study based on semi-structured interviews with 10 speakers of Russian as a first or second language who were studying or who had studies at universities in the Czech Republic. The aim of the research was to gain up-to-date information on respondents' subjective understanding of their position on the Czech labor market. The results reveal connections between language, communicative and socio- cultural (including socio-economic) management thus connect issues of language competence and linguistic repertoires and the socio-economic position of Russian-speaking university students and graduates in the Czech Republic.

Since at least 1986, from the International German Teachers conference in Bern, the German language has been recognized among linguists as a pluricentric language. Therefore, it is possible to speak about more language centres, and also about national and equal varieties of one language. In connection with the decentralization of power and regionalization in the world, as well as the accession of Austria to the European Union, which brought above all the "Protocol Nr. 10" with 23 specific Austrian words, the nineties experienced a boom in the production of pluricentric oriented literature. Many papers were also being focused on the research of the Austrian German. However, despite the declared equality of national varieties, their speakers are often not sure about the existence of more standard varieties, their characteristics or equality. These views, attitudes and evaluations as well as potential problems associated with the national varieties, will be described and analyzed by using the tools of the Language Management Theory. The starting points are authentic interviews of Austrian and German native speakers. An important focus of the research is also the way in which the pluricentric concept works at the micro level and how and what national varieties the speakers themselves are constructing....

Master of Science / Department of Journalism and Mass Communications / William Adams / This is an exploratory study on the existing transition efforts of the Kansas State University Graduate School for master’s degree students. There are a variety of graduate students at Kansas State University with many different graduate program experiences. This study identifies the current status of incoming master’s degree students outreach and details experiences of transitioning graduate students to make suggestions on future strategies. It is vital to identify if, and which, programs are catering to the different needs of these students during their socialization into their graduate program. The study has three main objectives: (1) determine the level of personal contact and emphasis on relationship-building during a master’s degree student’s transition, (2) identify the general efforts and practices of specific master’s degree programs and the Kansas State University Graduate School, and (3) to document the needs of students as they transition into graduate school at Kansas State University. The research was conducted through use of confidential one-on-one in-depth interviews with nine Kansas State University graduate program directors and two Graduate School administrators. Ten newly admitted to the Kansas State University graduate program in the spring of 2013 were interviewed. The qualitative approach to this study enabled the researcher to get detailed testimonials and experience-based knowledge from all of these key stakeholders. Overall, the study revealed that graduate students value face-to-face and personal interaction and showed that student-to-student contact is a preferred component to a successful socialization of graduate students. The needs of transitioning graduate students included assistance with course scheduling, assistantship responsibilities, advisor selection, and an overall understanding that graduate school is different from undergraduate school. Future graduate program strategies that would assist in the successful socialization of graduate students include: orientations, meeting with graduate program directors, social and networking opportunities, and workshops. Involvement in student organizations and utilization of on-campus resources are also a part of most of the graduate programs, and graduate school transition outreach. Based on the findings of this study, the researcher offers suggestions to the Graduate School, graduate programs, and incoming students in order to help enhance the transition experience of master’s degree students into graduate school at Kansas State University.

本研究應用Petronio的傳播隱私管理理論(CPM)，探討在影音社交網站YouTube的情境中，使用者在資訊揭露與隱私之間的緊張關係，試圖了解使用者在影音社交網站YouTube情境中的隱私管理是如何，並從使用者的性別、使用動機、網路使用經驗、感知匿名/辨識、及感知風險程度的隱私考量，探討是否會對使用者在影音社交網站YouTube情境的隱私管理有所影響。 本研究嘗試從初探性的角度，針對上傳自己影音的使用者，發展出測量YouTube上傳自己影音的隱私測量量表在於了解目前使用者的使用現狀，而什麼樣的影響因素，會影響到這些使用者在上傳影音時的隱私管理行為，以供未來研究做為參考與指教。 本文完成有效樣本共有617位使用者，其中包含527位有上傳過自己影音的使用者，90位沒有上傳過自己影音的使用者；研究發現女性使用者會比男性使用者揭露較少，且個人資訊連結較少；而愈沒有消遣娛樂使用動機的使用者，對於個人資訊界線控制會愈多；具有自我表現使用動機的使用者，對於個人資訊揭露程度就會愈多，而不愈具有消遣娛樂使用動機的使用者，個人資訊連結會愈多，具有自我表現使用動機的使用者，個人資訊連結就會愈多。 此外在使用者自我感知與各自隱私管理行為之間關係中，發現上傳影音的使用者，不會因為個人內容所感知到的風險程度，而進行自我資訊控制等隱私管理行為；反而會因為從他人的影音內容中辨識出他人，以及因為外在環境感知到的風險程度，而進行自我資訊控制以及自我資訊揭露程度行為的隱私管理。 / This study applies Petronio’s Communication Privacy Management theory to explore how YouTubers manage their disclosure in YouTube videos; whether YouTubers’ gender, motivation, internet experience, the degree of perceived identification and perceived risk have any impact on their privacy management behaviors in social networking site, YouTube. In addition, this study uses Child, Pearson & Petronio’s (2008) WPMM scale as reference; attempts to create an explanatory scale to measure YouTubers’ privacy concern and management for future research. There are 617 YouTubers completed an online survey, including 527 YouTubers who have their video available in YouTube and 90 YouTubers who do not have their video available in YouTube. Results show female YouTubers disclose their personal information much less than male and have less linkage behavior. As for YouTubers’ motivation, users who do not regard using YouTube as entertainment will control their information; and users who often present themselves in YouTube will disclose their information. Additionally, users being used to presenting themselves will open more access and linkage to their personal information. What’s more, YouTubers who can identify others from their own videos and perceive threat or risk from internet environment have the tendency to have their information controlled and limited, not to disclose more personal information and disallow others have the access to their video in YouTube. Following the results of the present study, suggestions for future research in the online management of privacy, especially in YouTube context, are also listed and discussed.

This dissertation examines the strategic choices of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in host countries that become engaged in war. By combining the resource-based view and resource management theory, and drawing additional insights from research on real options and foreign strategic exit, I link the costs attributable to war to the strategic responses of the MNE at the subsidiary level in a novel firm-vulnerability framework. In particular, I develop theory regarding whether a subsidiary will exit from a host country, and if so, the timing (early or late) and mode (whole or partial) of exit. I test my hypotheses on a sample of 626 subsidiaries from 386 Japanese MNEs representing 51 industries in 23 countries at war, both interstate and civil, over the period 1988 to 2006. In analyzing the exit likelihood and timing decisions with time-varying covariates, I employ an extended Cox proportional hazard model, which allows for random-effects modeling of predictor variables at the subsidiary, parent MNE, and host country levels. To determine the exit mode of subsidiaries that choose exit over staying, I use binomial logit models. To correct for potential sample selection bias, I replicate my exit mode results with a Heckman probit model. My findings suggest that iv increasing strategic flexibility can counterbalance the potential disadvantages associated with leveraging strategically salient resources in high-risk locations. In examining war as a broad-based perturbation capable of destroying not only institutionalized values, but also the physical infrastructure and human capital of firms, this dissertation empirically demonstrates how political violence influences the strategies of MNEs. Furthermore, my interdisciplinary approach in integrating theoretical lenses from climate change and natural environment sustainability with existing management literatures to examine the effect of war on firms serves to enhance our understanding of individuals and collectives in extreme conditions.

根據恐懼管理理論（Terror Management Theory, 1986）人們會適時地管理死亡想法的威脅，故Pyszczynski、Greenberg及Solomon（1999）依據此理論提出了一套雙元歷程模式來解釋人們的防衛方式：近端防衛與遠端防衛。在遠端防衛中文化世界觀尤為重要，在過去的西方研究之中，發現人們常以對自身文化世界觀持正向或偏好的態度，來防衛死亡想法的威脅；然而這樣的現象卻在亞洲研究中難以得到驗證，因此本研究的目的即在於重新檢驗文化世界觀的防衛方式。本研究操弄參與者的死亡想法，並藉由分心作業的方式，使其死亡想法掉入意識邊陲之中，以探究遠端防衛的本質。本研究除了以偏好的評估作為依變項外，且從認知的注意力面向出發，探討文化世界觀與防衛死亡想法之間的關係。本研究設計兩個實驗：實驗一以視覺搜尋作業的派典進行研究，以對自身文化的偏好、正確率與反應時間當作依變項。結果發現當參與者進行遠端防衛時，會對於與自身文化有關的線索，表現出較高的正確率，但在對自身文化的偏好，與反應時間的變項上，未能發現有顯著差異。實驗二以眼動追蹤儀器當作研究工具，並以眼動指標中首次凝視位置的數量，以及凝視時間作為依變項。結果發現當參與者進行遠端防衛時，會對於與自身文化有關的線索，表現出較長的凝視時間，但在首次凝視位置的數量上，亦未能發現有顯著差異。因此，綜合以上兩個實驗，本研究並未能完全支持文化世界觀的遠端防衛效果。 / According to terror management theory (1986), people can manage the threat from death thought. Thus, Pyszczynski, Greenberg, & Solomon (1999) proposed a dual-process model to explain how people defend the death. There are two defense routes: the proximal defense and the distal defense. The culture-worldview is an important function in the distal defense. In the western research, it was found that people were more positive or preferred to self-culture-worldview. However, there are mixed findings in the eastern research. In order to investigate the distal defense mechanism, this study manipulated participants’ death thought, and let the thought drop into the unconscious level via a distracting task. Furthermore, this study examined the relationship between the culture-worldview and the death defense from attentional paradigms. We conducted two experiments. In the first experiment, we adopted the visual search paradigm, and the dependent variables were self-cultural preference, reaction time and the rate of accuracy. We found it was more accurate when participants were asked to search the self-related cultural cue after reminding one’s death comparing to those are not reminding about death. But they were no significant difference in the self-cultural preference and reaction time. In the second experiment, we adopted the eye-tracker as the instrument, and the dependent variables were the index of number of first fixation and the duration of fixations. We found the fixation duration was longer for the self-related cultural cues than for the non-self-related cultural cues when participants being reminded about one’s death. But it was no significant difference in the number of first fixation. So, through these two experiments we found an inconsistent result in the distal defense.

This thesis mobilizes a feminist critique to examine the ways in which New Public Management (NPM) represents a gendered discourse. Using Foucauldian discourse analysis, NPM is mapped as a discursive field in order to tease out its dominant and subordinate discourses. The tensions between the dominant discourses and between the dominant and subordinate discourses are examined. The discursive themes of NPM are then engaged using a feminist post-structuralist framework in order to develop a feminist critique. From this critique, it is argued that NPM discourses reinscribe dominant masculinity as well as challenge the Weberian model of bureaucracy by reconstructing a gendered division of labour that takes place entirely within the public sphere.

Text in German / This dissertation is a contribution to cybernetics, a sub-discipline ofPractical Theology. It is a dialogue between theology and management science. The first part discusses whether such a dialogue is reasonable at all. There are a lot of parallels between wisdom theology in the Old Testament and modern management theory. We discuss the benefits and the limitations of wisdom, and the way Israel took advantage of wisdom knowledge of the surrounding peoples. Finally, we draw conclusions for the way how church leadership could integrate knowledge from management theory. The main part of this dissertation is on anthropology and leadership. McGregor invented 1957/60 the so-called theories X andY. He demonstrated that leadership styles of managers are affected by the way they look at their subordinates. Leaders who regard people as lazy (theory X) will try to movitate people by extrinsic factors. Theory Y assumes that human beings have intrinsic motives to work. This assumption is an implicit basis of modem leadership concepts. The background and influence of these theories are explained. Especially, we follow the way from the anthropology of the reformators to theory X and from theory X (Taylorism) to theory Y. Limitations of theory Y are also discussed. In the next step we describe various facets of Old Testament anthropology dealing with man's willingness and capacity to work. The significance of the imago dei in this context is discussed by and large. Finally, we compare these facets with the theories X and Y. Result: The reformators emphasized one-sidedly the undignity of human beings implying that many Protestants consider theory Y as too positive, too humanistic. Old Testament portrays both the dignity and the undignity of human beings. Old Testament anthropology correlates better with theory Y. Thus theory Y is not an antibiblical theory. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D.Th (Practical Theology)

xviii, 197 p. / Whistleblowing has been a topic of media interest since the Vietnam War, and it continues to resonate strongly with the public. Several well-publicized whistleblowers have done much more than catch the attention of the world media. They arguably have changed the world. Whistleblowing refers to the reporting of illegal, wasteful, or unethical activities (i.e., wrongdoing) by current and former employees of an organization. Triggered by several highly publicized corporate financial failures, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires publicly traded companies to provide an anonymous channel for employees to report financial wrongdoing and provides protection for those who do. Using resource dependence perspective and relationship management theory, this study uses e-mail to distribute an online survey to top-ranking public relations executives in the Fortune 1000 corporations to identify what role public relations executives have played in developing and publicizing anonymous whistleblowing channels, their knowledge of wrongdoing in their own organizations and elsewhere, their attitudes and actions related to the wrongdoing, the consequences of their actions, and their relationships with their organizations. The study finds that only one-fifth of respondents helped develop the required anonymous communication channel, but two-thirds helped publicize it; almost one-half of respondents are aware of wrongdoing in their corporations or in other organizations, and two-thirds of those report such activities; those who report wrongdoing do so through internal channels within the corporation, with one exception; few who report wrongdoing suffer retaliation; and the vast majority enjoy positive relationships with their organizations. However, a small number of respondents experienced retaliation, and the research points to a broader exploration of this topic among public relations personnel within Fortune 1000 corporations to determine to what extent status, relationships, and benefits such as the "golden handcuffs" influence whistleblowing. Future research on whistleblowing and ethics in public relations is warranted. / Committee in charge: Dr. Patricia A. Curtin, Co-Chairperson; Dr. H. Leslie Steeves, Co-Chairperson; Dr. James K. Van Leuven, Member; Dr. Michael Russo, Member; Dr. Anne Parmigiani, Outside Member