Charitable nonprofit organizations are growing in number and scope, but the body of literature and knowledge about communication within these organizations is limited. Today, charitable organizations face a flurry of economic and environmental factors that challenge their continued survival: growing community needs, mounting funding cuts from all segments of government, increased competition for funding, a limited pool of dedicated community leaders to serve on boards, decreased charitable giving for some causes, and persistent calls for greater accountability. As nonprofits explore new ways of coping with these socioeconomic pressures---such as reorganization, consolidation, mergers, and management service organizations---there is a clear need for applied communication research on organizational change in nonprofit settings. This research explores the unique issues nonprofit organizations face when considering a specific form of consolidation---a management service organization---focusing on interorganizational communication among nonprofits and funders and the challenges faced during reorganization planning and implementation. In particular, this research explores communication processes both within and among the Neighborhood Family Center Coalition (NFCC) (a collaborative of nonprofit organizations), and the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County (JWB), a funder of these same organizations, as the members planned and developed a management service organization. Action research was the chosen methodology for this study due to the strong desire of the research participants to engage fully in planning, executing and analyzing this research. Working together, we co-generated the research questions for this study. Agreed upon areas for research included considerations and challenges in implementing the management service organization, the funder's role in guiding and assisting in the integration process, management and communication strategies implemented to mitigate the negative effects of this type of organizational change and/or to contribute to successful implementation of this type of integration model, and lessons learned that may benefit future JWB efforts, as well as funders and service providers in communities throughout the United States. The research team worked together to identify and develop appropriate research methods and protocols that included interactive interviews and ethnographic observation. Interviews were conducted with all members of the NFCC and key management staff from the JWB. The applicability of this research is of great importance to funding institutions, many which are taking on a more active role to stabilize or strengthen their funded programs, and more often today, through encouragement to consolidate. Results of this study also may lay the groundwork to support and engage nonprofit leaders considering consolidation as an option for their organizations.

The purpose of the study was to determine sources Indiana secondary principals used to gather and utilize information to comply with eight selected mandates associated with school improvement during the years 1983 through 1988. In addition, the study was to determine the most frequently used information sources, and to examine the judgments of principals regarding the quality of the various resources. Further, the study was to survey what relationships existed, if any, between selected demographic factors and the sources used and the time spent implementing selected policy decisions.Five research questions were developed to analyze the judgments of principals about information sources used to implement the eight selected mandates. Seven categories of information sources were listed on a questionnaire sent to selected Indiana secondary school principals. Respondents recorded the sources most frequently used among the categories, rated the quality of each information source, and selected the amount of time required to implement each mandate in relation to time spent on other administrative tasks.Selected Findings1. Principals identified seven categories of information as being most useful in developing strategies to implement eight state-imposed mandates. The sources of information were Department of Education, Professional Journals and Newsletters, Superintendent's Office, Colleagues, Personal Resources, Professional Consultants, and Other, a category for specific individual preferences.2. The Department of Education was the most frequently used resource for the greatest number of mandates and was judged most valuable in quality by the respondents.The Superintendent's Office, Colleagues, and Professional Journals and Newsletters also were judged frequently as important resources.3. A multivariate analysis of variance indicated no relationship between selected demographic factors and the sources used in gathering information to implement selected policy decisions with one exception. A subsequent univariate analysis and a Scheffe multiple comparison test showed respondents of schools of 1000-1999 students used the Superintendent's Office significantly more as an information source to implement mandates than did respondents of schools under 1000 students. Respondents of schools over 2000 students were found to use Professional Consultants significantly more as an information source to implement selected mandates than did respondents of schools of 1000-1999 students.

Thesis (Doctorat nouveau régime en histoire)--Université des sciences humaines de Strasbourg, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [669)-760).

Thesis. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 229-233).

Thesis (Doctorat nouveau régime en histoire)--Université des sciences humaines de Strasbourg, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [669)-760).

The transition from war to peace is seldom smooth, and violence persists in many postwar societies. Existing research found that peacekeepers have a good record in addressing postwar violence along the fault lines of the preceding conflict. Yet, most postwar violence stems from actors that were not formally part of the conflict. The shift of actors is a challenge for peacekeepers focused on keeping the peace between the belligerents. Nonetheless, recent studies show that only UN police positively impact postwar violence, likely due to their broader effect on public security. Further scrutinising this finding, the research question is How do peacekeeping mandates impact the level of postwar violence in the aftermath of intra-state conflicts? I argue that variation in peacekeepers’ activities sheds light on how peacekeeping missions address postwar violence: Missions with public security-oriented mandates can reduce postwar violence better than other missions because they fill the public security gap. I test this hypothesis utilising a quantitative research strategy of 310 post-conflict episodes – years of60 conflicts between 1991 and 2016. The results imply that public security-oriented missions might not prevent collective strategic postwar violence but positively impact spontaneous unorganised postwar violence.

For many decades, demand for agricultural commodities has remained stagnant and its growth has been limited. In contrast, agricultural production continues to become ever more efficient by increasing output for stable or decreased inputs. Long-run profits have historically been near zero due to an ongoing relative equilibrium. But recent U.S. energy policy has changed to include a Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), the goal of which is to boost domestic energy independence in an environmentally sound way. Most of the RFS in the near-term relies on the production of 15 billion gallons of ethanol made from corn. This has the effect of creating a new sector of demand for grain corn and subsequently supports rural economies. The RFS creates a new demand for 5.5 billion bushels of corn by 2015. At the corn-ethanol conversion ratio of 2.7 gallons per bushel, this will sustain the production of 15 billion gallons of ethanol. The RFS is a blending floor imposed on gasoline refiners. Ethanol producers, on the other hand, are not forced to supply ethanol. While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority to implement the RFS, it does not have the ability to expand ethanol supplies. The U.S. government has therefore supported the use of ethanol through a current 45 cent tax credit for each gallon of ethanol blended into gasoline. Other financial support programs such as grants and loan guarantees are in place for ethanol refiners. Ethanol in the U.S.is primarily made from the starchy molecules in corn. One bushel of corn in a dry mill ethanol plant will produce approximately 2.7 gallons of ethanol and 17 pounds of dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) which can be used in livestock rations. A wet mill plant will produce other by-products. Ethanol can be used directly in the nation's fuel supply at limited levels of blending. Most cars in the United States can withstand the corrosive nature of ethanol in blends of up to 10% or more. But flex-fuel vehicles, which are able to operate on 85% ethanol are increasingly becoming available for sale and their use continues to grow. Corn ethanol is a very complex issue when implemented on such a large scale as the RFS dictates. The amount of transportation fuel actually displaced by its use is a hotly debated topic. In any case, the large scale production of corn ethanol has created a firm link between agricultural markets and the energy sector. Ethanol is also an environmental issue. One of the primary goals of the RFS is to combat global warming and whether or not this is achieved it currently in debate. Aside from the climate change issue, there are other environmental ramifications tied directly to ethanol such as contamination, water use and land-use change. Since the inception of the RFS, price volatility and uncertainty has never been greater. In the first half of 2008, prices for all commodities reached historically high levels. This raises the concern of the impacts with the RFS has on markets other than corn. The livestock industry and other grain markets have been affected to some degree by the RFS. This is in part due to the changing profile of the major trading participants in the commodity trading centers. All of this is related to a structural change which has taken place in the agricultural markets as a result of the RFS. Historical relationships between price, supply and demand have adjusted and currently continue to adjust. The reasons for the adjustments are founded in economic theory regarding system-wide demand shocks. In this case, the demand shock is roughly a net 50% increase in the demand for corn by 2015 compared to the most recent decade. The adjustments which take place can be summarized by three periods. In period 1, the demand curve shifts outward, equilibrium is lost and higher corn prices are observed. In period 2, the market struggles to find a new equilibrium by increasing output. This period is marked by increased volatility and market participants over and under react to price signals until the new equilibrium is discovered. Period three is represented by the discovery of a relative market equilibrium at price higher than previously, but not as high as the initial demand shock. Results from, a fundamental analysis of the grain markets show that the expected market behavior has begun to take place and agriculture finds itself in period 2 of the changes described above. While most of the price changes and acreage shifts can be explained, the degree to which prices have increased are not fully explained. A change in trading center activities (Boards of Trade, etc.) may help to further account for the new prices. A survey of brokers shows that the behavior of commercial traders has significantly changed since RFS implementation. Volatility and uncertainty have ensued. The consequences of the RFS to the farmer have also been significant. Farm income has increased significantly sufficiently to overcome the riding costs of fuel and fertilizer. The risk exposure of farmers has also changed; the data indicates that exposure to risk has increased greatly. However, the farm gate prices have been more than enough to compensate for the changes in risk.

The role of the school leader is changing, as increasing regulatory obligations in the form of federal, state, and local mandates impact a principal’s ability to make autonomous decisions. Autonomy, or the ability to self-direct and make independent decisions, is a leadership aspect that fosters communal relationships; autonomy for school leaders allows them to address and be responsive to their school’s unique needs. Although public education functions within a variety of frameworks, the primary responsibility for school success lies with the school principal. No matter the level of students, or the particulars of a school’s demographics, Pennsylvania school principals are required to comply with federal, state, and local data collecting and reporting. Data-driven decisions fuel educational policymaking at the state, local, and federal levels. Today’s principals are not only charged with collecting data but also responsible for cultivating the highest performance from their students and staff. A principal’s success – the standards by which they are deemed effective by the Department of Education - is directly connected to the success of the students in their schools. Thus, there is a dynamic pull-and-tug between the need for a principal to be responsive to the school culture and community while simultaneously creating an environment of optimal performance in high-stakes testing. This research is designed to shed light on the extent to which school principals feel local, state, and federal mandates affect their autonomy and ability to provide the best experience for children. With building level data comprising half of the measure of a principal’s success, this study hopes to understand the relationship between the regulatory requirements, school success, and if principal autonomy factors into that relationship. / Educational Administration

Much of the child welfare literature addresses risk factors, incidence, and consequences of abuse and neglect, and innovative programs, services, and interventions designed to serve at-risk and maltreated children, youth, and their families. Less attention has been given to how state and local governments oversee the public child welfare system and respond to federal mandates, especially in achieving positive outcomes for this vulnerable population. In 1997, the Congress enacted the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA). This legislation mandates that all states meet certain performance and accountability standards regarding safety, permanency, and well-being of children served by their child welfare systems. These issues are important for the approximately 500,000 children in foster care at any point in time. There is also significant concern for the millions of children involved in the child welfare system through investigations, court proceedings, and both mandated and voluntary services. A significant effort resulting from ASFA is the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs). The myriad requirements under ASFA and the CFSRs create a federal mandate for changes in the way state child welfare systems meet the needs of the children, youth, and families they serve and a process for improving federally defined outcomes. This study examined how states responded to federal requirements of the CFSRs. Specifically, it looked at how states proposed to address shortcomings identified in relation to two individual child and family well-being outcomes and two systemic factors where they had failed to meet conformance criteria in their CFSR. It is important to understand how the federal-state process transpired to ameliorate these conditions without additional federal funding to implement the CFSR requirements. Results of this study describe six states' strategies related to two well-being outcomes, specifically in the areas of education, physical health, and mental health, and two systemic factors, service array and agency responsiveness to the community, as identified in their Program Improvement Plans (PIPs). Four central themes emerge: complexity of the problems, knowledge base and data to guide improvements, resource availability, and collaboration among agencies. These themes help inform states on the potential benefits and challenges in responding to federal mandates. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which the selected school districts in the Commonwealth of Virginia were following the Virginia school mandates and fulfilling the requirements identified by NASPE and AHA, as critical elements required in a quality physical education program and the NASPE national recommendations. The population for this study was 116 physical education teachers in the Virginia counties of Carroll, Floyd, Giles, Pulaski, Roanoke, Wythe, and the City of Radford. The evaluation criteria used for the study was influenced by the 2006 Shape of the Nation Report. The instrument used was a web-based survey that consisted of 21 questions in the areas of demographics, time requirements, class size, standards and curriculum, student assessment and program accountability, and school accountability. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) The school districts followed the Virginia school mandates and overall are implementing the national recommendations; (2) The school districts varied in following the Virginia school mandates and implementing the national recommendations; (3) Even though the schools varied at different grade levels in the same school district, the degree of disparity was slight; (4) The originally introduced Senate Bill 1130 needs to be signed into law as opposed to the less stringent Senate Bill 1130 that was passed; (5) The Virginia school mandates need to include time requirements for daily physical education for all students K-12; (6) The school districts need to focus on promoting quality physical education programs at all grades and in all areas that were evaluated in the study. The following recommendations were suggested: (1) Further studies on schools that offer quality physical education programs and the affects these "quality" physical education programs have on reducing the percentage of overweight or obese children; (2) Studies of other school districts in the Commonwealth of Virginia and how they compare in following state mandates, and implementing the national recommendations; (3) School districts performing their own audits of their present physical education programs to determine the quality of their programs. / Ph. D.