The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on organizational spirituality in an effort to distil the importance of spirituality research and make the case for the “spiritual turn” in organization studies. The paper examines current arguments for and against spirituality in organizations. It suggests that despite dilemmas and controversies in the literature, spirituality research makes a significant contribution. Particularly, the benefit of taking the “spiritual turn” as a response to a crisis of meaning in organizations may be to better define the spaces of programmatic versus existential meaning making and to gain more insights into where organizational meaning making and existential, individual meaning can exist in their respective spaces. It is suggested that spirituality research may need to build on a variety of perspectives from critical management theories to discourse studies to protect existential meaning making as a lived and socially constructed experience. The paper develops some approaches for how this may be accomplished and discusses future directions of the “spiritual turn” in organizational studies.

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New architecture will invariable be placed next to the old architecture because cities and human settlements last for generations and as humans and tribal species we invariably congregate and build new buildings to live-in, work-in and entertain in. Thus we create cities from ever increasing smaller settlements. And the city is the playground where the new merges with that which has been built already – merging the new and the old. Old town Alexandria is one such place where new and old exist side by side. There is no question that new architecture will be built. The questions are only what the new architecture will look like? What will it's existence respond to and what issues we as a society will choose to tackle with new architecture, if any. Will the new architecture and particularly infill architecture convey a purpose and meaning to rival that of its time-tested historic neighbors? And how the meaning and purpose be achieved in new architecture? This thesis explores the topic of new/ infill architecture finding place in historic districts in particular - Old Town Alexandria Historic District and Parker-Gray district. What has been the approach that has dictated the image and purpose of new architecture in historic districts in Alexandria? And can the new architecture have meaning and purpose all its own to rival that of its predecessors. / Master of Science

In his article, "What Metaphors Mean," Donald Davidson presented his own unique theory of metaphor. While this theory has proved to be influential, there seems to be one problem which a Davidsonian theory cannot account for: the dead metaphor problem. Due to certain aspects of Davidson's theory of metaphor, critics argue that it is impossible for Davidson to explain how dead metaphors form. In this thesis, I will show why Davidson's account should be chosen over other prominent theories of metaphor, and how a Davidsonian might be able to bypass the dead metaphor problem. / Master of Arts

Searching for textual information has become an important activity on the web. To satisfy the rising demand and user expectations, search systems should be fast, scalable and deliver relevant results. To decide which objects should be retrieved, search systems should compare holistic meanings of queries and text document objects, as perceived by humans. Existing techniques do not enable correct comparison of composite holistic meanings like: "evidences on role of DR2 gene in development of diabetes in Caucasian population", which is composed of multiple elementary meanings: "evidence", "DR2 gene", etc. Thus these techniques can not discern objects that have a common set of keywords but convey different meanings. Hence we need new methods to compare composite meanings for superior search quality. In distributed search engines, for scalability, speed and efficiency, index entries should be systematically distributed across multiple index-server nodes based on the meaning of the objects. Furthermore, queries should be selectively sent to those index nodes which have relevant entries. This requires an overlay Semantic Routed Network which will route messages, based on meaning. This network will consist of fast response networking appliances called semantic routers. These appliances need to: (a) carry out sophisticated meaning comparison computations at high speed; and (b) have the right kind of behavior to automatically organize an optimal index system. This dissertation presents the following artifacts that enable the above requirements: (1) An algebraic theory, a design of a data structure and related techniques to efficiently compare composite meanings. (2) Algorithms and accelerator architectures for high speed meaning comparisons inside semantic routers and index-server nodes. (3) An overlay network to deliver search queries to the index nodes based on meanings. (4) Algorithms to construct a self-organizing, distributed meaning based index system. The proposed techniques can compare composite meanings ~105 times faster than an equivalent software code and existing hardware designs. Whereas, the proposed index organization approach can lead to 33% savings in number of servers and power consumption in a model search engine having 700,000 servers. Therefore, using all these techniques, it is possible to design a Semantic Routed Network which has a potential to improve search results and response time, while saving resources.

This study explores how cancer patients in remission derive meaning in their lives. A need for social work intervention was identified with cancer survivors, especially those patients who are in remission and who have to continue their lives, in spite of the incurable status of their cancer. In line with literature, the researcher, in her role as social worker at a radiation oncology clinic, observed that patients often report that they find benefit in the cancer experience. The framework for conducting this study is based on the existential theory and the ultimate concern of human existence, that life has meaning under all circumstances. Meaning and meaning-centeredness is described. The role of a meaning-centered approach to oncology social work was argued. The Meaning-Centered Counselling and Therapy (MCCT) model was described from a literature perspective, and proposed as an intervention model. MCCT offers a model that includes the existential domain in interventions. Within the context of this study, remission refers to the period that the cancer is under control. It may be that there is no indication of the cancer, but the cancer is expected to recur, or that some of the symptoms have disappeared, or that the progression of the cancer has slowed down. During remission, patients are under surveillance only, or on maintenance treatment. Thus, they do not have regular contact with the oncology team. Patients live with uncertainty and ambiguity, resuming activities, responsibilities, careers and relationships that were influenced by the cancer diagnosis and treatments. The demands of living in remission are described. This research study explores the quest for meaning in patients who are living with incurable, recurrent cancer. The goal of this research study was to explore meaning-centeredness in adult cancer patients who are in remission. This research study was guided by the following research question: “Does meaning-centeredness play a role in adult cancer patients’ coping with remission?” The research population included oncology patients who are in remission, and have experienced one or more recurrences, and where the cancer has metastasised. A qualitative approach was followed, using the collective case study design. The research was conducted at the Radiation Clinic, Sandton Oncology Centre in Morningside, Johannesburg. Data was collected using an interview schedule to guide 4 focus group interviews, totalling 21 participants, who were selected by means of purposive sampling. All participants gave voluntary and informed consent to take part, and the focus group interviews were voice-recorded, with their permission. The researcher transcribed these recordings. Creswell’s steps for qualitative data analysis were implemented. From the findings, the following themes and sub-themes were identified, demonstrating the search for meaning amongst these participants who are in remission and answering the research question: Theme 1: Meaning-construal associated with attribution with the sub-themes of hope, spirituality, and death awareness and a foreshortened future. Theme 2: Meaning-construal associated with appraisal, with the sub-themes of benefit finding, growth, relationships, and an increased appreciation of life, and prioritising. Theme 3: Meaning-construal associated with reappraisals, with sub-themes of sense of self, sense of coherence, assumptive world, adapting to new normal, and transcendence. The findings demonstrated that a perspective that provided the participants with the means to explore their unique meanings, purposes, and life tasks helped them to cope with remission and the fear or reality of recurrence or metastases. Participants were able to derive meaning in their lives despite living with incurable cancer. Participants, who had integrated the knowledge that their cancer is incurable and recurrent into their meaning-system, were able to adapt and adjust to living in remission. They had a sense of purpose and maintained realistic hope. Their hopes were proportional to the prognosis. They did not dwell on their own death, but focused on what life offers them each day. They developed a new normal that incorporates the knowledge of a foreshortened future, coping with side effects and late effects of treatment, and the uncertainty that the cancer is expected to recur or metastasise again. They were aware of their life tasks, and embraced life to the full. Intervention strategies, based on the existential oriented proposition that life has meaning under all circumstances, were recommended. This included the Meaning-Centered Counselling and Therapy (MCCT) model for integration in oncology social work. Recommendations in this study include enhancing the understanding of members of the trans-disciplinary team regarding the needs and experiences of patients in remission. Furthermore, a better understanding of the role of meaning-centeredness intervention amongst oncology social workers can improve interventions, specifically for patients in remission. / Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / Social Work and Criminology / MSW

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