Negotiation competency is an important focus of all countries as negotiation is a core event in international relations and diplomacy. Malaysia is no exception. Existing literature indicates that there has never been any research to study the Malaysian practice in international negotiations. As far as diplomatic negotiation is concerned, there is also a dearth of literature on what is going on at the negotiation table due to its secretive nature. Most of the research conducted on negotiation has originated from Western concepts of negotiation, and there is a lack of research concerning non-Western and specifically Malaysian notions of negotiation. A number of studies have been carried out to identify negotiation styles of some countries in Asia, and research on Malaysian negotiation is merely a descriptive explanation of Malaysians’ business negotiation behaviour. Furthermore, there is a growing need of research that employs varieties of methods in studying negotiation as most of the overseas studies were quantitative in nature. Thus, researching into the Malaysian practice of international negotiation will help to close the gaps in the literature because: (1) it will address the lack of research on Malaysian negotiating styles from the viewpoint of the public sector, as opposed to the business sector; (2) it will extend the work on non-Western perspectives on diplomatic negotiation by injecting Malaysian notions of international negotiation, as seen by Malaysians; (3) it will enrich the current literature on negotiating styles of countries in Asia; (4) it will add to the small amount of international scholarship on diplomatic negotiation and (5) this research will employ a mixed-method approach, and this will complement the need to employ varieties of research methods in negotiation research. The main aim of this research is to explore and highlight the key features of Malaysian negotiating practice in international negotiations from the perspectives and experiences of Malaysian diplomats. This research adopted a mixed-methods approach. An interpretive approach with some elements of phenomenology, symbolic interactionism and systems theory was the main paradigm adopted for the qualitative study while a questionnaire survey was employed for the quantitative study. Key-informant interviews with 22 former diplomats were conducted and a survey of 39 respondents amongst in-service Malaysian diplomats was successfully carried out. The research contributes to understanding of Malaysian negotiating practice in international negotiations and generates important insights for diplomatic training providers in setting-up relevant training modules. It also helps negotiators from different nations to comprehend the negotiation practice of Malaysia and helps to eliminate stereotyping and biases. In addition, since international negotiation is a universal phenomenon, the findings of this study are not only applicable to Malaysia but to other nations as well. Important key and relevant points that could contribute to international negotiation knowledge were identified and discussed. Finally, based on the research, policy recommendations were proposed to enhance negotiation competency in any international negotiation, and future research was identified and suggested for the benefit of international negotiation knowledge and scholarship.

The importance of curriculum in education is uncontested. Nevertheless, this has not translated into a thorough examination of what constitutes a ‘quality’ curriculum. Extant educational quality models mostly investigated ‘quality’ from students’ perspective and were predominantly conducted in the business and engineering fields. Some of these models encompass curriculum quality dimensions, nonetheless, given their focus on student perspectives, emerging curriculum themes were limited to issues of interest to students only, such as the number of courses, and the courses enhancing students’ job perspectives. To date, only a few studies pertaining to quality and service quality have been conducted in the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Thus, this exploratory sequential mixed-methods case study was conducted in an English for Academic Purposes programme in the State of Qatar to uncover teachers’ perceptions of curriculum quality and its attributes. Additionally, this study seeks to discover whether teachers’ perceptions of ‘quality’ affected their curriculum implementation. Qualitative data indicates that participants understood a quality curriculum as one that meets stakeholders’ needs in addition to meeting twenty-five attributes pertaining to curriculum design, course content, and resources. The findings reveal that curriculum design is the most important aspect of quality followed by course content and resources. Qualitative data also revealed that the exclusion of teachers from curriculum decision-making, students’ admission criteria, and lack of trust were detrimental to the quality of curriculum design. Curriculum relevance to students is of concern to some participants, since students and the wider community do not perceive the English for Academic Purposes courses as relevant. Although the participants’ do not deem quality of resources as an essential attribute of curriculum quality, it affects their curriculum implementation. Overall, the quantitative data supports the qualitative findings with respect to the importance of the curriculum quality attributes. Two curriculum quality attributes emerge from two participants’ comments related to curriculum design section in the questionnaire. Based on the study findings, it is recommended that the needs and situation analyses be modified at the study site to address concerns raised by the participants. It is also suggested that the university explores different options of English for Academic Purpose programmes to enhance students’ perceptions of the relevance of the English for Academic Purposes courses.

Organisational culture plays an important role in the success of the adoption of technology and the development of the organisation; therefore, it is very important to understand how organisational culture impacts the process of implementing technology, either positively or negatively. The aim of this study is to explore the role of organisational culture in digital government implementation in Omani public sector organisations. This study used mixed methods as a research methodology. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with top and middle management and at operational levels in the Omani public sector organisations. In the quantitative phase, a survey was distributed to employees within the public sector organisations to build on the findings of the first stage and develop an understanding of the relationship between organisational culture and implementation of digital government in Oman. This study found that there is a relationship between organisational culture and digital government implementation. It was found that the type of organisational culture has some impact on the digital government implementation as it was found that the organisations with the clan culture type had low levels of implementation of digital government whereas, organisations with the hierarchy culture type had high levels of implementation. Moreover, the study found that middle managers in public sector organisations in Oman had a critical impact on the digital government implementation.

In 2012, London successfully hosted the Games of the XXX Olympiad. The main legacy of hosting the event is the 560 acre, mixed use Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park located in Stratford in the heart of London s former industrial East End. The Park is located across the four Park Boroughs of Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest, each distinct in character but shaped by similar trends of urban regeneration and gentrification. This research examines the profiles, practices and perceptions of visitors to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as an impact study of mega events conducted within five years after the London Olympics. It draws on research about mega events and urban regeneration with a focus on sports science and geography that has largely neglected visitor experiences as an outcome of mega events. Based on a mixed methods approach combining a longitudinal face-to-face visitor survey conducted over two years, a postal survey among local schools, and interviews with stakeholders, this thesis makes an original contribution to knowledge by proposing a new conceptual framework on mega event legacy and empirical findings on the use and perceptions of The Park by local, regional, national and international visitors. The conceptual approach (Chapter 3) bridges the two distinct literatures of mega-event legacy theory (and more broadly the sports literature) and actor-network theory. The framework allows for the study to approach the research questions from a tridic actor-network perspective, examining how material, immaterial and mainly human dynamic hybrids co-exist in complex webs of relations. It also allows for the unravelling of how these relations have given rise to impacts tied to the developments in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. This unravelling is explored through the remainder of this thesis. Following the description and analysis of methods used in the thesis (Chapter 4), Chapter 5 provides a historic overview of the four Park Boroughs that define the study area of the thesis. The shifting nature of this multicultural area is contextualised in light of several catalytic events (industrialisation, de-industrialisation and finally the Olympic Games). At the heart of this examination is the intention to show that despite the narratives pedalled by policy makers, planners and politicians, areas of East London were inhabited by groups who for several centuries symbiotically produced and reproduced their own diverse identities and ultimately that of East London. Chapter 6 analyses and critiques 35 policy documents released during the Olympic cycle (broadly defined here as the period between 2003 and 2012) and follows both the visible and invisible actants. The key findings are that: poorly executed event planning is inextricably linked to a poor implementation of local community interests; there were unheard and excluded voices, particularly the disadvantaged and displaced, in these policy and planning documents and; that there was little opportunity for the youth voice to be heard. Finally, the analysis of policy documents has underlined the value of reflecting on legacy promises from a longer-term perspective, suggesting that the legally binding bid books should be compared with the actual outcomes from a long-term perspective. The typical visitor to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (Chapter 7) is a white middle-aged male or female (71% over age 25, ~50/50 male and female). They will be visiting the sports facilities and their frequency of use suggests that they have monthly membership to one of the leisure centres. This indicates that they have a relatively high level of both social capital and disposable income. They will reside within the Park Boroughs, often within walking distance of the Park or close to a transport link with a direct transport connection, probably by the Underground system. They will not often visit the Park with under 18s and if they do visit with anyone, it will be their partner or friend, and thus they resemble very closely the typical affluent gentrifier couples. The term experience athlete was coined for these visitors with 53% being from the Park Boroughs. In addition, there were those who came to sight-see, designated as Games tourists of whom 56% of these were international visitors. While ~20% of the visitors to the Park were under age 18 most of these were under 12s attending with their parents. Young people and particularly young people from the Park Boroughs were largely absent from the Park, which was contributed to by discriminatory practices (often under the guise of security issues) which focused on groups of ethnic minority youth. The possible reasons for the absence of young people from the Park are explored and unravelled in Chapter 8 by discussing the results of the semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders and the postal survey with school staff. The key issues raised in this chapter were that: the lack of a representative youth voice with a hidden and perceived to be cosmetic contribution to legacy planning and; the lack of social and financial capital in school staff and young people in combination with the gentrifying process and; spatial factors such as distance from the Park and poor acces routes, all contributed to the absence of young people from the Park. Overall, this thesis stresses the importance of unravelling networks to their fullest extent to truly understand the impact such spaces have on diverse communities.

This mixed methods study investigates a number of aspects related to tool-use in undergraduate mathematics as seen from an Activity Theory perspective. The aims of this study include: identifying the tools that undergraduates use; seeking for an empirically-based typology of these tools; examining how undergraduates themselves can be profiled according to their tool-use; and finally identifying the factors influencing students tool preferences. By combining results from survey, interview and diary data analyses, it was found that undergraduates in the sample preferred using mostly tools related to their institution s practice (notes, textbooks, VLE), other students and online videos. All the tools students reported using were classified into five categories: peers; teachers; external online tools; the official textbook; and notes. Students in the sample were also classified into five distinct groups: those preferring interacting with peers when studying mathematics (peer-learning group); those favouring using online tools (online-learning group); those using all the tools available to them (blended-learning group); those using only textbooks (predominantly textbooks-learning group); and students using some of the tools available to them (selective-learning group). The main factor shaping students tool choices was found to be their exam-driven goals when examined from an individual s perspective or their institution s assessment related rules when adopting a wider perspective. Results of this study suggest that students blend their learning of mathematics by using a variety of tools and underlines that although undergraduates were found to be driven by exam-related goals, this is a result of the rules regulating how Higher Education Institutions (HEI) function and should not be attributed entirely as stemming from individuals practices. Assigning undergraduates exam- driven goals to their university s sociocultural environment, was made possible by combining two versions of Activity Theory (Leontiev and Engestrøm s) and analysing data at two different levels (individual and collective respectively).

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF MOHAMMAD ALOTAIBI, for the Master of Arts degree in Media Theory & Research, presented on March 31, 2015 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: PUBLIC DISCOURSE IN KUWAIT: EXAMINING THE USE OF TWITTER AND DIWANIYA AMONG YOUNGER GENERATION IN THE DECEMBER 2012 KUWAIT PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Uche Onyebadi This thesis assessed public discourse among the younger generation in Kuwait during the country's Parliamentary elections in December, 2012. The research question examined the extent to which Twitter, as a new form of social medium, became an alternative to the more traditional diwaniya, as a forum for discussing salient public issues among the younger generation. The methodological approach in this study was a combination of the online survey instrument and semi-structure interviews. Uses and Gratifications served as the theoretical framework for the study. The major finding in the study shows that Twitter was indeed an alternative to diwaniya as a forum for public discussion and information seeking among the younger generation in Kuwait during the election. Also important is the finding that there was no statistically significant difference in the use of Twitter and diwaniya among younger generation women in that electioneering period. Finally, it was found that the level of education was a significant factor among the younger generation in their use of Twitter and their attendance of diwaniya for information gathering and discussion, as a political activities unfolded in Kuwait during the election.

Background: Presymptomatic genetic testing should always involve a considered choice. Young adults are at a key life stage as they may be developing a career, forming partnerships and potentially becoming parents. Presymptomatic testing may therefore affect the future lives of consultands significantly when testing is undertaken in early adulthood. Aim: To explore presymptomatic testing for hereditary cancer in consultands aged 18-30 years with particular reference to psychosocial impact, the decision-making process and the consequent counselling needs. Methods: A mixed-methods sequential exploratory design was used, comprising a systematic review, a qualitative study and a quantitative study. Results of all phases were used to build a theoretical model regarding the process of presymptomatic testing in young adults. Findings: The systematic review indicated that many participants grew-up with little or no information concerning their genetic risk. The experience of genetic counselling was either reported as an opportunity for discussing problems or associated with feelings of disempowerment. Parents appeared to have exerted pressure on their children during the decision-making process. However, as a result of the qualitative study, the influence of other people and the decision-making process prior to counselling were identified as key factors. Further results from the quantitative phase underlined that parents felt they had control over the decisions their children made, while the majority of the young adults reported the request for the genetic test as their own decision. A new theoretical model of decision making and impact on young adults was built to synthesise the overarching experience of participants in this research project. Conclusion: Counselling approaches to this population may require modification both for young adults and their parents. Young adults may benefit from a multi-step approach to presymptomatic testing. Parents need to be more informed that genetic counselling is a forum where information can be obtained and young adults can talk about the testing decision, regardless of whether they want to be tested or not. The traditional ‘wait until they come to us’ approach by health services may be failing to meet the educational and emotional needs of this population.

abstract: This dissertation focuses on lighting and the dining experience as an experiential phenomenon at upscale restaurant setting. The aim is to better the understanding of the impact of lighting on upscale dining experiences, on a global scale. In addition, special emphasis was given to understand the theatrical approach of lighting in staging the dining experience. This research follows a sequential exploratory, mixed-methods approach, which consisted of a qualitative phase, followed by a quantitative phase. The qualitative phase gathered data in the form of interviews and observations, which was then analyzed using thematic analysis. The second phase involved creating a measure which I term, ‘DineLight,’ as an instrument to assess correlational relationships between lighting and specific dimensions of the upscale dining experience. The quantitative data was analyzed using a two-tailed Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Results revealed that lighting can affect four aspects of the overall dining experience; atmosphere, service, sociality, and food. This research revealed a new perspective when looking at the impact of lighting in a certain context, beyond the atmosphere perception. The results of qualitative data and quantitative data were combined and produced two main reference tables for lighting at upscale restaurant setting; lighting characteristics and approaches, and lighting fixtures. These two tables operate as guidelines for successful lighting practices in upscale restaurants. This research demonstrates the applicability of the ‘DineLight’ instrument to reveal new insights regarding the upscale dining experience, contributing not just to research in the area of lighting design, but also providing practical applications for restaurateurs and others in this industry. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Architecture 2017

abstract: The use of restrictive housing in prisons is at the forefront of national discussions on crime and punishment. Civil and human rights activists have argued that its use should be limited due to harmful effects on the physical and psychological health of inmates as well as its limited ability to reduce subsequent offending. Stacked against this is the need for correctional administrators to respond to institutional violence in a manner that ideally curtails future violence while doing no further harm to the well-being of those housed in these environments. The current project explores the effectiveness of a Restrictive Status Housing Program (RSHP) designed for inmates who commit violent assaults within the Arizona Department of Corrections. The program, as designed, moves beyond exclusively punitive approaches to segregation by encouraging behavior modification that is influenced by cognitive behavioral training. This study advances the literature and informs correctional policy by: 1) examining the effects of program participation on future behavioral outcomes, and 2) exploring mechanisms through which the program works (or does not work) by interviewing former RSHP participants and staff. The current research uses a mixed-method research design and was carried out in two phases. For Phase 1, quantitative data on behavioral outcomes of program participants (N = 240), as well as a carefully constructed comparison group (N = 1,687), will be collected and analyzed using official records over a one-year follow-up. Phase 2 will examine qualitative data derived from semi-structured interviews with former RSHP participants (n = 25) and correctional staff who oversee the day-to-day management of the program (n = 10). Results from the current study suggest that placement in the RSHP has null, and at times, an adverse effect on subsequent levels of institutional misconduct. Policy implications and recommendations based on these findings are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Criminology and Criminal Justice 2018

abstract: Sometimes difficult life events challenge our existing resources in such a way that routinized responses are inadequate to handle the challenge. Some individuals will persist in habitual, automatic behavior, regardless of environmental cues that indicate a mismatch between coping strategy and the demands of the stressor. Other individuals will marshal adaptive resources to construct new courses of action and reconceptualize the problem, associated goals and/or values. A mixed methods approach was used to describe and operationalize cognitive shift, a relatively unexplored construct in existing literature. The study was conducted using secondary data from a parent multi-year cross-sectional study of resilience with eight hundred mid-aged adults from the Phoenix metro area. Semi-structured telephone interviews were analyzed using a purposive sample (n=136) chosen by type of life event. Participants' beliefs, assumptions, and experiences were examined to understand how they shaped adaptation to adversity. An adaptive mechanism, "cognitive shift," was theorized as the transition from automatic coping to effortful cognitive processes aimed at novel resolution of issues. Aims included understanding when and how cognitive shift emerges and manifests. Cognitive shift was scored as a binary variable and triangulated through correlational and logistic regression analyses. Interaction effects revealed that positive personality attributes influence cognitive shift most when people suffered early adversity. This finding indicates that a certain complexity, self-awareness and flexibility of mind may lead to a greater capacity to find meaning in adversity. This work bridges an acknowledged gap in literature and provides new insights into resilience. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Psychology 2014