Texas is one of 17 states with both 1862 and 1890 Extension programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the partnership amongst agents of Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the Cooperative Extension Program, in counties that have both Extension programs. Seventy-eight agents participated in the study, of which, 73% (N=57) were employed by Texas AgriLife Extension Service and 24% (N=19) were employed by the Cooperative Extension Program. Cohen's D Effect Size was used to determine the practical significance of differences among agents' perception of the relevance of Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Cooperative Extension Program at Prairie View A&M University, along with the agents' understanding of the partnership, willingness to partner and knowledge of the Operational Guidelines. As part of the study, agents also identified strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities of having two programs in the State and provided recommendations for strengthening the partnership. Among agents, there was a high degree of relevance for Texas AgriLife Extension Service, while there was a moderate degree of relevance for the Cooperative Extension Program-Prairie View A&M. Cohen's D Effect size suggested a large practical difference amongst agents in their perception of both Extension programs. Findings indicated a moderate degree of knowledge of the Operational Guidelines and understanding of the partnership amongst agents. Cohen's D Effect size value (d =.1.29) and (d =1.30) suggested a large practical differences amongst agents, from the two programs, in relation to their willingness to partner and understanding of the partnership respectively. Strengths of having two Extension programs identified by agents were the Extension programs ability to reach new and diverse audiences and address community and state needs. Weaknesses identified were agents competing against one another for audiences, two programs causing confusion to clientele, and a lack of understanding on how to collaborate. Opportunities of having two Extension programs identified were collaborating on programs, reaching diverse audiences, and the ability to provide more services. Agents provided recommendations of better communication to understanding the partnership and how to partner, clearer job descriptions to prevent duplication and competition, and making the citizens the priority instead of the Extension programs.

In the current globalized market, multinational corporations are experiencing heightened external social and environmental pressures to operate more responsibly. Transnational activist groups and advocacy NGOs are successfully framing normative expectations on corporate social responsibility and using tactics to name and shame socially and environmentally controversial corporations to pressure them to change their practices. An international norm of corporate social responsibility is increasingly shared by states, intergovernmental organizations and the private sector itself, and visibly emerging in the market place. Corporations engage with NGOs to demonstrate their conformance to the norm. The study explains why corporations engage with NGOs in different ways. It argues that corporations weigh the material incentives associated with the social and environmental consequences of their activities, and conform to the norm accordingly. They thus use the norm to further their material interests. Given that corporations are exposed to different levels of normative external pressures, there are different engagement strategies. In order to explain the terms under which corporations are likely to choose a particular kind of engagement strategy, a three-level concept of vulnerability is introduced. The more a corporation is vulnerable to the external normative pressures, the deeper it is willing to work with NGO/NGOs to ease that pressure. Hence, in NGO-business engagements, actors collaborate in order to gain the anticipated positive rewards of cooperation. They perceive those advantages greater than if they had pursued their goals separately.

Titel: En studie av enskild firma, handelsbolag och aktiebolag - Vilka fördelar och nackdelar finns inom respektive företagsform? Nivå: C-uppsats i företagsekonomi Författare: Camilla Köhler och Petra Alperud Wennemyr Handledare: Markku Penttinen Datum: 2013-februari   Syfte: Syftet är att utreda skillnaderna mellan enskild näringsverksamhet, handelsbolag och aktiebolag och dess fördelar och nackdelar. Genom den empiriska forskningen presenteras för- och nackdelar med respektive företagsform, sett ur företagarens perspektiv utifrån beskattning, finansiering, risker, bransch och storlek.      Metod: I denna uppsats har en deduktiv ansats använts. En kombination av kvalitativ och kvantitativ metod har utnyttjats. Teori har insamlats via litteratur, elektroniska dokument och vetenskapliga artiklar. Intervjuerna har genomförts via besöksintervju och telefonintervju, där två organisationer intervjuades. Enkäter har skickats via mail efter telefonkontakt eller personlig kontakt med de olika företagen. Tio företag av varje företagsform fick besvara enkäterna. Empirin har sedan jämförts med teorin i en analys.   Resultat & slutsats: Det är svårt att fastställa för- och nackdelar inom respektive företagsform då en fördel för en person kan vara en nackdel för någon annan. Resultatet av enkätundersökningen visar på att de som idag har aktiebolag är nöjdast med företagsformen, främst på grund av den begränsade ägarrisken. Den främsta fördelen i enskild firma är enkelheten i företagsformen och att det inte krävs något startkapital. Fördelen med handelsbolag anses vara att det inte krävs startkapital samt att det är enklare och kräver mindre administration jämfört med ett aktiebolag. Nackdelarna som framkommer inom enskild firma och handelsbolag är bland annat att förmåner inte kan utnyttjas, vinsten inte kan sparas i bolaget och utdelning inte kan ske. De största nackdelarna med aktiebolag är att det är krångligt att starta och lägga ned. Inom mindre verksamheter ses enskild firma som en fördel medan det i större företag med anställda och stor omsättning är mer fördelaktigt med ett aktiebolag.   Förslag till fortsatt forskning: En intressant fråga är varför så många företag går i konkurs inom fem år och hur de ska göra för att överleva. Ett andra förslag är varför så få företag söker bidrag och vad detta beror på.   Uppsatsens bidrag: Uppsatsen presenterar vilka fördelar och nackdelar som finns inom de tre vanligaste företagsformerna. Uppsatsen skrevs för att vara behjälplig för en person som vill starta företag. Studien ger kunskap om vad som krävs vid uppstart av de olika företagsformerna och hur företagaren ska tänka när företagsform ska väljas.   Nyckelord: Enskild firma, handelsbolag, aktiebolag, beskattning, finansiering, risker. / Title: A study of sole proprietorships, partnerships and limited companies  -What advantages and disadvantages are there in each type of enterprise ?  Level: Final assignment for Bachelor Degree in Business Administration Author: Camilla Köhler and Petra Alperud Wennemyr Supervisor: Markku Penttinen Date: 2013 – February   Aim: The aim is to investigate the differences between sole proprietorship, partnership and limited companies and its advantages and disadvantages. The empirical research presents the advantage and disadvantage with the respective enterprise form, from a perspective of an entrepreneur basis of taxation, finance, risk, industry and size.   Method: This study is built on a deductive approach. A combination of qualitative and quantitative method has been used. Theory has been collected through literature, electronic documents and scientific articles. The interviews were conducted through visit and telephone interview, where two organizations were interviewed. Questionnaires have been sent after telephone contact or personal contact with the different enterprises. Ten of each group of enterprises were asked to answer questionnaires. The empirical data where then compared with the theory in an analysis.   Result & Conclusions: It is hard to determine advantage and disadvantage of each enterprise form when an advantage for one person can be a disadvantage for someone else. The results of the questionnaire survey shows that those who currently have limited companies are most satisfied with the enterprise form, primarily because of the limited ownership risk. The main advantage of the sole proprietorship is the simplicity of the corporate form and that it does not require any initial capital. The advantage of a partnership is considered that there is no initial capital needed and that it is simpler and requires less administration compared with a limited company. The disadvantages that emerge within the sole proprietorship and partnership are that benefits cannot be used, the gain cannot be saved in the company and the dividend cannot be done. The main disadvantages of limited companies is that it is complicated to start up and close down. In smaller businesses private firm is seen as an advantage while in larger companies with employees and high turnover it is more beneficial with a limited company.   Suggestions for future research: An interesting question is why so many businesses go bankrupt within five years, and how they should act to survive. A second suggestion is why so few companies are seeking grants and what causes this.   Contribution of the thesis: The thesis presents which advantages and disadvantages of the three most common forms of enterprise . The thesis has been written to be an instrument for a person who would like to start up an enterprise. The study gives understanding about the upstart in several type of enterprises and how the entrepreneur should think when the enterprise form should be selected .   Key words: Sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited companies, taxation, financing, financial risks.

This study investigates how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects implemented through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) impact on the roles, relationship, responsibilities and agendas of the involved actors – the private sector, civil society and the state – and whether these can lead to women’s empowerment and the capacity building of civil society in India, through a case study of the CSR projects of the Indian wind power company Suzlon. The empirical findings in terms of women’s empowerment lead us to conclude that although the first dimension of power, the ‘power over’, reflected in unequal gender structures, only has been addressed to a minor extent through Suzlon’s CSR projects, women’s ‘power to’, ‘power with’ and ‘power from within’ have been enhanced significantly, particularly through the projects specifically aimed to address women’s empowerment. Further, to adequately enhance women’s empowerment requires addressing gender structures and the gender sensitization of men, and not only the capacities of women. Suzlon has contributed to the capacity building of civil society – the NGOs implementing the CSR projects - in terms of enhancing project sustainability, promoting NGO ownership of projects, decreasing donor dependency and enforcing long-term strategies, while some other aspects of capacity building largely have remained unaddressed. Although the respective actors in the PPPs generally are positive of the collaborations, our findings indicate that the state partly withdraws from its responsibility to further development while the private sector increasingly takes on the same. The risk of corporate control of the civil society agenda associated with PPPs is not confirmed by our study although civil society tends to bear the highest costs in PPPs, in terms of credibility losses and insecurity concerning project terms and funding. The findings further confirm the importance of ‘critical cooperation’ and ‘complementary core competencies’ in PPPs.

Persons 65 years or older are the fastest growing demographic in Canada (Government of Canada, 2011) and the need for 24-hour care and LTC support will continue to rise. An association is typically drawn between death and dying and the movement into LTC homes. Leisure can alternatively be important for promoting “living” and supporting wellness in residents. The notion of “living” in LTC shifts emphasis away from illness and death to placing value on wellness. This participatory action research (PAR) study aims to understand wellness from residents’ perspectives and the role leisure plays in their wellness. PAR stakeholders (family/care partners, staff, and residents) collaboratively discuss how to best attain, interpret, and disseminate resident perspectives on wellness and required supports. The PAR process highlights the necessity for academics and practitioners to involve residents in decisions about their care experience. Guiding questions include: (1) What does wellness mean to residents living in LTC? (2) What does a ‘well’ LTC home look like to residents? (3) What is the nature of the relationship between leisure and wellness from a resident perspective? (4) How can those involved in LTC support resident wellness? From the perspectives of residents living in LTC homes, findings inform a resident wellness model and provide insights into how wellness and “well” LTC homes can be better supported. Thus, filling a gap in the literature and shifting focus to living ‘well’ in LTC.

The presence of aboriginal people in Saskatchewan has led to several government and private sector initiatives aimed at facilitating the participation of aboriginal people in modern industrial society. A case study was performed on Cameco Corporation, the largest mining company in Northern Saskatchewan, to find out if and how government and private sector initiatives to increase the participation of aboriginal people in the northern mining industry are working. Emphasis was put on defining the status of aboriginal employees within Cameco's mining workforce with respect to job training, promotion, job position, wage rate, and job satisfaction. A simple quantitative evaluation of survey responses was used to establish the position of Cameco's aboriginal/northern employees among their non-aboriginal co-workers and among the typical population residing in the northern part of the province.<p>In 1994, 42.3% of Cameco's employees at the mine sites were of aboriginal ancestry. Based on Cameco's 1994 employee survey, it was found that relative to the typical person residing in the North, Cameco northern/aboriginal employees had a higher level of schooling, more full time work activity, and a higher employment income. Relative to their colleagues, aboriginal Cameco workers were younger, less educated, fewer years employed and more representative in low skill level/low paying jobs. Aboriginal people were provided with more job training, received more promotions, and had a slightly lower overall job satisfaction.<p>Based on these findings, OLS and Logit multiple regression analyses were performed to identify how much of the difference between aboriginal and non-aboriginal Cameco workers, regarding employment related issues, could actually be explained by aboriginal ethnicity. Results showed that, when compared to their colleagues, aboriginal people were more likely to be promoted and to receive job training. However, aboriginal people were less likely to be employed in high level job positions and to earn a high wage rate. Many results are positive indicators of successful government and private sector initiatives to improve aboriginal peoples' employability by extensive human resource development programs in accordance with recent Surface Lease Agreements. Nevertheless, as shown by this example from the mining industry, the achievement of equal opportunities and of a fully equalized job distribution between aboriginal and non-aboriginal employees will be a long-term process.

Introduktion: Våld i nära relationer är ett folkhälsoproblem. 12 422 fall av inomhusmisshandel i nära relation riktat mot kvinnor över 18 år anmäldes under 2010. I medeltal dör 30 kvinnor årligen i Sverige på grund av fysiskt våld. 17 av dessa dödas av sin nuvarande eller tidigare partner. Psykiskt våld kan utgöras av hot, kontroll samt trakasserier och kan vara svårt att identifiera. Sexuellt våld kan vara misshandel vid samlag och tvång till olika sexuella handlingar. Våld i nära relationer förekommer i alla samhällsklasser och barn drabbas direkt eller indirekt av våld i nära relationer. Regeringen har presenterat en handlingsplan med åtgärder och insatser för att bekämpa bland annat mäns våld mot kvinnor. Polisen utbildas för att bättre kunna bemöta och hjälpa utsatta kvinnor. Ideella organisationer finns där kvinnor och barn kan få stöd och hjälp. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att beskriva kvinnors erfarenheter av våld i en nära relation. Metod: Metoden som användes var litteratur-studie. Databaser som användes var Academic Search Elite och PsycINFO. Resultat: Den trevlige och charmige mannen som kvinnor mött visade sig efter hand vara en våldsam man. Våldet kom smygande och ökade sedan successivt i förhållandet. Kvinnor skuldbelade sig själva för våldet. De skämdes över sin situation och de höll upp en fasad utåt. Graviditet sågs inte som något skydd mot våldet. Kvinnor upplevde både att det fanns stöd runt omkring och att stödet inte kom dem till gagn. Skyddad identitet blev ett alternativ för några. Implikation: Det komplexa och ökande problemet Våld i nära relationer behöver komma upp mer på dag-ordningen. Det är av stor vikt att vidare forskning bedrivs i Sverige inom området och att kunskapen omvandlas till praktiska redskap i samhället. / Introduction: Intimate partner violence is a public health problem. 12 422 cases of indoor assault in the intimate partnership against women over 18 were reported in 2010. An average of 30 women dies each year in Sweden due to physical violence. 17 of them are killed by their current or former partner. Psychological violence may be constituted by threats, control and harassment and can be difficult to identify. Sexual violence can be abuse during sex and compulsion into various sexual acts. Intimate partner violence occurs in all social classes and children are affected directly or in-directly by domestic violence. The government has presented a plan of action with measures and efforts to, among other things, fight men’s violence against women. The police are trained to better treat and help vulnerable women. Women and children can receive help and support from nonprofit organizations. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe women’s experiences of violence in an intimate partnership. Method: The method that was used in this study was based on facts from literature. The Databases that were used was Academic Search Elite and PsycINFO. Result: The nice and charming man that women met proved over time to be a violent man. The violence came stealthy and it increased gradually in the relationship. Women blamed themselves for the violence. They were ashamed of their situation and tried to keep up an appearance. Pregnancy did not seem to be any protection against the violence. Women experienced both that there was support around them and that the support did not came them to the benefit. Protected identity became an alternative for some women. Implication: The complex and growing problem of intimate partner violence needs to be a frequent topic on the agenda. It is of great importance that further research is conducted in Sweden in this area and that the knowledge will be transformed into practical tools in the community.

Syftet med denna uppsats var att undersöka välfärdsmodellens förändring i form av privatisering genom kommunal upphandling och nya konstellationer av offentlig och privat verksamhet. Frågeställningarna besvaras utifrån en fallstudie gjord på den upphandlade ungdomsverksamheten Blå Huset i Tensta (Stockholm) och den metodologiska utgångspunkten bottnar i de kvalitativa sätten, mer specifikt Burawoys Extended Case Method. Genom att kombinera organisationsteoretiska begrepp och utgångspunkter med urbansociologiska perspektiv har resultatet fått ett djup och en bredd som visar på offentlig - privata partnerskaps relationers komplexitet vad gäller legitimitet och dess inverkan i den urbana kontexten. Resultatet visar på strategier som sammankopplar rationaliserande myter med kognitiva institutioner exempelvis i form av nyliberala initiativ inom den urbana kontexten. / The purpose of this paper was to get a deeper understanding of the transformations in the Swedish welfare model, which includes privatization through contracting out and new combinations of public and private actors. A case study was done on the youth centre Blå Huset in the suburb Tensta (Stockholm) using qualitative methods, and more specifically Burawoys Extended Case Method. Through combining organizational concepts with urban sociological perspectives the results showed both depth and width in illustrating the complexity of public - private partnerships in terms of legitimacy and effects on the urban context. The results showed strategies connecting rationalized myths with cognitive institutions such as neoliberal initiatives in the urban context.

Improving student achievement is a major concern across the United States. One strategy being implemented to help students achieve in math and science is the partnering of teachers with professionals in math and science careers. One such program is the Fellows Integrate Math/Science in Rural Middle Schools program, from which this research stems. The intent of the program was to match middle school teachers with graduate students preparing for careers in science, technology, mathematics, or engineering fields. The graduate students spent ten hours a week in classrooms, interacting with teachers and students. Improved student performance in math and science, improved teacher content knowledge, and improved graduate student communication skills were expected program outcomes. This research assessed the impact of program participation on the teachers and graduate students involved. Data were collected from 33 middle school teachers and 33 graduate students over the course of two years of program participation. Questionnaires included a pre post measurement of knowledge, experience, and comfort level with education related groups and issues and summative program evaluations. Major findings of the research included: 1. Teacher knowledge, experience, and comfort levels with education related groups and issues did not change significantly because of participation in the program. 2. Graduate students experienced a decrease in knowledge, experience, and comfort level with several education related groups and issues from the beginning of the school year to the end. Knowledge decreases were noted with the following groups and issues: a. High school students b. Teaching college students c. Theories of learning d. Planning a project e. Following through on project tasks Experience level decreases were noted with the following groups and issues: a. Science education reform b. Current issues in K-12 education c. Teaching college students d. Theories of learning e. Assessing student learning Comfort level decreases were noted with the following groups and issues: a. Elementary school students b. University faculty engaged in K-12 education c. Science education reform d. Teaching college students e. Theories of learning f. Evaluating educational activities 3. Graduate student gender, race, and age were not found to be predictors of success in this partnership program.

This dissertation was designed to gain insight in the area of central office instructional leadership support from the perception of the high school principal. With increasing standards and high student performance expectations coupled with strict federal and state accountability measures, it is impossible for the high school principal to bear the sole responsibility of meeting the needs of their students, staff, and community without further support. Central office is a critical factor in school improvement. The primary aim of this study was to provide insight and a deep understanding how successful high school principals feel supported as the instructional leader specifically in the area of planning, coordinating, and evaluating teaching and the curriculum. The research was guided by a single overarching question: What are high school principal perceptions of support given to them by district central office administrators in the areas of planning, coordinating, and evaluating teaching and the curriculum? Qualitative research was selected for this study to allow for deep and thorough investigation of a small group of high school principals' beliefs regarding the central office administrator instructional leadership support. Interviews were conducted with six successful high school principals from three large school districts. The findings that emerged from the interviews were categorized into eight themes including: the school district focus; instructional leader toolbox; effective use of data; deployment of curriculum and instruction; quality professional development; collaboration; connections; and communication. A synthesis of participants' responses and prior research lead to three overall conclusions: setting high learning expectations; focusing on curriculum and instruction; and establishing district-campus partnerships. Campus principals need assistance in meeting the high standards and challenges they face today. District central office administrators can assist principals become the instructional leader all schools need. This study begins to fill the gap in the literature on how high school principals can be supported by district central office administrators in the areas of planning, coordinating, and evaluating of teaching and the curriculum.