Thesis (M.J.) - Carleton University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p.163-178). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University OF MICHIGAN.

Thesis (M.A. and Security Studies (Homeland Security and Defense))--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2004. / Thesis advisor(s): Paul Stockton. Includes bibliographical references (p. 47-49). Also available online.

Thesis (M.A.)--Guo li zheng zhi da xue gong gong xing zheng yan jiu suo. / Cover title. Includes bibliographical references.

<p> This study, which contributes to the scant research on personal values in the library profession, examines the core values and the related defining moments of 12 public library directors who work in rural, suburban, and urban settings throughout the United States. The participants, recognized as managerial leaders in public libraries, oversee some of the highest use libraries per capita in the country. They share common values of benevolence, self-direction, and universalism as identified by the Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQIV).</p><p> The second methodology, narrative inquiry, examined life stories to identify common critical incidents and defining moments that challenged and instilled values. Core values shared among participants include integrity, respect, loyalty, fairness, equity, learning, adaptation, and responsibility. Probing defining moments also revealed that the participants use three distinct paths to resolve critical incidents. In each case, the defining moments resulted in these individuals experiencing more self-confidence, deeper commitment to core values, and the able to find meaning and purpose in their work. Participants indicated that, as organizational leaders, public library directors are responsible for meeting the needs of various stakeholders, including library personnel, governing authorities, library users, and the public. These responsibilities are motivated by a core value of seeking to enhance the intellectual welfare of others.</p><p> Researching personal values is salient because these values, in essence, define who we are, and they influence us whether or not we are consciously aware of them. This research contributes to the literature in organizational development by identifying techniques managerial leaders use to reduce challenges to values (mindfulness and self-regulation) and strategies to successfully navigate values conflicts (reflection, paths to insight, courage, and persistence). </p>

Water providers, public administrators, and policy-makers in the Western United States face consequential decisions regarding the use and management of limited water supplies for growing populations. A tool that water providers have employed to address this issue is conjunctive water management, or the coordinated use of ground and surface water supplies. Using the natural capacity of groundwater basins for storage of surface supplies, this method aims to enhance overall supplies and guard against drought. Implementing conjunctive water management, however, is not simple. Water providers operate under a complex array of institutional settings that affect conjunctive water management. This dissertation explains the development and implementation of conjunctive water management in the western United States in relation to the institutional arrangements that govern water resources. This dissertation looks to two literatures from a common research framework to evaluate conjunctive water management: the literature on public service industries and common-pool resource management theory. This dissertation identifies where the two literatures are weak and shows how the two theories can complement each other, helping resolve their respective weaknesses. Common-pool resource theory sets up criteria for sustainable resource management that requires matching institutional boundaries to natural resource boundaries. This dissertation explains how the criteria limit the theory's generalizability to large, complex systems. To resolve this weakness, the theory development section of this dissertation uses insights from public service industry theory on inter jurisdictional coordination. Second, this dissertation considers the weakness of public service industry theory in explaining coordination across jurisdictions. It borrows from common-pool resource literature to resolve this deficiency. The theory development section then derives hypotheses from the two literatures to explain how institutional arrangements affect conjunctive water management. The empirical section of this dissertation tests these hypotheses. In addition to testing the inferences from the theory development, the empirical analyses illustrate the different ways in which water providers coordinate the management of groundwater and surface water supplies in the West. Understanding these management outcomes in relation to their institutional settings has important policy implications for natural resource management in general.

<p> Concepts such as &ldquo;brain drain&rdquo;, although now outdated, capture the essence of the uneven distribution of costs and benefits of the migration of skilled workers from south to north. There is solid evidence of the positive contributions of skilled immigrants to their host economies. Nevertheless, the sending countries, with few exceptions, have not fully capitalized on the skills and networks of their high-skilled diasporas. This research adopts the diaspora option concept, which capitalizes on these skills and networks as a viable strategy for economic development. Using the migration relationship between Lebanon and the United States, this study contributes to a growing area of research that investigates the <i>search</i> role of skilled immigrants and returnees and their impact on knowledge transfer to the countries of origin. The research presented herein attempted to answer the overarching exploratory question: What are the patterns and dynamics of high-skilled diasporas and returnees&rsquo; direct and indirect <i>(search)</i> contributions to the home country and what related policies or facilitative interventions are needed to leverage and enhance these contributions? To address this question, the field research employed interview and survey techniques.</p><p> The findings of this research revealed that Lebanese diaspora high achievers and networks, as well as high-skilled returnees, have engaged in different forms of direct and indirect contributions to the home country, but their impact remains less than transformational on Lebanon&rsquo;s innovation system. There is substantial evidence of the nascent emergence of institutionalized Lebanese transnational search networks attempting to bridge and translate capabilities and opportunities between the home country and the global knowledge markets. These networks hold a growing portfolio of gestating projects and initiatives that have not yet materialized in tangible investments or success stories. Institutional factors at home, such as economic and political instability, weak infrastructure, and outdated regulatory and legal frameworks, in addition to the absence of diaspora engagement public policy, appear to be the main impediments for optimal and transformational engagement. These impeding factors represent areas for possible improvement if diaspora linkages and contributions were to be leveraged. Thus, the case of Lebanon demonstrates a laissez-faire diaspora option that encapsulates the suboptimal incorporation of skilled diasporas into the development process of their home countries without notable diaspora engagement public policy. Consequently, this research advocates for a proactive and fully endorsed diaspora option to better capitalize on countries&rsquo; skilled diasporas and returnees for transformational impact.</p>

This descriptive and explanatory research design examines the most significant barriers and risks to prostate cancer prevention among African-American men in Georgia. One hundred and seven (107) men in Georgia were conveniently selected in varying settings to participate in a seventeen-question survey based on risk and barriers to prostate cancer prevention. The participants answered yes or no questions about family history of prostate cancer, knowledge of prostate cancer prevention barriers, previous diagnosis of prostate cancer, and previous participation in prostate cancer screenings. Men rated barriers based on medical professional interaction, culturally appropriate literature, family involvement, spiritual/religious involvement, attitudes towards screenings, perceived susceptibility, and financial influences to their participation in prostate cancer prevention. This document adds to the body of literature by not only offering barriers and risk that have been stated in literature, but further rating of the importance of these barriers to African-American men and evaluation of some risk factors and comparing them to the male’s participation in prevention measures. Findings of the study indicate that there is a statistically significant relationship between the participation in prostate cancer prevention and the barrier of medical professionals discussing prostate cancer prevention with participants. However, there is no statistically significant relationship between the participation in prostate cancer prevention and the other six barriers to prostate cancer prevention. Findings of the study further indicate that there is a significant relationship between the risk factors of family history of prostate cancer and age. Conversely, there is no statistically significant relationship between participation in prostate cancer prevention and educational level. Large percentages (55.7%) of the participants have not participated in prostate cancer prevention in the last year. Further research should be conducted on the relationship between barriers and risk factors and future plans to participate in prostate cancer prevention. Additional future research should conduct a pre-test, discussion on barriers and risk, and a post-test to determine the difference in barriers and risks relationships with participation in prostate cancer prevention measures

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