The purpose of this study was to examine small farmers in three North Florida counties (Gadsden, Jackson and Jefferson) to ascertain the factors determining the utilization of the 1890 Land-Grant University Cooperative Extension Services. Specifically, the study examines the social and economic characteristics of the small farmer utilizing the Cooperative Extension Services and the small farmer's perceptions of how much the Cooperative Extension Services are satisfying their farm and family needs. / To obtain information for the study, a questionnaire was administered to survey small farmers in Gadsden, Jackson and Jefferson counties. Descriptive statistics, especially frequencies, percentages, mean and mode were the basic statistical technique used to analyze collected data. Findings were summarized in tables. / The major findings of this research helped ascertain which specific factors were associated with small farmers' utilization of specific Cooperative Extension Service programs. It may also serve as a stimulus for further research on Cooperative Extension Service programs. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-03, Section: A, page: 0791. / Major Professor: Richard Chackerian. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.

This study examined the impacts of computers in public organizations. Impacts were empirically examined through a questionnaire designed to measure the perceptions of employees in Florida state financial organizations. A conceptual framework was constructed to delineate expected patterns of association between sets of variables. Categories of variables included: managerial motivations and attitudes toward computer use, job dimensions, perceived impacts of computers upon organizations and individuals, employees' preferred policies for computer use, methods used by employees to learn about computers, intensity of computer use, and operational performance. / Univariate and bivariate data analysis revealed numerous significant findings. Managerial motivations underlying the adoption of computer technology are multidimensional. Employees simultaneously rely on several methods to learn about the use of computers, and informal learning activities are highly important. Employees strongly desire to be involved in the making of decisions concerning new uses of computers. Prior notification of employees about technological changes is positively related to operational performance. / Job loss due to the use of computer technology seems minimal. Computer use is not perceived as a frequent cause of anxiety, health problems, or privacy invasion, however a minority did report increased mental stress and physical discomfort. Computerized work monitoring is common and appears to be well accepted by many respondents. There seems to be a trend toward automated decision making. Intensity of computer use seems to positively affect operational performance, and computers can affect operational performance in many subtle ways. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-12, Section: A, page: 4098. / Major Professor: William Earle Klay. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.

The budget reform literature assumes that those who can change the nature of budget deliberations can influence budget outcomes. Learning what factors influence the nature of budget deliberations is therefore important both to those who want to design more effective, responsive and efficient deliberation processes and to those who want to affect specific budget outcomes. / This study examines four years of appropriations subcommittee hearings in Florida, drawing its conceptual framework from Schick's and Grizzle's budget deliberation orientations: control, management, planning and funding. Content analysis was used to generate the dependent variables. Ten independent variables, considered influential by budget researchers, were tested for their strength of association in three separate levels of analysis: bivariate associations, multivariate associations and a full model. Exponential Poisson regression was used to model the relationships between the variables. Four factors, strongly supported by the budget literature and the contextual data from the legislative setting, were found to have statistically significant associations with legislative deliberation orientation: executive authority, program type, earmarked revenues and formula funding. Other variables in the quantitative approach found promising but in need of further research were the state of the economy and changes in budget information. / Additional research on the effect of subcommittee chairperson style and political alliances on subcommittee norms and behavior is also suggested based upon information drawn from the content analysis. / This research suggests that executive power to "steer" legislative deliberations is limited and that, in states where a strong legislature controls the formulation of the executive budget, budget reform process might be more successful if directed toward legislative rather than executive budget reform. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-11, Section: A, page: 3734. / Major Professor: Gloria A. Grizzle. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.

This dissertation analyzes the influence of government regulatory policy on the TVRO home satellite dish industry, 1979-1992. After each of three key policy decisions, there was either significant growth, or a marked decline in growth, of the home satellite dish industry. These decisions were (a) removal of the FCC licensing requirement; (b) the Cable Communications Act of 1984, making legal the reception of unscrambled cable programming by home satellite dishes; and (c) the FCC decision not to regulate the scrambling or marketing of satellite programming. / The analysis traces the history of regulatory policy as it affected telecommunications, and applies this background to the TVRO dish industry and its conflict with cable television. Attention is focused on the effects of federal legislation and FCC decisions on the nascent TVRO industry. / The data for this analysis came from the public record: federal legislation, reports from Congressional committee and subcommittee hearings, and FCC proceedings and official rulings. Reference is also made to a number of relevant court cases. / The importance of this study is that it may provide insight into the coming struggle between the telephone companies and the cable systems for control of the information superhighway. The result will have a significant impact on the future of U.S. and world communication. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-03, Section: A, page: 0745. / Major Professor: C. Edward Wotring. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1995.

The research reported in this dissertation combines qualitative and quantitative methods in the building and testing of a model of organizational commitment in public organizations. Repertory Grid Interviews were used to ground the concept of commitment in the experiences and perceptions of public employees. The interviews contributed to a confirmation of the multi-dimensional nature of organizational commitment and the development of a survey instrument designed specifically for use in public organizations. The interviews were also the basis for building a model for individual and organization that was tested with survey research and structural equation analysis. 2000 surveys were mailed to a stratified random sample of employees in 12 agencies of Florida State government; 828 usable surveys were returned, for a response rate of 41.4%. / The results of the structural equation analysis confirmed the basic structure of the model, but also suggested several revisions which help to identify the most important antecedents of each of the dimensions of organizational commitment (identification, exchange, and affiliation), and the impact of each dimension on key outcomes (extra-role behaviors and turnover intent). Commitment was found to be a function of the structure and practice of the organization, with little or no relationship to individual characteristics, such as tenure and education. On the other hand, organizational commitment was found to have a significant impact on desire to remain and turnover intent, with affiliation commitment being the major determination of extra-role behaviors. The research contributes significantly to a better understanding of the concept of organizational commitment and how it defines the relationship of individual and organization. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-12, Section: A, page: 4271. / Major Professor: Barton Wechsler. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1990.

Environmental enforcement disputes have traditionally been resolved through unassisted negotiations, administrative hearings, or litigation. Mediation, an extension of the negotiation process that involves the assistance of a neutral third party, has been suggested as a better method for resolving environmental disputes. Advocates believe that when compared with non-mediated techniques, mediation will result in higher settlement rates, improved compliance with agreements, faster settlement times, lower settlement costs, and higher quality settlements. If has also been asserted that mediation is better in terms of settlement rates, compliance, time, cost and quality for disputes involving more than two parties. The claim has also been made that mediations involving substantively-trained mediators result in higher settlement rates, lower costs, increased compliance, and higher quality when compared with mediations involving only procedurally-trained mediators. However, few of these claims have been examined using solid empirical evidence. / These claims were tested using environmental enforcement actions of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection that were filed between July 1, 1988 and June 30, 1990. / The findings of this research call into question some of the key assumptions found in the environmental mediation literature. While mediated cases were found to have higher settlement rates than non-mediated cases, no support was found for the claims that mediation results in lower cost, better compliance and/or higher quality when compared to non-mediated cases. There was also no support that substantively-trained mediators get more, cheaper, higher quality and/or more often implemented settlements than procedurally-trained mediators. There was no support for the assertion that multi-party mediated disputes settle at a higher rate, have higher compliance rates, have lower settlement costs and/or better quality agreements than non-mediated multi-party agreements. / The study concludes with questions that need to be addressed in future environmental mediation research as well as several research design recommendations. Recommendations are also provided for steps that environmental regulatory agencies can take to maximize the benefits of mediation. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-03, Section: A, page: 1320. / Major Professor: Bruce Stiftel. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1996.

This study examined the behavior of Saudi managers in public bureaucracies. The temporal factor was utilized to determine what managers actually do. Two major issues were investigated: the managers' temporal orientation and their behavior. / A questionnaire, interviews, and observations were used in the study. Two hundred questionnaires were distributed to general, department, and subdepartment managers in 18 Saudi ministries and the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency. The response rate was 70%. Also, 20 interviews were conducted with general, department, and subdepartment managers in 15 ministries, and observations were made of an additional four managers. / The findings suggest that Saudi managers have a moderate commitment to synchronization. They do not feel that their work time is scarce and valuable. Fearing responsibility, Saudi managers prefer to plan their work day in cooperation with their superiors. Attitudes toward and uses of time are greatly influenced by the monocratic Saudi culture. / Because of the centralization of authority, the managers expend a major portion of their work day on routine work. Thus managers at higher levels are overburdened while managers in lower levels are underutilized. The work overload at higher levels leaves little time for developmental activities. / Saudi managers are occupied with desk work, telephone calls, meetings (scheduled and unscheduled) and tour activities. They engaged in the 10 managerial roles identified by Henry Mintzberg. / Saudi managers differ from others in that they have heavy religious, family, social, and educational responsibilities, on and off the job. Thus they have less time to perform their official work. / Overall, the study of temporal orientations and behavior appears to provide a valid and realistic picture of problems of managing in the Saudi social system. Any changes in attitude and behavior in Saudi organizations must await transformations in the culture as a whole. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-02, Section: A, page: 0674. / Major Professor: Frank Sherwood. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1991.

Public administration addresses issues that competing and aligning groups determine to be meaningful enough to address. However, there seems to be no shared universally objective ways of remedying anything. Everything is up for argument. Additionally, attempting to solve one set of problems often creates other connected problems and/or unintended consequences. So, public work ever [sic] never ends. This dissertation's purpose was to contribute a new theoretical understanding of the experience and practice of public administration. Its research addressed if and how a grounded existential theoretical framework could emerge that would help practitioners and scholars understand and describe public administrative efforts and experiences. Currently, there is no existential theory of public administration. This dissertation sought to initiate work in that direction. This dissertation employed a grounded theory methodology to collect information from Senior Executive Service (SES) members, to analyze the information for emerging concepts and theoretical relevance through constant comparison, and to discover/construct a theoretical framework for understanding public administrative efforts and experiences. "The grounded theory approach is a general methodology of analysis linked with data collection that uses a systematically applied set of methods to generate an inductive theory about a substantive area" (Glaser, 1992, p. 16). / This dissertation identified the emergence of three categories/themes that organized what the SES members were saying, doing, and perceiving. These categories include "the environment," "the work," and "the individual." The core category/theme, "the Sisyphusian predicament," theoretically unifies these categories/themes through a metaphorical application of existential concepts. It describes the issues administrators experience (never-endingness, boundedness, and finitude in the face of infinitude (managing the scope and scale of one's intentions; generating and authoring relevance, significance, and meaning; and the choice for metaphysical revolt/ microemancipation). There are scholarly and practicable applications of this framework. This dissertation contributes exploratory work towards developing a new theoretical alternative within public administration. It provides an alternative approach for viewing and understanding organizational processes within public organizations. Additionally, an existential approach facilitates a plurality of competing schools of thought wherein administrators can select approaches to decision making and acting on the basis of context and utility. / by T. Lucas Hollar. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2008. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2008. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

This study investigated the executive role, the executive personnel system, and executive development as they are understood in Saudi Arabia. The historical development of the concepts, the current situation, and forces in the field that both drive and inhibit executive development in Saudi Arabia were examined. / Data were collected from government documents and interviews with Saudi executives and authorities at the Institute for Public Administration and the General Bureau of the Civil Service. Also, a questionnaire was administered to 129 Saudi executives, including general administrators, assistant deputy ministers, and deputy ministers representing all the ministries in Saudi Arabia. / The executive population in Saudi Arabia is fairly young and highly educated, generally abroad. Most have moved very little among the government agencies and have had little training in administration. / The findings suggest that the three concepts of role, system, and development for executives have not been assigned much importance in the Saudi administrative system. Most executives reported that their work consists mainly of present, specific, internal, and routine administrative tasks. There was no executive personnel system. The executive development program was centered on seminars, symposia, and conferences offering little response to real leadership needs. / Based on the study findings, an executive development strategy was formulated; it proposes to build a consciousness of the executive role and to encourage more executives to participate in development programs specifically directed toward their needs. The strategy recommends that the Supreme Committee for Administrative Reform take leadership in creating an executive personnel system and initiating a redesigned, broadened executive development program. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-03, Section: A, page: 0617. / Major Professor: Frank P. Sherwood. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1987.

The purpose of this essay is to study the establishment of the Inspection for Health and Care and the National School Inspection. The intention is to identify policy document’s justification for the establishment of the inspections, as well as comparing the similarities and differences of the justification and explain the results through the theories “the public ethos” and “governance”. The policy documents are processed by Carol Bacchi’s critical discourse analysis “What ́s the problem represented to be?”.This method identifies the justifications of the inspections by analyzing the policies according to problems, cause and effect. The critical policy analysis permeates the structure and the phrasing of the questions in this study. The result of the analysis identifies the establishment of the inspections as the policy document’s solution. This is justified by the sectors inefficiency, lack of government control, a changed welfare and lacking supervision. The theories “the public ethos” and “governance” explain the establishment of the inspections as the state’s concept to govern in order to create a rational and effective administration. The Inspection for Health and Care emphasizes the private actors as the reason for the changed welfare, unlike the National School Inspection which only sees the change of welfare as a challenge. The study contributes to research and society’s understanding of the growth of Swedish inspection authorities in the public sector, as well as the public administrations differing approach to the entry of private actors into the welfare sector.