This thesis explores the quality and sustainability of facilitated co-operative processes in organisations, and the difficulties and opportunities associated with this way of working. Three complementary research methods have been used: a survey, an Internet dialogue and a co-operative inquiry of facilitators, managers and academics. The survey revealed that facilitators have diverse and sometimes contradictory approaches to their organisational work, co-operative processes are not easy to sustain within hierarchical organisations, and that facilitator ethics need clarification. The development of a Statement of Values and Code of Ethics by the International Association of Facilitators formed the content for the Internet dialogue part of this research. The co-operative inquiry highlighted that sustainable co-operation depends on embodied whole people connecting with love and compassion, and with the commitment and courage to speak their own truth and deeply engage with the collective wisdom of the group. It is shown that co-operative organisational forms, methods, processes, values and ethics are only part of what is needed to support co-operative endeavour. Underpinning all of these are ways of being that are learnt through modelling and mutually supportive interactions between persons in relationship. These ways of being need to be transmitted along with conceptual frameworks, processes and methods for ‘co-operacy’ to be sustainable in groups and organisations / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Public university systems and institutions actively engage in legislative relations efforts with elected representatives who comprise state legislative bodies. Historically, the primary impetus for fostering legislative relations was to leverage appropriations. Funding issues remain an important component of higher education's interactions with legislators, in addition to the higher education policy decisions emanating from state capitols. This dissertation examines perceptions of state legislators and higher education administrators regarding government relations efforts by land-grand, research-extensive and major university systems. By utilizing semi-structured interviews with select state legislators and university administrators, this study explores the current state of practices utilized in legislative relations and summarizes "best practices" administrators may use in their efforts to maximize their work in the legislative process as it relates to higher education. Interviewing state legislators and university administrators falls into a category referred to as elite interviews. Such interviews are considered specialized in that they involve influential or prominent individuals and require carefully thought out approaches to arranging, conducting and recording the interview meetings. Qualitative interviewing techniques were utilized to explore the realm of higher education?s government relations efforts. Three major implications emerged in this study. First, the practice of legislative relations by university systems is as much art as science. No approach guarantees success, and the measurement of success is relative to the cultural, historical, political, and economic environment of a particular state. Second, state legislators' strongly encourage higher education to take a holistic view and moving beyond the traditional approach of each system or institution working solely in its own best interest. A third implication is that the structural rigidity and level of coordination in a system's government relations operation are reflective of the extent a system's goals supersede those of individual member institutions.

In the current era of knowledge economy, the core of the competitions between corporations has evolved from production to management, and now focuses on the acquirement of adequate human resources and the amelioration of innovation. To corporations, the most vital task is often not how to obtain capable human resources, but rather how to ensure the existing ones continuously contribute to the progression of the firm. This involves the internal culture of the firm and its organizational layout; moreover, the most direct effect comes from the ¡§push-and-pull¡¨ interaction between the employer and employee, which is the fundamental quality of employee relations. This research first intends to explore and clarify the meaning of employee relation through a comprehensive study of the aggregated works on related applications of labor relations by previous scholars, including labor union, collective bargaining, negotiation, and labor involvement and participation. Bearing the attributes of high-tech industries in mind, the actual practice of employee relations can then be categorized under six major groups through an understanding of renowned models on labor relations: direct financial rewards and benefits, indirect financial rewards and benefits, non-financial rewards and benefits, employee participation and involvment, organizational communication and management on labor relations. Based on these six categories, an analysis of the actual practice on employee relations leads to the following conclusions: A.Direct financial rewards and benefits In respect to the base-salary system, position-oriented system is more widely adopted than the ability-oriented and the seniority-oriented ones. The ability-oriented system, though, imposes the maximal impacts on employee relations. In respect to the motivation system, the year-end profit-sharing system is the most common one, and it is also considered to be having the best effect on stimulating employee relations. In most firms, the department of human resources is the key unit in charge of the motivation system. B.Indirect financial rewards and benefits Regarding economical benefits, most companies follow the traditional model and engage in pension plan, the subsidy for marriage and funeral. Injury compensation is often acclaimed to be the most essential program in enhancing employee relations. These programs are often done through the Human Resource Department and the Employee Welfare Committee. Regarding benefits on leisure activities, the most common activity is domestic and international travel coordinated through the Employee Welfare Committee. Regarding facility benefits, high percentages of firms have contracts with stores or other corporations for discounts and pre-arranged special rates. However, labor co-ops are preferred as the facility that improves employee relations the most. In general, facility benefits are coordinated through the General Administrative Department, the Human Resource Department and the Employee Welfare Committee. Regarding services benefits, most firms respect foremost the smoothness of complain and appeal channel of lower-ranked employees, and they also achieve improvements on employee relation through family goodwill policy. Most of the services benefits are managed by the department of human resources. C.Non-financial rewards and benefits In respective to non-financial compensations, the leadership style of the high-tech industry often focus on the involvement and participation from the employees, and this is often done through inquiry and commentary. Regarding the working environment, the business sectors widely adopt regulation and policy on assessment, opportunities and fairness for advancement. Flexible working hours have also been known to have positive effect on employee relations. Benefits in this category are usually overseen by the Human Resource Department. D.Employee participation and involvement Most corporations implement labor participations through employee suggestion program, which also improves employee relations the most. Regarding the rights of employee participation, the participation level on financial management is the lowest, but the participation level on company¡¦s policy, marketing, production and human resource management are normal. E.Organizational communication Regarding organizational communication, parallel communication is more efficient based on survey results. The efficiency of downward communication and upward communication is normal. Besides, bulletin board, telephone, interview, meeting, and e-mail are commonly adopted, especially the last three improves employee relations most. F.Management in labor relations Regarding management on labor relations, there were only few unions in hi-tech companies. Conciliation is most widely adopted on labor dispute. Collective bargaining and collective agreement improves employee relations greatly. Since most companies do not organize unions, conciliation is more preferred, compared with arbitration and lawsuit.

During the past ten years public relations becomes very important for an university. The recent rapid development of the Internet has change the relations berween the universities and the publics. Among many applications of Internet, the World Wide Web has become a new medium for universities. The study conducted a content analysis of Taiwan 142 university websites,in order to know how universities use websites to prove the relations brtween the universities and the publics. After studied many researches, we find ¡§target publics¡¨ and ¡§interactivity¡¨ and ¡§public relations communication information¡¨ to approach the content of websites.The results indicated that in terms of the design of target public category,¡¨admission student¡¨ and ¡§alumni¡¨ were more adopted by universities. The results also indicated that in terms of the design of interactivity category ,¡¨personal-choice¡¨ and ¡§user support¡¨ were more adopted by universities. According to the research, comparison with different types of university, the results indicate that national universities more adopted ¡§Office of research¡¨ categories than other typies of university.

Doctorat de philosophie--University of London--London, 1996. / Bibliogr. p. 281-292. Index.

Dissertation--Halle (Saale)--Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, 2006. / Bibliogr. p. 289-311.

Thesis (M.A.) - Carleton University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 132-143). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 297-317). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2003. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 315 p.; also includes graphics. Includes abstract and vita. Advisor: Brian M. Pollins, Dept. of Political Science. Includes bibliographical references (p. 342-381).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of London, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 281-292) and index.