Thesis (M.A.)--Ball State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Feb. 08, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 51-58).

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The purpose of this thesis is to outline a framework of analysis for the study of foreign policy and to apply this framework to an analysis of the factors shaping the foreign policy of the People's Republic of China. There are two basic approaches to the study of foreign policy. The first, the historical approach, is essentially descriptive and is primarily concerned with improving our factual knowledge of the behaviour of particular states. The second, the anayltical approach, focuses upon state behaviour in general and attempts to formulate valid generalizations about state behaviour. Its ultimate goal is the elaboration of a general theory of foreign policy. Each of these approaches is useful within its respective range. This thesis is concerned solely with an examination of the nature and utility of the analytical approach. [...]

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The present thesis represents a contribution to the history of diplomatic relations between Muscovy and the House of Habsburg. It includes an overall survey of those relations during the reign of Tsar Fyodor (1584--1598), as well as a more detailed study of the Muscovite embassy of 1599. It also provides original translations of important Russian documents related to the subject of the thesis. / The narrative of the embassy of 1599 is divided into three sections. It opens with the travels of the Muscovite delegation through several German cities, during which time the Tsar's representative engaged in discussions with the leading merchants of Hamburg and Lubeck. It then relates the arrival of this delegation at the court of Emperor Rudolf II, where the chief Muscovite representative raised the prospect of an alliance against Poland-Lithuania. Finally, it closes with the embassy's visit to Archduke Maximilian of Austria, whose pretensions to the throne of Poland-Lithuania had formed part of Russo-Imperial relations since 1587. / Analysis of the embassy of 1599 reveals that previous historiography on the subject was quite cursory and often based on misinterpretation or misuse of sources. The thesis points out these errors and seeks to provide a more accurate evaluation of the relations between Muscovy and the Empire in the late sixteenth century. It closes with a suggestion for further research into their dealings of the early seventeenth century.

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The research was multi-method as it combined qualitative semi-structured interviews with quantitative surveys. The thesis concludes by discussing cultural implications for the formation of trust among business people in the UK and China, and future research directions.

This dissertation presents research into the public relations field in Australia, including its background, design, results and recommendations. Research investigated areas of convergence and divergence of ideas about public relations practice between Australian practitioners and academics. The project was inspired by a significant gap in the Australia-specific public relations literature, as there is limited or no in-depth empirical investigation into notions of meaning, dimensions of practice, professionalism, organisational power, and education, in the public relations field in Australia. While research has been conducted into how those outside the profession view public relations, few have asked those within the industry (practitioners and academics) about their understanding of public relations in Australia, nor compared these findings to locate and analyse spaces of convergence and divergence of meaning. Inquiry was facilitated through the administration of two online questionnaires; one targeted to those identifying as public relations practitioners, and the other for those who identified as public relations academics. Each questionnaire comprised six sections, and sought a mixture of in-depth qualitative and quantitative data on the following areas: o Meaning, scope and agreement of the term 'public relations' o The dimensions of public relations o Perceptions of public relations practice o Perceptions of public relations scholarship o Perceptions of public relations education o Respondent demographics As non-probability sampling was applied to this study, it is not possible to report a response rate. That said, a total of 40 academic and 107 practitioner responses were received and comprise the data set. Administration of the questionnaires generated a significant amount of both qualitative and quantitative data. The results were diverse and intriguing, leading to a number of specific recommendations and suggestions for further research. For example, the study found that: o There exists a gap between respondent definitions of the term 'public relations' and respondent reports of public relations practice; o Both public relations academics and practitioners underestimate the professional practice of their practitioner colleagues; o While most practitioners see academics as adding value to the public relations field, a considerable proportion do not, yet findings indicate that academics may not be as out of touch as practitioners imagine; o Both public relations academics and practitioners conceive notions of professionalism in the same manner; and o Both groups identify writing and interpersonal skills as the most valuable skills for a public relations practitioner to possess, and both groups also prioritise knowledge of public relations specific theory and principles. Practitioners also prioritise the need for greater attention to general business practices in public relations education, while academics determine a need for greater emphasis of ethical standards and research competence. This research project closes with a number of direct recommendations and areas for further inquiry. Among these, it is suggested, for example, that academics become mindful of underestimating professional practice as doing so may perpetuate negative images of the field. Rather, academics should be encouraged to seek out opportunities for collaboration with practitioners. Dialogue between academics and practitioners can enhance accurate understanding of, not only the dimensions of practice, but also the value of academia, in the field. Via these, and the other key lessons and recommendations, the findings and results of this research project have dramatically furthered efforts to map the landscape of public relations in Australia.

Realist international relations theory is the most influential theoretical approach in the discipline of international relations. Within the realist paradigm there are several realist approaches. Various approaches, including classical realism, neorealism, offensive realism, neo-classical realism, and game theory, are part of the realist paradigm but some make different theoretically relevant assumptions, notably about international politics, international actors and actors' motivations. The first part of this thesis seeks to demonstrate how, despite their other differences, a fundamental assumption that anarchy determines the nature of international politics is characteristic of realist theorists as notable and different as classical realists Thucydides, Niccolo Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes, Edward Hallett Carr and Hans Morgenthau, structural realist Kenneth Waltz, offensive realist John Mearsheimer, realist game theory analysis of international relations, and neoclassical realists Victor Cha, Thomas Christenson and Gideon Rose. This demonstration establishes the basis for proceeding to a critique of realists' fundamental anarchy assumption. The second part of this thesis presents an argument that realists' fundamental assumption that anarchy determines the nature of international politics has been responsible for theoretical shortcomings of realist analyses, and argues that a complexity basis for international relations theory would offer theoretical and analytical advantages. The cost of the assumption of anarchy for realist analyses is demonstrated in a critique of realist accounts of the outbreak of World War I, the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, and regional political integration in Europe. These major international developments should be readily addressed by the realist or any other paradigm of international relations theory. In all three cases, the factors involved leave realists struggling to re-visit their assumptions about international politics in order to explain what occurred. While such re-assessments have included a variety of efforts to broaden or redefine the factors considered, the role and implications of anarchy as a foundational assumption of realist theorising has rarely been questioned, and it remains a central realist premise. Complexity theory is being embraced in a variety of fields of social inquiry, including politics and international relations. This thesis proposes that the complexity of international politics is something that needs to be embraced and not sidelined. This is the case whether the international politics in question was in ancient times or the twenty-first century. The complexity of international politics, not anarchy, needs to be operationalised as the foundational assumption of international relations theory, in order to build international relations theorising on a more appropriate basis that can be applied more fruitfully in the descriptions and explanations of empirical international relations analyses. / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2009

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rand Graduate School, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 209-217) Also available on the Internet.