The purpose of the study was to investigate the rigour and relevance of IS research; as researchers and practitioners are divided and living in a different world of aspiration m conducting research. This division is as a result of many reasons. The gap between researchers and practitioners has promulgated debate and argument among the two that has lasted for years. Many believed that IS research is effective and others opposed it. Others within or outside the discipline consider whether IS research output affects and impacts decision making in the industry. Meanwhile, the debate on rigour and relevance has lasted for decades but, in reality, the differences gap still persists, in spite of efforts by researchers. Their efforts and hard-work seem not to be very effective. This study seeks to determine whether practitioners meet their needs and expectations and whether they address them through the rigour and relevance of IS/academic research. It is also to determine whether this debate which has lingered over the years is worth it. The growing problems and needs in the practitioners' world call for an investigation into this rigour and relevance. There is an on-going criticism that IS research lacks rigour, relevance. effective communication and acceptance in the field as noted in the literature. The identified problem under investigation now is lack of rigour, relevance and other issues such as consistency, transparency, communication and inaccessibi lity in IS research. The population for the study comprised academic lecturers attending the South African Institute for Computer Scientists and Information Technologists (SAICSIT 2012) conference and North-West University IS and Computer Science (Mafikeng Campus) academics. The population was 90 lecturers/academics and the sample size of 73 answered the questionnaires. / Thesis (M.Com.(Information Systems) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2013

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Both chronic trauma and shame, as well as the relation between them, are understudied phenomena. This is despite particularly high levels of both trauma- and shame-related psychopathology in South Africa (Edwards, 2005). I conducted a qualitative study exploring experiences of trauma, shame, post-traumatic reactions and coping mechanisms in single interviews with 19 South African survivors of chronic trauma (intimate partner violence) using narrative analysis. Results from the categorical content analysis indicated that all but one participant reported a history of physical violence perpetrated by her intimate partner. Sexual and emotional violence were also reported by the majority of the participants. The most significant reported mental health outcomes were persistent fear, depression and suicidality, dissociation and somatic complaints. Coping mechanisms included religion, support from family, counselling and substance misuse. Using smiling as a mask to conceal difficult feelings and keeping occupied were cited as the most effective defenses. Shame was viewed as a social emotion, and often described as humiliation (and sometimes embarrassment), which required the presence of a mocking, hostile audience. This was interpreted in socio-cultural terms. Eleven women presented with a split self – the authentic self who admitted to a great deal of shame when asked indirectly, and the false self who was described in surprisingly positive terms. I analysed this split using categorical content analysis and narrative analysis from a social constructivist point of view at individual (clinical) level, organisational (micro-cultural) level, and broader cultural level. I used Gee’s (1991) categorical form analysis to analyse five long complex shame and trauma narratives with the aim of determining if psychic fragmentation presents at linguistic level. I also analysed three short, compressed trauma and shame narratives. The structure of the short narratives tended to be circular, erratic, disjointed, and interrupted (Scarry, 1985; Simon, 2008). The three short, compressed trauma narratives were characterised by long pauses or silences, hesitations, avoiding eye contact, hunching over, covering the face with clothes, whispering, so making the narrative almost inaudible, crying, and defensive leaning in towards me, and laughing. These women were exceptions – most women expressed an urgency to talk about their experiences in great detail. Although the longer narratives are essentially fractured chaos narratives at linguistic level, they contain predominant trauma- and shame-related themes that are consistent throughout the narratives and that remain intact in spite of the signs of linguistic disruption and fragmentation. They are, in order of narratives, 1) shame/self-blame and deservedness; 2) truth/lies and bearing witness; 3) shame, humiliation and dissociation; 4) the concealed, shame-based self, including amnesiac-like disorientation of place and time; and 5) patterns of cyclical leave-return reflecting perpetrator-instilled abandonment terror, including disorientation of time. I have argued that although language, or narrative structure, continues to mimic and reflect narrative content (fractured narratives vs fractured selves) – there is also the intriguing possibility of a disconnection between form and content; and that thematic coherence or consistency and narrative fracturing can co-occur; co-exist. There are a number of clinical features in the narratives which are either related to, or comprise diagnostic criteria for chronic trauma syndromes such as chronic PTSD and DESNOS, and intersect with shame themes in the narratives I analysed. Consequently, I argue that there is a substantial intersection or co-occurrence between exposure to chronic trauma, and trauma-related clinical symptoms, including shame, which emerge from the narratives, which without exception, demonstrate significant linguistic fracturing. In conclusion, a number of gaps in the literature were identified. Future research should triangulate methods and chronic trauma prevalence and longitudinal studies are needed both internationally and locally. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sowel kroniese trauma as skaamte, en die verhouding tussen die twee, is tot dusver onvoldoende bestudeer – ondanks die besonder algemene voorkoms van trauma- en skaamte-verwante psigopatologie in Suid-Afrika (Edwards, 2005). Ek het ʼn kwalitatiewe studie onderneem en die ervaring van trauma, skaamte, post-traumatiese reaksies en oorlewingsmeganismes ondersoek in indiwiduele onderhoude met 19 Suid-Afrikaanse oorlewendes van kroniese trauma (geweld in intieme verhoudings). In my ondersoek het ek van narratiewe analise gebruik gemaak. Resultate van die kategoriese inhoudsanalise dui aan dat ál die vroue in die bestudeerde groep, behalwe een, ‘n geskiedenis van fisieke geweld gerapporteer het wat deur haar ‘partner’ gepleeg is. Seksuele en emosionele geweld is ook deur die meerderheid van die groep gerapporteer. Die mees betekenisvolle uitkomste in verband met psigiese gesondheid was voortdurende angs, depressie, selfmoordneigings, dissosiasie en somatiese klagtes. Oorlewingsmeganismes was onder andere godsdiens, berading en dwelms. Om ʼn glimlag te gebruik as masker vir die verberging van pynlike emosies, en om besig te bly, is genoem as die effektiefste verdedigingsmeganismes. Skaamte is gesien as ‘n sosiale emosie, en is dikwels ‘vernedering’ genoem (soms ʼn ‘verleentheid’), wat die teenwoordigheid van spottende, vyandige toeskouers impliseer. Skaamte is in die studie in sosio-kulturele terme geïnterpreteer. Elf vroue het 'n gesplete self vertoon – die outentieke self wat 'n groot hoeveelheid skaamte erken het wanneer hulle indirek daaroor uitgevra is, teenoor die valse self wat in verbasend positiewe terme beskryf is. Ek het hierdie gesplete self geanaliseer met gebruikmaking van kategoriale inhoudsanalise en ook van narratiewe analise uit 'n sosiaal-konstruktiewe perspektief – op 'n indiwiduele (kliniese), organisatoriese (mikro-kulturele) en ‘n breër kulturele vlak. Ek het Gee (1991) se kategoriale vorm-analise gebruik om vyf lang, komplekse skaamte- en traumanarratiewe te analiseer om te bepaal of psigiese fragmentering op 'n linguistiese vlak manifesteer. Ek het ook drie kort, gedronge trauma- en skaamtenarratiewe geanaliseer. Die struktuur van die kort narratiewe was geneig om sirkulêr, wisselvallig, onsamehangend en onderbroke te wees (Scarry, 1985; Simon, 2008). Die drie kort, gedronge traumanarratiewe is gekenmerk deur lang stiltes, aarseling, vermyding van oogkontak, vooroor buk, bedekking van die gesig met klere, fluistering (sodat die narratief byna onhoorbaar geword het), gehuil, defensiewe oorleun na my toe, en gelag. Hierdie drie vroue was uitsonderings – die meeste vroue het 'n dringende behoefte laat blyk om in fyn besonderhede oor hulle ervarings te praat. Alhoewel die langer narratiewe op 'n linguistiese vlak wesentlik gefragmenteerde chaos-narratiewe is, bevat hulle dominante trauma- en skaamte-temas wat konsekwent deur die verhale aanwesig bly ondanks die tekens van linguistiese disrupsie en fragmentering. Hulle is, in die volgorde van die narratiewe, 1) skaamte/selfblamering en verdiende loon; 2) waarheid/leuens en getuienis aflê; 3) skaamte, vernedering en dissosiasie; 4) bedekte, skaamte-gebaseerde self, insluitend die amnesieagtige disoriëntering van plek en tyd; en 5) patrone van sikliese vertrek en terugkeer, insluitend 'n disoriëntering van plek en tyd – 'n refleksie van die vrees om alleen gelaat te word, veroorsaak deur die gewelddadige optrede teen haar. Ek het geredeneer dat, alhoewel taal/ narratiewe struktuur geneig is om narratiewe inhoud na te boots en te reflekteer (gefragmenteerde narratiewe naas gefragmenteerde self) – is daar ook die interessante moontlikheid van 'n diskonneksie tussen vorm en inhoud; en dat tematiese samehang of konsekwentheid saam met narratiewe fragmentering kan voorkom. Daar is 'n aantal kliniese kenmerke in die narratiewe wat diagnostiese kriteria bevat vir kroniese trauma-sindrome soos kroniese PTSD en DESNOS, en wat verband hou met skaamtetemas in die betrokke narratiewe. Gevolglik redeneer ek dat daar 'n substansiële oorvleueling of saambestaan is van die blootstelling aan kroniese trauma en trauma-verwante kliniese simptome, insluitend skaamte. Dit kom na vore in die geanaliseerde narratiewe, wat sonder uitsondering deur linguistiese fragmentering gekenmerk word. Ten slotte is ‘n aantal leemtes in die literatuur geïdentifiseer. Toekomstige navorsing behoort metodes en algemeen-voorkomende kroniese trauma te trianguleer en longitudinale studies, plaaslik en internasionaal, word benodig.

本論文將 民主義 社會學 做了一個連結，標示了筆者所感到興趣並思 研究的方向。 民 義 的研究，指涉了孫逸仙的一套以倫理、民主、科學為其本質，以民生哲學其為基礎的思想與實踐的體系。「其目的對內在求中國境內各民族的一律平等」，民權的伸張受到尊重，均富的理想得以成真；「對外在求中國的 列強之中解放」，以獲取獨立的國格： 社會學 的研究，則著重於對人類社會中的人，團體與社會本身以及本身以及其相互間的關係作探討。 結合起來粗略的說，三民主義社會學的研究對象，以中國的各式情狀為出發點殆無疑義。但是，若要縮小範圍以獲致較為具體的研究面向，那麼，進一步的分析將有必要。 在研究方法(Research Method) 上，筆者將透過歷史法以及就文獻本身所作的內容分析法來探討。同時在方法論(methodology) 的層次上，將通過詮釋學(llermenuties)的角度來接合東、西方的社會學觀點，讓孫中山思想與西方的社會學傳統能展開有意義的對話與結合，並據此建構孫中山的社會學體系。筆者擬從二條途徑出發，一是依據孫逸仙的全部著作為論述的藍本，並嘗試自其中詮釋孫中山的社會學觀點。二是透過對西方社會學傳統中主要範典的介紹，從而提供三民主義社會學建構的主要參考與比較 。再者，筆者有意採取比較的觀點來呈現孫逸仙與馬克思 (這位在三民主義中佔有不少篇幅的德國思想家)二者社會學觀點的相同與相異之處。 綜合上術的概略性說明，本論文的研究架構將透過以下的方式呈現： 第一章〈結論〉。說明研究本論題的動機，架構與方法。 第二章〈西方社會學的主要傳統〉。透過對西社會學主要傳統的引介，希冀能提供較具建設性的線索以作為建構三民主義社會學的基礎。 第三章〈孫中山思想中的人，群體與社會〉。基本上，社會學所關懷的對象與其他社會科學學科並無不同，然社會學所關注的焦點則有差異，它著重於社會中的人，群體與社會之間相互關係的探討。因此，筆者擬循著此一脈絡來整理，分析孫中山在這方面的見解。 第四章〈孫中山思想中的社會變遷〉。本章試圖釐清孫中山對社會變遷的看法，並以之與現階段復興基地臺灣的政治，經濟、社會、文化等的整體發展相比較，來說明「臺灣經驗」與三民主義社會學之間的關係。 第五章〈三民主義社會學研究範疇之分析〉。首先對西方社會學的範疇作一個文獻上的分析與回顧，再以相似的方法對國內有關的三民主義社會學文獻－－包括期刊，論文與書藉－－作一個分析與整理，以勾勒出三民主義社會學的範疇。 第六章〈結論〉說明本篇論文的現實意涵，並嘗試性地描述三民主義社會學未來的關注面向。最後，將指出本論文的研究限制與困境。

This study explores high-performing male psychology students’ narratives of identity. The rationale for undertaking this study is that men presently represent a shrinking minority within the academic and professional practice of psychology in South Africa. While much quantitative research has noted gendered trends within the field, there remains a paucity of qualitative data on these men’s thoughts and experiences within the South African context. A narrative research design, underpinned by an interpretative phenomenological epistemology, was employed to explore this topic in a participant-led manner. The unique life stories of the six male participants, recruited from third-year, honours and masters psychology courses, were explored through an open-ended narrative interview that was later followed by a semi-structured interview. Both interviews were audio-recorded and the interview transcripts were subjected to a two stage inductive thematic analysis in which emergent themes were interrogated both for each participant and between participants. The first round of data analysis yielded thirty thematic codes according to which these participants’ narratives of identity could be interpreted and during the second stage of analysis these codes were clustered into six master themes which were mapped onto the secondary research questions informing this study. Thematic analysis revealed: (1) active efforts by the participants to defy hegemonic gender norms and (re)define masculinity through engagement in what is traditionally defined as “women’s work” in their adoption of a care-giver role by providing emotional support to others while also attempting to redefine psychology as a profession that is not exclusively feminine. (2) These participants reported selecting their career option on the basis of passion as opposed to pragmatics by valuing their desire to engage in this field over hegemonic concerns with prestige and earning-potential. However, such considerations were peripheral rather than absent in their narratives. (3) Consistent with previous findings, these men all reported experiencing life struggles as a route to developing empathy and therefore exhibited elements of the wounded-healer model. (4) Those men who are pursuing careers neuropsychology and industrial psychology showed an interest in humanity (scientists) fostered by feelings of difference while those in therapeutic orientations report developing a desire to help (helpers) based on experiences of marginalisation. While the participants differed as to whether they were more inclined towards the more traditionally masculine values of science or the more traditionally feminine values of care, they all reported a desire to both help and understand as professional psychologists. (5) While diversity and difference were reported by these men to contribute to an enhanced sense of empathy and social interest, they mentioned such a sense of difference having developed from the experience of early geographic movement and exposure to multiple cultures. This seems to have fostered a keen social awareness that contributed to a growing interest in the different lifestyles that people and communities enjoy which they now study and work with as aspiring psychologists. (6) Furthermore, their dynamic and changing world is suggested to have garnered a love of variety and iterative sense of self which has permitted continuing development in professional psychology as they report finding the personal growth and development endemic to the field to be an important part of how they understand themselves. Findings of the research which may broadly map directions for future research include a lack of conflation by these men of sexual orientation and masculinity suggesting that homosexuality is not necessarily understood as a contravention of masculine norms not suggested by previous research findings. Importantly, while feelings of difference were explored in this study, race was a shared silence during the interviews and further investigation into the experiences of black men aspiring to become male psychologists in the South African context is considered vital to enhancing our understanding of the diverse body of professionals in South African psychology.

The primary focus of the research is to explore the narratives and subjective meanings of black economically empowered women (BEEW) about black men’s perceptions about BEEW. The researcher explored the experiences of these women and identified some of the challenges that they may face as a result of such experiences. The theoretical frameworks used are based on the theories of empowerment and the Black Feminist theories, with both attempting to explore black women’s experiences. This study is exploratory and qualitative in nature, with the focus on the BEEW’s subjective experiences which were gathered from each of the individuals who participated in this study. The interviews conducted were individual and face-to-face. The purposive sampling method was used to select the participants and all ethical considerations such as confidentiality and informed consent were taken into account. The findings of the research suggest that BEEW tend to have similar experiences in relation to most black men perceiving them as threatening and emasculating. Many participants also experienced both internal and external struggles as a result of their economic empowerment. In addition, the study also suggests that most BEEW are not intending to emasculate men, but are rather searching for relationships that are collaborative and that acknowledge each other’s strengths. Due to the small sample, generalizability of this study is limited. / MT2016

Submitted by William Justo Figueiro (williamjf) on 2015-06-29T19:45:25Z No. of bitstreams: 1 51.pdf: 3383250 bytes, checksum: e454f028d4d3ae7e8c56d5b0ad1440fd (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-06-29T19:45:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 51.pdf: 3383250 bytes, checksum: e454f028d4d3ae7e8c56d5b0ad1440fd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Para garantir que uma pesquisa seja reconhecida como sólida e potencialmente relevante, tanto pelo campo acadêmico quanto pela sociedade em geral, ela deve demonstrar que foi desenvolvida com rigor e que é passível de debate e verificação. É neste âmbito que um método de pesquisa robusto se torna imprescindível para o sucesso na condução de um estudo. Este estudo busca contribuir para a comunidade de Engenharia de Produção argumentando pela necessidade de adotar-se um método de pesquisa centrado na evolução de uma “Ciência do Projeto” (Design Science), evidenciando seu sentido e suas formas de operacionalização. Para desenvolvimento deste estudo utilizou-se uma abordagem metodológica teórico-conceitual fundamentada em ampla revisão da literatura. A partir da revisão da literatura, foi possível verificar que os conceitos da proposta metodológica associada à pesquisa em Design Science, são pertinentes e aplicáveis à Engenharia de Produção. O trabalho apresenta um histórico conceitual a respeito da Design Science e da Design Science Research, a importância da definição das Classes de Problemas e dos Artefatos gerados no âmbito da pesquisa, e os principais passos para operacionalizar a Design Science Research. Para aprofundar o entendimento da pauta em questão, o trabalho também propõe comparações e análises sobre a Design Science e a sua relação com as ciências tradicionais. Ao final, o estudo busca apresentar alguns cuidados para a utilização e validação da Design Science Research. / To ensure that research is recognized as potentially relevant and solid, by both academic field and society in general, it must demonstrate that it was developed with rigor and is liable to debate and verification. It is in this context that a robust research method becomes essential to successfully conduct a study. This study seeks to contribute with the Production Engineering community debating the need to adopt a method of research focused on the evolution of Design Science, showing its meaning and its ways of operation. For this study was used an approach based on theoretical and conceptual extensive literature review. From the literature review, was possible to assert that the concepts associated with the proposed methodological research on Design Science are relevant and applicable to Production Engineering. This dissertation presents a conceptual history about the Design Science and Design Science Research, the importance of defining the Classes of Problems and Artifacts generated from a research, and key steps to operationalize the Design Science Research. To deepen the understanding of the staff concerned, this study also proposes comparisons and analyzes on the Design Science and its relationship with the traditional sciences. Finally, the study discusses some attenttion points for the use and validation of Design Science Research.

Employee turnover disrupts organizational functioning, service delivery, and administration. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies that some college administrators used to reduce employee turnover in the workplace to increase profitability. The population for the study included 3 administrators in a senior (4-year) college in the southeastern region of the United States who developed and implemented successful strategies to reduce employee turnover. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with college administrators and from publicly available organizational documents. Transformational leadership was the conceptual framework for this study. Data analysis included inductive analysis guided by transformational leadership theory and member checking. Five themes emerged from data analysis including transformational leadership, incentives and rewards, training/career development, establishing trust/employee empowerment, and effective communication. The implications of these findings for social change may benefit students, faculty, and administrators of educational institutions. The findings may enhance consistent and superior educational course delivery to students, improve collaboration between educators and administrators through effective hiring practices to raise the caliber of educator skillsets, and reduce the percent of unemployed as a result of students succeeding in higher education and gaining meaningful employment. The findings may help reduce financial insecurity and improve the living standards of people in the community, while encouraging prospective learners to attain a postsecondary education.

Despite the enduring relative popularity of teaching as a career, the research literature on teacher preparation suggests that there is growing concern about the state of the field. With each passing year, the demographic realities within k-12 classrooms bring new challenges for the teacher preparation enterprise. Shortages in high need communities and increasing numbers of provisionally certified (or uncertified) teachers represent two areas of concern. Notwithstanding the extraordinarily increasing cultural and linguistic diversity now found among the student population, the teacher population has failed to diversify in kind. The number of new teachers who are ill-prepared to respond to this "demographic imperative" is a glaring cause for concern. This study represents the author's attempt to contribute to this important discourse by studying a cohort of individuals who recently completed a teacher preparation program and started to apply what they learned in their first professional teaching position. The purpose of this research study is twofold. First, the researcher uses phenomenological research methods to investigate the first-year teaching experience. Through a series of interviews, he explores the participants' expectations, experiences, and reflections in order to distill the essence of the phenomenon. Second, the researcher examines the connections between the culturally responsive pedagogical competencies developed during teacher preparation and their attempts to implement the practices in their new classrooms. Analysis of the data showed that the essence of the first-year teaching experience featured the influence of the following: relationships with students, lessons learned through experience, importance of support and mentorship, and the negotiation of challenges. Analysis of their attempts to apply culturally responsive pedagogy revealed their intentions to implement programs and principles; however these were often compromised while managing other realities of the first year experience. The study concludes with a discussion of implications for practice and possibilities for future research.

<p>This thesis investigates how to reach and recruit cutting-edge users to user experience studies. The recruitment of cutting-edge users is difficult since these users usually are not registered in recruitment databases. Cutting-edge users are advanced, early-adopters of technology and sometimes referred to as opinion leaders. Telecom research projects performed at Ericsson Research involve products and services 2-3 years ahead of the market; early-adopters and cutting edge users are therefore an important user group.</p><p> </p><p>To test recruitment methods a user experience study was performed of Ericsson Labs developer portal. Ericsson Labs offers Application Programming Interfaces for mobile and web applications development. Internet marketing theories were used to form a recruitment method. Respondents were recruited from the Ericsson Labs user database and they were contacted individually via email. The users were invited to share their thoughts and ideas about the portal to help improve and possibly influence the direction of the site.</p><p> </p><p>This thesis also assessed different online qualitative research methods applied for user experience research. Online focus groups such as bulletin boards were used to interact with users in addition to individual chat and voice interviews. Performing user experience research on the Internet is a cost-efficient way to interact with users in geographically dispersed areas.</p><p> </p><p>The findings from the study show that recruitment is hard; it is especially difficult to recruit active and conversational respondents from a user database. Providing incentives and using personal communication were shown to be successful strategies to convince users to participate in a study.</p>

Der Aufsatz befasst sich mit der Frage, was man aus der internationalen Forschung darüber weiß, welcher Unterricht und welches Lehrerverhalten Auswirkungen auf die Lernergebnisse der Schüler/innen hat und welche Möglichkeiten es gibt, solches Verhalten zu verstärken. Berücksichtigt werden nur Forschungsergebnisse, die hohen methodischen Anforderungen genügen, kausale Schlussfolgerungen erlauben und generalisierbar sind. Konsequenzen für die Lehrerbildung werden diskutiert. / Since a long time teacher behavior and teacher effectiveness have been in the focus of research. The paper summarizes the main findings and discusses them taking into account the additional question of research on reinforcement of effective teaching strategies. Only studies with high methodological standards are taken into consideration. Possible consequences concerning teacher training are presented.