abstract: As urban populations rapidly increase in an era of climate change and multiple social and environmental uncertainties, scientists and governments are cultivating knowledge and solutions for the sustainable growth and maintenance of cities. Although substantial literature focuses on urban water resource management related to both human and ecological sustainability, few studies assess the unique role of waterway restorations to bridge anthropocentric and ecological concerns in urban environments. To address this gap, my study addressed if well-established sustainability principles are evoked during the nascent discourse of recently proposed urban waterway developments along over fifty miles of Arizona’s Salt River. In this study, a deductive content analysis is used to illuminate the emergence of sustainability principles, the framing of the redevelopment, and to illuminate macro-environmental discourses. Three sustainability principles dominated the discourse: civility and democratic governance; livelihood sufficiency and opportunity; and social-ecological system integrity. These three principles connected to three macro-discourses: economic rationalism; democratic pragmatism; and ecological modernity. These results hold implications for policy and theory and inform urban development processes for improvements to sustainability. As continued densification, in-fill and rapid urbanization continues in the 21st century, more cities are looking to reconstruct urban riverways. Therefore, the emergent sustainability discourse regarding potential revitalizations along Arizona’s Salt River is a manifestation of how waterways are perceived, valued, and essential to urban environments for anthropocentric and ecological needs. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Sustainability 2019

The research projects presented in this dissertation used multiple tagging technologies to examine the movements, growth, and mortality rates of summer flounder tagged and released in Chesapeake Bay. In the first two chapters, I used acoustic, archival, and conventional tags to examine the behavior of summer flounder on different spatial scales. Investigating the movement behavior of individuals on different scales is an important step towards understanding how large-scale distributions of a population are established. Based on the observed behaviors of summer flounder, I hypothesize that the movements of these fish are primarily related to foraging behavior while they are resident in Chesapeake Bay. In the third chapter, I use growth models to investigate hypotheses regarding recreational angler noncompliance with minimum size regulations in Virginia. Angler noncompliance with management regulations can severely degrade the ability of fishery managers to prevent overexploitation of fish populations. Using a growth model fit to recreational angler mark-recapture data, I demonstrate that recreational anglers in Virginia responded to changes in summer flounder management regulations, but considerable levels of noncompliance were detected in years when management agencies drastically increased the minimum size regulations. In the final chapter, I attempt to estimate natural and fishing mortality rates of summer flounder using conventional mark-recapture data collected by an angler tagging program. These mortality rates were estimated using a Barker model, which is a generalization of the Cormack-Jolly-Seber tagging model. Results from this study indicated that sublegal summer flounder experience different emigration or mortality processes than do larger fish. Furthermore, handling and tagging mortality rates of summer flounder were much larger than the recreational discard mortality rate currently used in the stock assessment, implying that the recreational discard mortality rate should be reexamined. The research presented in this dissertation provides information that could be used by management agencies to further understand the behavior of summer flounder, and how to most effectively manage this population.

Native plant materials are often seeded to restore biodiversity and ecosystem function in areas overtaken by exotic weeds. Plant materials are evaluated on intraspecific differences in productivity and expression of traits advantageous to establishment (e.g., phenology, seed mass, and growth rate); some investigations also consider population-level adaptation to exotic species. However, there is a lack of studies that broadly evaluate response to competition from exotic species at multiple scales within a species. In a greenhouse experiment, we used analysis of variance to assess the growth response of a perennial grass native to the Intermountain West, (Elymus elymoides), to competition from a common invasive species, (Bromus tectorum), at three levels of intraspecific differentiation: subspecies, lineage (wild vs. domestic germplasm), and population. We used regression analysis to assess whether E. elymoides populations from highly invaded areas were less affected by B. tectorum competition. Finally, we explored the relationship between growth traits and competitive response using random forest regression. We found significant differences among E. elymoides subspecies in their response to B. tectorum competition, no difference between wild and domestic lineages, and no population-level differentiation within subspecies. Field abundance of B. tectorum had a significant positive relationship with E. elymoides biomass, but not competitive response, suggesting that E. elymoides has not adapted to the invader. Elymus elymoides plants which were less affected by competition were smaller, allocated more biomass to leaves, and had fewer fine roots, suggesting that light interception and tissue retention were prioritized by seedlings in this competitive greenhouse environment.

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a biographically weighted application blank for use in selecting delivery personnel. The England (1971) procedure for weighting biographical information was utilized. The criterion was a ratio of planned work time to actual work time. It was hypothesized that (a) significant derivation and cross-validities would be obtained, and (b) significant practical benefits in terms of correct placement of workers in the high and low criterion groups would result. The first hypothesis was partially supported in that a significant derivation validity was obtained (r = -.56, P < .05). However, the cross-validity (r = -.12) was not significant. Thus, the second hypothesis was not supported. A discussion of the results and recommendations for the implementation of the weighted application blank are provided.

The study was a comparative retrospective analysis to determine the effectiveness of MORT (Management Oversight and Risk Tree), a system safety method, in reducing the incidence and cost of occupational injuries occurring at the Tennessee Wheel and Rubber Company. Implementation of MORT on April 1, 1974 at the plant facility allowed for statistical comparison of accidents between the time periods April 1, 1972 through March 31, 1974 and April 1, 1974 through March 31, 1976. Data on injury incidence were gathered by researching the company's worker compensation reports. Cost figures for injuries were drawn from computer printouts provided by the company's insurance carrier. reliable figure for the mean incidence of injuries occurring over the twenty-four month control period and twenty-four month experimental period was determined by calculating monthly injuries per one thousand man hours using the occupational injury rate formula: Total Number of Occupational Injuries Per Month Total Number of Man Hours Worked Per Month X 1000. A figure for mean occupational injury cost rate was determined by calculating annual cost of injuries per one thousand man hours worked for the control and experimental periods using the formula: Total Cost of Occupational Injuries (Year) Total Number of Man Hours Worked (Year) A 1000. Statistical analyses using a t-test at the .05 level of significance was applied to determine if MORT implementation was effective in reducing the mean incidence rate and mean cost of occupational injuries. Results showed a statistically significant reduction in the occupational injury incidence rate at the Tennessee Wheel and Rubber Company following introduction of MORT system safety. MORT implementation did not, however, result in a significant reduction in the cost of occupational injuries between the control and experimental periods. The resultant discrepancy in findings (rejection of Ho1 and acceptance of Ho2) might be explained by: 1) the fact that no medical cost inflation factor was used when comparing injury costs between the two time periods under study, and 2) types of injuries were not differentiated in terms of severity of injuries. The findings brought forth from this research indicate a degree of uncertainty as to the application of MORT to general industry.

Performance evaluations were obtained on firefighters in a large Midwestern City. The evaluations were conducted through utilization of two different scale types (The Behavioral Expectation Scale and The Mixed Standard Scale). These evaluations were obtained in order to test the hypotheses that the MSS was psychometrically superior to the BES in the reduction of halo and leniency error and that the MSS was also the better scale type in terms of producing higher interrater reliability. Leniency error (in both the absolute and comparative sense) was examined by conducting a series of T-tests. Halo error was investigated by a comparison of the means of the dimensions from each scale. The technique used to assess interrater reliability involved estimating the reliability of the differences in the shape and level of performance profiles of firefighters. The results showed that the first hypothesis, which proposed that use of the MSS produced less halo and leniency error than did use of the BES, was supported; however, the second hypothesis, which proposed that use of the MSS produces higher levels of interrater reliability, was not supported.

Despite the controversy surrounding Affirmative Action (AA), relatively little research has appeared about attitudes towards these programs. In this research, an exploratory approach is implemented to assess the support of personnel managers for the theory of AA as well as the mechanisms designed to carry it out. Also, the relationship to Supreme Court decisions, relevant legislation, and numerous demographic, attitudinal, and organizational variables are examined for their impact on Affirmative Action attitudes. A questionnaire was utilized to assess support for AA and its correlates. The majority of personnel managers indicate support for both AA in theory and the mechanisms required to carry these programs out. This research indicates either very small or no differences exist between support for AA concepts versus AA mechanisms, support for gender -based versus race-based AA, or support reported by private sector versus public sector personnel managers for AA. How personnel managers perceive the impact of Court Decisions and the 1991 Civil Rights Act on AA implementation, although small, was found to be a significant correlate of AA attitudes. The race of the respondent was found to be the most significant determinant of AA attitudes. Although minorities were found to be more supportive than nonminorities, both were found to register support for these programs.

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a Weighted Application Blank to predict turnover for use as a selection tool for a large retail organization. Utilizing the England (1971) procedure, it was hypothesized that significant derivation and cross-validities would be obtained. The hypothesis was partially supported: the derivation validity coefficient was significant (r = .28, p < .01) and the resulting cross-validity coefficient was net significant (r = 19, p < .05). The results and recommendations for implementation of the WAB are discussed.

Research concerning the validity of various procedures for assessing managerial potential is reviewed. It is found that several assessment techniques are valid for identifying and/or predicting potential and that a combination of techniques usually accounts for a significantly greater amount of criterion variance than does a single assessment procedure used alone. The lack of research concerning the use of multiplecomponent assessment techniques for the selection of individual job applicants for lower-level managerial positions is pointed out. The present study concerns itself with an operational individual assessment program designed to identify and select from among experienced job applicants those individuals exhibiting greater supervisory and/or managerial potential. It's objectives are to examine the merits of this process from the organization's point of view and to assess the relative values of the separate components utilized in the process, namely clinical ratings and objective tests. The results tend to support the ratings, though no significant correlations were found. Weaknesses in the criterion are pointed out and it is suggested that both the assessment process and the performance appraisal procedure be revised.

Over 1700 employees of the General Motors Corporation defined trust and described personal work experiences that affected their trust toward the organization. These employee comments were factor analyzed to determine the dimensions of organizational trust. An instrument was developed from employee comments to measure the level of trust in a GM location. With the level of trust quantified, the demographic effects on trust and the relationship between trust and management's communication effectiveness were investigated. This approach provided new knowledge of trust in an industrial environment. Three dimensions of organizational trust were identified: Openness/Congruity, Shared Values, and Autonomy/Feedback. Age, length of service, and whether or not an employee had experienced a lay-off had significant effects on trust. A linear relationship was found between trust and employee perceptions of management's effectiveness in communicating. A conceptual model of organizational trust was developed using Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as a framework.