Coffee is a vital source of income for millions of farmers worldwide and an important commodity in global trade. The 17 sustainable development goals of the United Nations, aim to improve the world's production and consumption patterns, but coffee farming is still often associated with modern-day slavery, poor working conditions, and deforestation. To address these issues, certification programs have been introduced, linked to sustainability objectives and aimed at promoting sustainable practices, but their impact has been questioned. This study seeks to explore the inter-organisational learning (IOL) processes between German coffee importers and roasters and coffee producers. It poses three research questions to investigate: (1) The effect of IOL on the sustainable development of coffee farms, (2) the underlying processes of IOL in German coffee supply chains, and (3) the influence of barriers on the IOL process. Through qualitative semi-structured interviews, the study identifies that the primary goal of initiating IOL varies from one company to another and is the main indicator for their ability to enable sustainable development on the farms. While achieving a sustainable transformation was rarely the reason to engage in an IOL process, the focus on quality improvements, most common among the interviewed organisations, also led to some amount of environmental and social sustainable development. Trust is essential for successful IOL, though cultural differences and communication barriers might hinder the development of trust. The study highlights the importance of including farmers in all stages of the IOL process, leading to a significant sustainable development outcome on coffee farms. The study contributes to a better understanding of IOL dynamics in the coffee supply chain, shedding light on IOL's interconnectedness and the sustainable development of coffee farms.

Ambient displays present useful information in the periphery of the users and normally they don’t support interactions. Technological advancements in digital displays, computing power of smart phones and faster wireless networks enable new forms of interactions. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the design space of ambient displays and make an inquiry into the future state by designing and implementing an interactive prototype for a specific use case. The context of the project is a music management company, its Artist & Repertoire division and their work-flow. The work introduces a novel concept of Interactive Semi-Ambient Displays with Narrative visualization features. The thesis is a comprehensive documentation of an iterative Research through Design process and its final outcome, an interactive prototype. The prototype consists of a Semi-Ambient visualization, integrated with narrative features and a mobile application to interact and control the visualization. A formative focus group evaluation of the prototype was conducted to evaluate the final outcome of the process. Results suggest that the concept is a viable way to effectively visualize information in office environments and support the work-flow of co-located groups. Based on the comments, future directions for the general concept and the project are discussed. / Ambivalenta skärmar ger nyttig information i periferin hos användarna som normalt inte stöder en interaktion. Tekniska framsteg i de digitala skärmarna, datorkapaciteten i smarta telefoner och snabbare trådlösa nätverk möjliggör en ny form av interaktion. Syftet med denna avhandling är att undersöka utformningen av dessa ambivalenta skärmar och redogöra om ett framtida skede genom att utforma och genomföra en interaktiv prototyp hos ett specifikt användningsområde. Projektets kontext är ett förvaltningsbolag i musikbranschen, och dess Konstär & Repertoar indelning samt deras arbetsflöde. Arbetets syfte är att introducera ett nytt koncept av interaktiva Semi-Ambivalenta skärmar med berättande visualiseringsfunktioner. Avhandlingen är en omfattande sammansättning av en återkommande forskning inom design process och dess slutliga resultat, en interaktiv prototyp. Prototypen består av en Semi-Ambivalent visualisering, integrerad med narrativa funktioner och en mobil applikation för att interagera och styra visualisering. En utvärdering av prototypen utfördes i form av en pedagogisk fokusgrupp för att ta fram det slutliga resultatet av processen. Resultaten tyder på att konceptet är ett lönsamt sätt att effektivt visualisera information i kontorsmiljöer och stödja arbetsflödet hos lokala arbetsgrupper. Baserat på kommentarerna som finns, är de framtida målen för det grundliga konceptet & projektet att föra en diskussion.

<p dir="ltr">This research studies post-stay-at-home mothers from a traditional nuclear family who enter the workforce after divorce. While family communication scholars have explored topics surrounding divorce, very little about how mothers make sense of their transition from being stay-at-home mothers (SAHMs) to working mothers (WMs) after divorce.</p><p dir="ltr">Through an interdisciplinary approach, this research uses Transitional Theory (Anderson et al.<i>, </i>2012; Schlossberg, 1981; Schlossberg, 2008) and Communicated Narrative Sense Making (CNSM) (Koenig Kellas, 2018; Koenig Kellas & Horstman, 2014) to understand how mothers make sense of their experiences during this change in their lives. It further studies the participants through mixed methods, using the Shift and Persist Scale (Chen <i>et al.,</i> 2015) and Sense of Control Scale (Lachman & Weaver, 1998a, 1998b) along with reflexive thematic analysis (TA) (Braun & Clarke; 2021; 2006).</p><p dir="ltr">The results of the qualitative section of this study brought forth seven themes displayed in the realms of sense-making during transition. These themes are <i>Belief themes: Out of control</i>, <i>taking back life</i>, and <i>finding a place to belong</i>; the <i>Value themes:</i> <i>Finding the wherewithal to survive</i>, <i>discovering and reclaiming self</i>, and <i>accepting of accomplishments</i>; and the <i>Meaning-Making theme: Recognizing resolve</i>.</p><p dir="ltr">The quantitative results of this study indicated that there were significantly higher levels of persistence and personal mastery with those who told narratives framed positively as opposed to those who told narratives framed negatively. There was, however, no significance in their ability to shift or in their perceived constraints.</p>

The rapid development of artificial intelligence has initiated debates regarding its eventual threats and opportunities in the labor market. There is currently an ongoing discussion about which jobs, within the HR-business, that could potentially be replaced by AI, with the recruiting profession being suggested as replaceable by AI. The sociological relevance of the study´s subjects lies in the intersection of human and technology. The purpose of the study is to examine how professionals in the field of recruitment experience AI. By studying this, emotions arising in relation to technological development can be elucidated with the aim of understanding the intersection between humans and technology. Latest research has shown that development of new technology may raise apprehension among people. The theoretical framework of this study is based on Blumers (1986) ideas about sense-making within symbolic interactionism and Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989). Blumers ideas are used to understand how recruiters' sense-making process affects their feelings towards AI. Technology Acceptance Model are used in purpose to understand recruiters potential for acceptance of AI. In this study, qualitative interviews were conducted with recruiters working at recruitment and staffing agencies. The study's results indicate that recruiters have a positive attitude towards using AI in their work, despite having difficulty understanding what AI is. The findings suggest that recruiters do not perceive AI as a threat to their occupational roles, as AI lacks the human capabilities required by their job roles. / Den snabba utvecklingen av artificiell intelligens (AI) har väckt diskussioner om dess potentiella hot och möjligheter på arbetsmarknaden. Just nu pågår en diskussion om vilka jobb inom HR som skulle kunna ersättas av AI, i vilken rekryteringsyrket framförs som ersättbart av AI. Den sociologiska relevansen i studiens ämne är mötet mellan människa och teknik och syftet med studien är att undersöka hur yrkesprofessionella inom rekrytering upplever AI. Genom att studera detta kan känslor som uppkommer i relation till teknikens utveckling synliggöras i syfte att förstå mötet mellan människa och teknik. Tidigare forskning visar exempelvis att ny teknik kan skapa oro hos människor. Studiens teoretiska ramverk utgår från Blumers (1986) teorier om meningsskapande inom symbolisk interaktionism och Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989). Blumers teorier används för att förstå hur rekryterares meningsskapande process påverkar deras känslor gentemot AI. Technology Acceptance Model används för att förstå rekryterares möjlighet till acceptans av AI. I denna studie har kvalitativa intervjuer genomförts med rekryterare som arbetar på rekryterings- och bemanningsföretag. Studiens resultat visar att rekryterarna har en positiv attityd till att använda AI i sitt arbete trots att de har svårt att greppa vad AI är. Studiens resultat visar att rekryterarna inte upplever AI som någonting som kan hota deras yrkesroll, på grund av att AI saknar den mänskliga förmågan som deras yrkesroll kräver.

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A growing body of research has emphasised the social processes by which teachers – who are curriculum policy implementing agents – are trained and supported on how to practically implement policies in the classroom. Yet, little attention has been paid to the factors that influence teachers’ interpretation of curriculum policy and how their understanding of policy implementation influences the ways in which they respond to policies. Some research has already been done on the implementation of curriculum policies in schools, with findings centred largely on the disjuncture between policy and practice. Research has also established that much of what teachers are doing in the classroom does not reflect policy. Although teachers have opportunities to enhance the implementation of policy, there are also factors that negatively influence their implementation of educational policy. This is basically because of the gap between the policy makers and the implementing agents. The lack of a shared understanding between these two stakeholders’ results in a perception of policy as a set of strict rules and procedures meant to be followed by teachers. This study aims to develop an understanding of what influences teachers in their attempts to implement the curriculum policy on environmental education in the classroom. The study further aims to gain an understanding, from the practitioners’ perspectives, of how policy implementation challenges their habitual patterns of teaching and schooling and whether, to them, this implementation seems to threaten the conventional disciplinary curricular structures of fixed timetables and depending on textbooks, and leaves little room for outdoor or hands-on activities. The focus on teachers is motivated by the fact that they are the primary curriculum implementers in schools and as such, are expected to play a significant role in implementing the curriculum according to policy. This study advocates an interdisciplinary approach to implementing environmental education policy in teaching and learning in the Natural Sciences. This entails environmental education becoming part of the curriculum, and being taught as a cross-curricula component. In this context, environmental education will form part of teaching and learning in every learning area of the curriculum for the General Education and Training band of the South African education system. What this means for teachers is that they have to integrate environmental concepts or topics within their respective learning areas, and that they have to follow a learner-centred approach that allows learners the opportunity to become active participants, responsible for their own learning. This implies that, for learners to develop knowledge, skills, and correct attitudes regarding the environment, teachers have to use available, local teaching materials or resources. As the classroom becomes free from traditional teaching styles, learners become active and take responsibility for their own learning. They discuss and share ideas with one another, and the teacher becomes the facilitator of the teaching and learning process. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Thesis (PhD (Education Policy Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Information is a necessary resource, produced by information systems and is a key building block to the management and decision-making in any organisation. The National Department of Education’s guidelines to establish Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) in provincial departments is a recognition that proper management, planning and evaluation are contingent on quality data, data that is complete, relevant, accurate, timely and accessible. The lack of quality data and the lack of integration with other information systems hamstring the effective use of EMIS. This study addresses these limitations in three basic objectives: a) developing an information systems development model, b) applying the model in a real-life context of the development of the Western Cape EMIS, and c) applying quantitative methods on integrated data sets derived from the EMIS in the Western Cape and other information systems. The study culminates in the development of a four-phase process model for developing and using EMIS in an integrative manner that would provide a more comprehensive picture for policy and decision-making. It outlines the establishment of an information systems development (ISD) model that integrates innovative emerging trends, such as improvisation, bricolage and sensemaking, in designing and implementing information systems. These approaches postulate that beyond the numbers and quantifiable world there is a complex reality that traditional approaches do not always capture. These include, amongst other things, the atmosphere, culture and structure of an organization, together with the behaviour, emotions, knowledge and experiences of all the people who in one way or another interact with the information system. The research presents an empirical application of this developed ISD model in education management information system (EMIS) and underscores the role of information systems in everyday practice. This work practice (Practice-in-Action) approach is used to describe how the day-to-day actions and practical experiences of role players contribute to the design, development, implementation, testing, maintenance and improvement of the EMIS and is used as a lens for understanding ISD. The study further uses quantitative methods, namely education production function and learner flow-through models, to illustrate how the process of knowledge discovery in large data sets in EMIS could be facilitated. The education production function aims to identify those variables that could have a significant influence on the achievement of students in the matriculation examination. The learner flow-through models attempt to measure the effect of learner dropout and repetition on internal efficiency of the education system. Data analysis was facilitated through integration of data sets from various sources, and in turn illustrates the important role of bricolage in ISD. Through this analysis, the role of information systems of this nature to make sense of reality was highlighted. Policy making then can build on the findings from such data analyses to investigate in greater depth any trends or emerging problems, going beyond only the quantitative and macro level analysis by studies at the qualitative and micro levels.

本研究試圖從Dervin提出的意義建構理論(sense-making theory)出發，瞭解報業組織企畫人員在面對不確定狀態下如何選擇資訊，彌補知識差距以完成其策略。 研究人員訪談四名企畫人員以瞭解其資訊尋求行為，結果發現影響報業組織企畫資訊尋求行為的外在情境因素包括：社會經濟、政府政策、文化創意產業、媒體多角化經營、公司資源與制度、以及合作廠商資源。報業組織企畫人員資訊尋求的過程包括：定義問題、選擇詢問對象、執行查詢、評估資訊、確認資訊等因素。此外，個人的知識經驗、社會智能、技術能力都是影響報業媒體企畫人員資訊尋求。 「新聞倫理」則是影響報業組織企畫人員蒐集資訊的特殊因素。 / The present research focuses on how professionals planners seeking information in media planning process.The sence-making theory were employed to observer the case. Four planner were interviewed in the study obtained the situation context conclusions:social economy、government policy、culture creativity industry、media multi-administration、corporate institute & resource and collaboration corporate resource. The information seeking process include: define meaning of question、choose inquire object、do inquire、assessment of information、certification unformation.Also，individual experience of knowledge、social intellectuality、skill ability could affect information seeking of press organization planner. 「News ethics」were specific fact affecting information seeking of press organization planner.

現代化組織雖然熱衷於導入資訊科技來提升組織競爭力，但研究發現近一半的科技導入最後是以失敗收場；此種不導入科技則組織將失去競爭力、但導入科技後卻達不到預期成效的兩難，是造成組織生產力困境的原因之一。此一企業面對科技採用的兩難困境，引發本論文的研究動機。 實務中許多科技導入失敗的案例已經說明決定企業是否擁有競爭力不在於組織是否導入科技或使用者如何採用新科技，愈來愈多的研究已證實如何在導入科技後，讓員工願意改變既有的工作習性，並樂於持續地使用科技，且逐漸將科技使用內化成為日常工作實踐，可能更加重要。此外，實務中也常發現組織內的科技使用者在面對相同科技時，往往並不是接受科技，或是拒絕科技的二元採用論；相反地，因為使用者會對科技進行自我詮釋與賦予個人意義，故導致許多不同且有趣的採用類型，甚至可能造成非預期的負面反應與行為。 過去許多探討個人層次的科技採用研究專注於科技採用者的認知因素對科技接受與否之影響，本論文則專注於科技採用的情感面探討，瞭解使用者對科技的心理擁有感受如何影響採用行為。綜合過往文獻的不足，本論文提出二項主要研究問題：(1) 科技採用是否存在多元化的採用類型？影響原因為何？與 (2) 科技採用者對科技的心理擁有感如何影響科技採用行為與績效？ 針對上述的研究問題，本論文回顧科技採用、科技意會、心理擁有感與在地知識等相關文獻，輔以二階段的研究策略，依序進行個案質化研究的理論建構 (研究一) 與量化假說的理論驗證 (研究二)。首先，研究一以新加坡康福計程車與台灣大車隊計程車為研究個案，藉由瞭解二地的計程車司機如何採用衛星派遣科技之紮根研究，歸納出科技採用者的科技心理擁有感將影響對科技的意會，與使用科技的在地知識類型；其次，科技心理擁有感可藉由以上二者的中介效果，進而影響科技採用型態與採用頻次。本論文由研究一推導出相關的研究假說，以供研究二進行關係驗證。最後，在研究二中，本論文藉由科技心理擁有感、在地知識、科技意會的量表發展與結構方程式統計分析，進行研究一的假說驗證與探討。 經由數百位計程車司機開車實踐的觀察、訪談與大樣本問卷調查後，本論文發現科技心理擁有感可區分為「我的科技心理擁有感」與「我們的科技心理擁有感」二類屬性；而科技心理擁有感將產生二大類的科技意會類型：「實用認同型科技意會」與「自利專屬型科技意會」，與二大類的在地知識：「近地型在地知識」與「遠地型在地知識」，最後，進而影響科技的多元採用類型與採用績效。 本論文有系統地利用質性紮根研究進行構念的歸納與分類，發現不同型式的科技心理擁有感、多元科技意會、在地知識與科技採用類型，並建構一個多構念且具完整性的科技採用分析架構與衡量方法。同時，本論文也借用組織行為理論中的心理擁有感理論於科技採用研究中，以解釋個人對科技的心理擁有感如何影響科技採用行為。整體而言，本論文力求達到研究情境真實性、研究衡量精準性與研究結論類推性的理論建構三大目標。 / For purposed of efficiency, organizations often engage in adopting or transferring new technology across national boundary to increase their competitive advantage. But researches found over half cases of IT (information technology) implementation failed in the end. This dilemma between losing competitive advantage without IT implication and failing in adoption with technology transfer is a main challenge of organization. The research objective of this dissertation is to understand the profound occasions of this dilemma. In the reality, many IT failure cases have illustrated keeping competitive advantage for organization was depends on how to transform users’ routines or habits from current IT usage on post-adoption stage rather than adopting a new technology on pre-adoption stage. In other words, the final goal of IT implementation is to internalize the technology use to become users’ daily practices. In addition, what is missing from the current discussion literature of technology management is that technology adoption is multiple patterns rather than a trade off between acceptance and rejection. Therefore, in different organizational context various users may render multiple interpretations of the same technology, leading diversified adoptive behaviors or some negative and unexpected results of IT use. The first research question of this dissertation is: How do people’s situated practices enact patterns of users’ sense-making towards technology, leading to multiple modes of technology use? Prior studies of technology adoption in individual level have developed a set of useful analysis on technology acceptance from users’ cognition perspective. However, the current literature has not yet investigated behaviors of technology adoption from affective approach. The second research question of this dissertation is: How feeling of ownership of technology individual user has influences their technology use? Through the literature review from technology adoption, technology sense-making, psychological ownership, and local knowledge, we built a two-stage research strategy to answer the above research questions. First, we formulae a conceptual framework by conducting qualitative research approach. Two cases was investigated in this stage, they were Comfort Taxi Co. in Singapore and Taiwan High Transportation Co. (THT) in Taiwan. By ethnographic data collecting from two cases in two years fieldwork, we observed how taxi drivers in Singapore and Taiwan adopt and use the same technology, G.P.S. (Global Positioning System) dispatch system, named Cablink. Second, from the findings of qualitative cases, we generalized the some hypothetical relationships among psychological ownership of technology, technology sense-making as well as patterns of local knowledge users own. The next, we test these hypotheses through questionnaire development and surveys answered by THT taxis drivers in Taiwan. The findings indicated that the taxi drivers had two types of psychological ownership of technology (Self-oriented and Collective-oriented) triggering two modes of technology sense-making (Pragmatism sense-making and Autism sense-making), and two kinds of local knowledge (Local search on knowledge and Distant search on knowledge). Consequently, the frequency of technology use will be influenced by above constructs directly and indirectly. In conclusion, this dissertation proposes to analyze technology adoption through sense-making and feelings of ownership by combining qualitative and quantitative methods. The findings enhance the theory of technology sense-making and psychological ownership, and suggest practical implications for post technology adoption and global technology transfer.