Undergraduate honors paper--Mount Holyoke College, 2007. Dept. of Anthropology. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 121-124).

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 110-116). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

South Africa may expand their biotechnology industry through increased foreign direct investment. However, the main challenges facing South Africa are human capital development and social networking The objective of this report was to gain a better understanding of the value that human capital development and social networks have on the biotechnology sector in South Africa. Used correctly, this understanding could enhance the success rate of foreign direct investment and provide a platform to increase South Africa’s contribution as a serious global contender. The researcher’s objectives were to answer research questions on skills and social networks. Twenty eight respondents were interviewed via e-mail and face-to-face surveys, using a structured questionnaire for the skills survey. For the social networking survey, the same approach was adopted but only 8 responses were received. Although the research only uncovered specific answers related to the research questions, delving into the various sources on information improved the current understanding of the role of skills and social networks in the biotechnology sector. These additional findings relate to the importance of clusters, female participation in the industry, collaboration efforts over geographically dispersed areas as well as which skills are important now and which will become important in the future. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

The emergence of a highly competitive, global knowledge based economy is increasingly compelling organisations to discover ways in which to create a sustainable competitive advantage. The efficient use of resources and capital at the organisation’s disposal is critical to ensuring success. Social capital is recognised as a resource which should be leveraged to the organisations benefit. This study considered the value of social networks formed on the golf course for both individuals and organisations. In addition to this, underlying relational factors for the realisation of this value were explored. This was done based on structured depth interviews with individuals who use golf as a method of networking, and representatives from various organisations. An survey was also incorporated into the study using a snowball sampling technique, in order to create a better understanding of the social factors involved in golf social networking in the South African environment. Importantly, the results showed that organisational benefits may be derived as a result of investment in golf social networking. The golf social network was found to contain a high level of cognitive trust, and motivation was identified as a strong factor in the realisation of benefits for organisations. The network was also found to be homophilous, and fairly representative of the senior management bracket in South Africa, which currently faces equity challenges. A model for managing golf social networks was posed.<p/> Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

This study examines three factors identified as potentially influencing the usage of Social Networking Sites (SNS’s) amongst young, professional South Africans. The three factors identified were Age, gender and Access to Technology. The propositions on which this research is based are that the men in the sample would make more use of SNS’s than the women would, that usage of SNS’s would drop off with age and that having access to technology would not influence the usage of SNS’s. A sample of 271 people was invited to participate in the research. The research instrument was a web-based questionnaire which had to be accessed online in order to complete it. The questionnaire rendered a sample of 98 usable responses, of which 31 were women and 67 were men. The results were collated into a spreadsheet and analysed to generate the results of the survey. A significant finding of this research is that 78% of make use of SNS’s, a higher proportion than the literature studies suggested would be that case. It was found that, contrary to expectations, women make more use of SNS’s than men do, although men utilise them more than women do for work related activities, that usage decreases with age, although it does become more work related as the respondents age, and that having access to technology is a strong indicator of SNS usage, but is not a defining characteristic. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

The concept of social networks has emerged as a new direction in the theory of organisational behaviour. Informal networks are widely understood to contribute to innovation, collaboration and learning in organisations. Competitive advantage, or social capital from social networks, can greatly aid an organisation in the business environment. The purpose of this research project was to establish whether and in what form social networks existed in South African organisations. Based on the literature review three research questions were developed. In this quantitative research project surveys were conducted in various companies using paper questionnaires. Eighty respondents reported on five of their own contacts providing a contact profile batch of 400 people. Equal numbers of people of different race and gender completed the questionnaire. Descriptive and comparative statistics were used to analyse the data. Importantly the results showed that almost half of the employees felt excluded from social network participation in their companies. Homophily was identified as a strong divider that caused race based networking. Gender was found to be not so strong a divisive factor as anticipated. Despite an abundance of networking biases, a diverse network-context knowledge sharing model was developed. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

The following thesis examined the student-instructor connection on social network sites (SNS). Facebook is the most popular SNS and it covers a range of users include both students and instructors. On Facebook, some students are willing to connect with their instructors whereas others are not. This study sought to accomplish two major goals: 1) to explore students' decisions of connecting with instructors on Facebook from various school experiences; 2) to examine if college students' self-disclosure, frequency of updates, information sensitivity, and privacy concern would predict their decisions of connecting with instructors on Facebook. The study found that college students rarely connect with instructors on Facebook. If they connected with instructors on Facebook, they prefer to connect with past instructors rather than current instructors. The study also found that both self-disclosure and frequency of updates have significant impacts students' decisions of connection.

This study examines the use of Twitter by decision-makers, the media, and the public during the pre-crisis stage of the 2013 Fargo-Moorhead flood. Three research questions guide this study in order to gain understanding of the content and assumed motives that drive users to utilize Twitter prior to a crisis. Data analysis revealed that decision-makers and the media active in tweeting were consistent with what would have been expected in a crisis situation. Additionally, the public were driven by the assumed motive of sharing and seeking information during the pre-crisis stage, consistent with previous research regarding the crisis stage.

As individuals use social media to create and maintain relationships and connections, they must also decide how to manage the private information that they disclose to their connections. If private information is handled improperly online, it may evoke varying responses that affect previously held privacy boundaries. Using communication privacy management theory (Petronio, 2002) as a framework, this study seeks to understand how the severity of a privacy violation impacts the Facebook users respond to online privacy turbulence. It also investigates how personality characteristics influence these responses. Results reveal that more severe privacy violations are met with more discussion of the privacy violation and thicker privacy boundaries both between the owner and the violator and between the owner and their social media network. Findings also imply that some of the Big Five personality traits impact the relationship between severity and the outcome variables.

The United States is a strikingly mobile nation. Every year almost 20% of its population changes residence and about 45% moves at least once every five years. Economic considerations are a major reason for relocation as persons seek new employment or are transferred by their corporations. Relocation, however, can be a stressful life experience. It removes individuals from daily routines, alters social networks, and may be accompanied by a mixture of sadness, excitement, anger and anxiety. It requires an enormous investment of physical and emotional energy to reestablish order and stability to one's life in a new city. At the same time, relocation can be a challenge, an opportunity for advancement and adventure, and a chance to reevaluate goals and directions. A critical factor influencing adaptation to a new city is an individual's social network. The very nature of moving, however, necessitates both the loss of previous social ties and the building of a new social network. There has been an absence of attention in previous research to the way in which networks evolve and change over time. This descriptive study investigated the development of a social network following geographic relocation. The sample consisted of seventy newly relocated, married males and females referred by organizations, colleges and universities, realtors, and personal contacts. Two structured interviews were completed three months apart. The data were analyzed using descriptive and correlational statistics. A qualitative analysis of questions regarding the experience of network development was also conducted. The results indicated that the size of the new social network changed little over time but did not reach the pre-move network size. There was an increase in levels of intimacy and the amount of social and community activity over time although pre-move levels were not attained. The building of a new network requires a considerable amount of time. A cross-sectional analysis of pre-move network data indicated it takes between 2.5 to 4.5 years in a community to attain stable levels of intimacy. The results suggested that network size stabilizes earlier than the level of intimacy. Subjects relied on their spouses for support: they received minimal social support from their new network members at time one and time two. Moreover, the new social networks were in transition and unstable. The majority of the network members named at time one were deleted at time two. Lack of time and work commitments were perceived as main obstacles to network development. Results showed that characteristics of the individual impact the development of a social network and the mobilization of social support. Gender, employment status, and social competence were the factors that most strongly influenced the social network. Although this sample was not characterized by high stress, health, finances, and work were the primary stressors. The subjects were relatively satisfied with all areas of their lives except for friendships. With the exception of homemakers, there was an increase in dissatisfaction with friendships over time. Corporations and community organizations might address this period of delayed social distress by facilitating social support at this critical time rather than ending their efforts soon after the individual arrives in the new city.