As the Web is fast becoming an integral feature in many of our daily lives, designers are faced with the challenge of designing Web-based applications for an increasingly diverse user group. In order to develop applications that successfully meet the needs of this user group, designers have to understand the influence of human factors upon users‘ needs and preferences. To address this issue, this thesis presents an investigation that analyses the influence of three human factors, including cognitive style, prior knowledge and gender differences, on users‘ preferences for Web-based applications. In particular, two applications are studied: Web search tools and Web-based instruction tools. Previous research has suggested a number of relationships between these three human factors, so this thesis was driven by three research questions. Firstly, to what extent is the similarity between the two cognitive style dimensions of Witkin‘s Field Dependence/Independence and Pask‘s Holism/Serialism? Secondly, to what extent do computer experts have the same preferences as Internet experts and computer novices have the same preferences as Internet novices? Finally, to what extent are Field Independent users, experts and males alike, and Field Dependent users, novices and females alike? As traditional statistical analysis methods would struggle to effectively capture such relationships, this thesis proposes an integrated data mining approach that combines feature selection and decision trees to effectively capture users‘ preferences. From this, a framework is developed that integrates the combined effect of the three human factors and can be used to inform system designers. The findings suggest that firstly, there are links between these three human factors. In terms of cognitive style, the relationship between Field Dependent users and Holists can be seen more clearly than the relationship between Field Independent users and Serialists. In terms of prior knowledge, although it is shown that there is a link between computer experience and Internet experience, computer experts are shown to have similar preferences to Internet novices. In terms of the relationship between all three human factors, the results of this study highlighted that the links between cognitive style and gender and between cognitive style and system experience were found to be stronger than the relationship between system experience and gender. This work contributes both theory and methodology to multiple academic communities, including human-computer interaction, information retrieval and data mining. In terms of theory, it has helped to deepen the understanding of the effects of single and multiple human factors on users‘ preferences for Web-based applications. In terms of methodology, an integrated data mining analysis approach was proposed and was shown that is able to capture users‘ preferences.

Despite increased efforts by linguists and educationalists to facilitate literacy and literature development in minority languages, there are still many languages worldwide which do not have a written form. One area that needs attention in literature production for a newly written language is the question of writing style. As the features of good style are language-specific, writing style guidelines have to be developed for each language anew. It has been assumed that such vernacular writing style develops predominantly by mother tongue speaker intuition. However, very few studies have been carried out to verify this. This research is set within the confines of the literacy project in the Rangi language of Northern Tanzania. As a contribution to the development of a natural writing style in Rangi, this research investigates what evidence for stylistic preferences can be found in texts that were produced by Rangi authors writing in their mother tongue for the first time. The main data of this study are 112 texts which were collected during a one-day writers workshop conducted between May 2005 and January 2006 in four different locations. One way of observing stylistic preferences is through analysing the changes which authors make in successive versions of their text. Of the 112 texts in the database, 71 display stylistic changes between draft and revised versions. These texts are then investigated in more detail, e.g. with regard to text length, lexical density and story components. The subsequent comparative analysis of draft version versus revised version of each text operates at three levels: narrative elements at the text level, lexical choice at the word level, and word order, tense-aspect verb forms and participant reference at the clause level. At all three levels, stylistic conventions could be identified, e.g. formulaic introductions and codas, elimination of Swahili loanwords, or certain tense-aspect usages. Despite such commonalities, this research suggests that, far from developing intuitively, vernacular writing style is influenced by a variety of factors, not least by previously available literature in languages of wider communication or in the target language itself. Among the concluding recommendations of this study for future vernacular writers workshops is the advice to employ guided editing which encourages multiple drafting and treats the different levels of editing separately, i.e. story structure, lexical choice and grammatical features.

Although total quality management (TQM) has been so widely adopted, its theoretical underpinnings remain relatively unexplored as compared to other management theories. A frequently pointed out research gap is on the cultural side of TQM as a human-oriented management philosophy. TQM is known to begin mainly in Japan and the United States. However, the cultural values of the Japanese and the American people are very different. In Japan, the importance of group harmony is stressed, while the Americans mainly value individual creativity and achievements. Even so, companies in these different cultures have succeeded in implementing TQM and have achieved world class performance. It is reasonable to believe that when TQM, as a culture-free system itself, is being implemented in a particular cultural setting, it must accommodate to a certain extent the local culture. That is to say, Japanese-style TQM is obviously different from American-style TQM and a culture-specific TQM indeed exists. As TQM and ISO 9000 have recently become some of the hottest managerial issues in mainland China and the overseas Chinese regions, this empirical study is concerned with the influence of Chinese cultural values on TQM. In particular, the operations of ISO 9000 certified companies in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan and the cultural values of their Chinese managers were analyzed. Grounded on sociological and psychological theories, quantitative (structural equation modeling) and qualitative (case studies and interviews) research methods were employed to devise a general theoretical model of cultural ii influence on TQM. Furthermore, using Chinese cultural values as a case, the specificities of a Chinese-style TQM were uncovered. The study has not only contributed its modest share towards the theoretical development of TQM but has also paved way for understanding indigenous managerial psychology from a different perspective.

Le terme virú-gallinazo désigne au XXe siècle un style céramique puis caractérise une culture. Aujourd’hui, le consensus archéologique regroupe les vestiges virú-gallinazo sous la dénomination de « phénomène culturel » et cherche ainsi à le définir. Mais l’épistémologie montre l’aspect fragmentaire sur lequel se fondent ces interprétations.Cette thèse propose alors une approche plus complexe du phénomène. Elle se fonde sur les idées suivantes : l’art ne reflète pas l’intégralité des manifestations culturelles. Enfin la signification d’un objet peut varier selon les contextes dans lesquels il se trouve. Ce travail, en conséquence, entreprend une analyse contextuelle croisée des différentes catégories de vestiges. / During the XXth century, the viru-gallinazo term first refers to ceramic’s style and after it distinguishes a culture. Today, the archaeological consensus includes the viru-gallinazo remains as a"cultural phenomenon" and seeks to define it. But the epistemology shows the fragmented aspect on which are based those interpretations.This thesis proposes then a more complex approach of the viru-gallinazo "cultural phenomenon". It is based on the following ideas: art does not reflect the entirety of cultural events. Finally the meaning of an object may vary according to the context in which it is located. For that reason, this study sets out a crossed contextual analysis of the different categories of remains.

Cross-cultural factors affect the cognitive processes engaged in by subjects to respond to rating scales. By using a sequential explanatory strategy of mixed-method research design, this study investigates four cultural groups in the software industry (n=92) - Israelis, Latinos, Romanians, and Americans - to investigate cultural effects on the thought processes used by respondents performing selected verbal (ordinal) and numeric (interval) scales. Cluster analysis of the qualitative data identified four main response styles used by subjects – Extremes, Midpoint, Range, and Refiners. While the clusters did not differ in their demographics, when evaluating their cognitive processes against the theory of Tourangeau, Rips, and Rasinski (2000), clusters used different cognitive processes. Specifically, Refiners and Midpoint were more likely to adjust their responses during the Judgment stage before responding. The findings of this research identified that values as acquired through life experience (i.e., leadership position) and demographics (i.e., gender, age, and educational level) rather than basic culture play a key role in the cognitive processes used by subjects to respond to scales. These factors affected scale preference, response style, cognitive processes, and even generated sentiments and emotions. Focusing on cultural values rather than cultural practices is a key need to yield valid survey results. While some of the subjects are oblivious to the cultural effects discussed in this study, those effects have theoretical and practical implications for surveys conducted by multi-national organizations and business leaders. Furthermore, identifying and handling cross-cultural differences described in this study can be used to train leaders in cross-cultural environments.

M.A. (Semitic Languages) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The aim of this study was to examine three distinct parenting styles and their effect on children’s behavioural patterns, as perceived by the child. The parenting styles, based on Baumrind’s typologies of authoritative, authoritarian and permissive parenting, were measured as well as the children’s self-rated internal and external symptoms. Results indicated that there was a relationship between authoritarian parenting and all aspects of internal symptoms (depression, loneliness and self-esteem) as well as delinquency and aggression (external symptoms). Gender had an effect on depression and loneliness with females displaying higher levels. Permissive parenting was the largest contributor to drug use and an effect of age on drug use was also found. In conclusion, the results from this study shows that authoritarian parenting has a detrimental effect on a host of mental health issues and behavioural problems. However, authoritative parenting was shown to have the most positive outcome across the study. Implications for positive parenting style interventions are discussed. In addition, further studies examining parent-child relations from the child’s perspective are suggested.

This thesis on William Faulkner's concept of knowledge beyond reason includes a study of style and characterization and a study of possible sources.

It was the purpose of this study to determine whether one or a combination of adult readability formulas, when applied to shorthand dictation material, could predict difficulty, as well as to develop a shorthand formula for this specific purpose. In addition, the questions of comparative reliability and practicability were tested with respect to the two kinds of formulas as applied to the shorthand material.

This study explored campus principals' leadership behaviors and leadership styles to determine possible influences of leadership on teacher absences. The study was viewed through the framework of Bass and Avolio's (1985) transformational and transactional leadership styles. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Self-Report (MLQ-SR) was used to identify principals' perceptions of their leadership styles. Absence data were also collected and analyzed for the school years (2012-2013, 2013-2014, and 2014-2015). Data were triangulated using one-on-one interviews with selected principals and teacher focus group discussions. The findings from this study verified that leadership style (described in terms of leadership behaviors) influenced teacher absenteeism indirectly through the culture and climate of the campus. Future research is recommended to discover whether incentive programs decrease teacher absenteeism and how leaders can influence their organizations through their behaviors.