Working class Black girls experience multilayered oppression informed by their triadic social identity that sits at the intersection of race, gender, and class in their lives and more specifically in their schooling experiences (Collins, 1986, 1989; Onyeka-Crawford, Patrick, & Chaudry, 2017). A variety of mentoring practices have been adopted among educators throughout the public-school system to remedy the impact of poor educational opportunities for Black girls. In contrast to the use of traditional mentorship practices that solely focus on the individual, critical mentorship seeks to engage and support the cultural, political, and economic contexts that positively shape the experiences and aspirations of Black girls and young women. To better understand this phenomenon, this deeply insightful autoethnographic study engages the following questions: (a) What were my particular experiences with mentors that prepared me to persevere in education in ways that nourished my commitment and empowerment? (b) What were the particular experiences with my mentors that assisted me in connecting with the Black girls that I have mentored in my work? and (c) What can my experiences as a Black feminist mentor of Black girls contribute to our understanding of critical mentoring? The application of Black feminism, Black girlhood studies, and critical mentoring frameworks found the following major themes to be critical in mentoring Black girls during childhood, adolescence, and the university years: (a) individual identity development, (b) development of individual voice, (c) sisterhood and solidarity, and (d) conscientization and resistance. This dissertation offers key principles in mentoring Black girls, and recommendations for how to shift the larger approach of mentoring to better meet the needs of Black girls in childhood, adolescence, university years, and beyond.

Frågeställning: Vilken utveckling av Akademibokhandelns fysiska butiker kan förstärka konkurrenskraften? Syfte: Uppsatsens syfte är att utreda och analysera vilka olika konkurrensmedel som kan ha relevans för Akademibokhandelns framtid, liksom möjlig utveckling av stödtjänster och potentiell breddning av verksamheten. Vidare är avsikten att klargöra hur tillämpning av sensoriska stimuli i Akademibokhandelns servicelandskap kan få betydelse för kunderna samt hur design och uppbyggnad av servicelandskapen kan stärka verksamheten. Metod: En kvalitativ forskningsmetod har använts med inslag av både induktion och deduktion. Datainsamlingen har skett via djupintervjuer och en fokusgrupp. Vidare har även resultatet genomgått en kvalitativ dataanalys. Resultat och slutsatser: Resultatet visar på att implementeringen av sensoriska stimulin i Akademibokhandelns servicelandskap på många sätt är till fördel för företaget, eftersom de generellt har en positiv påverkan på kundernas tjänsteupplevelse. Vidare konstaterades även att en utveckling av företagets stödtjänster ytterligare skulle stärka deras konkurrenskraft. Teoretiskt och praktiskt bidrag: Det teoretiska bidrag som arbetet genererat är hur ett servicelandskap med fokus på implementering av sinnesmarknadsföring kan gestaltas samt hur en integration mellan olika försäljningskanaler kan ta vid. Vi har även presenterat ett antal praktiska bidrag som är relevanta för Akademibokhandelns framtida utveckling. Nyckelord: Servicelandskap, Detaljhandel, Stödtjänster, Bokhandel, Utveckling, Multisensorik, Sinnesmarknadsföring, Breddning av verksamhet / Research question: Which development of Akademibokhandeln physical stores can enhance competitiveness? Purpose: This thesis aims to investigate and analyse the various means of competition that may have relevance to Akademibokhandelns future, as well as the possible development of support services and the potential expansion of the business. The purpose is to clarify if the application of sensory stimuli in Akademibokhandelns servicescape may have implications for customers as well as how the design and construction of the servicescapes can strengthen the business. Method: The thesis has elements of both induction and deduction, and a qualitative research method has been used. Data has been collected through in-depth interviews and a focus group. The data has gone through a qualitative data analysis. Results and conclusions: The result shows an implementation of sensory stimuli in Akademibokhandeln servicescape in many ways will benefit the company as they generally have a positive impact on the customer service experience. Additionally it was found that a development of the company´s support services would further enhance their competitiveness Theoretical and practical contributions: The theoretical contribution this report has generated is based on how a servicescape with a focus on an implementation of sensory marketing can be portrayed and how integration between different sales channels can be beneficial to the company. We have further on presented a number of practical contributions which we view as relevant to Akademibokhandelns Future Development. Key words: Servicescape, Retail, Support Services, Bookstore, Development, Multi-sensory, Sensory Marketing, Expansion of activities

Manufacturing support services, operating as call centres, are one of the fastest growing and preferred means of service delivery in today's ever-changing manufacturing environment. The call centre has a significant potential to provide support to manufacturing organizations with business intelligence captured during contacts with customers. Research has shown that affective commitment is of particular significance in the workplace since this has been found to have the greatest impact on individuals performance, on-work behaviour and ultimately organisational effectiveness (Porter, Steers & Boulian 1974, Sung 2007, Shum 2008, Herscovitch 2002, Gong 2009). Meyer and Allen (1991) define affective commitment as a measure of the employee's emotional attachment to the organisation, the strength of identification with the goals of the organisation and strength of commitment to its success and continuous improvement. However, call centres are mechanistic structure models represented by close monitoring of words, stressful working loads, emotional exhaustion and burnout, and minor empowerment of employees. As a result employees lack affective commitment which detrimentally influences the service quality and has consequences such as high employee turnover and low customer satisfaction. Mechanistic structures are inward oriented structures that must be shielded from the environment but call centres are outward-facing entities. This firmly implies that call centres must be given a certain form of organic structure that will stimulate affective commitment building among employees and improve work conditions. This study aims to identify that by the implementation of an organic structure, through a systems engineering approach, to the design of manufacturing support services, the affective commitment of front-line employees will significantly increase, and due to that significant, but often counter-intuitive, benefits can be created. Conducted on a multiple-case design, three organisations were selected in this research study to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. Results were analysed for each case individually before it was analysed on inter-case basis. This has been done to show differences and similarities in patterns of data across the case studies. Results from the research show that structuring call centres around the principles of systems thinking will produce an organically structured support services department that will improve employees working conditions, and will formally institute the integration of call centre with other business units in the manufacturing organisation. The cross-case comparison revealed significant improvement in employees affective commitment level using organic structure when contrasted with employees working under mechanistic structure designs. It was revealed that by leveraging employee s affective commitment that significant benefits can be created at different levels in the organisation; an employee s level, managerial level, customer level, and the overall business level. A novel methodology for organic structures implementation, as a value creating model, was formulated. The emerged methodology consists of six major tasks and a decision making criteria. Results from this research indicate that there is a need for manufacturing organisations to structure their support services departments following organic structures that could provide a rewarding working experience for their employees while achieving organisational goals. The study makes an explicit practical contribution for manufacturing organisations in the selection of proper support service design and contribute substantially to the theory about manufacturing support services structures and management.

As online education grows, institutions must develop and evaluate student services to meet the needs of adult online students. The university at which the study was conducted had growing online enrollment, but no systematic examination of services from the students' perspective to drive service development and improvement. This represented a gap in self-evaluation, and the research confirmed gaps in student service offerings at the university compared to field standards. The purpose of this project study was to drive improvement of online student services based on analysis of student-driven data. The research questions asked how important academic and support services were to the university's online students and how satisfied the students were with the services. This quantitative study used the Priorities Survey for Online Students based on the expectation disconfirmation theory to collect data. The survey was sent to all of the university's 477 online undergraduate and graduate students. Descriptive statistics were used to compare the university's student responses to national data, report areas of service challenge, and assess variation in satisfaction according to previous online education experience. Key findings included lower than national mean satisfaction with career and tutoring services, challenge areas related to Blackboard preparedness, clarity of program requirements and communication channels, and lower levels of satisfaction with the most experienced online students. A presentation and white paper project were created for the university leadership with recommendations for using study results to improve and develop online student services. Social change is expected through improved and expanded online student services as a result of the project study.

<p>The aim of the research was to establish the factors relevant to the delivery of education support to the Khomani San school community, and to propose a model for appropriate education support to the Khomani San school community. In order to reach this aim I strove to answer the following questions: What ethics need to be considered to guide research with this indigenous community? What are the key policy guidelines for education support services in South Africa? Is there a link between community psychology and education support services in the South African context? How are education support services understood and currently delivered to the Khomani San school community? What suggestions can be proposed for relevant education support services delivery to the Khomani San school community? </p>

Evaluation of the performance of science parks is an important topic in the context of Lithuania. The research object is the evaluation of Science and Technology Parks System in the contexts of the national innovation system and global competitiveness. In this work the general characteristics of the holistic innovation system model and new factors of competitiveness are identified, evaluation criteria are formed and a model to evaluate the competitiveness of Science and Technology Parks is created, which allows the use of these evaluation criteria in practice. This is the first time when Science and Technology Parks System in Lithuania has been examined as an inseparable element of the national innovation system, acting in complex political, economical and socio-cultural contexts. The evaluation criteria formulated allow wider observation of parks' current social functions to relate them to other state politics implemented, thus avoiding the duplication of funding and measures. / Mokslo ir technologijų parkų efektyvumo vertinimas – Lietuvoje nuolat akcentuojama problema, tačiau mokslo ir technologijų parkų efektyvumas yra tik viena iš prielaidų globaliam mokslo ir technologijų parkų konkurencingumui, valstybės ekonomikos ir visuomenės transformacijai. Mokslinio tyrimo objektas - mokslo ir technologijų parkų sistemos vertinimas nacionalinės inovacijų sistemos ir globalaus konkurencingumo kontekstuose. Šiame darbe nustatomos holistinio inovacijų sistemos modelio pagrindinės charakteristikos, būdingi konkurencingumo veiksniai, suformuojami mokslo ir technologijų parkų sistemos konkurencingumo vertinimo kriterijai, sukuriamas konkurencingumo vertinimo modelis, leidžiantis šiuos vertinimo kriterijus pritaikyti praktikoje. Pirmą kartą mokslo ir technologijų parkų sistema nagrinėjama kaip neatsiejama nacionalinės inovacijų sistemos dalis ir jos posistemė, veikianti sudėtinguose politiniuose, ekonominiuose ir socialiniuose-kultūriniuose kontekstuose. Suformuoti mokslo ir technologijų parkų konkurencingumo vertinimo kriterijai leidžia plačiau pažvelgti į jų jau dabar atliekamas visuomenines funkcijas, jas susieti su valstybės įgyvendinamomis kitomis politikomis, taip išvengiant besidubliuojančio finansavimo ir priemonių.

<p>The aim of the research was to establish the factors relevant to the delivery of education support to the Khomani San school community, and to propose a model for appropriate education support to the Khomani San school community. In order to reach this aim I strove to answer the following questions: What ethics need to be considered to guide research with this indigenous community? What are the key policy guidelines for education support services in South Africa? Is there a link between community psychology and education support services in the South African context? How are education support services understood and currently delivered to the Khomani San school community? What suggestions can be proposed for relevant education support services delivery to the Khomani San school community? </p>

精神疾病自發病之初至病程慢性化，不僅對精神康復者的生命歷程造成衝擊，亦帶給其照顧者家庭長期且全面性的影響，產生難以承受之身心負荷並衍生出相對的支持服務需求。本研究將其分為六大向度，包括：資訊支持、精神健康照護支持、照顧者教育支持、社會照顧支持、專業支持及心理支持。本研究旨在瞭解社區精神康復者在康復歷程中，其主要照顧者對於六項支持服務的需求及服務獲得現況，並分析不同背景變項對於主要照顧者支持服務的需求與獲得上的差異情形，及主要照顧者使用支持服務之障礙因素。以期對於提供主要照顧者支持服務時，能有效滿足照顧者之需求。 本研究以自編之「社區精神康復者之主要照顧者的支持服務需求與獲得現況調查問卷」進行資料蒐集，以立意取樣搭配滾雪球方式招募社區精神康復者之主要照顧者進行調查，選取提供精神康復者及家屬服務之社會福利機構及家屬團體作為研究對象來源。本次研究調查資料回收有效問卷共82份。 研究結果發現，主要照顧者對於支持服務在六大向度上皆有中度以上需求程度，並以「資訊支持」、「照顧者教育支持」、「心理支持」及「專業支持」的服務需求高於整體需求平均值。主要照顧者自評對於支持服務在六大向度上皆只有中度以下的服務獲得，僅「資訊支持」及「照顧者教育支持」的服務獲得高於整體獲得平均值。 主要照顧者對於支持服務的需求與服務獲得間沒有一致性的顯著相關，且對於不同支持服務需求程度的主要照顧者在服務獲得上並未有顯著差異。本研究之主要照顧者其資訊獲得來源以「社會福利機構/協會」及「醫護人員」為主，使用支持服務之障礙因素以「不知道該項服務」或「不清楚服務內容」之資訊障礙為首。 根據本次研究調查結果，研究者提出相關建議包括：提升「針對」主要照顧者需求之支持服務的品質及數量、健全資訊管道以改善照顧者使用服務障礙因素、加強精神疾病衛教及相關資源管道之宣傳，及政府應持續給予經費補助並鼓勵專業人員進入社區服務。

Support services are indispensable for the effective functioning of education. Support services render specific, specialized services to the school (the site of instruction), teachers (trainers) and pupils (learners) and constitute part of the system of both formal and non-formal education. Although contributions by South African authors such as Ruperti, Van Schalkwyk and Lazarus and Donald provide valuable information, there is at present a need for a model for support services to provide in the changing needs of the target group. In this research the various theories with regard to support services as a component of the education system and the mini-education system were discussed. Some brief examples of support services as they function in practice were also discussed. An analysis was made of the different viewpoints, a new perspective provided on support services, and possible organizational structures were discussed for purposes of the organization of support services within the education system. Subsequently attention was directed to the personal situation of the trainer. From the literature it was demonstrated that the trainer would benefit by the support services with regard to both his professional and academic equipment, the different relationships in which he finds himself, his personality profile and his personal circumstances. Attention was then focused on the various fields in which educational events and structures in the South African education system can make use of support services in order to function more optimally. From the literature the conclusion was reached that the educational events and structures can be supported with regard to the equipping task of the site of instruction, management tasks situated in the site of instruction and the physical facilities of the site of instruction. It was also indicated from the literature that the learner has a need with regard to his personal situation. Support needs in the case of the learner were discussed by way of handicaps of learners, disabilities of learners, the parental community in which the learner finds himself, and the extent of stress experienced by the learner. Interviews were conducted with focus groups in practice in order to determine whether the needs for support services as identified from the literature were valid needs. Following this research a model for support services in an education system was proposed by way of graphic representations supported by discussions. Attention was also given to a possible organizational structure according to which one could manage such support services. In conclusion, the research was summarized in brief. Certain findings were underlined in terms of the objectives and certain recommendations were made with regard to possiblities for further research emanating from the results of this project. / Proefskrif (PhD (Vergelykende Opvoedkunde))--PU vir CHO, 1997

Support services are indispensable for the effective functioning of education. Support services render specific, specialized services to the school (the site of instruction), teachers (trainers) and pupils (learners) and constitute part of the system of both formal and non-formal education. Although contributions by South African authors such as Ruperti, Van Schalkwyk and Lazarus and Donald provide valuable information, there is at present a need for a model for support services to provide in the changing needs of the target group. In this research the various theories with regard to support services as a component of the education system and the mini-education system were discussed. Some brief examples of support services as they function in practice were also discussed. An analysis was made of the different viewpoints, a new perspective provided on support services, and possible organizational structures were discussed for purposes of the organization of support services within the education system. Subsequently attention was directed to the personal situation of the trainer. From the literature it was demonstrated that the trainer would benefit by the support services with regard to both his professional and academic equipment, the different relationships in which he finds himself, his personality profile and his personal circumstances. Attention was then focused on the various fields in which educational events and structures in the South African education system can make use of support services in order to function more optimally. From the literature the conclusion was reached that the educational events and structures can be supported with regard to the equipping task of the site of instruction, management tasks situated in the site of instruction and the physical facilities of the site of instruction. It was also indicated from the literature that the learner has a need with regard to his personal situation. Support needs in the case of the learner were discussed by way of handicaps of learners, disabilities of learners, the parental community in which the learner finds himself, and the extent of stress experienced by the learner. Interviews were conducted with focus groups in practice in order to determine whether the needs for support services as identified from the literature were valid needs. Following this research a model for support services in an education system was proposed by way of graphic representations supported by discussions. Attention was also given to a possible organizational structure according to which one could manage such support services. In conclusion, the research was summarized in brief. Certain findings were underlined in terms of the objectives and certain recommendations were made with regard to possiblities for further research emanating from the results of this project. / Proefskrif (PhD (Vergelykende Opvoedkunde))--PU vir CHO, 1997