Given the rapidly changing nature of third party reproduction, there is an increasing need for pastoral guidance about the use of these technologies and the relationships that develop from them. This dissertation explores theological bases upon which Episcopalians can ground their practice of third party reproduction, with implications for the wider Church. Beginning with a study of Episcopal clergy and their present practices, this dissertation engages Episcopal, womanist, and feminist theological resources to forge a practical theological response. It highlights layered practices, including the development of relationships between third parties and intended parents, the abuse of third parties, and disclosure to children that call for theological reinterpretations of family, the ministerial vision of Jesus, and the doctrine of God. The thesis of this dissertation is that third party procedures offer an opportunity for Christians to enrich their relationships with one another and with God in unique and--literally--life-giving ways. The argument unfolds with qualitative research findings from Episcopal clergy interviews and it documents how the writings of F.D. Maurice and David H. Smith provide additional context for an Episcopal practical theology. It then turns to the work of Delores Williams for the purpose of arguing that, while contemporary third party reproduction potentially casts third parties as scapegoats, it does not necessarily do so. In response, it develops a six-fold application of William's ministerial vision to prevent abuse. This model in turn provides resources for Episcopal clergy to use in pastoral conversations. The next chapter discusses Sallie McFague's metaphorical theology to argue that American culture upholds the biological family as a model much as Christians have upheld patriarchal language as a model. It advocates for new language to express the God-human relationship that might in turn support the construction of broader metaphors for family relationships. Finally, this dissertation incorporates these findings into practical theological themes and questions that Episcopal priests can utilize in their work. It advocates for applying discernment when navigating loyalty claims, for thinking about reproduction as a calling, for broader constructions of family, for building awareness of how autonomy can facilitate idolatry, for encouraging disclosure and healthy boundaries, and for composing liturgies for those participating in third party procedures.

Due to the profound impact that aphasia has on both the person with aphasia and their close family members, aphasia is a family problem. Aphasia is a communication disorder, most commonly caused by stroke. It is associated with impairments in spoken language, understanding, reading, and writing that impact upon daily activities, participation in society, and the quality of life of those with the condition and their family members. However, family-centred rehabilitation programs, policy, and funding are not well established. In the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), the World Health Organization introduced the term “third-party disability” and identified the need for further investigation into family members’ functioning and disability in relation to a significant other’s health condition. In this thesis, the term “third-party functioning” is used to describe positive and/or neutral changes to a family member’s functioning as a consequence of a significant other’s health condition; “third-party disability” describes negative changes. The overall aims of this thesis are to: i) describe third-party functioning and disability in family members of people with aphasia post-stroke, and ii) develop the Significant other Scale for family members of people with Aphasia (SOS-Aphasia), a scale for measuring third-party functioning and third-party disability in this population. Two systematic reviews were conducted to provide a summary of the current literature related to family members’ third-party functioning and third-party disability secondary to aphasia. Positive/neutral and negative findings were extracted from included articles, then synthesized and mapped to the ICF. These reviews showed that family members experienced third-party functioning and third-party disability secondary to aphasia in the Body Functions and Activities and Participation components of the ICF, in addition to the development and exacerbation of health conditions. The results laid the groundwork for the qualitative-quantitative sequential mixed methods study that followed. In the first phase of the study, qualitative methods were used to explore the positive and negative effects of aphasia on family members, thus expanding and confirming our existing understanding of third-party functioning and third-party vii  disability. Twenty family members participated in individual in-depth semi-structured interviews, which were analysed using qualitative content analysis with research codes subsequently mapped to the ICF. The results revealed five categories of positive/neutral aphasia-related changes, including: (1) emotions (e.g., focusing on the positive); (2) communication (e.g., talking to the person with aphasia more); (3) relationships (e.g., making new friends); (4) recreational activities and social life (e.g., taking up new hobbies); and (5) paid/volunteer work or education (e.g., volunteering to help people with aphasia). In addition, seven categories that described the negative effects of aphasia on family members were revealed: (1) physical, mental, and emotional health (e.g., tired); (2) communication (e.g., difficulty communicating with the person with aphasia); (3) relationships (e.g., lack of physical intimacy between spouses); (4) recreational activities and social life (e.g., restricted social activities); (5) paid/volunteer work or education (e.g., took extended time off work); (6) domestic and caregiving responsibilities (e.g., transporting the person with aphasia places); and (7) finances (e.g., loss of person with aphasia’s income). Research codes were mapped to two domains within the Body Functions component (i.e., Mental functions and Functions of the digestive, metabolic and endocrine systems) and eight domains within Activities and Participation components of the ICF (i.e., Learning and applying knowledge, General tasks and demands, Communication, Self-care, Domestic life, Interpersonal interactions and relationships, Major life areas, and Community, social and civic life). Health conditions (e.g., depression and anxiety) associated with the aphasia of a significant other were also identified in family members. Mapping of the qualitative research codes to the ICF demonstrated how the ICF framework could be applied to family members. The second phase of the study involved the development and validation of the SOS-Aphasia. The SOS-Aphasia items were derived from the constructs of third- party functioning and third-party disability identified in the qualitative study and the response scale format was based on the ICF. Following the development of the SOS- Aphasia, 104 family members completed the original 34-item version. Factor analysis and Rasch analysis were used to examine the underlying structure and internal construct validity of the SOS-Aphasia. Test-retest reliability and feasibility were also investigated. Based on the analysis, five SOS-Aphasia subscales were identified and viii 10 items marked for deletion. The revised 24-item SOS-Aphasia demonstrated preliminary evidence of good psychometric properties. In summary, this series of studies demonstrates that family members experience third-party functioning and third-party disability, as well as changes to their health, secondary to a significant other’s aphasia. In addition, the SOS-Aphasia shows validity and reliability in measuring third-party functioning and third-party disability. Together, these findings provide the motivation for the inclusion of family members of people with aphasia in a family-centred care model with implications for research, practice, and policy.

Context: The explosive growth of renowned software ecosystems such as the cloud-based accounting platform Xero, and the communication hub Slack has largely occurred because of an app marketplace they have built. To a large extent, in-app marketplaces are becoming mandatory for SaaS companies. Looking at the 15 largest SaaS companies, all of them have an app marketplace with a median number of 347 applications integrated to the marketplace [1]. It is challenging for any organization to orchestrate a platform independently. The more other participants contribute to that platform, greater resources are applied to create richer offerings for the platform’s end-users. Looking at the initial stages of when an organization transitions from a product to platform development, there is an underlying challenge of how that organization attracts third-party developers to partner and enrich the ecosystem. Objective: This thesis aims to identify what can be used to attract third-party developers or organizations to develop and integrate onto an emerging platform or- ganization. It also examines problem areas faced by emerging software ecosystems when trying to attract third-party developers onto their platform. Method: I performed a case study to investigate the needs of third-party devel- opers looking to develop on a platform organization. I also used mixed data collection to obtain different sources of information, including internal and external interviews, virtual events, an internal developer workshop, and an investigation of competitors and other software ecosystems. Results: The thesis highlights that emerging software ecosystems often do not have the resources or capacity to build an initial robust platform experience as some of the more established software ecosystems like HubSpot and Shopify. With the lack of research completed to date on emerging software ecosystems, I was motivated to investigate the best practices that are crucial to attract third-party developers onto the platform. Conclusion: Through thematic analysis, the study revealed eight emerging con- cepts. When transitioning to a software ecosystem, organizations have struggled with six common issues. Additionally, six recommendations were gathered to help guide emerging software ecosystems towards best practices to attract third-party developers onto their platform. / Graduate

Com a presente tese de doutoramento procurou-se sustentar que o ingresso voluntário do terceiro nas hipóteses hoje tratadas pela doutrina como sendo de assistência litisconsorcial revela, na realidade, a intervenção de um verdadeiro litisconsorte, o qual, com a sua admissão no processo em curso, assume a qualidade de parte para todos os fins. Para demonstração da tese proposta, iniciou-se com um exame histórico do instituto, por meio do qual foi possível localizar suas raízes mais remotas no direito italiano medieval até ser positivado pelo §69 da ZPO alemã em 1877. Esse mesmo estudo histórico foi realizado em face do ordenamento brasileiro, apresentando-se a evolução do instituto nos sucessivos diplomas legais, culminando com o artigo 54 do atual Código de Processo Civil (Capítulo 2). Na sequência, foram examinadas as figuras de intervenção de terceiros naqueles ordenamentos estrangeiros considerados mais relevantes para o estudo da assistência litisconsorcial no Brasil (Capítulo 3). Prosseguiu-se com a análise do tratamento conferido ao instituto pela doutrina brasileira contemporânea, objetivando elencar as principais características que são costumeiramente atribuídas à (assim conhecida) modalidade qualificada da assistência (Capítulo 4). Esse estudo, contudo, não ficaria completo sem o exame de uma figura já tratada há algum tempo por alguns doutrinadores, mas ainda objeto de polêmica, denominada de intervenção litisconsorcial voluntária (Capítulo 5). O capítulo final foi dedicado a demonstrar que, nas hipóteses hoje configuradoras da assistência litisconsorcial, a própria situação jurídica do terceiro é objeto do processo pendente. Assim, quando esse terceiro voluntariamente intervém nessas situações, ele o faz como efetivo litisconsorte, assumindo os pedidos formulados pela parte originária à qual adere e devendo ser destinatário direto do comando advindo da decisão de mérito proferida no processo. Ademais, sua verdadeira natureza jurídica reclama uma nova sistematização do instituto, que deve ser tratado não como espécie do gênero assistência, mas no capítulo destinado ao litisconsórcio, como modalidade de intervenção litisconsorcial voluntária (Capítulo 6). / This doctorate thesis aims at arguing that the voluntary entry of a third person into a lawsuit in the cases currently considered by Brazilian legal doctrine as a third-party joinder intervention (assistência litisconsorcial) actually reveals the joinder of a true party to the lawsuit, which, after being admitted into the ongoing lawsuit, is therefore deemed as a party to it for all purposes. Initially, in order to demonstrate the proposed thesis, a historical analysis of the legal doctrine on third-party intervention was completed. This led to the roots of which the doctrine originally stemmed, from the most remote medieval Italian law until being inserted in §69 of the ZPO in 1877. This same historical study was done regarding Brazilian law, presenting the legal doctrines evolution in the successive enactments that culminated in Article 54 of the current Brazilian Civil Procedure Code (Chapter 2). Thereafter, the voluntary entry of a third person into a lawsuit in foreign jurisdictions considered most relevant to the study of third-party joinder intervention (assistência litisconsorcial) in Brazil was analyzed (Chapter 3). Subsequently, the opinion of contemporary Brazilian scholars on third-party joinder intervention (assistência litisconsorcial) was analyzed, aiming at listing the main characteristics usually attributed to such a qualified sort of intervention (Chapter 4). This study, however, would not be complete without also analyzing a recognized category of intervention for long debated by Brazilian scholars, but still subject to some controversies known as voluntary party joinder (intervenção litisconsorcial voluntária) (Chapter 5). The final chapter aims at demonstrating that, given the current elements of the third-party joinder intervention doctrine (assistência litisconsorcial); the actual legal situation of the third person to a lawsuit is the object of the pending process. Therefore, when a third person voluntarily enters a lawsuit, it does so as a genuine party to the lawsuit, accepting what is sought by the original party and joining its claims, thus being entirely subject to the effects arising from the decision on the merits. Moreover, its true legal nature demands a new organization of the legal doctrine within the Brazilian law, which should be treated, not as a species of the genre intervention, but rather a genuine party joinder, as voluntary party joinder (intervenção litisconsorcial voluntária) (Chapter 6).

Com a presente tese de doutoramento procurou-se sustentar que o ingresso voluntário do terceiro nas hipóteses hoje tratadas pela doutrina como sendo de assistência litisconsorcial revela, na realidade, a intervenção de um verdadeiro litisconsorte, o qual, com a sua admissão no processo em curso, assume a qualidade de parte para todos os fins. Para demonstração da tese proposta, iniciou-se com um exame histórico do instituto, por meio do qual foi possível localizar suas raízes mais remotas no direito italiano medieval até ser positivado pelo §69 da ZPO alemã em 1877. Esse mesmo estudo histórico foi realizado em face do ordenamento brasileiro, apresentando-se a evolução do instituto nos sucessivos diplomas legais, culminando com o artigo 54 do atual Código de Processo Civil (Capítulo 2). Na sequência, foram examinadas as figuras de intervenção de terceiros naqueles ordenamentos estrangeiros considerados mais relevantes para o estudo da assistência litisconsorcial no Brasil (Capítulo 3). Prosseguiu-se com a análise do tratamento conferido ao instituto pela doutrina brasileira contemporânea, objetivando elencar as principais características que são costumeiramente atribuídas à (assim conhecida) modalidade qualificada da assistência (Capítulo 4). Esse estudo, contudo, não ficaria completo sem o exame de uma figura já tratada há algum tempo por alguns doutrinadores, mas ainda objeto de polêmica, denominada de intervenção litisconsorcial voluntária (Capítulo 5). O capítulo final foi dedicado a demonstrar que, nas hipóteses hoje configuradoras da assistência litisconsorcial, a própria situação jurídica do terceiro é objeto do processo pendente. Assim, quando esse terceiro voluntariamente intervém nessas situações, ele o faz como efetivo litisconsorte, assumindo os pedidos formulados pela parte originária à qual adere e devendo ser destinatário direto do comando advindo da decisão de mérito proferida no processo. Ademais, sua verdadeira natureza jurídica reclama uma nova sistematização do instituto, que deve ser tratado não como espécie do gênero assistência, mas no capítulo destinado ao litisconsórcio, como modalidade de intervenção litisconsorcial voluntária (Capítulo 6). / This doctorate thesis aims at arguing that the voluntary entry of a third person into a lawsuit in the cases currently considered by Brazilian legal doctrine as a third-party joinder intervention (assistência litisconsorcial) actually reveals the joinder of a true party to the lawsuit, which, after being admitted into the ongoing lawsuit, is therefore deemed as a party to it for all purposes. Initially, in order to demonstrate the proposed thesis, a historical analysis of the legal doctrine on third-party intervention was completed. This led to the roots of which the doctrine originally stemmed, from the most remote medieval Italian law until being inserted in §69 of the ZPO in 1877. This same historical study was done regarding Brazilian law, presenting the legal doctrines evolution in the successive enactments that culminated in Article 54 of the current Brazilian Civil Procedure Code (Chapter 2). Thereafter, the voluntary entry of a third person into a lawsuit in foreign jurisdictions considered most relevant to the study of third-party joinder intervention (assistência litisconsorcial) in Brazil was analyzed (Chapter 3). Subsequently, the opinion of contemporary Brazilian scholars on third-party joinder intervention (assistência litisconsorcial) was analyzed, aiming at listing the main characteristics usually attributed to such a qualified sort of intervention (Chapter 4). This study, however, would not be complete without also analyzing a recognized category of intervention for long debated by Brazilian scholars, but still subject to some controversies known as voluntary party joinder (intervenção litisconsorcial voluntária) (Chapter 5). The final chapter aims at demonstrating that, given the current elements of the third-party joinder intervention doctrine (assistência litisconsorcial); the actual legal situation of the third person to a lawsuit is the object of the pending process. Therefore, when a third person voluntarily enters a lawsuit, it does so as a genuine party to the lawsuit, accepting what is sought by the original party and joining its claims, thus being entirely subject to the effects arising from the decision on the merits. Moreover, its true legal nature demands a new organization of the legal doctrine within the Brazilian law, which should be treated, not as a species of the genre intervention, but rather a genuine party joinder, as voluntary party joinder (intervenção litisconsorcial voluntária) (Chapter 6).

Postsecondary financial aid (including scholarship awards) in the United States are as complicated and diverse in their function as they are in their long-term implications and outcomes. Through an examination of third party scholarships and the students who receive them, this study seeks to understand the dynamic intersection between a student's contextual environment, motivation and agency by analyzing students' interpretations of themselves and their place within the larger financial and scholarship context. The Self-Determination Theory (SDT) of human motivation and Deil-Amen & Tevis' (2010) circumscribed agency framework form the theoretical foundation of this study. The main contributions of this study include a description of how third party scholarships fit into the larger financial aid picture, an index of what eligibility components constitute third party scholarships, the creation of Third Party Scholarship Recipient Typology, and a synthesis of theory that informs future policy and practice.

Magister Legum - LLM / This thesis investigates the possibility of relaxing the privity principle of contract to accommodate the interests of third parties in South Africa. It explores concepts relating to the doctrine of privity as well as the two legs that constitute this common law doctrine. It will draw lessons from the English legal system because English law of contract managed to reform the doctrine of privity in order to accommodate the interests of third parties to a contract. While this thesis is not a comparative study of England and South Africa, it will draw substantially from lessons that can be taken from England with regard to abrogating the privity principle of contract. England has been chosen as the point of reference because there has not yet been any other African country that has reformed this privity principle of the common law of contract in order to accommodate the interests of third parties.

Why do third-party interventions in civil wars sometimes positively contribute to fast conflict resolutions and post-war development and sometimes backfire? To solve this puzzle, I present a conceptual framework that links the motives and methods of intervention to civil war outcomes and post-war development. Two contrasting motives, self-interest and humanitarian concerns, lead to different intervention types. Self-interest prompts states to undertake unilateral and biased intervention. Humanitarian concerns encourage states to engage in multilateral intervention through the UN with a biased position. Interveners are more prudent in the use of force. They resort to violent methods only when critical security interests are at stake or when extreme humanitarian disasters occur. The method of intervention reflects interveners' motives and significantly influences civil war processes and post-war development. The effects of intervention on civil war duration and outcome, however, tend to be inconsistent with interveners' intentions. I find no empirical evidence that external intervention is likely to make civil war shorter. Whether interveners are motivated by humanitarian concerns or self-interest, they tend to fail to achieve their best outcome: a faster victory for their protégé or a faster negotiated settlement. Instead, biased interveners succeed in retarding military victory by their protégé's rival. Neutral interveners play a role in delaying time until government victory, regardless of their intention. The effects of intervention on post-war development are somewhat consistent with interveners' intention. Multilateral intervention motivated by humanitarian concerns tends to promote post-war well-being by increasing resources available for post-war reconstruction. On the other hand, unilateral intervention tends to impede the improvement of post-war quality of life. The use of force also has negative impacts on post-war development. The reason is that those interventions pursing self-interest produce a less-respondent government and reduce available resources. Military victory is more likely to improve post-war quality of life than is a negotiated settlement. However, the positive effects of military victory are realized only when a group wins a victory without biased support from foreign powers. I find that multilateral intervention using nonviolent methods and having an unbiased stance may be the best way for the international community to help post-war development.

This thesis consists of 6 papers, all of them using experimental methods. The experimental approach appeals to me, since a good design may allow a clear cut identification of the effects under study. In spite of all its advantages, however, the typical experimental study performed in the laboratory also has drawbacks due to its stylized setting and often restricted subject pool. I believe that enlarging the value of laboratory experiments by understanding more about the link from the lab to “real life” is important. I attempt to do this in my research by combining lab and field studies in order to allow comparison of the results, by using non-standard samples, or by staging experimental studies outside of the lab in a more natural setting. The papers included in this thesis range from natural field experiments, where the participants did not know that they were participating in a study (Dreber, von Essen and Ranehill, 2009), across mixtures of field and lab studies (Cárdenas, Dreber, von Essen and Ranehill, 2010), framed field experiments (Johannesson, Östling and Ranehill 2010), and to pure lab experiments (von Essen and Ranehill, 2011; and Dreber, von Essen and Ranehill, 2011). / Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan i Stockholm, 2011

Due to the fast changing environment of China’s logistics market and high participative level of foreign logistics enterprises, Chinese logistics players mostly suffer from their low service ability of Third Party Logistics. Big gaps certainly exist between domestic ones and foreign giants.   The thesis aims to compare the TMS of a local logistics company and a large multinational company. Investigating how TMS is applied in China’s logistics market and making comparison of TMS between a multinational company and a Chinese local company is the main contribution of the paper.     After conducting cases study and interview on a foreign multinational logistics enterprise United Parcel Service and a Chinese local small logistics Jiangsu Universal Logistics Company, this paper has a relatively high reliability and validity. Relevant knowledge of TMS, mode and carriers, and 3PL is selected to present in the theoretical framework.   In the thesis body, we compared two chosen companies from three logistical levels: strategic, tactical, and operational. In detail, we found a vast of differences lying in nine parts that we selected from the TMS reference functional model and domains. Considering the characteristics and future challenges of China logistics market, we strongly recommend JULC to adapt TMS. However, it is unfeasible for JULC to apply the entire TMS. Therefore, we provide the solutions in three perspectives. First and foremost, apply part of TMS in the relevant field, in terms of network design and capacity management. An equally important solution is adapting cost-saving solution in certain administrative field, namely: planning, vehicle, execution, finance. Last but not least, in order to provide the company more opportunities, a few general approaches will be presented.   After a closer examine of the consequences when the integrated solutions got applied, we surely drew the conclusion that 3PL performance of domestics companies will get enhanced in the near future.