The concept of BIM is nascent but evolving rapidly, thus, its deployment has become the latest shibboleth amongst both academics and practitioners in the construction sector in the recent couple of years. Due to construction clients buy-in of the BIM concept, the entire industry is encouraged to pursue a vision of changing work practices in line with the BIM ideas. Also, existing research recognises that the implementation of BIM affects all areas of the construction process from design of the building, through the organisation of projects, to the way in which the construction process is executed and how the finished product is maintained. The problem however is that, existing research in technology utilisation in general, and BIM literature in particular, has offered limited help to practitioners trying to implement BIM, for focusing predominantly, on technology-centric views. Not surprisingly therefore, the current BIM literature emphasises on topics such as capability maturity models and anticipated outcomes of BIM rollouts. Rarely does the extant literature offer practitioners a cohesive approach to BIM implementation. Such technology-centric views inevitably represent a serious barrier to utilising the inscribed capabilities of BIM. This research therefore is predicated on the need to strengthen BIM implementation theory through monitoring and analysing its implementation in practice. Thus, the focus of this thesis is to carry out a sociotechnical systems (STS) analysis of BIM implementation in construction organisations. The concept of STS accommodates the dualism of the inscribed functions of BIM technologies and the contextual issues in the organisations and allows for the analysis of their interactive combination in producing the anticipated effect from BIM appropriation. An interpretive research methodology is adopted to study practitioners through a change process, involving the implementation of BIM in their work contexts. The study is based on constructivist ontological interpretations of participants. The study adopts an abductive research approach which ensures a back-and-forth movement between research sites and the theoretical phenomenon, effectively comparing the empirical findings with the existing theories and to eventually generate a new theoretical understanding and knowledge regarding the phenomenon under investigation. A two-stage process is also formulated for the empirical data collection - comprising: 1) initial exploratory study to help establish the framework for analysing BIM implementation in the construction context; and 2) case studies approach to provide a context for formulating novel understanding and validation of theory regarding BIM implementation in construction organisations. The analysis and interpretation of the empirical work follows the qualitative content analysis technique to observe and reflect on the results. The findings have shown that BIM implementation demands a complete breakaway from the status quo. Contrary to the prevailing understanding of a top-down approach to BIM utilisation, the study revealed that different organisations with plethora of visions, expectations and skills combine with artefacts to form or transform BIM practices. The rollout and appropriation of BIM occurs when organisations shape sociotechnical systems of institutions, processes and technologies to support certain practices over others. The study also showed that BIM implementation endures in a causal chain of influences as different project organisations with their localised BIM ambitions and expectations combine to develop holistic BIM-enabled project visions. Thus, distributed responsibilities on holistic BIM protocols among the different levels of influences are instituted and enforced under binding contractual obligations. The study has illuminated the centrality of both the technical challenges and sociological factors in shaping BIM deployment in construction. It is also one of the few studies that have produced accounts of BIM deployment that is strongly mediated by the institutional contexts of construction organisations. However, it is acknowledged that the focus of the research on qualitative interpretive enquiry does not have the hard and fast view of generalising from specific cases to broader population/contexts. Thus, it is suggested that further quantitative studies, using much larger data sample of BIM-enabled construction organisations could provide an interesting point of comparison to the conclusions derived from the research findings.

The purpose of this study was to address the under-researched theme of achievement among students in a post 1992 university in the UK. The findings are based on a case study of a cohort of first year (FY) undergraduates in a science department in a post 1992 university. Three key research approaches were deployed within this case study, namely, grounded theory, phenomenography and survey research. These three distinctive approaches have been framed within a broad interpretivist perspective in which subjectivity is managed through researcher positionality and the triangulation of data where appropriate. The research findings demonstrate that the point of registration at higher education (HE) institutions does not constitute a successful student because such a constitution is a process of becoming, involving complex meaning-making processes over time. These processes are characterised by a movement from 'outsider and potential achiever' to 'insider and reflexive achiever'. Important phases within this movement are those of: attending; being engaged and solving self-identified difficulties. In the light of the evidence gathered and the review of the existing scholarship, a detailed exploration and theorisation of these phases is offered. The preoccupation with students who fail in some way has led to a lack of research into those who succeed. This research has sought to overcome this lack by exploring the active meaning-making processes that lead undergraduates to achieve. A dynamic is identified between students' reflexive management of their FY experience and aspirations to achieve and the institutional context. This dynamic is also held to undermine the notion of students as customers awaiting satisfaction, suggesting instead that students be regarded as reflexive actors in the shaping of undergraduate achievement. This study presents a novel alternative to the prevalent deficit model in the relevant research which tends to treat students as passive bearers of diverse levels of readiness for undergraduate study. It also offers an alternative to the prevailing research on why students fail to progress or stay at university.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

In recent years, we have seen that the adversarial system has shaped the criminal process in various Latin American countries. This fact leads us to question what are the characteristics of this system, what are the benefits in comparison with the inquisitorial system and which is the method of teaching to which the different procedural actors are exposed.In this article, the author develops in a comprehensive manner the main features of the inquisitorial system and the changing paradigm in Latin American towards the adversarial system, and then explains the influence of this system on the trial lawyer. In addition, it addresses the theory of the case as a methodology that allows to adopt strategic decisions and improve the professional performance of the litigant. Finally, the author explains the necessity of an educational reform asa step in the reform of criminal proceedings. / En los últimos años, el sistema acusatorio ha ido moldeando el proceso penal en los países latinoamericanos. Ello lleva a preguntarse cuáles son las características de este sistema, cuáles son sus ventajas respecto al sistema inquisitivo y cuál es el método de enseñanza al que se ven sometidos losdiferentes actores procesales.En el presente artículo, el autor desarrolla ampliamente las principales características del sistema inquisitivo y el cambio de paradigma latinoamericanohacia el sistema acusatorio, para luego explicar la influencia de éste en el abogado litigante.También aborda la teoría del caso, una metodología que permite adoptar decisiones estratégicas y mejorar el performance profesional del litigante. Finalmente, explicará la necesaria reforma de la enseñanza como paso previo de la reforma delproceso penal.

This study tests for the market efficiency of the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) after the year 2000 to determine the effect of technological advancements on market efficiency. Data that is used is the NSE 20 share index over the period 2001 to 2015; and the NSE All Share Index (NSE ASI) from its initiation during 2008 to 2015. We cannot accept the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) for the NSE using the serial correlation test, the unit root tests and the runs test. However, we can accept the EMH for the more robust variance ratio test. Overall, the results of the market efficiency are mixed. The most significant finding is that the efficiency of the NSE has increased since the year 2000 which suggests that advancements in technology have contributed to the increase in the market efficiency of the NSE. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)