<p> In recent decades skateboarding has expanded from recreation into a form of transportation. Skateboarders appear to use roadways much as other non&ndash;motorized modes do. However, there is little academic research on the needs and characteristics of the skateboard as a mode. This research reports demographics, multi&ndash;modal and travel behavior findings, and other data from an exploratory mixed&ndash;methods study of skateboarding as a mode of transportation.</p>

<p> U.S. citizens disengaged from politics and from each other in the latter half of the 20th century, which is evidence of decreased social capital and a weakening democracy. At the same time, small farms were lost at an alarming rate resulting in fewer farms and the rise of "Big Ag". Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) reconnects people to the food they eat and cultivates a community among the farmers and member-shareholders. CSA democratizes food for growers who are beholden to their members rather than to agribusiness, and for members who elect to support a CSA rather than purchase supermarket foods of unknown origin. This study used a survey of 132 CSA operators from across the United States to test whether operators who described "community" as a motivating factor to run a CSA and measured their success in terms of community took concrete actions to build social capital within their CSA and community. The findings revealed that "community" as a motivation and as a measure of success was significantly correlated with social capital building activities. More specifically, CSA operators who rated "Generating a sense of community" as an important motivation and "Community development/quality of life" as an important measure of success were more likely to survey their members as to their wants and needs, host open house events at the farm, participate in community events, and report that the CSA improved social capital in their communities. CSA could be one method to improve depleted social capital and cultivate food democracy.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of distributed leadership at the University of ABC's SCPS, as the School worked to transform itself through reorganization. The study examined the perceptions of key leaders and members of the implementation team as they sought to understand the implementation of a more participative approach to change within the School. The primary question guiding this study was "What is the nature of leadership within a participative change effort in a higher education setting as perceived by active participants in the effort? The secondary question was "What is the nature of power sharing within this change effort?"</p><p> This descriptive case study investigated distributed leadership at the University of ABC School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) by exploring the perceptions of leaders and the implementation team as they underwent a leadership paradigm shift that required a more participative approach. The study also explored how these academic leaders adapted to sharing power in this new change effort by examining the perceptions of change for administrative and faculty leaders as they sought to make sense of the launching of a more participative approach to change efforts.</p><p> The findings from this study identified ten ways in which SCPS practiced leadership: (1) A participative approach to change influenced synergy. (2) Leader participation greatly influenced collaboration. (3) Leaders' actions created a shared sense of responsibility. (4) Change in structure influenced leader, follower behavior, and organizational culture. (5) The creation of a safe environment influenced employee conversations. (6) Engaged leaders and followers influenced decision-making. (7) Leader involvement improved efficacy of decisions. (8) The situation (tools, routines, structures) enabled leader action on process improvement. (9) A shared belief in the schools training mission influenced the mitigation of resistance and intransigence. and, (10) A focus on strategy supported collective action.</p><p> This descriptive study has drawn conclusions that begin to fill the gap in understanding the nature of leadership within a participative change effort in a higher education setting as perceived by active participants in the effort. It was discovered that a participative approach to change plays an important role in leadership practice and the interactions of leaders, followers, and their situation. The tools, routines, structures, and other aspects of the situation mediated leaders' and followers' interactions, and allowed leadership practice to move to the forefront. Finally, the study concluded that a distributed perspective, when used as a design tool for School leaders, could inform future design decisions and that strategic decision making must be ongoing when designing leadership practice. The conclusions of the study prompt questions that can be resolved by further study.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Dept. of Computer Science, 2001. / Bibliography: leaves 150-161.

Thesis(M.S.)--Auburn University, 2006. / Abstract (p.34-35). Vita. Includes bibliographic references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of California, San Francisco, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-07, Section: A, page: 3173. Adviser: Adele E. Clarke.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 41-42). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1997. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [91]-94).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Washington State University, May 2009. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on June 3, 2009). "School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science." Includes bibliographical references (p. 101-108).

TBD / Sociology