This study examined the work practices of a project team that was engaged in the implementation of shared services at three tertiary level educational institutions in Barbados. Using Activity Theory as the underpinning theoretical framework, the researcher employed Development Work Research (DWR) and the Engestromian Change Labs to reveal the tensions and contradictions that occurred in the project team’s work environment. The intent was to reframe their understanding of the work practices from the everyday to the scientific, and develop new work practices to generate organisational change. The study also explored the expansive transformation that took place during the intervention process. The aim of the study was to answer the following question: In what ways, if any, did changes in the work practices of a project team contribute to changes in the planning and implementation of shared services in three Barbadian educational institutions? The research found that there were ruptures and disturbances in the work environment. These were attributed to the historically bureaucratic practices of Government which impacted negatively on the project team by impeding the development of innovative practices. The DWR intervention resulted in the resolution of the contradictions and led to effective change and expansive learning in the staff as well as a change in the approach to the implementation strategies that were being used by the project team. The team was able through dialogue and debate in the Change Labs to create a new form of practice which involved a new communication strategy and model. The new practice was used to overcome the challenge of providing timely and effective communication with the stakeholder institutions with which they were working to implement the shared services.

This thesis investigates the relationship between the orientation of participants to voluntary associations and the orientation of associations to the wider society. By combining theoretical work from the field of voluntary associations with a theory of collective behaviour, a set of hypotheses is generated to analyze changes that have occurred it the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire, a Canadian patriotic organization for women. A typology of voluntary associations is constructed, and a brief review of secondary sources shows the applicability of our theory to a wide range of voluntary social movements. The data used for this study includes association files, minutes, magazines and newspaper reports. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

Multilateral efforts are yet to produce meaningful action on climate change. Part of the problem with these approaches is a perceived lack of fairness among state actors. Whilst academic discussion has traditionally focused on the issue of distributive fairness, very little has been said about procedural fairness in this respect. To this end, this thesis analyses principles of procedural justice in order to develop practical policy measures for institutional design. It does so in four steps. First, it argues that procedural justice is important for reaching a mutually acceptable agreement when there is reasonable disagreement about the substantive ends that collective action should achieve. Second, it develops several principles of procedural justice that should govern the decision-making processes of climate institutions. This includes principles that govern who should participate in decisions, how these decisions should take place, and how transparent they should be. Third, it considers the relative value that procedural justice should be given against other important ends. In doing so, it proposes that procedural justice is a fundamental feature of fair and effective climate institutions. Finally, it considers what this means for climate institutions in practice by determining a set of pragmatic policy prescriptions that can guide the design of climate governance institutions.

Magister Artium - MA / School feeding programmes have become a worldwide poverty reduction strategy that are designed to enhance human capital, i.e. nutrition and education. In South Africa, the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) began in 1994 and it was designed to enhance learning capacity, to support nutrition education in schools and to promote school gardens. The purpose of this study is to explore whether the expected impacts (nutrition and education) of the NSNP in Cape Town have been achieved. The study used the theory of change as an attempt to explore the expected impacts of the programme and it involved a qualitative research approach. The data was collected using semi-structured interviews. Note-taking and observations of non-verbal behaviour techniques were also used to capture any relevant information. The respondents were 4 school principals, 4 teacher coordinators, 4 food handlers, 4 members of the School Governing Body and one staff member from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) of the Western Cape. Findings from the global literature show that the impacts of school feeding programmes are quite mixed (between nutrition and education). This study has found that the NSNP in Cape Town has improved food security, i.e. reduced short-term hunger (but not necessarily nutrition) and it gave energy to the learners that helped them to actively participate in learning. It also eliminated some negative class behaviours and it functioned as an additional meal to some poor learners. On the education front, it enhanced school attendance, class participation and possibly improved learner performance. However, the programme has also experienced some challenges, i.e. the food quality and quantity, targeting system (the quintile system) that excluded some poor learners from receiving NSNP meals and food gardens were not producing sufficient food because they were small and poorly maintained. This study recommends that rigorous impact evaluation of the NSNP in Cape Town is required in order to address the challenges that were identified as well as to enhance the programme so that it can achieve the desired impacts.

In an ever changeable and globalized world with new economic and global competitors competing for the same customers and resources, is increasing the pressure on organizations' competitiveness. In addition, organizations faces additional challenges due to an ever-growing amount of data and the ever-bigger challenge of analyzing that data and keeping the data secure. Successful companies are characterized by exploiting their intellectual capital in an efficient manner.[1], [2] Thus, the most valuable asset an organization has today has become its employees' knowledge. To enable this, there is a tool that supports easier handling and optimize the use of knowledge, which is knowledge management.[3] Based on the theoretical framework and careful review as well as analysis of interviews and observations resulted in six essential areas: structure, management, compensation, communication, trust and motivation. The analysis showed that the scientific articles and literature have different perspectives, different definitions and are based on different theories but the essence is that they all finally seems to arrive at the same result and conclusion, although with different viewpoints and perspectives. This is regardless of whether the focus is on management style, rewards or communication they all focus on the individual. The conclusion is that organizational culture affects knowledge management and dissemination of information, because of its direct impact on the individual. The largest and most important underlying factor why we choose to participate in improvement work or share knowledge is our motivation. Motivation is the reason for and the reason behind our actions. The recommendation is therefore a continued effort to provide employees with tools to better communicate and share knowledge. In addition, to further strengthen the motivation of employees an increased presence of management at the shop floor is recommended.  [1] Ichijo & Nonaka, 2007 [2] Tohidinia & Mosakhani, 2010 [3] Wallach, 1983, p.35

For over a decade UK legislation has existed which grants powers to English Local Authorities to implement a Workplace Parking Levy (WPL). Despite positive experiences in Australia of utilising area wide parking space levies to pay for public transport improvements, only one UK local authority to date (2017), Nottingham City Council, has chosen to implement a WPL. The Nottingham WPL scheme is intended to act as a transport demand management measure as well as a core funding mechanism for transport improvements including two new tram lines. Acceptance by the public and the business community is a key barrier to implementing a WPL. The two major criticisms of the Nottingham scheme prior to its implementation were that a WPL would discourage business investment and thus damage the economy while its intended impact on traffic congestion would be minimal. Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation of the Nottingham WPL scheme s performance is essential in order to facilitate transferability of this approach to other UK and European Cities. This thesis contributes to the wider WPL evaluation project by evaluating to what extent the Nottingham WPL has met three key objectives identified for the scheme which address the impact on congestion, transport mode share and inward investment. This research utilises a theoretical evaluation approach, a Theory of Change approach strengthened by elements of Realistic Evaluation . This approach provides an appropriate framework for evaluating progress towards the three key objectives by identifying a plausible model for change and expected impacts for the Nottingham WPL and the transport improvements which it part funds. This model or Theory of Change , is then tested to understand if the scheme is achieving the desired impacts by analysing appropriate indicators to measure and attribute change to causal factors. Methods used to facilitate this research include, benchmarking indicators against similar UK Cities, questionnaire surveys to assess the reasons for mode switch, time series modelling of the impact on congestion and a consideration of the reasoning behind investment and de-investment decisions made by businesses in Nottingham. It is concluded that while the WPL and its associated transport improvements are resulting in congestion constraint and mode shift away from commuting by car, these impacts are being reduced by the presence of exogenous change notably, economic and population growth, short term disruption to the road network resulting from roadworks associated with the construction of transport improvements and suppressed demand for commuting by car. Additionally, this research shows that there is a body of evidence which demonstrates that the WPL has not negatively impacted on levels of inward investment and that there is some evidence to date that suggests the improved transport system facilitated by the WPL is attractive to potential business investors.

Tillgång till sanitet är en mänsklig rättighet och en förutsättning för liv och hälsa. Trots det lever miljontals människor världen över med bristande sanitet. Den här uppsatsens syfte är att studera hur sanitetssituationen i informella bosättningar kan se ut och hur den upplevs av de boende, samt hur det är möjligt att förbättra den situationen. Genom att utföra en intervjustudie i den informella bosättningen Kibera i Kenyas huvudstad Nairobi, har de boende där fått ge sin bild av hur de upplever sanitetsproblemen och hur det gått till när sanitetslösningen Peepoo introducerades i området. I den här uppsatsen står själva förändringen i centrum och Kurt Lewins teori om förändringsprocessen används som teoretiskt verktyg. Med hjälp av den har informanternas svar analyserats för att se hur processen fortgått och vilka krafter som drivit respektive hindrat förändringen. Det framkom att ett framgångsrikt sätt att genomföra en dylik förändring är genom att minska motståndet till den genom information, både från formella och informella kanaler. Det är också viktigt att det finns tydliga incitament till att genomföra förändringen, både direkt märkbara och ur ett längre perspektiv. / Access to sanitation is a human right and a prerequisite for life and health. Despite that millions of people worldwide lives without adequate sanitation. The aims of this thesis is to study how the sanitary situation in informal settlements might look like and how the situation is perceived by the residents, as well as how it is possible to improve the situation. By conducting an interview study in the informal settlement of Kibera in the capital of Kenya, Nairobi, the residents got to give their own view of how they experience the sanitary problems and how the implementation of the sanitary solution Peepoo was conducted in the area. In this thesis the change itself is in the centre and Kurt Lewin's theory of change is used as theoretical tool. With this tool the informants' answers were analysed to see how the process of introducing Peepoo proceeded, and what forces drove and hindered the change. It emerged that a successful way to implement such a change is by reducing the resistance through information, both from formal and informal channels. It is also important that there are clear incentives to implement the change, both directly perceptible and from a longer perspective.

One in five children are born highly sensitive (HS), with nervous systems that are more sensitive to sensory subtleties. The highly sensitive child (HSC) presents with behaviour that is often a way of coping with sensory overload from their environment. The symptoms of HS are often mistaken for shyness, introversion, timidity and a low sensory threshold. Because of their lack of understanding, teachers mislabel and misdiagnose these children as being mentally ill, or as suffering from, inter alia, ADHD or learning problems. When such children (HSC) are misunderstood, they begin to feel ‘different’ and ‘flawed’, which can lead to low self–esteem. The purpose of this study is to explore perceptions by HS children in middle childhood, to explore how aware they are of HS, and to discover the extent to which they have been affected by negative labelling often caused by being misunderstood, misdiagnosed and misinterpreted. The structured interviews conducted with HSC comprised of an interactive story, which had been written and illustrated to create explicit awareness of HS. After the storybook had been read, an interview schedule on HS was applied. Next, a focus group interview was conducted with the teachers to gather more rich data, thereby ensuring its trustworthiness. The aim was to explore the teachers’ perceptions of HSC in middle childhood. This exploration was necessary for making effective recommendations for managing and supporting HSC, so that the children can reach their full potential. Many HSC are gifted, and often become visionaries and pioneers in their particular fields. / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

One in five children are born highly sensitive (HS), with nervous systems that are more sensitive to sensory subtleties. The highly sensitive child (HSC) presents with behaviour that is often a way of coping with sensory overload from their environment. The symptoms of HS are often mistaken for shyness, introversion, timidity and a low sensory threshold. Because of their lack of understanding, teachers mislabel and misdiagnose these children as being mentally ill, or as suffering from, inter alia, ADHD or learning problems. When such children (HSC) are misunderstood, they begin to feel ‘different’ and ‘flawed’, which can lead to low self–esteem. The purpose of this study is to explore perceptions by HS children in middle childhood, to explore how aware they are of HS, and to discover the extent to which they have been affected by negative labelling often caused by being misunderstood, misdiagnosed and misinterpreted. The structured interviews conducted with HSC comprised of an interactive story, which had been written and illustrated to create explicit awareness of HS. After the storybook had been read, an interview schedule on HS was applied. Next, a focus group interview was conducted with the teachers to gather more rich data, thereby ensuring its trustworthiness. The aim was to explore the teachers’ perceptions of HSC in middle childhood. This exploration was necessary for making effective recommendations for managing and supporting HSC, so that the children can reach their full potential. Many HSC are gifted, and often become visionaries and pioneers in their particular fields. / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

This thesis uses complexity theory to explore education in the context of a changing curriculum called ‘Opening Minds’. This new curriculum was introduced in the case study school in response to a wider curriculum change which emphasised ‘learning to learn’ and the development of ‘skills for the 21st Century’. In this study, a ‘complexity thinking’ theoretical framework was adopted, drawing especially on the work of Osberg and Biesta (Osberg et al., 2008, Osberg and Biesta, 2007, Biesta and Osberg, 2007) and Davis and Sumara (2006; 2007), paying particular attention to concepts of emergence and complexity reduction. Complexity theory, through the ‘logic of emergence’ offers a challenge to mechanistic approaches to understanding the world which, despite the work of postmodern and poststructural scholars in education, remains dominant in educational practice. The Opening Minds curriculum that is the focus of this case study demonstrated the potential to challenge this mechanistic approach, as the teachers expressed a desire to work in different, flexible and creative ways: this thesis therefore explores complexity theory’s challenge to a mechanistic approach in this particular case. It also addresses the relationship between Opening Minds and science education using complexity thinking. To facilitate exploration and analysis of the case, concepts of temporal and relational emergence and complexity reduction to develop a ‘complexity thinking’ understanding of concepts of agency/structure, power, identity and reflexivity. This entailed reconceptualisation of these ideas in a temporal-relational sense that explicitly incorporates a sensitivity to emergence. Specifically, an additional dimension to Emirbayer and Mische’s (1998) construction of multidimensional agency was added: that of creative agency. The research was conducted as a case study in which a ‘bricolage’ approach to data collection and analysis was used as part of an explicitly ‘complex’ methodology, addressing questions of the challenge of complexity reduction and ethics in research drawing on complexity theory. The findings indicated a challenge for teachers in negotiating tensions as they attempted to adopt approaches that could be considered ‘emergent’ alongside other ‘mechanistic’ practices. These tensions were explored in detail in relation to the concept of ‘reflection’, and in the interaction between science and Opening Minds. Bringing together the empirical and theoretical work in this study, it is suggested that mechanistic and emergent aspects may helpfully be viewed as a ‘vital simultaneity’ within the educational relationship (Davis, 2008) with the interaction between them facilitated by creative agency within a ‘pedagogy of interruption’ (Biesta, 2006). It was further argued that reflection could be used in responsive and flexible ways to support both learning and assessment as a crucial aspect of a pedagogy of interruption. Such a ‘contingently responsive and creative pedagogy’ may support the interaction between science and Opening Minds productively. It is suggested that complex approach to a pedagogy of interruption could support teachers in engaging with the creative and diverse elements of science or learning to learn curricula whilst maintaining the mechanistic aspects of teaching that support students in learning key concepts and skills.