Humanity is facing highly complex challenges at a global scale. A new sort of conscious sustainability changemakers is needed to face the sustainability challenge. However the mainstream entrepreneurship education tends to focus on business as usual skills, with a significant lack of comprehensive understanding of the whole system and the inner work needed to face the mental barriers to become sustainability changemakers. While the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development was used as a structured approach to the topic, the research design was based on a dynamic research interactive model. Theory U guided the data gathering process that included participatory observation, dialogues with the organizers and participants through the seven progressive schools in Europe. The research aims to identify the common assumptions that guide the design of leading edge learning programs for sustainability changemakers. Building on the findings, the authors present a prototype of a learning tool in a form of self-reflection card game with the intention of helping the next generation of changemakers in their learning journey towards sustainability. Conclusions detail specific guidelines to design a learning program of changemakers towards sustainability.

This Doctoral dissertation investigates non-state military formations. Kilcullen’s notion of ‘Hearts and Minds’, which suggests that through engagement and diplomacy, populations can be persuaded to believe that an enhanced military will protect them, tends to lack capacity to recognize the population as identifying their own role in the conflict. The core problem is that discussions about engagement regularly remain meta-theoretical, a tool of soft-power at most and based on theories of hegemonic narratives and ‘cultural awareness’, and have had arguably little effect on mapping different armed-campaigns in an insurgency. This doctoral research project seeks to analyse the operative elements of narrative that ultimately allow for communities to mobilise for an armed anti-insurgency movement and, more importantly, permit community militias to provide for their own security and governance, as well as strive to deny the territory and human capital to the insurgents. Hence, this investigation takes the notion of security, counter-insurgency and anti-insurgency as a sociospatial phenomenon than solely an ideological issue. Accordingly, this research revisits anthropological and sociological data with the aim of demonstrating that non-state military formations have fundamental political context and military preferences than determined by culture or solely military objectives. More specifically, it advocates that ethnography is the way forward to map the societies in conflict, arguing that collective action will develop even in the absence of assistance from a superior military. This dissertation takes care not to make an anthropological comparison of the Afghan and Iraqi insurgencies, but rather a political comparison. Local concepts and vocabularies are used, with supplementary presentations which map the sociospatial range which come to define the conflict and security. Local concepts and vocabularies provide background information on points in the anti-insurgency campaign, discussion of actors involved and information on specific context addressed. Each chapter in the dissertation contains very specific problematised issues which narrow the conditions of each case study, but adds to the overall understanding of non-state military formations. The set and study are designed to bring a parallel understanding to counter-insurgency engagement strategy that emphasise the local social structures over weak, centralised security structure.

This is a non-traditional examination paper written after three years of studies at Malmö University and the Kaospilot Program. It is written in Swedish and in the spring of 2009. It describes a non-linear project based on a process-orientated theory called Theory-U by Otto C. Scharmer (2009). The project aims to investigate the changing conditions of Stage Theatre and deals with non-linearity as phenomena. As a result of Theory-U combined with a very personal approach, part of the project is reaching out to explore collective consciousness. The World Café model (Brown, Isaacs 2003) is chosen as a method for creating creative fields over a couple of linked dinner dialogues. There is no real conclusion in this paper. Instead five perspectives are presented in the last chapter with hopes of giving some nourishment to the field of performing arts. This paper will not provide final answers or any kind solid truth, instead it will give you some philosophical and personal perceptions of the Now.

This thesis deals extensively with ‘the Art of Leading Oneself’. In the course of this paper, an understanding of the term ‘leading oneself’ is given. Furthermore a reflection upon the reasons why it is necessary in nowadays society and business world to lead oneself is provided. The core of the thesis constitutes a thorough discussion of possible elements of the art of leading oneself. In conclusion it is to be said, that on the basis of the knowledge of an individual’s frames of references, a framework of personal values and vision should be created. In a second dimension it is necessary to deeply reflect upon the inner Self and to gain insight about the authentic Self. Through the acknowledgement that an individual can learn from failures, the principles of the crucibles are described. In a third dimension, the bridge to ‘the Art of Leading Others’ is build and a rough overview of the necessities of sensegiving in the communication process is given. Concluded, it can be said, that it is of utmost importance to know and incorporate the authentic Self in every activity. / Diese Masterthesis behandelt und beschreibt im ausführlichen Maße ‚die Kunst sich selbst zu führen’. Innerhalb dieser Arbeit erarbeite ich ein Verständnis über das Konzept des ‚sich selbst Führens’. Des Weiteren wird über die Notwendigkeit der Selbstführung in der schnelllebigen Berufs- und Sozialwelt reflektiert. Der Kern der Arbeit konstituiert eine ausführliche Diskussion über mögliche Elemente des ‚sich selbst Führens’. Zusammenfassend kann gesagt werden, dass auf Basis des Wissens über die individuellen Bezugssysteme ein persönliches Wertesystem und eine darauf aufbauende Vision erstellt werden soll. In einer zweiten Ebene ist es notwendig eine tiefe Reflektion über das Innere Selbst durchzuführen um Erkenntnis der tieferen Einsicht des authentischen Selbst zu erlangen. Durch die Anerkennung und Wertschätzung seiner persönlichen Misserfolge sollte das Verständnis geschaffen werden, aus Fehlern zu lernen. In einer dritten Dimension wird die Brücke zur ‚Kunst andere zu Führen’ erschaffen und ein grober Überblick über die Notwendigkeiten einer sinnstiftenden Kommunikation wird gegeben. Resümierend kann gesagt werden, dass es von äußerster Bedeutung ist, sich selbst zu kennen und sein authentisches Selbst in jeder alltäglichen Aktivitäten zu integrieren.

Kan ett värdskap som är kommersiellt även vara genuint välkomnande och kan man idag på allvar vinna fördelar på en konkurrensutsatt marknad utan att erbjuda ett genuint värdskap? Bakgrunden till detta arbete är det etableringsprojektet med titeln: "Värdskap och ledarskapsom berör – ett konkurrensmedel?" som finansierades av KK-stiftelsen (Stiftelsen för Kunskap och Kompetens) år 2010. Representanter från besöksnäringen på lokal, regional och nationell nivå möttes på två välrenommerade landsortshotell för att lägga grunden till ett större gemensamt forskningsprojekt. Inga ytterligare medel tilldelades dock projektet varför delar av det stora materialet från studien nu redovisas i denna c-uppsats. I projektet användes Teori U som både teoretisk utgångspunkt och processmetod. Syftet för uppsatsen handlar för det första om att undersöka metodens användbarhet i att främja branschens egen förståelse för vad ett gott värdskap är. För det andra handlar det om att undersöka hur man kan frigöra implicit kunskap och samskapa nya insikter om ett gott värdskap samt hur dessa i så fall kan kopplas till praktiken. I studien genomfördes två workshops, på två hotell med olika deltagare. Workshoparna, som filmades, varade ett dygn (från lunch till lunch). Ur det empiriska materialet utmejslades fem teman för ett värdskap som berör: ledarskap, passion, mod, självinsikt och grundläggandevärderingar. I bägge workshops talade man om att det i branschen behövs ett paradigmskifte från kunskapssamhälle till relationssamhälle. Deltagarna uttryckte att de upplever en avsaknad av kunskap om immateriella känslomässiga värden, om vad som sker i själva mötet. Resultatet pekar på att vi behöver undersöka vad som händer om vi utbildar i det som gör oss mer närvarande, autentiska och medvetna. Skulle det kunna vara ett sätt att skapa innovation i bemötande? / KK-stiftelsen Etableringsprojekt beviljat 2010 "Värdskap och ledarskap som berör- ett konkurrensmedel?"

Youth will be dealing with the global sustainability challenge that our world is currently facing. They are considered to play a crucial role as future leaders in the transition towards a more sustainable society. These leaders need an inherent understanding of the sustainability challenge that they are confronted with. This research explores how sustainability practitioners can use Theory U in order to help younger generations approach sustainability. Both the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) and Theory U informed this research as they use a systems thinking approach to deal with complexity. A qualitative research approach was chosen, and sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted. The results revealed seven overarching themes around youth, youth and sustainability, and using Theory U with youth. The findings suggest that Theory U can support sustainability practitioners in working with youth as it offers a strong systems thinking approach, personal development, and connectedness for youth. Complementary with the FSSD’s rigorous approach to sustainability, Theory U offers great potential to youth and sustainability that is yet untapped. In equipping youth at an early age with leadership skills, capacities, and a wider awareness, Theory U can plant the seeds for future sustainability leaders to grow.

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Everest and Blanc (E&B) is at a crossroad. It grew from a ‘mom and pop’ operation into a small professional firm and plateaued. Thus, there is a desire to bring about operation efficiency, followed by expansion of the company. In order to be successful, a systematic decision making process is necessary to ensure a high probability of success, and able to pinpoint dysfunctions early for improvement. In addition, implementing processes need careful consideration and progress monitoring. This study was founded on these premises using M2 mode research methodology to establish an optimal structural course of action by surveying paradigms of management theories and concepts. The study began with an exposition on research methodologies and focused on the M2 research mode. It continued on with considering operations topics (micro concerns), extending to general issues (macro concerns) in conjunction with management theories and concepts. Finally a decision making model was shaped and applied to E&B. During the process, several important decisions were made, grounded on the findings on the research, such as relocating the corporate office anticipating expansion. Overall, the changes introduced, the process of change, the decision-making process, and implementation were all effective. The decision making model, SOMM, Strato Operation Management Model, is an extension of both Ansoff’s and Anthony’s management models together with the decision-making process. The emphasis is on the relationship of the system structure’s characteristics where it is symbolized by a matryoshka representing the three management modules (Strategic Management, Management Control and Planning and Tactical Operation) nesting within each other. Relating to the overall strategic and management control and planning competency, the workhorse is a combination of defensive and offensive approaches together with evaluation methodologies to capture emerging and unintended strategies and to control performance; whereas the tactical operation process is to bring about efficiency and effectiveness. These are new knowledge and policies cast into members of E&B. It is, therefore, fundamental that careful interventions are necessary to cause changes by motivation and to align goal congruency. Further, the inquiry had specifically focused on the needs of E&B, it did not preclude application to other organizations. For academics, it may be an engaging topic for further empirical studies advancing knowledge in management and operations. With respect to a wider world application, it was also concluded that the findings for E&B are applicable and adaptable to other professional and business concerns as innovative tools to their problems and issues.

Thesis (M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / The effective delivery of quality education depends, to a greater extent, on the quality of teachers. These teachers need to keep pace with the continuous growth of professional knowledge, skills and competences. This study evaluates teacher development programmes in Siyabuswa Circuit, Mpumalanga Province. Professional Learning Communities (PLC) is one of the initiatives that support and improve teacher knowledge and competences. Hence this study seeks to obtain teachers’ perspectives of the PLCs as a teacher development programme. This will probably shed more light into challenges faced by teachers in participating and benefitting from these developmental programmes. Scharmer (2009) states that when a new development unfolds, people may respond to it in two ways: they muddle through or fight back. Scharmer’s Theory U is thus reflected upon in this study as well to help explain and clarify these perspectives so that appropriate strategies can be found to improve teacher development and quality performance in turn.

Ce mémoire examine l'adoption des téléphones mobiles et l'utilisation des messages texte (SMS) par les adolescents chinois, selon la théorie des usages et gratifications et de la recherche sur la communication par ordinateur. Certains champs particuliers de l'utilisation des messages textes par les adolescents chinois, comme le contrôle parental, la circulation des chaînes de messages, la popularité des messages de salutations et l'utilisation répandue des émoticônes ont été étudiés. La fonction sociale des SMS, plus particulièrement des pratiques sociales et des relations émotionnelles des adolescents chinois, a également été explorée. Cette étude est basée sur un sondage réalisé sur le terrain auprès de 100 adolescents chinois. Elle révèle que chez les adolescents chinois, les deux principales raisons pour l'adoption du téléphone mobile sont l'influence parentale et le besoin de communication sociale. Quant à l'utilisation des messages texte, elle répond à sept usages et gratifications : la flexibilité, le coût modique, l’intimité, éviter l'embarras, le divertissement, l'engouement et l'évasion. Il a également été observé que les messages texte jouent un rôle positif dans la construction et l'entretien des relations sociales des adolescents chinois. / This thesis examined the adoption of mobile phones and use of SMS among Chinese teenagers based on the uses and gratification theory and computer-mediated communication research. Specific areas of Chinese teenagers’ SMS use, such as parental control, the circulation of chain messages, the popularity of greeting messages and the wide use of emoticons were studied. The social functions of SMS, especially in Chinese teenagers’ social-emotional practice, were explored as well. This study is based on a field survey conducted among one hundred Chinese teenagers. It reveals that, for Chinese teenagers, the two main reasons for the adoption of mobile phones are parental influence and the need for social communication; the use of SMS corresponds to seven uses and gratifications: flexibility, low cost, privacy, embarrassment avoidance, entertainment, fad and escape. SMS is also used by Chinese teenagers to build and maintain their social relationships.