In this thesis, we will present examples of Voronoi diagrams that are not tessellations. Moreover, we will find sufficient conditions on subspaces of E2, S2 and the Poincaré disk and the sets of sites that guarantee that the Voronoi diagrams are pre-triangulations. We will also study g-spaces, which are metric spaces with ‘extendable’ geodesics joining any 2 points and give properties for a set of sites in a g-space that again guarantees that the Voronoi diagram is a pre-triangulation.

The main aim of this thesis is to generate 3D models of human heads from uncalibrated images. In order to extract geometric values of a human head, we find camera parameters using camera auto calibration. However, some image sequences generate non-unique (degenerate) solutions. An algorithm for removing degeneracy from the most common form of camera movement in face image acquisition is described. The geometric values of main facial features are computed initially. The model is then generated by gradual deformation of a generic polygonal model of a head. The accuracy of the models is evaluated using ground truth data from a range scanner. 3D models are covered with cylindrical texture values obtained from images. The models are appropriate for animation or identification applications.

A consecutive number of studies on the adoption trend of logistics technology since 1988 revealed that logistics organizations are not in the frontier when it comes to adopting new technology and this delayed adoption creates an information gap. In the advent of supply chain management and the strategic position of logistics, the need for accurate and timely information to accompany the logistics executives became more important than ever before. Given the integrative nature of logistics technology, failure to implement the technology successfully could result in writing off major investments in developing and implementing the technology or even in abandoning the strategic initiatives underpinned by these innovations. Consequently, the need to employ effective strategies and models to cope with these uncertainties is rather crucial. This thesis addresses the aspect of uncertainty in implementation success by process and factor research models. Process research approach focuses on the sequence of events in the technology transfer process that occurs over time. It explains the story that explains the degree of association between these sequences and implementation success. Through content analysis, this research gathers, extracts, and categorizes process data of actual stories of logistics technology adoption and implementations in organizations that are published in literature. The extracted event sequences are then analyzed using optimal matching from natural science and grouped using cluster analysis. Four patterns were revealed that organizations follow to transfer logistics technology namely, formal minimalist, mutual adaptation, development concerned, and organizational roles dispenser. Factors that contribute to successful implementation in each pattern were defined as the crucial and necessary events that characterized and differentiated each pattern from others. The factor approach identifies the potential predictors of successful technology implementation and tests empirical association between predictors and outcomes. This research develops a logistics technology success model. In developing the model, various streams of research were investigated including logistics, information systems, and organizational psychology. The model is tested using a questionnaire survey study. The data were collected from Australian companies which have recently adopted and implemented logistics technology. The results of a partial least squares structured equation modeling provide strong support for the model constructs and valuable insights to logistics/supply chain managers. The last study reports a convergent triangulation study using multiple case study of three Australian companies which have implemented logistics technology. A within and a cross case analysis of the three cases provide cross validation for the results of the other two studies. The results provided high predictive validity for the two models. Furthermore, the case study approach was so beneficial in explaining and contextualizing the linkages of the factor-based model and in confirming the importance of the crucial events in the process-based model. The thesis concludes with a research and managerial implications chapter which is devoted for logistics/supply chain managers and researchers.

Tourism is promoted by the governments of many developing countries because it offers the potential for creating jobs, thus generating income for the country and revenue for the government. However, the tourism industry can also be viewed as a destructive force, associated with negative externalities such as the loss of natural landscapes, congestion, and environmental and cultural degradation. These problems are more likely to be exacerbated where there is a lack of well-designed planning and effective management of tourism development. An essential component of any management of tourism is the ability to engage with, and get a positive response from, the tourism industry. There are a wide range of enterprises involved in providing tourist products and experiences, and in many nations, both developing and developed, a large number of these businesses are small and medium in size and tend to operate at a local scale. The informal nature of tourism enterprises in the developing world can make it difficult to spread awareness of tourism policy and to measure moves towards more sustainable performance on the part of the industry. Using the case study of tourism in the city of Hue, this thesis argues that it is essential to understand both what tourism enterprises know about sustainable tourism practice and policy and also how they respond to its adoption, if we are to more fully understand tourism and its links to sustainable economic development. Located on the central northern coast of Vietnam, Hue is well known for its cultural resources and natural beauty, and the province has become a major tourism centre in Vietnam. The city of Hue itself is recognized as having international heritage value and was listed as a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO in 1993. During the last decade, tourism revenues have increased by nearly 35% per annum, and Hue has made great efforts to both stimulate and cater for increasing demand for its tourism products and services. The Vietnamese government has introduced a number of policies designed to enhance environmental quality generally and, more specifically, to improve the sustainability of enterprises in the tourism sector. This thesis examines the degree to which tourism enterprises in the city of Hue are aware of the broad concept of sustainable tourism and of the specific legislation designed to influence the sustainability of their businesses. I examine the structure and make-up of the industry and then analyse whether characteristics such as size, ownership type and sectoral focus play a role in influencing awareness of, and response to, government policy. The research triangulates data-gathering methods: secondary data, literature reviews, semi-structured interviews and an enterprise survey are all used to gain insights into the core research questions. Each method feeds into and is strengthened by the others, and their combination (including 50 interviews and 180 survey responses) provides a robust data set to work from. The findings reveal that many of the firms operating in the Hue tourism industry are characterized by weak institutional practices, low financial capacity, poor facilities and a lack of broader awareness of policies that influence sustainable tourism practice. The tourism industry’s awareness of general sustainable development issues is low, and much business practice focuses on short-term rather than long-term perspectives. This limits the use of environmentally friendly practices by firms, especially small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), in their daily business activities. The study reveals that there is no significant variation in the adoption of sustainable tourism practices according to the size of enterprises, especially if the practices in question are simple and can be introduced with cost savings. However, as the cost and complexity of introducing environmental measures increases, we see a greater ability on the part of larger enterprises to adopt such actions – partly because they are in a stronger position to bear the short-terms costs of implementing such approaches. There are a wide range of factors that constrain the Hue tourism industry from adopting more sustainable tourism practices. Internal constraints such as limited financial and human resources are combined with external constraints such as increasing cost-based competition, the lack of enforcement of government policies, and limited awareness of sustainable tourism pracitces. All of these factors play a crucial role in shaping the actions of enterprises in relation to sustainable tourism practices and policies. The results of this study also point to the fact that government sustainable tourism initiatives that rely on ‘command-and-control’ approaches will have limited effect; instead, a variety of institutional economic instruments offer greater potential to overcome deficiencies in the ability of the market to drive tourism enterprises towards more sustainable business practices. The thesis also argues that it is important to develop approaches that can cope with the special challenges attached to management of sustainable tourism development in destinations that are dominated by SMEs. The thesis contributes to the growing body of theory and literature in sustainable tourism development and tourism-enterprise behaviour. It also makes an important contribution to our understanding of tourism enterprises in the developing world. In particular, the findings add an important layer of understanding to those attempting to develop a more sustainable tourism industry in Vietnam. Specifically, it provides policy-makers with important insights into the ways in which different types of tourism enterprises respond to initiatives that relate to improved business sustainability.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Missouri University of Science and Technology, 2008. / Vita. The entire thesis text is included in file. Title from title screen of thesis/dissertation PDF file (viewed May 6, 2008) Includes bibliographical references (p. 229-235).

Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

University, Diss., 2003--Tübingen.

Cette thèse est consacrée à l'étude de la contingence culturelle de l'intention-action de création d'entreprise. Elle met en oeuvre une recherche empirique qui permet, au travers de la démarche de triangulation, d'explorer le rôle de la culture nationale dans ces notions. Une analyse théorique des principaux concepts dans le domaine de l'entrepreneuriat et de la culture nationale, permettra de mettre en évidence un cadre conceptuel adapté à l'étude de la contingence culturelle de l'intention entrepreneuriale. En effet, ce dernier propose une approche intégrant les différents niveaux d'analyse de la culture nationale et leurs incidences sur la formation de l'intention entrepreneuriale. La thèse présente son projet en termes de problématique et de méthodologie, au travers d'un processus de collecte de données, par entretiens et questionnaires, sur 35 études de cas de créateurs de TPE en provenance de la région Lorraine (France) et de la région Grand Tunis (Tunisie). Les traitements de ces données (analyses qualitative et quantitative) conduisent à adopter la contingence culturelle de la désirabilité et de la faisabilité perçues de se lancer en affaires. La recherche suggère aux acteurs décideurs que l'intention entrepreneuriale ne peut-être considérée comme universelle. En revanche, elle peut être investie au travers de certaines caractéristiques culturelles spécifiques, notamment les valeurs et croyances culturelles, le contexte relationnel, les motivations, les modèles d'entrepreneurs, etc. Ainsi, cette étude met en avant l'imbrication de la culture nationale et la culture entrepreneuriale. / This thesis is dedicated to study a cultural contingency of the entrepreneurial intention-action. It uses empirical research which permits, through a triangulation method, to explore the role of national culture in these notions. A theoretical analysis of main concepts on entrepreneurship and national culture enables to suggest an adapted conceptual framework for studying cultural contingency on entrepreneurial intention. In fact, this framework proposes an approach that permits to integrate different analysis levels of national culture and their effects on the entrepreneurial intention formation. The thesis presents its problematic and methodological project, through interviews and questionnaires applied in 35 case studies of small business creators, coming from "Lorraine" region (France) and "Grand Tunis" region (Tunisia). The data treatment (quantitative and qualitative analysis) brings to adopt the cultural contingency of perceived desirability and feasibility to start a business. The research suggests that intention of business creation can't be considered as universal. On the other hand it can be surrounded according to specific cultural characteristics, particularly, cultural values and beliefs, relational context, motivations, entrepreneurs' roles models, etc. It defends also the imbrication's entrepreneurial and national cultures.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the overall role of a Communicator within a civil society organization (CSO). The aim was to clarify the role of a Communicator by examining the daily functions, the approach applied, abilities required, as well as skills employed. In addition, the study focused on CSO organizational structure and leadership with respect to the role of the Communicator. To do so, the author studied her own functioning in the role of CSO Communicator. The triangulated qualitative research approach applied primarily participant observation, exercised through unobtrusive measures. The results showed support for the approach of a Business Communicator.

Orientador: Antonio Maria Garcia Tommaselli / Banca: Aluir Porfírio Dal Poz / Banca: Antonio Machado e Silva / Resumo: A partir da década de 1970, com o início dos programas espaciais civis para fins de sensoriamento remoto, foi possível observar, fotografar e analisar a Terra a partir de dados gerados por plataformas orbitais. Atualmente, embora os sistemas orbitais sejam equipados com sensores de orientação direta (GNSS, giroscópios, sensores de estrelas, dentre outros), nem sempre as imagens corrigidas a partir dos dados (efemérides e atitude) provenientes destes sensores apresentam a acurácia requerida para certas aplicações. Para solucionar este problema é necessário orientar indiretamente estas imagens com elementos de controle no espaço objeto (pontos, retas e/ou áreas) ou corrigir os parâmetros orbitais a partir destes elementos de controle. O objetivo principal deste trabalho consiste em estudar, adaptar e avaliar experimentalmente modelos matemáticos rigorosos para a Fototriangulação de imagens orbitais utilizando pontos e retas como controle de campo. Os modelos matemáticos que relacionam os espaços objeto e imagem se baseiam nas condições de colinearidade (pontos) e coplanaridade (retas). Estes modelos foram implementados no programa TMS, seguindo a abordagem de triangulação multissensor com controle multi-feições. As entidades do espaço objeto (pontos e retas) foram levantadas em campo com o uso de um receptor GNSS de dupla frequência. Foram realizados experimentos com dados simulados e reais referentes ao sensor CBERS-2B HRC. Nos casos estudados, não houve melhora significativa nos resultados ao aplicar a Fototriangulação em bloco, quando comparado à orientação individual das imagens. Verificou-se também que a combinação dos modelos de colinearidade (pontos) e coplanaridade (retas)... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Earth observation and analysis became feasible since the 70s with the civil spatial programs for remote sensing purpose. Nowadays, orbital imaging systems are equipped with direct orientation sensors. However, the images corrected using the orientation data (ephemeris and attitude) provided by these sensors are not always suitable for applications that require high metric accuracy. As a consequence, it is necessary to estimate indirectly the orientation elements of these images using ground control elements in the object space (points, lines and area), or to correct the orbital parameters using these control elements. The aim of this work is to study, adapt and experimentally assess rigorous bundle block adjustment models for orbital imagery using points and lines as control elements. The mathematical models relating object and image spaces are based on collinearity (points) and coplanarity (lines) conditions. The models were implemented in the in-house developed software TMS (Triangulation with Multiple Sensors), considering the multissensor triangulation with multifeatures control (points and lines) approach. The object space entities were surveyed with a dual-frequency GNSS receiver. Experiments with simulated and real data from the CBERS-2B HRC sensor were accomplished. The results showed that applying the bundle block adjustment... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre