This thesis is concerned with fused filament fabrication (FFF) of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanocomposites, focusing on preliminary optimization of a processing window for 3D printing of mechanically responsive composites and the influence of temperature on mechanical adaptivity, thermal stability, and rheology. CNC thermoplastic nanocomposites are a water responsive, mechanically adaptive material that has been gaining interest in additive manufacturing for 4D-printing applications. Using a desktop FlashForge Pro 3D printer, we first established a viable processing window for a nanocomposite comprising 10 wt% CNCs in a thermoplastic urethane (TPU) matrix, formed into a filament through the combination of masterbatch solvent casting and single screw extrusion. Printing temperatures of 240, 250, and 260°C and printing speeds of 600, 1100, and 1600 mm/min instituted a consistent 3D-printing process that produced characterizable CNC/TPU nanocomposite samples. To distinguish the effects of these parameters on the mechanical properties of the printed CNC/TPU samples, a design of experiments (DOE) with two factors and three levels was implemented for each combination of printing temperature and speed. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) highlighted 43 and 66% increases in dry-state storage moduli values as printing speed increases for 250 and 260°C, respectively. 64 and 23% increases in dry-state storage moduli were also observed for 600 and 1100 mm/min, respectively, as temperature decreased from 260 to 250°C. For samples printed at 240°C and 1600 mm/min, it was determined that that parameter set may have fallen out of the processing window due to inconsistent deposition and lower dry-state storage moduli than what the slower speeds exhibited. As a result, the samples printed at 240°C did not follow the same trends as 250 and 260°C. Further analysis helped determine that the thermal energy experienced at the higher end printing temperatures coupled with the slower speeds decreased the dry-state storage moduli by nearly 50% and lead to darker colored samples, suggesting CNC degradation. Isothermal thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) demonstrated that the CNC/TPU filament would degrade at relative residence times in the nozzle for all the chosen printing temperatures. However, degradation did not eliminate the samples' ability to mechanically adapt to a moisture-rich environment. DMA results verified that mechanical adaptivity was persistent for all temperature and speed combinations as samples were immersed in water. However, for the higher temperatures and slower speeds, there was about a 15% decrease in adaptability. Optimal parameters of 250°C and 1600 mm/min provided the highest dry-state storage modulus of 49.7 +/- 0.5 MPa and the highest degree of mechanical adaptivity of 51.9%. To establish the CNC/TPU nanocomposite's use in 4D printing applications, shape memory analysis was conducted on a sample printed at the optimal parameters. Multiple wetting, straining, and drying steps were conducted to highlight 76% and 42% values for shape fixity and shape recovery, respectively. Furthermore, a foldable box was printed to serve as an example of a self-deployable structure application. The box displayed shape fixity and recovery values of 67% and 26%, respectively, further illustrating significant promise and progress for CNC/TPU nanocomposites in 4D-printed, shape adaptable structures. Further analysis of the effect of degradation during FFF of the CNC/TPU nanocomposite was conducted using rotational rheometry, Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and polymer swelling experiments. A temperature ramp from 180 to 270°C showed a significant increase in complex viscosity (h*) at the chosen printing temperatures (240, 250, and 260°C). Moreover, h* of neat TPU suddenly increases at 230°C, indicating a potential chemical crosslinking reaction taking place. 20-minute time sweeps further verified that h* increases along with steady increases in storage (G') and loss (G'') moduli. From these results, it was hypothesized that crosslinking is occurring between CNCs and TPU. Preliminary characterization with FTIR was used to probe the molecular structure of thermally crosslinked samples. At 1060 and 1703 cm-1, there are significant differences in intensities (molecular vibrations) as the temperature increases from 180 to 260°C related to primary alcohol formation and hydrogen bonded carbonyl groups, respectively. The hypothesis is the disassociation of TPU carbamate bonds into soft segments with primary alcohols and hard segments with isocyanate groups. The subsequent increasing peaks at 1060 and 1703 cm-1 may indicate crosslinking of CNCs with these disassociated TPU segments. To quantify potential crosslinking, polymer swelling experiments were implemented. After being submerged in dimethylformamide (DMF) for 24 hours, CNC/TPU samples thermally aged for 15 minutes at 240, 250, and 260°C retained their filament shape and did not dissolve. The 240 and 250°C aged samples had relatively similar crosslink densities close to 900 mole/cm3. However, from 250 to 260°C, there was about a 36% increase in crosslink density. These results suggest that crosslinking is occurring at these printing temperatures because both CNCs and TPU are thermally degrading into reactive components that will lead to covalent crosslinks degradation. Additional characterization is needed to further verify the chemical structure of these CNC/TPU nanocomposites which would provide significant insight for CNC/TPU processing and 3D printing into tunable printed parts with varying degrees of crosslinking. / Master of Science / This thesis is concerned with the development of a processing window for mechanically adaptive cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanocomposites with fused filament fabrication (FFF) and, evaluating the influence of elevated temperatures on the mechanical, thermal, and rheological properties of said nanocomposite. CNC thermoplastic nanocomposites are a water responsive, mechanically adaptive material that has been gaining interest in additive manufacturing for 4D-printing. Using a desktop 3D-printer, an initial processing window for a 10 wt% CNC in TPU was established with printing temperatures of 240, 250, and 260°C and printing speeds of 600, 1100, and 1600 mm/min. A design of experiments (DOE) was implemented to determine the effects of these parameters on the mechanical properties and mechanical adaptability of printed CNC/TPU parts. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) suggests that combinations of higher temperatures and lower speeds result in reduced storage moduli values for printed CNC/TPU parts. However, mechanical adaptation, or the ability to soften upon water exposure, persists for all the printed samples. Additionally, there was significant discolorations of the printed samples at the higher temperature and slower speed combinations, suggesting thermal degradation is occurring during the printing process. The decrease in storage moduli and discoloration is attributed to thermal energy input, as thermogravimetric analysis indicated thermal degradation was indeed occurring during the printing process regardless of printing temperature. Using the parameters (250°C and 1600 mm/min) that displayed the superior mechanical properties, as well as mechanical adaptivity, shape memory analysis was conducted. The optimal printed part was able to hold 76% of the shape it was strained to, while recovering 42% of the original unstrained shape once immersed in water, indicating potential for shape memory and 4D-printing applications. Furthermore, a foldable box was printed with the optimal parameters and it displayed similar shape memory behavior, illustrating promise for CNC/TPU self-deployable shape adaptable structures. To further study the effect of degradation on the CNC/TPU system, melt flow properties, molecular structure, and polymer swelling were investigated. At the printing temperatures (240, 250, and 260°C), the complex viscosity of the CNC/TPU filament experienced an exponential increase, indicating potential network formation between the CNCs and TPU. Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) highlighted changes in the molecular structure for the CNC/TPU filament as temperature increased from 240 to 260°C, which suggests that chemical structure changes are occurring because of degradation. The hypothesis is TPU is disassociated into free soft and hard segments that the CNCs can covalently crosslink with, which can potentially be explained by the increases in the FTIR intensities relating to TPU and CNC's chemical structure. To further quantify potential crosslinking between CNCs and TPU, polymer swelling experiments were implemented. The results from these experiments suggest that increasing printing temperatures from 240 to 260°C will lead to higher degrees of crosslinking. Further investigation could yield the validity of this crosslinking and additional optimization of FFF printing with CNC/TPU nanocomposites.

In this study, ecosystems were examined to reveal the adaptational processes of individual, family environments, and work environments during and following organizational restructuring. Reorganizing the workplace was expected to lead to changes in the employee's organizational ecosystem as well as the family ecosystem. Transactions between the family and work ecosystems and the individual were examined. The sample of 10 women and 5 men were from a restructured state agency. Transactional human ecology provided the theoretical framework for the study. In-depth interviews were used to gather the data. Document analysis and personal viewpoint provided additional data. Experiences that facilitated the adaptation process were individuals' choosing change, work support groups, families who listened, personal attitudes, and manager's style. Bringing a language of community and concepts of support from the family environment into the work ecosystem also aided adaptation. Experiences that hindered adaptation were the competitive hiring process, conflicts between team work and function work, misinformation, and "little bureaucratic things." In addition, apparent contradictions between the rhetoric of the restructuring vision and reality from the participants' perspective hampered adaptation. Analysis of the collected data provided the beginning of a grounded theory of adaptation to organizational restructuring. Under restructuring implemented in a manner like that at the agency, employees remaining after the downsizing required time to adapt. They also needed time to grieve for their colleagues who were laid off. Participants' feelings of uncertainty and tension increased if they did not have time to adapt to the new structure and to grieve for laid off colleagues. / Ph. D.

In today's globalized world, effective communication and cross-cultural collaboration are essentialfor success, particularly within multicultural teams. This thesis investigates the intricate interplaybetween language proficiency, cross-cultural adaptability, and team performance in the context ofmulticultural teams. Addressing gaps in understanding how language proficiency and crossculturaladaptability impact cross-cultural communication and team performance withinmultinational corporations in Sweden, this study utilizes structured surveys distributed amongemployees in Swedish multinational corporations with at least one year of work experience. Atotal of 117 employees participated in the initial survey distribution, with 103 valid responsesincluded in the final analysis. This study’s findings shed light on the nuanced influence of language proficiency and culturaladaptability on team performance in multicultural settings. While language proficiencydemonstrates a positive correlation with team performance (β=0.247), its impact appears lesspronounced when English, as a second language, becomes the common communication ground.Conversely, cultural adaptability exhibits a strong positive correlation with team performance(β=0.663), highlighting its critical role in navigating the complexities of diverse teams. Thesefindings suggest that in multicultural environments where a shared second language is used,fostering cultural adaptability may be particularly important for maximizing team performance. This research contributes to the understanding of language proficiency and cross-culturaladaptability within multicultural teams, offering insights for optimizing team dynamics andfostering collaboration in diverse work settings. By recognizing the complexities of languageproficiency and its interaction with team dynamics, organizations can enhance their effectivenessin a globalized business environment.

Intermittent business travel has become an essential part of professional life for many. This exploratory study focused on two types of business-related travel. Short-term travel included frequent trips which lasted a week or less. Long-term travel included trips which lasted a minimum of three weeks at a time. Twenty couples, in which the husband was the business traveler, completed questionnaires and were interviewed individually. The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales-FACES III (Olson, Portner, & Lavee, 1985) was used to measure couple functioning. No significant differences on either adaptability or cohesion were found between the two groups of business travel couples. The couples in this study reported a significantly higher level of adaptability when the mean score on the adaptability scale of each of these two groups was compared with the mean score of the sample upon which FACES III was normed (p <.0001). Significant group differences were reported on the ways the couples dealt with the eminent departure of the husband, the couples’ adjustment when the husbands returned, the stress resulting from travel reported by the husbands, and the amount of contact the couples had while the husbands were away. Methods of coping used by husbands and wives and support systems used by the wives were also explored. Implications of the findings and suggestions for further research are included. / Master of Science

Salesperson performance has been heavily researched in the marketing literature. Previous research has identified various personality traits, salesperson behaviors, and situational characteristics that affect salesperson performance. Results indicate that no single approach to the study of salesperson performance is sufficient by itself. This study investigated the interactions among personality, situational, and behavioral characteristics of salespeople, and their effect on salesperson performance. Since the adaptive behavior construct has been cited as a key determinant to understanding these interactions, an examination of the adaptive behavior-performance relationship was undertaken. A model of adaptive selling behavior was developed and empirically tested. An analysis of the data suggests that adaptive behavior (e.g., salesperson planning process) affects salesperson performance. ln addition, several of the situational characteristics (i.e., sales position characteristics, customer variables, salesperson-customer relationship, personal resources, and managerial variables), utilized in this study, were found to affect both adaptive behavior (i.e., salesperson planning process and customer interaction) and salesperson performance. The results of this study provide theoretical, methodological, and substantive implications concerning the adaptive behavior to performance relationships. The study concludes with suggested directions for future research. / Ph. D.

In points, the description of this manuscript content, as follows: - Explores how administrative innovation is generated and implemented in Kuwait's public sector, particularly during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. - Focuses on understanding how such innovation contributes to adaptability in both crisis and post-crisis periods. - Employs a grounded theory methodology, utilizing data from interviews, document analysis, and observations to develop a theoretical framework. - Identifies key characteristics of Kuwait's public sector that both enable and constrain innovation, such as the dominance of oil-fueled public sector jobs and the prevalence of bureaucratic culture. - Examines the pandemic's impact on public sector operations and the adaptive measures taken, including the rapid adoption of digital technologies and increased reliance on public-private partnerships. - Proposes a theoretical framework highlighting the central role of "exploring feedback" in driving administrative innovation and enhancing adaptability. Suggests that actively seeking and incorporating feedback from citizens, stakeholders, and data analysis fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the public sector. - Offers valuable insights into strategies for fostering innovation-driven resilience across diverse public sectors, contributing to the fields of public administration, innovation studies, and crisis management. / The dissertation investigates the generation and implementation of administrative innovation within Kuwait's public sector, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, to understand how such innovation contributes to adaptability in both crisis and post-crisis periods. The research employs a grounded theory methodology, utilizing data from interviews, document analysis, and observations to develop a theoretical framework. The study identifies key characteristics of Kuwait's public sector that both enable and constrain innovation, such as the dominance of oil-fueled public sector jobs and the prevalence of bureaucratic culture. It also explores the pandemic's impact on operations and the adaptive measures taken, including the rapid adoption of digital technologies and the increased reliance on public-private partnerships. The study concludes by proposing a theoretical framework that highlights the central role of "exploring feedback" in driving administrative innovation and enhancing adaptability. The findings suggest that actively seeking and incorporating feedback from citizens, stakeholders, and data analysis fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the public sector. By analyzing the Kuwaiti experience, the research offers valuable insights into strategies for fostering innovation-driven resilience across diverse public sectors, contributing to the fields of public administration, innovation studies, and crisis management.

Preadolescence is a transitional stage between childhood and adolescence characterized by rapid and erratic change. Preadolescent girls are particularly vulnerable to negative impacts to self-concept and adaptability and may benefit from support to strengthen these key aspects of their development. School-based expressive arts groups provide a developmentally appropriate opportunity for preadolescent girls to process their thoughts, feelings, and experiences that can influence their self-concept and adaptability. Additionally, providing expressive arts groups from a career perspective provides participants a three-fold developmental intervention that includes components of the personal/social, academic, and career domains. Lindo and Ceballos combined the Career Construction Interview (CCI) with expressive arts school-based group counseling to create a developmentally appropriate intervention called the Child and Adolescent Career Construction Interview (CACCI). This study examined preadolescent girls' perceptions of participated in a CACCI group. Analysis of data yielded four major themes: (a) experiencing, (b) connecting, (c) expressing, and (d) becoming. Finding of this study have the potential to inform developmentally appropriate career counseling for preadolescents.

by Leung Hiu Tung, Vivien. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 174-184). / Chapter Chapter One: --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1) --- Economic Restructuring in Hong Kong --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2) --- An Agenda Of and For Working Class Families --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3) --- Synopsis of Arguments --- p.5 / Chapter 1.4) --- "Methodology, Sampling and Limitation" --- p.13 / Chapter 1.5) --- Structure of This Thesis --- p.16 / Chapter Chapter Two: --- "Gender, Family and the Economy" --- p.18 / Chapter 2.1) --- Social Dimension of Economic Restructuring --- p.18 / Chapter 2.2) --- "Family, Gender and the Economy" --- p.20 / Chapter 2.3) --- Unpacking the Chinese Family --- p.24 / Chapter 2.4) --- Reconceptualizing Family Strategy --- p.26 / Chapter 2.5) --- Framework and Conceptualization --- p.32 / Chapter Chapter Three: --- The Socio-Political Context of Economic Restructuring in Hong Kong / Chapter 3.1) --- The Hong Kong Way of Economic Restructuring --- p.39 / Chapter 3.2) --- Economic Restructuring: A Private Problem of Workers --- p.42 / Chapter 3.3) --- The Gendered Labour Market Under Economic Restructuring --- p.46 / Chapter Chapter Four: --- Gender Embeddedness of Strategization --- p.50 / Chapter 4.1) --- Major Concerns of Coping Responses --- p.52 / Chapter 4.2) --- Strategic Orientation --- p.55 / Chapter 4.3) --- Familial Resources and Constraints in Devising Coping Responses --- p.59 / Chapter 4.4) --- Subjective Engagement of the Actors --- p.63 / Chapter Chapter Five: --- Familial Embeddedness I-- Strategization of Impoverished Families --- p.68 / Chapter 5.1) --- The Predicaments of Impoverished Families --- p.69 / Chapter 5.2) --- Impoverished Traditional Families: Patriarchal Household Resource Mobilization --- p.73 / Chapter 5.3) --- Impoverished Flexible Families: Negotiating Household Resource --- p.85 / Chapter 5.4) --- Impoverished Solitary Families: Relying on External Resource --- p.93 / Chapter 5.5) --- Strategization in Impoverished Families --- p.96 / Chapter Chapter Six: --- Familial Embeddedness II-- Strategization of Sustainable Families --- p.99 / Chapter 6.1) --- Sustainable Traditional Families: Securing Breadwinner's Employment --- p.101 / Chapter 6.2) --- Sustainable Flexible Families: Negotiating Couple's Employment --- p.113 / Chapter 6.3) --- Strategization in Sustainable Families --- p.123 / Chapter Chapter Seven: --- Familial Embeddedness III-- Strategization of Affluent Families --- p.127 / Chapter 7.1) --- Mobilizing Breadwinner's Employment --- p.128 / Chapter 7.2) --- Trivializing Wife's Employment --- p.131 / Chapter 7.3) --- Strategization in Affluent Families --- p.138 / Chapter Chapter Eight: --- Conclusion --- p.140 / Chapter 8.1) --- The Gender Embeddedness and Familial Embeddedness of Strategization --- p.141 / Chapter 8.2) --- The Social Impacts of Economic Restructuring -- Gender and Intraclass Differences --- p.143 / Chapter 8.3) --- Theoretical Implication: Family Strategy Revisited --- p.147 / Endnotes --- p.155 / Appendix / Chapter 1: --- Tables --- p.162 / Chapter 2: --- Profile of the Informants and of their Families --- p.164 / Chapter 3: --- Question Set for In-depth Interviews --- p.169 / Bibliography --- p.174 / LIST OF TABLES / Table 1.1 Gender Difference in Strategization --- p.5 / Table 1.2 Familial Embeddedness in Strategization --- p.7 / Table 4.1 Gender Difference in Strategization (Same as Table 1.1) --- p.51 / Table 4.2 Categorization of Informants Across Attitudes and Major Concerns in Strategization --- p.51 / Table 5.1 Familial Embeddedness in Strategization (Same as Table 1.2) --- p.68 / Table 5.2 Categorization of Families According to Different Familial Contexts --- p.69 / Appendix 1 / "Table I Persons and Percentage Engaged in Selected Economic Sectors, 1985-94" --- p.162 / Table II Establishments and Persons Engaged in the Manufacturing Sector --- p.162 / Table III Nominal and Real Wage Indices of Payroll per Person Engaged --- p.164

The research focused on the relationship between hardiness and career adaptability of students studying at Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges in Gauteng. A quantitative survey was conducted on a convenience sample of (N = 198) of African (92.9%), female (57.6%), single (96.0%), aged 21 years and younger (93.9%) students enrolled at Gauteng TVET colleges for N1 – N6 Engineering Studies (32.8%). A correlational analysis indicated differences between the variables of hardiness and career adaptability and the study reveals that overall hardiness was significantly related to overall career adaptability. A stepwise regression analysis indicated that gender and the hardiness attributes (commitment, control and challenge) predicted career adaptability. The test for significant mean differences indicated that age, gender and field of study differ significantly between the variables of hardiness and career adaptability. Limitations for the study are outlined. Furthermore, recommendations are suggested for use by human resource regarding career development practices for TVET college students. The study concludes with an evaluation of its contribution. / Human Resource Management / M. Com. (Human Resource Management)

In order to assess flexibility in acquiring and using conflicting response rules, rats with selective lesions of the NBM or sham-lesion controls were subjected to serial reversal training in a simple operant discrimination paradigm. The NBM lesion group did not differ from the control group in acquisition of the original rules; the NBM lesion group required more time to master the changes in rules in the first reversal, but not in subsequent reversals.