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This thesis investigates migration aspirations and experiences of female Polish migrant workers and returnees, who have been working and living in the UK. In the face of theoretical debates and a lack of knowledge on the experience of Polish women as migrant workers in the UK, a contextualised study prioritising the narratives of the interviewees was established. The theoretical and methodological approach is characterised by grounded theory methodology informed by theoretical sensitivity, which is combined with the analysis of biographical narrative interviews, semi-structured expert interviews, and secondary quantitative data. Through this approach, the conditions and influential factors that shape female Polish migrant workers’ aspirations and experiences, as well the way in which they make meaning of them, are scrutinised. Different patterns of migration aspirations have been constructed by the informants’ narratives – migration as a solution, as a family strategy or as an opportunity. Furthermore, specificities of working and living in the UK have been established, marked by different routes into employment, migrant and feminised work, and different patterns of work trajectories; as well as social networks, transnational lives and experiences of women and family life. Constructions of return decisions or the lack of return motivations, as well as experiences after return, bring forth the relevance of expectations resulting in the question: ‘return to what?’ Additionally, return plans have been adapted in the face of structural constraints or because of individual preferences, which were at times overruled in the context of return as a family strategy. Return was also constructed, however, as path to personal or professional fulfilment, as an opportunity, or as a result of disappointment. In the context of the conditions of the enlarged EU providing the freedom of movement, the post-transformation labour market in Poland, and the gendered and migrant labour market segmentation in the UK, as well as gender regimes, female Polish migrant workers actively mediated their migration aspirations and experiences.

The study is designed to assess the presence or absence of recognizable planning processes within the savings and loan industry in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex. Planning processes found are analyzed as to their content and scope in order to describe them in as accurate a manner as possible.

The present master thesis deals with non-banking microfinance institutions and examines its abilities and role in the poverty alleviation process. It is more than necessary to pay attention to the rural sector and its development as any successful transition of the economy requires transition of the rural sector as well. In many transition economies people in the rural areas continue to live on the edge of poverty, engaged in subsistence agriculture and remain susceptible to wide range of shocks. In such countries rural population unlike urban one did not benefit to the same extend from transition and need special attention and supporting policy measures. Due to low penetration rate of microfinance institutions into rural areas, lacking or insufficient size of collateral, financial illiteracy many poor but active man face problems to obtaining finance for the development of new income opportunities. In this context the master thesis emphasizes the role of savings and credit associations, which unlike the commercial banks operate mainly in rural sector, have the most significant effect on poverty alleviation. Finally, the author analyses the activity of 3 non-banking microfinance institutions of the Republic of Moldova and uses publicly available data to calculate the outreach, efficiency and...

This doctoral dissertation aimed to explore English language teachers’ construal of membership in English language teachers’ (ELTs’) associations. The study initially examined teachers’ perceptions of membership via an examination of their experience of it – why they become or do not become a member, and/or why they continue or forfeit membership. Thereafter, teachers’ perceptions on what membership says about professionalism were probed as well as what the meanings of membership are to them. Data were obtained using face-to-face semi-structured interviews with eight Japanese English language teachers working at universities in the Kanto and Hokuriku regions of Japan. The findings showed that, experience-wise, teachers become members because they either perceive membership as an occupational norm, a means to gain employment or a way to access CPD. Conversely, teachers do not become members for reasons of being occupied with work, avoiding unwanted responsibility, being able to access the same benefits and/or lacking confidence. Teachers who continue their membership(s) do so because of CPD, feeling unable to leave, and/or because of the financial support provided by their universities. In contrast, teachers who forfeit membership do so because membership fees are too high and/or because they are too busy with work. In terms of what membership says about professionalism, teachers perceived it as not only a marker of professionalism but also, paradoxically, a counter-collegial practice. As for the meanings of membership to participants, it was seen as something giving rise to a fragmented professional self and the feeling of one being either ‘an insider’ and/or ‘outsider’ within an association. These findings, it is argued, point to membership being more for professionalization rather than professionalism purposes, seemingly as a result of the emerging forces of managerialism and neo-liberalism which appear to have created an atmosphere of accountability and competition rather than camaraderie in Japan-based ELTs’ associations. This, in turn, has led the Japanese ELT practitioner, at least at the university level, to become complicit in the creation of a fragmented/hybrid professional self composed of clashing multiple identities where one is rendered ambivalent and uncertain yet somehow able to adapt and cope. This professional self says much about the need for ELTs’ associations in Japan and perhaps elsewhere to engage in a critical discussion of what counts as ‘professionalism’ by raising and attending to the importance of member voice.

This case study research focuses on the experience of Migrant Student Mothers (MSM) as a particular stakeholder group in an inner city Higher Education Institution (HEI) within a context of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Widening Participation (WP) and the Employability agenda of the contemporary Higher Education (HE) environment are given a particular focus as relevant aspects of the discussion with regard to MSM and the importance of considering a CSR approach to HE stakeholders. Affect Theory was utilised as the lens through which the data was thematically analysed, given the affective attributes that mothers assign to CSR and the affective overarching embodiment of affects as emerged from this research. This study argues that the central theme attributed to affects in the individual's experiences is hope. The findings highlight the invisibility of MSM in HE and that the significance of a reciprocal relationship between material experiences and affective understanding, enables this particular subgroup of the students, to act and progress, both as migrant mothers and as students, through their migration and education trajectories, enabling both themselves and their children to occupy a place as future global citizens. The findings support that the material vehicles available to stakeholders groups are paramount in facilitating such hope and therefore the needs for business entities to actively respond to the needs of these stakeholders. The research approach that was undertaken, adopting an interpretivist paradigm, was carried out through case study method, utilising several data collection tools in order to gain a rich and in-depth picture of the chosen case. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken at two key points of the academic year with four different stakeholder groups, including over 230 hours verbatim transcription; biographical personal self-definition forms, research diary; and, an in-depth investigation of the University's policies, documentation, existing statistics, generic emails, management address and publicly available information such as the university website. The thesis points out that across the many CSR definitions and research there is still an untouched discourse that fails to recognise the heterogeneous complexity of stakeholder groups and within them 'invisible stakeholders'. Building on a synthesis of Hopkins' (2016) CSR definition which adopts a stakeholder orientation, the thesis builds on current stakeholder theory by promulgating a three-phase CSR process, encompassing a new CSR model: The Triplex-Invisible Stakeholders, which recognises the heterogeneity of different stakeholder groups through exploring linkages between them, and thus making the invisible stakeholders visible.

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

We analyse the properties of extrasolar planets, other close companions and their hosts. We start by identifying a sample of the detected extrasolar planets that is minimally affected by the selection effects of the Doppler detection method. With a simple analysis we quantify trends in the surface density of this sample in the Msini-period plane. A modest extrapolation of these trends puts Jupiter in the most densely occupied region of this parameter space, thus suggesting that Jupiter is a typical massive planet rather than an outlier. We then examine what fraction of Sun-like (~ FGK) stars have planets. We find that at least ~25% of stars possess planets when we limit our analysis to stars that have been monitored the longest and whose low surface activity allow the most precise radial velocity measurements. The true fraction of stars with planets may be as large as ~100%. We construct a sample of nearby Sun-like stars with close companions (period < 5 years). By using the same sample to extract the relative numbers of stellar, brown dwarf and planetary companions, we verify the existence of a very dry brown dwarf desert and describe it quantitatively. Approximately 16% of Sun-like stars have close companions more massive than Jupiter: 11% +- 3% are stellar, <1% are brown dwarf and 5% +- 2% are giant planets. A comparison with the initial mass function of individual stars and free-floating brown dwarfs, suggests either a different spectrum of gravitational fragmentation in the formation environment or post-formation migratory processes disinclined to leave brown dwarfs in close orbits. Finally we examine the relationship between the frequency of close companions and the metallicity of their Sun-like hosts. We confirm and quantify a ~4 sigma positive correlation between host metallicity and planetary companions. In contrast we find a ~2 sigma anti-correlation between host metallicity and the presence of a stellar companion. Upon dividing our sample into FG and K sub-samples, we find a negligible anti-correlation in the FG sub-sample and a ~3 sigma anti-correlation in the K sub-sample. A kinematic analysis suggests that this anti-correlation is produced by a combination of low-metallicity, high-binarity thick disk stars and higher-metallicity, lower-binarity thin disk stars.

<p>The purpose of this paper was, on the basis of the association’s annual reports, to describe appropriate key performance indicators for non-profit associations. The purpose was furthermore to study how the associations show their goal-attainment.</p><p> </p><p>The research was delimited to contain the second category of non profit associations, which include sports associations. The authors choose three non profit associations, which according to the law, shall draw up annual reports. The three ice hockey associations HV71, MODO Hockey and Frölunda Hockey Club, were thereafter chosen on the basis of those delimits. The research was furthermore delimited to include the parent associations only.  </p><p> </p><p>The authors obtained the basis of the paper through studies of literature and annual reports and via an interview. The authors described different key performance indicators based on these studies and analytical assumptions.</p><p> </p><p>In the study it appeared that all of the three studied associations largely present their goal-attainment in the statement of activity, which is a part of the annual report. The financial key performance indicators that appeared were “the equity ratio” and “the gross profit margin”, which are considered to be appropriate for these three sport associations. It also appeared that the described appropriate non financial key performance indicators could be used as statistical measures to show the three studied association’s goal-attainments and with that consolidate the credibility in their annual reports.   </p>

<p>A strong brand is important for all companies; however, it is imperative for the success of a luxury fashion house as the image is one of its core assets. As strategic alliances are increasing in popularity the effect they have on how customers look at the partner brands is both interesting for the general person, but also – and more importantly – vital knowledge for companies pondering such a strategic move. The major focus of this study is to answer the question of how luxury designers’ collaborations with high street retailer Hennes & Mauritz affect how consumers perceive the luxury designer brand’s image.Theories on both brand extensions and co-branding have been compared to both qualitative and quantitative research conducted for the purpose of this investigation. This comparison has been made by using a model depicting the relationships between the collaborating brands. Through both acquiring a broad scope using the survey and deeper thoughts through focus group interviews the authors were able to gain a more holistic view of how people regard the luxury designer brands. The factors mainly investigated were those of change in awareness and change in purchase behaviour or intention, as they would be indicative of how people felt toward the luxury designer brands.The result of the investigation showed that the general perception of the luxury designer brands after the collaborations was positive with consumers in all segments. The collaboration did not cause a significant backlash on the regular luxury consumers, as the majority of this consumer segment also stated that they were not bothered by the collaborations.The collaborations could be seen as successful for the luxury designer brands as they managed to garner a lot of attention from new consumer groups, whilst at the same time managing to retain their regular customers. The reason found for not having had a negative impact on the brand was the way in which the collaborations were performed. That the brands had chosen a suitable partner where the perceived fit was great; that the associations with the collaboration and the partner brand did not infringe on the associations with the luxury designer brand; and the time frame of the collaboration, all meant that the consumers generally did not lose confidence in the luxury designer brands.</p>