This study aims to explore and create a deeper understanding of companies' leadership and discover how national culture relates to authentic leadership in a Swedish context. In addition to the purpose, the following research question is formulated; What are the characteristics of authentic leadership in Swedish managers from an employee's perspective? This study is based on a qualitative study with a deductive approach to get a deeper understanding of the topic rather than a broader perspective. The empirical data was gathered through eight interviews with people who work in the private and public sectors of business, and interviews were conducted through Zoom. Our analysis identified two main themes, and these are connected to the national culture in Sweden. Swedish managers are skilled listeners and diplomatic leaders, which affects authenticity, showing how national culture can affect authenticity.

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With social movements like Black Lives matter, #MeToo and Fridays For Future on the rise consumers expect companies to take a stand on these socio-political topics. A new marketing strategy, called brand activism is used to communicate brands values and actions. This paper will conduct a case study of the company Oatly which has been standing out for its daring marketing strategies and analyze their visual communication by using the methods of visual analysis, semiotics and critical discourse analysis. The main research question is how Oalty uses its visual communication to convey brand activism. By analyzing one oat drink packaging, an ad campaign and an Instagram post the findings of this paper conclude that Oatly has several ways of communicating brand activism. These include the use of value based communication, referencing historical activism movements and the sociopolitical theme of promoting a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. The question arises about the authenticity of their opinions and the motives behind their brand activism. So whilst it's clear that companies like Oatly can convey the message of brand activism, this new marketing strategy needs further guidelines and methods of verification to ensure the use of authentic brand activism.

This thesis explores the narratives of individuals in southern Ontario who have adopted the practice of Reiki. Focusing on the narratives of Reiki Masters and practitioners, this thesis examines the relationships between illness, healing, and authenticity within the larger framework of energy work. The overarching goal of this thesis is to demonstrate the way in which Reiki Masters and practitioners draw on their experiences of Reiki to create meaning. As practitioners’ narratives reflect, illness is understood as multivalent in nature, and thereby may be physical, emotional and/or psychological, and spiritual. As these narratives show, illness becomes a framework through which individuals can interpret their experience. Often described as a conduit for the universal energy, the Reiki practitioner and his or her role are central to understanding the relationship between Reiki and healing. I propose that Reiki can be interpreted as a form of religious healing. Following Csordas’ (1983, 2002) “rhetoric of transformation,” I propose that Reiki provides a means through which practitioners become able to re-order experience. Like illness, Reiki Masters and practitioners also understand healing in multiple ways, including physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual. Finally, I explore the increased interest in Reiki in the West and the importance to practitioners of the relationship between Reiki and Japanese culture. Through an analysis of Reiki practitioners’ narratives, I will demonstrate that the nature of their experience and their interpretations of that experience influences their notions of what constitutes “authentic” or “real” Reiki. Ultimately, it is a fluid and flexible construction of the “authentic” which allows practitioners the space in which to interpret for themselves their own experiences with Reiki. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

This development design research dissertation used Richey and Klein's (1996) Type 2 model to create guidelines that inform instructional designers when designing authentic tasks in the online environment. Herrington and Oliver (2000) state that designing authentic tasks for online learning can be captured using nine characteristics. Bonk and Dennen's (2003) research empirically demonstrated a Framework for Online Instruction. Combining these two research frameworks, guidelines to inform the decisions to of instructional designers when for authentic in the online environment are designed, developed, and validated with expert reviewers in authentic learning. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study was to explore teaching for meaningfulness in a school setting. I feel that a better understanding of teaching for meaningfulness can support the practice of teachers who desire to teach for meaningfulness. I elected to do a case study using qualitative methods while focusing for five months on a teacher's literacy program. Through this look at the everyday life of one public school teacher and her class a picture of an exemplary example of teaching for meaningfulness could be painted. Interviews, fieldnotes, journals, observations, various site artifacts, and a brief teacher autobiography comprised the primary data collection sources. Informants included a third grade teacher, eighteen third grade students, and a school language arts coordinator. / Ph. D.

In response to the demands of 21st century teacher preparation practices, this developmental study was instigated by the need to employ appropriate strategies in the teaching of English as second language (L2) in Malawi. Using situated cognition theoretical construct as a basis, a framework for teaching L2 English as a situated practice was created. The development process was guided by views and practices of English methodology faculty members in Malawi's five secondary school teacher training institutions. The study was conducted in three phases, (i) analysis, where eight English methodology faculty members from Malawi's five institutions of higher learning were interviewed on the strategies they use to train pre-service secondary school teachers of English, (ii) development, where the framework was created based on results from the analysis phase, and (iii) evaluation and revision where the framework was reviewed and validated by a situated cognition expert and three of the faculty members interviewed in Malawi before it was revised. / Ph. D.

The adoption of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology in social studies classroom practices has helped accelerate the achievement of educational goals. However, despite the value that GIS possesses for supporting student learning skills, few schools have adopted it so far. A reason for this deficiency lies in the absence of specific instructional models that demonstrate possible methods for incorporating GIS into class curriculum. This study sought to address this problem, tailored specifically for Kuwaiti social studies classrooms, with the design, development, and validation of a GIS Instructional Model to facilitate AIW. The study employed a design and development research methodology, comprised of five major phases, (i) selection of model components and theoretical foundation, (ii) analysis and development, (iii) formative feedback, (iv) revision, and (v) usability evaluation. In phase one, the Inquiry Design Model (IDM) format and components with AIW framework were selected to provide basic guidelines for the GIS Instructional Model. In phase two, following a comprehensive review of relevant academic literature, and in combination with personal experience, the researcher developed a preliminary GIS Instructional Model. In phase three, two expert reviewers evaluated the model, delivering their opinions by completing an online survey and taking part in follow-up interviews. The expert reviewers were primarily tasked with determining the model's ability to facilitate AIW in a social studies classroom, and providing suggestions for improving its performance. In phase four, the details gleaned from this formative feedback phase were then used to revise the model and enhance its effectiveness. In the last phase, six Kuwaiti expert reviewers assessed this updated version of the GIS Instructional Model to determine what barriers it might face regarding its implementation in the Kuwaiti educational system. They completed an online survey as part of this process and provided possible solutions to address perceived barriers. The data gained from expert reviewer feedback in these formative and usability evaluation phases were analyzed using qualitative methodologies. This step-by-step procedure helped to validate the model. As a result, a ready-to-implement teaching model, with all necessary teaching materials and instructions, was developed for Kuwaiti social studies classrooms. This model is proposed to enable social studies teachers to better understand how to integrate GIS into their classrooms to support AIW. Recommendations are provided for Kuwaiti educational policymakers and stakeholders to help overcome perceived obstacles that may hinder model implementation; suggestions for future research are also included. / Doctor of Philosophy / Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are software-based technologies which simplify the gathering, storing and manipulation of spatially-related data in ways which allow users to visually represent complex geographic phenomena more easily, bringing greater understanding for the world around us. As a result, the integration of GIS technology into social studies classroom practices has assisted student learning and achievement. However, despite the value which GIS possesses, few schools have integrated this technology so far. A significant reason for this limitation is the lack of clear guidelines or models which demonstrate how to employ this technology in the classroom. To help address the problem, this study developed a GIS Instructional Model for Kuwaiti social studies teachers to facilitate student authentic intellectual work, i.e. the student's demonstration of their deeper understanding for the knowledge and skills they are learning. The study employed a design and developmental research methodology, comprised of five major phases, (i) selection of model components and theoretical foundation, (ii) analysis and development, (iii) formative feedback, (iv) revision, and (v) usability evaluation. Phase one involved the selection of the study's theoretical foundation. In phase two, following a comprehensive review of relevant academic literature and, in combination with personal experience, the researcher developed a preliminary GIS Instructional Model. Two expert reviewers evaluated the model in phase three, delivering their opinions by completing an online survey and taking part in follow-up interviews. This feedback was analyzed in phase four, leading to revisions in the GIS Instructional Model to improve its quality for supporting student learning. In the final phase, six Kuwaiti expert reviewers assessed the newly-updated model to determine what barriers it might face regarding its implementation in the Kuwaiti educational system. They completed an online survey as part of this process and provided possible solutions to address these perceived obstacles. This step-by-step procedure helped to validate the model. The overall result was the development of a ready-to-implement teaching model, with all necessary educational materials and instructions, for employing GIS technology in Kuwaiti social studies classrooms to support student authentic intellectual work. In addition, recommendations were provided for Kuwaiti educational policymakers and stakeholders to help overcome perceived obstacles that may hinder model implementation; suggestions for future research are also included.

Yes / Purpose Purpose To extend the ESRC funded UK Seminar Series, Challenging Gendered Media (Mis)Representations of Women Professionals and Leaders; highlight research into the gendered media constructions of women managers and leaders and outline effective methods and methodologies into diverse media. Design/methodology/approach Design/methodology/approach Gendered analysis of television, autobiographies (of Sheryl Sandberg, Karren Brady, Hillary Clinton and Julia Gillard), broadcast news media and media press through critical discourse analysis, thematic analysis, metaphor, computer-aided text analysis software following the format of the Gender Media Monitoring Project (2015) and [critical] ecological framework for advancing social change. Findings Findings Papers surface the gendered nature of media constructions of women managers and leaders and offer methods and methodologies for others to follow to interrogate gendered media. Further the papers discuss: how women’s leadership is glamourized, fetishized, and sexualized; the embodiment of leadership for women; how popular culture can subvert the dominant gaze; how women use agency and how powerful gendered norms shape perceptions, discourses and norms and how these are resisted, repudiated and re-presented. Practical implications Practical implications The papers focus upon how the media constructs women managers and leaders and offers implications of how media influences and is influenced by practice. There are recommendations provided as to how the media could itself be organised differently to reflect diverse audiences and what can be done to challenge gendered media. Originality/value Originality/value: Invited Special Issue comprising inaugural collection of research through which we get to ‘see’ women and leaders and the gendered media gaze and to learn from research into popular culture through analysis of television, autobiographies and media press.