No / This research is an attempt to identify the kind of culture which is needed for a major transnational company to become a circular economy based organization based on the guidelines of Ellen McArthur Foundation. It aims to identify and learn from organizations with the relevant culture on the particular traits which may assist other organizations foster the culture required to implement a circular economy strategy. The information gathered is expected to contribute empirical information on culture management for circular economy strategy and an attempt to fill in the literature gap on strategy, mind-set shift and culture change, especially in transitioning towards sustainable business practices. The thesis mind-map and outline of chapters have been provided. Literature pointed out that alignment between organizational culture and strategy ensures successful implementation. The development of a more sustainable economic model, the circular economy, has triggered organizations to look into their business strategies and adjust accordingly. This research is an attempt to identify and learn from organizations with relevant culture on the particular traits which may assist other organizations foster the culture required to implement a circular economy strategy. The researchers applied Johnson’s (2001) cultural web and other relevant literatures on organizational culture, leadership, collaboration, and form constructs for an exploratory case study. Several management qualities have been mentioned namely the development of cross-functional teams, establishment of relationships beyond transactional partnerships, a risk oriented learning environment, entrepreneurial organization culture and structure, and empathetic leadership.

Brand activism is an increasingly significant theme in business and marketing research. The purpose of this study was to explore consumers' perceptions and expectations of authentic brand activism and to provide a practical guide for brands considering incorporating brand activism into their strategies. This study drew upon the theories of brand authenticity and brand activism, and employed a qualitative research methodology, using focus groups with consumers to gain in-depth insights. The findings reveal that consumers' perceptions of authentic brand activism are shaped by three key antecedents: the brand’s heritage and reputation, the transparency of information provided about the brand's activism efforts, and the inclusion of a clear call-to-action. These findings suggest that brands can enhance the perceived authenticity of their activism efforts by ensuring consistency with their established values and history, prioritizing transparency in their communication, and incorporating a clear call-to-action. Brands can use these insights to develop more effective brand activism strategies, thereby increasing their chances of resonating with consumers and avoiding potential backlash.

Submitted by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2011-09-22T18:13:18Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Fabio Cipolla.pdf: 909425 bytes, checksum: 8f2b0e8b6aae1adc456c6990dafc3588 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2011-09-22T18:13:32Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Fabio Cipolla.pdf: 909425 bytes, checksum: 8f2b0e8b6aae1adc456c6990dafc3588 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2011-09-22T18:13:42Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Fabio Cipolla.pdf: 909425 bytes, checksum: 8f2b0e8b6aae1adc456c6990dafc3588 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2011-09-22T18:13:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Fabio Cipolla.pdf: 909425 bytes, checksum: 8f2b0e8b6aae1adc456c6990dafc3588 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Looking for superior performance of human capital is a key for organizations to exercise greater competitiveness and to achieve higher levels of competition. For this purpose, to conquer the greater involvement of workers is fundamental to improve individual performance and stands out as the main way to build enduring competitive advantage in organizations where, to the leader, is delegated the role of motivator. Recent studies reveal a new approach to understanding the impact of leadership on subordinates. The authenticity. The true leader has the merit of generating self-efficiency on their subordinates, and be perceived through the respect he treats his subordinates, showing high consistency in their actions. This leader assesses the views of their subordinates, provides feedback on performance and possesses values that lead him to be fair, and has the ability to extract extra effort of their team. Therefore, the more 'authentic as a person,' the more you can directly impact the effectiveness of their followers. But this study revealed that there is a component of mediation between the leader and the largest authentic organizational commitment. The psychological contract. In its relational dimension, especially, the psychological contract is said to mediate the relationship between the authenticity of the leader and the largest team commitment, in other words, the authenticity of the leader shapes the way the individual is linked to the organization, so this is an out stand finding and help us to understand what are the real factors influencing the increased performance of employees. / Buscar desempenho superior do capital humano é fator chave para as organizações exercerem maior competitividade e atingir níveis superiores ao da concorrência. Para este intento, conquistar o maior comprometimento dos trabalhadores é fundamental para aumentar o desempenho individual e, se destaca como a principal via para construção de vantagem competitiva duradoura nas organizações onde, ao líder, é delegado o papel de motivador. Estudos recentes desvendam uma nova abordagem para compreender o impacto da liderança sobre os subordinados. A autenticidade. O líder autêntico tem por mérito gerar auto-eficiência em seus liderados, é através do respeito com que trata seus subordinados, demonstra elevada consistência em seus atos, avalia os pontos de vista de seus comandados, provê retorno sobre desempenho e possue valores que o levam a ser justo, tendo ainda, a capacidade de extrair de seus liderados esforço adicional. Portanto, quanto mais 'autêntica como pessoa', mais poderá impactar diretamente na eficácia de seus seguidores. Mas, este estudo revelou que há um componente de mediação entre o líder autêntico e o maior comprometimento organizacional. O contrato psicológico. Em sua dimensão relacional, principalmente, que trata de lealdade e estabilidade, o contrato psicológico se destacou por mediar a relação entre a autenticidade do líder e o maior comprometimento da equipe, ou seja, a autenticidade do líder molda a forma como o indivíduo se vincula à organização, sendo assim uma descoberta relevante a qual nos auxilia a compreender quais são os verdadeiros fatores que influenciam no maior comprometimento e, conseqüente, aumento no desempenho dos trabalhadores.

In this study, I investigated the interactions between multiple intelligences and performance of learners in open-ended digital learning tasks, and to suggest possible approaches to the teaching and learning process using computers in Tanzania. With the current introduction of computers in the education system in Tanzania, the qualities of instruction and learner participation in learning computer application skills and achievement have not necessarily shown improvement (Nelson, Post,&Bickel, 2003; Tilya, 2003). It is imperative for computer teachers to know the pedagogical strategies that can help them use the current technology effectively. Researchers in instructional design have suggested instructional methods that incorporate methods that encourage the use of learner-centered instruction, incorporating activity oriented methods, and problem solving that are designed around real-world problems (Huba&Freed, 2000). Learners will be able use their knowledge effectively, reveal their uniqueness as learners, and learn computer application skills in a social setting (Gardner, 1983; Wiggins, 1993, 1998; Teele, 2000; Huba&Freed, 2000). The theory of multiple intelligences by Howard Gardner (1983) was used as the theoretical framework for this study. The theory postulates that that everybody has at least eight intelligences which reflect different ways of interacting with the world. In an effort to achieve quality learning, learning must be based on multiple approaches with a series of activities which are authentic in nature and have to be completed by the learners. The study was conducted in Tanzania using a qualitative research design. Four secondary schools were selected and 40 learners doing computer studies course participated in the study. Four intelligences from the theory of multiple intelligences were assessed: logic-mathematical, verbal-linguistic, visual-spatial and interpersonal intelligences. Assessment was done using performance assessment procedures. The findings indicated that there are distinctive intelligence profiles apart from the four intelligences that were investigated in this study. Despite the intelligence profiles of the learners, didactical issues that will enhance ICT adoption in the education environment are important. These include the use of authentic tasks, performance assessment to acknowledge learners unique performance abilities across several intelligences and teachers familiarization in the use of performance assessment procedures. / Thesis (PhD (Curriculum Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

No description available.

International assessments indicate that Swedish students achieve high results in reading, writing and understanding English. However, this does not mean that the students display oral proficiency, despite an emphasis on functional and communicative language skills in the current English Syllabus. While a previous literature study by this researcher has shown that authentic texts are a way to increase these skills, most of the results shown are from an international viewpoint. Thus an empirical study was conducted within Sweden with the aim to examine the use of authentic texts in the Swedish EFL upper elementary classroom. Twelve teachers have answered a questionnaire on how they use authentic texts in their language teaching, as well as their opinions about these as a teaching tool. Additionally, 37 students have answered a questionnaire on their attitudes about authentic texts. Results indicate that all of the teachers surveyed see authentic texts as an effective way to increase students’ communicative competence and English language skills; however, only a few use them with any frequency in language teaching. Furthermore, this seems to affect the students’ attitudes, since many say that they read authentic texts in their free time, but prefer to learn English out of a textbook at school. These findings are based on a small area of Sweden. Therefore, further research is needed to learn if these opinions hold true for the entire country or vary dependent upon region or other factors not taken into consideration in this study.

School science and mathematics have been criticized for being difficult, de-contextualised and teacher-centred. This thesis concerns student motivation in science and mathematics in secondary school, and in particular student motivation in relation to student-teacher-scientist partnerships (STSPs) and an authentic science task called the Medicine Hunt where students help scientists to find new antibiotics. The purpose of this dissertation is to interrogate the importance of authentic tasks for motivation in the science classroom. The thesis takes a starting point in motivation theories, with self-determination theory (SDT) in focus, and also builds on the hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (HMIEM). A mixed-methods approach is used first, to find out what factors are important for students’ positive emotions and experiences in the classroom, and second, to learn more about the importance of authentic tasks using student interviews and observations in combination with questionnaires that evaluate students’ motivation. The studies reveal that the notion of having learnt something and intrinsic motivation are central for students’ positive emotions. Further, many situational factors, such as teacher support, autonomy, clear goals, and novelty of the task are central for both positive emotions and experiences in science and mathematics. Regarding the Medicine Hunt, students were positive and referred most of their positive experiences to science-related aspects, and the novelty of authentic science. Teachers gave different opportunities for competence, autonomy or relatedness when implementing the project in their classrooms, and these differences were more important for students’ initiatives and outcomes than students’ initial contextual motivation for school science. Students’ contextual motivation for science can change and the Medicine Hunt arrested the well-documented decline in students’ intrinsic motivation for science during the secondary school years. This thesis argues that authentic tasks implemented as STSPs such as the Medicine Hunt can contribute considerably to school science by providing motivating situations that channel students’ positive emotions and positive experiences, and that is possible to create authentic science learning situations in which both more and less motivated students can flourish. The findings highlight the teachers’ role in supporting the students’ process of extending their understanding of what science can include and in supporting students’ confidence as they adopt a broader and more authentic view of science when learning as part of a successful authentic STSP science project. The findings also suggest that more research focussing on motivation in different authentic situations, and how students’ experiences of authentic science can affect motivation in the longer term, is needed. / Lärandesituationens påverkan på elevers affektiva upplevelser och lärande

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This reflexive narrative traces the development of the author’s authentic leadership fingerprint. The document outlines the author’s developmental journey from the streets of North-End in Port Elizabeth, to the boardroom tables of major telecommunications organisations in Africa, Continental United States and Europe. Utilising autoethnography as a vehicle of enquiry, the author relates his life story, with a specific focus on significant trigger events, individuals who had a positive or negative influence on the development of his world view; and the dynamic of a racially reclassified family living in Apartheid-era South Africa. The author recounts specific incidents and reflects upon significant learnings that continue to influence his leadership style as corporate manager today. The author concludes with a reflection of the transformative power of the autoethnographic process and it’s potential use as a leadership development tool, before defining an authentic leadership fingerprint that is unique to his management style. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie persoonlik reflekterende dokument weerspieël hoe die deurlopende ontwikkeling en persoonlike groei van die outeur se leierseienskappe verfyn is deur sy lewenservaringe en ondervinding. Die roete wat die outeur in sy persoonlike omstandighede moes onderneem om die oorbrugging, vanuit Port Elizabeth se noordelike voorstede, tot in die beheer van vergaderings in raadsale van een van Suid-Afrika, die VSA asook Europa se voorste telekommunikasiespelers te bemeester. Met behulp van outoetnografie, koppel en vereenselwig die outeur die ontwikkeling van sy lewensverhaal met spesifieke gebeurtenisse, positief sowel as negatief, asook met die individue wat ‘n moontlike impak gehad het op sy uitkyk op die lewe sowel as die leierseienskappe wat die outeur vandag in sy daaglikse lewe so suksesvol weerspieël en implimenteer. Die dokument raak ook aan die historiese rasse klassifikasie en apartheidswette van Suid-Afrika en watter impak dit op die outeur se familielewe asook persoonlike opvoeding en ontwikkeling gehad het. Die proporsionele bydrae van hierdie eksterne insette soos vergestalt deur staatsregulasies en diskriminasie word bespreek met spesifieke verwysing na die invloed wat dit gehad het op die ontwikkeling van die outeur as leier en watter impak dit moontlik kon gehad het met verwysing tot die outeur as leier en bestuurder soos wat spanlede en mense in sy daaglikse lewe hom ervaar. Die outeur sluit af met ‘n oorsig gefokus op die moontlike impak wat ‘n outoetnografie proses op verandering in ‘n werkshoedanigheid kan hê met betrekking tot die moontlike insluiting in die leierskap onwikkelingsproses van maatskappye. Die klem val op die ontwikkeling van die toekomstige leier en hoe die outoetnografie proses ‘n roete of handleiding kan verskaf vir die omskrywing van die leier se individuele en unieke styl van leierskap.

The demographic time bomb means that older people will become a major part of tomorrow's society. This has become an increasingly pressing issue for older people and government policy alike. ONS (2009) statistics suggest that past retirement age, the sense of quality of life (QoL) experienced by older people begins to decrease, with the fastest decline occurring after the age of 70. This research therefore began by investigating how ICT could be implicated in the social life of the older person and thus improve their QoL. Literature reviews of the field of older people's involvement with ICT indicated that there was very little research between the more general studies of ICT involvement (which include far more than the purely social aspects) and the very specific (which involve examining the social impact of just one piece of technology). This study therefore aimed to fill the gap between the two extremes. It also aimed to generate theory in an under-theorised area. The study began with a focus group and interviews asking questions around how people thought social life had changed with the advent of new technologies, how they experienced the technology, and how things could be improved in the future. The study was qualitative in nature and adopted a grounded theory approach in order to inductively generate theory. The study of the lived experience of ICT also contributed to a phenomenological approach. Comparative analysis of transcripts obtained in Phase One (Year One) enabled a set of Grounded Theory Categories to be created which accounted for what was happening in the data. A core category of identity was identified which influenced subsequent data collection in Phase Two (Year Two). Phase Two participants were then involved in more focused interviews around identity concepts. Further analysis in Year Two enabled a Schema of Subject Positions to be created concerning (digital) identities which accounted for all of the participants in the study and the ways in which they viewed and interacted with technology. The Categories were also subsumed within a Grounded Theory Model involving a tripartite identity schema aligned with Giddens theory of the reflexive project of the self. Findings suggest that participants are implicated in methods of identity involvement which can be playful or pragmatic; can be viewed in moral, immoral and amoral ways (leading to ideas of the authentic and the inauthentic); and can represent the individual or explore new identities. Identity construction can ultimately be implicated positively with the use of ICT, and may lead to a virtuous cycle of ICT usage which can improve quality of life by affirming better self-views or enabling the testing of new views of selfhood. Positive technology identities can be offered as identity role models for other older people to follow.

國立政治大學英國語文學系在職碩士班 碩士論文提要 論文名稱：使用真實語料做為高中生英語聽力輔助教材之個案研究 指導教授：彭欽清 研究生：林宜如 論文提要內容： 本研究旨在分析探討以廣播真實語料 (authentic broadcast materials) 做為台灣高中生英語聽力輔助教材之可能性，並兼論不同題型設計 (task types) 對不同程度學生聽力表現上的影響，以期能夠提供高中英語教師在英聽教學教材上的另一選擇及英聽測驗的方針。 實驗對象為41位高一學生。學生在學期初以全民英檢聽力測驗結果分為高、中、低三種程度，並接受為期十週的廣播英聽訓練。實驗過程中搭配以不同測驗題型來協助並檢視學生英聽理解力。學期結束前再以同樣之英檢試題做為後測。 本研究採用質與量的分析方法。質的分析涵蓋：（一）實驗對象的英文學習背景；（二）學生英聽困難的分析；（三）學生對選材及不同題型的看法。量的分析則以SPSS統計法，包括（一）前後測統計數值的差異；（二）取材（text types）與後測英聽成效的關係；（三）題型（task types）與後測英聽成效的關係。 研究結果發現：受試者在收聽廣播真實語料上最大的困難在於速度及連音。但經過廣播真實語料的英聽訓練後，高程度組不但在後測表現上有明顯進步，且較習慣於外國人的速度及連音，並能接受更長篇的真實語料。至於題型設計對英聽成效影響不大，但是，從學生問卷發現，高程度者認為克漏字題型較有助於英聽訓練，而中、低程度者則都認為選擇題較有助於英聽訓練。最後，本研究提出一些英語聽力教學上的建議：（一）教學初期只要求學生達到重要但簡單的基本目標；（二）教導學生分辨中英文語言的差異以及口說與書寫英文的不同特性；（三）設計多樣化的題型。最後，希望本研究能對台灣的高中英語聽力教學有所助益。 / ABSTRACT This study aims chiefly at the feasibility of using authentic English broadcast programs as supplementary materials in listening comprehension training for EFL senior high school students. It also discusses the effect of different task types on different proficiency levels in English listening comprehension performance, in the hope that the research would provide other alternative of supplementary listening materials and test designs as a reference for senior high school teachers. The research is conducted among 41first-year senior high school students. In the beginning of the first semester in fall, 2002, the subjects were divided into three proficiency levels (high, middle and low) according to the results of their performance on the GEPT listening comprehension as a pretest. Then they were given a ten-week authentic English broadcast listening training. During the course of training, different task types were provided to evaluate students’ listening proficiency and to help them to the focus of the test. At the end of the semester, the same GEPT listening task was administered as a posttest. The research adopts both qualitative and quantitative data analyses. Qualitative analyses consist of (1) the subjects’ English learning background, (2) the English listening comprehension difficulties encountered by the subjects, and (3) students’ views on different test and task types. By using SPSS, the quantitative analyses incorporate (1) the difference of statistical values between the pretest and posttest, (2) the correlation between text types and proficiency performance on the posttest, and (3) the correlation between task types and proficiency performance on the posttest. The research has found out that in listening to authentic English broadcast, the major difficulties encountered by the subjects are speed and linkage. Nevertheless, after the ten-week systematic training, the high-achievers are found to have improved obviously in their posttest performance. Little by little the subjects, especially the high-achievers, are not only adapted to the speed and linkage in authentic speech but also used to longer utterance by native speakers. Furthermore, it is also found in the research that the task types have little effect on the subjects’ listening performance. However, from the analysis of the subjects’ feedback questionnaire, the research has found that high-proficiency students reveal that cloze test types are helpful for the training of listening comprehension, while the middle- and low-achievers prefer the multiple choices. It is suggested that in teaching English listening comprehension teachers should (1) start with requiring students to achieve the basic goals the teacher considers essential in comprehension certain types of tasks, (2) teach students to differentiate the features between English and Chinese as well as those between spoken English and written English, and (3) design diverged types of tasks for students to practice listening skills. It is hoped that this research would make some contribution to English listening comprehension teaching in senior high schools in Taiwan.