With the increasing number of enterprises which provides e-business via Internet and the complex of information system, Information Security becomes more and more important to a company. Information Security not only can improve a company¡¦s information system but also can protect its information asset. It becomes a basic element for e-business. In addition, since information today goes beyond boundaries, a company may face the threat of being attacked by hackers or virus all the time. Maintaining system operation and protecting internal information become an essential issue to a company. Due to this new trend, Information Security Service Industry becomes one of the newly developed industries. At present, a company has the urgent need of adopting information technology to increase competitive advantages. The importance of Information Security is increasing day by day. This research mostly focuses on Taiwan Information Security Service Industry which is still lack of research literatures. The research uses a local Information Security Service company as its research target. Case study, field observation, and reading company¡¦s related materials help to understand how entrepreneurs analyze environment and evaluate opportunities, required resources, threats, and key success/failure factors. The research mainly focuses on how environment and opportunities analysis, entrepreneur team and organization structure, product strategy and operating model, consumers and market, product competitive advantage and implementation influence a company¡¦s success.

This thesis would be trivial if it did not aim to assist organisations to continuously improve their activities and sustain long-term profitability in today’s competitive market. It reports the development of a knowledge transfer model within MNCs with the major focus on knowledge flow within international Lean and Six Sigma teams. The model highlights the inhibitory and facilitatory factors in knowledge transfer processes. To remain among the leaders in the market, firms must continuously strive for better performance. This often implies the best management practices such as continuous improvement processes. Lean and Six Sigma are two well-known approaches which are strategically important for businesses. The adoption and deployment of both Lean and Six Sigma, however, cannot be successful without a robust knowledge management structure, especially when deployed in an international dimension where subsidiaries and HQ constantly interact to maintain a high performance level. For many decades, efforts to develop knowledge management in multinationals have been important. Some of the well-know authors in this field are Davenport and Prusak, Szulanski, Minbaeva, Gupta and Govindarajan, and Holden. Although there have been many attempts to understand the phenomenon of knowledge management in multinationals, there are limited studies reported in the literature regarding knowledge transfer in international Lean and Six Sigma teams within MNCs in the broad triad of developed, underdeveloped and developing countries. Moreover, a number of knowledge transfer models have been proposed and described in many other research studies, but none is fully adaptable to the context of these international teams because of their lack of specificity to this particular field of practice. In fact, besides working within an international team, Lean and Six Sigma project leaders in MNCs are often seen as internal consultants, providing their services to two different categories of individuals: people with basic Lean and Six Sigma knowledge and those with no Lean and Six Sigma knowledge. Hence there is a need for a strong communication system to maintain good information flow and understanding in such international firms. This research thus investigated the existing phenomenon of knowledge transfer in Lean and Six Sigma teams within MNCs through a single case study carried out in four main regions Asia (Malaysia), Europe (France, Germany, the UK), Latin America (Argentina, Brazil) and the USA. It emphasised evaluating and comparing how (1) Lean and Six Sigma knowledge was developed, transferred and implemented in these different units, and (2) how the team members interacted together in order to successfully deploy Lean and Six Sigma projects internationally. This enabled the researcher to identify and understand the difficulties behind the success of knowledge transfer effectiveness in such teams. This study was conducted in three phases. In the preliminary phase, the literature review enabled the researcher to identify the gaps and establish the conceptual framework that helped the presentation of the phenomenon. Definitions of knowledge and knowledge management are put forward to highlight the characteristics of these concepts and to show how a good understanding of the complexity of ‘knowledge’ itself can improve knowledge absorption. An evaluation of the development of Lean and Six Sigma methodologies in MNCs was conducted. Secondly, the framework guided the researcher through interviews with Lean and Six Sigma experts and document analysis which resulted in a selection of frameworks. Finally, the resulting insights from the data analysis using expert knowledge, understanding, interpretation and experience enabled the refinement and validation of the proposed conceptual framework. A final model was then recommended to help Lean and Six Sigma project leaders and managers to effectively communicate and internalise, implement and innovate knowledge within their area of practice. This model contributes to knowledge in the area of international business, management practices and knowledge management within MNCs by incorporating new factors that affect knowledge transfer processes. To begin with, it suggests ensuring a balance between subsidiary autonomy and HQ–subsidiary networking for effective communication flow while investing more time in developing trust and understanding culture since cross-cultural differences appeared also to be seen as a positive asset for organisations, offering new opportunities for learning new ways of doing things and thus leading to innovation. Secondly, it proposes reinforcing the relationship base (common interest, individual commitment, trust, credibility and respect) in teams for better interaction, decision-making and change management. Thirdly, it emphasises training for knowledge development and internalisation, mentoring and coaching, and IT compatibility for ‘knowledge leveraging’. Knowledge transmission channels such as IT compatibility systems and mentoring and coaching enabled non-duplication of a piece of knowledge in the sense that it minimises the reinvention of knowledge that already exists elsewhere in the network. This thesis provides a constructive basis for further research within the field of both knowledge management and continuous improvement methodologies (Lean and Six Sigma) within MNCs and the researcher’s goal is to expand its analytical generalisation. Although DAS was specifically using Lean and Six Sigma as continuous improment methodologies, the company was the most appropriate case for this study as it has shown remarquable results in the deployment of continuous improvement methodologies (Lean Six Sigma). This success is mainly due to their capacity in improving organisational effectiveness by expanding knowledge transfer within their MNC through networking in international teams and geographically disperced units. Besides, they have a strong organisational culture which they try to align with other unit’s cultures. Other MNCs using continuous improvement teams can thus draw on this example to improve their organisational effectiveness.

The Fitness and Health Promotion (FHP) program is a relatively new program in the faculty of Health and Life Sciences and Community Services at Conestoga College in Ontario. The FHP program is designed to train and prepare individuals as qualified fitness and health consultants working in the fitness and lifestyle industry. Graduating students have the skills to complete standardized exams for accreditation. Although assessment is an essential component in higher education, the educators who are required to do it may not always understand it well. This single case study investigated the development and use of assessment tools and strategies in this higher education context through interviews with thirteen participants from three different stakeholder groups. In addition, this case study describes the perceptions around assessment of these stakeholders: educators, administrator and students. Professional development and training should be implemented for all stakeholder groups to resolve misunderstandings around assessment tools and strategies and to optimize feedback activities.

Chapter 16 describes the clinical case of an adult male who meets diagnostic criteria for pedophilia and who has acted on his pedophilic interests on several known occasions. It addresses important historical and clinical characteristics of the case, as well as treatment efforts and indicators of risk. It also discusses the application of empirically supported practices and clinical science to the assessment, treatment, and risk management of this client, highlighting what is known from the scientific literature, and future directions that will aid in the clinical care of individuals with pedophilic diagnoses.

Participating in organized sports activities can result in developmental benefits to the adolescent. Increased fitness, self-esteem, competency, academic success and increased recognition by peers are few of the benefits cited by researchers. Participation can also provide opportunities for developmental liabilities to occur. Researchers have cited liabilities such as stress, anxiety and physiological injury. Developmental benefits and liabilities have been the foci of the controversy that has existed over adolescents participating in interscholastic sports programs in the middle and junior high school. Although research has studied the impact of interscholastic sports on the high school and collegiate athlete, few studies have investigated the impact of interscholastic sports on the middle school athlete. This qualitative case study of four middle school athletes investigated the benefits and liabilities of participating on an interscholastic team to the adolescent athlete. Based on the literature, four domains were identified as benefits and two domains were identified as liabilities. These six domains were achievement, competency, fitness, self-esteem, sports injuries, stress and anxiety. Interviews were held with students, coaches and parents. These interviews were based on domain specific questions. A journal was kept, and a document review of achievement, attendance and medical records was completed. The study revealed a pattern of improved grades, increased skill levels in the sport, improved fitness, and increased self-esteem. The students experienced injuries and moments of stress and anxiety. / Ed. D.

This study describes the planning, teaching, and challenges of one classroom teacher during writing time in two second grade classrooms. The study looks at how this teacher planned for and implemented a writing curriculum in which computers played a role and what this teacher did in an attempt to influence children's development as writers. Data collected included four formal interviews with the teacher and observations over a period of two semesters of the teacher as she worked in the classroom and computer lab during writing time. The constant comparative method as described by Maykut and Morehouse (1994) was used to analyze the data. Analysis revealed that this teacher's approach was influenced by state standards and policy guidelines, as well as her early experiences with literacy. In the lab, she focused on helping students develop keyboarding skills through keyboarding exercises, a computer game, and occasional word-proceeding of writing pieces done in the classroom. In the classroom she used a routine that consisted of three pre-writing activities. These involved students in reading materials related to the topic, brainstorming ideas they recalled, mapping relationships among brainstormed ideas, and writing group and individual accounts of their reading. Her approach to teaching in the city was quite similar to the approach she used in the county school. It differed insofar as in the county school she introduced the students to using the computer to conduct information searches about topics in the official state curriculum. Among the challenges she identified in her teaching were time and management problems. Based on these findings, the study identified four foci that might contribute to more effective use of computers in writing instruction. These include the teacher conceptions of literacy, effective planning, effective implementation and classroom management. / Ph. D.

One of the core aims of education is to prepare students who have the ability to leverage their learning beyond the classroom. This is particularly important during the transition between school and work, a period where recent graduates are expected to apply what they have learned in an educational context to address real-world problems. In engineering programs, capstone courses are typically designed to facilitate this process. By asking students to synthesize and apply both technical knowledge and professional skills in a practical application, these courses have come to play a pivotal role in preparing students for work. However, for capstone courses to be effective at accomplishing what they were designed to do, students must be able to transfer what they have learned in capstone into the workplace. Existing scholarship on transfer tends to focus on identifying the mechanisms by which transfer occurs, typically through experimental studies. Yet, few studies have thoroughly examined the transition between capstone and work, and even fewer have begun to ask what knowledge, skills, and attributes (KSAs) are transferring between the two contexts. The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to understand the nature of transfer between capstone and work among recent engineering graduates entering the workforce. Using Actor-Oriented Transfer as a theoretical lens, this study prioritized participants' interpretations of what transfers between the two contexts instead of the researchers' perception of what should be transferring. The perspectives of eight recent graduates from mechanical engineering and engineering science programs at four institutions were analyzed in the study. Using weekly reflective journals and interviews that took place three, six, and twelve months after beginning employment, data was analyzed to (1) identify instances of successful transfer and (2) determine what factors enable or inhibit transfer between capstone and work. Four types of KSAs emerged from the analysis: interpersonal skills, analytical skills, strategizing skills, and disposition. Additionally, the cross-case analysis revealed that four main factors influence transfer: access to support and resources, project structure, contextual differences, and attitudes. This study highlights the nature of transfer between capstone and work and draws attention to the primary types of transfer and factors that affect transfer between these two contexts. In addition, it emphasizes the importance of shifting the narrative away from experimental studies of transfer by prioritizing participant perceptions through a qualitative multi-case methodology. The results of this study have implications for researchers, instructors, and employers with an interest in the success of engineers during their critical transition from school to work. / Doctor of Philosophy / One of the core aims of education is to prepare students who have the ability to leverage their learning beyond the classroom. This is particularly important during the transition between school and work, a period where recent graduates are expected to apply what they have learned in an educational context to address real-world problems. In engineering programs, capstone courses are typically designed to facilitate this process. By asking students to synthesize and apply both technical knowledge and professional skills in a practical application, these courses have come to play a pivotal role in preparing students for work. However, for capstone courses to be effective at accomplishing what they were designed to do, students must be able to transfer what they have learned in capstone into the workplace. Though many studies on transfer exist in current literature, few studies have thoroughly examined the transition between capstone and work, and even fewer have begun to ask what knowledge, skills and attributes (KSAs) are transferring between the two contexts. The purpose of this study was to understand the nature of transfer between capstone and work among recent engineering graduates entering the workforce. Using a multi-case study design, this study prioritized participants' interpretations of what transfers between the two contexts instead of the researchers' perception of what should be transferring. The perspectives of eight recent graduates from mechanical engineering and engineering science programs at four institutions were analyzed in the study. Using weekly reflective journals and interviews that took place three, six, and twelve months after beginning employment, data was analyzed to (1) identify instances of successful transfer and (2) determine what factors enable or inhibit transfer between capstone and work. Four types of KSAs emerged from the analysis: interpersonal skills, analytical skills, strategizing skills, and disposition. Additionally, the analysis revealed that four main factors influence transfer: access to support and resources, project structure, contextual differences, and attitudes. This study highlights the nature of transfer between capstone and work and draws attention to the primary types of transfer and factors that affect transfer between these two contexts. In addition, it emphasizes the importance of using interviews and other qualitative methods to study transfer. The results of this study have implications for researchers, instructors, and employers with an interest in the success of engineers during their critical transition from school to work.

Instructors in higher education are typically hired for teaching positions based on their research expertise in a particular area, understanding that subject matter expertise is necessary for teaching and instruction. What is sometimes overlooked and not given enough importance is that teaching is also a relational activity, and because of this, care can be considered to be a fundamental component of effective instruction. Research has shown that some faculty are hesitant in showing care to their students since this might suggest a lack of academic rigor and lessening expectations for students. It might also be that faculty view care as a concept that does not belong in higher education and is something that is more appropriate for younger children. Yet there is research in higher education which shows that implementing care to students motivates them to perform well in class, meet and exceed the goals set for them by the instructors, make constructive improvements and create overall ideal conditions for learning. Along with this, prior research on care in teaching has focused mostly on primary and secondary education levels, with far less attention given to care in teaching in higher education specifically, and little in the context of Engineering Education. To advance our understanding of the potential value of care in teaching in higher education, this study presents an empirical case study of how care can be enacted in teaching in an Engineering Education classroom. The study draws on Tronto's political ethics of care framework, originally developed in the context of feminist theory and methodology, and operationalizes it in the teaching and learning setting by situating the context of the study in a first-year general engineering classroom in the department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. Since the purpose of the study is to understand what teaching behaviors can act as evidence of care, this context was selected as a likely scenario where these teaching approaches might be present. Virginia Tech is an R1 institution, the Department of Engineering Education values student-centered teaching, and the foundations of engineering course: ENGE 1216, is a project-based course where it may be more likely to see care being implemented in the teaching. Along with this, the three instructor participants that were chosen to bring light to this phenomenon have been recognized for their teaching expertise by being given teaching awards in the past, and also have experience in teaching this specific course, having taught it at least twice before. This study used a case study approach and included two interviews with the instructor participants to understand their general beliefs about care as well as how they intended to implement care in relation to Tronto's ethic of care framework. It also included three observations of their classrooms, one for each phase of the semester, and looked at three years' worth of students' SPOT comments. Tronto's framework includes four ethical elements: attentiveness, responsibility, competence, and responsiveness. Findings suggest that instructors' intentions with implementing care, their enactment of care in the classroom, and students' perception of what instructor behaviors they found to be most valuable to their learning, all have strategies and approaches that relate to each of the four ethical elements. The responsibility element iii was seen to have the most approaches and strategies. Findings also showed that despite different instructor backgrounds, beliefs and personalities, each instructor had relatively similar approaches to implementing care in relation to each of the four ethical elements, with some unique features for each instructor. There also seems to exist, a reasonable degree of alignment between instructors' intention with implementing care, their enactment of the care in the classroom, and what students commented was helpful. This study took a framework developed in accordance with another discipline and operationalized it in a teaching setting. It has shown what teacher behaviors can act as evidence of care in the context of Engineering Education. The study has also disaggregated common instructor actions that usually tend to be conflated, to more specific behaviors to understand the impact each behavior can have in relation to care. It has also grouped common approaches and strategies together that instructors use, to show how when this is combined, is also a way of implementing care. There are a list of specific teacher approaches and strategies that instructors should be using that can satisfy each element in the care framework and can thus implement care in the classroom. / Doctor of Philosophy / With the idea that subject matter expertise is required for teaching and training, instructors in higher education are frequently chosen for teaching roles based on their research competence in a particular field. Care can be regarded as a vital element of good instruction because teaching is also a relational activity, which is sometimes disregarded and not given enough priority. According to research, some professors are reluctant to show their students that they care because doing so would imply lowering standards for students. Another possibility is that faculty believe that the concept of care is inappropriate for higher education and is more suitable for young children. However, studies in higher education demonstrate that providing care to students inspires them to perform well in class, fulfil and exceed the objectives set for them by the instructors, offer helpful adjustments, and generally foster the best learning environments. Additionally, earlier studies on care in teaching have mostly concentrated on the primary and secondary education levels, paying little to no attention to care in teaching, specifically in higher education or in the context of Engineering Education. To better understand the value that care in teaching in higher education can have, this study chose a context where care being shown in teaching would be likely to be seen. Since the purpose of the study is to understand what teaching behaviors can act as evidence of care, a first-year general engineering classroom in the department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech was chosen. This is because Virginia Tech is an R1 institution, the Department of Engineering Education values student-centered teaching, and the foundations of engineering course: ENGE 1216, is a project-based course where it may be more likely to see care being implemented in the teaching. Along with this, the three instructor participants that were chosen to bring light to this phenomenon have been recognized for their teaching expertise by being given teaching awards in the past, and also have experience in teaching this specific course, having taught it at least twice before. This study included two interviews with the instructor participants to understand their general beliefs about care as well as how they intended to implement care, ore specifically in relation to Tronto's ethic of care framework which was the theory that guided this study. It also included three observations of their classrooms so it could be seen how care was enacted, and looked at three years' worth of students' SPOT comments to understand what students described the instructors doing, that was most helpful for their learning. The theory used for this study had four main elements to it: attentiveness, responsibility, competence, and responsiveness. The findings suggest that instructors' intentions with implementing care, their enactment of care in the classroom, and students' perception of what instructor behaviors they found to be most valuable to their learning, all have strategies and approaches that relate to each of these four elements. The responsibility element was seen to have the most approaches and strategies. An example of a strategy to be attentive is to be signal availability and emphasize proximity with the students, as well as checking in on them. Examples of approaches to satisfy these strategies would be to walk around the classroom as well as to ask students questions to see how they are doing. Findings also v showed that despite different instructor backgrounds, beliefs and personalities, each instructor had relatively similar approaches to implementing care in relation to each of the four elements, with some unique features for each instructor. This study took a theoretical framework that was used in another discipline and was able to use this and show how the four elements that made up this framework could look like in a teaching setting. It has shown what teacher behaviors can act as evidence of care in the context of Engineering Education. The study has also broken down some instructor actions that usually tend to be grouped together, to more specific behaviorsto understand the impact each behavior can have in relation to care. It has also grouped common approaches and strategies together that instructors use, to show how when this is combined, is also a way of implementing care. There are a list of specific teacher approaches and strategies that instructors should be using that can satisfy each element in the care framework and can thus implement care in the classroom.

Purpose: From an anthropological angle, the purpose of this paper is to shed light into how young innovative fashion companies can exercise creative leadership and reflect the creativity of their external image in their internal environment, towards their path to prosperity and success.Design/methodology/approach: The research analyses the case of MUUSE, a paradigmatic fashion company based in Copenhagen, Denmark in order to examine its creativity inside-out (external image and internal environment/operations). The entrepreneurs and employees were interviewed during two workdays, as well as observations were held over a period of eight months. For the analysis of the case and its operations, the 4P’s creativity framework (person, product, process and press/situation) was used.Findings: The research shows that creative leadership in fashion business today can be linked with innovation, meaningfulness and transparency in all levels of infrastructure. Further it declares the significance of creative leadership traits, which can include: having a creative and purposeful vision, developing an effective global mindset, evolving a creative work environment and increasing intrinsic motivators. / Program: Magisterutbildning i Fashion Management med inriktning modemarknadsföring

In the prospect of new public governance, defined as a process in which actors of all sectors work together on common issues, this thesis seeks to best understand the evolution and the operation of interorganizational concertation. This project has allowed the emergence of a model of interorganizational concertation in a municipal context, based on a processual and longitudinal study of the case Sherbrooke Ville en santé . Qualitative data have been preferred. The literature on interorganizational collaboration and the concept of the archetypes have provided the basis for the conceptual framework. This research has highlighted the dynamic nature of the interorganizational collaboration. The results led to establish the centrality of values and principles agreed to by the stakeholders of a concertation table, as well as the role played by leaders deemed credible, legitimate and notable. It is also in combining the ambiguity of the objectives and the flexibility of the settings that the support of members carrying multiple motivations seems facilitated. Around these core concepts, three phases are developing (design, organizational settings, balance and follow-ups) in constants interaction with each other, demonstrating the flexibility of the organization and its repeated adjustments, consistent with the principles that animate the collaboration. This adds a fourth phase, one of reflexivity, during which members learn from the ongoing experience of concertation itself. This project does not claim to set up a model that would be right for all concertation settings. However, through an in-depth case study, it opens the way to the comparison of these results to other experiences, growing the knowledge in the evolution and the dynamics of the interorganizational collaboration in a context of municipal governance.