University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of Communication

The objective of the proposed research is to develop interference-aware resource management techniques for CR networks that opportunistically operate within the licensed primary networks spectrum and to investigate the application of such CR techniques to emerging wireless networks. In this thesis, we report on a set of laboratory experiments that we undertook to analyze the interference between the CR-based wireless regional-area network (WRAN) standard and the digital television (DTV) broadcasting system. We determined the tolerable levels of WRAN interference into DTV receivers and studied the effect of these interference levels on WRAN deployment. Based on the need for efficient utilization of the primary network spectrum, we propose efficient interference-aware radio resource allocation (RRA) techniques for orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) CR networks. These RRA techniques aim to maximize the CR network throughput and to keep the CR interference to the primary network at or below a predefined threshold, known as the "interference temperature" limit. Moreover, we propose a joint spectrum-sensing design and power control algorithm that lead to increased CR network throughput and efficient protection of the PUs from undue interference. Interference coordination (IC) is considered a key technique for capacity maximization in emerging heterogeneous wireless networks. We propose a CR-based IC and RRA algorithm for OFDMA femtocell deployments to achieve efficient spectrum utilization and maximum network throughput. CR is envisioned as a key enabling technology for future wireless networks; our novel CR techniques will provide other researchers useful tools to design such networks.

Sugar production in Natal agricultural estates and industrial mills began in the 1800's. The Canestone Sugar Mill and Estates (now 145 years old) which is the focus of this study, is still in operation although renovations and improvements have been done over the years. Initially the owners of these sugar farms in the Natal area employed Black labourers but soon realized that this method of cheap and available labour was not entirely suitable for their needs. In the late 1850's they initiated a process of change which saw the first group of Indian nationals arrive in South Africa in 1860. This group of people came specifically to work on these sugar farms; and their descendants, some now in their 5th generation, are still employed by the Canestone Sugar Company. With time, the standards of living have altered and the conditions of work have transformed. Thus, the level of communication has been modified and possibly improved. So the assumption can be made that there has been an element of change in existence. The following is an account of how the lives of the Canestone Sugar workers have been modified over the years with specific changes that took place from the 1960s to 1998. This thesis considers the world of Canestone from the 1960's to 1998, an area where sugar manufacturing in the North coast of Natal was extremely successful. The main intention of the work is to explain how a majority workforce of illiterate people was monopolised by a handful of literate people who used literacy and the art of writing to subjugate thousands of people into accepting, non-questioning beings. Account is taken of orality and general primary oral practices that were entertained by management whenever necessary. This thesis breaks new ground as the first detailed account of the challenges of change in a new-found democracy, described in an agrarian and industrial context. It also attempts to identify the way in which managerial changes in corporate environments can take place. In this dissertation I have compiled the many stories of the workers of the Canestone Sugar Company into one story. Against a backdrop of South African history of colonialism, apartheid and its new-found democracy, the Canestone Sugar Company reflects vestiges of the old era. In attitude, perception, and behaviour there are indications of this in the company; interviewees stated that "this is a white man's paradise "where "the black man had to pay for his head" and where many felt that the company "drank their blood, left them with their bones" and where they worked "worse than animals" until "their sweat turned into blood". I shall investigate the present status of the individuals of this multicultural working community. The individuals that I interviewed share a common work culture and they experience a subservient position as a result of the power dynamics that are in place. Van den Berghe looked at Canestone with an unbiased opinion and results of his work are the starting point of my discussion. His proposals, made in the early sixties, have not reached fruition as a great sense of dissonance still exists between the workforce and the management. This dissertation looks at how the Company has changed, and what role communication has played in the process. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban,2002.

The roles and responsibilities of middle school teachers are never ending. From instructing students on state-mandated curriculum to the enrichment of character and inquiry, teachers make daily decisions about how and what to disclose to their students. The current study reexamines Hosek and Thompson’s (2009) study on how teachers develop privacy rules and coordinate boundaries using Petronio’s Communication Privacy Management as the theoretical framework. Studying middle school teachers, in lieu of college instructors, allows for a better understanding of how privacy rules and boundaries are constructed and used within the middle school. This provides a better understanding of the important factors that influence teachers’ communicative decision making within the classroom.

The purpose of this study was to replicate and expand upon the survey research by Erffmeyer and Mendel (1990) on the perceived relevance of graduate training in industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology at the terminal master’s level. A review of the literature discussed core competencies, as well as the advantages of internship experiences and thesis requirements. Results indicated that graduates view their training as well targeted towards knowledge and skills they regard as useful at their internship, first job, and current position. Results also indicated that graduates viewed their internship experiences as highly beneficial and worthwhile experiences, regardless of their supervisor. Results additionally indicated that graduates value the thesis requirement significantly more than current students and view the knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with completing a thesis as high in usefulness. Implications and limitations of these findings are discussed, and directions for future research on master’s level I-O training are discussed.

Zugl.: St. Gallen (Schweiz), Univ., Habil.-Schr.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / 103 Leaves printed on single pages, preliminary pages i- viii and numbered pages 1-132. Includes bibliography, list of tables and figures. Digitized at 600 dpi grayscale to pdf format (OCR), using a Bizhub 250 Konica Minolta Scanner. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The research explored the role of interpersonal justice perceptions in an organisation undergoing change. Interpersonal justice was operationalised by dividing it into two components namely, social sensitivity and informational justice. The study falls within the qualitative and quantitative paradigm. The research was conducted at a South African financial institution undergoing change due to a merger and acquisition, and comprised of in-depth interviews as well as an exploratory survey. The sample consisted of 159 employees. The results confirm those of previous research studies regarding the relationship between interpersonal justice and job satisfaction. The results also showed that a difference in the interpersonal justice perceptions of employees at different job grades exists. Interpersonal justice perceptions are likely when employees believe that they personally are treated fairly and are being adequately informed of the changes in their organisation. This is of utmost importance if one is to create a just and efficient workforce during organisational change processes. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die navorsing het die rol van interpersoonlike geregtigheid persepsies in 'n organisasie wat verandering ondergaan ondersoek. Interpersoonlike geregtigheid was geoperasioneel deur dit te verdeel in twee komponente naamlik, sosiale sensitiwiteit en inligtings geregtigheid. Die studie val onder die kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe paradigma. Die navorsing was onderneem by 'n Suid-Afrikaanse finansiele instelling wat deur organisatoriese verandering gegaan het as gevolg van 'n samesmelting. Die navorsing het bestaan uit in diepte onderhoude asook 'n ondersoek opmeetinstrument. Die steekproef het bestaan uit 159 werknemers. Die resultate van die studie ondersteun die van vorige navorsing wat betref die verhouding tussen interpersoonlike geregtigheid en werkstevredenheid. Die resultate het ook getoon dat 'n verskil in die interpersoonlike geregtigheid persepsies van werknemers op verskillende posvlakke bestaan. Interpersoonlike geregtigheid persepsies is moontlik wanneer werknemers glo dat hulle met respek en regverdigheid behandel word. Werknemers moet ook genoegsaam ingelig word van die veranderinge in die organisasie om persepsies van interpersoonlike geregtigheid te ondervind. Dit is van uiterste belang gedurende organisatoriese veranderinge om 'n doeltreffende mannekrag waar geregtigheid geld te skep.

Communication is a central feature of human life. The ability to talk is the very feature that distinguishes us from our primate ancestors. Knowing how to use language effectively gives the bearers of this knowledge power over their environment and an upper hand in their dealings with others. Thus, understanding the importance of communication in management is an essential tool for managers who wish to build and develop their organisations and their staff within these organisations. This thesis takes a case study view of manager-staff communication at a South African university. In this study managers and staff members contribute their feelings on current communication practices at this organisation through an online questionnaire and in-depth interviews. In an interpretive paradigm this thesis answers three central questions: 1) what role do managers and staff think communication plays in their working relationships, 2) what do they perceive to be effective and ineffective communication strategies and 3) What strategies can they suggest to enhance effective communication? Through in-depth qualitative research and numerical data analysis this thesis discovers central themes that pertain to the effective flow of communication in this organisation. These themes include: motivation and praise, the role of listening, building relationships, respect, acknowledging others’ languages and cultures, building teams, communicating frequently and using email and technology effectively, as well as keeping notes of meetings and discussions. Challenges to effective communication include not having enough time, suffering from stress, and the challenges of physical space and distance. By paying attention to basic human principles, such as the fact that acknowledging people for a job well done encourages them to perform well in future, this thesis relates the general concepts of communication and management theory to the specific realities and individual, personal experiences of manager-staff communication. In this way it sheds a beam of light on management communication practices and points the way towards an ideal where managers and staff members use communication as a tool of empowerment and understanding.

The aim of this study was to explore human resources (HR) practitioners’ experiences of engagement interventions within a financial institution. A qualitative research approach was followed which was informed by the hermeneutic phenomenological paradigm. Semi-structured interviews were used. The findings indicated that HR practitioners play a critical role in enhancing engagement in organisations through the implementation of effective engagement interventions. The HR practitioners often thought of themselves as the ‘heart’, ‘the core’, ‘facilitator’, ‘business partner’ or ‘middle man’ when implementing engagement interventions. The majority of the HR practitioners did understand engagement, their role in the implementation of engagement interventions and the tools used to assess engagement. However, the findings did indicate that some of the HR practitioners within this study had limited knowledge of engagement, engagement interventions and the tools used to implement engagement. The findings also indicated that the implementation of an engagement intervention should be a collaborative process between employer and employee, with the support of top management to ensure the success of the engagement intervention. Engagement interventions were considered to be predominantly positive and successful by most of the participants. However, it was noted by participants that if there is no follow-through on the implementation of the engagement interventions it can become negative. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

nÃo hà / Essa dissertaÃÃo debruÃa-se sobre a experiÃncia de televisÃo universitÃria empreendida pela Universidade Federal do CearÃ: o Programa UFCTV. Essa iniciativa està inserida no campo pÃblico de comunicaÃÃo â o das televisÃes universitÃrias â que estrearam no PaÃs em 1967, com a TV UniversitÃria do Recife. Esse canal demonstrou ser possÃvel compor uma programaÃÃo alternativa Ãquela ofertada pelas emissoras comerciais, dominantes no espectro brasileiro. Apesar de outras iniciativas semelhantes terem sido implementadas nas dÃcadas seguintes, as TVs universitÃrias sà se desenvolveram de forma bem mais efetiva a partir de 1995, quando foi promulgada a Lei 8.077, que destinava canais de uso gratuito para instituiÃÃes comunitÃrias, universitÃrias e para o Legislativo. Foi nesse cenÃrio que a UFC comeÃou a produzir, em 2007, o programa UFCTV, uma revista eletrÃnica veiculada com o objetivo de mostrar a diversidade de pesquisas e projetos empreendidos na maior universidade do Estado. Este trabalho foi entÃo realizado com o intuito de contribuir com essa iniciativa, tendo como questÃo de pesquisa a seguinte indagaÃÃo: qual à o alcance que o programa UFCTV tem junto à sua comunidade acadÃmica e como essa comunidade nele se percebe? O objetivo geral à investigar o grau de conhecimento e reconhecimento obtido pelo UFCTV a fim de colher subsÃdios que possam contribuir com a melhoria dessa experiÃncia de televisÃo universitÃria. A metodologia aqui utilizada tem por base o funcionalismo, por tratar-se de uma investigaÃÃo da aÃÃo da mÃdia sobre um segmento da sociedade, no caso a comunidade acadÃmica da UFC. A coleta de dados do estudo empÃrico foi feita por meio de um questionÃrio eletrÃnico enviado por e-mail para uma amostra de alunos, professores e servidores da instituiÃÃo. Os resultados obtidos apÃs a anÃlise dos dados demonstram que o Programa UFCTV ainda à desconhecido por quase metade da comunidade acadÃmica e sua divulgaÃÃo nos campi à muito falha. Em contrapartida, entre aqueles que conhecem essa experiÃncia televisiva, hà muita aceitaÃÃo, podendo-se perceber que ela ajuda a integrar a comunidade acadÃmica e produz sensaÃÃes de identidade e pertenÃa, alÃm de contribuir com a melhoria do fluxo comunicacional na universidade. / This dissertation focuses on the university television experience undertaken by the Federal University of CearÃ: UFCTV Program. This initiative is in the field of public communication â the television in universities - which debuted in the country in 1967 with the inauguration of the University of Recife TV. This channel has proved been possible to construct an alternative program to that offered by Brazilian commercial broadcasters. Despite other similar initiatives have been implemented in the following decades, the University TVs only developed more effectively since 1995, when it was enacted Law 8.077 - known as the Cable Law - which aimed to use free channels to Community institutions, Universities and the Legislative. It was on this scenario that the Federal University of Cearà began producing in 2007, the program UFCTV, an electronic magazine carried in open channel with the aim of showing the diversity of research and projects undertaken in the largest university in the state. This current work was, then, accomplished in order to contribute to this initiative, having as the research question: what is the range that the program UFCTV has with the academic community in UFC and how this community sees itself in the program? The general objective of this research is to investigate the degree of knowledge and recognition obtained by UFCTV with its academic community to collect subsidies that might contribute to the improvement of television experience in course at the institution. The methodology used in this study is based on functionalism, because it is an investigation of the effect of media on a segment of society, in such case, the academic community at UFC. Data collection of the empirical study was carried out using an electronic questionnaire sent by e-mail to a sample of students, professors and technical and administrative staff. The results obtained after the data analysis showed that the UFCTV is still unknown for almost half of the academic community and its dissemination on the campuses of the capital and the countryside cities is very fault. In contrast, among those who know this television experience there‟s much acceptance and can be seen that it helps to integrate the academic community and generates feelings of identity and belonging, besides it contributes to improve the flow of communication at the university.