Since 2002, the federal government has disseminated surveys to all of its federal agencies to obtain employees' views on the federal agencies' work environments. This study examined the relationship between employees' perception of their leaders' transformational leadership skills and employee job satisfaction. This study was conducted in a metropolitan area in the midwestern United States using 12 federal agencies, totaling approximately 33,000 employees. The theoretical framework for this study was transformational leadership theory. The 5 constructs published by House and Burns were used in multifactor leadership questionnaire surveys by scholarly and peer-reviewed studies and represent the primary leadership skills. The study used the job satisfaction survey to gather information on federal employees' work environments. Data were collected from a random selection of participants from agency employee rosters. The data analysis revealed a relationship between transformational leadership constructs and job satisfaction with intellectual stimulation receiving the highest correlation. All variables have a high correlation to each other with F (5, 86) =.968, p = .44, R2 (.053). The R2 value of .053 indicated that approximately 5.3% of variations in job satisfaction are accounted for by the linear combination of the predictor variables. The variables are idealized attributes and behaviors, intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation, and individual considerations. The findings may contribute to positive social change by providing federal government leaders with an understanding of transformational leadership skills and job satisfaction.

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Many researchers have highlighted the need for students to have a willingness to communicate (WTC) in second and foreign language classrooms. WTC is important because it is believed that WTC leads to eventual communication both inside and outside the classroom. Previous research into WTC has centered mainly on the use of structural models and trait, self-reported measurements of WTC, but recent research has shown that WTC is also heavily dependent on the situation. However, very few studies recognize this and have, thus, not employed situational measurements of WTC. After a thorough review of WTC literature, 13 pertinent constructs were modified to reflect the situation in the foreign language classroom. These were related to constructs of the classroom, beliefs about communication; self-determined motivation; self-perceived competence; communication anxiety and willingness to communicate. A preliminary study employing exploratory factor analysis and Rasch analysis, followed by a main study conducted with and confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch analysis were undertaken with first- and second-year Japanese university students. The factor analysis was used to investigate the underlying structures of the factors and the Rasch analysis was used to determine fit, category functioning and dimensionality. Nine reliable and unidimensional factors were brought forward from the main study, which were Classroom Efficacy Factor and Classroom Affective Factor as the two classroom factors; Intrinsic Motivation for Communication, Introjected Regulation for Communication and External Regulation for Communication as the three self-determined motivation constructs, and finally, Self-Perceived Competence, Communicative Anxiety and Willingness to Communicate split in two subconstructs of pair/work and whole class activities. The second half the study was the formulation of a structural equation model using the above constructs to predict situational WTC. The model also included an often under-utilized resource, the teacher, who assessed the learners’ actual communication to identify if WTC leads to language use. All the fit indices in the final model (N = 376) were good, and the model included three additional paths. The model indicated that classroom constructs led to motivation and self-perceived competence, which predicted confidence. Motivation led directly to WTC and indirectly to WTC through confidence. Lastly, WTC predicted actual communication. The constructs in this study can be applied in other studies of situational WTC. This study helps to both expand our understanding of constructs affecting situational WTC and actual communication, and provides more validity to the construct of situational WTC. It also reaffirms the importance of what happens in the classroom, which is main arena for communication in the EFL setting. / Language Arts

供應鏈的運作過程包含一系列的價值創造活動，這些活動乃是由許多不同的組織所負責執行，且每個活動之間存在相互影響的關係。在這一牽涉跨組織合作的價值網絡中，所遭遇的困難主要是來自跨組織互動過程中所隱藏的不確定問題，而這些問題的產生主要導因於供應鏈夥伴間的活動缺乏調和。針對供應鏈分散管控結構所衍生出的問題，近年來以資訊科技為基礎的跨組織系統 (inter-organizational system, IOS)提供了有效的解決方案。此IOS的形成，主要是認為透過IOS的應用，供應鏈組織可藉由跨組織資訊分享的力量來改善夥伴間的協調以及資源整合。而此意謂IOS的效益產生端賴系統內建的資訊分享機制能相容於供應鏈結構特徵，並能有效協助組織來因應所面臨的不確定問題。是以，建立一個相容於環境的資訊分享機制是配置IOS解決方案過程的重要關鍵，且對於供應鏈不確定的診斷在資訊分享機制規劃過程有其重要性存在。 對於供應鏈不確定問題的診斷是一極為複雜且具挑戰的任務，其須要透過一結構化的框架來協助分析夥伴間錯綜複雜的互動行為過程所隱藏的不確定因素。因此，本研究乃採用結構化的方法來製作一符合統計效度的不確定因素衡量量表，並以此量表為工具透過個案研究的方法來探索收斂組裝型供應鏈，這一特定型態供應鏈所面臨的不確定問題。在了解供應鏈所面臨的不確定問題之後，本研究試圖針對此供應鏈型態提出一資訊分享機制規劃的參考架構，藉此架構引領供應鏈運作環境中的資訊科技規劃，並依此提升供應鏈整合。 在針對個案探討之後，本研究發現缺乏妥善規劃資訊分享機制是導致個案公司目前仍難以有效因應所面臨的不確定問題之主要原因。所施行的資訊分享實務與供應鏈環境間的不相容使得其目前仍難以有效因應需求的變異以及物料供給的管控。此外，本研究發現資訊分享模式會受到所面臨的不確定問題之屬性以及嚴重性程度的影響。在收斂組裝型供應鏈的案例中，受到供應鏈結構特徵的影響，資訊分享應著重於物料供給方面的議題。因為在該型態供應鏈運作環境中，供應端的夥伴結合相對於需求端而言較為複雜，且與領導廠商間的關係又非似需求端夥伴間來的密切。是以，在收斂組裝型供應鏈中，有必要投注較多的心力於建制與供應夥伴間的資訊分享。 / Supply chain management is a complicated task because of uncertainties involved. The uncertainty that occurs in the processes of inter-organizational coordination is due to a lack of harmony in supply chain participant activities. Recent developments in Inter-organizational Systems (IOS) have contributed to the provision of IT-based solutions for harmonizing supply chain participant activities. Applying IOS to the supply chain often attempts to improve the efficiency of coordination and resource integration among participants via inter-organizational information sharing. This intention implies that the effectiveness of IOS depends on whether information sharing mechanism built into the system can fit for supply chain characteristics and can help the supply chain cope with uncertainties that disrupt the integration of the supply chain. Hence, establishing an environment-suited information sharing mechanism is critical in deploying IOS solutions, and diagnosing supply chain uncertainties is important in planning information sharing mechanism. Diagnosing supply chain uncertainties is a complex and challenging task, it needs a structural framework to support in analyzing the intricacy of interactions among supply chain members, resulting in the construction of an instrument to assist in the understanding of uncertainty-related behaviors of supply chain participants. Therefore, this study takes a structural approach to produce a validated uncertainty scale, and applies a case study approach with this instrument to investigate the uncertainty problems in a specific supply chain type, convergent assembly supply chain. After understanding the uncertainty problems, this study proposed a reference model to assist this supply chain type in planning an information sharing mechanism, leading to a well-suited IT framework to improve supply chain integration. Falling short of a sounding information sharing mechanism is central to the problems in convergent assembly supply chain based upon the findings of case studies. The incompatibility between supply chain environment and existing information sharing practices has led to the problems in demand variation and material supply. Based on the characteristics of supply chain environment, planning inter-organizational coordination and information sharing simultaneously can effectively resolve the supply chain problems. Moreover, the research results suggested that the pattern of information sharing is influenced by the scale and severity of the uncertainty embedded in supply chain. In the case of convergent assembly supply chain, information sharing is focused on issues related to material supply owing to the structural characteristics of supply chain. The combination of participants in supply side is more complex and is not familiar with the leading company as demand side’s participants. Therefore, it needs to pay more attention for establishing information sharing among supply side’s participants.

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases are a class of fatal brain disorders better known as Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease (CJD) in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, scrapie in sheep, and chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer and elk. The infectious agent responsible for these diseases is a misfolded prion protein capable of catalyzing a conformational change in normal cellular prion proteins (PrPC) into aberrant disease-causing structural isoforms (PrPSc). Although the etiological agent for TSEs has clearly been defined as PrPSc, there are important gaps in our understanding of how these proteins target and invade brain tissue. It remains to be established how ingested PrPSc ultimately reach the brain and also to understand why these tissues are particularly targeted, notwithstanding that several other tissues highly express prion proteins. Certain viruses, retroviruses in particular, efficiently hijack host proteins and can carry these proteins with them when they are released from a cell. Several lines of evidence have shown that prions and retroviruses can interact and associate at various stages of the retroviral replication cycle. Of special interest is that most retroviruses can cross the blood-brain barrier and could therefore deliver host-derived proteins to neuronal cells. In view of these observations, this thesis investigates whether retroviruses can act as vectors to capture prions from an infected cell and deliver them to a susceptible target cell. In this work, I have cloned human and mouse prion cDNAs from PBMCs and the murine cell line NIH 3T3. Either a FLAG epitope tag or the eGFP reporter protein cDNA was inserted into a region of the prion cDNA that is predicted to be amenable to such genetic insertions without affecting protein folding or expression. I then confirmed using both fluorescent and confocal microscopy and that the recombinant proteins had a similar cell distribution to the endogenous prion protein. Using Western blot analysis, I then showed that endogenous and overexpressed prion proteins can be detected in co-transfected cells producing HIV and murine leukemia virus (MLV) retroviral particles. Finally, I went on to show that prions are also present at high levels in HIV and MLV retroviral particles released from these cells. This work constitutes the first step in determining whether retroviruses can act as vectors for prion dissemination. Establishing a strong and clear association between retroviruses, pathogenic prions and prion disease would provide the rationale for preventive measures to be taken directly against retroviruses in order to protect humans and animals that have been newly exposed to PrPSc-infected products or those who are genetically predisposed to develop prion diseases. Anti-retroviral drugs could also be potentially used to delay disease progression and reduce prion transmission in human and animal tissues. The availability of such a treatment would constitute a significant advancement because there is currently no cure or treatment for prion diseases.

Cette thèse envisage les effets occasionnés par la créativité collective contextualisée, plus particulièrement à l’échelle des groupes restreints, à partir d’une approche communicationnelle par les « constructions médiatrices ». Elle poursuit trois grands objectifs. Premièrement, elle s’inscrit dans une volonté d’éclaircissement de la notion de créativité de groupe en tant que phénomène (tel qu’abordé par Woodman, Sawyer et Griffin, 1993) et propose d’en faire la distinction par rapport à la méthode employée par le groupe de créativité (Demory, 1986; Aznar, 2011). Deuxièmement, elle cherche à clarifier les formes d’échanges et d’interactions au cours du processus de création-communication. Troisièmement, elle interroge les effets de ce phénomène collectif complexe de manière à mieux comprendre les conditions de déploiement de la créativité contextualisée.En prenant pour objet d’étude l’expérience vécue d’acteurs en situation par le biais d’un dispositif pédagogique, nous avons convié une communauté d’apprenants à vivre une expérience de création collective immersive et originale qui, par sa nature engageante et déroutante, était susceptible de heurter les habitudes et le cadre traditionnel d’apprentissage. Nous avons émis l’hypothèse que la tension créative entraine la réorganisation constante de l’activité des groupes en influençant les « constructions médiatrices » puis, que la nature de ce contexte cristallise la cohésion et l’engagement des groupes impliqués. Par une analyse de l’activité-créativité (la créactivité) de groupe, et plus particulièrement par l’observation des actions conjointes, des rapports d’interactions et de l’implication des membres, cette étude postule que la créativité collective contextualisée participe à l’émergence de formes d’interactions. Puis, que le recours aux moyens médiateurs (aux artefacts, à la division du travail et aux règles d’interactions) s’effectue dans un mouvement constant de réorganisation de l’activité par dépassements successifs des contradictions, par la formation de noeuds de médiations. Les constructions médiatrices sont ainsi le reflet du processus de transformation du sens des interactions sociales au cours de l’activité. / This thesis considers the effects caused by contextualized collective creativity, especially in small groups, based on a communicational approach by “mediational constructs". It has three main objectives. First, it wishes to clarify the concept of group creativity as a phenomenon (as discussed by Woodman, Sawyer and Griffin, 1993) and to propose its distinction from the method used by creativity groups (Demory, 1986; Aznar, 2011). Secondly, it seeks to clarify the forms of exchange and interactions during the communicative-creative process. Third, it investigates the effects of this complex collective phenomenon for a better understanding of contextualized creativity conditions and deployment.Using a pedagogical framework, we have invited a community of learners to experiment an immersive and original collective creation experience which was likely to upset habits and the traditional framework of learning by its engaging and confusing nature. We hypothesized that creative tension leads to the constant reorganization of group activity by influencing " mediational constructs " and that the nature of this context crystallizes the group cohesion and commitment. Through an analysis of group activity-creativity (creactivity), and more specifically by observing joint actions, interactions relationships and the involvement of members, this study postulates that contextualized collective creativity participates in the emergence of forms of interactions. Then, that the use of meditational means (artefacts, division of labor and rules of interactions) takes place in a constant movement of activity reorganization by overcoming contradictions by successive formation of “mediation nodes”. Thus, the mediational constructs represent a reflection of the transformation process of the social interactions meaning during the activity.

We discuss a new approach to the construction of software systems. Instead of attempting to build a system that is as free of errors as possible, the designer instead identifies key properties that the execution must satisfy to be acceptable to its users. Together, these properties define the acceptability envelope of the system: the region that it must stay within to remain acceptable. The developer then augments the system with a layered set of components, each of which enforces one of the acceptability properties. The potential advantages of this approach include more flexible, resilient systems that recover from errors and behave acceptably across a wide range of operating environments, an appropriately prioritized investment of engineering resources, and the ability to productively incorporate unreliable components into the final software system. / Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA)

The purpose of this dissertation is to describe, explain and understand how slowness appeared when some decisions were made in the area of welfare policy and how this slowness was eliminated. The study focuses on major changes. It is argued that such changes follow another logic than small gradual adjustments. Four breaking points have been selected for a deeper analysis: the pension policy decisions of 1913 and 1994 and the housing policy decisions of 1935 and 1992. These decisions led to the emergence of fundamentally new institutional structures concerning the relation between the central government and the citizens. The study shows that an established institutional structure within a welfare policy area generated mental constructs and decision rules that governed political decision-making. This governance resulted in slowness in the form of lengthy decision-making processes. The fundamental institutional structure was being altered only when the mental constructs were broken down. A common feature was that the decisions were first made when discontent with the prevailing order became so strong that it overwhelmed the fear of a new institutional structure. The general tendency was also to shape the fundamental changes in relation to the citizens so that the changes could be portrayed as small. The established mental constructs are the determining explanation for slowness. The interest organizations played a secondary role, as their interests are shaped in accordance with the mental constructs. Their resistance was declined at the same time when the mental constructs were broken down. The individuals – agents of change – that constantly worked for the change of system in reality appear to be significantly more interesting than hindering organization. Their influence showed a recurring pattern.