This study was an investigation of the patterns of relational communication in conjoint behavioral consultation (CBC) for children with behavioral problems. This study compared the patterns of relational communication when different processes (i.e., decision-making versus information gathering) are used to meet the objectives of CBC during the Conjoint Problem Identification Interview (CPII) and the Conjoint Problem Analysis Interview (CPAI). It also explored the relationship between patterns of relational communication and the outcome of CBC. Twenty-one children with identified behavioral problems (ages 3 to 8), the mothers and teachers of these children (i.e., the consultees), and advanced graduate students (i.e., the consultants) participated in this study. Relational communication was measured via the Family Relational Communication Control Coding System (FRCCCS, Heatherington & Friedlander, 1987). The two summary variables that were derived from the FRCCCS are domineeringness and dominance (Courtright, Millar, & Rogers-Millar, 1979; Rogers-Millar & Millar, 1979).The measure of outcome was the improvements in children's target behavior from baseline to intervention at home and at school, as measured by effect size statistics. The extent to which consultants, parents and teachers intent to direct the other and how the others receive their directiveness, appear to vary as a function of the interview as well as the process use to meet objectives within an interview. Some patterns of relational communication were found to be associated with the outcome of consultation. The original contributions as well as the implications of this research are discussed.

Pirmojoje darbo dalyje išnagrinėta verslo konsultavimo paslaugų kokybės sampratos, verslo konsultavimo paslaugų vertinimo ypatumai ir modeliai. Antrojoje darbo dalyje, remiantis mokslinės literatūros analize, pateiktas verslo konsultavimo paslaugų kokybės vertinimo modelis, atliktas verslo konsultavimo paslaugų kokybės tyrimas Kauno regione bei išanalizuoti tyrimo metu gauti rezultatai. Trečiojoje darbo dalyje pateikiama rekomendacijos verslo konsultavimo paslaugų kokybės gerinimui Kauno regione. Atlikus verslo konsultavimo paslaugų kokybės tyrimą, paaiškėjo, jog paslaugų kokybė netenkina paslaugų gavėjų, buvo nustatytos pagrindinės nepasitenkinimo priežastys ir pateiktos rekomendacijos verslo konsultavimo paslaugų kokybės gerinimui. / The first part analyzes the concepts of quality of business consultation services, peculiarities and models of the assessment of business consultation services. The second part presents the model of quality assessment of business consultation services, researches quality of business consultation services in Kaunas region and analyzes the received results. The third part presents the recommendations for improvement of quality of business consultation services in Kaunas Region. The research of quality of business consultation services reveals that the service quality does not satisfy the service receivers. The research determines the main reasons of dissatisfaction and present the recommendations for improvement of quality of business consultation services.

Forskare argumenterar för att det krävs mer deliberativa kvaliteter i dagensdemokratiska Sverige för att vi dels ska kunna kallas oss för en fungerande demokratioch dels för att vi ska ha en chans att kunna nå något vi nästan alla strävar efter idag –hållbar utveckling. En lagstadgad och därmed vanlig metod som används idag för attutreda en planerad verksamhets miljökonsekvenser är att upprätta enmiljökonsekvensbeskrivning (MKB). Samrådsprocessen i MKB:s för projekt är ettmedel att göra processen mer demokratisk. Syftet med denna studie är att utvärderadetta demokratiska medel för att kunna dra slutsatser kring om det fyller sin funktionoch hur det skulle gå att förbättra för att generera fler positiva utfall. Syftet harbesvarats med hjälp av två litteraturstudier, sex djupintervjuer och enenkätundersökning som alla har kopplats till studiens teoretiska utgångspunkter. En delav uppsatsens teori är relevant bakgrund (d.v.s. avsnitt Miljökonsekvensbeskrivningar)medan andra delar är vetenskapliga och har som syfte att jämföras med resultaten (d.v.s.avsnitt Samtalsdemokrati). Det viktigaste resultatet från de två litteraturstudierna var att kapitlet om MKB imiljöbalken inte har genomgått någon större förändring från det att det skapades tillsidag och att det behövs andra metoder (ex. intervjuer och observationer) för att kunnaavgöra om det som kommer fram på samrådet tas hänsyn till i MKB:n. Det mestframträdande resultatet från intervjuer och enkätundersökning var dels att denvanligaste formen på samråd är antingen skriftligt eller ett stormöte och dels attupplägget på stormöten ofta inleds med att verksamhetsutövaren håller en långpresentation och i slutet blir det en kort frågestund. Resultatet visar också att det verkarvara form och upplägg på samrådsprocessen som skapar de största problemen för att videls ska få ut de kvaliteter som konsulter och verksamhetsutövare själva anser ärviktigast, nämligen synpunkter och dels för att kunna säkra att detta verktyg för att ökademokratin, som samråd just är, inte bara gör det i teorin utan också i praktiken. Det ärkring detta som diskussionen till största del har kretsat och det är detta som äruppsatsens viktigaste slutsats. Resultatet visar också att konsulter ochverksamhetsutövare är medvetna om att de vanligaste formerna för samråd inte äroptimala för att leverera de synpunkter de så gärna vill ha, ändå finns en motvilja till attändra och utveckla formen. Ett förslag för vidare utredning är att gå djupare in på vaddetta beror på för att på sikt kanske finna nyckeln till hur man kan ändra på dennamotvilja att utveckla form och upplägg på samrådsförfarandet. / Researchers argue that it takes more deliberative qualities in today's democratic Swedenboth that we should be able to call us for a functioning democracy but also for us tohave a chance to achieve something we almost all endeavors today - sustainabledevelopment. A statutory and thus a common method used today to investigate whatenvironmental impact a planned activity may cause is to establish an EnvironmentalImpact Assessment (EIA). The consultation process in EIA:s for projects is a means tomake the process more democratic. The purpose of this study is to evaluate thisdemocratic means in order to draw conclusions about whether it fulfills its function andwhether it would be possible to improve in order to generate more positive outcomes.The aim has been answered with the help of two literary studies, six in-depth interviewsand a survey which has been linked to the study's theoretical points. Part of the thesis isrelevant background theory (i.e the Environmental Impact Assessments section) whileother parts are scientific and are intended to be compared with the results (i.e thedeliberative democracy section).The most important result from the two literature studies was that the chapter on EIA inthe environmental code has not undergone any major change from the time it wascreated until today and the need for other methods (e.g. interviews and observations) todetermine whether the comments during the consultation will be considered in the EIA. The most striking result from the interviews and survey were that the most commonform of consultation is either writing or a public meeting and partly that the layup atlarge meetings often begin with the operator holding a long presentation and in the endit will be a short question and answer session. The result also shows that it seems to bethe form and structure of the consultation process that creates the biggest problems forus both to get out the qualities that consultants and operators themselves consider mostimportant, namely observations, and partly to ensure that this tool can enhancedemocracy, which consultation is about, not just in theory but also in practice. It is onthis that the discussion mainly revolved around, and it is this that is the essay's mainconclusion. The result also shows that consultants and operators are aware that the mostcommon forms of consultation are not optimal to deliver the comments they want sobadly, yet there is a reluctance to change and develop shape of the consultation process.A proposal for further investigation is to go deeper into what causes this to be able toeventually find the key to how to change this reluctance to develop the form andstructure of the consultation process.

As the province of British Columbia seeks to rapidly develop an extensive natural gas industry, it faces a number of challenges. One of these is that of ensuring that development does not disproportionately impact some of the province’s most marginalized communities: the First Nations on whose land extraction will take place. This is particularly crucial given that environmental problems are often caused by unjust and inequitable social conditions that must be rectified before sustainable development can be advanced. This research investigates how the BC Oil and Gas Commission’s consultation process addresses, and could be improved to better address Treaty 8 First Nations’ concerns regarding shale gas development within their traditional territories. Interviews were conducted with four Treaty 8 First Nations, the Treaty 8 Tribal Association, and provincial government and industry staff. Additionally, participant observation was conducted with the Fort Nelson First Nation Lands and Resources Department. Findings indicate that like many other resource consultation processes in British Columbia, the oil and gas consultation process is unable to meaningfully address First Nations’ concerns and values due to fundamental procedural problems, including the permit-by-permit approach and the exclusion of First Nations from the point of decision-making. Considering the government’s failure to regulate the shale gas industry in a way that protects ecological, social and cultural resilience, we argue that new governance mechanisms are needed that reallocate authority to First Nations and incorporate proposals for early engagement, long-term planning and cumulative impact assessment and monitoring. Additionally, considering the exceptional power differential between government, industry and First Nations, we argue that challenging industry’s social license to operate is an important strategy for First Nations working to gain greater influence over development within their territories, and ensure a more sustainable shale gas industry. / Graduate / 0768 / 0615 / kgarvie@uvic.ca

This dissertation aims to use a system thinking approach to describe and evaluate the Lead-Acid Battery Recycling Program in British Columbia, compare it with other provincial regulated recycling programs and identify strategies on how it can be improved. The research is presented in the manuscript based format, comprised of four interrelated chapters. Following the introduction, chapter 2 describes a multiple regression analysis to assess how various factors identified by informed stakeholders have contributed to recycling rate in 14 transportation zones from 1995 to 2005. This study demonstrates that the existing recycling scheme ineffectively promotes recycling as it has achieved an average of 75% over the past 13 years with large fluctuations among transportation zones. The regression also shows that recycling rate of transportation zones are not highly influenced by LME lead prices and Transportation Incentive (which can be explained by the strong market power of the recycling plants responsible for setting up the price of scrap lead to which the collectors respond). Chapter 3 identifies key components that influence the performance of varied recycling systems based on a comparative analysis of provincial recycling systems informed by expert interviews. In chapter 4, comprehensive evaluation criteria for the lead-acid battery recycling program is developed based on objectives and performance measures elicited through an extensive stakeholder consultation process with various individuals and organizations. Fundamental objectives identified by stakeholders include: reduce environmental impacts, reduce occupational health impacts, reduce net costs, increase equity in resource consumption patterns and increase systematic learning. In chapter 5, we use multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to design and assess effective recycling strategies to meet societal objectives previously identified in the chapter 4. Recycling strategies were compiled using the results of chapter 3. The results reveals that the optimal policy for the lead-acid battery recycling system combines a return to retailer program financed through an advanced disposal fee included in the battery price in combination with increased plant or recycling capacity domestically. This research also provides relevant contributions to the refining and application of value-focused thinking and decision analysis methodologies.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 2006. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1996. / Unnumbered leaves at back are permission forms for use of information from Consulting Psychologists Press, Inc. Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-132). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2003. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [189]-193).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of California, San Francisco, 2004. / Bibliography: leaves 104-130. Also available online.

Thesis--University of California, San Francisco. / On spine: Mental nurse as consultant to police officers. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 190-196).