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<p dir="ltr"><b>Background:</b> Though ethics has been recognized as an important aspect of engineering education, there is not a definitive consensus on what ethical engineering is. This dissertation seeks to understand what constitutes ethical behaviors in engineering by distinguishing them from other normative behaviors.</p><p dir="ltr"><b>Purpose:</b> This study aims to understand what ethical engineering looks like in practice by addressing the research question: To what extent do engineering ethics experts agree when normative behaviors in engineering are also ethical in nature? While definitions of what constitutes ethical engineering practice are varied in the literature and have been debated theoretically by scholars, this study adopts an empirical approach to understand how experts in engineering ethics conceptualize ethical behaviors in engineering.</p><p dir="ltr"><b>Methods:</b> This dissertation study uses a Delphi process to build consensus among experts on what behaviors constitute ethical engineering practice. The Delphi panel consisted of 27 scholars, educators, and practicing engineers with expertise in engineering ethics who provided iterative feedback across three rounds of data collection through questionnaires. Round 1 generated 25 statements of normative behaviors in engineering. Round 2 prompted panelists to judge the ethicality of each behavior. Round 3 presented panelists with the aggregated responses and opinions from the previous round and invited them to revise their judgments.</p><p dir="ltr"><b>Findings:</b><b> </b>The results of the Delphi process identified areas of consensus and disagreement among the panel on which normative behaviors in engineering are generally considered ethical or non-ethical in nature. Of the 25 statements, panelists agreed that 20 of the behaviors tended to be ethical in nature and one behavior tended to be non-ethical in nature, while the remaining four statements did not yield consensus.</p><p dir="ltr"><b>Contribution:</b> This research aims to provide clarity around what constitutes ethical behaviors in engineering by differentiating them conceptually from other normative behaviors in engineering practice. The empirical approach taken in this study has implications for research, teaching, and assessment in engineering ethics education. Specifically, the questionnaire developed through the Delphi process can be deployed to study engineering students and practitioners to make broader claims about what is ethical in engineering.</p>

The objective of this study was to determine vocational education's potential contribution to the future economic development of Belize. To achieve this objective, a panel of experts was involved in the formulation of statements and the determination of each statement's value as a contributor to future economic development. The design of the study included use of the Delphi technique. A panel of experts was chosen with four selected from each of four groups: (a) government (public service), (b) non-governmental organizations, (c) entrepreneurship and small business development, and (d) manufacturing and export-oriented production. Each of the experts was asked to identify statements that vocational education should emphasize in the future so that it would contribute to future economic development in Belize. Frequency distribution, mean, and variance were calculated for each statement. The criterion to determine whether consensus was achieved was defined as item variance being equal to or less than 0.75 on a 4-point scale. Panel members identified a list of 85 statements of which 71 met the criterion for consensus. The 71 statements on which the panel of experts reached consensus were rank ordered according to their means. The statements on which consensus were not achieved did not fall below the important category; however, the group ratings were widely dispersed. A content analysis of the ranked statements revealed that some statements clustered around common themes. These themes included planning, productivity, linkages, values and work ethics, and program and institutional development. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study was to identify projected critical changes in the public secondary school of the future as perceived by a panel of experts. The panel of experts was composed of persons who are leaders in the field of education and futures. The review of the related literature indicated that there were seven discrete critical areas in which changes were most likely to take place in the public secondary school by the year 2035. These areas were as follows: 1. Fiscal support 2. Curriculum 3. Technology - Administration 4. Technology - Instruction 5. Student Characteristics 6. Personnel - Administrative 7. Personnel - Instructional The panel of experts was asked to respond to futuristic trends within each of these areas in terms of probability of occurrence, time frame of occurrence and impact on the public secondary school as we know it today. This study used the Delphi Method and involved a series of three questionnaires. With each round of questionnaires, the responses were refined so that the ultimate goal of consensus could be obtained. Results indicated that the select panel of experts came to consensus on most of the futuristic trends which were identified. Forecasts were given primarily for time periods within the next fifteen years, and participants seemed reluctant to make long-range predictions. / Ed. D.

This study was carried out in the Banco Popular de Ahorro, in Santiago de Cuba. Duringthree years, different Profiles of Directive Competitions were made as well as a Unique or Generic Profile, adaptable to any executive of this or other organizations. Different con- ceptions of competitions were obtained and confirmed, such as simple, compound, basic, secondary, generic and specific competitions. Various experiences were confirmed, such as the importance of establishing their dimensions, contradictions and similarities between competitions and values, their possibility to focus on different organizational tasks, such as the improvement of the environment, the quality in the performance of top and intermediate management, technicians and workers, with the objective of improving the performance of the employees and the organization. / La investigación se desarrolló en el Banco Popular de Ahorro, en Santiago de Cuba, donde durante tres años se trabajó en la conformación de diversos Perfiles de Competencias Directivos y un Perfil Único o Genérico, adaptable a cualquier directivo de esta institución y otras organizaciones. Se obtuvieron y confirmaron diversas concepciones de competencias como las simples, compuestas, básicas, secundarias, genéricas y especificas, importantes y claves, y diversas experiencias como la importancia de establecer sus dimensiones, las contradicciones y similitudes entre competencias y valores, su posibilidad de enfocarse hacia diversas tareas organizacionales, como el mejoramiento del medio ambiente, la calidad del trabajo de mandos superiores, intermedios, técnicos y obreros, con el objetivo de perfeccionar la gestión del desempeño de los trabajadores y la organización.

The wind power development in Greece has been rising the last decade, aiming to exploit the country's excellent wind resources. Though the project developers' experience in the wind energy industry has been expanded, wind power project risks are always present, having the potential to have a major impact on the project outcome. Thereafter, the question generated is “which are those risks, and how can they effectively be addressed?”. This Thesis is aiming to identify those risks, specifically for the Greek wind energy sector, present the results of a quantitative risk analysis, and propose risk response strategies for each of the identified risks. For that purpose, a case-study in S. Euboea region was applied; a typical 8 MW onshore wind farm was designed inside a Wind Priority Area. The risk data were collected by a panel of experts, chosen to identify and quantify the potential risks through the implementation of the Delphi and the Project Risk FMEA (RFMEA) methods. The results showed 21 risks that should be considered when developing a wind power project in Greece, and also presented their response priority ranking, based on each risk's ratings inprobability, impact and detection factors. Afterwards, the risk response strategies, for each risk, were proposed, as those were collected by the experts panel group-interviewing. Through the analysis of the results, it is clarified that the country's economic crisis and the current changes in the political scene have created new and affected the already existing risks of the Greek wind energy sector, bringing the regulatory risk to the top of the critical risks.

The research objective for this dissertation study was to build a preliminary survey that would, in its final form, allow educators and administrators to establish baseline information on individuals’ global competence characteristics prior to instruction, cross-cultural experience, international study or collaboration. A secondary aim concerned length: The intent was to keep the eventual final survey at 15 minutes or less to make it adaptable to a variety of settings. The researcher extracted terms and phrases from existing global competence definitions (e.g., Boix-Mansilla, Jackson, Asia Society & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2011; Hunter, 2005), related literature (e.g., Lambert, 1994), and previous research (Todd, 2013) to develop a definition and theoretical framework for this competence. Central to the developed definition and framework were the disposition/affective realm, knowledge, skill, and action elements, and a clear connection to cosmopolitanism (e.g., Appiah, 2006). Currently, a global competence definition and survey tied directly to cosmopolitanism do not exist. The learning theories of Vygotsky (1986), Bandura (1977), Lave (1993), and Kolb (Kolb, Boyatzis, & Mainemelis, 1999) also provided insight into global competence development for measurement purposes. The four-step study method included building a draft survey from the developed global competence definition, field testing the draft survey with a purposive sample (e.g., Babbie, 2007b; Teddlie & Yu, 2007) in order to make initial revisions to the instrument, conducting a Delphi review (e.g., Cyphert & Gant, 1970; Fogo, 2014; Helmer, 1967) of the revised draft survey to further refine the instrument, and describing the field-test sample using data from items retained in the resulting survey from the Delphi review. The outcome of each of the four steps constituted the findings for this research. Future research could involve adding new items and then field-testing the survey once again to examine the statistical structure of the developing instrument.

Este documento apresenta e descreve o trabalho de pesquisa realizado com vistas a estabelecer recomendações destinadas a auxiliar consumidores de serviços de computação em nuvem a tratar a questão dos riscos inerentes a este ambiente, de modo tal a poder contratar serviços desta natureza com grau aceitável de risco. Para atender a este objetivo e aos demais objetivos secundários definidos, o estudo foi conduzido em cinco fases: revisão da literatura relativa à computação em nuvem, escolha e estruturação do método de pesquisa, aplicação do método de pesquisa, proposição das recomendações para o tratamento dos riscos e elaboração das conclusões. A revisão da literatura compreendeu um amplo levantamento bibliográfico sobre computação em nuvem, com ênfase na sua definição, nos modelos de referência e nos tópicos barreiras, benefícios e riscos. A escolha do método de pesquisa envolveu o processo de seleção do Delphi, acompanhado por outro extenso levantamento bibliográfico, desta feita sobre este método, e foi seguida da definição da sistemática a ser adotada para aplicá-lo especificamente nesta pesquisa; para aplicar o Delphi, foi escolhida a modalidade ranking form, por meio da qual se tornou possível determinar, após a realização de cinco rodadas do painel e contando com a participação de um grupo de especialistas formado por acadêmicos e profissionais de tecnologia da informação, rankings para as barreiras, os benefícios e os riscos associados à computação em nuvem. A partir do ranking dos riscos, foram estabelecidas as recomendações destinadas a satisfazer ao objetivo principal da pesquisa, que se traduzem, em linhas gerais, na indicação de quais riscos potenciais devem ser observados e tratados com maior grau de atenção pelas instituições, organizações e executivos de tecnologia da informação que pretendam dar seus primeiros passos no universo da computação em nuvem, bem como por aqueles que, já devidamente inseridos neste ambiente, queiram ou tenham a necessidade de rever conceitos e posições assumidos. Por fim, as conclusões e considerações finais contemplaram a análise dos resultados obtidos no painel Delphi relativamente às barreiras e aos benefícios. Como contribuição maior, este estudo oferece, acima de tudo, uma visão realista acerca da computação em nuvem e coloca à disposição daqueles que efetivamente por ela se interessam, por vontade própria ou dever de ofício, um rol de observações e recomendações úteis e oportunas. / This report presents and depicts the research carried out in order to find out recommendations that may possibly assist consumers of cloud computing services to deal with risks intrinsic to that architecture, so that consumers can be able to contract those kinds of services within an acceptable level of risk. The research comprised five phases to satisfy this main objective and also the secondary ones set up for it: review the literature related to cloud computing, choose and configure the research method, run the research method, find out the recommendations and make conclusions. The review of the literature consisted of an extensive bibliography research about cloud computing, putting emphasis on its definitions and reference models and on three other connected topics: barriers, benefits and risks. The choice of the research method encompassed the selection of the Delphi method seconded by another wide bibliography research, this time focused on the method itself, and was followed by the configuration of the Delphi method in order to get a script to be adopted to make properly use of the method in this research; to apply the Delphi method, it was chosen its \"ranking form\", that made possible, after five rounds and counting with the involvement of a group comprising academic people and information technology professionals, to establish rankings for barriers, benefits and risks, all related to cloud computing. Based on the ranking of risks, the recommendations destined to satisfy the research\'s main objective were thought up; in general, these recommendations can be viewed as indicatives of which potentials risks must be observed and treated in an upper attention level by institutions, organizations and information technology executives that intend to take their first steps toward cloud computing universe, as long as by those companies and people that, despite by now inserted in that architecture, want to or must review concepts and positions already took on. At last, conclusions and final considerations were written, both derived from the analysis of the results regarding barriers and benefits extracted from the Delphi panel. Above all, this study, as its major contribution, offers a realistic view on the subject of cloud computing and puts a list of useful and timely reflections and recommendations within reach of those who are effectively interested in them, by proper will or due to duties.

對電視台來說，擁有讓觀眾易於區分的品牌個性和風格是提高收視率的要素之一。因為，只有突出獨特的風格和打造品牌形象，方能形成影響力。簡而言之，品牌能簡化觀眾選台的決策過程，一旦該台成為觀眾腦海裡的選擇，就能讓他們在不需要花費太多時間與精力的條件下進行收視行為。基本上，品牌的塑造有賴於電視台全體台前幕後的員工，透過每一個環節和時段把品牌訊息和價值傳遞給觀眾，故品牌內部行銷的實施影響了電視台品牌深化和內化的成敗，也是員工能否掌握正確和全面的品牌訊息和理念的先決條件。 本研究旨在探討電視台品牌內部行銷的指標要件，從文獻中發展出八大構面作為評定品牌內部行銷的衡量指標，採用修正式德菲法作為研究方法，結合廣播電視領域、傳播管理與企業管理領域、品牌行銷和公關廣告領域專家學者之豐富意見與專業知識，萃取出適合電視台品牌內部行銷的指標要件，供產學界和後續相關研究作為參考。研究發現，衡量品牌績效作為獎賞依據是電視公司在施行品牌內部行銷時最重要的要件。指標方面，即「訂定出明確、清晰易懂的品牌願景」、「各部門同事間相互共同合作以完成工作」、「鼓勵員工發揮品牌創意和主動性」、「讓員工清楚知道品牌績效衡量項目」、「提供個人獎勵（如財務獎勵、正式場合公開表揚、職務升遷）」和「確保員工真正認可企業品牌的精神與承諾」這六項是品牌內部行銷最重要的項目。 / As a TV station, one of the elements to raising the ratings is to shaping the brand personality and style and allows the audience to distinguish the differences. This is because only the unique brand style and image can form the influence. In short, brand can simplify the decision-making process while audience selecting a TV channel. Once the TV station becomes the first choice in their mind, this can let them spend less time and energy searching the channel for deciding which channel they want to watch. Basically, branding depends on the employees no matter what are their positions, front stage or back stage. The brand message and brand value through every segment and time transmitted to the audience. Therefore, the success of TV station internal branding influenced by the implementation of brand internal marketing. This is a prerequisite for employees to hold the brand message properly and completely. This research aimed to explore the requirements of brand internal marketing. After developed eights dimensions for evaluation indexes from the literature review, this research applied with the Modified Delphi Method, collected the opinion from the experts and scholars from the field of radio and television, media management, business management, branding, public relationship and advertising, extract the indicators based on the result analysis and finally provided the findings to the industry and academia as a reference. The results showed that the most important dimensions of brand internal marketing for TV station is measure the brand performance as a reward basis. For the main indicators, “Set a clear and understandable brand vision”, “Colleagues from various departments work together to complete the task”, “Encourage employees to be creative and initiative in branding”, “Let employees know the measurement indicator of brand performance”, “Provide personal incentives (such as financial incentives, public recognition in formal occasions, job promotion)” and “Ensure employees recognize the brand spirit and brand commitment”, six indicators above are the most important indicators in brand internal marketing for TV station.

本研究在建立教師專業能力之指標，主要研究方法為文獻探討後採用模糊德菲術問卷調查法。藉由文獻探討分析主要來探討相關理論與研究成果，作為本研究的學理依據；再邀請專家對問卷指標逐一確認，以提升問卷效度，作為進一步模糊德菲術問卷的編製依據，分析專家群體意見之差異性，確認專家群體意見是否趨向一致。最後根據模糊德菲術調查問卷的最大值、最小值及最佳單一值化成雙三角模糊函數，進行量化的指標統計篩選。獲得之結論如下： 一、本研究所擬定之指標共計有：教學能力、班級經營與輔導、研究發展與進修、敬業精神與態度等四個層面；在每個層面並分別有三到四個的指標，計有十二個指標；每個指標下分別含有三到九個不等的檢核項目，共計有五十二個檢核項目。 二、本研究所建構之指標系統構面依權重高低依序前三名為教學方法（15.5％）、人際關係（11.1％）、輔導知能（7.9％）。 藉由分析討論獲得結論後，提出相關建議，敘述如下：辦理相關研習，提升專業知能；建立內省能力，提升專業形象；落實教師評鑑工作，作為了解教師績效與改進之參考；教師評鑑制度要與教師專業發展相結合；應視教育現況，建構適切之教師專業能力指標；應提供多元的課程滿足教育的專業化、多元化與國際化，並因應不同生涯發展階段的需求提供教師進修研習的課程。 / The research aimed to establish the indicators of teacher’s professional abilities. Fuzzy Delphi method was utilized for data collection after the discussion of the documents. The theoretical basis of this research was derived from analyzing the documents, discussing related theories and other research achievements. Furthermore, the research was conducted to collect experts’ opinions on the indicators in questionnaires to promote their validity, which was the main basis of compiling the Fuzzy Delphi Method questionnaires. From the questionnaires, the author could analyze the differences of experts’ opinions and confirm whether their opinions could come to agreement. Finally, based on the maximum, minimum and best single value, the author obtained the following conclusions: First, this research consists of four dimensions: teaching ability, class management and student counseling, research development and further education and professional spirits. Each dimension is composed of three to four indicators. There are twelve indicators in total. Each indicator also contains three to nine control items. There are fifty-two control items in total. Second, according to the established indicator system, the author obtains the top three indicators: teaching method (15.5%), interpersonal relationship (11.1%) and counseling competence (7.9%). After analyzing and discussion the data, the author brought up related suggestions described as follows: holding more workshops to promote teachers’ professional competence; improving teachers’ introspective ability to promote their professional images; reinforcing teachers’ evaluation as the reference for their improvements; combining teachers’ evaluation system and profession; according to the educational situation, establishing proper professional indicators for teachers; providing diverse courses and programs according to different stages of teachers’ life arrangement to reach the ideal of professional, diverse and international education.