Due to increasing emergence of social needs and problems throughout the world, accompanied by reduced government ability to provide the funding necessary to effectively combat these problems, it is expected that social enterprises will grow in number and importance. Because of this growing importance and the lack of research concerning marketing practices in such organizations, the purpose of this thesis is to develop a deeper understanding of both marketing in social enterprises and the context in social enterprises that has the potential to affect the marketing strategies employed in such organizations. Based upon this enhanced understanding, I develop and propose a model of marketing strategy in social enterprises. To develop this enhanced understanding and model, I conducted empirical qualitative research consisting of a comparative study of fifteen cases of social enterprises. Results show that four major dualities represent the critical context of social enterprises that influence the marketing strategies employed. Marketing is viewed as important by these enterprises and the strategies employed are quite well developed in the areas of market research, product quality, branding, and promotion.

Beginning in the mid 1980s the practices of Soviet youth became a scene of heightened academic interest as western scholars eagerly turned their attention to the changing ‘subcultural’ realities of youth in the wake of the relaxations introduced under Perestroika and Glasnost. Unfortunately, despite this growing interest, the Russian punk community has remained, predominantly on the periphery of scholarly inquiry. One can surmise, however, that a dominant reason for this has been the over-reliance on New Subcultural Theory, which marks many of these studies and which seeks to understand ‘subcultures’ in terms of their homogeneous values and symbolic resistance to a socio-structural Other within a rigid and vertical cultural model. This paradigm, when coupled with prominent western themes exhibited in the behaviour of Russian punks, has led to a somewhat anomalous understanding of this group’s existence and has championed the apparent drive within the academy to discredit both the punk community and its membership as little more than cultural mimics. By drawing on data collected from a Russian punk internet forum located at http://offtop.ru/punkforum, this exploratory grounded theory study investigates (1) how the community exists as a discursive space (2) how individual participants construct and put forward their self-presentation and, (3) to what extent may we consider that these presentations of self both construct, and are constructed by the community? The overall concern of the study is to consider whether a conceptual break from the notion of ‘subculture’ permits a fuller understanding of how individual members’ identities are both constructed by, and construct this particular punk community. The findings suggest that while members exhibit some general commonalities, there is significant diversity among them as well. A key finding is how members become “authentic” in relation to the punk idea, while taking part in the construction of that idea and the group as a whole. This presents a significant departure from the notion of ‘subculture’ and from common-place ideas about punk, namely that being punk involves little more than a style of dress and behaviours. Thus, this exploratory study implies that this Russian punk community is a dynamic discursive space within which identity must continuously be negotiated and renegotiated through language.

Many applied academics, within and outside anthropology, have called for the incorporation of cultural knowledge in public policy and decision-making, and for the “bridging” of knowledge systems in knowledge coproduction. Yet critiques of the academic treatment of cultural knowledge have indicated that research has focused on the content not the epistemologies of cultural knowledge systems. To what extent does the social science literature characterize knowledge systems as systems? Does the literature on cultural knowledge systems provide us with tools for translating cultural knowledge? Conclusions derived from this thesis research (a grounded theory approach to an academic literature sample) indicate that substantial work has been done to characterize cultural knowledge epistemologies. However, language used to describe knowledge systems is inconsistent, and analyses of social structures are patchily developed. In an effort to synthesize the literature, I have compiled the best practices and methods used by academics in hopes of influencing future cultural knowledge systems research.

Despite being a common childhood complaint there is little research on growing pains. Existing research is inconsistent with regard to sample selection and prevalence rates. There are only two English language intervention studies, and with the exception of associations noted in prevalence research, there has been no systematic research on the potential impact of growing pains on daily activities. Lack of a universal definition of growing pains poses difficulty for both diagnosis and research. The purposes of the current investigation were to propose a definition of growing pains grounded in literature and clinical practice, to develop a conceptual model of growing pains, and to understand childrens experiences with growing pains. A mixed-method research program involved four phases. In phase I, a survey of physicians indicated the following definition of growing pains: Intermittent pain of unknown etiology, occurring nocturnally in the lower limbs. Features that may occur in some cases, but not part of the definition, include arm pain and daytime pain. In phase II, non-parametric statistical analyses of child, familial, and environmental variables in a rheumatology clinic database were conducted to determine potential risk factors for growing pains. Logistic regression modeling indicated an association between growing pains and maternal illness or rash during the pregnancy, maternal smoking during the pregnancy, delayed pull to standing (i.e., greater than age 10 months), and family histories of back pain and arthritis. Potential mechanisms for these empirical associations are explored. In phase III, qualitative interviews with children were conducted to develop a grounded theory of how children process their experiences. Children engaged in a process of evaluating their current and past experiences of growing pains to determine how to manage specific pain episodes. Their evaluation was influenced by how they understood their pain which in turn was influenced by their intrapersonal and interpersonal experiences. Phase IV integrated results and existing literature to develop a conceptual model of growing pains which outlines characteristic features, predisposing factors, triggers, alleviating actions, and associated psychosocial features. Implications of the process theory and the conceptual model of growing pains with regard to clinical practice and future research are discussed.

Jag har i den här uppsatsen beskrivit hur det råder en otydlighet i vad begreppen saklighet och allsidighet innebär inom skolans värld. Jag har framfört ett intresse för hur samhällskunskapslärare ser på begreppen och hur de tolkar dem. Jag har sen presenterat tidigare forskning om lärares uppfattningar och visat att intervjustudier, fenomenografi och grounded theory är vanligt inom denna typ av forskning. Min frågeställning berörde således huruvida lärarnas uppfattningar om saklighet och allsidighet gick att kategorisera. Med min utgångspunkt i fenomenografi och grounded theory har jag försökt att samla in en bredd av information för att sedan via en fenomenografisk analys försöka att kategorisera det lärarna berättat i sina utsagor. I min analys fann jag att likheterna mellan de sju intervjuade lärarna var mest framträdande. Lärarna definierar saklighet utifrån vad som är vetenskapligt och faktamässigt korrekt och allsidighet som närvaron av en frågas olika perspektiv i klassrummet. Framförallt framträder en balans mellan olika åsikter och presentationer av åsikter när de pratar om saklighet och allsidighet.

The problem itself is not an issue¡A it¡¦s up how you see it! With the wave of capital movement as well as the rapid conversion of industrial development¡A if the business operation cannot cope with it in the giant surge of the century¡A it would be doomed and be swallow up. Traditionally¡A the engineering industry in general is passive¡A be inseparable from the old framework while performing the execution works. However with the flow of capital investment¡A it is announced formally that an internationalized project is coming. Especially we cannot foresee the disasters and avoid it in time. The post-disaster reconstruction projects will push to weed through the old to bring forth the new. Facing the radical change of industry¡A the Taiwan engineering company¡A just start involving the international project¡A would not be only a turning point¡A but also a good timing of self-development and enhancing the constitution strength. It is probably that an International Contractor for EPC project located in Taiwan will be well positioned and reputable in the next decade. The execution of an international EPC contractor has become to an internationalized mode¡F and this study will explore the description of qualitative research methods and Grounded theory study and Dunning theory¡A then through the managing science of engineering management in a compact way¡A to derive step by step how a regional engineering company¡A engaging international engineering contract for ten years¡A to establish and plan their long-term competitiveness and the ability of sustainable growth. This study will collect and interview long-term cooperation in the work of international engineering business partners. Through their different views and opinions¡A and also by the dynamic strategic interaction and new 7S model and the basis of Resource-based theory¡A comment how to adjust the old thinking¡A plan an updated strategy of implementing an international engineering industry strategy pattern that is a project organization oriented for contract execution then¡A lead to the establishment of long-term competitive advantage The study also assert that a successful international EPC Contractor with goal of long-term operation¡A can thrive in the world with base in Taiwan¡A by technical upgrading¡A defining positive organization orientation¡A setting up specific operation target in mid-term and long term respectively.

The present study explored the stigmatization experiences of dirty workers in one dirty work job-female exotic dancers-in an effort to understand the components of dirty work stigma. The framework presented here is based on the integration of existing theory regarding the components of stigma and dirty work. Grounded theory was used to guide the collection and analysis of interviews from 18 participants. Five dirty work stigma components were identified in the participant accounts (i.e., awareness of negative perceptions, type of stigma, visibility, controllability, and type of taint). These components were centrally organized around the moral taint of the dirty work job of exotic dancing.

This research study is focusing on the mid-high priced bikers to understand the process of bicyclers¡¦ purchasing behaviors and decision making. By studying bicyclers¡¦ purchasing behaviors, this research study will provide bikers¡¦ upgrading behavior patterns to bicycle manufacturers. This research study is using half structural formula to interview bikers who have mid-high priced bicycles. Based on process of data analysis in the grounded theory, this research study is using open coding, axial coding, and selecting coding methods to organize the response from participants. After using these three procedures, this research study receives five factors which can be used to form their interconnections. Lastly, this research study builds the upgrade model.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 380-388). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis(Ph.D.)--Case Western Reserve University, 2010 / Title from PDF (viewed on 2010-01-28) Department of Social Welfare Includes abstract Includes bibliographical references and appendices Available online via the OhioLINK ETD Center