The purpose of this feminist critical discourse analysis was to uncover whether or not, and how, muteness of female-preferential voice occurs within written organizational computer-mediated communication. Qualitative textual analysis was used to analyze 18 discussion forums from three voluntary professional associations representing highly male-populated (mechanical engineering), gender neutral (training and development), and highly female-populated (nursing) industries. Discussion posting participants were categorized for using male-preferential (MP), female-preferential (FP), or neutral (N) language. MP and FP interactions were then analyzed for themes of muting and muteness. Seven major findings within three analytic categories emerged from this study. First, with regards to preferential language use by industry site, all three sites’ participants used FP language more than MP language. In fact, 158 of the 246 total participants were categorized as FP language users and 17 of the 18 forums were initiated by a FP participant. Additionally, although overall, modals and hedges were the most prevalent FP language characteristics and opinions were the most prevalent MP language characteristic, this differed across industry site. Implications for scaling preferential language dimensions along a continuum from highly feminine to highly masculine are discussed. Second, regarding strategies of maintaining male dominance (muting), it was found that MP language dimensions were used more often by MP participants when interacting with FP participants. Themes of muting strategies such as overstating one’s knowledge base were found in MP language. FP participants, on the other hand, cloak their opinions in subordinating language; thus understating their knowledge. This context allows MP language users to trivialize FP language users’ postings. Additionally, the use of masculine pronouns was equal to the use of feminine pronouns despite the majority of FP participants; and FP participants were overwhelmingly more likely to use masculine pronouns that MP participants were likely to use feminine pronouns. Finally, with regards to strategies of FP communication during interactions with MP language users (muteness), FP participants engaged mostly in respectful communication as a strategy to communicate. The communication strategy used least was confrontation. An emergent strategy of communication was the increased use of metaphors by FP participants when interacting with MP participants.

Hispanic student success within community colleges is critical to our future national economy and as such, was pertinent to this Human Resource Development (HRD) research. In this ex-post-facto study, the researcher examined the student entry characteristics of 2,523 Hispanic entering freshmen enrolled anytime between Fall 2000 and Fall 2005 who attempted History, English Composition, or College Algebra for the first time in either face-to-face or distance education courses at South Texas College. The following student entry characteristics of the Hispanic students in the study population were examined for their impact on successful course completion and retention: age, country of elementary education, custody of minors, disabilities, English as a second language, gender, high school diploma type, high school GPA, hours of employment, income level indicators, intent to continue employment, intent to transfer, intended length of enrollment, marital status, number of credit hours, parents’ education, participation in workforce programs in high school, reason for attending, recent migrant work, resident status, and veteran status. The resulting profile of Hispanic distance education student characteristics was found to be similar to common characteristics noted in the literature for other distance education non-Hispanic populations. Furthermore, the researcher identified significant student entry characteristics for predicting the risk of failing to successfully complete courses or to re-enroll. Finally, the researcher provided suggestions for further research regarding Hispanic student performance and success in higher education as a responsibility of the work of Hispanic human resource development within community colleges. This study provides empirical findings related to the student entry characteristics construct found in current theoretical models of retention in commuter institutions of higher education. The researcher recommends expanding this research to other elements of theoretical models of student departure such as the external environment and the internal campus environment. Doing this will support the further refinement and development of the theory and confirm its applicability to local institutional populations.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a subject long debated since the 1930s, but the premises of the topic in regards to the what, how, why, and to whom it should be remain in question. The relation between CSR and corporate financial performance (CFP) has emerged at the forefront of this debate, particularly within the last 30 years, yet no unified theory has been reached. Other scholars interested in CSR have criticized the emphasis on CFP as a means of economic justification for what they believe to be a broader social issue, and have attempted to redirect the focus in CSR research to include other motivations and outcomes associated with organizational stakeholders other than shareholders. Using a descriptive and instrumental stakeholder theory approach, the focus of the current study was to explore CSR practices in both a dependent and independent sense. These theoretical underpinnings reflect stakeholder management decisions based on organizational characteristics, and the strategic management of various organizational stakeholders, respectively. The study population consisted of a diverse array of 353 U.S.- based corporations, 80 percent from the Fortune 500. Data included eleven corporate classification variables that represented organizations’ geographical location, industry, executive leadership dimensions, and financial health. It also included six CFP variables that represented accounting and market-based measures, and seven CSR variables that represented the key organizational stakeholders of the local community and environment, employees, and customers. The corporate classification variables were utilized to assess CSR performances, while CFP was assessed by analyzing differences among levels of the CSR practices. These assessments were performed for organizations for the twelve years within 1991-2002. Several results that assisted in informing descriptive and instrumental stakeholder theory were produced through the examination of previously used and under-explored variables. Specifically, the study results included new insights regarding how several organizational characteristics related to their CSR practices. Study findings provided elaboration regarding how performance differences in seven key CSR categories affected six representative accounting and market-based measures of corporate financial performance. Implications for practice for organizational decision-makers are provided along with detailed information pertaining to how, with inferences as to why, firms engage in CSR. Additionally, associated financial outcomes from different levels of CSR implementation are reported. Key findings from the study were that the CSR practices regarding employees and the environment remained stable over the twelve-year time period. Additionally, organizations’ geographical location, financial health, and corporate leadership dimensions had an impact on CSR practices for various stakeholder groups, with the exception of employees. A high level of investment in CSR for certain stakeholder groups did not produce the best financial outcomes in all cases; however, organizations that emphasized CSR in the categories relative to the community and its employees outperformed others with respect to certain financial performance measures.

The majority of mentoring research has explored mentoring from the vantage point of protégé perceptions, reactions, experiences, and development (Wanberg et al. 2003; Kram, 1988). Participants in mentoring studies have commonly been employees, college students, or mid-level managers. Little is known regarding the impact of mentoring roles in relation to top executives who are, over the span of their careers, likely to participate in developmental relationships as both mentor and protégé. In fact, accessing people who are active CEOs has been extremely problematic for a majority of interested researchers (Thomas, 1995). Limited research on mentoring and especially that on CEOs is used to inform the current Human Resource Development (HRD) scholarship and practice. The current study will inform HRD and provide insight into how mentoring relationships can be used to develop individuals in organizations. Key findings from this study were reported from a qualitative study (Moustakas, 1994) involving twelve CEOs of large for-profit US corporations who detailed their experiences as both mentors and protégés. Emerging themes from the larger study overlap, in part, with key mentoring functions as identified by Kram (1988). In addition to reinforcing and informing the work of Kram (1988), key CEOs provided insight regarding their experiences in long-term (several years or more) mentoring relationships. The combined themes resulted in a framework demonstrating the development of mentoring relationships. In addition to a general discussion of a mentoring framework, I focused the study primarily on CEO perceptions regarding the impact of their mentoring related experiences on 1) how their mentors have impacted their development; 2) how they mentor others; and 3) the relational elements in mentoring relationships. Because a rarely assessed population was studied, scholars and practitioners in HRD will gain a unique understanding and greater insight into how mentoring relationships develop professionals, particularly CEOs.

Over the years, much attention has been given to copyright law in literature and as it pertains to textbooks and other original academic works. However, as the focus is narrowed to the copyright law as it relates to distance education within higher education, very little information or precedents can be looked to for guidance. For an institution of higher education involved in distance education, the problem demands that a model be developed specifically for universities to follow as they embrace distance education programs and course development. As the likelihood of lawsuits and grievances clearly exists, the motivation of faculty to create original works is potentially compromised when there is conflict between themselves and the universities who employ them. In addition, a set of guidelines in the form of a model lends a structural basis to university educators and administrators alike on which to formulate the process of developing distance education programs with a greatly reduced chance of legal incident. A case study design was chosen because it adds strength to what is known and deepens understanding of complex issues. According to Lincoln and Guba in their 1985 book, qualitative research involves the studied use and collection of a variety of empirical materials: case study, personal experience, introspective, life story, interview, observational, historical, interactive, and visual texts that describe routine and problematic moments and meanings in individuals

For the purpose of survival and maintaining excellent performance, the hospitals are seeking to adopt suitable strategies to fulfill organization development. By the uprising speed of economic development in China with the increasing demand of medical care, it is eager for us to understand what proper strategies the hospitals should take in order to fit the external environment and internal environment. Moreover, linking human resource development strategies such as training and career development with hospital business strategies to examine if there is any relationships. The result of research is pointed out: According to different inside and outside environment, the medical organization can develop a suitable operation style by itself. For example, the large-scale comprehensive tertiary hospital can choose the tactics trends of the difference or grouping strategies, and the medium and small-scale clinic or the section hospital can choose to refine the tactics specially. In human resource development, with the difference of the domestic and foreign environment, the medical organization also different methods. Especially on the employing mechanism, the public hospital has sounder system, bigger development space and brand benefit, but comparatively speaking, the private hospital has more flexible wages and promotion system. However, this research was conducted in qualitative method which case details were collected from two different government owned hospitals in Shanghais area in regard to investigate the linkage between hospital business strategies and human resource development strategies they apply. Since they are both owned by the government, this research found specific phenomenon for business practices and future research implications.

Human resource development, abbreviated as HRD, is a new and developing field evolved from the human resources management, abbreviated as HRM. Compared with HRM, HRD more emphasizes on the development of people and organization, also growth of personal professional knowledge and career. More importantly, it can improve performance of employee and organization. With the introduction of HRD, nowadays human resource department has already migrated from administrative role to strategic partner role. HRD has a large scope, including at least management by objectives, competency management, training management and performance management, and all the HRD elements influence each other closely. By means of human resource development system, abbreviated as HRDS, HRD related policies can be implemented effectively and successfully. ¡@¡@This research¡¦s objective is to redesign HRDS software architecture with structure behavior coalescence to avoid omits or biases in creating this complicated information system. Furthermore, this research¡¦s results will improve communication efficiency and quality on system maintenance.

Utbildning och livslångt lärande är idag aktuella begrepp i samhället och det finns en självklarhet i att skaffa sig en formell yrkesutbildning. Dock finns än i dag arbeten som kräver fysiska handlingar och praktiska erfarenheter. Yrken där individer tillsatt sig kunskap genom att arbeta, inte genom att studera. Badmästare är en sådan yrkesgrupp, där flertalet anställda saknar formell utbildning. Genom en fenomenologisk forskningsansats undersöks på vilka sätt en praktisk yrkesgrupp upplever kompetensutveckling och möjligheten att utvecklas i arbetet. Syftet var att utöka kunskapen om kompetensutveckling och genom forskningsansatsen bidra med ny kunskap, betydelsefull för pedagogiken i arbetslivet. Sex respondenter deltog och intervjuades. I resultatet beskrev badmästarna kompetensutvecklings som en påfyllning av kunskap och ett sätt att lära sig mer om yrket. Kompetensutveckling upplevdes genom utbildningar, i samtal med kollegor och i det egna utförandet av arbetet. Badmästarna upplevde att möjligheten till utveckling i arbetet överlag är stor, då arbetet innehållet många områden, där det alltid finns behov av utveckling. I tolkningen sattes fenomenet i relation till lärande, där kopplingar mellan upplevelsen av kompetensutveckling och vuxnas lärande kunde dras.

This dissertation explored the perceived association between scenario planning and the development of leadership capability and capacity. Furthermore, this study explored sophisticated virtual environments seeking instances of adult learning and the conduciveness of these environments for innovative developmental activities to build leadership capability and capacity. Data sources included 1) fifty semi-structured interviews with five expert-practitioners purposively selected for their experience in both scenario planning and leadership development, 2) descriptive process and outcome data from scenario planning programs in university business schools, and 3) fifteen published scenario planning reports, 4) observations of the scenario planning process, and 5) a survey of forty-five individuals who participated in the study of sophisticated virtual environments. The first stream of inquiry that investigated the perceived association between scenario planning and the development of leadership capability and capacity revealed the development of a synthesis model integrated from three informing theoretical frameworks. The model was used for subsequent data collection, analysis, and organization. Each data source supported and further described the associative relationship between scenario planning and the development of leadership capability and capacity; leading to increased confidence in the synthesis model. This study is unique because it links scenario planning explicitly through empirical evidence with the development of leadership capability and capacity. Findings from the second stream of inquiry into sophisticated virtual environments included formal and informal learning in the 3D virtual world of Second Life (SL). Respondents in the study completed forty-five open-ended surveys and follow-up interviews that revealed six enablers of adult learning in SL: 1) a variety of educational topics for life-long learning; 2) opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration; 3) collaboration across geographical boundaries; 4) immersive environment creates social; 5) health and emotional benefits; and, 6) cost savings over face-to-face experiences. Four barriers included: glitches in technology reduced effectiveness, addictiveness of SL, learning curve for "newbies" and funding issues for small businesses and nonprofits. Also, sophisticated technologies are creating media-rich environments found to be integrative spaces conducive for developmental activities in the field of human resource development (HRD). Scenario planning and leadership development were found to be reasonable developmental activities suited to these digital spaces. Virtual human resource development (VHRD) was identified as a new area of inquiry for HRD.

Through this study, a strategy for the localisation and development of the South African nuclear industry was developed. As background, the Korean localisation experience was investigated, along with international recommendations regarding nuclear localisation, and South African governmental policies. This research was used as foundation for the formulation of a localisation strategy. The possibility of using localisation and nuclear industry development as a means to address governmental socio-economic development goals was investigated. From the literature investigation localisation principles were identified. The focus areas of the localisation strategy were subsequently based on these principles. The principles are:  Aggressive human resource development  Governmental leadership and support  International co-operation The localisation strategy addresses general localisation recommendations, needed human resource development, structure of the Nuclear Energy Project Implementation Organization (NEPIO), roles of the participants of the NEPIO, and finally the supply-chain development and technology transfer guidelines. It was assumed that three nuclear power plants, consisting of two reactors each would be constructed. For localisation to be successful, a fleet approach must be followed to ensure economy of scale, and local participation must be incrementally increased with each power plant. The localisation strategy was circulated to industry for validation, and changes were made, based on industry feedback. The needed human resource development amounts to the training of 4 012 labourers per year (see Table 1). The local participation for each consecutive power plant is 30%, 50%-55% and 75%-80%, respectively. It was found that 100% localisation is not feasible. The planned nuclear power programme is too small to justify the development of globally leading components such as ultra-heavy forgings. The structure of the NEPIO is shown in Figure 1. It was found that the localisation and nuclear industry development would serve as a vehicle to help achieve governmental socio-economic development programmes. It was finally concluded that South Africa has the potential for localisation, but obstacles such as a lack of governmental commitment, negative public perception, and lack of industry confidence will be detrimental to the localisation efforts. If these, and other obstacles are not urgently addressed, South Africa will miss out on a much needed development opportunity. / MIng (Development and Management Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013