This paper critically evaluates Transnational Corporations' (TNCs) claimed adherence to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)'s "labour" and "human rights" reporting guidelines and examines how successful the GRI has been in enhancing comparability and transparency. We found limited evidence of TNCs discharging their accountability to their workforce and, rather, we found evidence to suggest that disclosure was motivated more by enhancing their legitimacy. TNCs failed to adhere to the guidelines, which meant that material information items were often missing, rendering comparability of information meaningless. Instead, TNCs reported large volumes of generic/anecdotal information without acknowledging the impediments they faced in practice.

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Existem duas modalidades de comportamentos de Atenção Compartilhada (AC), os de Resposta (RAC) e os de Iniciativa (IAC). O comprometimento na habilidade de AC é um dos sinais mais robustos do Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA), entretanto é o atraso na fala o sintoma mais frequentemente identificado pelos pais. Procurando explorar essa premissa, esse trabalho constitui-se por três estudos. No primeiro, realizou-se uma revisão crítica da literatura acerca dos comportamentos de IAC e RAC no TEA, apresentando modelos teóricos e evidências. Os outros dois estudos, de natureza empírica, investigaram, respectivamente: (a) os primeiros sintomas observados pelos pais e a idade da criança na ocaisão e (b) a relação entre a intensidade dos comprometimentos precoces na AC (IAC e RAC, separadamente) e o desenvolvimento sociocomunicativo subsequente das crianças. Participaram desses estudos 32 crianças com TEA, que foram avaliadas no Cincinnatti Children´s Medical Center. Os instrumentos utilizados foram a Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised e o Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. Evidenciou-se que os comprometimentos no desenvolvimento da linguagem foram os sintomas mais frequentemente observados, porém os da socialização foram os mais precocemente identificados. Não foram encontradas associações significativas entre as variáveis IAC, RAC e o desenvolvimento sociocomunicativo. Os achados dos estudos foram discutidos à luz da teoria sociopragmática e foram contrapostos com outras investigações já realizadas acerca do tema. / There are two types of Joint Attention (JA) behaviors, the response (RJA) and Initiative (IJA). The impairment in JA ability is one of the signals more robust of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However the delay in the speech is the symptom most frequently identified by parents. This work is made up of three studies. At first, there was a critical review of the literature concerning the behaviors of RJA and IJA in ASD, presented theoretical models and evidence. The other two studies were empirical and aimed to investigate, respectively: (a) the type of first symptoms that arouses in caregivers of children with autism and the child's age by that time; and (b) the relationship between intensity of difficulties in the JA (IJA and IJA, separately) and the socio-comunicative development of children with ASD. Participants in these studies were 32 children with Autistic Disorder who were evaluated at Cincinnati Children's Medical Center. The instruments used were the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. It was evident that the difficulties in language development were the most frequently identified by parents. However the impairments in the social development were earlier observed. There were no significant associations between variables RJA. IJA and the development of communication and reciprocal social interaction. The findings of the studies were discussed in light of the socio-pragmatic theory and were contrasted with other previous research on this subject.

Esta pesquisa tem o propósito de analisar e refletir sobre a participação dos atores universitários, através de um estudo do caso do Salão de Iniciação Científica da UFRGS. Atores universitários aqui foram representados por professores, estudantes e técnicos. A proposta tem a preocupação com a inovação na educação superior. Trata-se de uma análise de fragmentos de percepções e perspectivas, que dão pistas a uma inovação na universidade, sendo esta em construção por aproximações à democracia participativa, incluindo estudantes, professores e técnicos. Entretanto, existe um contexto marcado pelo contraditório pela mediação da avaliação como um instrumento de controle na universidade, por conta da avaliação externa. Agentes externos do CNPq avaliam também o SIC, preocupados com a prestação de contas dos bolsistas PIBIC/CNPq. Ao mesmo tempo, há a avaliação educacional como um instrumento de construção do conhecimento e de responsabilidade democrática do conhecimento, avaliando outros sujeitos, como os voluntários em pesquisa. Por essa lógica de responsabilidade democrática, desafiamos o seu formato com aproximações da Avaliação Participativa (LEITE, 2005). Antes e depois do Salão de IC da UFRGS, também, as experiências nos falam de outros limites e possibilidades de participação dos atores universitários. Diante desse quadro complexo, procedemos à análise, interpretação e dialetização das potencialidades da participação, da democracia, da relação da universidade e sociedade através de percepções e perspectivas dos sujeitos universitários, engendrando os dados com o referencial teórico. Para o estudo do caso qualitativo do SIC, recortamos o período dos anos 2011 a 2013. Fizemos uso da análise documental e de entrevistas semiestruturadas. Pela análise do conteúdo, entrelaçamos o material empírico com o referencial teórico. Encontramos suporte teórico-epistemológico e conceitual em Denise Leite (como avaliações e Avaliação Participativa na universidade); Boaventura de Sousa Santos (refletindo sobre Democracia Participativa); Santo e Almeida-Filho (Universidade no Século XXI); e Joaquim Severino e Pedro Goergen (considerando a emergência de uma ética praxista em educação). Os resultados evidenciaram que o evento tem relevante importância aos sujeitos, mas que apresenta contradições. Na avaliação educacional, existem potencialidades a uma avaliação participativa. Houve avaliações externas e internas, apresentações públicas, regras estabelecidas para discutir o conhecimento produzido em pesquisa. Entretanto, quanto à premiação, os destaques são interessantes pelo mérito científico de quantos forem certificados, diferente do prêmio UFRGS Jovem, que é algo a ser repensado, enquanto discussão do valor meritocrático somente a um estudante. Nesse repensar, com relação ao processo decisório para a construção do SIC, técnicos e estudantes não participam da comissão organizadora do evento, ao passo que os professores acumulam diversas funções e papeis na universidade. Colocamos em evidência, também, os desafios aos rumos da virtualização da apresentação de pôsteres, antes físicos, agora virtuais. Apontamos benefícios significativos à avaliação interna, das bancas julgadoras, aproximando a sociedade do conhecimento produzido em pesquisa. Também tecemos considerações sobre as importantes contribuições das práticas de interação política e momentos de escuta ao outro enquanto avaliação educativa. Colocamos a questão da organização do momento “livre” de trocas de experiências, que precisa ser repensado. Sobre isso, colocamos a oportunidade da entrada do Salão de IC no conjunto de eventos da semana acadêmica do Salão UFRGS. Na medida em que identificamos o enfoque que se resumiu à divulgação coordenada do conhecimento, outras possibilidades interdisciplinares surgem como inovação pedagógica. Sendo esta pesquisa uma singela contribuição, o evento do tipo SIC é hoje uma realidade em todas as instituições beneficiárias do programa PIBIC/CNPq. Os resultados desta pesquisa não pretendem ser absolutos. Nossa intenção, acima de tudo, foi o de evidenciar um olhar sobre a questão de um evento que tem sua realização na semana acadêmica, mas implica desdobramentos como processo de formação científica durante o ano e desenvolvimento e aproveitamento curricular são certificados, sendo importante na aproximação da graduação com a pós-graduação. / This research aims to examine and get into reflections of university actors participation, through a case of study of the Salon of Initiative Science. University actors here were thought as professors, students and technicians. The subject concerns of some contribution for Higher Education innovation. It concerns of innovation in clusters, which get into closer contact from participating at the Salon of Initiative Science to a participative democracy. There is a context with some contradiction by evaluation mediation as a control instrument at the university, by the external assessment. The CNPq agents also assess the Salon of Initiative Science, in a sense of having the students to give account for their PIBIC/CNPq scholarships when presenting their works at the Salon. At the same time, there is an educations assessment as an instrument of knowledge construction and as a democratic responsibility, evaluating other individuals, like those volunteers for research. By this democratic responsibility logic, we think of the Participative Assessment contact. Before and after the Salon of Initiative Science of UFRGS, also, the set of experience has told us about limits and possibilities of participation. When we faced this complex frame, we had to proceed by examining, interpretating and dialectizing the participating potencial instance, the democracy, the university and society relationship, through perceptions and perspectives of the university actors. Through a qualitative case of study of this Salon, our piece of study was limited between years 2011 to 2013, we used document analysis and semistructured interviews. For the content analysis, we matched the empirical material and the theoretical reference. Then, we set the innovation movement construction, as they get closer or farther from the participative democracy reference. We were theoretical and epistemological and conceptual supported by Denise Leite (Evaluations, and Participative Evaluation at the university); Boaventura de Sousa Santos (reflecting of Participative Democracy); Santos and Almeida-Filho (University in the 21st Century); Joaquim Severino and Pedro Goergen (considering the necessity of the praxis ethics in education). The results showed that the event has relevant importance, but we faced some contradictions. By educational evaluation, there was potential for the Participative Evaluation. There were external and internal evaluations, the presentations were public, rules were set to discuss the knowledge produced by research. However, there is a merit logic that prizes students. On one hand, by the quality of works, students may be awarded. And they may be various or anyone. On the other hand, there is an award for the best one, the UFRGS Youth Prize. It was a competition among the best ones already selected. This evaluation is under questioned subject as meritocratic value only facing one student. Considering this discussion, the decision-making process for the Salon, students and technicians did not participate, only professors. On the other hand, professors have been increasing their tasks and duties and roles at the university. We set the significant benefit of internal evaluation, consisting of judging commissions, but also getting in contact with the society, making the knowledge available for them. We also commented on important contributions of practices of political interaction and moments of listening to others through educational evaluation. We also set to spot to challenge to virtual presentation of posters. We considered the end of free moment organized setting for exchange knowledge, as at the time of physical posters. Getting to known the Salon of Initiative Science was submitted to the set of events of the Academic Week of the Salon UFRGS, the focus necessarily went into coordinative publicization of the knowledge production. But we think new interdisciplinary ways may be on the spot as innovation for pedagogy. Considering this piece of research just one contribution, the Salon is today a reality in every institution which has the PIBIC/CNPq scholarship in Brazil. The results here do not intend to be absolute. However, above all, our intention was to give a glance at an event which happens every year through the academic week, but it is also a process through the year in which scientific formation, and development and credit addition curriculum are certificated, and important link between undergraduation and postgraduation.

It is evident that the failure rate is higher among online students than in-class students at Hopkinsville Community College. An analysis of the academic records of students who enrolled in online courses for the first time at Hopkinsville indicated a 13% higher withdrawal and failure rate than those who took in-class courses over the same period between 2000 and 2010. Colleges are taking potentially all of the necessary steps to reduce the student failure rates among online students because high withdrawal and failure rates often reflect badly on the quality of education by the providing institutions (C. Segura, personal communication, November 2009). The purpose of this study is to determine if there is any statistically significant difference in the success rates between first-time online students who participated in the orientation for first-time online students, and first-time online students who did not participate in the orientation at Hopkinsville Community College. The study also determined if any relationships exist between success in an online course and student gender, student course load, student grade point average (GPA), student age, student readiness for online learning score, and student level of technology experience score. Studying the relationships between orientation of first-time online students and withdrawal and failure rates among first-time online students may lead to finding ways of reducing the high failure and withdrawal rates of online students at the community college.

The Arab Peace Initiative (former Saudi Initiative) was officially proposed by Saudi Arabia and has been (re-)endorsed by all 22 member states of the Arab League since 2002. Israel has not officially responded to the API but rather has generally ignored and by default rejected it. This thesis examines the reasons for the Israeli rejection by analyzing the structure of the Israeli government in relation to the position of the prime minister, both normatively and descriptively, and examining public opinion as a potential enabler or constraint on policymaking. It also explores mechanisms such as threat perceptions and framing to highlight cognitive influences that negatively impacted serious consideration of the API. Qualitative interviews with expert Israelis and Arabs contribute to a deeper understanding of the Israeli perspective of the API's shortcomings. The API is unlikely to be implemented under this current government unless Israeli public opinion significantly changes in its favor.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:26:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-01-14Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:54:24Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 machado_cg_me_bauru.pdf: 1497021 bytes, checksum: 245786ce11ee984d9fd56a3ea259740e (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Diante das novas demandas em prol do desenvolvimento sustentável, é comum ouvir as empresas falando em produtos sustentáveis, em produção verde. Mas para que essas afirmações sejam realidade existe a necessidade urgente de que as empresas compreendam e incorporem a visão da sustentabilidade aos seus negócios. O objetivo dessa dissertação é apresentar e relacionar os princípios e escopo da Manufatura Sustentável, alinhando-os aos indicadores do Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), demonstrando a viabilidade das empresas utilizarem os indicadores para a gestão das operações com foco sustentável. A dissertação tem como base a revisão bibliográfica sobre a Manufatura Sustentável e de alguns instrumentos que auxiliam a sua implementação, como o Ecodesing, a Produção Mais Limpa e a Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida. O estudo de caso fornece indicadores que evidenciam que o processo de implementação de um processo de produção sustentável é possível, quando realizado de forma estruturada e com a liderança da alta direção na condução desse processo gradual e contínuo. Os resultados obtidos com o cruzamento do estudo de caso com os indicadores, evidenciam que o processo analisado tem potencial para ser efetivamente uma manufatura sustentável, além de estar apto a realizar e divulgar o seu relatório de sustentabilidade, com base no GRI. Os dados obtidos são reforçados numa tabela de indicadores (essenciais e adicionais) com potencial de atendimento. Com isso, essa dissertação demonstra que os indicadores de sustentabilidade também podem ser utilizados como norteadores para a manufatura sustentável / Due to the new demands when it comes to sustainable development, it has become very usual for companies to discuss sustainable products, in Green production. In order to make these statements true, however, companies need urgently to understand and incorporate the vision of sustainability into their own business. The objective of this dissertation is to present and relate the principles and the scope of the Sustainable Manufacturing, thus aligning them with the indicators of the Goal Reporting Initiative (GRI), demonstating the corporate feasibility in using such indicators to the management of sustainable focus operations. This dissertation is based on the bibliographical review on Sustainable Manufacturing and some instruments which help its implementation, such as: Ecodesing, the Cleaner Production and the Life Cycle Assessment. The case study of a re-refining process provides indicators evidencing that the implementations process of a sustainable production process is possible - when performed in a structured manner and led by the company's high management. This process is gradual and continuous. The results otained when crossing the case study with the indicators show that the process analysis has potential to effectively become a sustainable manufacturing, in addition to being able to perform and divulge its sustainbility report, based on GRI. The data obtained are reinforced in a scorecard (essential and additional) and have attendance potential. This way, this dissertation demonstration that the sustainability indicators can also be utilized as guidelines for the sustainable manufacturing

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Educational Leadership / Sarah Fishback / This exploratory study analyzed changes in self-directed learning of Army officers attending the Army’s Command and General Staff Officers Course, CGSOC, by applying a quasi-experimental, pretest posttest, comparative approach based on the attribute independent variables gender, race/ethnicity, level of education, and branch of Army. It also sought to inform implementation and assessment strategies in both the private and broader public sectors, specifically companies and organizations seeking to develop lifelong learners in the furtherance of creating or sustaining a learning organization. The study began with the administration of the Personal Responsibility Orientation to Self-directed Learning Scale (PRO-SDLS) during the first week of a ten-month resident course and concluded with a second administration of the PRO-SDLS at the end of the course. In addition to a total score, the PRO-SDLS provided results for four dependent variables: learner initiative, learner self-efficacy, learner control, and learner motivation. Though effect size varied, this study found a statistically significant difference in pretest to posttest scores differences between white and non-white in both total score and in the subcomponent of learner motivation. Additionally, the change in scores for learner motivation from pretest to posttest for whites was statically significant. Finally, the change in scores for the subcomponent of learner control between students with a bachelor’s degree and those with a master’s degree was also significant. The broader implication of these findings is the caution by Brockett and Hiemsta (1991) that adult educators should consider the individual characteristics of the learner when developing and delivering curriculum. In this case it would appear that either the curriculum or the delivery of the curriculum or a combination of the two may have been experienced differently by white and non-white Army officers; specifically regarding the development of learner motivation.

abstract: Problem-oriented policing (POP) dynamically addresses unique community issues in a way that allows police departments to be cost-effective and efficient. POP draws upon routine activities and rational choice theories, at times incorporating elements of crime prevention through environmental design. A recent systematic review found POP to be hugely popular, but not rigorously assessed or implemented. In 2009, the Glendale, Arizona Police Department and researchers from Arizona State University received funding through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) Smart Policing Initiative (SPI) to target crime at convenience stores through a problem-oriented policing approach. The Glendale SPI team devised an approach that mirrored the ideals put forth by Goldstein (1990), and provided a thorough undertaking of the SARA model. A comprehensive response plan was developed with several proposed responses, including: intervention with Circle K leadership, suppression, and prevention at the six highest-activity stores. Despite a thorough POP implementation, the initial descriptive evaluation of the Glendale SPI reported positive effects on crime, but left questions about the intervention’s long-term impact on convenience store crime in Glendale, Arizona. The policy and theoretical influence of the initiative warrants a more rigorous evaluation. Supplanting the original assessment, a difference in difference model, negative binomial regression, and relative effect size are calculated to ascertain the SPI’s long-term effects on target and comparison stores. Phi and weighted displacement quotient are calculated to determine the existence of displacement of crime or diffusion of benefits. Overall, results indicate support for the project’s effectiveness on crime reduction. Further, none of the six intervention stores experienced crime displacement. Five of the six stores, however, experienced a diffusion of benefits in the surrounding 500-yard area; that is, a crime reduction was observed at the intervention stores and in the surrounding areas of five of these stores. Disorder and property crimes at the targeted stores were most affected by the intervention. One of the intervention stores did experience an increase in violent crime, however. Future studies should strengthen the methodological design when evaluating POP projects and seek to flesh out more precisely the crime control effects of unique problem-oriented strategies. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Criminology and Criminal Justice 2016

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:27:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 AureliaCQS_DISSERT_Parcial.pdf: 1678959 bytes, checksum: 39d3e881c6c879d38b7d58ceb91a4603 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-08-06 / The Participatory Democracy is disseminated throughout the Principle of Popular Sovereignty. Since it spurs the participation of the people in the exercise of political power, it emerges as a conciliatory alternative to the Representative Regime - one of questionable legitimacy in account of the distortion it causes on the will of the public. It does so specially vis-?-vis the legislative, where the law is created. It s known that our Constitution (arts. 1? e 14, CF/88) provides for the means through which the members of the public may take part in the political process of the country, for it consecrates the plebiscite, the referendum and the popular initiative, all of them incipiently regulated by the Lei n? 9.709/98. It s our task, thus, to inquire, through deductive reasoning as well as the legal exegeses, the enforceability of the Popular Initiative as a means of popular emancipation, given that it enables the citizens to conscientiously participate in the public sphere. It has also an educational ethos which builds the capacity of individual to act, and, therefore, through thoughtful choices, enhance the legal system. Furthermore, the Lei da Ficha Limpa (LC n? 135/2010) surely represents a milestone in the Brazilian political history, since it accrued from a new way of social interaction allowed by the usage of communication technology on the pursuit of political morality. As a matter of fact, this bill is a clear example of how a legal act was legitimately proposed through Public Initiative. Hence, it s beneficial to actually make use of the Public Initiative, under the influence of the New Constitutional Hermeneutics, with a view to supporting social claims and promoting a dialogical relationship with the State in order to help it in the decisionmaking process. Thereat, we can achieve important civic spaces through which the fundamental right to democracy shall be materialized, tearing apart the old paradigms of inequality and, thus, promoting social justice / A Democracia Participativa espraiada no Princ?pio da Soberania Popular desponta como alternativa conciliadora ao Regime Representativo, de question?vel legitimidade pelo desvirtuamento da vontade popular, na medida em estimula a participa??o do povo no exerc?cio do poder, mais especificamente, perante o legislativo, onde se elaboram as leis. Evidencia-se que, a Constitui??o Federal vigente (arts. 1? e 14, CF/88) prev? as formas de participa??o direta do povo nas decis?es pol?ticas do pa?s, consagrando os institutos jur?dicos do plebiscito, do referendo e da iniciativa popular, ambos regulamentados de forma incipiente na Lei n? 9.709/98. Cumpre, pois, investigar atrav?s do m?todo dedutivo e, bem como, do m?todo exeg?tico-jur?dico a aplicabilidade da Iniciativa Popular, como mecanismo de emancipa??o social, posto viabilizar a atua??o cidad? consciente, cujo car?ter pedag?gico capacita o indiv?duo a agir e, deste modo, por interm?dio de escolhas refletidas promove o aprimoramento do pr?prio sistema jur?dico. Outrossim, a Lei da Ficha Limpa (LC n? 135/2010), seguramente, representa um marco na hist?ria pol?tica do pa?s, por resultar da mobiliza??o social interativa corol?rio do uso das novas tecnologias em prol da moralidade pol?tica, sendo deflagrada, em termos pr?ticos, mediante a propositura leg?tima de um projeto de Iniciativa Popular. Destarte, torna-se salutar, a utiliza??o efetiva da Iniciativa Popular, sob o influxo de uma Nova Hermen?utica Constitucional, que venha a corroborar com as reivindica??es sociais e promova uma rela??o dial?gica com o Estado, auxiliando na tomada de decis?es pol?ticas e, assim, galgando paulatinamente, espa?os c?vicos importantes rumo ? concretiza??o do direito fundamental ? democracia, quebrando paradigmas de desigualdades e promovendo a consecu??o da Justi?a Social