Significant research has investigated Jack Gibb’s model of defensive and supportive communication, but little has explored the influence of the type of talk -- defensive or supportive -- on perceptions of communication climate and the role that verbal aggressiveness may play in influencing both the types of talk and these perceptions. This thesis explored the relationship between defensive and supportive talk, verbal aggressiveness and communication climate using a mixed-method approach. Specifically, the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale was used to group participants for a dyadic problem solving exercise which generated conversational data that was analyzed qualitatively. Then, the Communication Climate Inventory was used to measure participants’ perceptions of the communication climate that emerged in their problem-solving dyad. The findings highlight factors that may influence the perception of communication climate. Examples of supportive talk that builds positive communication climates and limits the effects of verbal aggressiveness and examples of defensive talk that leads to negative communication climates are provided. This research demonstrates that language has an influence on communication climate through the words that shape the complex ways people perceive and understand each other and, interestingly, that the negative impact of defensive communication overrides the positive impact of supportive communication on the emergent communication climate.

The South African mining sector, once the bedrock of the economy, has been in decline this century while other countries have experienced growth in this sector. The mining sector in South Africa makes a significant contribution to the South African economy through direct and indirect jobs, taxes, royalties, skills development and foreign exchange revenue. The decline of this sector is concerning given its potential for employment, taxes and foreign exchange in a South Africa in great need of all three. Gold, PGMs1, coal and iron-­‐ore account for about 81% of South Africa’s mining output. The price, demand and production of these four commodities in the 21st century will be established as a benchmark and South Africa’s production will be tested against this. Mixed method research using secondary quantitative data and a qualitative survey will be utilised to test the hypotheses. Quantitative secondary data is used to establish price and production trends. A qualitative survey conducted with key stakeholders in the mining sector identifies opinions and reasons for the South African mining trends. This study confirms the important role of institutions in creating certainty and encouraging investment. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

The study examined faculty members’ and graduate students’ perceptions of multicultural education and to ascertain which demographic factors had the most influence on participants’ perceptions. This study also examined whether there were any significant differences between faculty members’ and graduate students’ perceptions of the concept. Validity of the quantitative instruments was determined by a panel of experts. Internal consistency and reliability was calculated using factor analysis, Cronbach’s alpha and test/retest reliability. A mixed method research design was used in this study which included a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The surveys were completed by 313 graduate students and 48 faculty members, while 10 faculty members and 13 graduate students participated in semi-structured interviews. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted to analyze the quantitative data and the qualitative data collected were transcribed, coded and analyzed. The findings showed that faculty members and graduate students exhibited a positive perception of multicultural education and that there were some significant differences between faculty members’ and graduate students’ perceptions of the concept. The results also showed that no demographic variables had an impact on faculty members’ perceptions while race and department had an impact on graduate students’ perceptions. The findings also revealed that faculty members believed that faculty bore the most responsibility for integrating multicultural education in the classroom.The study showed that a combination of instructional strategies was used to infuse multicultural education in their courses and no formal evaluations were used to assess whether graduate students were receptive to the multicultural content being taught. Faculty indicated that they received little support from their department heads and college administrators to apply multicultural initiatives. Moreover, a number of factors motivated faculty members’ efforts to teach about multicultural education and these included traveling to foreign countries, learning about multiculturalism during their graduate studies and having an interest in the topic. Lastly, recommendations for further research and recommendations for the College of Education were presented in this study.

Children are conceptualized many ways by economists-- as sources of utility for their parents, investments, recipients of care, and public goods. Despite the understanding that children are also people, the economic literature is lacking in analysis of children as actors, making choices with consequences for economic development. Using a capability-driven approach and an emphasis on co-evolutionary processes of institutional and individual change, with mixed qualitative and quantitative methods, my dissertation analyzes the role of children in long-term economic development at the community level. I use a case study of community-based, out-of-school time (OST) programs for low-income youth funded through the 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) to analyze the role of youth in economic development. OST programs provide community-level benefits such as reductions in juvenile crime and foster economic development by creating linkages between the state, the market, the community, and the family. My study contributes to the body of interdisciplinary research on OST programs, and is situated in the middle ground between case studies with very small samples and quantitative studies with a narrow focus on academic performance as measured by grades. The 21st CCLC programs in New York State are unique in their emphasis on partnerships between schools and community-based organizations. An analysis of the costs and benefits of OST programs shows that the benefits of programs such as 21st CCLC substantially outweigh the costs. Using Geographic Information Systems and statistical analysis, I examine the relationship between eligibility for 21st CCLC funding, demographic characteristics related to the need for free or low-cost OST programs, and the presence of 21st CCLC programs, and find that the presence of these programs cannot be explained solely through the characteristics of people who will be served by them. Additionally, it is clear that there are not enough 21st CCLC programs to serve all eligible communities, raising questions about the scale of funding as well as its distribution.

While countless studies have collected data on the effectiveness of various problem- solving models, few have attempted to identify which components of the training process are helpful to participants. Two teacher teams consisting of seven participants were trained in an adapted version of the Team-initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) model, observed each meeting, and provided performance feedback regarding how well they had adhered to the model. A mixed method approach was used to collect quantitative data in the form of the teams' adherence to the TIPS model and qualitative data once successful adherence to the model had been shown. Researchers interviewed each participant and used some strategies from the critical incident technique (CIT) to identify which components the training and performance feedback process were helpful, unhelpful, and which components they wished had been there that weren't. Themes among incidents reported as helpful were the expectation of meeting in professional learning community (PLC) teams to solve problems and consistent feedback on how closely they were adhering to the model. Unhelpful and wish list incidents included the difficult to use problem- solving form, structural components of meetings and training, and a desire to have more participants in meetings, particularly ones from other grades. Researchers and administrators who are looking to train teams with the TIPS model are recommended to use consistent performance feedback, include participants in the planning of the study, and have more question- and-answer style mini-trainings spaced throughout the observation phase. Lastly, two alternate problem-solving forms are presented as options to be used in place of the current meeting minutes form provided by the TIPS model. Both alternate versions aim to retain the components of the model, but with increased usability.

In recent years the important of leadership in the organization has become an area of interest. Leadership has been noted to impact corporate culture, employee commitment and response and the overall performance of the organization. Given the fact that leadership is such an important part of organizational development and discourse, effective methods for developing effective leadership in the organization are needed. Without definitive methods for leadership development, organizations will not be able to optimize the outcomes of leadership in the organization. Thus, there is a clear impetus to delineate what works best in the context of leadership development. This study used concurrent qualitative and quantitative research to understand better the effect of cross-cultural influences on the leadership development programmes and leadership practices development in a study population consisting of managers and supervisors in the Kuwaiti banking industry. Although Kuwaiti organisations employ many international employees and operate foreign subsidiaries, they have not created leadership development programmes to improve cross-cultural leadership skills for managers. As a result, Kuwaiti managers often rely on traditional transactional methods and an authoritarian style of leadership that may be less effective with employees from different nations and cultural backgrounds. The qualitative phase of the research collected data from Kuwaiti bank managers through interviews while the quantitative phase of the research collected data with survey instrument. The quantitative phase of the study also tested the validity of a conceptual model and hypotheses using structural equation modelling and regression analysis. The research was guided by distributed leadership theory, which considers leadership as a series of interactions between leader and follower with the follower sometimes adopting an informal role as temporary leader. The theory also considers the context in which the leader operates as a critical factor for motivating leadership practise. The testing and validation of the theoretical model in the study led to the acceptance of a new 'Effective Cross Cultural Leadership' (ECL) model. This model describes the relationship between the exogenous or independent variables of cultural differences, training and development in traditional Kuwaiti leadership, cross cultural leadership development programmes and international leadership practises with the endogenous or dependent variables of leadership development programmes and leadership practises development. The testing of the hypotheses of the study showed a statistically significant relationship between the four independent variables and the two dependent variables with exception of the relationship between the independent variable of international leadership practises and the dependant variable of leadership programmes development. The quantitative findings also indicated that demographic variables do not have a moderating effect on the model. The qualitative findings of the study determined that cultural differences between employees and managers influence the managers' leadership behaviours and their understanding of the type of leadership development programmes to improve their cross-cultural leadership skills. Managers with greater experience or knowledge of foreign cultures adopt more flexible leadership practises when leading international teams. The qualitative findings also determined that front office managers are more willing to use participative leadership styles in leadership practises, while back office managers rely on authoritarian leadership styles focusing on tasks in their leadership practises, indicating that the context influences leadership styles and practise. The findings of the study including the development and validation of the Effective Cross-Cultural Leadership (ECL) model contribute to the theoretical and practical knowledge of cross-cultural leadership in Kuwait that can be extended to other Middle Eastern nations. In addition, the study finding extends cross-cultural theory by indicating that international influences both internal and external to the organisation affect leadership styles despite national norms and preferences. These findings implied that Kuwaiti organisations experience significant pressure to adopt some international leadership practises and styles to accommodate the expectations and needs of the many international workers employed in Kuwait. The practical implication of these findings showed that Kuwaiti managers would benefit from leadership training emphasising that no standard or correct approach to leadership exists and that it can be acceptable for leaders to use participative styles when warranted by the situation.

The use of Learning Management Systems (LMSs) in higher education institutions is not a new tendency. Although this is an innovative way of implementing e-learning in the educational process, there are a few problems concerning these systems. Educators tend to apply traditional classroom ideas and pedagogy in computer-supported e-learning environments, assuming that because these environments allow the interaction that we see in the classroom, traditional pedagogy can be used. Although most of the pedagogical principles that apply to the traditional classroom-delivery method also apply to e-learning, the e-environment supports such interactions in a different manner. Traditional pedagogical principles should be adapted to accommodate the e-learning environment and should form the very basis for inclusion of features in LMSs. These principles should be integrated into the LMS where every feature included is accompanied by explicit guidelines on how to use the feature in such a way that it will effect pedagogically sound instruction. The aim of this study is to determine how an LMS could be used in order to enhance self-directed learning. In order to reach this aim a brief history of SDL was given and a number of SDL models were discussed. These models were analyzed in order to compile a list of guidelines to foster SDL. The first set of guidelines didn’t focus on any specific learning environment and it was necessary to refine these guidelines for an online environment. To be able to refine the guidelines for an online environment, LMSs in general were discussed and a few models for SDL in an online environment were reviewed. The SDL guidelines were further refined for implementation in eFundiTM. eFundiTM is the LMS used at the North-West University, Potchefstroom campus, South Africa. The nature of the AGLE 121 module (a literacy module for all first year students) and the specific functionalities of eFundiTM were discussed and taken in consideration when the final set of guidelines was compiled. The researcher did an empirical study to gather valid and reliable data. A mixed methods inquiry approach was used to obtain reliable evidence. The population consisted of all the students that were enrolled for the AGLE modules over 2 years. These students were divided into 2 groups, the AGLE 121 in 2010 (237 students) and the AGLE 121 (287 students) in 2011. The questionnaire that was used for the quantitative research in this study was based on the Fisher, King and Taque (2001) SDL readiness scale for nursing education. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants from each group in order get a better understanding of the data collected from the quantitative research, and to elaborate further on the students’ development of SDL. Findings indicated that the students from the second year of the study did not necessarily improve their SDL-skills. Most of the results from the quantitative data showed small practical significant differences. However, the qualitative data indicated that the SDL skills of the students improved in two of the three factors after they used the newly developed eFundiTM site, in the second year of the study and therefore the researcher is of opinion that the intervention had a positive impact on the students’ SDL skills. / Thesis (MEd (Computer Science Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

The use of Learning Management Systems (LMSs) in higher education institutions is not a new tendency. Although this is an innovative way of implementing e-learning in the educational process, there are a few problems concerning these systems. Educators tend to apply traditional classroom ideas and pedagogy in computer-supported e-learning environments, assuming that because these environments allow the interaction that we see in the classroom, traditional pedagogy can be used. Although most of the pedagogical principles that apply to the traditional classroom-delivery method also apply to e-learning, the e-environment supports such interactions in a different manner. Traditional pedagogical principles should be adapted to accommodate the e-learning environment and should form the very basis for inclusion of features in LMSs. These principles should be integrated into the LMS where every feature included is accompanied by explicit guidelines on how to use the feature in such a way that it will effect pedagogically sound instruction. The aim of this study is to determine how an LMS could be used in order to enhance self-directed learning. In order to reach this aim a brief history of SDL was given and a number of SDL models were discussed. These models were analyzed in order to compile a list of guidelines to foster SDL. The first set of guidelines didn’t focus on any specific learning environment and it was necessary to refine these guidelines for an online environment. To be able to refine the guidelines for an online environment, LMSs in general were discussed and a few models for SDL in an online environment were reviewed. The SDL guidelines were further refined for implementation in eFundiTM. eFundiTM is the LMS used at the North-West University, Potchefstroom campus, South Africa. The nature of the AGLE 121 module (a literacy module for all first year students) and the specific functionalities of eFundiTM were discussed and taken in consideration when the final set of guidelines was compiled. The researcher did an empirical study to gather valid and reliable data. A mixed methods inquiry approach was used to obtain reliable evidence. The population consisted of all the students that were enrolled for the AGLE modules over 2 years. These students were divided into 2 groups, the AGLE 121 in 2010 (237 students) and the AGLE 121 (287 students) in 2011. The questionnaire that was used for the quantitative research in this study was based on the Fisher, King and Taque (2001) SDL readiness scale for nursing education. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants from each group in order get a better understanding of the data collected from the quantitative research, and to elaborate further on the students’ development of SDL. Findings indicated that the students from the second year of the study did not necessarily improve their SDL-skills. Most of the results from the quantitative data showed small practical significant differences. However, the qualitative data indicated that the SDL skills of the students improved in two of the three factors after they used the newly developed eFundiTM site, in the second year of the study and therefore the researcher is of opinion that the intervention had a positive impact on the students’ SDL skills. / Thesis (MEd (Computer Science Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

Not all companies are equally aggressive in their pursuit of corporate tax avoidance, which explains intensive research on the determinants of tax avoidance. Many determinants have been investigated, but the process of tax avoidance, and the relationships between corporate tax avoidance, longtermism (indicative of a stakeholder-orientated corporate culture), and CEO characteristics (informed by upper-echelon theory), are not yet fully understood. Much of previous research is conceptualised from theories such as principal-agent theory. This study investigates the influence of stakeholder orientation, using corporate culture, on corporate tax avoidance, in response to calls for more research using stakeholder theory. A mixed-method approach is used. The quantitative stream uses regressions to investigate the relationship between corporate tax avoidance, corporate culture, and tax-knowledgeable CEOs, based on a sample of 112 large, listed South African companies, studied over a period of 15 years. The South African setting allows the operationalisation of a tax-knowledgeable CEO, based the homogenous nature of CEOs' qualifications in South Africa, where many are chartered accountants. The results suggest that long-term oriented companies pay more tax on average. The results further suggest that tax knowledgeable CEOs are associated with more tax avoidance. The qualitative stream conducts eleven interviews with corporate tax advisors, showing the influence of corporate culture and CEO characteristics on corporate tax avoidance processes, but also how corporate culture and CEO-characteristics mutually inform each other. Altogether, the evidence indicates that the effect of corporate culture is less static than expected, and that the influence of corporate culture on tax avoidance can transcend the influence of CEO-characteristics, as an upperechelon effect. The interviews suggest mechanisms used by CEOs to influence tax culture, such as the creation of a company-wide awareness of the strategic importance of low effective tax rates. These results also indicate the ethical dilemma faced by executives of large companies when considering the use of tax-deductible corporate social responsibility initiatives, not to benefit shareholders or agents, but rather to benefit society as a corporate stakeholder, when governments would not.

In recent years the important of leadership in the organization has become an area of interest. Leadership has been noted to impact corporate culture, employee commitment and response and the overall performance of the organization. Given the fact that leadership is such an important part of organizational development and discourse, effective methods for developing effective leadership in the organization are needed. Without definitive methods for leadership development, organizations will not be able to optimize the outcomes of leadership in the organization. Thus, there is a clear impetus to delineate what works best in the context of leadership development. This study used concurrent qualitative and quantitative research to understand better the effect of cross-cultural influences on the leadership development programmes and leadership practices development in a study population consisting of managers and supervisors in the Kuwaiti banking industry. Although Kuwaiti organisations employ many international employees and operate foreign subsidiaries, they have not created leadership development programmes to improve cross-cultural leadership skills for managers. As a result, Kuwaiti managers often rely on traditional transactional methods and an authoritarian style of leadership that may be less effective with employees from different nations and cultural backgrounds. The qualitative phase of the research collected data from Kuwaiti bank managers through interviews while the quantitative phase of the research collected data with survey instrument. The quantitative phase of the study also tested the validity of a conceptual model and hypotheses using structural equation modelling and regression analysis. The research was guided by distributed leadership theory, which considers leadership as a series of interactions between leader and follower with the follower sometimes adopting an informal role as temporary leader. The theory also considers the context in which the leader operates as a critical factor for motivating leadership practise. The testing and validation of the theoretical model in the study led to the acceptance of a new 'Effective Cross Cultural Leadership' (ECL) model. This model describes the relationship between the exogenous or independent variables of cultural differences, training and development in traditional Kuwaiti leadership, cross cultural leadership development programmes and international leadership practises with the endogenous or dependent variables of leadership development programmes and leadership practises development. The testing of the hypotheses of the study showed a statistically significant relationship between the four independent variables and the two dependent variables with exception of the relationship between the independent variable of international leadership practises and the dependant variable of leadership programmes development. The quantitative findings also indicated that demographic variables do not have a moderating effect on the model. The qualitative findings of the study determined that cultural differences between employees and managers influence the managers' leadership behaviours and their understanding of the type of leadership development programmes to improve their cross-cultural leadership skills. Managers with greater experience or knowledge of foreign cultures adopt more flexible leadership practises when leading international teams. The qualitative findings also determined that front office managers are more willing to use participative leadership styles in leadership practises, while back office managers rely on authoritarian leadership styles focusing on tasks in their leadership practises, indicating that the context influences leadership styles and practise. The findings of the study including the development and validation of the Effective Cross-Cultural Leadership (ECL) model contribute to the theoretical and practical knowledge of cross-cultural leadership in Kuwait that can be extended to other Middle Eastern nations. In addition, the study finding extends cross-cultural theory by indicating that international influences both internal and external to the organisation affect leadership styles despite national norms and preferences. These findings implied that Kuwaiti organisations experience significant pressure to adopt some international leadership practises and styles to accommodate the expectations and needs of the many international workers employed in Kuwait. The practical implication of these findings showed that Kuwaiti managers would benefit from leadership training emphasising that no standard or correct approach to leadership exists and that it can be acceptable for leaders to use participative styles when warranted by the situation.