Research describing conservation agencies has generally been exploratory and limited in the use of theory. Similarly, organizational theories can provide an understanding for how organizations change and adapt to their given environments, but they have not been applied to conservation agencies with unique challenges and strains from other public bureaucracies or private corporations. In expanding this body of literature, not only were these theories applied conservation agencies, but they were also explored in what Powell and Colyvas (2008, p. 276) called "microfoundations" of organizations, which focuses on the interplay between individuals and organizations. To explore this, a convergent mixed-methods design was conducted. Within the quantitative strand, anonymous online surveys (n = 183) were distributed to rangers within the Association of National Park Rangers and several social media groups as well as publicly available secondary data. For the qualitative strand, Zoom interviews (n = 11) and a participant observation of a Ranger Rendezvous conference was conducted. Through bivariate analyses, differences were found between law enforcement and non-law enforcement rangers; ordinary least squares regression indicate that role ambiguity and job satisfaction are important in predicting organizational commitment, and an interaction effect was found between type of ranger and job satisfaction on organizational commitment. Qualitative data finds several themes associated with rangers' perceptions of their organizations, including the variability of the implementation of policies, the importance of training in shaping ranger identity, and the variety of ways they perceive effectiveness and legitimacy. These strands are combined to describe how role ambiguity is important in organizational commitment as well as discussing the impacts of organizations on individual rangers. Theoretical and policy implications, limitations and future research are also discussed.

<p>This study explores connections between school discipline policies and educational inequality by examining the implementation of “Progressive Discipline” (PD) in an Ontario school board. By using positive reinforcements, preventions, and early and ongoing interventions, PD has replaced more punitive “zero tolerance” approaches as the official approach to student discipline in provincial public schools. This study poses two broad research questions that are guided by prominent theories of school organization and family-school relations: i) Given prevailing schooling practices, how is PD actually implemented, ii) can PD compensate for student inequalities in exposure to cultural orientations demanded by schools. To address these questions, this study draws on 36 qualitative interviews with key actors in several schools, and has two key findings. First, despite the official shift from zero tolerance to PD, student discipline continues to be managed by schools and individual school-based actors along a continuum, with some becoming more progressive, while others remaining more punitive. Thus, this policy evolution has involved a shift from a tighter to a more “loosely coupled” form of organization. But despite this variation, school-based actors are gradually embracing PD, since more progressive perspectives on student discipline appear to resonate with many educators and administrators. Second, the shift to PD is creating new forms of cultural practices in schools, and these practices are generating considerable variations in the outcomes of discipline processes. Building on these findings, this study concludes that progressive discipline policy has the potential to serve as a mechanism of “cultural mobility” and partially compensate for students’ unequal exposure to the values, behaviours and skill sets that are needed to comply with schools’ standards of behaviour.</p> / Master of Arts (MA)

Using a Systems Theory approach allows a person to analyze the intertwined elements of the drug development system and the potential influences of the environment. Thomas Hughes's Large Technological Systems (LTS) Theory is one that could be used for this purpose; however, it falls short in its ability to address the complexity of current day regulatory environments. This dissertation provides a critical analysis of Hughes's LTS Theory and his phases of evolution as they apply to the United States (U.S.) system for biologic drug research, development and labeling. It identifies and explains potential flaws with Hughes's LTS Theory and provides suggested improvements. As an alternative approach, this dissertation explores the concept of "techno-regulatory system" where government regulators play an integral part in system innovations and explains why such systems do not always follow Hughes's model. Finally, this dissertation proposes a hybrid version of Hughes's systems approach and uses it to explain the changes that occurred in the drug approval system in response to the push for, opposition, and inclusion of, pediatric research in drug development during the period 1950-2003. / Ph. D.

While government contracting out its work continues to proliferate and studies about this phenomenon have increased during the past two decades, still little is known about how effective government sponsored networks are at managing broad and complex networks of primarily non-governmental entities. This dissertation reports the results of one such investigation, which examined a U.S. federal agency's contracting experiences in evidence-based health care. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is a unit of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Among other tasks, AHRQ supports the development and dissemination of evidence about current best practices in health services delivery through its Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) programs that contract out its work and operate in broad and complex network. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which AHRQ's EPC Program I was effective in supporting the translation of evidence reports and disseminating the products to the public by contracting with public and non-profit entities to do the work. This dissertation also sought to examine the extent to which the evidence reports and derivative products were publicly accessible by operationalizing the objectives articulated in AHRQ's authorizing legislation in a manner consistent with theories of representative democracy and exploring Program I's effectiveness using William T. Gormley's ideas (1989; Gormley & Balla 2003) of bureaucratic control. The results from this dissertation suggest that a decentralized network was related to overall higher translation and dissemination network effectiveness. Specifically, the findings from this study suggest that a decentralized network was related to overall higher translation and dissemination network effectiveness. Also, weak ties among the network actors when transferring complex knowledge was associated with higher translation and dissemination network effectiveness on the whole. The findings from this dissertation also contribute to network theory by extending Gormley's bureaucratic control typology (1989; Gormley & Balla 2003) to the network level, and also to the type of control that was available to the Agency over the network. Finally, the results contribute to better understanding of the dynamics that can be associated with the effectiveness of similar programs. / Ph. D.

The murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd in 2020 renewed efforts to address long-standing inequality within American society (M. Lewis et al., 2023; E. Meyer et al., 2022). Some school districts responded to these demands by increasing attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. These efforts sometimes included hiring equity directors to advance DEI priorities (M. Lewis et al., 2023; Matschiner, in press). However, districts had little information to draw from either the empirical and/or professional literatures to inform decisions regarding these roles. Superintendents set conditions for change within a district and are key players in establishing and supporting equity director positions. Yet little is known about the factors that influence superintendents’ conceptualization and decision-making involving these positions. There is also a paucity of research regarding the role that superintendents play in creating the necessary conditions (before and after hiring) for equity directors to succeed in their roles. To begin to address this limitation in the literature and profession, this study examines internal and external factors that influence superintendents’ conceptualization, establishment, and support of equity director positions within their districts. Drawing on racialized organizations theory, the study explores the impact that internal and external factors play on decision making regarding the equity director role. Qualitative analyses of interview responses from 15 superintendents and 19 equity directors showed that superintendents relied on their understanding of their community’s needs and on colleagues in and out of their districts to inform their conceptualization and operationalization of the equity director’s roles and responsibilities. Moreover, internal factors like organizational and budgetary constraints and the stance of the school board; as well as external factors like the suburban context, and political and community dynamics, influenced decisions to establish and operationalize equity director positions. Internal and external factors impacted the structure of the position and the experiences of those hired to serve in these positions. Equity directors and superintendents reported wrestling with the complexities of navigating equity work in dynamic political conditions within a racialized context. Participants reported that equity work was unlike other change work that educators engaged in and required attentiveness to the dynamics of race (McCambly and Colyvas, 2023). / Educational Leadership

Underlying institutional forms are normative orders which give meaning to rules, norms, practices and customs. It is only recently that scholars have seriously considered the role of normative orders in institutional dynamics. Two meta-theories of institutionalism offer competing visions of how these normative orders are invoked. The Institutional Logics Perspective calls normative orders “institutional logics” and suggest that they are invoked in a consistent stable fashion. The Pragmatist Institutionalism approach calls normative orders “anchoring concepts” and suggests that they are used in less predictable ways to produce meaning. This study introduces the concept of fidelity to capture the difference between these two approaches and test which approach may offer a more accurate account of how normative orders are invoked in practice. The study uses the case of the USCG response to melting Arctic ice to study this issue by focusing on the two most dominant normative orders of American government. The study relies on interviews conducted with USCG personnel dealing with the agency’s response to melting Artic Ice. The data is then analyzed through a narrative analysis framework. The study finds that normative orders are invoked, in this case, in a manner more closely aligned with Pragmatist Institutionalism. This finding has implications for how administrative judgement is understood especially with respect to public agencies. / Ph. D. / Rules, norms, practices and customs are all types of institutional forms which derive meaning from something called normative orders. Normative orders help individuals make determinations on things such as whether rules are “good”/“bad” or when those rules are appropriate to apply. While these normative orders are understood to be important, they are not yet well understood. Two recent approaches which attempt to better define normative orders offer competing visions. The Institutional Logics Perspective calls normative orders “institutional logics” and suggest that they are invoked in a consistent stable fashion. The Pragmatist Institutionalism approach calls normative orders “anchoring concepts” and suggests that they are used in less predictable ways to produce meaning. This study introduces the concept of fidelity to capture the difference between these two approaches and test which approach may offer a more accurate account of how normative orders are invoked in practice. The study uses the case of the USCG response to melting Arctic ice to study this issue by focusing on the two most dominant normative orders of American government. The study relies on interviews conducted with USCG personnel dealing with the agency’s response to melting Artic Ice. The data is then analyzed through a narrative analysis framework. The study finds that normative orders are invoked, in this case, in a manner more closely aligned with Pragmatist Institutionalism. This finding has implications for how administrative judgement is understood especially with respect to public agencies.

In 2009 the Texas legislature created the National Research University Fund (NRUF), intended to encourage a select group of public doctoral universities in the state, known as emerging research universities (ERUs), to increase their institutional status related to academic research by awarding supplemental financial support for meeting specific policy metrics. Efforts to increase the research status of these universities occurred at a time when public financial support remained stagnate and overall institutional costs increased within the higher education sector. This study utilizes a theoretical approach grounded in strategic action fields and employs panel data and a difference in differences statistical technique to analyze the impact that NRUF policy has in assisting ERUs in achieving R1 status, and how this organizational change impacted access to, and the quality of, undergraduate education. Results indicate that the NRUF policy intervention was not statistically significant for any part of the study. These findings suggest that policy interventions do not matter as much as specific institutional characteristics and the overall policy environment. Enrollment and tuition revenue predicted institutional performance related to academic research and graduate education, while also assisting these institutions in maintaining undergraduate academic quality and access. These cultural and material resources at the institutional level matter, as does how the overall state field prioritizes various aspects of higher education. Given the amount of resources required of the policy, and the general lack of evidence of its positive or negative effects, these indicate that those resources would be more wisely targeted elsewhere.

Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att genom tolkning och analys av värderingar och attityder hos Generation Z konstruera en idealtyp av en organisation, som kommer att kunna användas som ett redskap för förståelse för hur organisationer skulle kunna se ut i framtiden för att passa Generation Z.   Metod: En intervjustudie som behandlar generationsforskning ur ett organisationsperspektiv. Studien har genomförts med en induktiv metod och en kvalitativ strategi.   Slutsats: I Generation Z:s uttalade värderingar och attityder framträdde en paradox. Generation Z värdesatte motstridiga aspekter inom arbetslivet. Resultatet av studien är därför idealtypen ”Prospero”, baserad på Generation Z:s uttalade värderingar och attityder. En tvådelad organisationsstruktur som kombinerar hierarkisk ordning och struktur med adhocratisk kreativitet. Arbetsdagen är uppdelad mellan dessa båda delar, denna uppdelning regleras genom stämpelklockan ”Miranda”. / Purpose: The purpose of this study is to, through interpretation and analysis of values and attitudes of Generation Z, construct an ideal type of organization, which can be used as a tool for the understanding of how organizations could look like in the future to accommodate Generation Z.   Methodology: An interview study that addresses the topic of generational research from an organizational perspective. The study was conducted with an inductive approach and a qualitative method.   Conclusions: From Generation Z's spoken values and attitudes a paradox emerged. Generation Z valued conflicting aspects of working life. The result of the study is therefore the ideal type “Prospero”, which is based on Generation Z's spoken values and attitudes. A dual-sided organizational structure that combines hierarchical order and structure with an ad hoc creativity. The workday is divided between the two sides, this transition is controlled by the punch clock “Miranda”.

Nearly two-thirds of undergraduate college students within the United States fail to graduate within six years because they are unprepared for postsecondary education. Thus, many states have embarked on policy reform movements centered on college and career readiness for all high school graduates. This study focused on Kentucky’s efforts to implement four key initiatives—accelerated learning, secondary interventions, college and career readiness advising, and persistence to graduation—resulting from sweeping reform policies enacted in 2009 by the Kentucky General Assembly. The study considers policy implementation from an organizational perspective and explores the structural characteristics associated with effective policy implementation at the school level.

Syfte: Syftet med denna kandidatuppsats var att beskriva om och på vilket sätt anslutningen till RIA-projektet inom sektionen vid sjukhuset i Sverige har varit effektiv i förhållande till sektionens uppsatta mål. Teoretisk referensram: Den teoretiska referensramen utgår från två modeller om effektivitet vilka har anpassats efter den mänskliga resursen. Referensramen behandlar inre- och yttre effektivitet med tillhörande underrubriker, nämligen: Resurser, kompetens arbetsuppgifter och mål. Metod: Studien var en kvalitativ fallstudie av beskrivande karaktär med en deduktiv ansats. Primärdata samlades in med tillgänglighetsurval med semistrukturerade intervjuer med sju respondenter. Det empiriska materialet analyserades med en tematisk analysmetod med teman i förhållande till den teoretiska referensramen. Studien hämtade sekundärdata från böcker, akademiska artiklar och akademiska tidskrifter. Empiri: Empiriska data samlades in från sjukhuspersonal och vårdenhetschefer inom sektionen vid sjukhuset i Sverige. Slutsatser: Studien kommer fram till att anslutningen till RIA-projektet inom sektionen vid sjukhuset i Sverige har varit effektiv i förhållande till sektionens uppsatta mål, men inte till vilken grad den har varit effektiv. De mänskliga resurserna kan göra mer rätt saker, sjukhuspersonalen använder sin kompetens i större utsträckning och sjukhuspersonalen kan utföra arbetsuppgifter rätt i förhållande till vad som ingår i deras yrkesroll. Det har i sin tur lett till snabbare handläggning och bidragit till inre effektivitet vilket i sin tur har lett till yttre effektivitet i förhållande till sektionens uppsatta mål. / The purpose of this Bachelor Thesis was to describe if and in what way the connection with the RIA-project within the section at the hospital in Sweden has been effective in relation to the goal that has been established by the section. The theoretical framework proceeds from two models that deals with effectiveness which have been adapted to the human resource. The framework treats efficiency and effectiveness with associated subheadings, specifically: Resources, competency, job assignments and goal. The study was a qualitative case study with a descriptive nature and a deductive approach. Primary data was collected with accessibility selection with semi-structured interviews with seven respondents. The empirical findings were analysed with a thematic analysis method with themes related to the theoretical framework. The study collected secondary data from books, academic articles and academic journals. Empirical data was collected from hospital staff and hospital management within the section at the hospital in Sweden. The study reaches the conclusion that the connection with the RIA-project within the section at the hospital in Sweden has been effective in relation to the goal that has been established by the section, but not to what degree it has been effective. The human resources can do more right things, the hospital staff uses its competence to a higher degree and the hospital staff can perform job assignments right in relation to what is associated with their profession. This in turn have led to faster processing and contributed to efficiency which in turn have led to effectiveness in relation to the goal that has been established by the section.