This dissertation on Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, Op.43 is divided into four parts: 1) historical background and the state of the sources, 2) analysis, 3) semantic issues related to analysis (discourse), and 4) performance and analysis. The analytical study, which constitutes the main body of this research, demonstrates how Rachmaninoff organically produces the variations in relation to the theme, designs the large-scale tonal and formal organization, and unifies the theme and variations as a whole. The selected analytical approach is linear in orientation - that is, Schenkerian. In the course of the analysis, close attention is paid to motivic detail; the analytical chapter carefully examines how the tonal structure and motivic elements in the theme are transformed, repeated, concealed, and expanded throughout the variations. As documented by a study of the manuscripts, the analysis also facilitates insight into the genesis and structure of the Rhapsody. How Rachmaninoff develops his ideas through several notebooks - including sketches and drafts - is described. Later parts of the dissertation deal with programmatic aspects of the Rhapsody. Related to the composer's significant use of the Dies Irae melody, semantic issues concerning "love and death" are taken into account and closely related to the specific structure of the piece. Rachmaninoff's symphonic poem, The Isle of the Dead, is a work which bears some intriguing resemblances to the Rhapsody in its larger structure as well as its ideology. Therefore, an interpretation of this work is provided to show the special relationship between the two pieces. The last chapter presents a discussion of two recordings of the Rhapsody by Rachmaninoff and Moiseiwitsch made in 1934 and 1938 respectively. Comparing and contrasting the different interpretations of each variation in these two historical recordings, this concluding part of the study explores ways in which analysis can be realized through performance.

The aim of strategic group analysis is to find out if clusters of firms that have a similar strategic position exist within an industry or not. In this thesis, by using a conceptual framework that reflects the strategic context, contents and process of construction companies and utilising alternative clustering methods such as traditional cluster analysis, self-organizing maps, and fuzzy C-means technique, a strategic group analysis was conducted for the Turkish construction industry. Results demonstrate that there are three strategic groups among which significant performance differences exist. Self-organising maps provide a visual representation of group composition and help identification of hybrid structures. Fuzzy C-means technique reveals the membership degrees of a firm to each strategic group. It is recommended that real strategic group structure can only be identified by using alternative cluster analysis methods. The positive effect of differentiation strategy on achieving competitive advantage is widely acknowledged in the literature and proved to be valid for the Turkish construction industry as a result of strategic group analysis. In this study, a framework is proposed to model the differentiation process in construction. The relationships between the modes and drivers of differentiation are analyzed by structural equation modeling. The results demonstrate that construction companies can either differentiate on quality or productivity. Project management related factors extensively influence productivity differentiation whereas they influence quality differentiation indirectly. Corporate management related factors only affect quality differentiation. Moreover, resources influence productivity differentiation directly whereas they have an indirect effect on quality differentiation.

Performance of the buildings has always been a concern for the architects. With the enhancements in the technology, it is possible to measure, analyze and evaluate the performance of an architectural design before it is built via simulation tools developed. With the evaluation of the analysis performance of the concerned space can be upgraded if simulation tools are employed throughout the design process. However, even though the simulation tools are developed for the acoustical simulation and performance analysis, it is not always simple to integrate the simulation tools to whole design process because of both specific knowledge required for the usage of the tools and the nature of the acoustical simulation tools. Within the scope of the thesis, a simulation tool, which does not require advanced knowledge on acoustics and which provides rapid feedbacks about the performance of the design for the enhancement of the performance is developed using method of image sources.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Linköping : Linköpings universitet, 2006. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Orientador: Rita de Cássia Ietto Montilha / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-21T17:53:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Becker_Paula_M.pdf: 1826117 bytes, checksum: bfd083591567eec2a5b180b4fb2ad2e4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: Pessoas com deficiência visual deparam-se, na maioria das vezes, com dificuldades que envolvem as esferas social, econômica e funcional, podendo apresentar prejuízo em seu nível de independência e autoestima, comprometendo sua qualidade de vida. O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar níveis de desempenho ocupacional e de qualidade de vida de indivíduos com deficiência visual e posterior análise de inter-relação entre os índices encontrados. Realizou-se um levantamento descritivo e de corte transversal, junto a pessoas com deficiência visual, de idade igual ou superior a 18 anos, inscritas para reabilitação em um serviço universitário, no período de agosto de 2011 a março de 2012. Para a coleta de dados foram utilizados três instrumentos aplicados por entrevista pela própria pesquisadora. O primeiro foi um questionário que permite obter os dados de identificação e perfil sócio-demográfico. O segundo foi o COPM que mensura a auto-percepção do sujeito em relação ao seu desempenho ocupacional e o terceiro foi o SF-36, instrumento que possibilita verificar a auto-percepção do sujeito em relação a sua qualidade de vida. Para análise dos dados foi construído banco de dados e realizado o tratamento estatístico. A amostra foi não probabilística constituída de acordo com os critérios de conveniência e composta de 23 sujeitos, sendo 74,0% com baixa visão, 52,2% do gênero feminino e a média de idade foi de 46,7 anos. A auto-percepção de desempenho ocupacional dos entrevistados foi baixa. Os resultados encontrados mostraram que a auto-percepção de desempenho e aspectos emocionais dos participantes com baixa-visão foram melhores do que os com cegueira. Verificou-se que quanto maior era o tempo de deficiência visual, pior era a avaliação do domínio dor. O domínio vitalidade apresentou relação estatisticamente significativa com os domínios estado geral de saúde, desempenho e satisfação, assim como o domínio saúde mental apresentou relação com estado geral de saúde, dor, desempenho e vitalidade. Os resultados mostram que quanto melhor era o aspecto emocional, maior também a influência positiva refletida nos aspectos físicos, funcionais e sociais dos participantes. O desempenho ocupacional e a qualidade de vida são condições que podem ser trabalhadas em programa de reabilitação para pessoas com deficiência visual por meio de equipe interdisciplinar / Abstract: People with visual disabilities are oftentimes faced with difficulties regarding the social, economic and functional areas, which may impair their level of independence and self-esteem, affecting therefore their quality of life. The purpose of this study was to identify levels of occupational performance and quality of life of individuals with visual disabilities and subsequent analysis of the interrelationship among the indexes found. A descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted, with a sample group of people with visual disabilities, aged 18 years old and over, which were enrolled on rehabilitation in a university center, from August 2011 to March 2012. For data collection three instruments were applied through interviews by the researcher. The first was a questionnaire used in order to obtain identification data and social-demographic profile. The second was the COPM which measures one's self-perception of occupational performance and the third was the SF-36, an instrument that allows verifying the self-perception of quality of life. For data analysis a database was constructed and statistical analysis was performed. Group sample was classified under a non-probability sampling (convenience) and comprised 23 individuals, 74.0% with low vision, 52.2% were female and the mean age was 46.7 years. Self-perception of occupational performance by the interviewees was low. Results showed that self-perception of performance and emotion aspects of the participants with low vision were better than those with blindness. It was verified that the larger the time of visual impairment, the worse the evaluation of the pain domain. The vitality domain showed a statistically significant relationship with the domains general health, performance and satisfaction, whereas the mental health domain was related to general health, pain, vitality and performance. The results showed that the better the emotional aspect, the greater the positive influence reflected in physical, functional and social aspects of the participants. Occupational performance and quality of life are conditions that may be employed in a rehabilitation program for people with visual disabilities through an interdisciplinary team / Mestrado / Interdisciplinaridade e Reabilitação / Mestra em Saúde, Interdisciplinaridade e Reabilitação

The aim of the diploma thesis is to evaluate the financial and business performance of PBS Turbo s.r.o. using benchmarking methods. The first part deals with basic concepts and also provides relevant information from the trade literature. The analysis of the current state provides information about the selected company, including strategic analysis, and also provides a comparison of the company with selected competitors. Based on the findings, recommendations for the business and financial performance of the company are presented in order to possibly improvement.

This thesis deals with the evaluation of the performance of Ziehl-Abegg, s.r.o (Ltd.) The first part looks into the issues of evaluating the company's performance from the theoretical point of view. The analytical part takes a closer look at the company in question using it to carry out a strategic analysis and subsequently a comparison of various indicators is made against the company's competitors. Based on the escertained facts and analysis made, various measures are proposed aimed at improving the company's situation.

No description available.

Yes / The headscarf conceals hair and other external features of a head (such as the ears). It therefore may have implications for the way in which such faces are perceived. Images of faces with hair (H) or alternatively, covered by a headscarf (HS) were used in three experiments. In Experiment 1 participants saw both H and HS faces in a yes/no recognition task in which the external features either remained the same between learning and test (Same) or switched (Switch). Performance was similar for H and HS faces in both the Same and Switch condition, but in the Switch condition it dropped substantially compared to the Same condition. This implies that the mere presence of the headscarf does not reduce performance, rather, the change between the type of external feature (hair or headscarf) causes the drop in performance. In Experiment 2, which used eye-tracking methodology, it was found that almost all fixations were to internal regions, and that there was no difference in the proportion of fixations to external features between the Same and Switch conditions, implying that the headscarf influenced processing by virtue of extrafoveal viewing. In Experiment 3, similarity ratings of the internal features of pairs of HS faces were higher than pairs of H faces, confirming that the internal and external features of a face are perceived as a whole rather than as separate components. / The Educational Charity of the Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians.

Performance management is a process through which employees‟ performance is evaluated in order to reward such performance that meets the required standards, and to develop employees who fail to attain the required expectations. The overall organisational performance hinges on the effectiveness with which a performance management system is developed and implemented. The current study focuses on the extent to which performance management is effectively developed and implemented at the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality and the correlation that this has with service delivery. To achieve this objective a number of research questions and objectives were posed and formulated in chapter one. The hypotheses for the study are: a well-designed performance management system with well thought out practices and procedures can improve the delivery of services in the City of Johannesburg; and a well-designed performance management system with well thought out practices and procedures cannot improve the delivery of services in the City of Johannesburg. In order to validate the hypotheses, the structured questionnaires on the performance management system and service delivery were compiled. A questionnaire for employees consisted of close-ended questionnaire statements and open-ended questions. Another questionnaire with only close-ended questionnaire statements was issued to residents to elicit responses on service delivery by the City of Johannesburg. Frequency analysis, which lends itself to correlation analysis, of employees‟ responses and residents‟ feedback was conducted. The correlation analysis between employees‟ responses to performance management system and residents‟ responses to service delivery was conducted using the Pearson Correlation. The findings of the study are: Growth and Development Strategy and the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) are not adhered to in the daily operations in the municipality. Managers and subordinates set objectives jointly but are, however, not participants in the evaluation of the municipality’s performance. The employees of the municipality are aware of the existence of the performance management system but it is applied only to more senior officials. Employees and managers are not involved in the evaluation of the municipality‟s performance. Training does not capacitate employees to work effectively with the Balanced Scorecard. The information technology architecture is not supportive of the implementation of the performance management system. Key performance areas were found to lack uniformity in the municipality and therefore created „silos‟ in the municipality. The key performance indicators are developed without the involvement of the communities, including employees, especially at the lower level of management. The critical success factors are understood by employees and are linked to major tasks and job responsibilities. Tax and rates accounts are issued in time. Tax and rates accounts are inaccurate. The municipality does not maintain street lights regularly. The municipality does not maintain sewage systems regularly. There is no relationship between the performance management system and service delivery. The recommendations for improving the performance management system were made and the researcher developed an appropriate model of performance that is oriented to effective service delivery. / Thesis (PhD (Public Management and Governance))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013