Innovation is an imperative in all industry sectors. For those such as construction, which are not considered high-tech and which operate as one-off projects, the uptake and diffusion of new innovations into ongoing practice across projects pose particular problems. The nature of these problems faced at a project level needs to be better understood. This thesis is an exploration of innovation implementation in the context of Project-Based Engineering (PBE). It is an empirical investigation of how new planning technologies are implemented in major infrastructure construction projects and the barriers that prevent such implementations from being effective. The findings of this investigation are used to develop and evaluate a new model of innovation implementation in this context. The research design is centred on the immersion of a participant-observer in seven live construction projects over a period of 3.5 years. Each project studied was implementing the same innovation: 4D CAD modelling (3D design model + the construction schedule). A wide cross-section of data was gathered in the field including direct observations, documents and other work products from participation, email and other correspondence associated with the 4D CAD implementations, and formal and informal discussions with project-participants. These data were analysed using content analysis software to find patterns. The research was iterative and involved three phases. The initial phase was a pilot study of implementation in practice using the data from one project. It produced rich descriptions of what transpired and a critical comparison with accounts from the literature. This led to a series of propositions about the influence of project-participant perceptions that were synthesised into a new theoretical model: the initial Perception-Influence model (P-I1 model). The middle research phase then developed this model iteratively using a more-focused data collection and content analysis across four construction project organisations. This was done to provide supporting evidence for the theoretical constructs in the P-I1 model as well as to refine them and add new ones. The outcomes of the middle phase were the P-I2 and P-I3 models. The final research phase analysed the data from the last two project organisations in terms of the P-I model framework with a view to evaluating the model’s theoretical significance and practical applications. The P-I model shows that negative perceptions of value, benefit and usability can cause an innovation implementation to be ineffective as a result of discontinued use or neglect. It provides a map for the progression of an implementation using the perceptions and actions of project-participants as primary constructs. The model proposes that each perception is formed by a number of contributing factors or secondary constructs synthesised from implementation research and user acceptance literature, for example, an opinion or concern about how much an innovation costs (i.e. transaction costs). It also proposes that each perception has both a positive and negative associated action. The constructs that make up the P-I model are grounded in the empirical data. This is because the actions, opinions and concerns of project-participants observed in live projects are evident in project documentation such as emails. These two sources (i.e. observations and project documentation) provide data sets that were used to triangulate inferences about the perceptions of project-participants and the outcome of each 4D CAD implementation (i.e. effective or otherwise). This aspect of the research was not only important for the recommendation of potential applications for the P-I model but also during its conception, development and evaluation. The P-I model is a new and important perspective for both implementation research and PBE practitioners. It helps satisfy the calls for studies of innovation implementation that focus on factors at an individual level and those asking for a better understanding of innovative behaviour. This work shows PBE practitioners how the perceptions of project-participants can have a major impact on the effectiveness of an innovation implementation. The findings provide an evidential basis that can improve implementation effectiveness, especially in PBE organisations. The knowledge built into the P-I model can also assist the planning and execution of innovation implementation strategies, aid in the assessment and redirection of those in progress, and help document lessons learned for implementations within project organisations that have been previously completed. This research uses the P-I model to open the way for future empirical studies of innovation implementation in PBE contexts beyond construction. These would also provide data to further refine the constructs in the model.

Innovation is an imperative in all industry sectors. For those such as construction, which are not considered high-tech and which operate as one-off projects, the uptake and diffusion of new innovations into ongoing practice across projects pose particular problems. The nature of these problems faced at a project level needs to be better understood. This thesis is an exploration of innovation implementation in the context of Project-Based Engineering (PBE). It is an empirical investigation of how new planning technologies are implemented in major infrastructure construction projects and the barriers that prevent such implementations from being effective. The findings of this investigation are used to develop and evaluate a new model of innovation implementation in this context. The research design is centred on the immersion of a participant-observer in seven live construction projects over a period of 3.5 years. Each project studied was implementing the same innovation: 4D CAD modelling (3D design model + the construction schedule). A wide cross-section of data was gathered in the field including direct observations, documents and other work products from participation, email and other correspondence associated with the 4D CAD implementations, and formal and informal discussions with project-participants. These data were analysed using content analysis software to find patterns. The research was iterative and involved three phases. The initial phase was a pilot study of implementation in practice using the data from one project. It produced rich descriptions of what transpired and a critical comparison with accounts from the literature. This led to a series of propositions about the influence of project-participant perceptions that were synthesised into a new theoretical model: the initial Perception-Influence model (P-I1 model). The middle research phase then developed this model iteratively using a more-focused data collection and content analysis across four construction project organisations. This was done to provide supporting evidence for the theoretical constructs in the P-I1 model as well as to refine them and add new ones. The outcomes of the middle phase were the P-I2 and P-I3 models. The final research phase analysed the data from the last two project organisations in terms of the P-I model framework with a view to evaluating the model’s theoretical significance and practical applications. The P-I model shows that negative perceptions of value, benefit and usability can cause an innovation implementation to be ineffective as a result of discontinued use or neglect. It provides a map for the progression of an implementation using the perceptions and actions of project-participants as primary constructs. The model proposes that each perception is formed by a number of contributing factors or secondary constructs synthesised from implementation research and user acceptance literature, for example, an opinion or concern about how much an innovation costs (i.e. transaction costs). It also proposes that each perception has both a positive and negative associated action. The constructs that make up the P-I model are grounded in the empirical data. This is because the actions, opinions and concerns of project-participants observed in live projects are evident in project documentation such as emails. These two sources (i.e. observations and project documentation) provide data sets that were used to triangulate inferences about the perceptions of project-participants and the outcome of each 4D CAD implementation (i.e. effective or otherwise). This aspect of the research was not only important for the recommendation of potential applications for the P-I model but also during its conception, development and evaluation. The P-I model is a new and important perspective for both implementation research and PBE practitioners. It helps satisfy the calls for studies of innovation implementation that focus on factors at an individual level and those asking for a better understanding of innovative behaviour. This work shows PBE practitioners how the perceptions of project-participants can have a major impact on the effectiveness of an innovation implementation. The findings provide an evidential basis that can improve implementation effectiveness, especially in PBE organisations. The knowledge built into the P-I model can also assist the planning and execution of innovation implementation strategies, aid in the assessment and redirection of those in progress, and help document lessons learned for implementations within project organisations that have been previously completed. This research uses the P-I model to open the way for future empirical studies of innovation implementation in PBE contexts beyond construction. These would also provide data to further refine the constructs in the model.

Innovation is an imperative in all industry sectors. For those such as construction, which are not considered high-tech and which operate as one-off projects, the uptake and diffusion of new innovations into ongoing practice across projects pose particular problems. The nature of these problems faced at a project level needs to be better understood. This thesis is an exploration of innovation implementation in the context of Project-Based Engineering (PBE). It is an empirical investigation of how new planning technologies are implemented in major infrastructure construction projects and the barriers that prevent such implementations from being effective. The findings of this investigation are used to develop and evaluate a new model of innovation implementation in this context. The research design is centred on the immersion of a participant-observer in seven live construction projects over a period of 3.5 years. Each project studied was implementing the same innovation: 4D CAD modelling (3D design model + the construction schedule). A wide cross-section of data was gathered in the field including direct observations, documents and other work products from participation, email and other correspondence associated with the 4D CAD implementations, and formal and informal discussions with project-participants. These data were analysed using content analysis software to find patterns. The research was iterative and involved three phases. The initial phase was a pilot study of implementation in practice using the data from one project. It produced rich descriptions of what transpired and a critical comparison with accounts from the literature. This led to a series of propositions about the influence of project-participant perceptions that were synthesised into a new theoretical model: the initial Perception-Influence model (P-I1 model). The middle research phase then developed this model iteratively using a more-focused data collection and content analysis across four construction project organisations. This was done to provide supporting evidence for the theoretical constructs in the P-I1 model as well as to refine them and add new ones. The outcomes of the middle phase were the P-I2 and P-I3 models. The final research phase analysed the data from the last two project organisations in terms of the P-I model framework with a view to evaluating the model’s theoretical significance and practical applications. The P-I model shows that negative perceptions of value, benefit and usability can cause an innovation implementation to be ineffective as a result of discontinued use or neglect. It provides a map for the progression of an implementation using the perceptions and actions of project-participants as primary constructs. The model proposes that each perception is formed by a number of contributing factors or secondary constructs synthesised from implementation research and user acceptance literature, for example, an opinion or concern about how much an innovation costs (i.e. transaction costs). It also proposes that each perception has both a positive and negative associated action. The constructs that make up the P-I model are grounded in the empirical data. This is because the actions, opinions and concerns of project-participants observed in live projects are evident in project documentation such as emails. These two sources (i.e. observations and project documentation) provide data sets that were used to triangulate inferences about the perceptions of project-participants and the outcome of each 4D CAD implementation (i.e. effective or otherwise). This aspect of the research was not only important for the recommendation of potential applications for the P-I model but also during its conception, development and evaluation. The P-I model is a new and important perspective for both implementation research and PBE practitioners. It helps satisfy the calls for studies of innovation implementation that focus on factors at an individual level and those asking for a better understanding of innovative behaviour. This work shows PBE practitioners how the perceptions of project-participants can have a major impact on the effectiveness of an innovation implementation. The findings provide an evidential basis that can improve implementation effectiveness, especially in PBE organisations. The knowledge built into the P-I model can also assist the planning and execution of innovation implementation strategies, aid in the assessment and redirection of those in progress, and help document lessons learned for implementations within project organisations that have been previously completed. This research uses the P-I model to open the way for future empirical studies of innovation implementation in PBE contexts beyond construction. These would also provide data to further refine the constructs in the model.

Innovation is an imperative in all industry sectors. For those such as construction, which are not considered high-tech and which operate as one-off projects, the uptake and diffusion of new innovations into ongoing practice across projects pose particular problems. The nature of these problems faced at a project level needs to be better understood. This thesis is an exploration of innovation implementation in the context of Project-Based Engineering (PBE). It is an empirical investigation of how new planning technologies are implemented in major infrastructure construction projects and the barriers that prevent such implementations from being effective. The findings of this investigation are used to develop and evaluate a new model of innovation implementation in this context. The research design is centred on the immersion of a participant-observer in seven live construction projects over a period of 3.5 years. Each project studied was implementing the same innovation: 4D CAD modelling (3D design model + the construction schedule). A wide cross-section of data was gathered in the field including direct observations, documents and other work products from participation, email and other correspondence associated with the 4D CAD implementations, and formal and informal discussions with project-participants. These data were analysed using content analysis software to find patterns. The research was iterative and involved three phases. The initial phase was a pilot study of implementation in practice using the data from one project. It produced rich descriptions of what transpired and a critical comparison with accounts from the literature. This led to a series of propositions about the influence of project-participant perceptions that were synthesised into a new theoretical model: the initial Perception-Influence model (P-I1 model). The middle research phase then developed this model iteratively using a more-focused data collection and content analysis across four construction project organisations. This was done to provide supporting evidence for the theoretical constructs in the P-I1 model as well as to refine them and add new ones. The outcomes of the middle phase were the P-I2 and P-I3 models. The final research phase analysed the data from the last two project organisations in terms of the P-I model framework with a view to evaluating the model’s theoretical significance and practical applications. The P-I model shows that negative perceptions of value, benefit and usability can cause an innovation implementation to be ineffective as a result of discontinued use or neglect. It provides a map for the progression of an implementation using the perceptions and actions of project-participants as primary constructs. The model proposes that each perception is formed by a number of contributing factors or secondary constructs synthesised from implementation research and user acceptance literature, for example, an opinion or concern about how much an innovation costs (i.e. transaction costs). It also proposes that each perception has both a positive and negative associated action. The constructs that make up the P-I model are grounded in the empirical data. This is because the actions, opinions and concerns of project-participants observed in live projects are evident in project documentation such as emails. These two sources (i.e. observations and project documentation) provide data sets that were used to triangulate inferences about the perceptions of project-participants and the outcome of each 4D CAD implementation (i.e. effective or otherwise). This aspect of the research was not only important for the recommendation of potential applications for the P-I model but also during its conception, development and evaluation. The P-I model is a new and important perspective for both implementation research and PBE practitioners. It helps satisfy the calls for studies of innovation implementation that focus on factors at an individual level and those asking for a better understanding of innovative behaviour. This work shows PBE practitioners how the perceptions of project-participants can have a major impact on the effectiveness of an innovation implementation. The findings provide an evidential basis that can improve implementation effectiveness, especially in PBE organisations. The knowledge built into the P-I model can also assist the planning and execution of innovation implementation strategies, aid in the assessment and redirection of those in progress, and help document lessons learned for implementations within project organisations that have been previously completed. This research uses the P-I model to open the way for future empirical studies of innovation implementation in PBE contexts beyond construction. These would also provide data to further refine the constructs in the model.

Master of Science / Food Science Institute / Justin Kastner / Student success in today’s modern, technological world depends on a thorough understanding of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The US has made efforts to promote STEM education in recent years which has raised the international ranking of the United States students in STEM disciplines; however, more work is needed to make the US a leader in STEM education. Many methods have been used to help increase student interest and success in STEM disciplines. An integrated curriculum is one such method to heighten STEM education by using multiple subjects to support the content being taught. Food Science can be used as a tool in integrated curricula to enhance STEM education. The universality, cultural importance, and scientific diversity of food make it a perfect fit to incorporate content from all STEM disciplines. Furthermore, exposing students to the complexity of the food chain, food safety, and food science at a young age sets them up to be informed and educated consumers throughout their lives. The curriculum prototype developed for this report demonstrates the continuing promise of food science to enhance STEM education. This food-centric, project-based integrated curriculum encompasses all the standards required in fifth-grade science and math in the state of Tennessee with the added benefits of incorporating knowledge of food safety and the realities of the food chain. This curriculum is based on the essential question of how to use a community garden to bring nutrition to the people of Southern Asia. Through dissecting this problem, students learn about geographic diversity, plant growing conditions, food harvesting and preservation techniques, and cost implications to complex problems. Furthermore, the content required in 5th grade math and science in Tennessee is incorporated so that students learn the required content while solving a complex, real-world issue. The use of food science in integrated curricula provides students with hands-on experience in STEM subjects in a way that encourages independent learning, student engagement in the content, and real-world learning experiences. For students to have success in the modern world, they need a clear understanding of how the material presented in STEM courses relates to their lives. Food science can be used to enhance STEM education in a way that engages students and highlights important learning principles in science, technology, engineering, and math. Food science can elevate STEM education, increase student interest in STEM, and cultivate an engaged and knowledgeable public.

A emergência do gerenciamento de projetos é uma resposta às exigências impostas pelo ambiente empresarial atual. Além de instrumento operacional para a adaptação e evolução organizacional, o gerenciamento de projetos exerce importante papel estratégico, principalmente em empresas cujo negócio tem por base a comercialização de projetos. Os modelos e a literatura sobre as especificidades do gerenciamento de projeto, nesse contexto, são, entretanto, relativamente recentes e pouco extensos. Este estudo colabora com a expansão do conhecimento sobre o tema, propondo, como problema de pesquisa, a identificação das características do gerenciamento de projetos, nas suas dimensões operacional, organizacional e estratégica, em empresas cujo negócio seja baseado em projetos. O estudo, que foi estruturado por meio de casos múltiplos comparados a um referencial bibliográfico, possibilitou a elaboração de considerações sobre a validade da teoria nos casos estudados e sobre necessidades de adaptações que foram evidenciadas. Concluiu-se que a atual teoria de gerenciamento de projetos precisa ser complementada para melhor adequação ao contexto dos negócios baseados em projetos. Essa complementação teórica foi realizada por meio da proposição de um modelo de referência de gerenciamento de projetos, adequado à realidade observada nos casos múltiplos estudados. / The emergence of project management is a response to the demands of today´s business environment. More than an operational tool for organizational adaptation and evolution, project management plays a strategic role, especially at companies that have businesses based on projects. The models and theory about project management characteristics at this context are, however, relatively new and rare. This study aim to expand the knowledge about the subject, proposing as research problem the identification of specific characteristics of project management in the operational, organizational and strategic dimensions at companies that have project based businesses. The study was based on multiple case study compared to the bibliographical referential which allowed the elaboration of conclusions about the applicability of the theory at the cases and about the adaptations made by the companies. It concludes that the today´s project management needs complementation for better adaptation to the context of project-based businesses. To fulfill this need, the study includes the elaboration of a new project management model, better suited to the reality encountered at the cases.

The purpose of this research study was to determine whether a project-based learning (PBL) academy utilizing the New Tech Network (NTN) model positively shaped the acquisition of 21st century learning skills based on the perceptions of graduates from the academy, and to what extent the graduates of this program were able to successfully use those skills after high school. This phenomenological case study focuses on the former students of a New Tech Network (NTN) academy contained within a larger high school in a rural school division in the southeastern United States. Graduates of the program participated in a survey and interview where they were asked to describe their perceptions about the impact that the NTN program had on their development of six 21st century skills. The data collected found that the NTN program had a positive impact on improving the participants skills in self-reliance, collaboration, communication and self-reflection, while also showing that participants felt they were better prepared to be successful in college and career opportunities after high school. / Doctor of Education / The purpose of this research study was to determine whether a project-based learning (PBL) academy utilizing the New Tech Network (NTN) model positively shaped the development of specific work-based skills using the perceptions of graduates from the academy, and to what extent the graduates of this program were able to successfully use those skills after high school. This study focuses on the former students of an NTN academy contained within a larger high school in a rural school division in the southeastern United States. Graduates of the program participated in a survey and interview where they were asked to describe their perceptions about the impact that the NTN program had on their development of six work based skills. The data collected found that the NTN program had a positive impact on improving the participants skills in self-reliance, collaboration, communication and self-reflection, while also showing that participants felt they were better prepared to be successful in college and career opportunities after high school.

Project-based organizations (PBOs) are becoming increasingly widespread and important for the modern economy and society. Thus, they attact significant scholarly attention to their distinctive features. The unit of analysis employed by the majority of the studies is the project-based organization as a whole. Hence, the locus of attention stays at the organizational level, whereas project-related effects are discussed in terms of aggregate properties. With very few exceptions, projects as distinct entities do not feature prominently in the discussion of project-based organizations. This observation creates an interesting paradox. In particular, when projects are discussed as separate units of analysis, their complex organizational dynamics, idiosyncrasies, and institutional embeddedness are among important loci of attention. However, when projects and project collections are discussed within the context of the PBO, the very same aspects tend to be downplayed. Most commonly, projects are either neglected or implicitly assumed to be homogeneous, interchangeable atomic units without internal structure or dynamics, obediently following orders of the parent organizations. Their internal organizational properties are overlooked and the individual-level variables are assumed to have little or no influence on the project outcomes. This thesis questions these assumptions and posits that understanding the dynamics at the project operations level might have important implications for explaining the effectiveness of management arrangements in the PBO. In particular, this thesis aims to explore the factors that shape project-based operations in the setting of the project-based organization. The thesis examines three particular factors which affect organizing of the project-based operations: (1) the content of operations; (2) the context of operations; and (3) the social processes at the operational level. Structurally, the thesis comprises a cover essay and four appended papers (three of them published in international peer-reviewed journals). Largely inductive in nature, the thesis builds on two research studies. The first study represents an in-depth “insider” case study of project-based operations in the Operations division of a large pharmaceutical company. It employs a combination of data collection methods, including semi-structured interviews, participant observations, and document analysis. The second study represents a structured framework-based literature review. Recognizing the organizational properties of projects, the thesis draws upon several literature streams within organization theory and design to analyze the empirical data. The results elaborate how the organizing of project-based operations in the PBO is shaped by the interplay between the content, intra-organizational and wider institutional contexts, as well as endogenous social processes. The thesis contributes to the literature on project-based organizations by developing an institutional, as well as extending a contingency perspective on organizing project-based operations. Further, the results call for revisiting the conceptualization of the PBO by questioning the view of projects as atomic and homogeneous units. Finally, the thesis contributes to the literature by developing an organization design perspective on the PBO. In terms of managerial implications, the thesis offers a few frameworks which can be used to support the decision-making process in a PBO. In particular, Paper I develops a contingency model of program management competences (the 3C model), Paper II derives a framework that can help PBO managers in evaluating the sources of isomorphic pressure on individual projects and programs, while Paper IV puts forth an organization design model for the PBO. At a more general level, Paper II discusses how the identified isomorphic processes within the PBO can limit flexibility, innovation, and efficiency. Finally, the cover essay discusses the important factors that need to be scrutinized in order to assess organizing of the project-based operations, such as the technical content, the project landscape and social landscape or the influence of institutionalised practices and models. / <p>QC 20170508</p>

The academic benefits and enhanced social responsibility that students derive from service-learning (SL), defined as experiential learning that ties community service to academic courses, have been well documented. However, for a college to fully institutionalize SL, a high proportion of faculty needs to include SL in their courses. Based in Kolb's experiential learning theory, the purpose of this study was to enhance planners' understanding of how college faculty's past experiences assigning SL influence their inclination to assign SL in future courses. In this basic qualitative interpretive study, data were collected from 13 individual interviews with faculty who assigned SL at a Southern metropolitan university. Findings were interpreted using Chickering's 7 vectors of student development from the conceptual framework and other relevant perspectives from the literature. One of the major themes from emergent coding of data was that faculty viewed some difficulties as challenges to be overcome rather than as deterrents to using SL. To reduce deterrents, institutions could compensate for extra time required for SL by providing stipends, released time, and support databases; recognizing SL in tenure and promotion; and helping faculty brainstorm how to incorporate SL into courses. To increase incentives to use SL, institutions could provide a full range of training and support for faculty. More courses with SL, besides increasing benefits of SL for all stakeholders, may mean that students form the habit of serving in the community and continue serving and contributing to positive social change, perhaps for a lifetime.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Rosemary S. Talab / The goal of this exploratory case study was to answer two questions: 1. How does an exemplary on-campus undergraduate large Introduction to Cultural Anthropology course encompass the PBL learning model characteristics, specifically focusing on the following: 1.1) Driving question, 1.2) Student construction of an artifact, 1.3) Teachers’ role, and 1.4) Assessment? 2. How is technology used by the professor, teacher assistants, and students to support project-based learning? To answer these questions, the researcher studied a large Introduction to Cultural Anthropology class, which consisted of the professor, ten teaching assistants (TAs), and 400 students. The students were divided into 20 recitation sections, with 20 students in each section. Each TA was assigned two recitation sections. Observations were conducted on twice-weekly Professor’s lectures and three once-weekly recitation sessions. Additionally, interviews and follow-up interviews were conducted of the professor, three teaching assistants (TA), and nine students. Finally, documents analyzed included the professor’s course materials and course management documents. With respect to Research Question 1, “How does an exemplary on-campus undergraduate large Introduction to Cultural Anthropology course encompass the PBL learning model characteristics, specifically focusing on the following: 1.1) Driving question, 1.2) Student construction of an artifact, 1.3) Teachers’ role, and 1.4) Assessment?”, research findings indicated that all four elements of the PBL model were present in this class and were executed well. Research Question 2, “How is technology used to support PBL,” findings indicated that advanced technologies were used by the professor for course purposes. These technologies included Wetpaint (the wiki course management system) and Facebook. More conventional technologies, such as e-mail, were also used for this purpose. Though students were hesitant to use course technology in the beginning. However, with the help of the professor and TA’s, the students learned to use the course technology and grew to enjoy it. Two additional themes emerged through open coding: Emotional Involvement and Non-Participation. First, the TA’s and students developed emotional ties to the cultures that they created in their recitation sections. Second, some students did not participate in either the lecture or the recitation sessions. The TAs took non-participation seriously, both in terms of class participation, individually, and in terms of student responsibilities to the group recitation session in culture construction.