This thesis examines the management of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policy by the provincial government of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Several authors have analyzed the policy on B-BBEE in South Africa, mainly focusing on the impact of the policy on the ‘actors’, and the ethical implications of the policy, but no research has been done on its policy implementation and management, particularly in the public service in South Africa. The central aim of this thesis is to investigate the organizational complexities surrounding how the policy on B-BBEE is managed by the provincial government of KwaZulu-Natal. The study focuses on the three KwaZulu-Natal technical clusters: the economic sectors and infrastructure development, governance and administration, and the social protection, community & human development cluster. The thesis identifies various government departments in each cluster to examine how the policy on B-BBEE is managed. The investigation revealed that government has been successful in implementing some aspects of B-BBEE policy as the majority of blacks were holding key strategic positions within the provincial government. However, the provincial government was grappling with serious management challenges. This thesis explores instruments for policy management, that is, policy coordination, organizational transformation, organizational hierarchy, and policy communication. The results showed that much as the provincial government has been able to open up opportunities for black people there is still a long way to go in terms of transforming policy management structures, functions, processes, norms, values, procedures, organizational culture, and organizational decision-making in improving policy management. The study revealed that various government structures, functions, processes, procedures, norms, values and organizational culture are incompatible with B-BBEE policy objectives. Government decision-making is hierarchical which obstructs the management of B-BBEE policy implementation. Furthermore, B-BBEE policy is still yet to be institutionalized by most government organizations in the province. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

xi, 295 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / The Satellite-Cable Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN) is the only television outlet in the U.S. providing Congressional coverage. Scholars have studied the network's public affairs content and unedited "gavel-to-gavel" style of production that distinguish it from other television channels. However, the network's ownership structure and funding, which are also unique, have not been systematically analyzed. This study fills a gap in C-SPAN scholarship by providing a structural analysis of the network. C-SPAN was founded and is sponsored by the U.S. cable industry. The industry insists its support for the network is based on public service. However, this study reveals that C-SPAN affords the cable industry a number of substantial political economic benefits: a political lever in Washington and with local franchise authorities, a risk-free testing ground for new products and services, and assistance in selling subscriptions for other fee-based services. This study argues that these material benefits are the motivation for the cable industry's support, not public service. It also is argued that C-SPAN can only be comprehensively understood through its relationship to the capitalist political economy of the U.S. To contextualize this relationship, the study provides a history of Congressional television, the cable industry, and satellite technology. These circumstances reveal that the network was less an act of individual cable executives' selfless altruism than a product of political pressures, economic realities, and technological breakthroughs. The study also discusses the implications of a private public affairs network. C-SPAN is a perfect case study of what has been labeled "neoliberalism," or the form of global capitalism based on privatizing social services and regulating industry using rules favorable to the needs of capital, not civil, society. At a social level, the network enables the accumulation of wealth for a select few, enabling these private interests to gain social power. The study concludes that C-SPAN may serve the public, but it is not a public service. / Committee in charge: Janet Wasko, Chairperson, Journalism and Communication; Carl Bybee, Member, Journalism and Communication; Gabriela Martinez, Member, Journalism and Communication; John Foster, Outside Member, Sociology

Throughout the 20th century, American farmlands, agricultural policy, and diets have seen dramatic transformations. The number of farms in America has decreased, but the average size of farms has increased. These larger farms are increasingly more industrialized and produce a short list of profitable, subsidized commodity crops. Similarly, changes in the American diet throughout the 20th and 21st centuries have reflected these shifts in the landscape of American farmland. Simultaneous to the evolution of American farms was an increase in federal involvement in American agriculture through policy that seems to encourage these trends. Although separating out the causes from the effects can be difficult, this paper attempts to understand the role that policy has played in a changing American farmland, the players behind American food and agricultural policy, and the implications these changes have had on the American diet.

Immigration is arguably among the most divisive global and national issues at present. In the U.S., undocumented persons (the DREAMers) who arrived to the U.S. as children have been the central focus of legislation and debate. As of 2013, the undocumented population has increased from less than a million in 1980, then reaching 12.2 million in 2006, to an estimated population of 11.3 million (Passel, Cohn, Krogstand, & Gonzalez-Barerra, 2014) just a few short years ago. For the numerous undocumented students who have excelled academically and socially, and make positive contributions to their communities, the goal of obtaining a college degree is naturally the next step after high school. While undocumented students face intractable challenges in the areas of residency/citizenship, the college admission process, and financing their education, many still find their way on college campuses seeking degree completion. Academic advisors are uniquely positioned to support the persistence and graduation of students, especially undocumented students. Therefore, this research examined perspectives and behaviors of advisors concerning their interactions with undocumented students in public universities utilizing the framework of Michael Lipsky’s (1980) understanding of street-level bureaucracy to determine the discretionary behaviors exercised by academic advisors who advise undocumented students. Study participants included college advisors located in the middle southern and western regions of the United States, where undocumented populations are highest. A qualitative methodology with a case study research design was used in this phenomenological guided research to determine two major study findings: (a) academic advisors are exercising discretionary behavior in advising undocumented students and general population students and (b) the academic advising needs of undocumented students differ from other students. This study has contributed to public administration and higher education advising literature by providing insight into how advisors understand their roles, implement policy, and participate in divergence to meet the needs of students.

Social media platforms have become important over the last decade for nonprofit organizations to communicate with stakeholders, engage with community, and connect with donors. Despite the significance, there is a wide gap in the research on social media adoption and use among community-based nonprofits. To fill this gap, this dissertation examines the diffusion of two popular social media platforms (Facebook and Twitter) among community-based nonprofit organizations affiliated with the United Way of America in Florida. The United Way is the largest federated organization of nonprofits and its primary focus is on education, income, and health. Two questions guide this study: (i) What are the principal determinants of the adoption and use of social media in nonprofit organizations? and (ii) How do nonprofits use social media? The conceptual framework for the analysis comprises of three dimensions: technological, environmental, and organizational. These dimensions respectively draw upon three theories: diffusion of innovation theory, resource dependence theory, and institutional theory. As such, the hypothesis is that the adoption and use of social media is influenced by technological, environmental, and internal institutional factors. For the first question, I conducted a survey of nonprofits affiliated with United Way chapters in Florida, and then analyzed the results using multivariate regression analysis. For the second question, I scraped the Facebook pages of United Way chapters and conducted a content analysis of the posts. I also interviewed key officials in these organizations. The regression analysis shows that technological indicators were significant for the adoption of social media, but were not so for social media use. The findings suggest that factors affecting the adoption and use of social media are distinctive. The content analysis shows that nonprofits predominantly use social media to organize and promote events and to collaborate with other organizations. The events and collaboration enhance the organizations’ legitimacy and help with fundraising for targeted purposes. The study’s policy implication is that nonprofits should engage social media specialists to enhance adoption and train the leaders about benefits of social media use. A federated organization like United Way could adopt best practices in encouraging the use of social media.

Women leaders are grossly underrepresented in police and Army organizations and relevant research suggests that women face the most significant challenges in reaching leadership positions in male dominant organizations. Although there have been recent policy changes to increase opportunities for women in police and Army organizations, women are still barely represented in senior command and primary staff positions in police and Army organizations. When women are underrepresented, particularly at the most senior ranks, there are implications regarding cultural, structural, and attitudinal challenges that simply should not still exist in these organizations. Using qualitative methods, this study examined the experiences of women leaders, specifically senior leaders, in selected police departments and representative Army commands and staff support agencies. Specifically, the study explored the characteristics of effective women leaders to assess the perceived group affiliation of these leaders as it relates to these leadership characteristics and personal assessments of their leadership capabilities. The findings revealed that women leaders possess a multitude of characteristics that have set the conditions for them to break through the “Glass Ceiling” despite the many challenges and obstacles that exist within male dominant organizations. The findings indicate that women leaders in police and Army organizations are care-givers, selfless servants, over-achievers, and great communicators. They identify themselves by their performance and leadership acumen as opposed to their gender, race, or any other demographic descriptors. The findings also suggest that women leaders continue to be faced with challenges and obstacles that make it extremely difficult for them to become senior leaders and navigate up the chain of command within their organization, which impacts their ability to influence policy changes that could address some of these cultural, structural, and attitudinal challenges.

In this paper, I will present a Kantian revision of the Doctrine of Double Effect (DDE). In order to do so, I will explain the concept of jus in bello – focusing in particular on the distinction between intent and foresight. I will then argue that we ought to take an agency-inspired look at the DDE. Finally, I will conclude by arguing for my thesis that Boyle’s theory of agency, while good, needs to be revised in order to accommodate concerns stemming from Kant’s Formula of Humanity… namely consent.

Diplomová práca Lobing a jeho uplatnenie v rámci komerčných komunikácií si kladie za cieľ analyzovať postavenie a vnímanie lobingu vo svete širokou aj odbornou verejnosťou. Práca je rozdelená na osem častí. Skladá sa z teoretickej časti doplnenej o analytické prvky a praktickej časti nasledovanej prípadovými štúdiami k danej problematike. Prvé kapitoly upresňujú odborové začlenenie lobingu do marketingových komunikácií a public relations. Ďalšia časť práce je venovaná špecifikám lobingu v Spojených štátoch a v Európskej únii. Nasledujú state venované pripravovanému zákonu o lobingu na Slovensku a prieskumu verejnej mienky v Českej republike. Posledné časti popisujú, ako sa lobing využíva v praxi. Praktickú časť dopĺňajú prípadové štúdie.

Focusing events are sudden, rare events that become known to policymakers and the public simultaneously, highlighting issues with existing public policy. Two case studies, the gas leak from the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility near Porter Ranch, and the publication of the Health Risk Assessment and discovery of lead contamination from Exide Technologies’ battery recycling facility in Vernon, are used to deepen theoretical insights into the development and functionality of industrial health crises as focusing events. The case studies suggest four key areas relevant to understanding focusing events. The first is the unique characteristics of industrial health crises, which often involve anthropogenic risks and a degree of contestation unusual in other focusing event literature. The second is the scale of analysis, balancing geospatial realities with local histories, broad social dynamics and power structures, and the multiscalar nature of policy change. Third, community activism plays multiple vital roles in pushing a potential focusing event towards lasting policy change. Finally, the incorporation of ideas from environmental justice into the focusing event framework results in a better understanding of power and privilege in the creation of, and response to, industrial health crises. All four aspects have been written about in other bodies of literature, but have not yet been brought to bear on the concept of focusing events. These four domains thus add nuance to the scholarly understanding of one aspect of the policy change process, and provide a starting point for further research into the processes governing our public policy systems.

Forming communications networks between civilian government agencies and police departments -- Community-policing.