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For a long time logistics have been an important part of industrial activities. Dated from 1970s, with the emergency of third party logistics (TPL), companies began to think about insourcing or outsourcing. As the development and expansion of TPL, outsourcing logistics activities to third party logistic have became a worldwide trend. Companies could gain a competitive advantage from outsourcing. Outsourcing to TPL providers could make companies focus on their core tasks. An appropriate TPL provider could apply technology and expertise, which help companies reducing costs and improving services. Flexibility and efficiency can also be achieved by adopting good TPL providers. In this sense, helping companies to make outsourcing decisions and to select optimal TPL providers is meaningful. The purpose of this thesis is to bring a holistic view of third party logistics and to build models for companies to select optimal TPL providers. To achieve the purpose, relevant literatures were reviewed to gain theoretical bases. Qualitative and quantitative research methods are both used in the thesis. Two models for selecting TPL providers were built in the thesis. One was qualitative model that contained four steps: defining problems, formulate criteria, qualify selection process and finally make decision. The other one was a quantitative model with DEA method. It contained six steps: define problem, select candidates, select criteria and indicators, determine input and output and collect data, calculate the efficiency and make final decision. Each model was applied on a case study to examine its validity and feasibility. Both advantages and disadvantages were found during the case studies. The conclusion is that both of models could be used for companies and it allows a company to choose the most suitable one.

The intention of this study was to create an understanding of how multi-professional interaction could convert into inter-professional collaboration, which takes advantage of and acknowledges the individual professional identity. The intention was to understand the meaning of collaboration through the study of meetings between professionals who use different symbol systems. In particular, we wanted to study inter-professional interaction from a symbolic interactional perspective with a focus on Self, Identity, Symbols, Meaning and Professional community. The employed method was semi-structured interviews with ten questions. A convenience sample was used to identify working groups composed of different professions, such as teachers, social workers and therapy assistants. The results suggest that the working group believed that personality precedes the profession one is impending, and that participants preferred stability before communication and reflection. Our study also revealed that inter-professional collaboration cannot be pursued without cultivating awareness, active reflection and communication between the professionals involved. Keywords: Self ∙ Multi-professional ∙ Inter-professional ∙ Identity ∙ Collaboration ∙ Symbols ∙ Qualitative rapport.

As Canada welcomes immigrants from around the world, planners increasingly strive for policies and initiatives that meet culturally diverse needs. In Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, park planners have directed more attention to wilderness use by ethnic minority groups, particularly the Chinese population. Nowhere in Canada are people of Chinese ancestry more prominent than in Greater Vancouver, where they comprise 47% of the visible minority population and 17% of the total population. However, the rate of Chinese participation in wilderness recreation is less than that of the general population. This exploratory study examines the cultural nuances and institutional barriers that impede Chinese participation in wilderness recreation activities. It is primarily based on 51 in-depth interviews with members of the Chinese community in Greater Vancouver during 2002. Recruitment was by a hybrid convenience-purposive-snowball sampling method, which resulted in a non-random sample. Interview questions addressed views about wilderness, outdoor recreation and wilderness experience, awareness of local recreation opportunities, means to retrieve park information, and preferences for park settings and facilities. The Vancouver Index of Acculturation was used to measure participants' levels of acculturation. Interviews were tape recorded and transcribed, and information from field notes and transcripts were organized into main themes and triangulated with secondary data sources for analysis. Results indicate that Chinese who are more acculturated to Canadian culture ('High Mainstream Chinese') visit a greater number of parks and are willing to travel a further distance to access them. They also tend to visit parks more often, stay longer, and tend to be attracted to more physically demanding or 'hard adventure' activities, whereas less acculturated individuals ('Low Mainstream Chinese') are inclined to more passive outdoor activities. The study points to reasons that explain why Low Mainstream Chinese ? particularly recent immigrants ? are participating less in wilderness recreation. Factors include fear of the wilderness environment, preference for more highly developed parks, a lack of awareness of wilderness opportunities, and inadequate access to park information. Subtle aspects of the Chinese subcultural identity, such as importance of cleanliness, emphasis on academics, priorities on work, and clannishness, also play a role in Chinese under-participation. Thus if park planners want to facilitate Chinese use of designated wilderness areas, they should address issues such as safety, level of park development, availability of information, and awareness of wilderness opportunities in a culturally sensitive way. Doing so would promote more equitable access to a public resource. Increased awareness and appreciation of wilderness by ethnic minority groups may also help garner political support for future conservation initiatives and build a stronger local economy.

It is now widely recognized that society’s over-reliance on the automobile contributes to environmental problems, especially in urban areas. Nevertheless, efforts to bring about modal shifts through transportation demand management strategies typically have had limited success. As a result, transportation research is increasingly focused on understanding the decision-making process of travel behaviour changes including mode choice and automobile ownership. The purpose of this study is to explore how individuals arrive at a decision to live either car-free or car-lite. Using a grounded-theory approach, this thesis explores the factors involved in a car-free/car-lite decision and the manner in which those factors work together to create the decision making process(es). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 driving members of a car-sharing organization, each of whom made a decision to go car-lite (car-sharing is their additional vehicle) or car-free (car-sharing is their primary vehicle). Five main interconnected themes emerged from the analysis: finances, personal values and attitudes, personal history, perceived accessibility and situational life events. In particular, the participants’ experiences reinforce the importance of situation life events in the decision-making process, a factor not commonly identified in behaviour change theory. Additionally, the participants’ narratives illustrate that intention is created from an individual’s inclination and ability to make a travel behaviour change. However, translation from intention into action appears to be conditionally dependent on contextual and/or situational changes, most often in the form of situational life events, that provide a push into or out of the decision-making process. Findings underscore the importance of life events as catalysts for bringing travel behaviour in line with an individual’s sense of what is important and what is possible. This research illustrates the relevance of qualitative work in advancing transportation research – particularly in understanding human travel decisions. While the current transportation-planning paradigm is appropriate for making short-term forecasts, we must recognize that non-linear, non-utilitarian, long-term, often qualitative factors, such as those identified in this research, are not exogenous to travel decision making. Results also provide a basis for reflecting on the appropriateness of various metrics for evaluating the effectiveness of transportation demand management initiatives.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis & Malaria (GF) offers new approaches and challenges in international aid for health. Little research is available exploring the experiences of individuals and communities working within the confines of GF policies in Latin America. The study fills this gap through a qualitative exploration of local experiences with tuberculosis (TB) services and the GF in Nicaragua. <p>This study sought to examine local stakeholders (administrators, health personnel and persons affected by TB) experiences related to GF policies relevant to TB services in Nicaragua. The study drew from a population health perspective and was informed by an ethnomethodological approach. Key themes focused on TB control, health systems and health rights. Data collection involved contextual analysis, participant observation, in-depth interviews and focus groups. The study involved 6 months of fieldwork in Nicaragua from November 2005-April 2006. Fieldwork was conducted with the support, participation and assistance of the Centre for Health Research and Studies, the Damian Foundation and the National Tuberculosis Control Program. <p>Analysis of findings shows various internal and external challenges in communication/procedural and disbursement/execution aspects of the GF grant. In TB control, participants identified private sector participation, case detection & reduced abandonment as improvements resulting from the GF project, though sustainability was a key concern. In health systems, concerns of efficiency and efficacy in the use of funds were commonly expressed. The focus on human resource development via the GF was considered a strength of the project. Community participation and the reduction of stigma, two facets of health rights, were perceived to have improved through the GF grant; however, remain identified as key issues for improving the context of TB in Nicaragua. The experiences of people working to implement or receiving TB services and GF activities in Nicaragua offer valuable insight into the strengths and challenges of this country-driven approach to aid for health. The GF needs to give more attention to such experiences a resource for improving flexibility and assuring sustainability in program strengthening and human resource development.

Existing research suggests that illness can have profound implications for the family. The purpose of this thesis is to explore mothers and daughters experiences of the mothers breast cancer in order to determine how their lives were affected by the illness. In particular, I focus on shifts that occurred in their family roles, responsibilities, and relationships. Twelve qualitative interviews were performed with four mother-daughter dyads. Each mother and daughter participated in an initial interview together, as well as a separate follow-up interview. Interview data was analyzed thematically using a blended feminist-interpretive approach. The major themes emerging from the analysis pertained to: shifts in family roles and responsibilities, coping with breast cancer, and growth in family relationships. These themes identify specific aspects of mothers and daughters lives that were affected by breast cancer. Specifically, the findings contribute to the overarching theme that mothers and daughters experienced biographical disruption as a result of the mothers breast cancer, in that the illness required the women to re-assess their everyday lives and expectations for the future. However, the range of experiences described by the mothers and daughters suggest that the degree to which biographical disruption occurred varied depending on the extent to which their lives were altered by breast cancer. Therefore, I conclude that mothers and daughters experienced varying degrees of biographical disruption as a result of the mothers breast cancer. This conclusion indicates that the breast cancer diagnosis has an array of significant implications for mothers and daughters, some of which continue well beyond the completion of acute care. Recognizing that mothers and daughters family roles, responsibilities, and relationships were affected to some extent by the breast cancer experience will help to improve the types of support offered to women in the future.

Childhood exposure to family violence is a risk factor for dysfunctional intimate relationships in adulthood (e.g., Fagan & Browne, 1994). Family violence research has commonly utilized Social Learning Theory to explain cross-generational patterns of family violence. However, not all individuals who experience a violent home environment become abusers or victims in their parental or marital roles (e.g., Duffy & Momirov, 1997), which illustrates resiliency - positive adaptation or development in spite of serious threats or significant adversity (Masten, 2001). Considering strengths and resources, rather than risks and vulnerabilities, is relatively new in the field of family violence. Consequently, a basic interpretive qualitative research design (Merriam, 2002) was utilized to investigate the experiences of three heterosexual women who self-identified as (a) having observed a pattern of interparental violence in childhood and (b) currently being in non-violent intimate adult relationships. The studys purpose was to describe and understand this phenomenon, with special attention given to identifying possible resiliency and protective factors. Interviews were conducted on multiple occasions and transcripts were analyzed in terms of Kearneys (2001) shared meaning and descriptive categories. The shared meaning involved the role of emotional work required, and the descriptive categories included five themes (i.e., Diverse Experiences of Family Violence, Family Violence is Always with You, Complex Daughter-Mother Relationships, Understanding and Making Sense of Healthy Relationships, and Sources of Strength and Positive Influences). Findings are described alongside implications for counselling practice and future research.

A narrative analysis was used to explore the question, What does it mean to be an Aboriginal man with quadriplegia? Six in-depth semi-structured interviews and follow-up reviews were conducted with Dennis Sapp, a 52-year old Plains Cree man with quadriplegia who requested that his full name be used in the thesis document. <p>The results of the study appear in the form of a life story written in the first person derived through a process of narrative analysis of the interview transcripts. The narrative details Dennis early beginnings on the Little Pine Reserve near North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada and his memories of his maternal grandfather, Cree elder and WWII Veteran, Tom Sapp, who raised Dennis in the traditional way until he was forced to go to the St. Anthonys Residential School at Onion Lake at six years of age. The narrative includes an account of Dennis life before being taken to residential school, his experiences at residential school, and his life after leaving the school. In the narrative Dennis recounts the experience of losing his traditional culture and spirituality at residential school and the difficulties he encountered in his life as a result of the trauma of the residential school experience. He gives an account of sustaining a spinal cord injury and his experience post-injury and in rehabilitation. After reconnecting with his grandfather and returning to school to complete his education, Dennis rediscovered his traditional culture and spirituality and gained a renewed sense of meaning and purpose as a counsellor, disabilities advocate, and storyteller. Through regaining his culture and spirituality and sharing his story Dennis found balance and healing.

Over the last two decades the incidence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents has reached epidemic proportions in both developed and developing nations. Reducing the incidence of childhood overweight and obesity is of particular importance in countries undergoing social and cultural transitions, such as Trinidad and Tobago, where chronic diseases, such as childhood obesity may have severe social and economic impacts on public health. Although there are a number of studies that have investigated the health and lifestyle behaviours of school aged children, very little information exists about health and lifestyle behaviours of school age children in Trinidad and Tobago. Also, little information exists on the development of questionnaires to address health related issues within this culture and age group. The purpose of this study was to describe the development and pre-test of a knowledge, attitude, belief and practice (KABP) questionnaire to assess healthy lifestyle outcomes of school aged children in Trinidad and Tobago. Three data sources were used for the design and pre-testing of the questionnaire: content analysis of the literature, interview of key stakeholders, and onsite observations. An in-depth review of the literature was conducted for insights about questionnaire development. Interviews (individual and focus groups) were conducted of key stakeholder groups (school staff, the national school feeding program and curriculum officers) and children to determine current policies and practices, beliefs, barriers, and attitudes towards promoting health lifestyles (nutrition and fitness) in Trinidad and Tobagos elementary schools. Site observations provided insight into the school food environment, class room practices, and food services offered at school. Observations were recorded using field notes and interviews were tape recorded and transcribed verbatim. Interview data from each participant was analyzed separately for dominant themes and recurring topics. The interviews were then compiled to establish the main issues which the questionnaire needed to address. The KABP questionnaire addressed general knowledge about healthy eating and activity, screen time, physical activity, snack and food choices, and self efficacy. The KABP questionnaire consisted of question items that were developed to fit the issues unique to Trinidad and Tobago, and items from previously validated questionnaires which were modified to fit the context of Trinidad and Tobago. The questionnaire was then pre-tested with a sample group of the target population. Pre-testing was done one-on one, in small groups and in the classroom setting. Based on pre-test results the questionnaire was then modified to form version 1.0 of the KABP questionnaire. Version 1.0 of the KABP questionnaire consisted of 30 questions divided into four categories. This culturally sensitive age appropriate questionnaire was the foundation of the KABP questionnaire which was used to collect baseline, midpoint and endpoint of the larger project.