Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Higher education depends heavily on government funding, yet the tendency in both industrial and developing countries is one towards a decrease in budget allocation for the maintenance or improvement of higher education. At the same time institutions of higher learning are increasingly required to give account of that performance. Higher Education institutions will have to explore avenues of raising revenue other than government funding. Decisions with regard to promotion and salary increases, which form a substantial part of the expenditure on the institutional budget, must therefore be based on justifiable grounds if these institutions are to remain viable. It is for this reason that performance appraisal of academic staff assumes increasing significance. This study addresses the aspect of introducing an individualised performance appraisal system for academic staff. The research is in the format of a literature review of performance appraisal in higher education followed by a questionnaire survey and interviews among academic staff at an institution of higher learning. The questionnaire survey and interviews prove that performance appraisal for academic staff is necessary. According to the interviews there is, however, not substantive support for an individualised performance appraisal system for academic staff. In view of the support for performance appraisal elicited by the questionnaire survey, however, the research recommends that an individualised performance appraisal system be introduced for academic staff on an experimental basis, and that the research goal be subjected to further research in a more extensive manner by taking a bigger sample and employing different research methods. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hedendaagse tendens in hoër onderwys dui op 'n vermindering van finansiële ondersteuning deur die owerheid aan instellings vir hoër onderwys, ten spyte daarvan dat sodanige instellings hoofsaaklik aangewese is op die owerheid vir befondsing vir die handhawing, of selfs verbetering, van hoër onderwys. Terselfdertyd word daar groter verantwoording van instellings vir hoër onderwys vereis. Instellings van hoër onderwys sal ernstige oorweging daaraan moet skenk om ander inkomstebronne as staatsbefondsing te bekom, ten einde die befondsing deur die owerheid aan te vul. Bevordering en salarisverhogings vorm 'n groot deel van die uitgawes op die begroting van die instelling. Besluite in hierdie verband behoort derhalwe geneem te word op gesonde grondslae. Dit is om hierdie rede dat prestasieboordeling van doserende personeel toenemende belangrikheid aanneem. Hierdie navorsmg fokus _ op die instelling van 'n geïndividualiseerde prestasiebeoordelingstelsel vir doserende personeel. Die navorsing is in die formaat van 'n literatuurstudie van prestasiebeoordeling in hoër onderwys, gevolg deur 'n vraelysondersoek en onderhoude met doserende personeel by 'n instelling vir hoër onderwys. Die vraelysondersoek en onderhoude bewys dat prestasiebeoordeling van doserende personeel wel nodig is. Daar is egter, volgens die onderhoude, onvoldoende steun vir 'n geïndividualiseerde stelsel van prestasiebeoordeling vir doserende personeel. In die lig van die ondersteuning vir prestasiebeoordeling soos blyk uit die vraelysondersoek, beveel die navorsing aan die instelling van 'n geïndividualiseerde prestasiebeoordelingstelsel vir doserende personeel op 'n proefbasis, en dat meer intensiewe navorsing ten opsigte van die navorsingsdoelwit gedoen word deur 'n groter steekproef te neem en verskillende navorsingsmetodes te gebruik.

published_or_final_version / Business / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / abstract / Business / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

In the summer of 2008, two hurricanes made landfall along the Texas coast causing billions of dollars in damage. Texas received presidential disaster declarations, which resulted in the state receiving over $350 million in hazard mitigation funds. Over 500 requests for mitigation projects were submitted to the government from communities impacted. Not all requested projects could be funded. As a result, those communities that submitted requests for well-defined mitigation projects were the primary beneficiaries of the federal mitigation funds. To better understand the factors that characterize a “welldefined” mitigation project, this study developed an index to rate the completeness and quality of mitigation project definitions. The study incorporated concepts from research on quality community planning and from project definition rating methods. The rating tool consists of detailed descriptions of the project scope elements along with a scoring method for the completeness and quality of the project’s definition. The rating tool and the detailed descriptions help to develop a “well-defined” mitigation project definition as well as to evaluate it. / text

In recent years, issues about credit risk attract more and more attentions. This thesis provides some empirical evidence for the behavior of credit spreads in Taiwan based on a Markov model proposed by Jarrow, Lando, and Turnbull (1997). Although the estimated risk premium adjustments increases as the credit rating level goes downward, it does not exist robust relations between credit yield spreads and credit ratings. Apparently, the model does not fit the real condition well because of some structural factors and limitations. I try to suggest some possible explanations for this phenomenon. Despites some poor performances of this model, these results still offer some directions to reconsider the valuation of straight corporate bonds in Taiwan.

The purpose of this study was to describe the intentions of the designers of the Professional Development and Appraisal System (PDAS) in Texas and the perceptions of teachers regarding its implementation. Information for the study was gathered in two phases using two methodologies. The first was a semi-structured interview with four expert informants instrumental in the design and implementation of the PDAS at the state level. The second component of the study was conducted with teachers using a 37-item Likert survey. The population for this phase of the study was 150 elementary and 150 secondary teachers chosen randomly from three school districts in North Central Texas. The districts were selected to represent a variety of sizes in regard to student population and represent diverse student population characteristics and socioeconomic levels. Data from the semi-structured interviews and the returned surveys were analyzed to determine the designers' intentions and areas of emphasis and to describe the alignment the teachers' perceptions and the designers' intentions. Quantitative data gathered from the surveys were analyzed using descriptive statistics as well as a correlation and function analysis and analysis based on a Cronbach alpha coefficient. The analysis of data revealed the following: 1. Teachers perceived that the implementation of the PDAS has a high level of effect in the areas of learner-centered instruction; classroom management; support for all students; the professional growth of teachers; communication; learning application; and, TAAS improvement. 2. Teachers' perceptions were not affected by years of experience. 3. Teachers' perceptions were not affected by their field of instruction. One implication of this study is that the final design represents the intentions of designers, although the area of student achievement is not weighted as heavily in teachers' evaluations as was originally intended. Furthermore, education leaders in Texas may conclude that teachers perceive a high level of impact upon their classroom practices as a result of implementation of the PDAS instrument. If future research reveals that the perceived impact is accurate and that classroom practices of teachers did change as a result of the instrument's implementation to the degree perceived, then this is a model for policy implementation at the state level that is extremely effective. Furthermore, additional researchers may investigate the link between classroom practices and student achievement. This research study is a first step toward describing effective, replicable practices.

How to identify effective teachers who improve student achievement despite diverse student populations and school contexts is an ongoing discussion in public education. The need to show communities and parents how well teachers and schools improve student learning has led districts and states to seek a fair, equitable and valid measure of student growth using student achievement. This study investigated a two stage hierarchical model for estimating teacher effect on student achievement. This measure was entitled a Classroom Effectiveness Index (CEI). Consistency of this model over time, outlier influences in individual CEIs, variance among CEIs across four years, and correlations of second stage student residuals with first stage student residuals were analyzed. The statistical analysis used four years of student residual data from a state-mandated mathematics assessment (n=7086) and a state-mandated reading assessment (n=7572) aggregated by teacher. The study identified the following results. Four years of district grand slopes and grand intercepts were analyzed to show consistent results over time. Repeated measures analyses of grand slopes and intercepts in mathematics were statistically significant at the .01 level. Repeated measures analyses of grand slopes and intercepts in reading were not statistically significant. The analyses indicated consistent results over time for reading but not for mathematics. Data were analyzed to assess outlier effects. Nineteen statistically significant outliers in 15,378 student residuals were identified. However, the impact on individual teachers was extreme in eight of the 19 cases. Further study is indicated. Subsets of teachers in the same assignment at the same school for four consecutive years and for three consecutive years indicated CEIs were stable over time. There were no statistically significant differences in either mathematics or reading. Correlations between Level One student residuals and HLM residuals were statistically significant in reading and in mathematics. This implied that the second stage of the model was consistent for all students. Much is still unknown concerning teacher effect on student achievement, especially when confined to teacher activity within one school year. However, results indicate the utility of using statistical modeling of student achievement within the context of teacher accountability.

The system known as 360-degree feedback, also called multi-source or multi-rater feedback, is a development program that provides a recipient with feedback from supervisors, peers, and subordinates. There is currently no institutionalized, Navywide 360-degree feedback program for leadership development. Due to widespread civilian acceptance and to the success of the 360-degree program for the Navy's flag officers, the 2004 Surface Warfare Commanders Conference recommended a pilot program for 360-degree feedback be tested on a portion of the Surface Warfare Officer community. Results of the pilot program will be used to inform decisions on implementation of a Navy-wide 360-degree feedback program. The objectives of this thesis were to review the research evidence in the literature on the effectiveness and best practices of 360-degree programs and to identify general program evaluation techniques. The thesis then presents a conceptual analysis of the Navy pilot program and makes recommendations for modifications to the program based on comparisons with empirical research evidence and identified best practices of 360-degree programs. The thesis concludes by developing some guidelines and recommendations for a program evaluation plan that can be used to assess or revise the pilot program during and after its implementation.