Matric water was measured as the water retained by plant material on a pressure membrane or ultra filter after equilibration under 20 bars nitrogen gas pressure and the removal of free water. At increasing pressures lesser amounts of water are held by matric or colloidal surface forces. Twenty bars pressure, supplied by cylinder nitrogen for 48 hours, was used in this study. Matric water was expressed as a percent of either (a) the dry weight or (b) the original water content. Plant material was oven dried, ground, and then saturated with water prior to the determination. The matric water values of different aged leaves from a number of local species were studied. The highest values of matric water were found in the younger leaves. Both matric water and original moisture content were higher for spring than for fall or midwinter values. The linear relationship between matric water and original moisture content was established for all trees studied. Another linear relation was found between either the matric water or the water content of the tree leaves and the inverse of their age in months. Petioles had a higher matric water value as well as a water content than leaf blades in all the species studied. Roots and old stems had the lowest values of matric water. The matric water values increased during the cold hardening of Cabbage leaves. No appreciable differences in the matric water values for Sunflower leaves grown under different temperatures were found. The crude protein and cell wall materials were isolated and their matric water values studied. Crude proteins had a higher value of matric water than cell wall materials alone. The matric water values of several biocolloidal materials were determined also. Agar had the highest value of matric water, fibrous cellulose the lowest, and the proteins had intermediate values.

A safe environment, conducive to productive and transparent conversations, makes possible the improvement of literacy practices and strengthens teacher/administrator relationships for more honest and vulnerable conversations. In this autoethnographic intrinsic case study I conducted a self-study of my use of language and communication with four literacy teachers during debrief, after classroom walkthroughs, when coaching each on literacy practice. Furthermore, the component under investigation was the debrief meeting where dialogue is the key ingredient for discussing teacher classroom practice. The study was approached through identifying characteristics from my personal and professional background, to my interactions with the four literacy teachers and the insights and perceptions of my role and style as their administrator. Findings revealed, teachers in this study desired positive recognition and praise as a result of my informal classroom walkthroughs. I was able to influence the teachers' beliefs through debriefing and nurture those beliefs about themselves to enhance their attempts to teach their students more effectively. Student engagement increased as the teachers began to unpack the why, what and the how of their teaching during debrief meetings. School wide improvement efforts were also supported as teachers were able to look past themselves when they reflected on connections made to the next grade level or the previous grade level to help understand literacy curricular decisions and goal setting. The findings were discussed as they apply to the debrief experiences realized by both administrator and teacher.

The perspective that asymmetrical power relationship on vertical channel would lead to dominating partner exploitation with the use of coercive power is examined within the context of horizontal channel exchange relationship between department stores and tenant retailers. A power structure-action-outcome framework is offered to study casual links between dependence (structural aspects of power), use of coercive and noncoercive power (action), and three aspects of outcome - economic and social satisfaction, commitment and strategic performance. Data was collected through personal interview with 302 small, medium size retail tenants of department stores in PR China. Analysis of findings provided support to the model and the hypotheses. Results confirmed that dependence and use of power were only weakly related. The findings demonstrate the contextual influence of Chinese collectivistic culture on coercive power which involves the use of punishment or penalty. To further explore the relationship between dependence and power, investigation was carried out to examine if dependence moderates the effect of coercive power on economic satisfaction, with a positive result. On the other hand, use of non-coercive power showed positive results for economic and social satisfaction, which are positively related to commitment and strategic performance. It can be concluded that use of non-coercive power is strongly recommended for store-tenant relationship in the retail sector of China. Once again, the importance of channel context must not be ignored in the study of distribution channel issues. / This research project contributes to the channel literature by adding to the contemporary state of knowledge on the use of power in horizontal channel relationships with power asymmetry, and constructs were brought together that have not been empirically investigated within a single study. It is unique in that the model was tested in non-American setting, namely PR China.

The following dissertation uses an exploratory and confirmatory approach to explain relationship value within the grape and wine industry in Australia. Specifically, the research develops and empirically captures and compares buyers’ and sellers’ perceptions pertaining to relationship value. A three phase model was developed from a comprehensive literature review and further enriched through a qualitative field study involving sixteen in-depth interviews with wineries and their grape suppliers in Western Australia. The hypothesised structural equation models were tested using data gathered from a comprehensive survey of 175 wineries and 400 wine grape suppliers located in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia. Research findings highlight the similarities and differences in relationship value antecedents and outcomes for wineries and grape suppliers. In Phase One, it was evident from the working relationships studied that partner attributes included in the model – conflict resolution, communication, performance satisfaction, trust and cooperation - all made an important contribution towards the realisation of relationship value for both parties. A restrained use of power was found to be critical to avoid a reduction in the ability to resolve conflict, the level of performance satisfaction and trust in the relationship. / In Phase Two, profitability benefits were shown to be the strongest predictors of relationship value, whilst the realisation of market and scout benefits strongly assisted firms to innovate. Perceptions of relationship costs were comparatively low for both customers and suppliers. The results of the Phase Three model provide rare empirical evidence which showed that while both parties share these same key relational antecedents and value outcomes (profitability benefits, innovation and market/scout benefits and relationship costs), the means by which relationship value is conferred was significantly different. For customers, satisfaction with a supplier’s performance enhanced perceptions of the value of that relationship due to the potential to increase profitability. Also, customer perceptions of relationship value increased through trust and cooperation. In contrast, suppliers in a trusting and cooperative relationship with a customer have the opportunity to increase the value of their relationships to the extent that they are willing to innovate to build strategic position, reduce costs and improve quality to increase profitability. Cluster analysis revealed there were those firms with a high relational orientation and others with a low relational orientation within both winery and grape supplier groups. Specifically, those wineries and grape suppliers with higher levels of conflict resolution, communication, performance satisfaction, trust and cooperation had corresponding higher levels of relationship value.

The relationship between teacher and student has always been a central interest of the educational process. While the nature of this relationship can be understood from various theoretical frameworks, research that seeks to understand the “lived experience” of this relationship is less prevalent. This research explores the phenomenological nature of the teacher-student relationship in the context of teacher education. Stories of the lived experience of this relationship were hermeneutically interpreted against the philosophical writings of Heidegger, Gadamer, and Buber. The research answers the question: what is the meaning of the teacher-student relationship? Relationships are essential to the educational experience whether this is recognised or not, and whether we are consciously aware of this or not. Once established, relationships continue to exist beyond the time and space of the individuals influencing future relational experiences. In addition, a teacher’s comportment has been found to have a communicative aspect that is felt and sensed by others. A further essential understanding opens the play of relating. That is, the teacher and student experience their relationship as a play that is unscripted, uncertain, and lived beyond the rules of engagement. In this play, teachers who are attuned to relationship show a phronesis, or practical wisdom, as they relate moment by moment. The outcomes of this research call into question technicist and instrumental models of teacher education which are presently underpinned by the dominant neoliberal ideology. Consistent with critical and humanistic approaches to education, this research calls for the humanising of the educational experience through the educating and re-educating of teacher educators and teachers towards essential understandings of relationship.

UUProblem Members of the Singapore Heavy Equipment Spare Parts Industry face a multitude of challenges in developing their pricing strategy and practice, and in establishing, developing, and maintaining successful relational exchanges. They are unable to obtain any guidance from the pricing or relationship marketing literature. These works are either too complex or too general to be of any use to industry members. Consequently, much of industry strategy and practice occurs without the benefit of theory. UUThe Method An extensive review of existing literature was conducted in the major subject areas of pricing and relationship marketing. Literature on other subjects of channels, marketing mix, strategy, value, commitment, trust, cooperation, and satisfaction were also reviewed. A survey instrument was developed and field research was administered to 35 channel members of the industry. The results were analysed using SPSS 11. The results were used to construct a model of the role of pricing in relationship marketing. The model was constructed using Factor Analysis, Correlation Analysis and Regression Analysis. UUThe Findings The findings are all based on the perception of the channel members. Nine factors were extracted. These non-trivial factors to the Singapore Heavy Equipment Spare Parts Industry are: - Downstream supply considerations; - Product/Stock allocations; - Price gap resolution; - Perception of value/profitability; - Business volume; - Intermediate business relationships; - Leads and referrals; - Favourable pricing; and - Long-run relationships. At 5% significance (2-tailed), 4 construct paths were supported. These are: - Support gap correlates with actual price; - Support gap correlates with value; - Support gap correlates with price gap; and - Price gap correlates with value. At 5% significance (2-tailed), 8 hypotheses were supported. These are: - Price gap resolution correlates with commitment; - Price gap resolution correlates with cooperation; - Price gap resolution correlates with satisfaction; - Importance of constructive acts correlates with improved business volume; - Expression of intention to increase business correlates with increased business; - Importance of value correlates with increased business; - Value (through profitability) correlates with increased business; and - Importance of value correlates with improvements in: - Trust; - Commitment; - Cooperation; - Satisfaction; and - Increased business. UUConclusion Pricing has a profound and multi-faceted role in relationship marketing. It is a powerful tool. It has a role as a market tool with new relationships, as a development tool in the growth phase of relationships, and as a control tool in the mature phase of bilateral relationships between first and second echelon distributors. The study recommended that channel members utilise this tool concept and the management of value, price, and support gap in relational exchanges. / thesis (PhDBusinessandManagement)--University of South Australia, 2003.

Information Technology (IT) outsourcing is a serious option available to modern managers. An emerging trend is the focus on relationship management in IT outsourcing, imploring organisations to look past tactical objectives and concentrate on strategic outcomes. In a global economy business sponsors are connecting with overseas vendors in IT outsourcing in an attempt to accelerate realisation of benefits. This complicates outsourcing arrangements, because cross-cultural differences may add to the complexity of fostering relationships. This study examines how to manage IT outsourcing relationships in a cross-cultural context to enhance IT outsourcing success. Due to the exploratory nature of this study, interpretivist case studies were adopted. The researcher investigated three IT outsourcing cases within one Chinese organisation. One case has a vendor with a western cultural background and the other two with a Chinese cultural background. The main data were collected through interviews with key managers in the case organisation, complemented by secondary data (such as published reports, internal documents). Some additional data concerning the cross-cultural differences were also collected from the two Chinese vendors and another western vendor who provided corporate strategy consulting services to the case organisation. Analysis of data showed that a good contract implementation, the established trust and the acknowledgement of vendor's high value were recognised as the three distinguishing characteristics of a satisfactory IT outsourcing relationship. In managing relationships the outsourcing company emphasised not only contract implementation but even more importantly communication with vendors, recognition of mutual interests, establishment of social/personal bonds, and appropriate allocation of project resources. It was shown that the relationship management practices influenced the dynamics of a relationship as well as the outcome of an IT outsourcing project. Furthermore, the relationship management in IT outsourcing was found to be culture-sensitive. By demonstrating that companies with different cultural background held different perceptions of relationship management practices and had different understandings of the nature and dynamics of the relationships, this study contributes to the understanding of relationship management in IT outsourcing, especially when cultural differences among the parties are involved. These findings also have practical implications for IT outsourcing involving global and partner-based alliances.

Doctor of Philosophy / Buyer-supplier relationships have been increasingly considered a critical part of contemporary supply chain management. In response to dynamic and unpredictable market changes, buyers and suppliers enter into cooperative relationships to pursue individual goals and joint goals for better economic and non-economic performance of the supply chain. On the other hand, cooperation between channel members is surrounded by uncertainty, which can create a detrimental impact on the performance of a supply chain. Previous research has focused on various aspects of uncertainty that could affect supply chain member behaviour. The present research contends that relationship behavioural factors play an important role in increasing or mitigating channel members’ perceived uncertainty in their supply or purchase decision-making. Specifically, the purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of retailer-supplier cooperation and retailer/supplier’s decision-making uncertainty (DMU) on retail supply chain performance from the perspectives of both the retailer and the supplier. A holistic model was developed as the theoretical framework for this conceptualisation. A sample of 202 retailers and 64 suppliers in the sporting goods retail business in Taiwan was used to separately test a number of hypothesised relationships by using structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings indicate that both cooperation and DMU are the key determinants of retail supply chain performance, including financial performance and non-financial performance (i.e., supply flexibility and customer service). Financial performance is positively affected by retailer-supplier cooperation and negatively affected by DMU in both the retailer model and the supplier model. The five dimensions of retailer-supplier cooperation (i.e. trust, guanxi, dependence, coercive power and non-coercive power) have significant effects on cooperation. However, apart from guanxi with the retailer/supplier, neither other relationship dimensions nor retailer-supplier cooperation have any influence on retailer’s DMU or supplier’s DMU. The results also indicate that differences and similarities exist across retailers and suppliers with respect to the effects of several relationship dimensions on cooperation and uncertainty. 2 The holistic empirical model developed for this research contributes further to understanding the links, which have been lacking in the extant channel relationship literature and supply chain management literature, between buyer-supplier relationships, DMU, and supply chain performance. The findings that a retailer/supplier’s DMU can erode the performance of a supply chain in various aspects highlight the need for improvement in some areas of supply chain efficiency and effectiveness, through cooperation-enhancing actions between the retailer and the supplier. From a managerial perspective, the performance improvement in the supply chain, in turn, will motivate more reciprocal commitment and efforts from the retailer and the supplier to maintain their working relationship. As such, mutual trust and enriched guanxi, dependence and non-coercive power help both the retailer and the supplier to have less uncertainty in their purchase/supply decision-making process. It creates a win-win position for both parties in the supply chain.

Consumer trust research has principally developed from established psychological-based research. This conception of consumer trust largely draws from research pertaining to interpersonal trust. This study combined existing theories from both sociological and psychological research in developing a consumer trust model specifically for banks. Partly because of their historical position in society and also because of their government-protected position, banks, bank branches and bank managers have traditionally held a respected, and trusted position in Australian communities. Because of this reputation and position in communities, banks were seen to display institutional attributes. These attributes were defined in this study as local community focus, local availability and visibility, relationship power symmetry and social obligation fulfilment. This study explored the notion of institution-based trust in an Australian retail banking context. Institution-based trust was a measure of the levels of consumer trust in various defined institutional attributes. It was contended that through the diminishment and divestment of its institutional attributes banks were impairing their institutional cachet. The process was termed 'deinstitutionalisation' and was postulated to have a negative impact on consumer trust. The hypothetico-deductive methodological framework was employed throughout the study, with a mail-based consumer survey used as the main means of primary data collection. 468 useable questionnaires from adult bank customers were yielded and the data analysed. These data were analysed and used to test twenty-three research hypotheses of which nineteen were supported. From the results, it was concluded that perceived local community focus, perceived social obligation fulfilment and perceived relationship power symmetry were antecedents to consumer trust in banks. Also, reasonable availability of conventional bank branch services was found to be an important component of perceived community focus of their banks, thus having an indirect relationship to institution-based consumer trust in banks. Community Banks were found to be exhibiting and promoting many of these institutional attributes. Consumers were found to be less likely to need bank branches for transactional or functional purposes, but branches were seen to be symbolically important. Also, consumers were found to be more likely to identify with intangible elements of their bank, principally bank brand, than with tangible attributes such as the bank branch. Importantly, consumers were found to be trusting of their banks, however they were more likely to believe that banks were less trustworthy now than they were in the past.

本文第一章是緒論，敘述研究動機與目的、研究範圍、方法及論文架構。 第二章是回顧冷戰時期的中華民國以及中共在外交戰場上的競逐、對外政 策取向及兩岸關係，雖然當時兩岸是處於不相往來的情況，但是外交上的 競爭也頗為激烈，而且每當中共有外交收穫時便會趁機會向台灣提出和談 條件。第三章主要是敘述兩岸開放後中華民國的外交及大陸政策及其成果 ，以及中共「一國兩制」的對台政策內涵。第四章是藉由中華民國參與聯 合國行動為例，檢視中共的反應以及對兩岸關係的影響。第五章則是以李 登輝總統訪問美國來做例子，比較外交政策中兩種不同的政策產出來檢視 中共的反應，及其對兩岸關係的影響。第六章則是總結本文的論點，歸納 中共對中華民國務實外交的認知，以及提出適當的解決方案平衡中華民國 的外交及大陸政策，最後將預估未來兩岸關係可能的發展。