The national 'Investors in People' (IiP) standard seeks to set a level of what it regards as good practice for aligning staff development and management with an organization's goals. This dissertation questions why some English universities adopt 'Investors'. Whilst many other education institutions have adopted the Standard since its launch in 1991, universities' adoption of 'Investors' has been patchy. Throughout the 1990s, the UK public sector has been urged by successive governments towards what is perceived as a new managerialism. As public service organizations, universities (which I have conceptualized in the dissertation as "ivory cages") have been subject to radical reforms that have in turn created new internal rationalities of purpose, work and performance in higher education institutions (HEIs) as they seek to manage externally-imposed changes. Sectoral reports have encouraged HEIs to adopt 'Investors in People' as part of wider change strategies, yet whole institution accreditation in England is largely limited to post-1992 universities, with departmental accreditations greater amongst service or para-professional departments. Three key questions underpin this dissertation: Why is 'Investors in People' adopted? How is the decision implemented? And to what extent (and under what conditions) is IiP institutionalized or embedded? These are considered primarily from a Sociological Institutionalist perspective, through Tolbert and Zucker's (1983) framework of the component processes of institutionalization. My own metaphors of ivory cage and theatre stage are used as structural and illustrative tools. PART I of this dissertation presents the rationales and contexts for the conceptual framework and methodology used. PART II focuses on the stages of institutionalization and on accounts of 'Investors in People' implementation from within the ivory cages. The final chapter returns to the research questions and argues that internal and external environments and the power, roles and perceptions of social actors are important factors in understanding change in higher education and, specifically, in decisions to adopt 'Investors in People'.

Despite extensive research spanning almost a century, no theory has yet been developed to adequately explain and predict voluntary turnover. This study replicated a relatively new approach to turnover theory, namely the unfolding model. Responses from 123 South African engineers, who had voluntarily left an organisation, to an electronic survey were used to test the validity of the model and its component parts, or decision paths. The data was also applied to the impact of sudden events, as well as relationships between the work-relatedness and negativity of these events, and the work-relatedness of the event and the resultant decision to quit. The model proved unsuccessful in describing the voluntary turnover of the respondents, and only one of the five component paths was successful in describing a proportional group of the respondents. Sudden events, when present, were found to play a significant role in the decision to quit, but no relationship was found between either of the workrelatedness and negativity of these events, or the work-relatedness of the events and the avoidability of the resultant decision to quit. Improvements to the model were suggested, and some suggestions were made as to possible actions companies might take to mitigate voluntary turnover and its effects. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

This study was conducted at a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide responsive, caring, and effective services to children with autism. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of D.A.N.C.E. training on teaching interactions, harmonious engagement, instructional engagement, and progress on child goals for two early and intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) staff and the children in their care. A multiple baseline design was employed to evaluate the effectiveness of the training. Results indicated that staff increased teaching interactions and maintained instructional engagement; that children increased target goal responses; and that harmonious engagement between the two increased for both dyads. These results are discussed in the context of measurement, training, and social validity.

This paper will demonstrate the relevance of employee demographics as extended factors in the voluntary turnover process as these models currently do not sufficiently explain the factors impacting the turnover decision. Over 1000 managers and knowledge workers were surveyed by making use of a cross-sectional questionnaire to identify potential similarities in demographics when deciding on leaving the organization. Findings indicated that various demographic factors (age, race and gender) influence whether pull- or push factors are cited in the turnover process. In addition, it was also found that the level of education has a stronger relationship to employee mobility than race, which contradicts current sentiment of the labour market. Furthermore, it is concluded that demographic factors of employees should be considered in the extension of contemporary turnover models. The findings have implications for human resource management practices in organisations which are more dependent on knowledge workers. In addition the findings have implications on current prevailing theory on voluntary turnover research. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Distance education delivered via broadband networks and sophisticated electronic technologies is one innovation often recommended for helping rural schools and their communities provide students with curricula and educational opportunities necessary for success in a global economy. This case study explored how eight rural Virginia school systems with little prior experience involving these technologies implemented a regional telecommunications network (SVCC-TN, part of Net.Work.Virginia). Over a one year period, 54 administrators, teachers, and students (representing nine schools) joined together in multi-role telecommunications teams to learn how the technology functioned and could enhance teaching and learning opportunities, and then facilitated implementation at their local sites. The following questions were addressed: (a) How was the process of implementing distance education initially characterized? (b) What barriers did schools face? (c) How did school teams function? (d) How did this process affect perceived attitudes, concerns, and self-efficacy of participants? and (e) In what ways did individuals and schools redefine, reorganize or reinvent the initial process in order to optimize implementation? Qualitative research methods, supported by qualitative and quantitative data collection instruments, were utilized. Teachers and administrators on school telecommunications teams completed questionnaires at the start and close of the study that addressed attitude, concerns (measured via Concerns-Based Adoption Model [CBAM] instrument) and self-efficacy. Additional data was obtained from analysis of open-ended surveys; focus group transcripts; documents; interviews; and researcher notes, comments, and observations of workshops and meetings attended by school teams and superintendents. The outcomes of this study identified that both technical and top-level institutional leadership are needed to support full-scale implementation of distance education within a regional consortium and that a multi-role collaborative approach to staff development utilizing hands-on strategies is an effective strategy for enhancing participants' self-efficacy towards technology. Findings identified (1) barriers and drivers of distance education; (2) initial programming strategies; and (3) needs to cultivate a wider audience of users, increase communications, and establish new organizational structures for promoting cross-district utilization of distance education. Recommendations are presented for enhancing distance education in rural schools. / Ed. D.

Background: Psychiatric inpatient staff members work with arguably the most challenging service users. However, reference to these challenges often does not go beyond ‘challenging behaviour’, offering no insight into the actual presentation, thus preventing formulation of the perceived challenges, or subsequent interventions. Moreover, studies have shown that staff responses to challenging presentations can impact on both the staff member and the service user. In particular, staff causal attributions have been shown to impact on their therapeutic response (Apel & Bar-Tal, 1996), as well as being associated with staff emotions (Colson et al., 1987). In turn, the emotional response has been found to be associated with coping, both of which have also been found to effect staff behavioural response, as well as staff members’ psychological well-being (Wykes & Whittington, 1998). However, there have been limited studies assessing these relationships with psychiatric inpatient staff. This may be due to the lack of assessment tools developed for this staff group to measure these particular domains. A specifically designed tool would enable consistent assessment to take place to build on our theoretical knowledge of psychiatric inpatient staff members’ perceived challenges, and their responses to them, as well as highlight specific areas within these domains where further staff training and support is required. Aims: The first aim of the study was to explore psychiatric staff’s views on the challenges they faced when working with service users in inpatient settings, their emotional responses, attributions, and coping strategies about those challenges and then to develop a measure which would accurately capture these (the SEACCS). The second aim was to assess the reliability of the new scale as well as explore relationships within the SEACCS. Finally, the third aim was to assess content and face validity, as well as conduct preliminary psychometric investigations of the construct validity of the newly developed measure. Method: The study was conducted using various methods across three phases. In order to generate items for the SEACCS, a systematic review of the relevant literature and semi-structured interviews took place during the first phase. Secondly, the results of Phase I were combined in order to develop and construct the SEACCS. The third phase involved a postal survey of the SEACCS (including re-test), followed by psychometric investigations to scrutinise the items, explore the reliability, and construct validity of the SEACCS.Results: Twenty three studies were included in the systematic review. The results highlighted inconsistent measurement and findings of the domains concerned. Seven multi-disciplinary staff interviews took place. Thematic analysis was used to conduct four separate analyses focusing on each of the research questions. Several themes and sub-themes were found. Themes such as: ‘Engagement’, ‘Attributions of controllability’, and ‘Behavioural responses’. Findings from the review, thematic analyses, and consultation groups (content and face validity) were combined in order to develop the 64 item SEACCS. A total of 76 multi-disciplinary psychiatric inpatient staff members completed the SEACCS, 15 of which completed re-tests. No items were removed following item scrutiny assessments. Preliminary psychometric investigations indicated good reliability, significant relationships across domains within the SEACCS, and partial construct validity with the GHQ-28.Conclusion: The results of the current study provide the first step in the development and construction of a clinically relevant tool that can be used to assess these domains. The methodological limitations and clinical implications are considered, and future directions for research in this area are suggested.

Student Number : 0010372Y - MEd research report - School of Education - Faculty of Humanities / This study aims to investigate the experiences, problems and challenges faced by Foreign Faculty at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), with a special focus on how both the institution and the Foreign Faculty address them. The broader focus of the study is to examine and explore how universities address the challenge of internationalisation at the faculty level. An increase of faculty from Africa at an institutional level highlights the changing features of North to South and South to South faculty mobility, within an increasingly international and globalised world. While Foreign Faculty are accepted into internationally acclaimed universities (such as Wits), the study reveals the limited nature of the knowledge base documenting the experiences of Foreign Faculty in South African Universities. The research indicates that in spite of high level qualifications and research experience many Foreign Faculty are required to accept middle-level lecturer and senior lecturer positions. Findings also indicate that Foreign Faculty often experience a variety of challenges as a result of moving from one country / system to another. This study represents a contribution towards the debate on the employment of Foreign Faculty.

Research into the quality of life of nurses working at night has received scant attention to date. Apart from studies relating to changes in circadian rhythms of night nurses, very few other aspects of the complex adaptive process have been given serious consideration. Yet, knowledge of that adaptive process is a prerequisite for the selection of staff, and for the design of an appropriate educational programme and staff development strategy. This study looks first at methods of describing the quality of life in general, in order to aim at criteria for evaluation which do not impose the conventional position that day work is proper work. In the light of these criteria, preconceptions and limitations which surround shift work in general are identified and discussed. Night nurses as a group are then subjected to a more intensive examination, including a theoretical review; a survey of a population of one-hundred and sixty-one night nurses and selected interviews; and an account of a pilot study of a potential curriculum. Results of the survey indicate that nurses who show a preference for night work and who selfselect these hours on a permanent basis are more likely to derive challenge from and express greater satisfaction with their work, than those on alternative day and night shifts. Further, there is a stable population of workers who choose night work above all other options as a source of personal satisfaction, freedom and challenge. In the light of these findings, recommendations are made as to the selection, education and development of hospital night staff.

Thesis (M.H.A)--University of Michigan, 1961.