本碩士論文裡的研究主要設計用來檢測目前現有的國際化理論，以依據公司1970至1999年的母公司年報來研究一間多國企業的藥廠 — 必治妥施貴寶其部分具有知名度的代表性產品之國際化路徑如此的研究方法。本論文的最終目標就是透過這樣的實務研究來回答以下問題來挖堀出現有國際化理論的一些缺口及提供寶貴的意見來修正這些缺口，研究問題如下： i. 一間多國企業藥廠通常採用何種進入策略，而這些策略是否會隨著時間而改變？是否有任何經驗傳承的證據？ ii. 多國企業所選擇進入的外國市場是否會隨著時間的改變而改變？如果有，是否一間多國企業會先選擇進入與其母國文化較相近或地理位置較相近的國家？ iii. 哪一個國際化理論比較適合用來描述必治妥施貴寶其國際化路徑？ 本研究的結果有以下四項重要的發現： 1. 在某些國家的進入策略的改變是循序漸進的，但是在某些國家則是有同時間採用兩種以上不同的進入策略。 2. 循序漸進進入策略的改變在九十年代必不明顯。 3. 必治妥施貴寶所選擇進入的外國市場會隨著時間的改變而改變，而且其新產品會選擇與其母國美國文化距離較近的國家先進入，然後再慢慢的選擇進入離美國文化距離較遠的國家。但是這樣的證據並不是相當明顯。其他的因素也會影響一家多國企業在國外市場選擇的決定。 4. 部分結果顯示出一些經驗傳承的現象，在九十年代必治妥施貴寶所開發出的產品相對於八十年代所開發出的產品在全球上市所花的時間明顯較短。 結論就是本研究結果有部分與循序漸進理論為主的國際化理論 – ‘The Stages Internationalization Theory’一致，此理論主張國際化是一種循序漸進對於國際市場知識的累積及資源的投入。部分結果則顯示出此理論尚有其不足之處。此理論是在七十年代被Johanson及Vahlne兩位學者所提出，當時的國際企業環境與現在比起有相當大的差異，因此此理論在某種程度上太過簡化，而且並不適用於所有的產業。有許多會影響某企業其國際化路徑的因素應該一併納入，尤其在面對像製藥產業如此特別的產業，因素例如不同國家的製藥產業法規、產品特性、專利保護、在不同時間點的國際企業環境都會影響企業的國際化路徑的發展。因此後續與本碩士論文類似的實務研究需要更充分的資料來檢測現有國際化理論的主張。 / This Master thesis is designed to test the currently existing internationalization theory by studying the internationalization processes of some of the representative products of a foreign multinational pharmaceutical firm – The Bristol-Myers Squibb using the data contained in the annual reports of the period from 1970’s to 1990’s. By answering the following questions, the ultimate goal is to provide useful suggestions that will help to make corrections to any possible flaws in the Internationalization theory as they are uncovered during the course of this study by answering the following questions: i. What entry modes to foreign markets does a multinational pharmaceutical firm adopt and do entry modes change over time? Is there any sign of experience transfer? ii. Do foreign markets served by a multinational pharmaceutical firm also change over time? iii. Which theory depicting the internationalization process of firms is more applicable to Bristol-Myers Squibb? The results of the analysis of the data show four important findings: 1. Progressive changes in entry modes took place in certain countries and the employment of multiple entry modes was also observed. 2. The progressive changes in entry mode were barely observed during the 1990’s. 3. The choices of foreign markets did change over time and the marketing activities of new products tended to commence in countries that are the most culturally proximal from the U.S., and then gradually shifted to countries that are more culturally distant from the U.S. However, other factors might also influence a firm’s choice in the foreign markets apart from culture. 4. There seemed to be a sign of experience transfer since the some of the results showed that the time it took to introduce a product developed in the 1980’s in foreign markets was relatively shorter than the time it took to launch a product of the 1990’s. In conclusion, the results of study were partly consistent with ‘The Stages Internationalization Theory’ which argued that the internationalization was a process of knowledge accumulation of foreign markets and resource commitment gradually. However, there might be some flaws in the theory which needed to be refined. The theory was developed in the 70’s and it might not be perfectly applicable to describe the internationalization processes of the firms in every industry. It should also take other factors apart from culture into considerations such as the nature of products, regulations and policies of different countries, competitive scope of the industry or the international business environment at different time points, especially when dealing with some special industries such as that of the pharmaceuticals in which regulations of different countries, patent protection and the nature of the products might influence the pattern of internationalization of the firms. However, further empirical studies with more adequate data would be necessary in the future in order to justify the propositions of different theories of internationalization.

<p>Tinnitus is common, and some individuals with tinnitus display high levels of distress. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is effective in reducing tinnitus distress, but is rarely available. CBT-based self-help, with or without guidance, has yielded positive results in other problem areas, and one initial randomized controlled trial (RCT) has shown promising results for tinnitus.</p><p>This thesis is based on four studies;</p><p>Study I showed that Internet-based self-help treatment with e-mail guidance alleviated tinnitus distress among consecutive patients and was rated as credible as traditional treatments. Active participation in treatment predicted outcome.</p><p>Study II, an RCT, showed that an extended and more interactive version of the Internet-based self-help treatment with e-mail therapist support appeared to be equally effective as a group treatment. In study III, another RCT, a self-help book with weekly telephone support was superior to a wait-list control group. No strong evidence for the importance of telephone contact on outcome was found. In both study II and III, the positive outcome remained after one year and self-help approaches appeared more therapist time-effective compared to group treatment. Also, the received treatment-dose for patients in guided self-help was not lower than in the group treatment.</p><p>Study IV found that the ‘Stages of Change’, from the transtheoretical model, are probably not the right theoretical framework to use with tinnitus patients. Predictors of outcome were found, but they were not in line with the theory behind the Stages of Change. The predictors were better understood when conceptualized as coping, showing that helplessness and less coping before treatment correlated with better outcome.</p><p>In sum, guided cognitive behavioural self-help can decrease tinnitus distress. It appears to be therapist time-effective and shows effects comparable to or slightly below traditional CBT for tinnitus. Effects remain one year after treatment and generalize to a routine clinical setting.</p>

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This three-phase qualitative study examined the significance of personal learning in the lives of full-time elementary school teachers in Ontario, Canada. The research aimed to provide an awareness of the effects of engaged personal learning on teachers’ in-school practices and on student engagement in school. An online questionnaire was used as the initial exploratory tool. The questionnaire was completed by 87 Ontario elementary teachers, and results were stratified by age, gender, range of learning experiences, and career stage. The questionnaire was used to generate descriptive statistics, identify how elementary teachers pursue personal learning interests across different career stages, and gather open responses, in order to determine how teachers characterize their engagement in personal learning opportunities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven participants to characterize the teachers’ learning experiences, and to explore their views as to how their learning affected them personally and professionally. Classroom observations ensued with three of the interviewees. The data analysis indicated that the nature of personal learning varies across different career stages, and that such learning occurs most often in an informal setting. It also revealed the significance of learning opportunities that both challenge and extend knowledge in real-life contexts and/or that is social or collaborative in nature. Three themes—connections, self as learner, and vitality—emerged from the reported effects of teachers’ personal learning on their students and their classroom practice. The teachers’ passion for learning was evident in the many ways that they provide meaningful, collaborative, and challenging opportunities for their students in a very supportive and nurturing environment. Through the data collection and analysis, it became clear that some of the most profound learning experiences were not preplanned or intentional in nature, but arose as a result of life. In some cases, the participants did not consider these experiences to be learning—until they began to detail the effects that these experiences had on them, both as individuals and as educators. Suggestions for future research are offered to continue learning from teachers who take part in personal learning, and from the students that they teach. / Thesis (Ph.D, Education) -- Queen's University, 2012-10-19 08:38:23.555

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate whether stakeholders activating a project shape team building, the structure and magnitude of resource investment levels, and to what extent these levels impact ERP project effectiveness. The process view of an ERP project includes project initiation, system justification and funding, implementation, and early system use. Results from a nationwide empirical survey conducted in Austria (N = 88) show that activating actors influence team formation and resource investments, which impact project effectiveness levels. Resource-intensive justification and funding phases tend to precede resource-intensive implementations in heavy-weight projects, which seem to be less effective than light-weight projects. Resource and change conflicts are associated with lower project performance and are more common in resource-intensive ERP projects, where early system use appears to be relatively less stable. (author's abstract)

The purposes of this study were to determine if a kindergartener's developmental stage correlates with subsequent scholastic achievement, to determine whether developmentally younger children who repeat kindergarten attain higher academic achievement than developmental 1y younger children who do not repeat kindergarten, and to investigate the relationship between head circumference, developmental age, and achievement. Ninety-seven kindergartners of various ethnicity and socio-economic status were administered the Gesell School Readiness Screening Test to determine developmental age and were followed academically for three years. Head circumference was noted periodically to measure brain growth. The hypotheses predicted significant positive correlations between developmental age in kindergarten and scores on later achievement tests. Further, it was predicted that children below 5.3 years in developmental age who delayed entrance to first grade would score significantly higher on first grade achievement tests than match-paired promoted students. It was hypothesized that there would be significant correlations between head circumference growth and (a) gains in achievement test scores and (b) developmental age at kindergarten. The first hypothesis, tested by Pearson Product Moment Correlations, established the existence of significant correlations between developmental ages of test subjects and their scores on four academic achievement tests. The results indicated that developmental age was a better predictor of achievement test scores than chronological age. Since only five children in this study were retained in kindergarten, hypothesis 2 was analyzed descriptively. Mean scores on first grade achievement tests were higher for the retainees than for the "at risk" non-retainees. Hypothesis 3 was tested by stepwise multiple regression. At the first step, the linear trend between the independent variable, CTBS score, and the dependent variable, I TBS score, was calculated and found to be significant at the .001 level. The addition of head circumference growth to the equation did not add significantly to the prediction of I TBS scores from CTBS scores. There was a significant negative correlation between developmental age in kindergarten and head growth.

The present study examined the effect of first-list stimulus context (color versus no color) and two degrees of first-list learning (twenty trials versus five trials) on cue selection and transfer of training. College students learned two paired-associate lists consisting of highly similar trigrams as the stimulus terms and nouns as the response terms. The second list consisted of twelve items presented on homogeneous white backgrounds for eighteen trials. Four secondlist items represented each of three transfer paradigms--A -B,A-B; A-B,A-C; and A-BC-D. It was concluded that color context draws attention to the color-backed items during the early stages of learning but is not selected for encoding until the later stages of learning.

Au cours des prochaines années, il est prédit que le changement climatique va influencer la production des cultures et impacter négativement le secteur agricole. Parmi les cultures mondiales majeures, la vigne est cultivée pour ses baies, qui sont la base de produits à forte valeur ajoutée (vin, liqueurs, et métabolites secondaires utilisés dans les industries pharmaceutiques et cosmétologiques) et dont le métabolisme est fortement sensible au climat. Cependant, la réponse au niveau de la composition de la baie ainsi que les mécanismes moléculaires sous-jacents mettant en évidence la capacité de l’interaction porte-greffe/greffon à influencer le métabolisme de la baie dans des conditions de stress hydrique est encore très peu étudiée et compris. Dans ce contexte, cette thèse a eu pour objectifs de répondre à ces questionnements en combinant des approches ecophysiologique, biochimique et transcriptomique. Vitis vinifera cv. Pinot noir greffé soit sur le porte greffe 110R (tolérance à la sécheresse, vigueur conférée moyenne à forte) ou 125AA (sensible à la sécheresse, forte vigueur conférée) ont été étudié au cours de 3 années (2009, 2010 et 2011), au vignoble et dans des conditions témoin (pluviométrie normale) ou de stress hydrique provoqué. Différents paramètres physiologiques (statut hydrique et rendement) ainsi que le profil métabolique de la baie (sucres, acides organiques, acides aminés et anthocyanes) ont été caractérisés à quatre stades de développement (E-L 33, E-L 35, E-L 36, E-L 38). D’autre part, une analyse microarray sur génome complet a également été réalisée pour deux années (2009 et 2010) et deux stades de développement critiques et représentatifs (E-L 35 et E-L 36). Dans son ensemble, cette thèse fournit des nouveaux éléments concernant la réponse métabolique de la baie au porte-greffe et à la contrainte hydrique, et met en évidence des possibles mécanismes moléculaires impliqués dans cette réponse. / Climate change is expected to influence crop production and to impact negatively the agricultural sector in the future. Among the major crops cultivated worldwide, grapevine provides berries that are the basis of high added value products (wines, liquors, and secondary metabolites used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetological industry) and whose metabolism is strongly sensitive to climate (vintage effect). However, the response of berry composition and the molecular mechanisms underlying the ability of rootstock/scion interaction to influence grape berry metabolism under drought stress are still poorly understood. In this context, this work aimed to fill the gaps on the aforementioned questions by combining comprehensive ecophysiological measurements, detailed metabolite analysis, and whole-genome transcriptome analysis. Vitis vinifera cv. Pinot noir grafted on either rootstock 110R (drought tolerant, mid- to high vigor) or 125AA (drought sensitive, high vigor) were studied during three growing seasons (2009, 2010, and 2011) in the field under normal rainfall or water shortage conditions. We characterized different physiological parameters (water status and yield components) and berry metabolomic profiles (sugars, organic acids, free amino acids and anthocyanins) during four developmental stages (E-L 33, E-L 35, E-L 36, E-L 38). Besides we also performed a microarray analysis in two years (2009 and 2010) at two critical and representative developmental stages (E-L 35 and E-L 36). Overall, this work provides novel insights into the response of grape berry metabolites to rootstock and to drought and uncovers some possible molecular mechanisms underlying the berry response to different rootstock/water status combinations.

Background: Over the years, businesses have come under the microscope as consumers and other stakeholders such as employees, environmentalist and journalists investigate any wrongdoings. Investors are also aware of the damages caused by organizations that are only concerned with profit maximization, and now they are diverging their investment to more sustainable companies. To overcome internal and external pressure, companies are accepting the responsibilities they have towards the society, environment, and shareholders. However, the journey of becoming responsible and environmentally sustainable is long and it often requires organizational change. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now known to most public and private firms. Over the decades, scholars have come up with various definitions for CSR which are often complex and diverse. Therefore, there is a need to understand how companies implement CSR rather than if they should implement it (Smith, 2003). The conceptualization of CSR, understanding what motivates towards CSR and how it is implemented within the organizations has attracted the attention of scholars (Maon, Lindgreen, &amp; Swaen, 2010) Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess organisations journey to become sustainable companies using a developmental stage model, in this case the Consolidative model and to find empirical support the usefulness of this model as an assessment tool. Method: To achieve the purpose of this study, a qualitative method along with an abductive approach is used. Eight semi-structured interviews are used for collecting primary data while peer-reviewed articles and books are used to build the theoretical framework. Conclusion: Empirical findings support that the consolidative mode is useful in assessing the sustainability journey of organizations. No organization is found to be in the first three stages that are the dismissing, self-protecting, and compliance seeking stages. Pressure from stakeholders, personal values, beliefs and the desire to be competitive are what motivates organizations to work with CSR despite their small size.