Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 1986. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 118-131). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

Thesis (Th. M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-66).

FSU Dissertations--Graduate Studies.

No description available.

The study was an investigation into the motives, policies and practices of the Virginia Governmental Employees Association and the motivations, needs and desires of its membership. This was undertaken to determine the major forces which have prevented change in the operating practices or structure of the association. The research questions examined factors unique to the VGEA: the climate for public sector unionism in the state, the membership's needs and desires, and the practices and policies set forth by the VGEA. These areas represent the external environment, the perceptions of the membership, and the internal environment of the VGEA. A random sampling of the membership by survey was conducted to investigate the factors. Internal documents of the association were scrutinized in order to determine the factors that were specific to the association. Both qualitative and quantitative data was incorporated in the analysis. The study utilized empirical research into unions and associations, a descriptive study of the VGEA itself, and an analysis of the membership's responses to the survey instrument. The analysis concludes by identifying those factors most prevalent in preventing the association from becoming a union. The lack of collective bargaining, the prohibition of striking and right-to-work laws are major factors in the external environment. Internally, the past practices of the association, its reliance upon lobbying and its lack of political action all prevent change from occurring. The membership is not reflective of state employees overall, and the association continues to work only for the needs of its membership. / Master of Science

An antinomy is a contradiction between a principle and its opposite, where there is a compelling case for accepting both. This thesis adopts the antinomy of local-state government in Australia as its central conceptual theme, describing it with the following defensible, but contradictory principles that:¶ · Australian local governments are statutory agencies of Australia’s state governments, with no power or authority beyond that which is ascribed to them by the states (the outside-in principle); and¶ · Local governments in Australia are independent agencies whose authority and interests transcend their regulatory powers by nature of their attachment to their local area (the inside-out principle).¶ The central conceptual theme of the antinomy of local-state government shapes the overall thesis, as well as providing the focus for its introduction and conclusion. The thesis induces elements of the antinomy and structures much of its discussion around these key issues. It does not try to prove or resolve the antinomy. Instead the thesis uses the concept to explore and develop its second complex theme - the practical and applied experience of Australian local governments (LGs) as they attempt to deliver beneficial environmental outcomes. The great bulk of the substantive work presented in the thesis focuses on descriptions and analyses of LGs’ environmental work and the contexts within which they do it. The thesis contends that the local-state antinomy underpins many problems facing Australian LGs as they attempt to deliver beneficial environmental outcomes. Four research questions are addressed. They are:¶ · How can Australian LG capacity to deliver beneficial environmental outcomes be understood?¶ · Within this capacity, what are the environmental outcomes now being achieved by Australian LGs?¶ · How can Australian local government extend its capacity to deliver beneficial environmental outcomes? And¶ · What are the implications of the local-state antinomy on Australian LG capacity to deliver beneficial environmental outcomes?¶ This thesis reviews literature on Australian LG, LG environmental work, and the methods that are appropriate in investigating these questions. The overall thesis uses scientific, grounded theory and action research methods and draws on ideas from symbolic interactionism. Parts of the thesis also use environmental risk assessment, gap analysis techniques, case study and comparative analysis. The goal of generating grounded theories led to a strong focus on the development and exploration of analytical categories and the relationships between them. One such category summarises the relationship between LG and state government (SG), whereby LGs are identified as the inside sphere of government, while the SG is one of several outside spheres. Environmental efforts that impact between the spheres are described in relation to their source and impact, using this terminology, so that inside-out initiatives are driven by LGs but impact more broadly, and outside-in initiatives are driven by states but impact on local areas.¶ Two extensive studies are presented, each stemming primarily from one side of the local-state antinomy. The first is a quantitative, statewide study of local (and state) government implementation of the Queensland Environmental Protection Act. That process is considered a predominantly outside-in environmental initiative, in that LG interest and authority for that work stem directly from a SG statute. For simplicity, this is referred to as an outside-in study. That study involved the development and application of the Comparative Environmental Risk Assessment Method, that enabled the assessment of the environmental and other outcomes from the Queensland legislation.¶ The outside-in study is complimented by comparative case studies that mostly reflect inside-out environmental initiatives as they are defined and described by LGs. Again, this required the development of innovative research methods, specifically a comparative case study method. 34 case studies gathered from different types of LGs across Australia are presented, each representing an attempt by LG to deliver beneficial environmental outcomes.¶ In answer to the research questions, LG capacity to deliver environmental outcomes can be understood when the antinomy is examined through the research methods and analytical categories developed and presented here. LGs are delivering significant beneficial environmental outcomes, both as agents of SGs and through their own initiatives. Improving LG capacity to deliver environmental outcomes primarily requires a respect for LG perspectives, and for LG priorities, which inherently include a focus on their own local areas. State governments can build effective partnerships between the spheres and enhance LG environmental capacity by recognising and supporting LG’s own priorities, while assisting their engagement with broader strategic objectives.

State government finance is a substantial endeavor in the United States. The management of a multitude of revenues and expenditures often involves some level of fiscal stress. In an age of increased public scrutiny, policymakers must be mindful of possible causes of fiscal stress, and the policy options available to mitigate fiscal stress and increase financial stability. This dissertation contains three essays that examine different elements of fiscal stress, and in some cases, the applicable policy responses. Chapter two examines rainy day funds and their countercyclical goal of reducing recessionary fiscal stress. This essay takes a different approach from much of the literature, by using forecast residuals to quantify fiscal stress as tax revenue volatility and searching for any relationship between rainy day funds and states that had greater volatility. Empirical results indicate states that experience positive residuals, that is actual tax revenues greater than the forecast trend line, had greater rainy day fund balances. Chapter three focuses on the problem of lost revenues facing states from e-commerce. Due to Supreme Court decisions, businesses that do not have a physical location, or nexus, in a state are not required to collect sales and use taxes. To date, the policy response to lost revenue that has gained the most traction is the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement. Results indicate that states with local option sales taxes and higher sales tax rates were more likely to adopt this agreement. Chapter four scrutinizes state unemployment trust funds, which are used to fund state unemployment insurance programs. If state funds run short of money during recessions due to the larger number of individuals drawing benefits, then states must borrow from the federal government’s unemployment trust fund. This creates another liability that must be managed by state governments. Empirical findings show that several features of programs affect balances and the probability of taking a loan from the federal fund including the taxable wage base, weekly benefits, and unemployment tax rates. This dissertation concludes by summarizing the results and exploring future research possibilities on the three essay topics.

Interactions such as task assignments and communications between supervisors and subordinates have unintended negative consequences on subordinates such as alienation of subordinates that are not members of the 'in' group. These relations are determined by the quality of the leader-member exchange (LMX) between supervisor and subordinate. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of supervisor-subordinate exchange on state government employees by understanding the essence of these exchanges in state government agencies. The theoretical foundation of this phenomenological study was Graen and Uhl-Bien's conceptualization of LMX. Data were collected through 12 semi structured interviews with subordinates from the North Carolina Motor Vehicle Driver's License Section. This group of employees from the NC DMV were selected because of the geographical convenience to conduct interviews with participants. Supervisors were not interviewed for this study because the focus was the perceived effect on the employees' performance, motivation, and attitudes. The data were coded and analyzed using a modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method. The results of this study supported that supervisor-subordinate exchanges can influence subsequent behaviors in government employees. This study may have future policy implications in that the results can be used to influence new policy or revise current policies concerning supervisor training within local, state, and federal government agencies. Organizations that comprehend how and why supervisor-subordinate exchanges impact them can revise training for both management and employees, improve communication and relationship skills, and reduce negative effects from these exchanges to promote positive social change.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2005. / Advisor: Joseph C. Beckham, Florida State University, College of Education, Dept. of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Jan. 25, 2006). Document formatted into pages; contains x, 225 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1997. / Title from title page screen, viewed June 2, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Edward R. Hines (chair), Paul J. Baker, G. Alan Hickrod, Kenneth H. Strand. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 167-177) and abstract. Also available in print.