The purpose of the study was to find whether Taiwan banks could gain competitiveness by using merger and acquisition strategies. After interviewing with nine experts who work in the banks, the study found that ¡§economies of scales¡¨, ¡§brand image¡¨ and ¡§human resource¡¨ were the key successful factors of the banking industry. The study examined three banking mergers that were announced after the Legislative Yuan had approved ¡§The Law of Financial Institution Mergers¡¨. The result was that the banks in these cases had few benefits by using merger and acquisition strategies. Therefore, standing at the point of banks and considering their abilities and resources, the study chose three merges as the objects of study. Then, the study investigated the merger benefits and integration problems in the three merges. The study found that mergers in Taiwan commercial banks could produce economies of scales. Taiwan commercial banks could not improve brand image and human resource by using merger and acquisition strategies. Most Taiwan commercial banks were lack of innovation culture and employees who were good at financial innovation. Taiwan is going to participate in WTO, so the combined banks needs to improve their brand awareness. The conclusion of the study was that merger and acquisition strategies could bring Taiwan banks some benefits. But Taiwan banks could not rely on merger and acquisition strategies to solve the problem of being lack of competitiveness. The integration differs because of different merger goals. The integration would influence the achievement of merger benefits.

This thesis explored cognitive, psychosocial, and physical domains of wellbeing to find out their contribution to successful ageing in 70-year old individuals. Discovering groups with different patterns of wellbeing and their correlates may be informative about what constitutes success in old age. The objectives were to find out whether distinct groups within and across domains of wellbeing existed, and to find out the variables associated with the resulting groups. Using a cross-sectional design on the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC1936, maximum n = 1091), which is a group of community-dwelling 70 year-olds, latent class analysis (LCA) was used to explore possible patterns of ageing in domains of cognitive, psychosocial, and physical function. Demographic, personality, and lifestyle variables that were not used in the LCA were used to characterise the resulting groups. The first study investigated cognitive ability. Individuals were grouped according to their scores on general cognitive ability (g), memory, and speed. I accepted a 3-group solution, including High- (n = 749, 69%), Average- (n = 303, 28%), and Low- (n = 39, 4%) cognition groups. Results indicated the presence of a strong dimension: people who did well on one component also did well on others, and failed to show any indication of uneven patterns of scores. In the second study on psychosocial wellbeing individuals were grouped according to their scores on physical function, quality of life, and emotional wellbeing. A 5-group solution was accepted. High (n =515, 42.7%), Average (n = 417, 38.3%), and Poor (n = 37, 3.4%) Wellbeing groups were identified; however, contrasting patterns of wellbeing across components were noticed in the two other groups: one group scored relatively highly on physical function, but low on emotional wellbeing (High Function/ Low Spirits, n = 60, 5.5%), while another group showed low physical function but relatively high emotional wellbeing (Low Function/High Spirits, n = 62, 5.7%). The next study investigated the physical fitness domain: groups were determined on physical fitness, lack of inflammation, and lack of morbidity. Two groups, High Physical Fitness (n = 757, 73.3%) and Low Physical Fitness (n = 291, 26.7%) were identified, which, like the cognitive domain, also indicated a continuous pattern of wellbeing. In the final study individuals were grouped according to their scores on all variables reflecting cognitive, psychosocial, and physical function. I identified 3 groups showing high or uneven patterns of wellbeing. The majority of individuals fell in the High Wellbeing group (n = 712, 65.3%). The two other groups contained either individuals scoring high on cognitive measures but poorly on psychosocial and physical measures (the Low Bio-Psychosocial group, n = 158, 14.5%), or individuals scoring low on cognitive measures but highly on psychosocial and physical measures (the Low Cognition group, n = 221, 20.3%). Intelligence, personality and health behaviours showed salient differences amongst the groups in all studies. Overall, high childhood cognitive ability, low scores on Neuroticism, and avoiding smoking were associated with high wellbeing. Overall, results demonstrated that although wellbeing in old age is primarily dimensional, there is evidence of groups showing uneven patterns of function, indicating that individuals could show relatively successful patterns in some areas of wellbeing despite relatively poor functioning in other areas. Awareness of the importance of lifelong intelligence and personality traits and health practices to later-life wellbeing amongst health-care professionals and policymakers may help address risk-prevention, and improve compliance and patient-practitioner relationships to reduce health inequalities.

The studies presented in this dissertation were conducted with the objective ofgaining greater understanding into the mechanisms of successful aging, the role ofmitochondria dysfunction in traumatic brain injury, and also on the mechanisms ofimproved learning and cognitive function in the aging.Aging is usually characterized by impairments in physiological functionsincreasing its susceptibility to dementia and neurodegenerative disorders. In thisdissertation, the mechanisms of dementia-free aging were investigated. The use of anantioxidant fortified diet and a program of behavioral enrichment in the canine model ofhuman aging was shown to result in a significant decrease in the levels of oxidativestress. A proteomic analysis of these brains also demonstrated a significant decrease inthe oxidative modification of key brain proteins and an increase in the expression levelsof other key brain proteins associated with energy metabolism and antioxidant systemswhich correlated with improved learning and memory.We show that following TBI key mitochondrial-related proteins undergoextensive oxidative modification, possibly contributing to the severe loss ofmitochondrial energetics and neuronal cell death previously observed in experimentalTBI.Taken together, these findings support the role of oxidative stress in thepathophysiology of aging and age-related neurodegenerative disorders and in CNS injury.These studies also show that antioxidants and a program of behavioral enrichmentprovide protection against oxidative stress-mediated cognitive impairments.

The present thesis deals with the determinants of good memory performance. A more specific objective of the thesis was to examine prerequisites for successful recall performance from the point of view of cue effectiveness. The concept of cue effectiveness was proposed as a superordinate construct underlying the act of remembering in general as well as,exceptional memory performance. It was argued that to the extent that effective cues are provided when retrieval is attempted, good recall would be obtained even without use of specific mnemonic systems. Two characteristics of cue effectiveness were assumed to determine the level of recall performance. First, a retrieval cue has to provide a compatible description of the information encoded, and second, an optimal cue is the one that also represents a distinctive description of that information. Provided that these two characteristics of cue effectiveness are fullfilled, successful recall was expected to occur. In order to optimize cue efficiency an experimental paradigm was introduced. The main feature of the self-generation paradigm is that, in contrast to traditional cued-recall experiments, subjects are provided with cues, which according to the individual's own conceptualization constitute an appropriate description of the previously encoded information. The four studies composing the empirical section of the thesis, demonstrated, first, that self-generated cues serve as extremely powerful retrieval aids. Secondly, it was demonstrated that compatibility and distinctiveness may be the cardinal concepts underlying the empirical phenomenon per se and the essence of the notion of cue effectiveness. Finally, it was proposed that the methodological contribution is of such a nature that it may apply successifully to more practical situations. / <p>Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Univ. 1986, härtill 4 uppsatser</p> / digitalisering@umu

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Melbourne, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, 2009. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 187-201)

Does the Internet really improve the lives of older adults? The literature around information and communication technology would suggest that use of the Internet can help to promote social inclusion but is this the case for older adults? The aim of this study was to understand the relationship older adults have with the Internet. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 15 participants aged 70 to 90 in Fall 2014 to explore the perceived benefits and barriers older adults experience with regards to Internet use. The Internet was found to plays an important role in the lives of older adults who use it. Light Internet users were the group most dissatisfied with their Internet abilities. Light users and non-users both expressed feeling left out due to their perceived lack of abilities. Non-users had no intention of learning to use the Internet despite having access to potential support, whereas light Internet users indicated feelings of frustration around perceived lack of support. Users and non-users discussed feelings of concern and suspicions related to the Internet and their ability to access the resource. Medium and avid users stated that the Internet played an important role in their lives and that they would be lost without it. This research explores the lived experience of older adults and the Internet, offering a better understanding of how the Internet impacts their lives and ability to maintain social inclusion. This research can inform policy around promoting the use of the Internet among older adults and whether it is necessary to focus efforts on bridging the digital divide. / February 2016

Successful or failed software projects have been discussed in literature for many years. Successful software projects are often defined as meeting business objectives, deliver on time and within budget, and meeting requirements. Different factors that contribute to software project success have been identified in the literature. Some of the most common factors that lead to software project success are: user involvement, management support, realistic requirements, and having good estimations. However, there are different opinions about what a successful software project is. Linberg found in a study that managers had a different perception from software practitioners (developers, testers etc.) about what a successful software project is. Since there are different perceptions of what a successful project is among different roles in software development, there may be differences from other perspectives too. This observation relates to the overall research questions in the thesis: Could there be different perceptions about what success factors are for software projects among different countries and customer-supplier relationships? Do people from different countries have different perceptions about what success factors are for software products? This study investigated if there are any differences and similarities between Swedish and Australian companies. In addition, a comparison between bespoke and market driven and bespoke and in-house customer-supplier relationships was made. The result shows that there are differences of which factors that lead to software project success among the two countries as well as between different types of customer-supplier relationships. / richard.berntssonsvensson@gmail.com

21st century schools have great expectations of generating individuals with refined knowledge, skills and values to make a positive impact on human existence. Paradoxically, the report of the Annual National Assessments paints a bleak picture of the quality of learner attainment in South African primary schools where basic skills in communication, problem solving and analytical thinking should take root. Fortunately, however, sporadic pockets of successful schools do exist. There appears to be an inextricable link between leadership and learner outputs, and learner attainment seems to fall squarely on the shoulders of the school principal. The purpose of this study was to investigate and unravel the leadership practices of principals of successful public primary school as they led in accountability- and standards-driven environments. The framework that guided this study was the four core leadership practices: setting direction; developing people; aligning the organisation for success; and leading and managing the instructional programme. Valuable insights and a rich understanding of how successful primary school principals create, nurture and sustain the conditions and processes necessary for high levels of learner attainment and instructional improvement were generated via an inductive, qualitative study. Three successful schools in the Uthukela district of KwaZulu-Natal formed the purposive sample and data was gathered from each principal via direct interviews. Two focus group interviews and participant observation triangulated the data. The findings revealed that in setting the direction for their school, principals focused on aligning and motivating their people towards a common vision that strongly correlated to personal aspirations. Principals engaged their staff in continuous professional development and were particular about the working milieus of teachers. They ensured that relationships were characterised by open communication, collaboration, democratic decision making and trust. Leadership was distributed and instruction was effectively led by principals working in close consultation with their management team. Due to extensive monitoring and evaluation, the status quo was often challenged and the curriculum adapted. The successful school principals adopted an inside-out approach to their leadership practices, and they resorted to match-fit and hierarchical breakdown. The study recommends that all principals should align their personal vision with the organisational vision, teach human resource management to all line managers, and establish and foster professional learning communities. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Education Management and Policy Studies / PhD / Unrestricted

This is a qualitative study that explores the strategies used by a woman principal to build a successful high school. Despite the plethora of gender supportive policies in South Africa women are still underrepresented in school management positions. Those who do shatter the glass ceiling face gender discrimination resulting from societal and cultural stereotypes. This study aims to tell the story of a woman principal who battled social, patriarchal and institutional odds and still succeeded as a leader. The findings reveal that the principal relied on her womanly attributes of caring, empathy, knowing the community and involving parents. In demonstrating support for the community in which she worked and in having the courage to care she was able to transform her school. This study shows that caring is a form of power. She is a transformational leader who managed to change the school culture from being dysfunctional to being successful. Collaboration and staff development are the other strategies that led to the success of the school managed by Debra, the woman principal in this study. Narrative inquiry as qualitative research approach was employed in order to explore the experiences of Debra, as the principal in this study is named. Purposive sampling was used for the selection of the participant. Data was collected by means of in-depth and semi-structured interviews supported by school documents. Transformational Leadership Theory, as described by Bass (1999), provided guidance for conceptualizing and analysing the leadership strategies used by the principal. The transformational leader promotes followers' innovation by considering their developmental needs while providing support and coaching through charisma, inspiration, intellectual stimulation and individualised consideration. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / Unrestricted

Studying older adults who are aging ‘successfully’ (i.e., avoiding disease/disability; maintaining high cognitive and physical functioning; engaging in meaningful interpersonal/social engagement) may offer insight into variables that contribute to cognitive change throughout the lifespan. Successful aging is related to levels of engagement, which may be promoted by the problem solving and reevaluation encouraged by the creative process (Fisher & Specht, 1999). Creative thinking requires the consideration of diverse concepts and strategies (e.g., generating many solutions), as well as the regulated filtering of these possibilities (e.g., neither too permissive nor too narrow when eliminating ideas; Baas, De Dreu, & Nijstad, 2011). Cognitive inhibition is necessary for goal-directed behavior, and may also promote creativity by influencing abilities such as plasticity and innovation. Performance on executive control tasks, especially those that draw on inhibition, are impacted by age. Performance on inhibitory (but not excitatory) tasks may be sensitive to arousal levels that fluctuate with circadian rhythm (synchrony effect). The current study examined performance on a variety of neuropsychological and creativity measures at two times of the day in a sample of successfully aging adults aged 70-79. Assessments of executive function, inhibition, and creativity (i.e., verbal and non-verbal divergent thinking) were administered to older adults twice, once at a time when inhibitory performance was expected to be ideal (synchronous) and another at a time when inhibitory performance was expected to be reduced (non-synchronous). We hypothesized that morning testing (synchronous) trials of inhibitory tasks would exhibit lower latency and error rates than evening testing (non-synchronous) trials; morning testing (synchronous) trials of creative potential tasks would exhibit lower fluency, flexibility, and originality scores than evening testing (non-synchronous) trials; and that Need For Cognition (NFC) scores and Information-Orientation ISI subscale scores would be positively correlated with overall (AM + PM) creativity scores (fluency, flexibility, originality). Participants were expected to demonstrate time of day effects on Stroop and TMT performance. Synchrony effects were not observed in this study. There was a significant relation between creative potential and Need for Cognition scores but not between creative potential and scores on the Information-Orientation subscale of the ISI. The current sample may have compensated with cognitive challenges such as those induced by testing time effects. These findings may suggest that a successfully-aging cohort is not impacted by synchrony effects. No previous research has used synchrony to compare aging trajectories (pathological, usual, successful) on cognitive performance. It is feasible that a successfully aging population would have significant cognitive reserve, brain reserve, or scaffolding strategies to compensate for the additional cognitive challenge of non-optimal testing time (Düzel, Schütze, Yonelinas, & Heinze, 2011; Reuter-Lorenz & Park, 2014). Indeed, a marker of successful aging is to compensate well with age-related changes and demonstrate minimal- to no- deficits in performance (Rowe & Kahn, 1997). Synchrony changes in cognitive performance may not be evident in a successfully aging population. The current study provides evidence that motivates intriguing questions about successful aging, inhibition, creativity, and time of day.