Large, ever more complex, technological systems surround us and provide products and services that both construct and define much of what we consider as modern society. Our societal bargain is the trade-off between the benefits of our technologies and our constant vigilance over the safe workings and the occasional failures of these often hazardous sociotechnical systems during their operating life. Failure of a system's infrastructure, whether a complex subsystem or a single component, can cause planes to crash, oil rigs to burn, or the release of radioactivity from a nuclear power plant. To prevent catastrophes, much depends not only on skilled and safe operations, but upon the effective maintenance of these systems. Using the commercial nuclear power industry, of the United States, as a case study, this dissertation examines how nuclear power plant maintenance functions to ensure the plants are reliable and can safely operate for, potentially, eighty years; the current, government regulation defined limit, of their functional life. This study explores the history of U.S. nuclear maintenance regulatory policy from its early Cold War political precursors, the effect of the 1979 Three Mile Island reactor melt-down accident, through its long development, and finally its implementation by nuclear power licensees as formal maintenance programs. By investigating the maintenance of nuclear power plants this research also intends to expand the conceptual framework of large- technological-system (LTS) theory, in general, by adding a recognizable, and practically achievable, end-of-life (EOL) phase to the heuristic structure. The dissertation argues that maintenance is a knowledge producing technology that not only keeps a sociotechnical system operating through comprehension, but can be a surveillance instrument to make system end-of-life legible; that is both visible and understandable. With a discernible and legible view of system end-of-life, operators, policy makers, and the public can make more informed decisions concerning a system's safety and its continued usefulness in society. / Doctor of Philosophy / Large, ever more complicated, technical systems surround us and provide products and services that define much of what we consider as modern society. Our societal bargain is the trade-off between the benefits of our technologies and our constant vigilance over the safe workings and the occasional failures of these often hazardous systems during their operating life. Failure of a system's infrastructure, whether a complex subsystem or a single component, can cause planes to crash, oil rigs to burn, or the release of radioactivity from a nuclear power plant. To prevent catastrophes, much depends not only on skilled and safe operations, but upon the effective maintenance of these systems. Using the commercial nuclear power industry, of the United States, as a case study, this dissertation examines how nuclear power plant maintenance functions to ensure the plants are reliable and can safely operate for, potentially, eighty years; the current, government regulation defined limit, of their functional life. This study explores the history of U.S. nuclear maintenance regulatory policy from its early Cold War political precursors, the effect of the 1979 Three Mile Island reactor melt-down accident, through its long development, and finally its implementation by nuclear power licensees as formal maintenance programs. By investigating the maintenance of nuclear power plants this research also intends to develop a method to determine when a nuclear power plant, or other large technological system, is approaching or has reached the end of its reliable and safe operational life. The dissertation presents maintenance as a technology of knowledge that not only keeps a system operating through understanding of its components, but can be a general surveillance instrument to make system end-of- life legible. With a discernible and understandable view of end-of-life, operators, policy makers, and the public can make more informed decisions concerning a system's safety and its continued usefulness to society.

The purpose of the study was to investigate social workers' perceptions of using Signs of Safety in their daily practical work. This in relation to the approach's purpose to put children's safety first. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted with social workers within the child and youth unit of social services in two municipalities. The data was then analyzed through a thematic analysis. Using system theory as the framework, the study found that management support, organizational conditions, education, and supervision were important factors for effective implementation. Furthermore, the study showed that Signs of Safety has helped social workers build alliances with families, increase efficiency and focus, and change their role in relation to the families. The study's key findings highlight the difficulties in shifting mindsets and working methods, as well as how Signs of Safety has contributed to social workers transitioning from authority figures to fellow humans. / Studiens syfte var att undersöka socialsekreterarnas uppfattning av att använda Signs of Safety i det dagliga praktiska arbetet. Detta i förhållande till förhållningssättets syfte att sätta barnens trygghet i centrum. Sex semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med socialsekreterare inom socialtjänstens barn- och ungdomsenhet i två kommuner. Därefter analyserades empirin genom en tematisk analys. Studiens teoretiska utgångspunkt var systemteorin. Studien visade på att stöd från ledningen, organisatoriska förutsättningar, utbildning och handledning har varit viktiga faktorer för att kunna använda förhållningssättet ändamålsenligt. Vidare visade studien att Signs of Safety har bidragit till att socialsekreterarna kunnat skapa allians med familjerna, ökat effektiviteten och fokuset samt fått en förändrad roll gentemot familjerna. Studiens viktigaste fynd handlar om svårigheterna kring att ställa om tanke- och arbetssätt samt hur Signs of Safety bidragit till att socialsekreterarna gått från myndighetsperson till medmänniska.

Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / This research dealt with the contribution of psychodynamic group interventions to organisational development (OD). The research consists of a qualitative investigation and was based on a case-study design with the use of multiple cases. Three different cases were presented, namely where a psychodynamic group intervention was used together with another intervention, where obstacles in a group were to be solved and as an in-house working conference. Random sampling was also done within the cases. Three interventions were done, data was gathered and analysed by means of content analysis, and the results were reported. It was found in all three cases that a unique contribution was made. Regarding the first case, the intervention was the beginning of a process of change whereby the participants were enabled to develop their identity as a group, from a family business to a company. Participants became aware of underlying conflict, started to own their roles in it, and to take responsibility for addressing the dynamics themselves. In the context in which the intervention was used, the contribution was, however, restricted because its value was only experienced after the intervention. Regarding the second case, the obstacles influencing the functioning of the team were addressed efficiently after the intervention. Participants were authorised to manage their boundaries more efficiently and to address role differentiation, leading to more open communication and a better work climate. Regarding the third case, it was found suitable especially for learning diagnostic competencies from a psychodynamic paradigm. Learning occurred on a personal level resulted in the ability of participants to identify dynamics in their organisation and to present similar interventions in their work place. Recommendations were made for the use of psychodynamic group interventions from a qualitative paradigm, as well as regarding the necessary competencies and a training programme for presenting psychodynamic group interventions. / Hierdie navorsing hande! oor die bydrae van psigodinamiese groepintervensies tot organisasie-ontwikkeiing (00). Die behoefte om onbewuste dinamika in organisasies aan te spreek, hettot hierdie navorsing aanleiding gegee. Die navorsing is in die vorm van 'n kwalitatiewe ondersoek en is gebaseer op 'n gevallestudie-navorsingsontwerp waarin daar van meervoudige gevalle gebruik gemaak is. Drieverskillendegevalleisaangebied, naamlikwaar'n psigodinamiese groepintervensie saam met 'n ander intervensie gebruik is, waar blokkasies in 'n groep opgelos moes word en as 'n in-huise werkskonferensie. Daar is ook van ewekansige steekproefneming binne elke geval gebruik gemaak. Drie intervensies is uitgevoer, data is ingesamel en deur middel van inhoudsontleding ontleed. Daar is bevind dat al drie gevaiie 'n unieke bydrae gelewer het. Ten opsigte van die eerste geval was die intervensie die begin van 'n veranderingsproses waardeur die deelnemers in staat gestel is om vanuit 'n familiebesigheid hu! identiteit as 'n maatskappy te ontwikkel. Deelnemers het bewus geword van onderliggende konflik, begin om hulle rolle daarin te eien, en verantwoordelikheid te aanvaar om die dinamika self aan te spreek. In die konteks waarin die intervensie gebruik was, was die bydrae egter beperk omdat die waarde daarvan eers na afloop van die intervensie ervaar is. Ten opsigte van die tweede geval is die blokkasie wat die funksionering van die span bei'nvloed het na afloop van die intervensie doeltreffend aangespreek. Deelnemers is bemagtig om hul grense meer doeltreffend te bestuur en roldifferensiasie aan te spreek, wat tot meer openlike kommunikasie en 'n beter werksklimaat aanleiding gegee het. Ten opsigte van die derde geval is bevind dat dit veral geskik was vir die aanleer van diagnostiesebevoegdhedevanuit'n psigodinamiese paradigma.Leerwatoppersoonlike vlak plaasgevind het, het tot gevolg gehad dat deelnemers in staatwas om die dinamika in hul organisasie te identifiseeren om self soortgelyke intervensies in hul werkplek aan te bied. Aanbevelings virdiegebruikvanpsigodinamiesegroepintervensiesvanuit'nkwaiitatiewe benadering tot 0 0 is gemaak, sowel as aanbevelings oordie noodsaaklike bevoegdhede en 'n opleidingsprogram vir die aanbied van psigodinamiese groepintervensies deur bedryfsielkundiges. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D.Admin. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Thesis (M.Div. (Practical Theology and Missiology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Identity refers to the beliefs and values, the lifestyles, character, style and history of a congregation. A person has an identity, so a congregation develops an identity which is in a very close association with its members, their circumstances and history. The Kwe San and their unique history and circumstances have contributed to their current identity. This identity also determines the way in which the ministerial praxis is tailored for a specific congregation and community. The Kwe San’s current context has a practical theological response which is contextually based. Their traditional free-roaming abilities have been limited by the Tsumkwe Constituency, a prior homeland. The various original social organizations which form an integral part of the Kwe San’s life within their System Two, forms an integral part of their current life. These aspects need to be taken into consideration when formulating a congregation’s ministerial praxis. Within this community the practicality of theological ecclesiology has become important. This is due to the change in context of the Kwe San. To have a better understanding of the present ministerial praxis I have incorporated the Gestalt theory principles which help us to address the current situation and also the System Theory, in order to understand the current contextual nature of the Kwe San people. Any form of a holistic ministerial approach requires that we understand the interdependence of people and nature. It also emphasizes the fact that we are all connected to one another and that the church needs to raise to the occasion and play its part within each segment of the community. It needs to be an active participant within different interdependent or interrelated parts within the society in which we interact with one another, interact with nature and interact with God.

Systems pathology attempts to introduce more holistic approaches towards pathology and attempts to integrate clinicopathological information with “-omics” technology. This doctorate researches two examples of a systems approach for pathology: (1) a personalized patient output prediction for ovarian cancer and (2) an analytical approach differentiates between individual and collective tumour invasion. During the personalized patient output prediction for ovarian cancer study, clinicopathological measurements and proteomic biomarkers are analysed with a set of newly engineered bioinformatic tools. These tools are based upon feature selection, survival analysis with Cox proportional hazards regression, and a novel Monte Carlo approach. Clinical and pathological data proves to have highly significant information content, as expected; however, molecular data has little information content alone, and is only significant when selected most-informative variables are placed in the context of the patient's clinical and pathological measures. Furthermore, classifiers based on support vector machines (SVMs) that predict one-year PFS and three-year OS with high accuracy, show how the addition of carefully selected molecular measures to clinical and pathological knowledge can enable personalized prognosis predictions. Finally, the high-performance of these classifiers are validated on an additional data set. A second study, an analytical approach differentiates between individual and collective tumour invasion, analyses a set of morphological measures. These morphological measurements are collected with a newly developed process using automated imaging analysis for data collection in combination with a Bayesian network analysis to probabilistically connect morphological variables with tumour invasion modes. Between an individual and collective invasion mode, cell-cell contact is the most discriminating morphological feature. Smaller invading groups were typified by smoother cellular surfaces than those invading collectively in larger groups. Interestingly, elongation was evident in all invading cell groups and was not a specific feature of single cell invasion as a surrogate of epithelialmesenchymal transition. In conclusion, the combination of automated imaging analysis and Bayesian network analysis provides an insight into morphological variables associated with transition of cancer cells between invasion modes. We show that only two morphologically distinct modes of invasion exist. The two studies performed in this thesis illustrate the potential of a systems approach for pathology and illustrate the need of quantitative approaches in order to reveal the system behind pathology.

<p>There are voices in the research field suggesting that universities should become learning organisations in order to be more competitive and efficient. However, the proposal is mainly based on theoretical and normative discussions rather than on empirical research. Therefore, this study has explored and reviewed in what way a university organisation has organised its inner life and illuminate in what way its local organisation matches the characteristics of a constructed theoretical model of a learning organisation. The study has furthermore explored in what way the organisational characteristics interact with one another in order to find out whether they support or hinder organisational learning.</p>

L’IASB est à la recherche de normes comptables à la fois acceptées et bien fondées théoriquement. Cette cohérence interne (« internal consistency ») des normes comptables recherchée par l’IASB vise à établir un ensemble de principes et de règles comptables qui soit dénué de contradictions logiques dans le sens des théories comptables normatives. La question de la cohérence et de la mesure de la cohérence d’un système comptable fait l’objet de nombreuses discussions dans la littérature internationale. La présente thèse a pour objet de présenter une étude approfondie du concept anglo-saxon de « consistency ». Grâce à une comparaison systématique de la comptabilité en Allemagne et en France la pensée systémique qui sous-tend un système comptable est identifiée comme facteur d’influence essentiel pour le développement d’une compréhension nationale de la comptabilité et du concept de « consistency ». Il sera notamment démontré que le droit comptable allemand et le droit comptable français ne sont pas des exemples types d’un modèle comptable européen et que la pensée systémique inhérente à un système comptables influence fondamentalement l’harmonisation de la comptabilité nationale avec les IFRS . / This paper augments the existing literature related to the concistency concept that critically discusses the meaning of « consistency », its theoretical restraints and its practicability. An interpretation of the consistency concept using systems theory leads to the conclusion that « consistency » is to be interpreted as a « social equilibrium » of a national accounting system. Therefore an historical grown interpretation of « consistency » cannot be used as an appraisal benchmark for foreign accounting systems. This concern corresponds with the usual criticism addressed to the normative concistency notion. Despite this criticism the paper argues that the consistency discourse can result in an essential contribution to the development of an accepted, theoretically well-founded international accounting system.

The aim of the study is to analyze the understanding of how curators at Bloton Open Care look at collaboration with actors linked to their work. A qualitative method was used and the data was based on semi-structured interviews with six curators from Bloton Open Care and additionally one of the managers.   The findings point to that collaboration is crucial in the work with children and families if the child or family is in contact with several social service organizations. The curators emphasize the importance of being able to see their own part in collaborative work and consequently being humble while helping others. The understanding of others is grounded in transparency of the participant's shortcomings as well as the company´s. The prerequisites for collaborative work become more efficient if the purpose behind the collaboration is clear and all participants in the collaboration are familiar with the matter.

Este trabalho apresenta um estudo qualitativo das equações diferenciais nãolineares que descrevem o sincronismo de fase nos PLLs de 3ª ordem que compõem redes OWMS de topologia mista, Estrela Simples e Cadeia Simples. O objetivo é determinar, através da Teoria de Bifurcações, os valores ou relações entre os parâmetros constitutivos da rede que permitam a existência e a estabilidade do estado síncrono, quando são aplicadas, no oscilador mestre, duas funções de excitação muito comuns na prática: o degrau e a rampa de fase. Na determinação da estabilidade dos pontos de equilíbrio, sob o ponto de vista de Lyapunov, a existência de pontos de equilíbrio não-hiperbólicos não permite uma aproximação linear e, nesses casos, é aplicado o Teorema da Variedade Central. Essa técnica de simplificação de sistemas dinâmicos permite fazer uma aproximação homeomórfica em torno desses pontos, preservando a orientação no espaço de fases e possibilitando determinar localmente suas estabilidades. / This work presents a qualitative study of the non-linear differential equations that describe the synchronous state in 3rd order PLLs that compose One-way masterslave time distribution networks with Single Star and Single Chain topologies. Using bifurcation theory, the dynamical behavior of third-order phase-locked loops employed to extract the syncronous state in each node is analyzed depending on constitutive node parameters when two usual inputs, the step and the ramp phase pertubations, are supposed to appear in the master node. When parameter combinations result in non hyperbolic synchronous states, from Lyapunov point of view, the linear approximation does not provide any information about the local behavior of the system. In this case, the center manifold theorem permits the construction of an equivalent vector field representing the asymptotic behavior of the original system in the neighborhood of these points. Thus, the local stability can be determined.