Thesis advisor: Ana M. Martínez Alemán / Through a qualitative case study of Butler University, this study seeks to understand how high-profile athletic success—in this instance, a Cinderella run in the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament—can be leveraged to develop other institutional functions and elevate the profile of the university as a whole. The story of Butler’s investment in men’s basketball, culminating in two successive trips to the Final Four in 2010 and 2011, spans nearly three decades and offers an extreme yet instructive case of the potential synergy between a serious academic institution and a big-time college sports program. Through interviews with faculty and administrators, document analysis, and field observations on Butler’s campus, a picture emerges of the Cinderella story as a university resource that can be developed and managed through the decision-making of administrators in a variety of offices, including admissions, advancement, athletics, and marketing and communications. At Butler, the narrative begins in 1989 with the intentional decision to build men’s basketball into a flagship program for the institution, peaks with the twin Final Four appearances, and then consists of efforts to leverage this success as part of the university’s pursuit of a national profile after a long history as a regional institution. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Demands for using electrical resistivity techniques (surface and bulk resistivity) as an alternative to the rapid chloride penetrability test (RCPT) have been growing, for example by a number of transportation agencies in North America, to give an indication of the relative penetrability of concrete. While resistivity measurements may reflect the quality of pore structure in the cementitious matrix, their accuracy might be affected by a multitude of parameters including the concentration of ionic species in the pore solution, particularly when supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are incorporated in the binder. Hence, a systematic investigation on the resistivity of concrete and its corresponding physical penetrability is warranted. Zinc sacrificial anodes are considered an effective and economical method to prevent the electrochemical corrosion of steel bars by providing cathodic current to bars, which can provide corrosion protection at low galvanic current densities in the range of 0.2 to 2 mA/m2. Sacrificial anodes are commonly used in RC structures particularly in bridge decks to mitigate a critical phenomenon that occurs in the original concrete beside the repaired patches, which is known as the ‘halo effect’. One of the key factors affecting the efficacy of zinc anodes is the resistivity of concrete or cementitious repair material in which these anodes are embedded. There is a general notion that the higher the electrical resistivity of concrete or repair material, the less likely that zinc anodes produce the target galvanic current for optimum protection of steel bars. However, no systematic data are available on the maximum allowable electrical resistivity of repair materials/concretes beyond which zinc anodes cannot properly function to prevent corrosion. In the first part of this thesis, a tripartite relationship (nomogram) to correlate surface resistivity with penetrability (migration coefficient) and porosity of concrete using a wide range ii of concrete mixtures, taking into account the effect of key mixture design parameters (water-to-binder ratio, air-entrainment, SCMs and type of cement) was established. Relationships between surface and bulk resistivity as well as migration coefficient and porosity of concrete were also introduced. In addition, a penetrability classification of concrete based on the corresponding ranges of surface resistivity, migration coefficient and porosity has been proposed. The nomogram and penetrability classification provided reasonable assessment for the condition of field cores extracted from newly constructed and aging concrete pavement. In the second part of this thesis, the functionality of zinc anodes at mitigating patch accelerated corrosion (halo effect) in repaired concrete was explored. Concrete slabs were cast to simulate the patch repair configuration in the field, and the main parameters in this study were changing the resistivity of the repair section in the slabs (5,000, 15,000, 25,000, 50,000 and 100,000 Ω-cm), and anode spacing (25, 100, and 250 mm) inside the repair patch. Analysis of current and potential data shows a high level of effectiveness of the anodes at controlling corrosion in this slab configuration up to 52 weeks under a wetting-drying exposure. / February 2017

No description available.

Three scenarios regarding a target man's moral behavior were used to examine 'religious halo' 'religious boomerang', and a 'halo recovery' effect. Initially, participants rated a male target in response to his religious affiliation. Secondly, participants rated the male target following an act of infidelity. Finally, participants provided ratings of the male target with the knowledge that the target received forgiveness from significant others. Results indicated that participants did not discriminate based on knowledge of the target's religious affiliation but did reject the target following an act of infidelity. New to this research, however, was discovery of a 'halo recovery' where participants were again accepting of a target following forgiveness from his wife and church leaders. These results varied from previous findings that suggested that participants' religious affiliation primarily influenced judgments of moral behavior.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Abstract available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center; full text release delayed at author's request until 2006 July 21.

Perception plays an important role in the human assessment process. This construction of an image is based on many factors, including race, religion, national origin, income, gender, marital status - in short, the summation of our life experiences. An important consideration for the methodology consumers utilize for purchase decisions has been also referred to as the "Country of Origin" (COO) effect. This individual bias based on perceptions and attitudes has a significant impact on how consumers make their purchasing decisions. The 2008 Farm Bill legislation contained a requirement for country of origin labeling (COOL) for beef, lamb, pork, and other products. This paper examined some of the 2008 Farm Bill's impact on consumer's purchasing decisions regarding beef and related meat protein products. Of a potential population of over 700 respondents, 161 responses were received. Correspondence analysis and preferences indicated by the respondents were used to analyze the results. Respondents were mostly well educated, white, in higher income brackets, and split about 60%-40% between male and female. Food safety is considered important and respondents generally believe that the US food supply is safe. Over 40% of respondents had no knowledge of COOL and its background, but about 70% of respondents believed that COOL should be mandatory for all meat products studied. The majority of respondents (111 of 161) indicated that they would be willing to pay $0.25 to $1.00 per pound more for COOL. However when asked about the likeliness to pay, 25%-30% indicated that they were "Not at all Likely" or "Somewhat Likely" to pay. The correspondence analysis results indicated that beef was a product eaten more often, but considered expensive. Chicken was eaten more often and considered inexpensive and healthful. Turkey was a product considered healthful and inexpensive. Lamb was considered expensive, while pork was inconclusive in the two dimensions used. The results of this study provide information for producers, purveyors, retailers, and the government on the importance of COOL as perceived by consumers, and their willingness to pay for this labeling.

The use of rating scales in the evaluation of secondary teacher performance has been called into question and widely criticized. Of particular concern has been the use of student ratings of teacher performance. A review of instruments and practices used in the rating process reveals serious design flaws that account for the criticisms leveled against the use of rating scales. This study sought to address the limitations evident in previous rating efforts by utilizing a combination of design methodologies and measurement models including elements of Classical Test Theory (CTT), factor analysis, and Item Response Theory (IRT). The IRT model employed was the one-parameter logistic model also known as the Rasch model. Twelve scales were developed consisting of a total of ninety-two items. These scales were developed to facilitate student ratings of secondary level teachers of religion in the Church Educational System (CES) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). In addition to exploring rating scale design methodology and scale performance, this study also examined a potential threat to the validity of decisions based on ratings referred to as halo effect. Using a variety of approaches to operationally define and estimate halo error, the extent to which male and female students exhibit differing degrees of halo in their ratings of teachers was examined. The results of the study revealed that of the twelve teacher traits hypothesized in the design of the rating scales, only three met defensible criteria based on CTT and Rasch model standards: the Student-Teacher Rapport Scale (STRS), the Scripture Mastery Expectation Scale (SMES), and the Spiritual Learning Environment Scale (SLES). Secondary students were unable to meaningfully discriminate between all twelve traits. Traditional approaches to halo effect estimation suggest that males exhibited halo to a greater degree than females, whereas Rasch model approaches to halo effect estimation were less consistent. Considered together, however, the evidence suggests differential halo error by gender, with males exhibiting halo to a greater degree than females. The implications of these findings for teacher evaluation, instructional design, and future research efforts are also addressed.

No description available.

This research integrates the theoretical implications of risk perception, the social amplification of risk, and the role of place-specific contexts, in order to explore the various perceptions surrounding Florida red tides. Florida red tides are a naturally-occurring event, yet most scientists agree that they are increasing in frequency, duration, and severity. This has profound implication for public health, the local economy, and the biological community. While many of the negative impacts are not easily controllable at this time, some of the secondary impacts can be mitigated through individuals' responses. Unfortunately, public perceptions and consequent reactions to red tides have not been investigated. This research uses questionnaire surveys, semi-structured interviews, and newspaper content analysis to explore the various perceptions of risk surrounding red tides. Surveys and interviews were conducted along two Florida west coast beaches, Fort De Soto Park and Siesta Key. Results indicate that the underlying foundations of the social amplification of risk framework are applicable to understanding how individuals form perceptions of risk relative to red tide events. There are key differences between the spatial locations of individuals and corresponding perceptions, indicating that place-specific contexts are essential to understanding how individuals receive and interpret risk information. The results also suggest that individuals may be lacking efficient and up-to-date information about red tides and their impacts due to inconsistent public outreach. Overall, particular social and spatial factors appear to be more influential as to whether individuals amplify or attenuate the risks associated with red tides.

With a growing interest in sustainability, organizations and researchers have begun to examine pro-environmental behaviors in the workplace (i.e. employee green behaviors). However, general understanding of employee green behaviors is currently limited due to a lack of measurement tools. In this study, a new scale was developed to measure employee green behavior descriptive norms, which are a source of influence on employee green behaviors that develops from observing others’ behaviors. Initial items and expected scale structure for the Employee Green Behavior Descriptive Norms Scale were developed based on the Green Five Taxonomy of employee green behaviors. Items were refined through pilot test data and a retranslation task. Data on the refined scale, the Ethical Leadership Questionnaire, and a Work-Family Culture Scale were used to test scale structure and gather evidence of construct validity. Study results supported the expected scale structure and construct validity of the newly developed scale. A multi-item, validated scale contributes to organizational assessment of employee green behavior descriptive norms and contributes to the scientific literature on employee green behaviors.