Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Academic demands'

With over 765,000 English-as-a-second-language (ESL) students studying in the United States, a greater understanding of the academic requirements and demands these students face while studying in the US is needed. Some of the biggest challenges they face include the amount of reading required and the various tasks employed with academic reading. University reading tasks require more than an understanding of the text. These tasks place a strong emphasis on text comprehension, summary, synthesis, and critical analysis. This is problematic as students, especially ESL learners, lack experience with academic tasks, and many additionally struggle with low metacognitive awareness, limited or low reading fluency, limited vocabulary, and difficulty understanding text organization. This article will present a research-informed website, A Teacher's Guide to Academic Reading, designed for teachers preparing ESL learners for the demands and difficulties of university reading. A Teacher's Guide to Academic Reading specifically informs teachers of academic reading demands and provides resources to help their learners develop fluent reading skills, critical reading skills, and general academic skills.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 2008.
Title from title page screen (viewed on February 24, 2009). Research advisor: Denis DiAngelo Ph.D. Document formatted into pages (viii, 59 p. : ill.). Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 42-46).

While the media frenzy focuses on the physical risks of concussion, there is also growing concern about the academic repercussions for students who sustain the injury. We do not currently have a uniform evidence-based approach for optimally returning a student back to learning activities after a concussion. We also do not understand how the diverse consequences of a concussion may affect academic self-efficacy and performance. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects a concussion may have on college students who are navigating the return to learn (RTL) process. This research aims to inform whether there are measureable deficits in academic self-efficacy using the previously validated and abridged survey measure, the Self-Efficacy of Learning Form (SELF-A). Time of injury during the academic semester is also considered, as we hypothesize greater healing should negate the concussion's effects on the measure of self-efficacy. In addition, the research explores students' experiences with RTL using a semi-structured interview approach. The results suggest that college students who suffer a concussion during an academic semester have lower measures of academic self-efficacy compared to a control group of their peers. In addition, results show that students are returning to learn while still suffering from the effects of their concussion. This study found no significant correlation between the healing time of a concussion and the scores on the SELF-A. The interviews served to underscore the diverse myriad physical and psychological challenges a student faces, as well as the precarious variance in RTL strategies. This study highlights the challenges that students face while they RTL following a concussion, and begs the investigation of whether better RTL practices can help mitigate the negative effects. It underscores the necessity for further research, evidence-based medical care, instructor accommodations, and institutional policies to support students' safe RTL and ability to perform at their maximal academic potential.

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Bachelors
Arts and Sciences
Psychology

Academics in South Africa are being confronted with a work environment accumulated with job demands, often without corresponding increases in job resources. Job demands and job resources might affect the levels of work engagement of academics in higher education institutions. Therefore, research is needed regarding work engagement of academics and the relationship thereof with job demands and resources. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether the UWES is a reliable and valid measure of work engagement for academic staff in universities in South Africa and to assess the relationships between work engagement, job demands and job resources. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The study population (N = 471) consisted of academic staff of the following universities: North-West University, University of Port Elizabeth and University of the Orange Free State. The UWES, Job-Demands-Resources Questionnaire and a biographical questionnaire was administered. The reliability and validity of the measuring instruments were assessed with the use of Cronbach alpha coefficients, and exploratory factor analysis. Descriptive statistics (e.g. means and standard deviations) were used to analyse the data. Pearson correlations and multiple regression analyses were used to assess the relationships between job demands, job resources and work engagement. Principal component analysis resulted in a one-factor model of work engagement, consisting of Vigour/Engagement. This factor showed an acceptable alpha coefficient. Regarding the Job Demands-Resources Scale, five reliable factors were extracted, namely Organisational Support, Growth Opportunities, Communion, Overload and Job Insecurity. The correlation coefficients indicated that engagement is positively related to growth opportunities, organisational support and communion. A regression analysis with engagement as dependent variable indicated that organisational support and growth opportunities in the job were the best predictors of work engagement. Job resources predicted 46% of the variance in work engagement, but only two job resources, namely organisational support and growth opportunities showed statistically significant regression coefficients. Recommendations for future research are made.
Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Universities worldwide are developing a disturbing imbalance with their environments. In recent years, academic working conditions in South African universities have changed dramatically as a result of the country's post-apartheid policies and the accelerating globalisation of knowledge. Academic staff are continually confronted with an overload of job demands without corresponding increases in job resources. These prolonged job stressors that academic staff are subjected to over lengthy periods of time coupled with inadequate job resources can lead to the development of a pathogenically defined construct, namely burnout. The objective of this research was to investigate the relationships between burnout, strain, job characteristics and dispositional optimism in universities in the North-West Province. A cross-sectional design was used. The study population (N = 279) consisted of academic staff of universities in the North-West Province. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI-GS), The Life Orientation Test - Revised (LOT-R), Job Characteristics Scale (JCS) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQI9) were used as measuring instruments. Descriptive statistics (e.g. means, standard deviations and kurtosis) were used to analyse the data. Exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were used to confirm the structure of the measuring instruments and to test theoretical models. The results showed that the stressors of overload was associated with high levels of exhaustion and low professional efficacy. Job resources (i.e. social support, task characteristics) were related to low levels of exhaustion and cynicism and higher levels of professional efficacy. Exhaustion and low professional efficacy were significantly related to physical and psychological health problems. Exhaustion and cynicism were negatively related to optimism, whereas professional efficacy were positively related to the latter. Optimism moderated the effects of a lack of resources on exhaustion and the effects of job resources on professional efficacy.
Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

Academia is a demanding profession, as evidenced by a body of research that documents the debilitating impact of occupational stress and burnout on the personal and professional welfare of academics. In particular, high levels of these pathological phenomena, left unchecked, undermine the quality, productivity and creativity of the academics' work in addition to their health, well-being and morale. Despite these indicators of "weaknesses" and "malfunctioning", academics know that there is times that they operate in a "milieu" of work - there is an intense focus and pleasurable emotions, accompanied by high levels of enthusiasm. Especially, with the upcoming positive paradigm in Occupational Health Psychology, "positive" trends such as work engagement, optimism, organisational commitment and life satisfaction are also commonplace among academics. The first step in the enhancement of work wellness is the successful diagnosis of stress, burnout and work engagement. However, to measure these constructs, it is important to use reliable and valid instruments, and at the same time, take into account the cultural diversity in a multicultural setting such as South Africa. Clearly then, an assessment of this type should be concerned with the issue of construct equivalency. Furthermore, little information exists regarding the causes and effects of occupational stress, burnout and work engagement of academics in South Africa. The general aim of this study was to standardise an adapted version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) for academics in South African higher education institutions, to determine their levels of occupational stress, organisational commitment and ill-health, and to test a structural model of work wellness for South African academics. A cross-sectional survey design was used, with stratified random samples (N = 595) taken of academics in six South African universities. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, Job Characteristics Inventory, the Health and Organisational Commitment subscales of the ASSET, The Life Orientation Test and Satisfaction with Life Scale were administered. Cronbach alpha coefficients, exploratory factor analysis, Pearson correlations, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-tests and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse the data. Structural equation modelling was used to test a structural model of work wellness. Exploratory factor analysis with target rotations resulted in a three-factor model of burnout, consisting of Exhaustion, Mental Distance and Professional Efficacy. The scales showed acceptable internal consistencies and construct equivalence for two language groups. Practically significant differences were found in the burnout levels of academics with regard to their age, marital status and working hours. Exploratory factor analysis with target rotations resulted in a two-factor model of work engagement, consisting of Vigour/Dedication and Absorption. The scales showed acceptable construct equivalence for two language groups (Afrikaans and English). One scale, namely Vigour/Dedication showed acceptable internal consistency. Practically significant differences were found between the work engagement of academics with different job levels and qualifications. Compared to the normative data, academics reported significantly high levels of stress relating to pay and benefits, overload and work-life balance. Academics also reported high levels of psychological ill-health, but experienced high levels of commitment both from and towards their organisation. Organisational commitment did not moderate the effects of occupational stress on ill-health. Analysis of variance revealed differences between the levels of occupational stress and ill-health of demographic groups. Regarding a model of work wellness, the results showed that job demands contributed to burnout, while job resources contributed to work wellness (low burnout and high work engagement). Burnout mediated the relationship between job demands and ill-health; work wellness mediated the relationship between job resources and organisational commitment. Dispositional optimism moderated the effects of a lack of job resources on work engagement. Work wellness and health contributed to life satisfaction. Recommendations for future research were made.
Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Contemporary music for horn often requires techniques and musical or notational considerations that are unconventional with respect to the standard pedagogy of the instrument. As such, these considerations often represent a level of challenge to which the average-intermediate to advanced-hornist is unprepared to approach or altogether unfamiliar. The most prominent of these demands arising in the last few decades of the twentieth century through today include microtonality (such as extended just intonation and quarter tones), extended techniques in combination or juxtaposition (such as multiphonics and right hand technique), rhythmic complexity (including metric modulation, non-dyadic meters, additive rhythms, and nested tuplets), and unconventional notations (graphic, spatial, and other temporal notations). This document first surveys the challenges of the repertoire in question, which includes works by György Ligeti, Thea Musgrave, Milton Babbitt, Brian Ferneyhough, Iannis Xenakis, Heinz Holliger, and Douglas Hill, among others. After considering the merits and limitations of existing pedagogical materials that work towards these ends, the document then underlines a strategic pedagogical goal for understanding and approaching unconventional contemporary repertoire through newly-composed etudes. This document is written in conjunction with and justification for the author's 24 Unconventional Etudes for Horn, and includes examples therefrom.

Includes bibliographical references.
An hypothesised relationship between levels of proficiency in English of ESL (English as a Second Language) students and the approaches to learning which they adopt, in situations in which English is the language of instruction, is the focus of this study. An attempt was made to identify the extent to which students, who are required to learn in a second language, adopt undesirable approaches to learning as a consequence of linguistic or cultural factors. Such students appear to adopt reproductive strategies to pass examinations and retain only isolated pieces of information for practical application. In a sense, they graduate but remain unqualified. Quantitative responses of 307 students, relating to their contextualised perceptions of the demands of the learning situation, were gathered and analysed using a learning approach categorisation procedure. Qualitative responses of 120 students, relating to their descriptions of the context and content of learning, were gathered in semi-structured interviews to supplement and enrich the quantitive data collected. Levels of proficiency in the language of instruction were measured using integrative tests of comprehension of spoken discourse and written texts presented in actual lecture situations. Students were given the opportunity to rate the lectures and reading material from which they were expected to learn and self-esteem was measured as a construct considered likely to affect perceptions of the demands of the learning situation. Concurrently with the above, a group of students from each of 3 year groups was taught a new topic over a short series of lectures and tested for understanding in the language of instruction. Balanced groups, from each of the 3 year groups, were taught the same topic and tested for understanding in the mother-tongue. This procedure was subsequently replicated with a second topic of similar complexity, across all three year groups, with languages switched. Critical aspects of the teaching/learning situation were kept constant. These procedures provided compelling evidence, after analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, of a relationship between proficiency in the language of instruction and the ways in which students engage in learning tasks. Difficulty with the language of instruction appears to increase the demands of the learning situation and the likelihood of adopting reproducing strategies, which are not normally associated with success in terms of learning outcomes.

The goal of improving student achievement is of paramount interest to all public schools. The focus of this research was to determine the difference between inquiry based teaching strategies and student achievement. Additionally, the researcher investigated the origin of inquiry based teaching knowledge and International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP) affiliation. IBPYP affiliation was studied due to the nature of the IBPYP as an inquiry based philosophy of teaching. The McGill Strategic Demands of Inquiry Questionnaire (MSDIQ) was used to determine teacher beliefs of inquiry based teaching strategies. Student achievement was measured using Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test 2.0 (FCAT 2.0) levels. Results from the MSDIQ indicated strong beliefs among participants of inquiry based teaching indicators within three domains: planning, enactment, and reflection. The researcher recommended further research into the origin of inquiry based teaching strategies knowledge to determine accurate professional development from districts that require inquiry based teaching strategies in evaluation systems. In addition, further research was recommended to determine the relationship between IBPYP affiliation and student achievement.
Ed.D.
Doctorate
Teaching, Learning and Leadership
Education and Human Performance
Educational Leadership; Executive Track

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of parental support on social work students’ well-being. This study assessed social work students’ perspectives on perceived social support, financial support and the relationship between student stress levels and depression levels. The data was collected using quantitative surveys and was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS). A total of 64 students participated in the study. Results concluded that there was no relationship between parental financial support, parental social support, depression levels, and stress levels were not statistically significant. The study also revealed that parents did not contribute financially to social work students. It was also found that friends played a bigger role in social work students life compared to family. The study recommends increases educational materials on stress and depressive symptoms, training, support from staff, and a one-time mandatory mental health counseling session.

Background and Aim The South African higher education sector has undergone numerous changes over the past years due to external factors such as globalisation, managerialism and neo-liberalism (Ntshoe, Higgs, Higgs&Wolhuter, 2008). Furthermore De Villiers and Steyn (2009) add that state funding of higher education in South Africa has been decreased to such an extent that higher education institutions (HEI’s) have been unable to parallel the increase in the number of students enrolled per year. As mentioned by Mouton (2010) universities in sub-Saharan Africa continue to operate under conditions which are seriously under-resourced, which poses significant challenges for the scholars concerned. The changes in the Higher Education Institutional environment have forced HEI’s to increase their level of output in terms of: enrollments, qualifications awarded, research output and institution size and number of disadvantaged students (De Villiers&Steyn, 2009) in order to remain competitive. The number of changes in performance outputs as well as the growing market for competitive higher education (HE) has greatly impacted the job demands of academics in South Africa. The environment in which academics in South Africa function now demands more of them than in previous years. For example the employment relationship has changed (i.e. teacher-driven to student-driven), altering the type of work that people do, when they work and how much they do (Barkhuizen, Rothmann&Van de Vijver, in press). Accordingly, it appears that the job demands of academics have escalated, whilst the levels of support and other resources have declined. The objective of this study was to investigate whether job demands and resources are significant predictors of dispositional employability of academics in South Africa. Method A cross–sectional research design was followed. The Job Characteristics Scale developed by Barkhuizen and Rothman (2005) and the Dispositional Measure of Employability (Fugate&Kinicki, 2008) were used as measures in this study. A total of 360 questionnaires were sent out to the sample, of which 158 completed questionnaires were received, but only 146 of these responses could be used for data analyses. This represents a 40.55% response rate. Results The results showed that there is a significant relationship between job demands and the change identity of the academics and that job demands do act as a predictor of the dispositional employability of academics in terms of their change identity. No significant relationship between the job resources and the dispositional employability of the academics were found, however all of the dimensions of DE had a positive relationship with job resources. A significant relationship between job demands and the ethnicity, home language, age, the respondent’s job level and the number of hours they work was found. However, no statistically significant differences were found within gender, qualifications, job categories, years in service and the number of years in current positions. According to the results the white ethnic group experiences higher job demands than the black ethic group. Furthermore respondents speaking either Afrikaans or English experience higher job demands then respondents speaking indigenous languages. In relation to this, the age group 50 to 59 experience higher job demands compared to that of the age group 20-29. Associate professors experience higher job demands than junior lecturers. No significant relationship between the academics’ perception of their job resources and their demographic characteristics was found. There are significant differences between the DE of the academics and their ethnicity, home language, job category, years in service and hours of work. No statistically significant differences were found within gender, age, qualifications, job level or years in the current position. The Black ethnic group indicates higher levels of resilience and motivation compared to the other ethnic groups, and indigenous languages have higher levels of resilience compared to the other two language groups. Academics that function as both researchers and lecturers have higher levels of career proactivity compared to the academics that function only as a researcher or lecturer. Respondents that have been in the industry for between zero to 10 years have a higher level of resilience compared to the respondents who have served for longer. The working hours of group four (between 31 to 40 hours) show higher levels of resilience compared to the other groups.
Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2012.
Human Resource Management

According to recent nationwide surveys there have been dramatic increases in stress and serious stress-related health problems among Swedish adolescents. The aims of the present thesis were to investigate the prevalence of perceived chronic stress among sixteen-year-old adolescents who attended their first year at high-ranking high schools in the Stockholm area, to examine if factors that have been found to be relevant in the development of chronic stress among adults also contribute to chronic stress among adolescents, and to investigate the associations between chronic stress and sleep-related variables and academic achievement. Data were collected by means of self-report instruments. The main outcomes showed that a substantial number of individuals (30%) reported to perceive severe stress symptoms. The highest degree was perceived by 8% who suffered from symptoms to an extent which otherwise only has been observed among adult clinical burnout patients. Besides, 15% reported severe stress symptoms throughout high school and were thus considered to suffer from chronic stress. Perceived high demands, low global self-esteem, sleep disturbances and low social support were crucial factors in explaining stress symptoms. Another finding showed that perceived chronic stress was associated with adolescents’ academic achievement. A closer look at the potential contribution of sleep-related variables to academic achievement revealed further that, apart from severe stress symptoms, social jetlag was involved in predicting variation in academic achievement. Overall, the findings indicated that there is a high prevalence of chronic stress among adolescents. The results should be taken seriously, as young people’s sense of well-being during this period impacts both their successful transition into adulthood and their life course. Future research options and potential practical applications in terms of chronic stress prevention were suggested and discussed.

At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Submitted.

Video-On-Demand (VOD) has appeared as an important technology for many multimedia applications such as news on demand, digital libraries, home entertainment, and distance learning. In its simplest form, delivery of a video stream requires a dedicated channel for each video session. This scheme is very expensive and non-scalable. To preserve server bandwidth, many users can share a channel using multicast. Two types of multicast have been considered. In a non-periodic multicast setting, users make video requests to the server; and it serves them according to some scheduling policy. In a periodic broadcast environment, the server does not wait for service requests. It broadcasts a video cyclically, e.g., a new stream of the same video is started every t seconds. Although, this type of approach does not guarantee true VOD, the worst service latency experienced by any client is less than t seconds. A distinct advantage of this approach is that it can serve a very large community of users using minimal server bandwidth. In VOD System it is desirable to provide the user with the video-cassette-recorder-like (VCR) capabilities such as fast-forwarding a video or jumping to a specific frame. This issue in the broadcast framework is addressed, where each video and its interactive version are broadcast repeatedly on the network. Existing techniques rely on data prefetching as the mechanism to provide this functionality. This approach provides limited usability since the prefetching rate cannot keep up with typical fast-forward speeds. In the same environment, end users might have access to different bandwidth capabilities at different times. Current periodic broadcast schemes, do not take advantage of high-bandwidth capabilities, nor do they adapt to the low-bandwidth limitation of the receivers. A heterogeneous technique is presented that can adapt to a range of receiving bandwidth capability. Given a server bandwidth and a range of different client bandwidths, users employing the proposed technique will choose either to use their full reception bandwidth capability and therefore accessing the video at a very short time, or using part or enough reception bandwidth at the expense of a longer access latency.
Ph.D.
School of Computer Science
Engineering and Computer Science
Computer Science

Objetivo: Este estudio explora la manera que el personal docente e investigador (PDI) gestiona la interfaz trabajo-familia. Para ello, primero se definirá el trabajo del profesorado. ¿Qué implica ser profesor en la universidad? Segundo, ¿qué tipo de conflicto trabajo-familia (CTF) es común en el ejercicio de esta profesión? Tercero, ¿qué prácticas lleva a cabo el profesorado con tal de reducir el CTF y promover la facilitación o enriquecimiento trabajo-familia? Y cuarto, ¿qué diferencias existen según las variables tipo de contrato, etapa vital, y género? De acuerdo con estos objetivos, la revisión de literatura abordará los siguientes temas: 1) interfaz trabajo-familia (conflicto y facilitación), 2) sobrecarga de trabajo, 3) conceptos relacionados, incluidos el burnout y el engagement, 4) el marco teórico demandas-recursos (estrategias de afrontamiento), y 5) el trabajo del profesor universitario en el contexto español. Diseño y Metodología: Esta tesis adopta un enfoque cualitativo en el estudio de los antecedentes, consecuencias y estrategias de afrontamiento de la sobrecarga y del conflicto trabajo-familia. Un cuestionario respondido por 146 profesores y profesoras de universidades españolas pregunta abiertamente si ellos perciben que les falta, basta o sobra tiempo para realizar su trabajo, y cómo lo viven. Adicionalmente, se llevaron a cabo en Barcelona 17 entrevistas y 2 grupos de discusión. El trabajo de campo se completó entre primavera de 2007 y 2010. Los datos obtenidos de los cuestionarios, grupos de discusión y entrevistas fueron asignados como documentos primarios en el programa Atlas.ti para someterlos a un análisis de contenido temático. Resultados: El carácter multi-propósito del trabajo del profesorado, que combina actividades de docencia, investigación y gestión, es el principal factor de la sobrecarga de trabajo, y ésta, a su vez, es el principal factor de CTF. Además del triple perfil del profesorado, muchos están pluriempleados y algunos tienen participación política. Las tareas de gestión son vistas como labores para las cuales el profesorado no ha sido preparado, por lo que ella es fuente de estrés, burocracia y sobrecarga de trabajo que va en desmedro de la calidad de la docencia e investigación. Esta tesis hace un llamado a una mejor distribución de los recursos y del personal administrativo, para que éste actúe como soporte a las tareas nucleares de la universidad: docencia e investigación. Además de la sobrecarga cuantitativa del profesorado, también existe sobrecarga cualitativa, relacionada particularmente a dos áreas: desarrollo profesional y promoción, y control y satisfacción por el trabajo bien hecho. La carga laboral no es algo nuevo, pero en el pasado esta carga no había sido tan alta. Por ejemplo, hace veinte años atrás había menos presión social y presión autoimpuesta entre los profesores de la universidad. Había menos evaluación profesional, menos competencia por una plaza fija, y los profesores estaban menos expuestos a la comunidad académica global. Así, la sobrecarga laboral, definida en este estudio como la percepción de falta de tiempo para realizar el trabajo, es identificada como el mayor estresor en el ámbito familiar. Los antecedentes de la sobrecarga laboral se clasifican en tres: antecedentes personales, sociales y organizacionales. Los factores personales incluyen la presión autoimpuesta y desarrollo en la trayectoria académica, conflicto familia-al-trabajo, y deficiencia en autoeficacia. Para esta muestra, los factores sociales sólo incluyen la presión social. Y finalmente, los factores organizacionales consisten en sobrecarga de rol, falta de recursos/personal, distribución de tareas y horarios, y cambio, burocracia y sobrecarga de información. Por otra parte, las consecuencias de la sobrecarga laboral pueden clasificarse en tres categorías: consecuencias en la salud física y psicológica, en la familia, y en el trabajo. La primera categoría incluye distrés psicológico e impacto emocional, e impacto en la salud y hábitos saludables. Consecuencias familiares se refieren al conflicto trabajo-a-la-familia, y al impacto en el tiempo personal y social. Por último, las consecuencias laborales abarcan la calidad del trabajo, satisfacción, participación, motivación y clima laboral. Entonces, ¿qué hacen los profesores para reducir el CTF? Este estudio considera sólo la una demanda del ámbito laboral: la sobrecarga de trabajo cuantitativa. Del ámbito no remunerado, considera las demandas familiares (tareas de cuidado y ocio de familiares) y demandas domésticas (como la limpieza, compras, presupuesto y finanzas del hogar). Los recursos (estrategias de afrontamiento) han sido clasificados en tres tipos: absorción de la carga, reducción de la carga, y reducción del distrés, creando así una taxonomía particular al profesorado español. Muchas estrategias se superponen y se usan tanto para afrontar la sobrecarga de trabajo como las demandas doméstico-familiares, simultáneamente. Generalmente, los profesores afrontan de manera diferente según el ámbito de procedencia de la demanda. Sin embargo, el impacto que las estrategias utilizadas tendrán sobre el otro ámbito son continuamente consideradas. Esto les ayuda a decidir, aunque en muchas ocasiones no hay elección. Ciertas estrategias, como las orientadas a absorber la carga de trabajo, parecen contradictorias, pues ellas crean o intensifican el conflicto con el cuidado de los hijos. En otras palabras, estrategias de aumentar la jornada laboral tiene consecuencias en el conflicto temporal, en detrimento de otras demandas que compiten por ese tiempo, del equilibrio trabajo-familia, y del bienestar general. Inevitablemente, el estrés surge cuando las demandas exceden los recursos disponibles. Para el estrés, los profesores tienen estrategias de reducción del distrés que apoyan y amortiguan los efectos de las consecuencias para absorber y reducir la carga. Esta tesis identifica dos estilos o perfiles extremos de afrontamiento entre profesores que perciben una alta carga de trabajo: los “sobrecargados y quemados” y los “sobrecargados y engaged”. Los primeros tienen un estilo de afrontamiento reactivo y preferencias por estrategias de segmentación, mientras que los segundos afrontan proactivamente y tienden a integrar el trabajo y la familia. Las estrategias orientadas a absorber la sobrecarga laboral, especialmente la práctica de trabajar más horas, promueven la cultura del presentismo. Es decir, mientras los profesores trabajen más horas, esa práctica se vuelve normal y deseable, por lo que luego se hará más difícil ejercer estrategias en el sentido contrario. Esto cuestiona el poder de agencia del docente para actuar con libertad. Se identifican diferencias entre algunas variables como el tipo de contrato (fijo o temporal), la etapa vital y el sexo/género. El trabajo academic parece ser más difícil para mujeres jóvenes, sin plaza fija, y personas con hijos pequeños o el primer hijo. Limitaciones: Se reconocen varias limitaciones: 1) el carácter transversal de su diseño, 2) la existencia de un único codificador/analista, y 3) la coincidencia del período de trabajo de campo (2007-2010) con el apogeo de la crisis económica y el potencial impacto de ésta en los datos. Implicaciones: La tesis señala unos aspectos de las condiciones de trabajo del profesorado universitario español (y por las referencias de la literatura, del personal académico considerado a escala global) que constituyen importantes factores de riesgo psicosocial, y por tanto unos puntos de referencia para las correspondientes políticas preventivas. Se hace un llamado a utilizar como variable independiente la jornada laboral efectiva (consecuencia de las estrategias personales para absorber la carga), en vez de las horas de trabajo reflejadas en el contrato, o la carga de trabajo objetiva para estudiar el campo trabajofamilia. La razón de esto es que las horas de trabajo más allá de la jornada normal de trabajo inciden y contribuyen fuertemente en el conflicto trabajo-familia. Además es una medida subjetiva. Contribución: El valor de esta tesis reside en enfocar la investigación en el campo trabajo-familia sobre una profesión, país y contexto contingente particular: el personal docente e investigador en España. Los resultados demuestran que algunas estrategias personales de afrontamiento para absorber la carga laboral (como aumentar la propia jornada laboral) predice el CTF. Dos perfiles de estilos extremos se han identificado, lo cual ayuda a entender por qué aumentar las horas de trabajo tiene algunas veces consecuencias negativas y otras no. Palabras Clave: Interfaz trabajo-familia, sobrecarga de trabajo, estrategias de afrontamiento, académicos.
Background: In our knowledge society, it is common to experience work without boundaries. Some occupations such as self-employed professionals, physicians and academics can work longer hours, which leads to work-family conflict (WFC) (Byron, 2005; Frone, 2003; Eby, Casper, Lockwood, Bordeaux and Brinley, 2005). Time flexibility has been offered by employers as the most common prescriptive approach to providing a balance between work and life for their employees (Cully, Woodland, O’Reilly and Dix, 1999; Dex and Smith, 2002; Hogarth, Hasluck and Pierre 2000). However, problems concerning coping with work and domestic responsibilities remain especially acute for employees with caring responsibilities and especially women (Major, Klein and Ehrhart, 2002; Schwartz and Scott, 2000). But what happens when the work environment is flexible? Is it flexible enough to partially resolve WFC? Purpose: The general goal of the present study was to explore how professors manage the work-home interface. Therefore, the study aims to define professors’ work and specify how work can cause WFC, to identify the type of WFC events the exercise of this profession can entail, and to examine the strategies employed to reduce WFC and enhance work-family facilitation (WFF). According to the aims, relevant literature was reviewed on the following issues: 1) workfamily (life) interface (conflict and facilitation), 2) work overload, 3) related working concepts, including burnout and engagement, 4) the demands-resources framework (coping strategies), and 5) the professor’s work and the Spanish context. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach was used to investigate the work-family (WF) interface antecedents, outcomes and coping strategies. A survey administered to 146 female and male Spanish university professors enquired if they perceive a lack of, a sufficient amount of, or a surplus of time to perform their work. Seventeen interviews and two focus groups were also conducted in Barcelona. The fieldwork was conducted during spring 2007 and 2011. A questionnaire, focus group and interview transcripts were entered as primary documents into the Atlas.ti software for qualitative analysis, where a Thematic Content Analysis was conducted. Findings: A unique set of WF interface antecedents, outcomes, coping strategies and linkages to other factors were identified in the professors’ responses. Some professors have more than one job, some because they wish to, and others because they need to. Some may also have a presence in the political arena. Participants consider that the main task contributing to work overload is dedication to service, which means time and energy that comes from the teaching and researching realms. Only a few professors like to perform service tasks. The majority feel frustrated when obliged to carry out service tasks, since they have not been prepared to do so. This is also related to the lack of staff and resource complaints. The Teaching and Research Academic Staff (Personal Docente e Investigador, PDI) feel a lack of control when performing service tasks. However, these tasks also constitute unpaid work and it is simply their turn to do service work. Service position or tasks are also notorious for their excess paperwork. Professors that perceive a lack of time usually identify some areas of their working life in which they require more time. Two fields were detected: professional development and career advancement and control and satisfaction concerning work well done. Was a heavy workload always experienced? Twenty years ago, there was less social pressure and less self-imposed pressure. Professors were subject to fewer appraisals and less competition, and people were less exposed to the global academic community. Work overload (as a perceived lack of time to complete work) is the main stressor in the family domain. Professors’ work overload is due to the very nature of the profession and the multi-purpose nature of their work: teaching, research and service. Antecedents can be classified into three main categories: personal, social and organizational antecedents. Personal antecedents include self-imposed pressure and career development, family-to-work conflict (FIW), shortcomings in personal organization and shortcomings in self-efficacy. For the project sample, social antecedents only concern social pressure, and organizational antecedents comprise role overload, lack of resources/staff, task and schedule distribution, unforeseen events, change, bureaucracy and information overload. On the other hand, outcomes of work overload can be classified into three categories: physical and psychological/health outcomes, family consequences, and work consequences. The psychological/health outcomes category features the following aspects: psychological distress and emotional impact and impact on health and healthy habits. Family consequences consist of work-to-family conflict (WIF) and impact on social and personal time. Finally, work consequences involve work quality, satisfaction, participation, motivation and working climate. What do professors do to reduce WFC? For the purposes of the study, only one demand of the work domain has been considered: work overload (related to teaching, research and service activities). From the unpaid work domain, family (tasks and leisure related to kinkeeping) and home activities (i.e. housework, grocery shopping, budgeting and management of household finance) have been considered. The resources (coping strategies) are classified into three main coping styles: load absorption, load reduction and distress reduction, thereby creating a particular taxonomy of coping strategies for Spanish academics. Many strategies overlap and are employed to cope with work overload and family/home demands simultaneously. People cope differently according to the demand domain. However, professors evaluate the consequences generated by a certain strategy in one field on the other field. This helps them decide. However, on many occasions, there is no choice. This situation sometimes makes strategies seem counterproductive. For instance, there are some strategies for absorbing work overload (e.g. working longer hours at the office, working on Saturdays at the university or working at night) that create or intensify conflict with childcare. In other words, the behavioral-based strategy of working long hours has consequences on time-based conflict, to the detriment of competing demands and the work-family balance. In particular, the strategy of working longer hours than usual is an antecedent of work-family conflict. Stress inevitably surfaces when professors perceive that demands exceed the resources available. Professors have their own supportive coping strategies for stress, which are classified under the style known as distress reduction. Coping strategies aimed at absorbing workload, especially those related to exceeding working hours and having to work at home, reverberate in an increase of professors’ WF conflict and a decrease in perceived well-being. The coping style of absorbing the work overload encourages a culture of presenteeism. In other words, the practices change the structure (i.e. working culture), meaning that professors have little freedom to act, thus calling coping agency into question. Two extreme profiles have been identified (i.e. the “overloaded and burned-out” and the “overloaded and engaged”) in coping with work overload according to reports of experience. The relationship held by both profiles with the perception of work-family interface has been demonstrated. Engaged participants are involved in strategies that integrate the work and family domain and proactive coping (engaged professors are more likely to tackle demands while relieving pressure), and the burned-out are less flexible with work and home boundaries (segmentation) and have a preventive coping style. Changes in three variables are particularly relevant in professors’ work. The first is related to whether they have a temporary contract or tenure. The second concerns their life stage, and the third, the gender role. Academy seems to be harder for young women, not-tenured, and with young children. Limitations: The current research is not without its limitations. The cross-sectional research design implies that the postulated relationships between work overload and work-family conflict and vice versa cannot be interpreted causally. The study has also only had one analyst/encoder. A weakness of the study is that it is limited by a convenient sample of academics at one major university, as interviews and focus groups were conducted in Barcelona, and it also represents higher educated Spanish employees. The extent to which the findings can be generalized to employees in other cultural contexts with a lower level of education is unknown. The processes of conducting interviews and focus groups were carried out in Barcelona, and it is assumed that the study is representative of the situation among professors across the country given that the questionnaires were distributed across the entire country. In order to maintain the privacy of study participants, specific data regarding their discipline/profession was not collected. Therefore, future work should include information concerning academic disciplines/professions as the area in which one works may have a different work-family culture. Theoretical Implications: The purpose of this study was to contribute to the literature on both the work-family interface and work overload. Firstly, this study provides the antecedents and outcomes of work overload in a particular occupation and culture, namely, academics in Spain. This study identifies and describes the strategies for coping with work overload and it also determines three styles and two modes of coping. Results demonstrate the qualitative relationship between work overload and WFC. Secondly, this study contributes to coping theories in WF literature. It affords the specific coping strategies employed by professors at public universities in Spain in order to struggle with work and family/home demands. It was found that strategies are more effective when used together, and that some practices to absorb work overload may lead to WFC, which is consistent with emergent research. Practical implications: WF scholars have studied work overload in terms of objective working hours rather than focusing on perceived work overload (and lack of time to carry out the work). This study clearly shows the linkages among antecedents, outcomes and coping strategies regarding work overload and family-to-work conflict. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to use perceived work overload or lack of time as independent variables. Ideally, to make a step forward, researchers should address the coping strategy of working beyond normal hours to tackle workload as a variable affecting the WF interface instead of objective working hours or workload, as was done in the past. This study clearly shows the linkages among antecedents, outcomes and coping strategies concerning work overload and family-to-work conflict. Researchers are encouraged to use perceived work overload or lack of time as independent variables. Furthermore, professors’ work overload outcomes have a devastating impact on WF balance and well-being, as well as on work quality and stress that subsequently reverberates in student learning. Originality/value: The main contribution of this research consisted of setting WF research in a particular profession and context: teaching and research professors in Spain. It also recognizes that particular spillover coping strategies are predictors of WFC. Two extreme profiles for coping with the WF interface were identified, which facilitate the understanding of the reasons why working long hours sometimes has negative outcomes whereas, in other situations, it does not. Keywords: Work-family interface, spillover, work overload, coping strategies, academics.

This study is a critical analysis of doctoral accounting education. Its mandate is to examine the extent to which existing university programmes in accounting meet the needs of those concerned with the education of academic accountants; to consider ways in which universities could improve options for the education of accountants; to explore the continuing major shortage of accounting faculty; and to analyze the resource requirements, especially human resource requirements and their impact on university based accounting education in Canada. What do we expect from accounting schools? What do we want them to do besides helping to educate accountants? What kind of accounting education do we want them to dispense? Who is the better judge of student needs, the accounting professoriate or the accounting practitioners? Is the relationship between the professoriate and the accounting practitioner symbiotic or a superior-subordinate situation? What can be done to: 1) increase the number of applications for admission to accounting Ph.D. programmes? 2) shorten the duration of the Ph.D. programme? 3) increase non-government financial support to universities? 4) improve financial rewards for Ph.D.s? 5) market academic accounting as an exciting career? These are typical questions that evolved and were dealt with in this research effort. It is evident that the present state of accounting education in Canada is a cause of deep concern for many who are directly involved with it. The severe shortage of academic accountants coupled with the market demand for better trained, professionally qualified accountants has put a great strain on universities. The demand for a larger commitment to accounting education is occurring at a time when programmes are under severe financial constraints. Given the circumstances, it should not be surprising that there is much discontent with the status of accounting education.This paper researches the educational issues involved and suggests respective educational policies in resolving them. It also explores the accounting labour market and evaluates the ramifications that various policies have upon it. Concentration on particular segments of accounting education is highlighted and justified by the asymmetry that characterizes the contribution of these elements to doctoral education in accounting.

The cities are being presented as commodities with their constructed images. Their names are being transformed to brand names, of entertainment, culture etc. Tourism industry is the main actor of this process. In my study on the relationship between tourism industry and its effects on the built environment of the city, the present study focuses on Batumi, a resort city of Georgia. A massive construction activity is being conducted in the city aiming to create tourist attractions, which include the creation of international chain hotels, beautification of public spaces and regeneration of the beach line. The city of Batumi, which has a long history as a port city and also as a resort mainly attracting tourists from the neighboring countries to Georgia, is undergoing a rapid change that transforms the city into a space of consumption. This change, including creation of tourist enclaves, commodification of heritage, gentrification and refashioning the city to create particular ways of seeing reflects the impact of consumption culture on tourism.

A laboratory economy was created to test the influence of both market power and low income elasticity of demand on the terms of trade. The Prebisch-Singer "Theory of Unequal Exchange" predicts that terms of trade worsen for developing countries, due to low income elasticity of demand for their primary product exports. A model is presented to show that, ceteris paribus, the terms of trade improve with population growth and differential technological progress. The effect of market power on the terms of trade was analyzed by comparing a 'competitive' market, a primary commodity cartel, and an industrial monopoly. The competitive (price taker) model predicts declining prices in both markets and worsening terms of trade as production grows. The cartel model predicts higher prices of the primary product, which increase as income grows, lower prices of the manufactured product, and better and improving terms of trade. The monopoly model predicts lower prices for primary commodities, higher and increasing prices in the market for manufactured products, and lower and worsening terms of trade. Experimental results. Trading occurred in a multiple-unit double auction. Prices usually converge from above in both markets. Only sellers succeed in exploiting their market power, buyers fail to do so. In the competitive design, prices in both markets generally converge to the competitive equilibrium. The terms of trade worsen in all experiments as income grows (caused by the low income elasticity of demand), confirming the prediction of the Prebisch-Singer model. The commodity cartels increase primary export prices, but cannot stop the decline of prices when income increases. They cannot decrease prices of the manufactured product. Terms of trade for the cartels are usually better and do not always worsen. Earnings of industrialized countries facing the cartel are lower than competitive, but earnings of the cartel members are not significantly higher. The single industrial country fails to lower prices for primary products, but can charge higher prices for manufactured products. Terms of trade usually improve as income grows, contradicting both the competitive and the cartel model. When the monopoly faces a cartel, a substantial deadweight loss occurs.

Long-range demand planning and capacity management play an important role for policy makers and airline managers alike. Each makes decisions regarding allocating appropriate levels of funds to align capacity with forecasted demand. Decisions today can have long lasting effects. Reducing forecast errors for long-range range demand forecasting will improve resource allocation decision making. This research paper will focus on improving long-range demand planning and forecasting errors of passenger traffic in the U.S. domestic airline industry. This paper will look to build upon current forecasting models being used for U.S. domestic airline passenger traffic with the aim of improving forecast errors published by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Using historical data, this study will retroactively forecast U.S. domestic passenger traffic and then compare it to actual passenger traffic, then comparing forecast errors. Forecasting methods will be tested extensively in order to identify new trends and causal factors that will enhance forecast accuracy thus increasing the likelihood of better capacity management and funding decisions.
B.S.B.A.
Bachelors
Business Administration
Finance

Bibliography: p. 175-197.
Academic libraries in South Africa are facing the challenge of tighter budgets, increasing student enrolments, greater diversity in students' backgrounds and library experience, and a call for greater accountability to all the stakeholders. The effectiveness of a library service can be measured in terms of the availability and accessibility of library materials, two attributes of a library's document delivery capability. This study focused on the availability of prescribed materials for undergraduate students in an academic library. It involved a micro-evaluation of the immediate materials availability rate in a short loan collection, by using a combination of a quantitative simulation study, and a qualitative user survey. Generally, the availability rates determined were high, which suggests a high degree of collection adequacy. However, the user study confirmed that many SLC users experienced difficulties in using the system, indicating a need for continuous user education programmes and constant dialogue between the staff and the users concerning future service improvements. The study indicated that overall materials availability rates can be misleading if accepted at face value. A introspective analysis of the reasons for the non-availability of high-demand materials revealed hidden access barriers such as poor information retrieval skills on the part of the users and certain inefficient organisational procedures on the part of the library. The study reiterates the fundamental importance of constructive communication between the various stakeholders in meeting the educational goals of the institution and the necessity of regular library performance evaluation to ensure a dynamic, proactive service. The coexistence of print-based and electronic resources in the forseeable future underscores the importance of convenience and accessibility factors in making required documents available to the users.

This thesis examines the determinants of student demand for higher education (HE) in Jordan with special attention devoted to the role of expected rates of return (ERRs) to HE. In the context of economic theory, mainly Human Capital Theory (HCT), earnings expectations lie at the heart of students' post-secondary education decisions. Therefore, the study is primarily based on final-year secondary school students' HE decisions and starting earnings expectations. The starting earnings expectations are critically analysed and used to construct short-cut ERRs to HE. Also, comparisons between expected starting earnings and actual public sector starting wage rates are carried out. The findings lend support to the economic explanations of demand and, in particular, the HCT predictions. Through applying logistic models, the study finds that ERRs influence students' post-secondary education decisions to enrol in HE positively. Students from low-income and large families are found to be less likely to consider continuing into HE. Consistent with the empirical literature, student academic ability is also reported to impact positively the likelihood to consider enrolment. Other variables such as parents' level of education and student's area of residence are proved not to be significantly associated with demand. Consumption value of education is greatly perceived, however, among both groups of the participants (i.e. those intending to undertake HE and those not). This indicates a weak prediction role of consumption motives in student demand for HE. Overall, the analysis also indicates a strong role of education in determining students' starting earnings expectations. Furthermore, the calculated ERRs show females to expect higher return from HE than males, a pattern matching with the most recent Jordanian study of rates of return (RORs) to education (Talafeh, 2003). However, students appear to be overoptimistic regarding starting earnings for both secondary education and HE. In this regard, the analysis suggests that students do not base their starting earnings expectations on the current actual wage rates, a finding to consider in future RORs and ERRs and their link with demand for HE studies in the context of Jordan. devoting more resources towards poor students, particularly those characterised with high-academic ability. Making students better-informed about HE and labour market return and conditions may also enhance the efficiency of individual decisions on HE and contribute to alleviating the mismatch between HE and the labour market in the country.

Thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirement for the degree Master of Education in the Faculty of Education and Social Science at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012
Education has become an area of concern both in South Africa and the rest of the world. As a result there has been an increase of about one per cent on the average number of learners in South Africa schools (Collin, 2005), especially with the ‘education for all’ policy. Learner increase requires large numbers of teachers because they play a critical role in achieving the post-apartheid transformation and development agenda (Asmal, 1999). However, there are many disturbing reports that point towards large numbers of teachers leaving the education profession in both primary and secondary sectors. Many factors have rendered education an area of distress both in the Western Cape, South Africa and elsewhere in the world today. One of these factors is the mismatch between demand and supply of teachers which is arguably exacerbated by shortage of teachers. The aim of this study is to (i) uncover factors that influence demand, supply and shortages of teachers among a select Western Cape Secondary Schools in order to (ii) primarily explore mechanisms and strategies that the selected schools employ for combating teacher demands, supply and shortages. The question following from these aims is: “How do some secondary schools in the Western Cape manage the tensions created by demand, supply and shortages of teachers?” The study employs the qualitative research method that has utilised an exploratory research design to meet the research objectives. Secondary school teachers, principals, ex-secondary school teachers and deans/directors of schools/faculties of education make up the target population for this study. The sample constituted thirty participants that were purposefully and conveniently selected. The finding in the study reveals that teacher demand and supply in the Western Cape is influenced by similar factors that occur elsewhere in the world. However the schools employ many ways to deal with teacher shortages, some of which are preventative or curative of the problem of teacher shortages. What is worth-noting is that since public schools in Western Cape are owned and funded by the provincial government, principals are limited in what they can do as most of the strategies require a high level of monetary commitment.

This research explores how volunteer service can be both included and impactful in strategies to address local challenges. Prior research would suggest that volunteer service has largely been overlooked when it comes to governmental efforts to solve society's biggest problems, particularly at the local level. Ignoring the potential for volunteer service in problem-solving approaches may hinder the development of effective problem-solving strategies. This research describes the ways cities drive demand for volunteer service. In particular, volunteer service demand can be explained through certain motivational bases—economic, aspirational, and need-based—together with various feasibility considerations. A grounded theory model for volunteer service demand from the perspective of the city and a generalized logic model for service as a strategy to address local challenges are presented.
Ph.D.
Doctorate
Dean's Office, Health and Public Affairs
Health and Public Affairs
Public Affairs

Thesis (M. Tech.) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2006
Demand-side management (DSM) is one of the integrated energy planning concepts that has only recently been introduced in South Africa. This concept needs to be fully developed in order to suit current industrial development situations. South Africa’s coal and water reserves will not last forever because of the growing population and the accompanying demands on our energy resources {[5] of Chapter 1]}. Therefore the demand-side interventions are considered on an effective means of overcoming these problems. The traditional approach of electrical energy utilisation by Eskom and its customers has to be reviewed. Socio-economic and environmental development benefits must also be reviewed. Advanced research on demand-side management has benefited the international world tremendously and this kind of research should also be done in South Africa. The research project for this study as described from chapter 1- 8 was undertaken to show the potential implementation of demand-side management and its interventions (DSM programme) on the Theunissen-Brandfort Pumps 11kV feeder (TBP). This would result in the generating of potential energy and cost-savings that would flow from the feasible DSM programme. This would be measured and verified by billing the actual saved energy at the TBP electrical system for the future. Every potentially saved-energy means one less potential reduction in emission. The case studies were conducted on Eskom’s entire TBP network and on four large power users which were identified and which provided the relevant potential results. Methodological design protocol processes for best-practice pollution prevention and the efficiency-energy (EE) audit protocol model, with its accompanying goal and objectives were used. The project concentrated on EE and time-of-use (TOU) factors related to the selected customers and the TBP as a whole, thus: potential Replacement and Rewinding of low efficiency with higher efficiency motors and the TBP feeder potential Load-Shifting. The stages within the EE, LS and DSM project process which were used for potential implementation are the following: project identification, energy audits and assumptions and recommendations for implementation. The M&V interaction with DSM, EE or LS project processes (methodology) for future implementation purposes (actual retrofitting) is also shown. The TBP feeder collective baseline (Figure 6.2) was quantified by trapezium rule. The feasible EE and LS programmes opportunities analysis on motors and the entire TBP were performed by inference and stipulation techniques and the potential energy reduction effects using a simulation programme called International Motor Selection and Savings Analysis (IMSSA). The potential LS programme was also performed based on the Eskom’s miniflex tariff defined time of use. TBP plant-wide EE and LS assessments conducted with the methodology mentioned, identified and quantified a total of two EE savings opportunities and were divided into four categories: those for short-term, long-term, none and best solution potential implementations (Table 7.9). As far as indirect results are concerned, DSM is a very new concept in South Africa and is consequently not well known. The study was based on simplicity in order to make the DSM subject very simple and easily accessible to future research. By using a simple and userfriendly IMSSA software programme, quick, relevant results were obtained. The study played an important role in influencing and educating interested parties about the importance of potential demand-side management concepts and objectives. The study compiled valuable information on EE, DSM (LS) and M&V that was previously unknown and, which will make future research much more accessible and manageable. It is recommended that all the motors identified as inefficient be rewound and replaced by new and efficient ones in the future. It is also very important that the potential LS programme be implemented only after these potential EE opportunities are implemented so that there will be sustainability and the DSM objectives may be achieved (Table 7.10). The project led to better grasp of electric energy consumption by the customers. From a socio-economic perspective, Eskom can distribute the surplus potentially saved energy of capacity at the TBP to other communities, which would also create employment if a new network could be built. Allocation of potentially saved energy to other population groups or customers of low-income groups in the Theunissen area would mean a significant lifestyle change. With regard to environmental benefits, previous research has proven that for every kWh of electricity saved, fewer emissions (e.g. C02) would be generated at the power station. The study addressed TBP-wide power use, focusing primarily on the demand-side interventions, but implications for improvements in the supply-side emission reductions were also considered.

This item is only available in print in the UCF Libraries. If this is your Honors Thesis, you can help us make it available online for use by researchers around the world by following the instructions on the distribution consent form at http://library.ucf.edu/Systems/DigitalInitiatives/DigitalCollections/InternetDistributionConsentAgreementForm.pdf You may also contact the project coordinator, Kerri Bottorff, at kerri.bottorff@ucf.edu for more information.
Bachelors
Business Administration
Economics

A region's evacuation strategy encompasses a variety of areas and needs. Primary among these is the minimization of total evacuation time, represented in models as the clearance time estimate (CTE). A generic testbed simulation network model was developed. An input/output (I/O) analysis was performed to establish a theoretical baseline CTE. Results were compared with simulations; analysis showed that the I/O method underestimated simulated CTE as a function of network size, with a correction factor range of 1.09 to 1.19. A regression model was developed for the generic network. Predictors were total trips, and network size defined as a function of origin-destination distance. Total Trips ranged between 40,000 and 60,000. Holding size constant, R-squared values ranged from 97.1 to 99.3, indicating a high goodness of fit. Holding Total Trips constant, R-squared values ranged from 74.5 to 89.2. Finally, both Total Trips and size were used as predictors; the resulting regression model had an R-squared value of 97.3. This overall model is more useful, since real world situations are not fixed in nature. The overall regression model was compared to a case network. The generic network regression model provided a close CTE approximation; deltas ranged from -4.7% to 8.6%. It was concluded that a generic network can serve as a surrogate for a case network over these ranges. This study developed and evaluated heuristic strategies for evacuation using the generic network. Strategies were compared with a simultaneous departure loading scenario. Six different grouping strategies were evaluated. An initial evaluation was conducted using the generic network, and strategies that showed potential CTE reduction were implemented on the case study network. Analysis indicated that the HF-10 (half-far) grouping for 60k total trips showed potential reduction. A complete simulation was conducted on the case network for all HF scenarios; an ANOVA was run using Dunnett's comparison. Results indicated that the HF grouping with 20% and 30% departure shifts showed potential for CTE reduction. From this it was concluded that the generic network could be used as a testbed for strategies that would show success on a case network.
Ph.D.
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Engineering and Computer Science
Civil and Environmental Engineering

Thesis (D. Tech. (Engineering: Electric)) -- Central University of technology, 2012
Because power generation relies heavily on electricity demand, consumers are required to wisely manage their loads to consolidate the power utility‟s optimal power generation efforts. Consequently, accurate and reliable electric load forecasting systems are required. Prior to the present situation, there were various forecasting models developed primarily for electric load forecasting. Modelling short term load forecasting using artificial neural networks has recently been proposed by researchers. This project developed a model for short term load forecasting using a neural network. The concept was tested by evaluating the forecasting potential of the basic feedforward and the cascade forward neural network models. The test results showed that the cascade forward model is more efficient for this forecasting investigation. The final model is intended to be a basis for a real forecasting application. The neural model was tested using actual load data of the Bloemfontein reticulation network to predict its load for half an hour in advance. The cascade forward network demonstrates a mean absolute percentage error of less than 5% when tested using four years of utility data. In addition to reporting the summary statistics of the mean absolute percentage error, an alternate method using correlation coefficients for presenting load forecasting performance results are shown. This research proposes that a 6:1:1 cascade forward neural network can be trained with data from a month of a year and forecast the load for the same month of the following year. This research presents a new time series modeling for short term load forecasting, which can model the forecast of the half-hourly loads of weekdays, as well as of weekends and public holidays. Obtained results from extensive testing on the Bloemfontein power system network confirm the validity of the developed forecasting approach. This model can be implemented for on-line testing application to adopt a final view of its usefulness.

The petroleum industry is currently moving to meet the ever-rising demand for oil and gas production. As onshore fields become depleted and decline in production, exploration and production companies have started venturing further offshore. To support this activity, there is need for new subsea production technologies to develop deepwater and ultra deepwater fields.Woodside Hydrocarbon Research Facility (WHRF) at Curtin University of Technology is working on natural gas dehydration processing using gas hydrate technology. Through the studies, a novel gas dehydration process has been developed and now proposed for subsea application. Natural gas dehydration processes generate both a treated dry gas stream and a waste stream of condensate consisting of both hydrocarbons and water. This condensate can be reinjected to the reservoir formation but this is not always economic or practical. Availability of an alternative means of treatment and disposal of the condensate would be advantageous. This study aims to investigate and to provide a basis for the design of such an alternative scheme by constructing a floating separator for the treatment and disposal of waste condensate from subsea dehydration stage.A model was developed to simulate the process of evaporation of condensate from the proposed floating separator. The calculations were performed taken into account zero wind speed and an ambient temperature around 34 C. The simulation results showed that condensate skimming time was found to be 15 days for flowrate (Qin) of 100 bbd associated with specific separator diameter and total height dimensions. By considering the ratio of diameter to total height of 2.5, the floating separator was designed to enhance the evaporation rate and to get overall structure stability due to the mechanical restrictions that might be encountered in the sea.

Title from PDF of title page.
Document formatted into pages;
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of South Florida, 2001.
Includes bibliographical references.
Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format.
ABSTRACT: Current learner-centered trends, such as supplying students with content on demand (CoD), coupled with research findings that indicate distributed practice is superior to massed practice in terms of increased memory function and that the Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) is superior to traditional instruction in terms of academic achievement, content retention, and student satisfaction, prompted an investigation merging these two lines of research. Although PSI is more feasible today based on advances in technology and students prefer its self-paced component, they often procrastinate. In fact, this problem is resurfacing in distance education courses and is reflected in low completion rates as well as in the number of nonstarters. Numerous researchers have used deadline contingencies to reduce procrastination without adversely affecting student achievement and satisfaction, but few have considered the benefit of enhanced memory.
ABSTRACT: It was hypothesized that, by providing students with CoD, a lesser form of self-pacing, and by using contingencies to regulate the pace of assignment submissions, procrastination would be reduced and content retention subsequently increased without detriment to immediate achievement and student satisfaction. To quantify differences in procrastination level, a comprehensive, sensitive, and reliable measure of procrastination, called the rate of relative digression from a target response (RDTR), was proposed. Undergraduate, preservice teachers in an instructional technology course were randomly assigned to one of three treatments. All groups were given the same deadlines. For one treatment, the deadlines were recommended (R) with one absolute deadline at the end of the treatment interval. For another they were conditional (C) with opportunities to earn bonus and penalty points for early and late work.
ABSTRACT: For a third, they were all absolute (A) with no assignment accepted for credit after its due date. Although many problems experienced by students in A made findings for this group inconclusive, analysis of differences between students in R and C indicated that C was superior in reducing procrastination and enhancing memory function without detriment to immediate achievement, pacing preference, and course satisfaction. Although more research is needed to replicate, extend, and clarify findings, these results support using conditional deadlines for assignments when learners are supplied CoD.
System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Over the past decades, cost-effectiveness principle or cost-benefit analysis has been employed oftentimes as a typical assessment tool for the expansion of drinking water utility. With changing public awareness of the inherent linkages between climate change, population growth and economic development, the addition of global change impact in the assessment regime has altered the landscape of traditional evaluation matrix. Nowadays, urban drinking water infrastructure requires careful long-term expansion planning to reduce the risk from global change impact with respect to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, economic boom and recession, as well as water demand variation associated with population growth and migration. Meanwhile, accurate prediction of municipal water demand is critically important to water utility in a fast growing urban region for the purpose of drinking water system planning, design and water utility asset management. A system analysis under global change impact due to the population dynamics, water resources conservation, and environmental management policies should be carried out to search for sustainable solutions temporally and spatially with different scales under uncertainties. This study is aimed to develop an innovative, interdisciplinary, and insightful modeling framework to deal with global change issues as a whole based on a real-world drinking water infrastructure system expansion program in Manatee County, Florida. Four intertwined components within the drinking water infrastructure system planning were investigated and integrated, which consists of water demand analysis, GHG emission potential, system optimization for infrastructure expansion, and nested minimax-regret (NMMR) decision analysis under uncertainties. In the water demand analysis, a new system dynamics model was developed to reflect the intrinsic relationship between water demand and changing socioeconomic environment. This system dynamics model is based on a coupled modeling structure that takes the interactions among economic and social dimensions into account offering a satisfactory platform. In the evaluation of GHG emission potential, a life cycle assessment (LCA) is conducted to estimate the carbon footprint for all expansion alternatives for water supply. The result of this LCA study provides an extra dimension for decision makers to extract more effective adaptation strategies. Both water demand forecasting and GHG emission potential were deemed as the input information for system optimization when all alternatives are taken into account simultaneously. In the system optimization for infrastructure expansion, a multiobjective optimization model was formulated for providing the multitemporal optimal facility expansion strategies. With the aid of a multi-stage planning methodology over the partitioned time horizon, such a systems analysis has resulted in a full-scale screening and sequencing with respect to multiple competing objectives across a suite of management strategies. In the decision analysis under uncertainty, such a system optimization model was further developed as a unique NMMR programming model due to the uncertainties imposed by the real-world problem. The proposed NMMR algorithm was successfully applied for solving the real-world problem with a limited scale for the purpose of demonstration.
ID: 031001428; System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader.; Mode of access: World Wide Web.; Adviser: Ni-Bin Chang.; Title from PDF title page (viewed June 24, 2013).; Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Central Florida, 2012.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 120-131).
Ph.D.
Doctorate
Industrial Engineering and Management Systems
Engineering and Computer Science
Industrial Engineering

As urban population across the globe increases, the demand for adequate transportation grows. Several strategies have been suggested as a solution to the congestion which results from this high demand outpacing the existing supply of transportation facilities. High –Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes have become increasingly more popular as a feature on today's highway system. The I-95 Express HOT lane in Miami Florida, which is currently being expanded from a single Phase (Phase I) into two Phases, is one such HOT facility. With the growing abundance of such facilities comes the need for in- depth study of demand patterns and development of an appropriate pricing scheme which reduces congestion.This research develops a method for dynamic pricing on the I-95 HOT facility such as to minimize total travel time and reduce congestion. We apply non-linear programming (NLP) techniques and the finite difference stochastic approximation (FDSA), genetic algorithm (GA) and simulated annealing (SA) stochastic algorithms to formulate and solve the problem within a cell transmission framework. The solution produced is the optimal flow and optimal toll required to minimize total travel time and thus is the system-optimal solution. We perform a comparative evaluation of FDSA, GA and SA non-linear programming algorithms used to solve the NLP and the ANOVA results show that there are differences in the performance of the NLP algorithms in solving this problem and reducing travel time. We then conclude by demonstrating that econometric forecasting methods utilizing vector autoregressive (VAR) techniques can be applied to successfully forecast demand for Phase 2 of the 95 Express which is planned for 2014.
Ph.D.
Doctorate
Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering
Engineering and Computer Science
Civil Engineering

碩士
輔仁大學
圖書資訊學系
86
The impacts of such internal and external factors as the rapid development of information technology and the concept of user-oriented services on academic libraries, have made it necessary to reform the organization charts and service patterns of these libraries. In the future, the major considerations for the development of academic libraries shall be the capability of providing information and the quality of services, as well as the users'' satisfaction they may acquire. In order to satisfy different type of users, library services are to be user-oriented, with regards to the users'' expectations for services and adequate understanding of their demands. If they can take the user-oriented approach for the modification of their organizations, the promotion of their services, and even the planning of all those, academic libraries shall be able to earn better acknowledgment from their users in terms of role positioning and role functions. This study aims primarily at the research into certain issues of the organizations and services in academic libraries. Questionnaires were sent to the professors and graduate students of the College of Agriculture, National Taiwan University, as the samples for surveying the users'' information seeking behavior and expectations for services. The result of this investigation is expected to be for the libraries'' reference in all aspects of library planning, especially in the aspects of organization structure and service pattern. It is so hoped that academic library services some sort of satisfactory professional and personified services to the users. From the study of the literature searched and the findings from the investigation effort, this paper proposed a couple of suggestions in terms of ：(1)organization model; it is suggested that subject divisions and research interests should be the major criteria used for the decisions on issues such as centralization or decentralization of library collections and/or administrative units, with the primary concerns in supporting teaching and research in the community; (2)services: academics libraries are to be reminded of the urgent need for the planning and implementation of well-rounded online public catalog systems, of the cooperative interrelationship with the users'' most frequently used libraries and information services units off campus, of more specific and personified professional services with the aid of high information technology, of more specialized collections (with emphasis on professional journals), and also of strengthened document delivery services, and the others.

碩士
國立臺灣體育學院
體育研究所
90
This research is aimed at looking into the features and differences in attitudes academic and vocational high school students in Nantou Country hold toward recreation sports facilities and sports themselves, further to provide some advice for the school authorities and educational researchers when scheming recreation sports policies and projects and some guidelines for the government authorities incharge of physical education. To this end, make a questionnaire out of different documents gathered from with this questionnaire, then make a survey among eleven different fields academic and vocational high school students in Nantou Country. In an optional sampled way, there have been 1200 successful questionnaires completed. The following important conclusions are obtained by several analytical statistic methods including percentage rates, average numbers,Chi-square, independent sample t-test. 1.Students participate in recreation activities and sports with great frequency, but the time they spend is short. 2.Students have different demands for different sports facilities. 3.The demand for recreation sports grounds is stronger than for those skill- competing ones. 4.Different sexes have different attitudes only toward recreation sports competitions and achievements. There is no remarkable difference in the other respects. 5.Recreation sports attitudes have nothing to do with the kind of school. 6.Students from different schools have different ideas about competitions and achievements. 7.This research is both useful and valuable for the administrative department in making policies. Key words : recreation sports, recreation sports facilities, recreation sports attitudes

The well-being of first-year students in higher education institutions needs particular attention as their level form the foundation for future graduates, and subsequent employees. It is an important focus area for research and intervention. First-year higher education institutions’ student drop-out rate in South Africa is said to be alarmingly high and therefore a cause for concern. An overload of tasks and related time pressure associated with studies is often a reality for first-year students. The problem is compounded when such students are academically and socially unprepared to participate in higher education. The attraction to higher education institutions is that graduates enjoy a higher status in our society as they are seen to play a particularly important role in managing the knowledge-driven economy. The significance of this status relates to the extent of the application of knowledge to the economy, a status which provides competitiveness among nations. Students need to be physically healthy, psychologically well, engaged and satisfied with their lives for their well-being, and subsequently achieve their academic goals. If appropriate and timely, support and resources provided by higher education institutions can play a positive role in the first-year student transition into higher education and thereby minimise the possibilities of student burnout and ill health, whilst increasing the experience of engagement and satisfaction with life. The study aimed to assess the relationship between demands, resources, burnout, engagement, health and satisfaction with life for first-year students at higher education institutions in South Africa and to test a model of well-being for these students. A cross-sectional survey design was used to gather data regarding the burnout, engagement, ill health, and life satisfaction experienced by students. A convenience sample (N = 936) of first-year students at three campuses of two higher education institutions participated in the study. The measuring instruments used were the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, a biographical questionnaire (including questions about available resources), Study Demands-Resources Questionnaire, Health Questionnaire, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. The results of study 1 showed that the students obtained somewhat higher mean scores on engagement compared to burnout. Significant effects on burnout and engagement were made by influences that included whom the student lived with, the distance between home and university campus during studies, frequency of visits to home, employment status of parents, frequency of library use, and gender. No relationship was established for place of residence with burnout and engagement. Study 2 showed that a measure of study demands and resources for students was sufficiently reliable and valid to be used for assessment. Results showed a statistically significant relationship between each observed variable and its respective construct. A positive relationship between study resources and satisfaction with life, as well as a negative relationship between study demands and satisfaction with life were found, which provides additional evidence for the construct validity of a measure of study demands and resources. Age was significantly related to study resources and satisfaction with life. The results of study 3 showed that study demands and a lack of study resources (including the intrinsic nature of study tasks, relationships with lecturers and social support of peers) were positively associated with burnout. The availability of study resources was positively associated with psychological well-being and engagement. Burnout predicted psychological unwell-being symptoms, while engagement predicted satisfaction with life. Burnout partially mediated the relationship between a lack of study resources and psychological unwell-being, while engagement partially mediated the relationship between the availability of study resources and satisfaction with life.
PhD (Industrial Psychology)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015

Thesis (Master of Public Health)--University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, 1997.
eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

碩士
國立交通大學
資訊學院碩士在職專班數位圖書資訊組
98
At present, Academic libraries will continue to manage the way of books for the CD Attached with Books, thus derived some displayed, borrowed and lost compensation problems. This paper deploy a Disc-on-Demand System to solve the management of libraries in problems of CD Attached with Books. Core of the system is a Representational State Transfer (REST) style Application Programming Interface (API) based on the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and Extensible Markup Language (XML), this paper also used the API and File Space on User System (FUSE) technology to make the Windows Explorer as GUI. Readers do not need to learn another user interface mode of operation. Disc-on-Demand System which can control the access amount to CD Attached with Books and can be used immediately when log in ,no need to search CD Attached with Books, download the image file and install a virtual CD-ROM application not only solve all above problems but also the exist system problems. Been tested using Disc-on-Demand System to read CD Attached with Books seven times faster than the use of CD-ROM drive.

M. Tech. Electrical Engineering.
Discusses the study objectives as follows: 1. Description of the extent of roll-out of SHW (Solar Water Heater) as a DSM (Demand Side Management) Programme in Botswana. 2. Identification of SWH implementation obstacles/barriers in Botswana. 3. Provision of a strategy for SWH data capture and verification in Botswana. 4. Evaluation of SWH performance through field measurements. 5. Prediction of SWH performance results using performance predictive simulation models. 6. Extrapolation/quantification of the impact of SWH. 7. Provision of energy management/planning/forecasting tool.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1994.
Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 253-266).

碩士
國立臺灣師範大學
教育研究所
92
This study attempted to understand the junior high school (JHS) teachers’ demand and their satisfaction with academic administration quality through questionnaire survey. Questionnaire survey was proceeding that sampling from 480 teachers at 17 different junior high schools of Taipei County. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, Scheffe’ method were used for data analysis. According to the results of this research, the following conclusions were obtained： 1.The priority quality among the six aspects that teachers demand for providing from school academic-administration was from creating a supporting teaching-environment, constructing a harmonic and cooperative humans relationship, ensuring teaching quality, building a learning atmosphere, assisting up-gradation of teachers’ professional knowledge, promoting school curriculum. 2. Based on the variables of school-term, including school scale number, school age and school location, the results in teachers’ demand for academic administration quality showed no apparent differences. Whereas, based on the variables of personnel-term, including teachers’ sex, age, working position, working years, academic degree, teaching subject and assigned to subject Committee-in-Chief or not, showed a significant discrepancy. 3. JHS teachers’ satisfaction with current academic administration quality arrived at a mid-level. The priority of teachers’ satisfaction with school academic administration in aspects is separately from creating a supporting teaching-environment, building a learning atmosphere, ensuring a high-level teaching quality, constructing a harmonic and cooperative human relationship, assisting up-gradation of teachers’ professional knowledge, promoting school curriculum. 4. Based on the variables, JHS teachers’ satisfaction with current school academic administration quality showed pronounced differences not only in school terms of both school location and school scale, but also in personnel terms of both teachers’ sex and working position. 5. According to the degree the gap between teachers’ demand and satisfaction in aspects by turns are creating a supporting teaching-environment, constructing a harmonic and cooperative human relationship, assisting up-gradation of teachers’ professional knowledge, promoting school curriculum, ensuring a high-level teaching quality, and building a learning atmosphere. 6. Based on the variables, JHS teachers’ satisfaction with current academic administration quality showed pronounced differences in school terms of both school location and school scale and in personnel terms of both teachers’ sex and working position.

M. Tech. Civil Engineering
South Africa is categorized as a water stressed country and it is forecasted to experience physical water scarcity by the year 2025 with a yearly water availability of less than 1000m3 per capita. Continuous pollution of the available water resources from the sources, and the high population growth and its attributes will increase pressure on the available resources and probably resulting in increased conflicts over allocations and more stress resulting in water scarcity. The overall aim of the study was to develop tools and strategies for Water Demand Management in Mabopane, Garankuwa and Winterveldt, which are the areas supplied by Sandspruit Works Association.

碩士
國立屏東科技大學
科技管理研究所
96
Most of previous research relating incubators only focuses either on incubators or tenants. It would fail to identify the perceptive differences between them. This thesis conducts a comprehensive survey on 79 academic innovation incubators and 922 tenants to investigate the perceptive differences between them. Totally, 53 valid questionnaires were collected from academic innovation incubators, with a valid return rate of 67%, and 215 valid questionnaires were collected from tenants, with a valid return rate of 23.32%. The results show that academic innovation incubators provide adequate services of human resources, technology, space and physical facilities, and they indicate services of human resources, technology, and general administration are important for their tenants. On the other hand, tenants indicate that services of human resources, law and information are more important, and they indicate academic innovation incubators provide adequate services of human resources, technology, space and physical facilities. It is also found that the biotech industry needs to access the labs in the universities, but not other major industries. IT industry needs more space and physical facilities than the rest of industries do. Suggestions to authority, incubators, tenants, and potential tenants are also made.

碩士
開南管理學院
航運與物流管理系碩士班
94
The emergence of e-commerce and globalization have forced the enterprise has no choice but to provide efficient international logistics service to meet the demand of major customers, moreover, quick respond to the market. As a consequence, the competitive advantages of international business have become the effectiveness and efficiency of supply chain, and the synergy to be enjoyed in related logistics activities. The quick development in international logistics industry has, as a consequence, widened the gap between the skills and professional knowledge of the practitioners educated by academics and the demand of the industry. This study tries to quantify the differences between them, and provide advices to narrow the gap. The first step of research is literature review, to collect the courses provided by academics. These courses are further divided into groups, to design the questionnaire to be answered by senior managers. Analytic Hierarchy Process has been used to quantify the answers collected from the questionnaires. The differences between the industry and academics are found and the results could be good references for the academics to design the courses to meet the demand of international logistics industry.