Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Creative orientation'

Creative Journeys contribute to our knowledge of how practical ontology navigates multi-perspectives through an auto-ethnographic journey with material. I investigate how it may be possible to navigate geographic locations – Norway, Britain and Spain – through knitting as an approach to practical and philosophical exploration. In Creative Journeys I am in a process of reflexive practice, engaged in external and internal dialogue, haptic encounters, challenges and creative action. My thesis suggests that engagement with material is a fluid process and understanding evolves, so too does my journey in life. In such circumstances material functions as a mediator; creates a bridge between hand, movement, time and space. Material transcends boundaries, assists orientation and facilitates articulation of aesthetics, reminiscence, symbols, patterns, colour, sensory appreciation; all of which contribute to an understanding of relationships. Body is material and being conscious of body movement with the rhythm of diverse locations enables me to make connections through daily events, to attune to different atmospheres. In such a journey there are moments of harmony and misunderstanding, discord and adjustments; interruptions occur with energy and disrupt patterns of life. These are crossing points which enable me to experience myself through the perspective of the other; to understand how situated knowledge changes in relation to diverse perspectives; and to understand how I may contribute to the social fabric of life of diverse locations through the art of paying attention to detail. Creative Journeys are investigated through three questions: How do I relate to the world? How do art subjectivities manifest themselves through art practice? How does art evolve through relations? The questions are examined within the perspective of situated knowledge; subjectivities; material of location and practice. Investigating material in the context of these questions provides opportunities to develop capacities to navigate social, cultural and political orientation, economy, health, race, gender and belief, which all impact on the journey. My approach to the thesis evolved through my relations with creative works of knitted artefacts which I documented in personal journals. The components of practice have woven threads of inquiry through theory and reflective critical practice and form an aspect of the viva voce examination. Along with the illustrations they contribute to 20% of the written component of the thesis.

Past research has shown that both creativity and religious orientation are related to psychological wellbeing. There has also been some support for the idea that a relationship exists between creativity and religiosity. The present study sought to determine whether the interaction between creativity and religious orientation would be a significant predictor of psychological wellbeing. Psychological wellbeing, in the current study, was defined as the linear composite of life satisfaction, meaning in life, and purpose in life. The independent variables were measured using the Religious Orientation Scale, the Religious Orientation Scale Revised, and the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking. Dependent variables were assessed via the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Scales of Psychological Wellbeing Short Forms, and the Life Attitude Profile Revised. Questionnaires were administered to 291 college students at a mid-western university. Individuals were identified as being either high or low in creativity and as either intrinsic or extrinsic with respect to their religious orientation. A final participant sample participant sample of 120 participants was retained for analysis and a two by two factorial MANOVA was performed to determine if creativity and religious orientation would interact. While the results of the study suggested that creativity and religious orientation were both significant predictors of psychological wellbeing, the interaction of these variables was not found to be a significant predictor of psychological wellbeing. The independent factor of creativity was found to be a significant predictor beyond the .05 level for psychological wellbeing, satisfaction with life, purpose in life, and meaning in life. Similarly, religious orientation as an independent factor was found to be a significant predictor beyond the .05 level for psychological wellbeing, purpose in life, and having meaning in life. While this data is consistent with the current literature, religious orientation was not a significant predictor of life satisfaction. It was postulated that the lack of interaction may have been attributed to low variability in test scores, developmental characteristics of the sample, and/or the more precise psychometric properties of the instruments used in the current study. Recommendations for future research were suggested.<br>Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Anno 2013 Europe resides in a severe economic crisis that has been lasting for five years. Companies are struggling to deal with the influences of this crisis and require strategic insights to maintain performance. According to theory entrepreneurship and innovation are central mechanisms in the creation of wealth in the capitalist system and an entrepreneurial strategy could provide relatively much benefit in a crisis period. This study focuses on the central question:  How does an entrepreneurial orientation affect the performance of companies in the economic crisis? To answer this question a variety of theories on entrepreneurship, innovation and the creation of wealth in capitalism were examined. On many occasions quantitative research has been performed to measure the relationship between an entrepreneurial orientation and performance. This study provides an extra dimension by using archival financial data of companies during and before the crisis to draw comparisons and examine developments in performance in relation to an entrepreneurial orientation. Data on the entrepreneurial orientation was collected with an online survey which was sent to companies. The results of the survey indicated the degree of entrepreneurial orientation of the companies in separate categories; innovativeness, proactiveness and risk taking. The results were linked to their financial performance which was obtained from a database. Comparisons between the performance before and during the crisis in relation to the scores on entrepreneurship were made, and the development of their financial performance since the crisis was examined. The results of this study indicate that an entrepreneurial orientation has a relatively more positive influence on performance during the crisis. However the relationship between an entrepreneurial orientation and performance is highly dependent on the company and type of industry so no unilateral positive correlations with performance were found. For a set of industrial, manufacturing, chemical and service companies the development of the financial performance since the crisis is highly positively correlated with innovativeness and proactiveness. For a set of other company types including foundations, (public) utility companies, (public) real estate companies, construction companies, trade and investment firms no correlations were found. The findings in this study indicate that depending on the type of company and industry, an entrepreneurial orientation can have a strong positive effect on the development of financial performance in the crisis.

Aiming to better understand how empowering leadership affects employees' innovative performance, this research examines this relationship by reviewing the existing leadership and innovation literature, then theorizing and testing the extent to which employees' entrepreneurial orientation mediates it. This research also proposes that the effect of empowering leadership on followers' entrepreneurial orientation will vary according to the presence of different moderating variables. Hence, the moderating effects of the employees' value of openness in the relationship between empowering leadership and employees' entrepreneurial orientation are examined. Similarly, the effects of the employees' creative self-efficacy in the relationship between employees' entrepreneurial orientation and their own innovative performance are explored. In the study, supervisor-employee matched data from seven factories across three provinces in China were collected. The results of the data analysis supported the association between empowering leadership and employees' innovative performance, as well as the mediating effect of employees' entrepreneurial orientation. The moderating effect of employees' creative self-efficacy was also supported. However, the moderating role of the value of openness was not significant. These findings enable us to better understand the mechanism by which an empowering leader influences employees' innovative performance. It also explains how this process of influencing is subject to employees' various individual characteristics.

Encouraging employees to contribute their unique creative outputs to an organization can be a pivotal source of innovation and continuous organizational growth. Cognitive diversity has been demonstrated to increase group creativity, but the same effect on an individual level at multinational corporations has not yet been tested. Using a sample of 122 employees currently employed at Japan-based organizations/companies in the U.S., this study theorized that cognitive diversity was predicted to significantly interact to influence individual creative performance, and that power distance orientation mediates such a relationship. Several simple and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to test the model. The results showed that cognitive diversity significantly predicted individual creative performance. Although the mediation effect of power distance orientation was not detected on a relationship between cognitive diversity and individual creative performance, a moderating effect was identified through an exploratory analysis. This study concludes with a discussion on the contributions to cognitive diversity and the implications of the results for research and potential future research objectives.

How we approach a poem changes it. Recently, it has been suggested that one readerly approach - a bodily orientation characterised by distance, suspicion, and resistance - risks becoming reflexive, pre-conscious, and predominant. This use-oriented reading allows us to destabilise, denaturalise, dissect, defend, and define poetic texts through its manifestation in contemporary literary critique, yet it is coming to be regarded as the sole manner and mood of intelligent, intellectual engagement. In this thesis, I demonstrate the need to pluralise this attentive orientation, particularly when it comes to contemporary lyric poetry. I suggest how an overlooked mode of response might foster a more receptive mode of approach: the 'co-creative' response. Lyric poems mean to move us, and they come to mean by moving us. Recent 'simulation theories of language comprehension', from the field of cognitive neuroscience, provide empirical evidence that language processing is not a product of a-modal symbol manipulation but rather involves 'simulations' by certain classes of neurons in areas used for real-world action and perception. As habituation and abstraction increase, however, these embodied simulations 'streamline', becoming narrow schematic 'shadows' of once broad, qualitatively rich simulations. Poems, I suggest, seek to reverse this process by situationally novel variations of language, coming to mean in the broadly embodied sense in which real-world experiences 'mean'. Readers are asked to 'enact' the poem, to 'co-create' its meaning. Where critique traditionally requires that readers resist enactive participation in the aim of objective analysis, the co-creative response - a response 'in kind' by imitation, versioning, or hommage - asks readers to receive and carry forward the enactive unfolding of a poem with a composition of their own. I assert that, by thus responding with - rather than to - poems, we might foster an attentive stance of active receptivity, thereby coming to understand poems as the enactive phenomena they are.

Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti IX-XI klasių mokinių asmenybės bruožų ir motyvacinės orientacijos sąsajas su kūrybinio mąstymo rodikliais. Tyrime dalyvavo 199 Kauno Antano Smetonos vidurinės mokyklos ir Neveronių vidurinės mokyklos IX-XI klasių mokiniai (berniukai ir mergaitės). Tyrime buvo naudojamas F. E. Williams Kūrybiškumo įvertinimo testas (angl., The Creativity Assessment Packet), R. R. McCrae ir P. T. Costos Asmenybės bruožų klausimynas (angl., BIG5) ir T. M. Amabile, K. G. Hill, B. A. Hennessey, E. M. Tighe Motyvacijos skalė (angl., Work Preference Inventory (Student Form)). Tyrimo duomenų analizė parodė, jog didėjant mokinių atvirumo patyrimui rodikliams, didėja jų kūrybinio mąstymo rodikliai – originalumas, išbaigtumas, pavadinimas. Didėjant mokinių ekstraversijos ir neurotiškumo rodikliams, didėja vienas kūrybinio mąstymo rodiklis pavadinimas. Tuo tarpu 2 mokinių asmenybės bruožai: sutariamumas bei sąmoningumas nėra susiję nei su vienu kūrybinio mąstymo rodikliu. Darbe patvirtinta prielaida, jog didėjant mokinių vidinei motyvacijai veikti, didėja jų kūrybinio mąstymo rodikliai – originalumas, išbaigtumas, pavadinimas. O didėjant mokinių išorinės motyvacijos pripažinimo subskalei, mažėja vienas iš kūrybinio mąstymo rodiklių - išbaigtumas. Taip pat iš tyrimo rezultatų matyti, kad vidinė motyvacija veikti veikia, kaip mediatorius, kūrybinio mąstymo ir 3 asmenybės bruožų - atvirumo patyrimui, ekstraversijos ir sąmoningumo - ryšyje. Tačiau išorinė motyvacija nėra asmenybės... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]<br>The aim of the study was to assess relationship among students personality Traits, Motivational Orientations and indicators of Creative Thinking in IX through XI grades. 199 students from IX-XI grades in Kaunas Antanas Smetona and Neveronys secondary schools participated in the study. F. E. Williams The Creativity Assessment Packet was used to measure indicators of Creative Thinking. R. R. McCrae and P. T. Costos BIG5 Questionnaire was used for personality traits evaluation. T. M. Amabile, K. G. Hill, B. A. Hennessey, E. M. Tighe Work Preference Inventory (Student Form) was used to measure motivational orientation. The statistic analysis showed that Creative Thinking indicators originality, elaboration and title increase when students openness to experience indexes grow. When students extraversion and neuroticism increase, their indicator for Creative Thinking - title - grows. Student Personalily Traits: agreeableness and conscientiousness are not related to any indicator of Creative Thinking. An assumption that when students intrinsic motivation to work increases, indicators originality, elaboration, title of Creative Thinking go up, was sustained. And when the outward scale of extrinsic motivation increases, students indicator for elaboration decreases. The results showed that intrinsic motivation mediates the relationship between Creative Thinking and openness to experience, Creative Thinking and extraversion, Creative Thinking and conscientiousness. But extrinsic... [to full text]

This study employed the theoretical framework of Albert Bandura???s social cognitive theory, to investigate how differing levels of self-efficacy impact on both the type and degree of self-regulatory behaviour employed by the students when composing music in a high school music program. The literature review revealed an abundance of related research suggesting a strong relationship between self-efficacy and self-regulated behaviour in the ???core??? academic domains of education. In contrast, there was no specific research found that had examined self-efficacy and self-regulation in the context of students composing music. An independent school in Sydney served as the research site, with sixty-eight students of varied year levels and musical experience participating in the study. Students used stand alone computers, the software ???Cubase??? and MIDI keyboards as they completed a task that involved creating an original piece of music in a genre of their own choice, over a series of four composition sessions. A mixed methodology was employed to determine if the influence of the students??? self-efficacy beliefs upon their self-regulation in a creative activity were consistent with existing research. Data were collected using a mixture of weekly measures and self-report scales, combined with a variety of questionnaires, logs, tally sheets and interviews. Eight variables, including the self-regulatory sub-processes of goal setting-strategic planning, intrinsic motivation, goal orientation, task expectation, time on task, task completion, monitoring were analysed together with an additional variable, defined as creative ability, to determine if evidence could be found of a relationship between self-efficacy and these specific behaviours while composing. The results suggest that the pre-task (Week 1) measure of self-efficacy was closely associated with the students??? use of the eight self-regulatory dimensions as well as their perceived level of creative ability. Weekly self-efficacy measures also suggested that students??? employ self-regulated sub-processes proportionally to their respective levels of self-efficacy. Importantly, the more efficacious students employed a wider and more sophisticated repertoire of self-regulated behaviour when composing in contrast to the less efficacious students. Self-efficacy was also identified as a key factor amongst students who were initially identified as being naive self-regulators, but who through the duration of the task, modified their behaviour to become more skilful self-regulators. Throughout the study, the consistent level of interaction between self-efficacy and the use of self-regulated behaviours were aligned with findings in the core ???academic??? disciplines of education.

Pentecostalism has grown from its founding days in 1900 in Topeka, USA and has extended its reach to most parts the world including Africa where it took off in the 1970s and continues to grow with many mega churches being established. In addition to their main role of taking care of the spiritual development of their followers, many Pentecostal churches have begun to get involved in provision of social and economic goods and services. This has however attracted attention to the churches with some of them being labelled as businesses, their founders being considered as entrepreneurs hiding under the guise of churches and seen as exploiting their followers. The purpose of the thesis is to explore, through research questions, if entrepreneurial activities are carried out in the Pentecostal churches in Uganda and if so, whether such activities can be considered productive, unproductive or destructive entrepreneurship and what their implications are. This qualitative study employed qualitative methods of data collection and deductive approach with primary data collected through semi-structured interviews with 6 members of Pentecostal churches in Kampala and 1 non-member that regularly goes to Pentecostal churches to get a feel of their activities. The findings show that there the Pentecostal churches carryout a number of entrepreneurial activities that address spiritual, social and economic aspects of the church members and the community. The study further shows that some of these entrepreneurial activities have a positive impact on the church members and the community and by extension the state whereas some activities do not improve the church members and the community and others have a negative impact on the church members and the community. It is shown through this thesis that determining the implication of the entrepreneurial activities is complicated when such activities are lumped together and not considered individually since some of the activities in the Pentecostal may be productive while some may be unproductive or destructive. The contribution of this thesis is by proposing a matrix as an alternative tool for analysis of the various entrepreneurial activities in the Pentecostal churches by considering their effect on different stakeholders to determine if the activity achieved the reason for its establishment.

This doctoral thesis focuses on creative online advertising in the context of understanding the value orientation of Czech consumers. By interactions of creative campaigns and national culture of target country aspects businesses can achieve a competitive advantage in the field of digital marketing communications. The main objective of the thesis is to create a concept of creative use of online advertising in the Czech market in relation to the cultural values of Czech consumers as a factor of increasing the competitiveness of Czech companies. The result of the thesis is a design that represents the creative elements of interactive online campaign to Czech national culture, defined as the value orientation by Schwartz according to targeting to defined age group of consumers and it also defines the effective use of online ad formats.

This paper reports the initial investigation of the possibility of identifying an entrepreneurial orientation among subjects who have undergone a venture identification and creation experience. The basis for the development of the measurement model were characteristics identified from the literature as forming the emerging entrepreneur paradigm. The purpose of the longitudinal research is to establish a methodology for the identification of people possessing entrepreneurial potential and whose further development could then be encouraged. Variables in the model which proved to be predictors of entrepreneurial orientation included Locus of Control which is a very strong entrepreneurial orientation. Attitude Towards Risk proved to be a predictor of a general interest in entrepreneurial activities, supporting findings in the literature. Significantly, a new variable was identified out of scales measuring Personal Objectives (PO). A strong link was found between the nature of personal skill advantages, objectives and interests fulfilled during the experimental project and entrepreneurial orientation. SOMMAIRE Cet article rend compte de travaux initiaux sur la determination de l'esprit d'entreprise de sujets qui ont fait une experience supposant la prise de risques et un recours à la création. Le modèle de mesure a été élaboré à partir de caractéristiques trouvées dans les livres pertinents sur ce qui constitue l'archetype de l'entrepreneur en puissance. La recherche longitudinale vise a trouver des méthodes pour déterminer les personnes douées d'un esprit d'entreprise dont on peut favoriser le développement. Parmi les variables du modèle qui se sont révélées être des indices d'esprit d'entreprise, figure le "lieu géométrique d'autorité", un critère très important. II s'est avéré que l'attitude face au risque était un indice d'intérêt général pour les activités reliées à l'esprit d'entreprise, ce qui corrobore les constatations des écrits sur la question. Une nouvelle variable a été dégagée des échelles qui mesurent les objectifs personnels(OP). On a, en effet, découvert un lien étroit entre les aptitudes, les objectifs et les intérêts personnels concrétisés au cours du projet expérimental, d'une part, et l'esprit d'entreprise, d'autre part.<br>This research was funded in part by a Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada block grant.

This thesis explores the relationship between a firm's supply chain and a firm's degree of market orientation and economic performance. The results suggest that certain types of supply chain design - in particular those models that make for close links with the firm's customers - lead to superior marketing and shareholder value. Two sets of environmental forces have been particularly influential in reshaping supply chains over recent years. One is the enormous growth in production capacity, especially in the Far East, which has lead to more industries operating with excess capacity. Production skills and resources were once seen as at the heart of a firm's core capabilities and the source of its competitive advantage. Today, in more and more sectors, the key skill is marketing - creating customer preference in oversupplied markets through branding and customer relationship management. Downstream activities in the supply chain have risen in prominence compared to upstream activities. The second change has been the information revolution brought about by the computer and the Internet. This has lowered the transaction costs of integrating the activities performed by the different businesses constituting a supply chain and made it increasingly attractive to achieve control without ownership. Supply chains can now become networks integrated through seamless in formation exchanges We explore these changes at the microeconomic level. The research draws upon the existing literature and on primary data including exploratory interviews, main-study in-depth interviews and survey data. Matched pair samples of 20 high performance and 20 low performance business units based in the UK provided the main body of data results. Data analysis involved four distinct phases; within case analysis and cross case analysis for the qualitative data collected; exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to identify dimensions of influence as a method of integration; discriminant analysis and Lambda to investigate the association between supply chain configuration typologies, market orientation and business performance. Two major contributions stem from this research. First, the interdisciplinary domain for supply chain configuration can be established. Whereas traditionally competitive advantage has been built through a focus on operations efficiency - streamlining processes to reduce cost, today increased communications, global markets and the speed at which Internet technologies are developing, demand and facilitate an additional perspective for supply chain management - the effectiveness perspective. The concept of effectiveness brings the subject of supply chain management from the sphere of operations management into the domain of marketing strategy. From this perspective the building, maintenance and management of customer relationships becomes central to the supply chain configuration. Highly efficient production processes, where fiercely protected technical know-how enables the delivery of superior quality products, no longer acts as a sustainable source of competitive advantage. To achieve this, firms must focus on two principle activities: building brand value and carefully fostering relationships with key customers. For firms positioned upstream in the supply chain, building a strong brand identity offers potentially a means to integrate downstream with both customers and consumers. The second contribution comes from the association of supply chain configuration with other variables. Our results show a relationship between market orientation, business performance and supply chain configuration. We conclude that companies are beginning to recognise opportunities that arise from using technology and information to blur traditional boundaries between suppliers, manufacturers and end users. We discuss how technology enables co-ordination across company boundaries to achieve new levels of efficiency and effectiveness, as well as extraordinary returns to investors. For example, a company, its suppliers, and even its customers might begin to share information and activities to speed the design of a product and raise the likelihood of its success in the marketplace. This should enable suppliers to begin developing components before the overall product design is complete, providing vital timely feedback regarding component specification, cost and time objectives. Equally, customers are able to review a product as it evolves and provide input on how it meets their needs. Managers must concern themselves with the design stages of the product and facilitate knowledge and information flows through the entire supply chain. Business seems to be on the threshold of a new era of inter-firm relationships. Supply chain customers sharing the same suppliers are able to provide leadership, encouraging shared distribution systems and payment/ordering systems. Over capacity in firms forces such considerations. Collaborative approaches can drive down costs and ultimately offer improved services for consumers, making available the goods they want, where and when they want them. But this configuration of an interconnected, interdependent supply network requires much more openness. Interfirm boundaries must become almost invisible. Trust, commitment, open communication and information sharing must permeate the culture of partnering firms. The sharing of real time customer information both within and between firms facilitates the reduction of inventory and increases speed to market, reducing risk and increasing cost savings. Customer information provides a sound basis for segmenting markets, allowing the understanding of customer needs to develop in a deeper way. This customer closeness gives access to information critical in aiding accurate forecasting which is central to the elimination of unnecessary costs and enabling firms to dramatically extend the value they deliver to customers thus creating competitive advantage. Shrinking the time and the resources it takes to meet customers' needs in a world where those needs are constantly changing is the challenge. As Wayne Gretzky, the famous hockey player explained, "the key to winning is getting first to where the puck is going next". The same could be said about succeeding in business. Listening to customers and then using and sharing this most valuable information resource throughout the supply chain will be the key.

Librarians at East Tennessee State University conducted a voluntary focus group of international students to better understand the academic needs of the growing population. Students participated in a full-day discussion concerning academic staples such as planning and studying, finding and reading, and writing and citing. After a long exchange on communication and cultural differences, the students endorsed a new workshop on academic writing proposed by the librarians. This workshop will become part of the existing sequence of nine graduate-level research support offerings given by the Library for graduate students and faculty.

Globalisation and competition from low-cost countries has pushed manufacturing firms towards offering services to remain competitive. However, increasing the service orientation of a manufacturing firm to find new ways of value (co-)creation has presented several challenges, such as the fact that services do not provide the expected revenues, and resistance from both the sales force and from customers towards services. The aim of this thesis is to understand challenges linked to increasing service orientation in manufacturing firms, by means of goods and service business logics. The thesis emphasises the three dimensions of business logics – value perspective, service business strategy, and service offering – and studies them empirically in service divisions in the pulp and paper industry and in the automotive industry. The findings show that firms with inconsistency between the three dimensions face certain challenges. Most often, the firms have a value perspective of goods business logic, but a service business strategy and a service offering of service business logic. Therefore, the most important and most difficult challenge to overcome in order to increase a manufacturing firm’s service orientation is the employees’ value perspective. Three service manoeuvres were key to overcoming this challenge: changing employees’ mind-sets, starting to value services, and separating products and services. Although separating products and services could be assessed as a service manoeuvre consistent with goods business logic, it facilitated an increased service orientation. The fact that goods business logic manoeuvres led to a higher degree of service orientation, whereas service business logic manoeuvres did not always do so, is discussed as a service orientation paradox.

Entrepreneurial activities and venture creation among youths represent one of the key drivers of job creation and economic growth (OECD, 2016; Acs, 2006). What influences individual entrepreneur to business start-up remains an enduring issue of interest in academic research on entrepreneurship. Recent studies suggest that the institutional context plays a key role in influencing individual behaviour, as well as in facilitating entrepreneurial climate for new ventures. Researchers also identify entrepreneurial orientation as a key process in the development of new ventures, and successful firm performance, however, the construct is yet to be investigated at the individual level. While considerable number of studies has identified micro level explanations such as individual characteristics, and traits for successful entrepreneurial venture, few studies have considered this issue from a multi-dimensional context (Spring, 2015; Bruton, 2012; Hayton et al., 2002). This study draws on institutional theory as a valuable lens to investigate the extent to which the regulative, normative and cultural-cognitive environments affect individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) and self-employment among Nigerian youths. The study adopts a combination of qualitative and quantitative research approach, and data collection was conducted in two phases. For the qualitative data, 22 semi-structured interviews were conducted among 18 youths and 4 policy makers using purposive sampling. Whilst, for the quantitative phase, survey questionnaire was administered to a sample of 482 student respondents, thematic analysis and hierarchical regression were used in analysing the qualitative and quantitative data respectively. Contrary to previous findings on high societal values for entrepreneurial and venture creation in a factor driven economy like Africa, findings from the study revealed a spatial variation in enterprise culture and individual entrepreneurial orientation among the university-educated Nigerian youth. Beyond this variation, the level of individual entrepreneurial orientation among Nigerian youths is low. The findings revealed that the prevailing societal expectations and norms that young people are exposed to, ascribe high social values and preferences to office jobs and career opportunity in the formal sector xv which negatively affects their individual entrepreneurial orientation and potential venture creation. Further findings from the hierarchically regression analysis indicates that the regulative institution constitutes a significant challenge to individual entrepreneurial orientation and venture creation. These findings are interesting and important because they reveal the complex but dynamic role of institutional context for the rate and mode of entrepreneurial engagement within the society. Overall, this study establishes that institutional environments are not mutually exclusive; they are unique in their structure and dimensions as they all combined to explain the unrealised entrepreneurial engagement among youths.

The high failure rate among small businesses in South Africa has created an urgent need to identify strategies that will improve their levels of performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the entrepreneurial orientation of small businesses in the Eastern Cape and their level of business success. Entrepreneurial orientation was assessed in terms of the 5 dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation, namely Innovativeness, Proactiveness, Competitive aggressiveness, Risk-taking and Autonomy. Business success was assessed in terms of profitability and growth. A literature overview was firstly conducted. The nature and importance of small businesses were described, and the important contributions they make to economic growth, job creation and innovation, as well alleviating poverty and redistributing income were highlighted. The various challenges faced by small businesses were also discussed. Among these challenges, the lack of entrepreneurial orientation was specifically highlighted as a major barrier to small business success. The nature of entrepreneurial orientation and the five dimensions thereof were described. A theoretical framework was proposed illustrating the relationships between the 5 dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation and business success that were to be empirically tested. A positivistic research paradigm was followed and a quantitative approach was implemented. Convenience sampling was used and a total of 350 questionnaires were distributed to small businesses in the Eastern Cape; 317 usable questionnaires were yielded. A measuring instrument was developed based on reliable and valid items from existing studies. Statistical techniques including descriptive statistics, Pearson's product moment correlations, Structural Equation Modelling and an Analysis of Variance were performed on the gathered data. Demographic data relating to the gender, age and race of the respondents, as well as data relating to the number of employees, the tenure of the business, and nature of industry in which the small businesses operate, were collected. An exploratory factor analysis was undertaken, and Cronbach‟s alpha coefficients were calculated to assess the validity and reliability of the measuring instrument. The independent variables, Innovativeness and Proactiveness, could not be confirmed by the factor analysis and a new dimension emerged which was named Proactive innovativeness. As a result of the factor analysis the operational definitions were rephrased. The Cronbach‟s alpha coefficients reported were all greater than 0.7, deeming the scales measuring the various dimensions reliable. Descriptive statistics were calculated to summarise the sample data, and Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficients were established to investigate the associations between the variables. Significant positive correlations were reported between all of the variables. SEM was performed to determine the significance of the relationships hypothesised between the independent and dependent variables in this study. The results of this study showed that the independent variables Competitive aggressiveness, Proactive innovativeness and Autonomy have a significant positive influence on the dependent variable Business success, while Risk-taking was found to have a significant negative influence on Business success. Furthermore, the results showed that Proactive innovativeness was higher in larger-sized small businesses, Autonomy was reported to be higher in small businesses where the owner was in possession of a tertiary qualification, and Risk-taking was found to be higher in small businesses owned by people of colour than in businesses owned by White respondents. In a business environment where change is constant, small business owners need to be able to adapt their operations and strategies to these changes and the consumer demands these changes may bring. Small business owners need to be able to strategically reinvent their businesses if they are to survive over the long term. The level of entrepreneurial orientation has been identified as having a positive influence on business success. The more small businesses implement Proactive innovativeness, Competitive aggressiveness, calculated and cautions Risk-taking and Autonomy, the better the chances are that they will be successful

The empirical evidence is rather weak and sometimes inconsistent as to what predicts an individualâ s decision to start a business. Among many possible causes, this study attempts to disentangle the effects of individual differences and context. I propose to use a framework involving an individualâ s entrepreneurial intent, entrepreneurial orientation and four individual difference factors as a means to isolate individual difference determinants of entrepreneurial intent. These are captured in new construct called entrepreneurial orientation. Samples of entrepreneurs and college students from the United States and China were used to test the relationships. The empirical results show that entrepreneurial orientation is positively related to individual differences factors and entrepreneurial intent. Even more, it fully or partially mediates the relationships between the individual differences and entrepreneurial intent. Among the four individual differences listed, opportunity recognition seems to be the best predictor of an individualâ s entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurial intent. Future research should further examine opportunity recognition and entrepreneurial orientation. It appears that attempting to isolate effects of individual differences from context can be a viable strategy for studying determinants of new venture creation.<br>Ph. D.

This creative project is to create a DVD as an interactive tool for Muncie Public Library librarians, introducing the library's environment and promoting programs to local residents. The DVD provides a friendly interface and utilizes the latest technology, such as Quick Time movies, 360° Virtual pictures and animations in introducing the library's facilities and guiding Muncie residents visually around the library. Additionally, the DVD provides a new method instead of a traditional flyer for residents to access the library's services and programs.<br>Department of Telecommunications

[EN] Nowadays, universities are finding they have more and more competition regarding postgraduate programs. As educational institutions increase the offer, the need for them to improve their knowledge about the postgraduate market becomes more evident due to the lack of existing research and scarce literature about the topic. All this will help the educational institutions to develop suitable competitive strategies in order to attract postgraduate students' talent, thus distinguishing the institutions from the competition. This proactive orientation towards the market wills, like in many other markets, end up confiding in those programs which have successful marketing and allow for innovation and differentiation. At the same time, many authors relate this proactive orientation towards the market to co-creation. More specifically in the education sector, co-creation has been researched very little and has always been focused on the undergraduate student, not postgraduate. Lastly, the consequences of the postgraduate students' participation in these co-creation processes concerning satisfaction and loyalty is something that has not been studied either. This first quantitative study has led to a validation of the proposed model which allows us to affirm that, independent of the results obtained in the co-creation process, the student involvement in it, will result in greater satisfaction and loyalty towards the institution. For this reason co-creation can help the educational institutions to develop competitive differentiating strategies which will generate not only a greater satisfaction for the student but also the possibility of achieving differentiation thanks to the resulting innovation. After this first quantitative study, a second study was carried out in a Business to Business context by sending a professional from the company to the educational institution. In this study an attempt was made to measure the consequences of co-creation in student satisfaction, strength of the relation and student loyalty. This new structural equation model (SEM) has more variables and relations than the former one, introducing the strength of the relation. In addition, the study is centered on adult students who in this case are professionals sent by their companies to study a master program, Business to Business as opposed to Business to Consumer from the former study. The conclusions of the study are that the co-creation where the adult student participates in the process takes them to higher levels of satisfaction and greater loyalty towards the educational institution. At the same time, our research shows that the strength of the relation is positively influenced by the process of creation of value. In this case, the research has only validated part of the model. Therefore, this last part of our research again reaffirms the idea that co-creation can be a beneficial tool for universities in order to develop competitive strategies which generate more value for their clients and which also makes it difficult for the competition to imitate. Finally it should be pointed out that the results of this research facilitate the implementation of a co-creation process between universities and postgraduate students as well as the possible areas of its application within the purchase process and choosing a master program. On the other hand, it has also been demonstrated that independent of the results of this process, co-creation itself leads to higher rates of satisfaction, an improvement in the strength of the relation and more student loyalty towards the institution.<br>[ES] En la actualidad, las universidades se encuentran con una competencia cada vez mayor en lo que se refiere a sus programas de posgrado. A la vez que se incrementa la oferta por parte de las instituciones educativas, impera la necesidad por parte de las universidades de mejorar su conocimiento sobre el mercado de posgrado, debido a la falta de investigación existente con una literatura sobre marketing escasa. Todo ello, ayudará a las instituciones educativas a desarrollar estrategias competitivas adecuadas para lograr atraer el talento de los estudiantes de posgrado diferenciándose de la competencia. Esta orientación proactiva el mercado, pasará, como en otros muchos mercados, por apostar por políticas de marketing de éxito, que permitan en un sentido o en otro, innovar y diferenciarse. Al mismo tiempo, son muchos los autores que relacionan esa orientación proactiva al mercado, con la co-creation. En el caso específico del sector educativo, la co-creation se ha estudiado poco y siempre desde una perspectiva de estudiantes universitarios, no de posgrado. Por último, las consecuencias en el alumno de posgrado de participar en estos procesos de co-creation desde el punto de vista de los efectos en su satisfacción y lealtad, es algo que tampoco se ha estudiado. Este primer estudio cuantitativo ha supuesto una validación del modelo propuesto, por lo que se puede afirmar, que con independencia de los resultados obtenidos en el proceso de co-creation, el propio proceso de involucración del alumno en ello, redundará en una mayor satisfacción y lealtad hacia la institución. Por todo ello, la co-creation puede facilitar que las instituciones educativas desarrollen estrategias competitivas diferenciadoras que generarán tanto una mayor satisfacción para el estudiante como la posibilidad de lograr diferenciación gracias la innovación que surja del mismo. Con posterioridad a este primer estudio cuantitativo, se realiza un segundo estudio si bien desde un contexto Business to Business al pretender medir las consecuencias de la co-creation en la satisfacción, fortaleza de la relación y lealtad del estudiante, en este caso profesional enviado por la empresa, hacia la institución educativa. Este nuevo modelo de ecuaciones estructurales (SEM) es más amplio en variables y relaciones que el anterior, introduciendo la fortaleza de la relación. Además se centra en estudiantes adultos que en este caso son profesionales enviados por sus empresas a realizar el programa master, vertiente Business to Business frente a Business to Consumer del anterior Las conclusiones del estudio son que la co-creation donde el estudiante adulto participa en el proceso, lleva a niveles más altos de satisfacción y a una mayor lealtad hacia la institución educativa. Al mismo tiempo, nuestra investigación muestra, que la fortaleza en la relación, está influenciada positivamente por este proceso de creación de valor si bien no media entre la co-creation y la lealtad. En este caso, la investigación sólo ha validado parte del modelo. Así, esta parte última de nuestra investigación vuelve a ser una reafirmación de la idea de que la co-creation puede ser, en sí misma, una herramienta beneficiosa para las universidades para desarrollar estrategias competitivas que generen más valor para sus clientes y que también sea difícil de imitar por la competencia Finalmente señalar que los resultados de este trabajo facilitan la implementación de un proceso de co-creation entre universidades y estudiante de posgrado así como las posibles áreas de aplicación de la misma dentro del proceso de compra y elección de un programa master. Por otra parte, también se ha demostrado, que con independencia de los resultados de este proceso, la co-creación en si misma resulta en mayores tasas de satisfacción, mejora en la fortaleza en la relación y mayor lealtad hacia la institución por parte del alumno.<br>[CAT] Actualment, les universitats es troben amb una competència cada vegada més gran pel que fa als seus programes de postgrau. Alhora que s'incrementa l'oferta per part de les institucions educatives, impera la necessitat per part de les universitats de millorar el seu coneixement sobre el mercat de postgrau, a causa de la falta d'investigació existent amb una literatura sobre màrqueting escassa. Tot això, ajudarà a les institucions educatives a desenvolupar estratègies competitives adequades per aconseguir atreure el talent dels estudiants de postgrau diferenciant-se de la competència. Aquesta orientació proactiva el mercat, passarà, com en molts altres mercats, per apostar per polítiques de màrqueting de éxitoexitosas, que permetin en un sentit o en un altre, innovar i diferenciar-se. Alhora, són molts els autors que relacionen aquesta orientació proactiva al mercat, amb la co-creation. En el cas específic del sector educatiu, la co-creation s'ha estudiat poc i sempre des d'una perspectiva d'estudiants universitaris, no de postgrau. Finalment, les conseqüències en l'alumne de postgrau de participar en aquests processos de co-creation des del punt de vista dels efectes en la seva satisfacció i lleialtat, és una cosa que tampoc s'ha estudiat. Aquest primer estudi quantitatiu ha suposat una validació del model proposat, de manera que es pot afirmar, que amb independència dels resultats obtinguts en el procés de co-creation, el mateix procés d'involucració de l'alumne en això, redundarà en una major satisfacció i lleialtat cap a la institució. Per tot això, la co-creation pot facilitar que les institucions educatives desenvolupin estratègies competitives diferenciadores que generaran tant una major satisfacció per a l'estudiant com la possibilitat d'aconseguir diferenciació gràcies la innovació que sorgeixi de ell mateix. Amb posterioritat a aquest primer estudi quantitatiu, es realitza un segon estudi si bé des d'un context Business to Business en pretendre mesurar les conseqüències de la co-creation a la satisfacció, fortalesa de la relació i lleialtat de l'estudiant, en aquest cas professional enviat per l'empresa, cap a la institució educativa. Aquest nou model d'equacions estructurals (SEM) és més ampli en variables i relacions que l'anterior, introduint la fortalesa de la relació. A més se centra en estudiants adults que en aquest cas són professionals enviats per les seves empreses a realitzar el programa màster, vessant Business to Business davant Business to Consumer l'anterior Les conclusions de l'estudi són que la co-creation on l'estudiant adult participa en el procés, porta a nivells més alts de satisfacció ia una major lleialtat cap a la institució educativa. Alhora, la nostra investigació mostra, que la fortalesa en la relació, està influenciada positivament per aquest procés de creació de valor si bé no hi ha entre la co-creation i la lleialtat. En aquest cas, la investigació només ha validat part del model. Així, aquesta part última de la nostra recerca torna a ser una reafirmació de la idea que la co-creation pot ser, en si mateixes, una eina beneficiosa per a les universitats per desenvolupar estratègies competitives que generin més valor per als seus clients i que també sigui difícil d'imitar per la competència Finalment assenyalar que els resultats d'aquest treball faciliten la implementació d'un procés de co-creation entre universitats i estudiant de postgrau així com les possibles àrees d'aplicació de la mateixa dins del procés de compra i elecció d'un programa màster. D'altra banda, també s'ha demostrat, que amb independència dels resultats d'aquest procés, la co-creació en si mateixa resulta en majors taxes de satisfacció, millora en la fortalesa en la relació i major lleialtat cap a la institució per part de l'alumne .<br>Peralt Rillo, A. (2015). Co-creation innovation for business programs for educational institutions [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/51462<br>TESIS

<p><p><strong>Research Questions:</strong> Environmental consideration has influenced managerial decisions and has required from firms to develop an organizational culture that focus on the environmental issues. Despite the importance of adopting a business philosophy that take into account the ecological concerns few studies have examined the relationship between market orientation and environmental practices. This thesis contributes to fill this gap by addressing the following questions: 1) Does the introduction of the environmental facilities help firms towards green innovation? 2) Is Green marketing strategy of firms positively associated with the augment in performance? 3) Does green marketing communication affect positively corporate image?</p><p><strong>Research Objectives:</strong> My aim is to investigate if firms´ green strategy can encourage innovation; enhance corporate reputation and increase overall performance.</p><p><strong>Research approach and methodology:</strong> The assesment of companies green initiatives and the effects on their performance have been achieved through the content of annual and sustainability reports as well as interviews with business managers.</p><p><strong>Findings:</strong> The investigation indicates that when implementing an effective green strategy firms will improve their managerial and organizational performance and such improvements can contribute positively to their financial outcome. The better use of the resources via the introduction of the environmental facilities by firms indeed can help them towards green innovation. Add to that, communicating environmental practices also seems to be an important tool to enhance brand reputation. Thus this study agrees with some authors who affirm that integrating environmental issues into business activities firms´ can increase efficiency and competitiveness while reducing environmental impact.</p><p><strong>Concluding remarks:</strong> The core lesson learned from this scientic work is that the response of the firms in prioritizing the implementation of eco-friendly practices is linked with their perception of current environmental trends. The most firms reinvent themselves by adopting more reuse, recycle, reduce, re-design, green training, green marketing, etc more eco-oriented they seems to be.</p></p>

Research studies emphasize the need for a supportive educator-parent relationship in promoting teaching and learning in Life Orientation. This study is based on the assumption that educators are supposed to supplement the teaching of values by building on what parents have already taught at home and this means that learners need the support of their parents in their academic achievement especially in Life Orientation. The aim of this study is to explore the role that educators and learners expect parents to play in creating a positive climate in the teaching of Life Orientation. A qualitative approach was applied in this study in order to get in-depth information about the experiences of educators and learners of parental involvement in creating a positive climate for the teaching of Life Orientation. The researcher collected data through semi-structured interviews from four Life Orientation educators and Grade 10 learners from two Secondary schools at Phokoane Circuit. The data was analysed resulting with themes and sub-themes. The researcher ensured that data collected enhance trustworthiness. Both educators and learners experienced minimal parental involvement in the teaching of Life Orientation. They both recommended partnership, openness and regular meetings amongst partners for effective teaching of life orientation.<br>Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2012.<br>Education Management and Policy Studies<br>unrestricted

Thesis (MPhil (Industrial Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006.<br>This research was conducted with a group of 24 Health Care workers/trainers working for an NGO, teaching Life Skills and HIV/AIDS in 24 different township schools. These trainers have been trained in an Aligned programme including SAQA Unit Standards on facilitating learning, Life Skills issues as well as HIV/AIDS. The training was based on the fact that they facilitate learning during the Life Orientation lessons, hence the integration of Life Skills and HIV/AIDS into the Life Orientation Curriculum. This programme is not a loose standing programme, but forms part of the LO Curriculum. Not only were they trained, but the result of the training was a formulated product which led to the producing of lesson plans, learning activities and worksheets for Grade R to Grade 10 in their teaching. Through this there is now a training manual for each trainer, consisting of 320 different lessons. This will form the basis of their involvement and training in each respective school, but will also create consistency and uniformity in the actual presentation of the lessons. The learners will have specific work sheets for each lesson. Any time a new trainer has to start with a different group of learners, he/she can refer to the training manual and in doing so, not lose momentum in the process of actualisation of the learning. In training the NGO Health workers, the aim is to develop their teaching strategies, adding confidence to their lesson planning and presentation. With the formalisation of this programme the Life Orientation educator is aided in his/her assessment of the learners in his/her class. This training process and self-development of the trainers aims to become a model to other NGO’s involved in similar endeavours.

En raison d’un désordre aléatoire à longue distance, un verre présente une symétrie d'inversion telle que la génération de seconde harmonique (GSH) est interdite. Cependant, par irradiation avec un laser femtoseconde (fs) très focalisé, il est possible de précipiter des cristaux optiquement non linéaires, et de rompre la symétrie d'inversion et donc d'induire une GSH. De plus, ceci peut être réalisé localement en trois dimensions. Pour la démonstration, on a appliqué, dans le système vitreux Li₂O-Nb₂O₅-SiO₂ le mode opératoire décrit ci-dessous qui permet la formation de cristaux de LiNbO₃, hautement optiquement non linéaire. La procédure est la suivante : 1) ajustement de la composition chimique du verre pour obtenir un verre suffisamment sensible au laser fs ; 2) contrôle des paramètres du laser (durée d'impulsion, fréquence de répétition des impulsions, vitesse de balayage du faisceau, énergie d'impulsion…) pour obtenir des nanocristaux avec répartition spatiale et taille correcte. En outre, la taille de la zone affectée doit être limitée ; 3) contrôle de l'orientation des nanocristaux. On montre qu'il est possible de satisfaire à cette condition, en contrôlant l'orientation de la polarisation du laser. Ceci a été montré par la méthode de rétrodiffusion d'électrons de diffraction (EBSD). En d'autres termes, ce processus peut être contrôlé directement avec la lumière. En outre, la spectroscopie par rayons X à dispersion d'énergie couplée à la microscopie à transmission électronique à balayage (STEM /EDS) et la microscopie électronique à transmission a révélé une microstructure orientable similaire à celle appelée nanoréseaux formée dans silice. L'originalité est que les nanocristaux optiques non linéaires texturées noyées dans un réseau de "murs" vitreux, sont alignés perpendiculairement à la direction de polarisation du laser. Il en résulte que la biréfringence et la propriété optique non linéaire peuvent être maîtrisées ensemble. Ceci est une percée dans ce travail de thèse. Ces résultats mettent en évidence des modifications spectaculaires de verre par rayonnement laser fs. Avec de nouvelles améliorations dans les techniques de fabrication, l'application de ce travail est de parvenir à réaliser un guide d'ondes biréfringent doubleur ou changeur de fréquences<br>Due to random disorder, a glass exhibits inversion symmetry such that second harmonic generation (SHG) is forbidden. However, by irradiation with a tightly focused femtosecond (fs) laser, it is possible to induce nonlinear optical crystal precipitation, in order to break the inversion symmetry and thus to induce SHG. Moreover, this can be achieved locally in three dimensions. For demonstration, we applied the procedure described below in the glass system Li₂O-Nb₂O₅-SiO₂ that allows the formation of LiNbO₃ crystal, a highly non linear optical one. The procedure is thus the following: 1) adjustment of the glass chemical composition for obtaining a glass sensitive enough to fs laser. 2) control of the laser parameters (pulse duration, pulse repetition rate, speed of beam scanning, pulse energy…) for obtaining nanocrystals with correct space distribution and size. In addition, the size of the affected zone has to be limited. 3) control of the orientation of the nanocrystals. We show that it is possible to fulfill this condition by controlling the laser polarization orientation. This has been achieved by electron backscatter diffraction method (EBSD). In other words, this process can be controlled with light directly. In addition, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy coupled to scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM/EDS) and transmission electron microscopy revealed an orientable microstructure similar to the one called nanogratings form in silica. The originality here is a textured nonlinear optical nanocrystals embedded in a network of “walls” made of vitreous phase, aligned perpendicular to the laser polarization direction. It results that birefringence and nonlinear optical property can be mastered in the same time. This is a highly valuable aspect of the work. These findings highlight spectacular modifications of glass by fs laser radiation. With further improvements in the fabrication techniques, the application of this work is to achieve SHG waveguide and birefringence-based devices

Stockholm’s subway system is considered one of the longest art galleries in the world.Each station has its own identity, but at the same time, all metro stations have the sameuniform functional light approach.This light could not prevent the passengers from gathering and walking randomlyat the subway station’s platform. Moreover, the uniform light is neglecting the artwork onthe station’s platform; hence, this could lead to losing the identity feature of the station. Ingeneral, the demand for using public transportation in sustainable urban cities is increasing.This thesis studies how to use light as an information giver for the passengers on the subwaystation platform:By creating light safety zones and by enhancing the wayfinding to minimize conflict points.From the result of the questionnaire and the observations in two case studies, adesign principle with eight parameters has been developed to be applied in new lightingdesign for the T-Centralen platform station. It aims to restore the identity of the station,and create different zones at the T-Centralen subway platform, to enhance the movementof the passengers and to make it more organized by combining different layers of functional,atmospheric and dynamic light.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded by Joseph Smith in 1830, but its connection with agrarian themes is found in all of LDS canonized scripture, implying a sense of antiquity from the time of Adam in the Garden of Eden. Scriptural examples and teachings of LDS leaders build the foundation of the Latter-day Saint agrarian theology. Valuing this connection to the land remained constant during the Church’s early development, but diminished in theological focus years before the Great Depression. During the Depression, the Church proactively created a Church Security Plan (later renamed the Church Welfare Plan) to aid Church members’ temporal and spiritual needs. Welfare projects provided relief through Mormonism’s concepts of independence, self-reliance, stewardship, and welfare. The application of the Church Welfare Program encouraged the development of these doctrinal principles, and resulted in the creation of spiritual communities on Church welfare farms as the needs of the community were met, both LDS and non-LDS. Welfare farms, created during the Great Depression, establish an environment for the application of the agrarian theology that has existed within Mormonism since its beginnings, and acts as an ideal setting for the creation of spiritual communities.

It has been widely acknowledged that today’s business world is characterized by severe competition. To remain competitive, firms have to employ alternative strategies to keep up with the fast paced development. One such strategy is coopetition; firms collaborate in some areas to combine their resources while competing in other areas. Thus, instead of trying to master everything within a company’s own walls, emphasis is towards gaining access to external resources and coordinating the wide array of expertise in the best possible way to achieve competitive advantage. In addition, growing requirements from the customer end force firms to combine their resources to be able to put together tailored solutions. This entails a notable customer input in product development and firm’s ability to utilize market knowledge can not be undermined. However, before the feedback gained from the market can act as a source of competitive edge, it has to be further processed into a form in which it offers strategic value for the company. This research aims to study how market knowledge is utilized to create competitive in the interface of inter- and intra-organizational coopetition. Even though competition is often considered to take place between firms, competitive elements can also be found within firms. For that reason, we include both inter- and intra-organizational coopetition in the research. In terms of the process involved in market knowledge utilization, three steps are appointed; transfer, translation and transformation of knowledge. To perform the research, we selected a high technology company belonging to SME category present in the information security business as case company. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted on three different occasions. Due to the sensitive nature of the research topic, the case company remains anonymous and is referred to as Case Company in the research. By ensuring respondents’ anonymity, the gained responses are more likely to be honest and thus more reliable and comprehensive. The empirical findings revealed differences in market knowledge utilization between inter- and intra-organizational coopetition. While coopetition taking place between firms was characterized with dominating competitive element and protection of one’s own assets, only preliminary stages of market knowledge utilization were found to be present. This entailed that knowledge transformation was absent in the inter-organizational context. On the other hand, on the intra-organizational level a collective approach to knowledge coordination was employed and attention had been paid on establishing sufficient structural conditions to support the knowledge utilization process. Thus, the process within the company was more efficient and it completed the knowledge utilization process at the inter-organizational level as knowledge transformation took place only within Case Company. While coopetition is a rather new field of study, we believe that the performed research provided information on inter- and intra-organizational coopetition in an SME present in the high technology industry and gave insights of the knowledge exchange both within and across companies. In the end, we have built up a model including the most important findings of the study. The figure entails the market knowledge utilization processes visualized in both inter- and intra-organizational contexts.

Дисертаційну роботу присвячено вирішенню питань теоретичного обґрунтування та розроблення прикладних рекомендацій щодо формування та розвитку результативного керівництва ІД підприємств. Розвинуто понятійно-кетегорійний апарат у сфері керівництва ІД, як результат визначено місце керівництва в системі управління ІД. Удосконалено систему оцінювання результативності керівництва ІД підприємств з врахуванням показників, які відображають особистісні характеристики керівника і показників, які відображають результат його діяльності. Розроблено модель формування та розвитку результативного керівництва ІД підприємств на засадах адхократично-креативної моделі, що дало можливість виокремити вісім управлінських підходів до результативного керівництва ІД. Сформовано комплексну систему узагальнюючих рекомендацій щодо формування та розвитку результативного керівництва, що базується на визначеному управлінському підході, враховує векторну орієнтованість, стадію життєвого розвитку, необхідний інструментарій результативного керівництва ІД та притаманний тип керівника. This dissertation is devoted to the question regarding the decision of the theoretical substantiation of the given recommendations concerning formation and development of the effective management of the innovative development of the enterprise. Developed and categorical regulations in the department of the innovative development management have been established and as a result, the placement of leadership in the department system has been determined. Improved assessment system of the effectiveness extent of the innovative development management administration, taking into account indicators that reflect the personal characteristics of the head administrator and indicators that reflect the results of their activities. A model about the development of the effective management of the innovative development administration is formed on the basis of adhocratic-creative models that allowed an opportunity to allocate eight administrative approaches to effective management of innovative development administration. The formation of a complex system that takes into account the recommendations for the development of effective leadership that is based on a certain management approach while taking into account vector orientation, stages of life development and the necessary tools for effective leadership of the innovative development administration. Диссертация посвящена решению вопросов теоретического обоснования и разработки прикладных рекомендаций по формированию и развитию результативного руководства инновационной деятельности предприятий в системе менеджмента промышленных предприятий. Разработанная модель формирования и развития результативного руководства ИД предприятий, которая основывается на сочетании усовершенствованной модели выбора эффективного инструментария и модели выбора эффективного подхода в руководстве ИД. В основе сочетания двух моделей сформирована комплексная система обобщающих рекомендаций по формированию и развитию результативного руководства, которая базируется на определенном управленческом подходе (директивный, патриархальный, благосклонный, автономный, кооперационный, консультативный, сопричастный, коллегиальный), учитывает векторную ориентированность (общество, бизнес-процессы, работники), стадию жизненного развития (разработка, активизация, рост, выход на внешнюю среду, вершина (пик), удерживание, затишье (подготовка) перед началом следующего цикла), оценивание ключевых составляющих руководства ИД (личностной, профессиональной), необходимый инструментарий результативного руководства инновационной деятельностью (видов методов воздействия, видов власти, видов стиля руководства) и определяет конкретный присущий тип руководителя (надзиратель, координатор, внедренец, организатор, новатор, исследователь, командир). Данные рекомендации позволяют руководителям полностью оценить состояние руководства ИД и наметить конкретные меры по его дальнейшему развитию. Предложено адхократично-креативную модель управленческого подхода результативного руководства ИД предприятий. В основу которой были положены результаты оценки руководства ИД и векторная ориентированность, что позволило выделить и подробно охарактеризовать восемь управленческих подходов руководства ИД и восемь соответствующих типологии руководителей. В процессе анализа инновационной деятельности предприятий, эта модель позволит сформировать конкретные предложения по формированию и развитию результативного руководства. Усовершенствована система оценки результативности руководства ИД предприятий, с учетом показателей, что в своей сути отображают личностные характеристики руководителя (навыки, знания, ценности, мышления, способности, качества, реализация функции и соответствие принципам руководителя ИД) и комбинации формирующих и результирующих факторов влияния руководства (управленческая и производственно-технологическая) на состояние и результаты ИД. Такое сочетание дает возможность сбалансировать частичную субъективность экспертного метода с реальными данными предприятия и установить влияние интеллектуального, управленческого и операционного потенциала на оценку результативности руководства ИД. Как результат, рассчитывается интегральный показатель результативности руководства ИД предприятия, который дает возможность получить многогранную, комплексную и наиболее полную оценку руководства ИД в соответствии с действительной векторной ориентированностью. Усовершенствовано положение относительно выбора моделей инструментов результативного руководства ИД предприятий, в основу которых положены модели комбинаций видов инструментов, сформированных в зависимости от определенной векторной ориентированности руководства ИД, которое базируется на основе формирующих факторов влияния и с учетом результатов оценивания частоты применения данных инструментов. Применение данной модели предоставляет руководителям ИД действенный и влиятельный механизм повышения результативности руководства ИД путем оптимального сочетания конкретных видов инструментов. Уточнена и развита этапность стадий жизненного развития руководства инновационной деятельностью и предложена усовершенствованная модель соотношения данных стадий и комбинаций векторной ориентированности, что позволяет понять на каком отрезке жизненного развития находится руководство ИД и какие дополнительные факторы и инструменты, которые определяются векторной ориентированностью, необходимо применять. Проведенные исследования позволили сформировать четкое виденье места и роли руководства ИД в системе инновационного менеджмента, а также предложить собственное толкование понятия “руководство инновационной деятельностью” как деятельность, которая осуществляется руководителем инновационного типа через влияние на управляемую систему путем применения конкретных моделей инструментов руководства с целью достижения социального, экономического, научно-технического эффекта в инновационной деятельности. В работе усовершенствовано, развито и дополнено классификацию видов инструментов руководства ИД предприятий, которые позволяют практически применить их для формирования оптимальных комбинаций данных инструментов для обеспечения результативного руководства ИД. Обоснован феномен руководства ИД на основе анализа подходов, которые исследуют развитие инновационного менеджмента и особенностей реализации ИД на предприятии, что позволило сформировать модель управления ИД, которая наглядно показывает место и составные элементы руководства ИД, его взаимосвязь с другими ключевыми элементами управления и ее влияние на управляемую систему, а также участие в превращении входного ресурса (идеи) и влияния внешних факторов на получение конечного продукта (инновации). В процессе исследования с учетом экономических результатов деятельности предприятий, а также комплексной интегральной оценки результативности руководства ИД, разработаны эконометрические модели прогнозирования влияния внешних и внутренних факторов, на экономический результат производственной деятельности предприятий, которые позволят существенным образом усилить результирующие факторы руководства ИД и спрогнозировать конкретные результаты инновационной деятельности.

Esta pesquisa avalia a percepção dos cooperados em relação às ações de cocriação de valor oferecidas pela cooperativa e se as características do cooperado e da cooperativa impactam na percepção. Para avaliação, desenvolveu-se um modelo de mensuração da percepção da cocriação de valor das atividades desenvolvidas pela cooperativa e as características do cooperado. O método de pesquisa usado foi a aplicação de um questionário aos membros de uma cooperativa agropecuária de café e, para testar o modelo proposto, usou-se o método Partial Least Square (PLS). As ações de cocriação de valor, profissionalização da gestão, satisfação e fidelidade e orientação temporal de longo prazo dos cooperados foram medidos tendo como base a percepção dos cooperados. A amostra teve 204 respostas válidas. Os resultados da análise descritiva indicam que os cooperados percebem mais valor nas atividades do processo produtivo de café, operados pela cooperativa aos seus cooperados em forma de ações operacionais, do que nas atividades fim. Os resultados do modelo demonstram uma associação significativa entre satisfação e fidelidade e percepção das ações de cocriação de valor e uma associação positiva entre orientação temporal de longo prazo dos cooperados e percepção das ações de cocriação de valor, ou seja, a percepção dos benefícios gerados pela organização com ações de cocriação de valor pode ser influenciada pelo horizonte temporal do cooperado e pelo nível de satisfação e fidelidade. Os dados também indicam que a variável latente profissionalização da gestão apresentou uma relação positiva com a satisfação e fidelidade e também com a orientação temporal de longo prazo do cooperado. Também foi feita uma análise complementar de sensibilidade para verificar se as características dos cooperados tornam o grupo homogêneo ou heterogêneo. Foi possível observar que há heterogeneidade na percepção dos cooperados em relação às características de tamanho da propriedade rural, nível de escolaridade, tempo de associação e endividamento. As principais contribuições deste trabalho foram o desenvolvimento de um instrumento para mensuração do nível de percepção das ações de cocriação de valor, bem como a investigação empírica sobre a relação desta com as demais variáveis. Como implicações práticas tem-se que os resultados das ações de criação de valor com características de inovação (cocriação de valor) tendem a ser percebidos no longo prazo e influenciados pelas características específicas dos cooperados.<br>This research evaluates the perception of the members in relation to the actions of value co-creation offered by the cooperative and if the characteristics of the cooperative and the members impact on the perception. For evaluation, a model was developed for measuring the perception of value co-creation of the activities developed by the cooperative and analyzed the relationship between the perception of value co-creation actions developed by the cooperative and the characteristics of the members. The research method was the application of a questionnaire to the members of an agricultural coffee cooperative and, to test the proposed model, the Partial Least Square (PLS) method was used. The actions of value co-creation, professionalization of management, satisfaction and loyalty and temporal orientation of the members were measured based on the perception of the members. The sample had 204 valid answers. The results of the descriptive analysis indicate that the cooperative members perceive more value in the activities of the coffee production process, operated by the cooperative to its members in the form of operational actions, than in the end activities. The results of the model demonstrate a significant association between satisfaction and loyalty and perception of value co-creation actions and a positive association between the member\'s time orientation and perception of value-co-creation actions, that is, the perception of the benefits generated by the organization with actions of value co-creation can be influenced by the time horizon of the member and by the level of satisfaction and loyalty. The data also indicate that the latent variable professionalization of management presented satisfaction and loyalty as the main indicator. A complementary sensitivity analysis was also made to verify if the characteristics of the member make the group homogeneous or heterogeneous. It was possible to observe that there is heterogeneity in the perception of the member in relation to the characteristics of rural property size, level of schooling, time of association and indebtedness. The main contributions of this research were the development of an instrument to measure the level of perception of value co-creation actions, as well as the empirical investigation about its relation with the other variables. As practical implications, the results of value co-creation actions with innovation characteristics (value co-creation) tend to be perceived in the long term and influenced by the specific characteristics of the member.

A l’orée des années 2000, Prahalad &amp; Ramaswamy, Vargo &amp; Lusch et Grönroos proposèrent de re-fonder la théorie marketing à partir d’un postulat central : désormais la valeur ne peut plus être dictée par l’entreprise, elle est toujours co-créée avec le consommateur via ses expériences de consommation. Aujourd’hui, le cadre théorique de la co-création de valeur souffre encore d’un manque d’études empiriques au sein des entreprises, alors même que ses concepteurs appellent les managers à adopter leur « nouvelle logique». Par le biais d’études auprès de managers, une étude exploratoire par interviews et une étude par questionnaire fondée sur 3 collectes, notre recherche contribue à combler ce manque. Elle met en lumière l’existence au sein de certaines entreprises d’une pensée et d’une pratique du marketing reflétant la théorie de la co-création de valeur : le marketing de co-création de valeur. Sur le plan théorique, notre recherche offre trois contributions principales. Tout d’abord, en établissant le rôle majeur de facteurs organisationnels, elle dévoile des conditions d’émergence du marketing de co-création de valeur qui contrastent avec la vision usuelle dans la littérature. Ensuite, en identifiant comment la collaboration des consommateurs peut être mise en place selon une perspective équitable, notre recherche éclaire le débat relatif à cette forme particulière de co-création appelée upstream co-creation. Enfin, en établissant que le marketing de co-création de valeur influence favorablement la performance et la satisfaction, nos travaux constituent une des toutes premières contributions relatives à l’effet de la co-création de valeur en tant que pratique du marketing<br>At the beginning of the 2000s, Prahalad &amp; Ramaswamy, Vargo &amp; Lusch and Grönroos proposed a new foundation for marketing theory, starting from a central premise: value is always co-created with the consumer, through his consumption experience and use. Today, the theoretical framework of value co-creation is still affected by a lack of empirical research within companies, although its proponents call on managers to adopt their "new logic of marketing". Owing to two studies among managers, an exploratory study through interviews and a questionnaire study based on 3 data collections, our research contributes to filling this gap: it highlights the existence within certain companies of a thought and a marketing practice reflecting the theory of value co-creation, and which we call value co-creation marketing. From a theoretical point of view, our research offers three main contributions to the literature. First, by establishing the major role of organizational factors, it reveals conditions for the emergence of value co-creation marketing which contrast with the usual view in the literature. Then, by identifying how consumer collaboration can be implemented from a fair perspective, our research sheds light on the debate relating to this particular form of co-creation called upstream co-creation. Finally, by establishing that value co-creation marketing positively influences performance and satisfaction, our work offers one of the very first contributions relating to the effect of value co-creation as a marketing practice

The current public procurement process of pharmaceuticals is characterized by a lack of overall perspective and distrust between the pharmaceutical industry and buying Swedish county councils. This is due to the historical context between the two parties. There also exist cost inefficiencies due to a high cost focus and the lack of an overall cost perspective. These factors have affected how the parties on the pharmaceutical market interact and act in relation to each other. The public procurement situation is something both the studied pharmaceutical company (MSD Sverige AB) and the studied buyers (Region Östergötland, Region Jönköpings län and NT-rådet) are aware of and agree on has to change. Therefore, the way public procurement of pharmaceuticals is carried out has to change for it to the meet current challenges, and future demand, of the Swedish health care.The studied pharmaceutical company wishes to increase the service orientation in public procurement processes, something the county councils and NT-rådet are in favour of. Furthermore, the company wants to achieve a value co-creation between itself and the buyers, however, the possibility of achieving value co-creation is somewhat debatable among the buyers since they have different opinions of its feasibility. Nevertheless, the report assumes that value co-creation is possible in the studied system. At the same time interviews have demonstrated the existence of different opinions and thoughts regarding value adding services amongst the different buyers, i.e. there is a lack of consensus if sufficient resources exist to change the procurement process and what part the pharmaceutical company should play if the service orientation increases. Moreover, there exist divided opinions regarding how the interaction with the pharmaceutical company should take place since the majority of the buyers wishes to have a clear separation from the pharmaceutical industry, something making the development of value adding service more difficult.Since there exist disagreements regarding how a change to the procurement process practically should be carried out and there is a distrust between the parties, the aim of the report is to demonstrate similarities and dissimilarities between them within four key areas: business relationships, cost efficiency, strategies and service orientation. The purpose is also to illustrate how a changed procurement process could benefit all parties and the process as a whole. The authors do this by creating a strategic framework, which is based on the four presented key areas and scientific theories. It shows where the parties are today and where they theoretically should be in the future to improve the procurement process, meet today’s and future challenges. The buyers’ biggest challenge is to improve the cost efficiency and use of resources, for the studied pharmaceutical company the biggest challenge is to create new business opportunities. The basis for the report and strategic framework is that both parties should benefit from drawn conclusions since they are in a symbiotic/cooperative relationship due to the dependency between each other’s businesses. Therefore, the framework has to be developed with the aim of promoting value co-creation and render a positive change to the procurement process possible.The presented framework demonstrates that an increase service orientation, through the introduction of value adding services, is the key to value co-creation, improve use of resourcesIIand a more cost efficient procurements processes of pharmaceuticals. Yet, both the analysis and conclusion clearly shows that value co-creation between the parties is not possible today, but in the future, due to existing business relationships. These are affected negative because of the existing distrust between the parties, thus preventing the creation of better business relationships. Therefore, the negative business relationship prevents an increased service orientation and the introduction of value adding services in the procurement processes. This in its turn hinder the buying parties from improving their use of resources and increasing the cost efficiency. Bad business relationships also mean the studied pharmaceutical company will lose business opportunities. Consequently, both parties will fail to address their current and future challenges. Therefore, improving business relationships is a key factor for reaching value co-creation and increase the overall cost perspective in the public procurement process of pharmaceuticals. Better business relationships will also decrease the distrust and allow for increased service orientation, something that will improve cost efficiency and efficient use of resources in procurement processes and open up for new business opportunities.<br>Läkemedelsupphandling präglas idag av ett bristande helhetsperspektiv och förtroende mellan läkemedelsindustrin och upphandlande landsting i Sverige, vilka härstammar från den historiska kontexten. Det finns även en kostnadsineffektivitet till följd av en hög kostnadsfokus och det bristande helhetsperspektivet. Dessa faktorer har påverkat hur aktörerna inom läkemedelsupphandling interagerar med, och agerar i förhållande till, varandra. Situationen är något både det studerade läkemedelsbolaget (MSD Sverige AB) och de studerade upphandlarna (Region Östergötland, Region Jönköpings län samt NT-rådet) är medvetna och överens om måste förändras. Därför måste sättet läkemedelsupphandlingar görs på idag förändras för att möta existerande utmaningar och framtida sjukvårdsbehov, dock är aktörerna oense kring hur en sådan förändring praktiskt ska ske.Läkemedelsbolaget vill öka tjänsteorienteringen, genom att erbjuda läkemedelskompletterande mervärdestjänster, vilket även regionerna och NT-rådet generellt ställer sig positiva till. Dessutom vill läkemedelsbolaget uppnå ett gemensamt värdeskapande, något som upphandlade aktörer har delade åsikter kring om det är möjligt eller inte. I rapporten antas dock att ett gemensamt värdeskapande går att uppnå i det studerade systemet. Samtidigt har genomförda intervjuer visat att åsikter och tankar kring mervärdestjänster skiljer sig åt bland upphandlande aktörer, bland annat huruvida resurser finns för att förändra upphandlingsprocessen och vilken roll läkemedelsbolaget ska ha vid en ökad tjänstorientering. Det råder även delade meningar kring interaktionens utformning med läkemedelsbolaget då majoriteten av upphandlande aktörer vill ha en tydlig separation från läkemedelsindustrin, något som försvårar en utveckling av mervärdestjänster.Eftersom det existerar oenigheter kring hur en förändring av läkemedelsupphandling praktiskt ska ske och en misstro finns mellan aktörerna visar rapporten på likheter och skillnader mellan aktörerna inom fyra identifierade kärnområden: affärsrelationer, kostnadseffektivitet, strategi samt tjänsteorientering. Rapporten visar också hur en förändrad läkemedelupphandling skulle kunna gynna båda parter och läkemedelsupphandlingen som helhet. Författarna gör detta genom skapandet av ett strategiskt ramverk, vilket bygger på nyss nämnda kärnområden. Det strategiska ramverket baseras på vetenskapliga teorier och illustrerar vart aktörerna befinner sig inom respektive kärnområde idag samt vad de bör eftersträva för att teoretiskt kunna möta framtidens och dagens utmaningar i samband med läkemedelsupphandling. Regionernas största utmaningar är att förbättra kostnadseffektiviteten och resursutnyttjandet, läkemedelsbolagets största utmaning är att skapa nya affärsförutsättningar. Utgångspunkten i rapporten och det strategiska ramverket är att båda aktörer ska gynnas av författarnas slutsats då aktörerna befinner sig i en symbios-/samarbetsrelation till följd av att deras verksamheter är beroende av varandra. Därför anser författarna att ramverket måste syfta till att uppnå ett gemensamt värdeskapande för möjliggöra en positiv förändring av läkemedelsupphandling.Ramverket, vilket presenteras i rapportens slutsats, lyfter att en ökad tjänsteorientering, genom införandet av mervärdestjänster knutna till läkemedel, i samband med läkemedelsupphandling är nyckeln till ett gemensamt värdeskapande, förbättrat resursutnyttjande och mer kostnadseffektiva läkemedelsupphandlingar. Dock visar både analysen och slutsatsen på att ett gemensamt värdeskapande mellan aktörerna inte är möjligt idag, även om det i framtiden ärIVmöjligt, till följd av den existerande misstron mellan aktörerna, vilken förhindrar att en god affärsrelation skapas. Följaktligen förhindrar den dåliga affärsrelationen en ökad tjänsteorientering och ett införande av mervärdestjänster i samband med läkemedelsupphandling. Det gör i sin tur att regionerna inte kan förbättra sitt resursutnyttjande eller sin kostnadseffektivitet vid läkemedelsupphandling, dessutom får läkemedelsbolaget inga nya affärsmöjligheter. Således misslyckas båda aktörer att möta sina nuvarande och framtida utmaningar. Därför är affärsrelationer det kärnområde och den faktorn som idag är mest avgörande för att aktörerna ska kunna möta sina utmaningar, uppnå ett gemensamt värdeskapande, öka helhetsperspektivet samt förbättra läkemedelsupphandling i framtiden.

In order to use components that are developed for a domain, domain knowledge is required. If the default relations in a domain are offered by a framework, this can be a starting point for the application engineer as an important kind of domain knowledge. A generic design for creating and saving a domain is implemented in this thesis. This approach starts with creating a domain from components and relations among these components. The relations and components are saved once and used several times. In addition, this generic design helps for code generation by using components. A framework for this design is implemented and applied for GIS domain. A basic code generation approach is also implemented in this framework for demonstration purposes. This framework can be used by domain engineers in order to create a domain and by application engineers to develop custom applications. It has the ability to offer default relations and helps creating new relations between components. Parameters and sequence of function calls can be defined by using a GUI. All the relations including default and userdefined ones can be used for code generation. COSECASE, which offers a tool for component-oriented design is extended with domain operations such as creating domain, saving domain, loading domain, and generating domain code. As the starting point, domain analysis for GIS domain is completed to define the domain. Then the components that have been implemented for GIS domain and relations between these components are saved within the framework. Moreover, some basic applications are generated by using this framework in the GIS domain. Also a sample domain is created to prove that our approach can be applied to any domain. The relations in this sample domain are saved in the framework and same basic applications are generated.

Abstract The entrepreneurship phenomenon is connected to the creation of new business activity. The object of research, a one year study module, was carried out in Merikoski Commercial School during the school years 1993 to 1997 five times. The main research aim was to model and depict partner-based practice enterprise activity as a whole and as a learning method. Secondly, the aim was to increase understanding of students’ orientation towards the creation of a new venture as an activity as a whole. Thirdly, the aim was to study the constructed quality of the models created by the students and to study their and a bank manager’s conceptions of the learning method in question. The data included an interview with the bank manager and the student-produced subject matter from the partner-based practice enterprise. In addition, research data was acquired via an open questionnaire directed to four student groups which had completed the teaching process. The qualitative case study method was used as research methodology. The research results show that partner-based practice enterprise is well suited as an entrepreneurship learning method. Students build and construct new “business” activity as a whole in a learning process within a learning network in the operating area of the partner enterprise, where they function as if in an actual enterprise. Learning is realized through the division of labour, active knowledge acquisition about the object of learning, transformation of the operational environment and investigation of the enterprise’s reason for existence. Project-based learning involves combining knowledge from different sources by students groups in learning networks in which work life representatives have an important pedagogical role to play. Creating a new business activity system entails a division of labour based on object oriented learning activity in a learning method. The learning activity meant continuous reorientation through students’ division of labour by common modelling and developing business plans through critical evaluation. The quality of the students’ business plans was critically analyzed by the bank manager. The bank manager considered the students work to be of high quality. The students considered the strengths of the learning method to be the following: Learning to work in a group, independent and self initiated learning, learning about work life environment, better and higher quality of learning, learning business activity as a whole and utilization of the learning network. The modelling of business activity has a positive influence on learning business activity in a more holistic way. The models created by the students are algorithmic and systematic models by nature. According to the students the fact the learning activity focused on a real school external environment through a learning network strengthened their connections to work life<br>Tiivistelmä Yrittäjyys liittyy ilmiönä uuden liiketoiminnan luomiseen. Tutkimuksen kohteena on Merikosken kauppaoppilaitoksessa viisi kertaa vuosina 1993–1997 toteutettu lukuvuoden kestävä opiskelukokonaisuus. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli mallintaa ja kuvata partneriperustainen harjoitusyritys toimintakokonaisuutena ja oppimismenetelmänä. Lisäksi tavoitteena oli lisätä ymmärrystä opiskelijoiden orientoitumisesta uuden toimintakokonaisuuden luomisessa sekä tutkia opiskelijoiden luomien mallien rakenteellista laatua ja opiskelijoiden sekä koulun ulkopuolisen rahoituspäällikön käsityksiä oppimismenetelmästä. Tutkimusaineisto sisälsi pankinjohtajan haastattelun ja opiskelijoiden tuottamat aineistot opiskelukokonaisuudessa sekä opiskelukokonaisuudesta valmistuneille opiskelijoille suoritettu kysely. Tutkimusmetodologiana käytettiin tapaustutkimusta. Tutkimustulokset osoittavat, että partneriperustainen harjoitusyritys soveltuu hyvin yrittäjyyskoulutukseen. Opiskelijat rakensivat ja konstruoivat opiskelukokonaisuudessa yhdessä oppimisverkon kanssa uuden toimintakokonaisuuden koulun ulkopuolella toimivan partneriyrityksen toimialalle, jossa he toimivat kuten oikeassa yrityksessä. Oppimisessa toteutui työnjaollinen aktiivinen tiedonhankinta kohdetoiminnasta ja muuttuvasta toimintaympäristöstä, yrityksen olemassaolon perustan tutkiminen, tietoja yhdistävä projektimainen työskentely opiskelijaryhmissä ja oppimisen verkossa, jossa koulun ulkopuolisilla edustajilla oli tärkeä pedagoginen rooli. Orientoitumisessa keskeisellä sijalla oli oppimisen kohteen tutkiva mallintaminen, liiketoimintaidean ja liiketoiminnan suunnitelmien kehittäminen ja arviointi. Toimintakokonaisuuden rakentaminen oli työnjaollista kohdeorientoitunutta toimintaa ja toiminta oli uudelleenorientoitumista mm. mallien ja liiketoimintasuunnitelmien yksilöllisen ja yhteistoiminnallisen kehittämisen ja arvioinnin kautta. Liiketoimintasuunnitelmien laatua arvioi yritysrahoituksen parissa toimiva pankinjohtaja, joka piti opiskelijoiden laatimia aineistoja korkeatasoisina. Opiskelijoiden käsityksissä oppimismenetelmän vahvuuksina painottuivat ryhmätyön oppiminen, itsenäinen ja oma-aloitteinen oppiminen, käytännön työelämän oppiminen, laadukkaampi ja parempi oppiminen, yritystoiminnan kokonaisuuden oppiminen ja oppimisverkon hyödyntäminen. Rakennettavan toiminnan mallintamisella oli myönteinen vaikutus yritystoiminnan kokonaisvaltaiseen oppimiseen. Mallien rakenteellinen laatu kohdistui algoritmisiin ja systeemisiin malleihin. Koulun ulkopuolisen todellisuuden kytkeminen oppimistoimintaan työelämäyhteyksien avulla vahvisti opiskelijoiden mukaan oppimisen todellisuuskytkentää

While small bone defects heal spontaneously, critical size defects may exceed the body’s regenerative capabilities, and require the use of bone substitutes and implants. To date, in vitro and in vivo testing of implants remains the gold standard for rigorous mechanical stability and biological safety checks. Current 2D in vitro testing is limited by a lack of dynamic environment and an inability to investigate mechanical strength of the attachment between the bone-matrix and implant surface. 3D in vivo tests are also limited by differences in the behaviour and structure of human and animal cells, high costs and difficulty of replicating human ageing effects. The aim of this thesis is to develop biocompatible and osteoconductive polyurethane-based scaffolds with optimal mechanical and biological properties that can be used as 3D in vitro bone models for bone regeneration and implant testing. 17 Plain-PU and PU-HA scaffolds were fabricated from three different medical grade polyether-urethanes, namely, Z1A1, Z3A1 and Z9A1. The polymer’s ability to dissolve in graded concentrations of DMF/THF solvents was assessed as part of this study. Composite scaffolds containing nano or micro HA particles were fabricated in a ratio of 3 PU: 1 HA by doping PU solutions with HA particles. Electrospinning, freeze drying, freeze extraction and particulate leaching were the main fabrication techniques explored for creating scaffolds. Electrospun scaffolds with non-aligned fibres were spun at 300 rpm whilst those with aligned fibres were spun at 1300 rpm. Particulate leaching using NaCl particles optimized 3 novel fabrication protocols namely, the layer-by-layer, homogenized or physical-mixing techniques for creating highly porous PU-based constructs. Investigation of non-aligned electrospun scaffolds showed that the choice of solvents, on their own or in combination, strongly influences the final properties of solution, hence the fibre morphology of scaffolds. Reducing the amount of DMF contained in the solution, increased fibre diameter, eliminated beads in fibres and led to scaffolds with a more uniform morphology. Moreover, reducing the DMF solvent content led to lower tensile properties of electrospun scaffolds, whilst incorporation of nano and micro HA particles reinforced the mechanical properties of both aligned and non-aligned electrospun composites. RAMAN and FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of HA in all composites. Xylenol orange staining showed that composite mHA scaffolds supported a higher percentage of mineral area coverage compared to plain-PU scaffolds. SHG imaging identified that collagen deposition appeared to be guided by the alignment of the scaffold fibres in the matrix deposited near to the fibres, but changed orientation with an increase in distance from the originally deposited layers. Layer-by-Layer particulate leached scaffolds made from all the three types of PU had a highly porous 3D structure. 3:1 PU:nano-HA composites had the highest Young’s Modulus and yield strength in the Layer-by-Layer group and there was no significant difference between the mechanical properties of 3:1 micro-HA composites and 2:1 micro-HA composites. A novel physical mixing fabrication protocol shortened fabrication time by about 90% and was used to mass produce particulate leached scaffolds in a shorter period of time. Physically mixed particulate leached scaffolds had an interesting and contrasting mechanical profile compared to previously fabricated scaffolds. Physically mixed PU scaffolds without HA had the highest mechanical properties in this group and the inclusion of neither nano, micro nor combined micro and nano-HA particles enhanced their mechanical properties. Similar to the Layer-by-Layer particulate leached scaffolds, the inclusion of HA particles in physically mixed PU-only scaffolds did not support a higher cell viability. Osteoid bone formation was present in only nHA composites by D7 of the in vivo studies, but present in all scaffolds after D45. Collagenous matrix deposition increased over the 56 day period in all scaffold types, however, this increase was more pronounced in PU-only scaffolds. Finally, mimicking push-out and pull-out tests by inserting titanium screws into particulate leached scaffolds, showed that inserting the screws during cell seeding is a better method than inserting them after a D28 culture period. PU-based scaffolds that serve as a novel biomimetic in vitro 3D bone model for testing of small orthopaedic implants have been developed.

Submitted by JOSIANE SANTOS DE OLIVEIRA (josianeso) on 2018-08-08T17:01:04Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Helen Tomaz Hexse_.pdf: 937975 bytes, checksum: 5701374a367386bfe656c2180d1b42b6 (MD5)<br>Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-08T17:01:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Helen Tomaz Hexse_.pdf: 937975 bytes, checksum: 5701374a367386bfe656c2180d1b42b6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-26<br>Nenhuma<br>O propósito de uma organização é atender os interesses e necessidades de seus clientes e para que isso aconteça, ela precisa ser orientada para serviço. Portanto, precisa possuir um conjunto de políticas, práticas e procedimentos internos que a possibilitem entregar um serviço excelente. No momento em que o setor hoteleiro compreende que a sua sobrevivência e crescimento dependem da criação e oferta de experiências memoráveis para seus clientes, e percebem que a cocriação pode ser utilizada na tentativa de responder as variadas expectativas que eles possuem, a sua habilidade para cocriar e o seu comportamento de cocriação assumem papéis fundamentais para colocá-la em prática. Neste cenário, as avaliações on-line podem ser utilizadas com uma forma de compreender as opiniões, pensamentos e reações dos clientes sobre os serviços que se oferece. Servindo para analisar se o cliente realmente percebe a excelência nos serviços prestados. Diante deste contexto, este estudo tem como objetivo analisar os efeitos da orientação para serviço do hotel (i) na sua habilidade de cocriação, (ii) no seu comportamento de cocriação, (iii) nas avaliações on-line que recebem dos clientes e analisar o efeito que (iv) a habilidade de cocriação possui no comportamento de cocriação. Para tanto, primeiramente, realizou-se uma etapa exploratória, onde 6 hotéis foram entrevistados com o objetivo de auxiliar na validação das escalas a serem utilizadas, na medida em que as entrevistas possibilitam um maior conhecimento sobre os construtos estudados e em como eles se encaixam no setor hoteleiro. Após, foi realizada uma survey com 155 hotéis do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul a fim de investigar os aspectos apresentados anteriormente. A técnica de estatística utilizada para análise dos dados foi a Modelagem de Equações Estruturais (MEE). Os resultados mostram que a orientação para serviço influencia positivamente na habilidade de cocriação, no comportamento de cocriação e na avaliação on-line. Destaca-se que a variância explicada atingiu índices importantes no momento em que a orientação para serviço explica 88,8% da habilidade de cocriação, 56% do comportamento de cocriação e 33,3% da avaliação on-line que hotéis recebem de seus clientes. Por outro lado, a habilidade de cocriação não apresentou efeito no comportamento de cocriação. Assim, os hotéis devem buscar uma maior orientação para serviços, a fim de alcançar maiores níveis de cocriação e melhores avaliações on-line.<br>The aim of an organization is to satisfy the needs and desires of the customer. For this, the organization must have service orientation. Therefore, the organization needs a basic set of organizational policies, practices and procedures to be able to deliver service excellence. When the hospitality industry understands that their future survival and growth depends upon creating and offering unique and memorable experiences for their customers, and realized that co-creation can be adopted to try to respond to customer expectations, their ability to co-create and their willingness to co-create will be the key to put co-creation in practice. Faced with this scenario the on-line reviews can be used as a way to comprehend the personal thoughts, reactions and opinions of the clients about the services that the organization offers. With this, is possible to analyze if the client really perceived an excellence in the services provided. Then, this research aims to analyze the effects of hotel service orientation (i) in their ability to co-create, (ii) in their willingness to co-create and (iii) in on-line reviews, and (iv) analyze the effect of ability to co-create have on willingness to co-create. Therefore, an exploratory study was made with 6 hotels, an attempt to get a better knowledge of how the studied constructs fits on the hotel sector to assist on the scales validation. Afterwards, a survey was realized with 155 hotels in the State of Rio Grande do Sul in order to investigate the aspects presented previously. The statistic technique used was Structural Equation Model (MEE). The results have shown that service orientation influences ability to co-create, willingness to co-create and on-line reviews positively. The explained variance has reached important indexes since service orientation explained 88,8% of ability to co-create, 33,3% of willingness to co-create and 33,3% of on-line reviews that hotels received by clients. On the other hand, ability to co-create has not presented influence on willingness to co-create. Thus, hotels should search a major service orientation to reach high levels of co-creation and better on-line reviews.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-13T14:09:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria Luiza Vasques Piccioli.pdf: 4068332 bytes, checksum: a47638a822b0b54d95ac608b8bd4134f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-27<br>This study is dedicated to the analysis of the Value Co-Creation Management and its relation to the market oriented strategy in foreign and Brazilian multinational companies. It is based on a theory review in which three main topics are discussed: (1) Marketing concepts evolution and the strategic orientation to market; (2) competitive advantage development and the value co-creation management; (3) foreign and Brazilian multinational companies, subsidiaries' role and the global Marketing management. The qualitative nature research developed on the market used the methodology of multiple case studies, following the protocol proposed by Yin (2001). This study was performed in 4 multinational companies, among them two Brazilian and two foreign ones, directly with the areas that are responsible for value co-creation management. In total, eight interviews were performed, being two per company, between the months of October and December 2012. After analysis, the research pointed not only to market orientation as a predecessor of co-creation management, but also to the value discipline chosen by the company as a strategical driver to co-creation implementation. In relation to Brazilian and foreign multinational companies, it was possible to identify that the management style is related to the organizations characteristics rather than their nationalities. As a contribute, this study fills a gap by bringing closer the subjects of Marketing orientation of co-creation practices and co-creation management in multinational companies.<br>Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar a gestão da co-criação de valor e sua integração com a estratégia de orientação para mercado em empresas multinacionais estrangeiras e brasileiras. O estudo do tema parte de uma revisão teórica, em que são considerados três tópicos: (1) a evolução dos conceitos de marketing e a orientação estratégica para mercado; (2) a construção de vantagem competitiva e a gestão da co-criação de valor; (3) as empresas multinacionais estrangeiras e brasileiras, o papel das subsidiárias e a gestão do marketing global. A pesquisa de campo, de natureza qualitativa, utilizou o método de estudo de caso múltiplo, seguindo o esquema protocolar proposto por Yin (2001). Este estudo foi realizado junto a quatro empresas multinacionais, sendo duas multinacionais estrangeiras e duas empresas multinacionais brasileiras, junto as áreas responsáveis pela gestão da co-criação de valor. Foram realizadas oito entrevistas, com dois profissionais de cada empresa pesquisada. As entrevistas ocorreram entre os meses de outubro e dezembro de 2012. Os resultados desta pesquisa apontam não apenas a orientação para mercado como um antecedente da gestão da co-criação, mas também a disciplina de valor escolhida pela empresa como uma diretriz estratégica para a implementação da co-criação. Com relação à comparação entre empresas multinacionais brasileiras e estrangeiras, foi possível verificar que a forma de gestão está atrelada as características organizacionais das empresas multinacionais e não a sua nacionalidade. Como contribuições, este estudo preenche uma lacuna ao aproximar o tema orientação para mercado da prática da co-criação e a gestão da co-criação em empresas multinacionais.

Tidigare forskning har visat att kundinvolvering kan ske på olika nivåer, där dehögsta nivåerna bidragit till bland annat ökad kundnöjdhet, konkurrenskraftigafördelar och förbättrat införande av nya tjänster hos organisationerna. Syftet medstudien har varit att bidra med kunskapsutveckling kring Radikal Kundinvolveringinom tjänstesektorn. Begreppet var nytt för forskningsområdet och få tidigarestudier visade effekterna av djupgående kundinvolvering. Den teoretiskareferensramen inleddes med kundfokus inom Offensiv kvalitetsutveckling,kundengagemang och kundinvolvering för att slutligen mynna ut i begreppetRadikal Kundinvolvering. Den kunskapsteoretiska utgångspunkten i studien harvarit hermeneutisk med abduktiv ansats. Kvalitativa djupintervjuer har använts sommetod för datainsamling. Till intervjuerna valdes fyra organisationer sombedömdes ha arbetat med Radikal Kundinvolvering och frågor rörandeerfarenheter, effekter och framtidsutsikter ställdes utifrån en semistruktureradintervjumall. Intervjumaterialet analyserades med utgångspunkt frånforskningsfrågorna. Förutom att stärka resultaten från tidigare forskning, visadeförfattarnas slutsats på att organisationerna kombinerade olika metoder förkundinvolvering och att effekterna av Radikal Kundinvolvering blev stärktorganisationskultur, ökad kommunikation och delaktighet. Arbetet ledde också tillatt kundgrupper vars åsikter vanligtvis inte fångades genom traditionella metoderblev hörda.<br>Previous research shows that customer involvement can occur on different levels,where the highest ones have had effects like increased customer satisfaction,competitive advantages and improved introduction of new services for theorganisations. The purpose of the study was to develop a deeper knowledge ofRadical Customer Involvement within service development. The term was new tothe field of research the and few studies had mentioned the effects of deepercustomer involvement. The theoretical framework leads the reader from customerorientation within Total Quality Management, customer engagement and customerinvolvement to Radical Customer Involvement. The research method washermeneutic with an abductive approach. Qualitative in-depth interviews wereused to collect data. Four organisations that were considered working with RadicalCustomer Involvement were chosen for the study and questions involvingexperiences, effects and the future of the field were asked with the help of a semi-structured interview guide. The analysis was based on the questions of the study.Besides strengthening previous research, the authors conclusion showed that theorganisations combined different methods of customer involvement and thatRadical Customer involvement had positive effects on the organisations culture,communication and participation. It also helped raise the voice of customers thattraditional methods were unable to reach.<br><p>2019-06-27</p>

Миленкова Р.В. Формування інноваційної культури майбутніх фахівців банківської справи. – Рукопис. Дисертація на здобуття наукового ступеня кандидата педагогічних наук за спеціальністю 13.00.04 – теорія і методика професійної освіти. – Університет менеджменту освіти Академії педагогічних наук України, Київ, 2008. Дисертація присвячена вивченню інноваційної культури майбутніх фахівців банківської справи. Визначено соціокультурні передумови формування, функції й основні структурні компоненти інноваційної культури студентів, за допомогою яких можна розробити систему формування й розвитку цього особистісного утворення. Виокремлено критерії і показники виміру рівнів сформованості та методику діагностування інноваційної культури майбутніх банківських фахівців. Теоретично обґрунтовано й експериментально перевірено комплекс педагогічних умов, що забезпечують підвищення ефективності формування інноваційної культури студентів (системний підхід до науково-методичного забезпечення навчально-виховного процесу у ВНЗ з відображенням сутності інноваційної культури; розвиток мотиваційно-ціннісного ставлення студентів до нового як підґрунтя їх потреби у самовдосконаленні; спрямованість навчально-виховного процесу на підвищення рівня загальної культури особистості).<br>Миленкова Р. В. Формирование инновационной культуры будущих специалистов банковского дела. – Рукопись. Диссертация на соискание ученой степени кандидата педагогических наук по специальности 13.00.04 – теория и методика профессионального образования. – Университет менеджмента образования Академии педагогических наук Украины, Киев, 2007. В диссертационном исследовании на основе изучения состояния и перспектив развития банковской системы в Украине были изучены требования работодателей к специалистам банковского дела. Банки и финансово-кредитные учреждения нуждаются в своевременном и качественном пополнении штата сотрудников такими специалистами, которые смогут обеспечить конкурентоспособность финансовой системы Украины. Поскольку банки играют важную роль в обеспечении устойчивого развития государства, их требования к специалистам высоки и предполагают образовательную, общекультурную и социально-психологическую готовность личности к восприятию и воплощению в реальность идеи инновационного развития экономики Украины.<br>Milenkova R.V. Forming an Innovative Culture of Future Bank Officers. – Manuscript. Thesis seeking the Candidate Degree in Pedagogical Sciences specializing in 13.00.04 – Theory and Methods of Vocational Education. Education Management University of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, 2008. The thesis is dedicated to the studying future bank officers’ innovative culture. Socio-cultural conditions, functions and the main constituencies of the students’ innovative culture, helping in building the system of this personal formation forming and development The criteria’s, level measuring indicators were defined; the diagnostic technique was proposed. The theoretical and practical approbation of pedagogical factors, raising forming innovative culture efficiency (system-based science and methods providing the education process reflecting the content of the innovative culture; motivationally valuable students’ attitude to new as their basis for self improvement; direction of the education process to the raising the general culture of personality) has been undertaken.

碩士<br>國立東華大學<br>藝術創意產業學系<br>106<br>During the researcher’s teachings in recent years, the researcher has discovered that when most ninth graders learn geographic shape, they can solve problems with single shapes more easily. However, they often find it difficult to identify and disassemble shapes when facing complex synthetic geometric shapes and they are even not interested in solving the problems. The researcher’s observation of this phenomenon has initiated his/her motive. The researcher hopes to research and develop an activity design related to geometry course for learners to revive his/her interest in learning mathematic geometry through experiencing the activity. The Ministry of Education launched the 12-year compulsory education program , in which included the promotion of aesthetics education and interdisciplinary teaching. This study uses aesthetics education as inspiration for learning experience in curricular activities and applies its idea so that learners can make a connection from experience to cognition in the course. The feature of the course design in this study mainly focuses on the vertices, lines and faces of geometric shapes so that students can use them to draw geometric shapes in a creative drawing activity. In other words, the original characteristics of geometric shapes are utilized for works of creative thinking and for solving abstract mathematic geometry problems. Learners are guided to be creative and imaginative in the activity, in which they observe and learn the aesthetics of geometric creation through the process. The researcher believes aesthetics appear in one’s own experience and comprehension after pondering on the feelings toward the experience. This cannot be achieved under formalized teaching. Through the guidance in the course, learners realize the application techniques of the characteristics of vertices, lines, faces and geometric shapes as well as experience different techniques for solving geometry problems. The course is implemented to a total of 8 ninth graders who are about to take the examination of the Comprehensive Assessment Program. The implementation is broken down into two days, with one day consisting of 3 hours of Vertices, Lines and Faces 101 and another day consisting of 2 hours of Advanced Application Practice. During the 5 hours of interdisciplinary creative integrated teaching, students learn to move things in life through inference and thinking by using the method of simplification, as applied for geometric shapes. The researcher has analyzed the learners’ geometric shape creations and contents of application practice in the course, so that he/she can accumulate more experience in designing geometry curriculum to allow learners to realize the application and aesthetics of mathematics in class.

Further analyses of comparing the creativity scores of the experimental groups also showed inconsistent results. Participants in the promotion cue condition scored significantly higher in uniqueness and unusualness of standardized assessment, and fluency and flexibility of creative problem solving than those in the prevention cue condition. The correlation between promotion focus and creativity was found significantly higher under the promotion cue condition than the prevention cue condition. But other mixed results showed that the control group scored significantly higher fluency and flexibility of standardized assessment than participants in the promotion cue condition. Participants' levels of promotion focus trait also had main effects on their creativity scores. Participants with higher trait of promotion focus tended to score higher in most of the creativity indicators.<br>In conclusion, the present study provided some limited evidence that promotion focus as a personality trait had weak but positive associations with creativity, and achievement goal as a weak mediator in affecting students' creativity. Students' promotion trait had stronger main effect on their creative performance than situational promotion focus. Ways to improve the manipulation effects and future direction on research had been suggested.<br>Results showed that the manipulation was relatively ineffective as reflected by the manipulation questions. Participants' promotion trait had, however, main effects on the manipulation items. Participants with high promotion trait scored significantly higher in all the checking items of promotion focus. Participants' prevention trait also had main effects on their perception of checking items of prevention focus. Participants with high prevention trait got higher scores of prevention situation than individuals with medium and low trait level.<br>Study 2 took a further step to examine the effects of regulatory focus on creativity in 490 Grade 7 students who had taken part in the previous study. Participants of 13 intact classes were randomly assigned to one of the conditions, namely promotion-framing condition (188 students from 5 classes), prevention-framing condition (149 students from 4 classes), and the control condition (153 students from 4 classes). Verbal and written instructions were provided with an intention to frame the regulatory focus of individual students. Participants completed a parallel item of the alternate use battery of the standardized creativity assessment, another item of creative problem solving, and six checking questions. Previous scores of achievement goals and regulatory foci were used as covariates in analysis of variance to examine the differences in the checking items.<br>The present study aimed at examining the influence of two motivational variables---achievement goal and regulatory focus on creativity. It was composed of two empirical studies. Study 1 was designed to investigate how achievement goal and regulatory focus affected creativity. A total of 824 Grade 7 students took part in completing a questionnaire which comprised an alternate use item of a standardized creativity assessment, a creative problem solving task, an instrument on achievement goal and two instruments on regulatory focus. Exploratory factor analyses and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to confirm the factor structures of achievement goals (mastery-approach goal, performance-approach goal, mastery-avoidance goal, and performance-avoidance goal) and regulatory foci (promotion focus and prevention focus). Results showed that these two variables were basically distinctive in nature. Positive but weak correlations were found between promotion focus and creativity, as well as prevention focus and creativity. Positive and weak correlations were also found between mastery-approach goal and creativity, performance-approach goal and creativity, as well as mastery-avoidance goal and creativity. Promotion focus had moderately high associations with both approach goals (mastery-approach and performance-approach) and avoidance goals (mastery-avoidance and performance-avoidance), and so had prevention focus. Regression analyses indicated that the strongest predictor for creativity was promotion focus. Performance-approach goal and mastery-avoidance goal served as weak mediators of regulatory focus on creativity.<br>Hui Na Na Anna.<br>"November 2006."<br>Adviser: P. C. Cheung.<br>Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-08, Section: A, page: 3279.<br>Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006.<br>Includes bibliographical references (p. 206-224).<br>Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web.<br>Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web.<br>Abstract in English and Chinese.<br>School code: 1307.

碩士<br>明志科技大學<br>工業工程與管理研究所<br>99<br>Cultural and Creative Industries is trends in the world of national policy and local economic. With the changing economic patterns of Taiwan, we have into the service economy from an industrial economy, knowledge economy and the creative economy, and into the experience economy. The industrial change in Taiwan, the Cultural and Creative Industries is the most promising industries. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate: the cultural and creative enterprises in various stages of development of the entrepreneurial orientation period, the network elements of the embedded content. The objective is Tourism factory for the study, in-depth interviews, respectively, Taiwan paper, Sheng-Yang and teasoap operators for the interviewee. Study found that enterprises are facing during the development of each state is different from the required resources have been different, but the entrepreneurial orientation and network embedded on the business impact can be summarized as follows: innovation will affect the business of the theme, proactive nature will affect the business direction, take risk affect the level of resources, relational embeddedness affect the diversity of resources, resources mosaic affect the amount of resources, to obtain critical resources, mosaic structure affect the stability of business operations, status mosaic affect on the industry or networks of influence.

碩士<br>國立臺灣大學<br>心理學研究所<br>100<br>In the modern society, the creative performance of organizational members is increasingly valued. Research on creativity pointed out that goal orientation theory focusing on the learning behavior can predict the creative performance. But, the underlying psychological mechanism is unclear. Moreover, how the situational factors enacted on the creative process needs to be explored. Therefore, this current study collected data from 408 supervisor-subordinate dyads in Taiwan and explored how goal orientation influences the creative performance via the creative self-efficacy. The results showed that both learning goal orientation and approach performance goal orientation positively and indirectly affected the creative performance through the creative self-efficacy, but avoidance performance goal orientation did not. Additionally, perceived organizational innovative climate moderated not only the relationship between the approach performance goal orientation and creative self-efficacy, but that between creative self-efficacy and creative performance. Finally, related implications of these results for research and practice are discussed.

碩士<br>國立中央大學<br>人力資源管理研究所<br>107<br>Along with the progress of technology, rapid change of our environment, and higher competition between companies, enterprises need to help their talents utilize their creativity to produce creative performance in the workplace which leads to innovation. Among some factors which may influence one’s creative performance, for example, creative self-efficacy, personal characteristics, or work motivation, individual entrepreneurial orientation can not only help a worker to become an entrepreneur but also help him produce creative performance in certain organizations. Past research has showed that the properties of individual entrepreneurial orientation have a relationship with work motivation that may influence one’s creative performance. Due to the lack of research on the subject of the relationship between work motivation, individual entrepreneurial orientation and creative performance, if individual entrepreneurial orientation plays a mediator or moderator during the process of work motivation affecting workers’ creative performance, motivation of this study initiated. Drawing on an effective data of 324 workers from all kinds of industry in Taiwan, we found the research results as follows：(1) Creative self-efficacy had a significant positive relationship with creative performance. (2) Internal and external work motivation had a significant positive relationship with creative performance. (3) Individual entrepreneurial orientation partially mediated the relationship between internal work motivation and creative performance. (4) Individual entrepreneurial orientation fully mediated the relationship between external work motivation and creative performance. (5) Individual entrepreneurial orientation had no moderation effect between internal work motivation and creative performance. (6) Individual entrepreneurial orientation had no positive moderation effect between external work motivation and creative performance.

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology)<br>Art making is seen as an opportunity to express one's self imaginatively, authentically, and spontaneously, an experience that, over time, can lead to personal fulfilment, emotional reparation, and recovery (Malchiodi, 2003). Taking into consideration the South African context, and the many psychological, social and emotional and learning barriers, through the creation of art and reflecting on the art products and methods people can increase awareness of self and others. It will also aid in coping with symptoms of stress and traumatic experiences, and enhance cognitive abilities (American Art Therapy Association, 2002). The aim of the paper is to assess and provide feedback on how learners experience the introduction of creative expressive arts activities into their school curriculum within the Life Orientation subject,. The research followed a phenomenological research design through the purposive sampling of nine learners from a school for learners with special educational needs. Data was collected through the means of group interviews, incomplete sentences and observations, then analysed by means of thematic analysis. Using socio-cultural theory as my literature framework and a socio-constructivist research paradigm, two main themes emerged. The first was that the learners experienced inter-personal development, which linked to the second theme of intra-personal development, through a psychological timeframe. Furthermore, I was able to determine which activities the learners enjoyed and which would need to be included in future creative expressive arts activities for the enjoyment of the learners. Through the emergence of this research the school communities will be better informed as to the value that creative expressive arts engagement could have in a school setting.

碩士<br>國立臺北教育大學<br>體育學系碩士班<br>96<br>Based on Peer Motivational Climate in Youth Sport Questionnaire designed by Ntoumanis & Vazou (2005) and combined with the three-dimensional goal orientation of Tsai Y. T. (2004), this study discussed the influence of peer creative motivational climate and three-dimensional goal orientation on sport enjoyment. Therefore, the first purpose was to calculate the interaction among peer creative motivational climate, three-dimensional goal orientation, and sport enjoyment. The second purpose was to explore the typical relevant circumstances between peer creative motivational climate and three-dimensional goal orientation. The major objects of the research were 448 junior high school students (male 345; female 103), aged 14.21(SD=.90) years old. Their average training hours were over 5 hours every week. Meanwhile, they all joined in sports teams for a minimum of 6 months. Also, all of them had the experiences of participating in inter-school competitions. The research data were analyzed by simple correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, and canonical correlation analysis. The results were as follows: 1.Positive forecast for sport enjoyment can be discovered from both the three-dimensional goal orientation to task orientation and the peer motivational climate to task-involved climate. Moreover, the ability of forecast of the former was higher than that of the latter. 2.The result of canonical correlation analysis indicated that the more the peer creative motivational climate was involved into the task orientation, the better the individuals tend towards task and social orientation. On the contrary, if the peer creative motivational climate was more into the ego-involvement in team competitions, the individuals will possibly tend towards ego orientation. To sum up, the study focused on discussing the above findings according to the theoretical implications. Further, positive suggestions for practical applications and future research were provided as well.