Dissertations / Theses: 'Knowledge utilisation'

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Soskic, Nevena. "Dynamic utilisation of knowledge in decision making." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2013. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/59104/.

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The contribution of this research is a set of novel insights on the interplay of knowledge assets during decision making. Knowledge is conceptualised as a dynamic resource. Its value is a function of the contribution it makes relative to other knowledge stock at a point of application. The information flows can renew the resource, and the influence of power makes the knowledge development process subject to reconciliation of local interests. The focus on dynamics of knowledge development through a set of value-adding processes also moves the analysis away from the rational and political perspectives of knowledge in decision making. This offers an alternative view on how the value of knowledge can be assessed and understood. The research proposes how the decision making process could be a useful mechanism for the development of dynamic capabilities. The findings stem from the view of knowledge developed in this research as a knowledge capsule comprised of two or three knowledge assets which can draw upon two other types of knowledge from outside the decision process. The analysis relies on two in-depth strategic decision case studies and suggests that the value of knowledge can be identified from the point at which the central decision is generated. The value of each interplay can be assessed in a 'transactional' space where three types of knowledge 'meet'. Decision making is a knowledge-creating activity. The interplay of knowledge assets is a source of value in decision making and, this thesis argues, the basis of heterogeneity of this strategic asset between organisations. Power impacts the contribution of knowledge assets and through application is redistributed during the decision making process. As knowledge stocks interplay, some knowledge is attuning and some advancing the work in decision episodes. The value can be identified by assessing the outcomes of interplay such as insights and decisions. The managerial implications focus on the challenges for developing knowledge assets and the extraction of value from existing knowledge assets during strategic decision making.

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Simelane, Bhekithemba Doctor. "Indigenous knowledge and vegetation utilisation in Khayelitsha, Cape Town." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2005. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_4577_1209045528.

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The aim of this study was to investigate indigenous knowledge of vegetation resource utilisation, in particular the use of traditional medicinal plants in the provision of health care in the community of Khayelitsha and to determine traditional resource management approaches.

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Nätti, S. (Satu). "Customer-related knowledge utilisation in the collaborative relationships of professional service organisation." Doctoral thesis, University of Oulu, 2005. http://urn.fi/urn:isbn:9514279123.

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Abstract The purpose of this study is to describe customer-related knowledge utilisation in the collaborative relationships of professional service organisations. Within this specific context, knowledge transfer capabilities are emphasised as an important prerequisite in the utilisation process. Effective organisation-level knowledge utilisation is crucial in collaborative relationships of professional service organisations. In order to formulate a coherent service offering across different areas of expertise, for instance, it is beneficial to transfer customer knowledge between professionals, business units and functions. Knowledge utilisation across different expertise areas may also be an important prerequisite for an organisation's innovativeness and proactiveness in customer cooperation. Customer-related knowledge utilisation and related knowledge transfer processes are in this study approached from a relationship management perspective, and literature from organisation research, resource-based view and knowledge management is used as a theoretical basis. Empirically this study is based on a descriptive case study of two professional service firms in the field of business-to-business education and consultancy services. In the first case, an in-depth analysis of an organisation developing a collaborative relationship in the outsourcing situation is described. In the second case, additional views are given on organisational practices potentially facilitating customer-related knowledge transfer. Empirical results show that internal fragmentation in the professional service organisation seems to be, to a large extent, inherent in this type of organisation, and may cause many problems in customer-related knowledge transfer and thus in effective utilisation of that knowledge. These knowledge transfer inhibitors rise from an organisation's characteristics; its dominant logic, culture, structure and systems. These organisational characteristics are bound to the characteristics of knowledge itself: its tacitness, non-observability and complexity, and can have an inhibiting influence on knowledge transfer. However, in spite of the inherent forces causing internal fragmentation and inhibiting knowledge transfer, moderating practices of a well-planned relationship coordination system, customer knowledge and expertise codification, and cooperative working practices among the experts seem to help to maintain customer knowledge transfer and utilisation, and thus also continuity and value creation in the long-term relationships. This value creation can be seen to be based on accessing and integrating a wide variety of knowledge resources in order to create innovative, flexible and multifaceted service offerings. Value creation can also be based on organisational ability for generative learning in order to change prevailing organisational assumptions and to develop the operations model needed in collaborative relationship.

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Beesley, Lisa, and n/a. "Relationships among Knowledge Creation, Diffusion and Utilisation in the CRC Process." Griffith University. School of Marketing and Management, 2003. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20040901.125713.

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Tourism has come to be recognised as a major contributor to national economies. In a knowledge-based economy (that emphasises the benefits of industry/government and academic research), a strong research base must underpin management of a tourist destination if it is to realise its full potential. The establishment of collaborative networks between industry, academia, and government in the strategic planning and management of cities and towns is becoming increasingly popular. However, the way in which the processes underlying these settings facilitate or inhibit eventual outcomes is poorly understood. If knowledge is to drive innovation and economic growth optimally, it is important not just to develop an understanding of the processes underlying the creation, diffusion and utilisation of knowledge in cooperative research settings, but also the relationships among them. Accordingly, the aim of this investigation is to examine the relationships among knowledge creation, diffusion and utilisation occurring in the Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program, specifically, the Gold Coast Visioning Project, with a view to identifying the most efficient means for formulating and disseminating research designed for industry and/or government application. Knowledge is defined as information that is imbued with meaning or relevance. However, this definition says little of the ways that individuals, groups and organisations acquire knowledge. While cognitive psychologists have produced several theories suggesting the structure and mechanisms of individual cognitive processes underlying the acquisition and use of knowledge, social scientists have sought to describe and explain the process by investigating the influence of social factors. Recent contributions to group learning have examined group composition, group size, familiarity among group members, and communication processes in an attempt to understand the ways in which groups acquire knowledge. Research shows that knowledge utilisation in organisations results from the interdependent influences of organisational processes and the control opportunities and control problems that arise through organisational structure. These frameworks provide accounts of how knowledge is utilised within an organisation, but not of how organisations learn. Recent research suggests that organisations learn through knowledge networks where organisational focus moves from the consideration and protection of boundaries to the management of (and care for) relationships. Therefore, organisations contain static (rules, norms and procedures) and dynamic (social relationships) elements that mutually influence the degree to which organisations learn. A synthesis of the available literature resulted in the development of a series of models that served not only to inform, but also be informed by the analysis of this investigation. A single case study, namely the Gold Coast Visioning Project, was used to examine the ways in which knowledge was created, disseminated and utilised in a CRC setting. This ethnographic investigation considered the process of knowledge creation through to utilisation at individual, group, organisational, and inter-organisational levels, while simultaneously examining the interrelated influences of social, cognitive, affective and communication factors. Throughout the project, data were collected through stakeholder interviews, various documents and participant observation of stakeholder meetings and workshops. Data were analysed using a grounded theory approach and methods of thick description. The results show that researchers and industry stakeholders bring different frames of reference, different expectations, and different knowledge bases to the exercise. This inhibited communication, and gave the appearance of dissension when, in fact, what was being sought was a common frame for understanding and communication. Additionally, the gap between industry and researcher worldviews generated the sense that industry was resisting or failing to understand what the research was seeking to achieve. Consequently, in order to manage the relationship, research plans and findings were communicated to industry in a teacher-to-student fashion, which fostered single-loop learning, and reduced industry stakeholders' sense of ownership in the process and findings. During the project, industry stakeholders frequently sought to have research come pre-packaged with "meaning", but researchers lacked the contextual knowledge necessary to specify the relevance of their research. The results also show that research findings need to be integrated and diffused to industry over time, and specific applications need to be formulated (and reformulated) in response to particular and changing needs of industry. As a result of this investigation, a model of 'best practice' has been developed with detailed recommendations for the design, implementation, and reporting of CRC-sponsored research to optimise its utility for end-users of such research. From a theoretical perspective, the findings of this study challenge the ways that current theories account for the ways in which knowledge is acquired and utilised since the results show that knowledge is constructed both socially and emotionally. Any investigation that seeks to understand how knowledge is acquired and utilised must consider social and affective influences. To ignore the role of emotion and values in the process of knowledge acquisition is to ignore a key component of an individual's reasoning capacity.

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Carrier, Judith. "The social organisation of practice nurses' knowledge utilisation : an ethnographic study." Thesis, Cardiff University, 2014. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/62839/.

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In the study reported in this thesis a conceptual framework drawing on a range of social, organisational and educational theories was used to underpin an investigation into the social organisation of practice nurses’ knowledge utilisation. Particular attention was paid to the concept of ‘clinical mindlines’. Changes in healthcare delivery, particularly in primary care, have resulted in changes to practice nurses’ roles. Macro level policy has focused increasingly on standardisation of care within the primary care environment, specifically in relation to management of chronic/long term conditions. Practice nurses have additionally taken on roles that include diagnostic and treatment elements for which they were not prepared for in their initial training. Set against this background ethnographic data were generated relating to meso level organisation of knowledge utilisation in two study sites. Interviews, observation and documentary analysis of available knowledge sources including guidelines and protocols were used to generate data relating to how knowledge is accessed and subsequently used at the micro level of the clinical patient encounter. Findings illustrated that a mixture of organisational and individual factors impacted on knowledge utilisation. Practice nurses used a combination of knowledge which they applied within the context of the individual patient encounter. This was accessed partly through their ‘mindlines’ developed from education, clinical experience and social learning and partly through accessing a ‘bricolage’ of knowledge which included seeking advice from a variety of sources. Specific elements of note were enthusiasm towards evidence based practice, both amongst the nurses and at practice level and a supportive organisational culture towards continuing education and sharing of knowledge. Standardisation embedded into computer templates that guided the chronic disease management consultations had both a positive and negative influence, positive in its focus on improving evidence based care, whilst negative in promoting template driven care that takes little account of individual patient need. Organisational elements constraining effective knowledge dissemination and use included information being disseminated to the practice nurses through vertical rather than horizontal networking; professional training that had not prepared nurses to deal with uncertainty; the part time nature of the practice nurse role; limitations in accessing evidence in ‘real time’ and lack of applicability of evidence to all patient scenarios.

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Beesley, Lisa. "Relationships among Knowledge Creation, Diffusion and Utilisation in the CRC Process." Thesis, Griffith University, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/367377.

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Tourism has come to be recognised as a major contributor to national economies. In a knowledge-based economy (that emphasises the benefits of industry/government and academic research), a strong research base must underpin management of a tourist destination if it is to realise its full potential. The establishment of collaborative networks between industry, academia, and government in the strategic planning and management of cities and towns is becoming increasingly popular. However, the way in which the processes underlying these settings facilitate or inhibit eventual outcomes is poorly understood. If knowledge is to drive innovation and economic growth optimally, it is important not just to develop an understanding of the processes underlying the creation, diffusion and utilisation of knowledge in cooperative research settings, but also the relationships among them. Accordingly, the aim of this investigation is to examine the relationships among knowledge creation, diffusion and utilisation occurring in the Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program, specifically, the Gold Coast Visioning Project, with a view to identifying the most efficient means for formulating and disseminating research designed for industry and/or government application. Knowledge is defined as information that is imbued with meaning or relevance. However, this definition says little of the ways that individuals, groups and organisations acquire knowledge. While cognitive psychologists have produced several theories suggesting the structure and mechanisms of individual cognitive processes underlying the acquisition and use of knowledge, social scientists have sought to describe and explain the process by investigating the influence of social factors. Recent contributions to group learning have examined group composition, group size, familiarity among group members, and communication processes in an attempt to understand the ways in which groups acquire knowledge. Research shows that knowledge utilisation in organisations results from the interdependent influences of organisational processes and the control opportunities and control problems that arise through organisational structure. These frameworks provide accounts of how knowledge is utilised within an organisation, but not of how organisations learn. Recent research suggests that organisations learn through knowledge networks where organisational focus moves from the consideration and protection of boundaries to the management of (and care for) relationships. Therefore, organisations contain static (rules, norms and procedures) and dynamic (social relationships) elements that mutually influence the degree to which organisations learn. A synthesis of the available literature resulted in the development of a series of models that served not only to inform, but also be informed by the analysis of this investigation. A single case study, namely the Gold Coast Visioning Project, was used to examine the ways in which knowledge was created, disseminated and utilised in a CRC setting. This ethnographic investigation considered the process of knowledge creation through to utilisation at individual, group, organisational, and inter-organisational levels, while simultaneously examining the interrelated influences of social, cognitive, affective and communication factors. Throughout the project, data were collected through stakeholder interviews, various documents and participant observation of stakeholder meetings and workshops. Data were analysed using a grounded theory approach and methods of thick description. The results show that researchers and industry stakeholders bring different frames of reference, different expectations, and different knowledge bases to the exercise. This inhibited communication, and gave the appearance of dissension when, in fact, what was being sought was a common frame for understanding and communication. Additionally, the gap between industry and researcher worldviews generated the sense that industry was resisting or failing to understand what the research was seeking to achieve. Consequently, in order to manage the relationship, research plans and findings were communicated to industry in a teacher-to-student fashion, which fostered single-loop learning, and reduced industry stakeholders' sense of ownership in the process and findings. During the project, industry stakeholders frequently sought to have research come pre-packaged with "meaning", but researchers lacked the contextual knowledge necessary to specify the relevance of their research. The results also show that research findings need to be integrated and diffused to industry over time, and specific applications need to be formulated (and reformulated) in response to particular and changing needs of industry. As a result of this investigation, a model of 'best practice' has been developed with detailed recommendations for the design, implementation, and reporting of CRC-sponsored research to optimise its utility for end-users of such research. From a theoretical perspective, the findings of this study challenge the ways that current theories account for the ways in which knowledge is acquired and utilised since the results show that knowledge is constructed both socially and emotionally. Any investigation that seeks to understand how knowledge is acquired and utilised must consider social and affective influences. To ignore the role of emotion and values in the process of knowledge acquisition is to ignore a key component of an individual's reasoning capacity. Thesis (PhD Doctorate) Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) School of Marketing and Management Full Text

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Mohd, Noor Noor Azlan. "A comparison of rural and urban Malays' knowledge and utilisation of medical systems." Thesis, University of Kent, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.392707.

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Mensah, Daniel Kweku Adabo. "An investigation of the knowledge and attitudes of Adolescents towards the sexual and reproductive Health services in the Omaruru district, Namibia." University of the Western Cape, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/7625.

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Master of Public Health - MPH Background- Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) problems continue to affect adolescents’ health and well-being even into their adulthood. Globally and especially within sub-Saharan Africa with a heavy burden of adolescent SRH problems, increased attention is being paid to these issues. This study looks at adolescents’ awareness, utilisation of and experiences of the available SRH services in Omaruru District, Namibia. Methodology- This analytical cross-sectional study used a two-stage cluster sampling method. Data from students aged 15-19 years in secondary schools were collected and analysed using a structured self-administered questionnaire and STATA statistical software respectively. Ethical approval was obtained from the Biomedical Research and Ethics Committee (University of the Western Cape) and the Namibian Health Ministry. Written parental/caregiver informed consent and written participant assent, as per the Namibian law were obtained. Results- While 87% of respondents had heard of SRH, 46% had ever used SRH services. Of these 44% were contraceptive services. Fifty-one percent had ever had sex (of which 17% had given birth to or fathered their first child), 56% of their first sexual experiences were between ages 15-17 years. Twelve percent had used illegal drugs three months prior to the survey. In multivariate analyses female sex, urban residence and reported sexual debut had significant independent relationships with contraception use. Use of SRH services was independently significantly associated with having had sexual debut. Among SRH services users: 71% would recommend these services to their friends, 51% and 56% found health providers welcoming, with good attitudes, and guaranteeing their privacy and confidentiality. Conclusion Greater effort is needed to curb teenage pregnancy in school-going adolescents by promoting the use of all SRH services especially contraception among sexually active adolescents. It is encouraging that respondents who had used SRH service reported that their privacy and, confidentiality were respected and that healthcare providers’ attitudes generally satisfactory. Lower SRH knowledge, service use and use of contraception and condoms needs further investigation in rural youth and then programmatic and service changes tailored to their needs. Gender norms that underpin adolescent females disadvantage in a number of SRH areas needs to be addressed

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Wallin, Lars. "Knowledge Utilisation in Swedish Neonatal Nursing : Studies on Guideline Implementation, Change Processes and Contextual Factors." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala : Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis : Univ.-bibl. [distributör], 2003. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-3426.

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Fouet, Jean-Marc. "Utilisation de connaissances pour améliorer l'utilisation de connaissances : la machine Gosseyn." Paris 6, 1987. http://www.theses.fr/1987PA066378.

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Le double problème de l'acquisition de connaissances et de leur utilisation efficace est abordé. Sont ensuite établies les contraintes qui portent d'une part sur la représentation externe et d'autre part sur la représentation interne, en étudiant la nécessité et les limites du développement incrémental. Dans une deuxième partie, la simulation d'une machine d'inférence censée répondre à ces exigences est étudiée. Fondée sur une architecture à "flot de données", cette machine met à profit des connaissances diverses pour, d'une part, assurer le contrôle de l'interprétation de connaissances et, d'autre part, procéder à la compilation incrémentale, sous forme de nouveaux circuits, de ces mêmes connaissances

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Pitschke, Elmar. "Techniques for the production of high quality lenses by the utilisation of a knowledge based system." Thesis, University of the West of England, Bristol, 2012. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.572873.

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The rapid increase in the employment of optics-based technologies in modern life has spurred the search for lenses that exhibit exceptionally high optical accuracies, and yet are simple and cheap to manufacture. Currently, most complex lenses are based on multiple lens elements of spherical form, and it is common for a number of these spherical elements to be combined into a single optical objective. However, a characteristic of spherical lenses, spherical aberration, prevents the spherical lens from achieving perfect refraction and leads to distortion of the image at the focus point. It is for this reason that multiple spherical elements are generally necessary. Aspherical, sometimes referred to as free-form, lenses enable the incorporation of compensation for spherical aberration. Such aspherical lenses may exhibit a perfect focus, will be lighter in weight and will be smaller in size than equivalent multi-spherical objectives. However, the production of asphericallenses is complex, a consequence of their intricate shape. Research was undertaken to analyse the methods for producing lenses. In particular magnetorheological finishing was studied extensively. This process utilises a fluid that is stiffened under the influence of a magnetic fluid as the polishing agent. It is an extremely capable and adaptable process, but yet is subject to many complex factors that influence the manner in which it may be applied to the optical finishing process. The magnetorheological finishing process was investigated, and procedures for synthesising the machine characteristic, referred to as the influence function, were proposed. Employment of the technique that was developed will reduce the quantity of optical material used for testing and machine characterisation, so reducing scrap, while saving the manufacturing time that must normally be devoted to the characterisation operation. In addition, a knowledge-based system was established, which may provide guidance and direction as to the most appropriate lens-processing conditions to adopt. The results of this work have generic applications, in diverse processes, wherever surface preparation and surface finishing are required

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Muchmore, Suzi. "Knowledge transfer : a qualitative investigation of the UK low carbon innovation system." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2018. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/35118.

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Innovation programmes require organisations to transfer both technology and knowledge to the diverse actors who operate within innovation eco-systems. The changing relationship between science and society has witnessed the growth of public private partnerships (PPP) to create new knowledge, while also triggering the emergence of a new role for universities as catalysts for innovation. This brings many challenges, stemming from the inherent nature of knowledge and the complex interactions involved with inter-disciplinary knowledge transfer. Concurrently, these public-funded programmes come under increasing scrutiny to demonstrate greater societal and economic impact as a return on research investment. Knowledge generated within the UK low carbon energy innovation system has the potential to facilitate the achievement of national emission targets. However, while knowledge may be successfully created, there is no guarantee that it will be disseminated and utilised in a way that contributes to the achievement of knowledge-related objectives. Current literature concentrates on the micro level inhibitors and enablers of knowledge transfer; however, a gap in empirical work which investigates system level knowledge interactions is evident. Research and practical application in this field has historically centred on technology transfer whilst under-emphasising the crucial role of knowledge within this complex, socio-technical innovation system. The overall aim of this qualitative study is to achieve a better understanding of the influences of knowledge transfer across a defined innovation system. This is achieved through the perceptions of participants via two case studies; one in a PPP and one in a University. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-eight participants, along with document analysis and participant observation at workshops, to investigate the participant perceptions. A three tier (macro-, meso- and micro-level) data analysis approach was adopted to reflect the systems level interactions. The study found that knowledge transfer is often perceived as the dissemination of information via explicit forms of knowledge, which may or may not be used by stakeholders to achieve innovation objectives. The main barriers to stakeholders utilising knowledge included: accessibility to knowledge; fit-for-purpose knowledge; stakeholder motivation/ability to use the knowledge; and viewing knowledge as an object. While there is an emerging impact agenda in academia, cultural and normative influences direct researchers towards traditional academic outputs (e.g. publications). Knowledge utilisation by stakeholders was found to be maximised through relational, stakeholder driven models, which view knowledge as a process. Knowledge utilisation was context specific, and, due to complex system influences, was never guaranteed to occur. Although planning for knowledge utilisation was undertaken at both the PPP and the University, implementing and measuring results was found to be difficult due to dynamic system influences such as understanding stakeholder motivations, resourcing constraints and complexity in the desired project outcomes. This makes adaptability and responsiveness important qualities for knowledge producers, while also necessitating specific skill sets. Based on this work, a set of principles were developed which should guide more effective utilisation of knowledge and promote more impactful research outcomes.

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Kotze, Dirk Jacobus. "The development of an implementation methodology for a conceptual framework tool used for the improved viewing and utilisation of organisational information /." Link to the online version, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10019/1806.

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Haynes, Abigail. "Understanding the process of a research utilisation intervention in policy agencies: What, how and why?" Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/17779.

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Background: There are increasing calls to strengthen the use of research in health policymaking, but little is known about how intervention strategies may be received by policymakers, or how different contexts are likely to affect engagement and uptake. This research seeks to understand, and provide transferable information about, how research utilisation interventions function in different policy settings, and how they can be made more fit for purpose. Approach: This thesis focuses on Supporting Policy In health with Research: an Intervention Trial (SPIRIT). SPIRIT is a multi-component research utilisation intervention that was implemented in six health policy agencies in Sydney. Taking a process-orientated perspective, my mixed methods research examines facets of the intervention design and implementation, and attempts to both describe and explain how a range of participants perceived and interacted with SPIRIT, and with what effects. Work produced: Six studies are included. Five published papers: (i) a realist scoping review of interventions aimed at building policymakers’ capacity to use research in their work; (ii) a participant observation study of concept development in our team; (iii) an account of theory-focused fidelity assessment; (iv) an analysis of the views, behaviours and impacts of the intervention’s internal facilitators; and (v) a realist evaluation of how participants experienced SPIRIT and the causal pathways through which intervention strategies appear to generate process effects. A further chapter explores the wider context and considerable challenges of increasing research use in policymaking. Key contributions: This thesis delivers new conceptual and methodological approaches for understanding how and why complex interventions function as they do. First, the findings describe how SPIRIT was implemented and perceived, and offer provisional explanations for the marked variation in engagement between the six intervention sites. Using an in-depth realist process evaluation approach, I was able to identify and test possible causal mechanisms, and to make empirically grounded recommendations for program improvement (e.g. improved strategies for identifying and supporting internal facilitators). Second, the thesis makes methodological contributions. It advances the use of realist process evaluation, which is still rarely used, unpacks the role of process effects in a realist scoping review of research utilisation interventions, and presents a novel approach for managing fidelity assessment within flexible interventions. The inclusion of pragmatic tools and worked examples makes this work concrete. Lastly, the research contributes to theory in the field. It furthers our understanding of the dynamic and highly situated connections between policymakers’ diverse information needs and practices, and different kinds of research utilisation intervention and implementation strategies. It brings this learning together in provisional transferable propositions and provides access to the substantial empirical and conceptual work that sits behind them. Together, these contributions offer guidance for the design, implementation and evaluation of future intervention studies in this field and beyond. The thesis concludes by highlighting areas where further understanding is required if the ambitions of research-informed policymaking are to be advanced.

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Schutte, Marietjie. "Utilisation of Social Media tools to enhance knowledge sharing practices among knowledge workers at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology in Arusha, Tanzania." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/62108.

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It is vital for knowledge workers to utilise social media tools to enhance knowledge sharing practices and the adoption of these collaborative tools in higher learning institutions. This study investigated the extent to which social media tools are utilised to enhance knowledge sharing practices among knowledge workers at Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania. The study conducted semi-structured interview with the NM-AIST library staff and Information and Communication Technology Resource Centre (ICT-RC) personnel in 2014. The study found that, the utilisation of social media tools to enhance knowledge sharing among knowledge workers is still in its early stages in higher learning institutions in Tanzania. However, there was much interest amongst respondents for integrating and utilising social media tools to support knowledge sharing in higher learning institutions. The findings indicated that: social media tools can be used to enhance knowledge sharing practices; however, face to face mechanism, Google Mail, and Google Drive were indicated as main mechanisms to enhance knowledge sharing practices in higher learning institutions. Knowledge workers at the NM-AIST shared knowledge to facilitate teaching and learning activities, research and innovation; however knowledge sharing practices occur when needs arise. The study revealed the lack of knowledge sharing culture documented at the NM-AIST. The study has recommended the following: proper training for knowledge workers, employment of skilled and experienced knowledge workers, provision of full support (motivation), provide support to individual users. Application of social media tools which are very familiar and simple to use, establishment of a good relationship between knowledge workers and the management, as well as with schools and departments in higher learning institutions. Additionally, the study recommends the provision of adequate social media tools to facilitate knowledge diffusion within institutions. Mini Dissertation (MIT)--University of Pretoria, 2013. Information Science MIT Unrestricted

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Fry, Jane P. "A descriptive phenomenological study of independent midwives' utilisation of intuition as an authoritative form of knowledge in practice." Thesis, Bournemouth University, 2016. http://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/27155/.

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Out of the diversity of possible ways of knowing in maternity and health care, there has emerged a hegemonic emphasis on knowledge that is based on scientific principles. Arguably, there is also a role for intuition in healthcare. Indeed, leading midwives, educationalists and researchers in related fields have hailed the important role of intuition in advancing midwifery practice and education. A review of the literature shows that there is a dearth of research exploring the nature and use of intuition in midwifery practice. This descriptive phenomenological study explores the experiences and use of intuition in a cohort of seven independent midwives across the South and Midlands area of the United Kingdom. The study explores what midwifery intuition is for them and how they incorporate this form of knowing into the complexity of their midwifery practice. The study found that the experience and utilisation of the independent midwives’ intuition is a complex phenomenon that included the reception of subtle cues, own emotions, bodily-felt sensations, images and dreams. Such ways of knowing provided practice-relevant knowledge that can be either specific or non-specific and can serve various levels and kinds of use (for example, from directly increasing generalised alertness to specific directions for treatment). The findings result in a novel typology of the essence of midwifery intuition and the different nuanced ways it comes to be utilised, developed, and confirmed or disconfirmed within the holistic trajectory of practice. The study concludes with a consideration of how the findings contribute to existing scholarship in the area as well as the implications for practice and education. This comprises how the identification of the salient elements of the midwives’ intuition has contributed to the understanding of the phenomenon and may aid other midwives and students in developing and enhancing their own intuition. This will provide assistance in enabling intuition to be recognised as a first person rational form of authoritative knowledge to be utilised, and at times, prioritised alongside other forms of practice knowledge. Recognising intuition as part of a holistic knowing will enhance individualised, safe, maternity care for women and autonomous, transparent decision making for midwives. It is recommended that the provision of reflective workshops and reflection during revalidation will enable clarification of the phenomenon and enable other practitioners to develop this form of artistry. It is also recommended that models of care that promote this intimate way of knowing are utilised in maternity provision.

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Jere, Khumbo. "Knowledge and utilisation of family planning 6 to 14 weeks postpartum in the Metro West region of the Western Cape Province." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20839.

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Postpartum family planning (PPFP) is the initiation and use of contraception during the first year after delivery. Following delivery mothers are encouraged to attend local Baby Clinics where infant follow up and immunization services and contraceptive advice should be available. The general understanding and importance of contraceptive use of postpartum mothers in this period has not been fully explored within our services. The aim of this study was to assess the current knowledge and the utilisation of contraception at the primary level of care among women who delivered 6 to 14 weeks earlier. We also hoped to identify possible obstacles to accessing family planning services. Methods This was descriptive cross-sectional study that was conducted between March and September 2014, in the Metro West of Cape Town. The study included five Baby Clinics in local health centres. Ethics committee approval was granted by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences of UCT (HREC REF: 544/2013) and further permission was granted for study sites by the Provincial Health Research Council of the Western Cape Government (RP 004/2014). A total of 228 mothers, who were 6-14 weeks postpartum and attended a Baby Clinic during the study period were recruited. Questionnaire based interviews were conducted and data were entered using Microsoft Excel 2012 spreadsheets and were analysed using SPSS version 22.

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Martin-Clouaire, Roger. "Representation et utilisation de meta-connaissances et d'informations imprecises ou incertaines." Toulouse 3, 1986. http://www.theses.fr/1986TOU30246.

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Dans l'approche developpee, les meta connaissances sont exprimees declarativement via des metaregles ayant pour role de: suggerer comment utiliser les connaissances de base; orienter le systeme sur les donnees adequates; permettre de hierarchiser les etapes du raisonnement et restructurer les donnees suivant des considerations spatiales. Quant au moteur d'inference spii (systeme de propagation de l'imprecision et de l'incertitude), il permet un traitement homogene, dans le cadre de la theorie des possibilites, des informations (regles ou faits) tant imprecises qu'incertaines

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Liu, Xuelin. "The influence of power on knowledge flow and utilisation of social capital : a case study in process & product innovation in China." Thesis, University of Leicester, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/28894.

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Organisations seek new technology and new ways of doing things. In so doing, they could obtain competitive advantages through innovation (Porter, 1990). A number of research demonstrates that successful innovations rely on the search for and obtaining new ideas or information from various sources (e.g. Clark et al., 1992; Tidd et al., 2001; Parker and Vaidya, 2001), and on creating and applying new knowledge (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995; von Krogh et a l., 2000). Therefore, innovation and knowledge flow are closely related. Knowledge sharing is important for firms innovative performance (Spencer, 2003). However, there are many factors affecting knowledge flow and thus causing problem s for innovation. For instance, the types of knowledge are found as one of the factors affecting the ease of knowledge sharing (Dixon, 2002; Hanson, 1999; Howells, 1996). Certain type of knowledge (i.e. tacit knowledge) tends to be more difficult to share than other types of knowledge. Structural positions and relations between organisations are also the factors influencing knowledge flow. Research demonstrates that firms, better connected with various external organisations and groups, are able to gain more innovation resources through the social networks and social capital (Burt, 1992; Conway, 1997; Nahapiet and Ghoshal, 1998). Thereby, social networks and utilisation of social capital are crucial for knowledge flow and innovation.

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Luchinskaya, Daria. ""It's not already laid out for you in a small company" : UK graduates' knowledge and skills utilisation in small and large businesses." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2016. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/80140/.

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Small firms have been highlighted by the UK government as potential graduate employers, in the context of an expanding higher education system and slow growth in 'traditional' graduate jobs. But it is unclear whether graduates working in small firms would have similar opportunities to use their knowledge and skills and develop their careers as would graduates working in large companies. This thesis investigated this issue using a mixed-methods approach informed by small business and career theories. A targeted statistical analysis of a national longitudinal dataset of UK graduates currently in their early careers (Futuretrack) was followed up with interviews with a strategically selected sub-sample of 20 graduates employed in business and public service associate professional occupations. Little association was found between employer size and graduates' use of the knowledge and skills developed during their university degrees. However, some evidence suggested that the ways in which graduates were taking on additional responsibilities differed by employer size: larger companies were more likely to have formal career development programs in place and graduates were able to take opportunities, while small companies tended to have less formal arrangements, so that graduates had to be more self-reliant and make opportunities to develop their jobs. However, graduates in small businesses tended to reach a career plateau relatively quickly, which compelled them to change employers. Most of these graduates, however, thought that their experience in small businesses had helped them go on to get better jobs. The main contribution of this thesis is the finding that, even in a narrowly defined occupation and industry group, business size has a partial and qualified effect on graduates' experience of work and career development. The findings also have significant implications for policy, recommending that graduates' career development opportunities be taken into account when encouraging graduates to work in small firms.

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Ambrosi, Solène. "Acquisition et utilisation des concepts d'objets : le rôle des expériences sensorielles et motrices." Phd thesis, Université de Grenoble, 2013. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00948988.

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De nombreux travaux chez l'adulte attestent de l'implication des systèmes sensori-moteurs dans les activités conceptuelles. Ce travail interroge la pertinence d'une approche incarnée de la formation des concepts et vise à fournir des éléments de compréhension quant à l'influence des actions sur la formation de concepts d'objets, en adoptant une approche développementale. Les modèles classiques du développement conceptuel suggèrent des points de départ unitaire aux premières catégories. Le modèle de Nelson souligne l'importance des interactions entre individu et environnement, et celui de Quinn et Eimas au contraire met l'accent sur la similarité perceptive comme point de départ des premières catégories. Ces modèles unitaires sont pourtant remis en cause, notamment par la variabilité des informations prises en compte pour catégoriser les objets. En défendant une approche globale, différentielle et interactionniste, nous envisagerons dans un premier temps une distinction entre domaines d'appartenance des objets (objets naturels et fabriqués) pour lui préférer ensuite une distinction en termes de manipulabilité des objets. Considérant que les caractéristiques de manipulation des objets se reflètent dans l'organisation des catégories taxonomiques, nous proposerons que les activités conceptuelles des enfants puissent être relatives aux interactions sensorielles et motrices avec les objets. Chez l'adulte, certains des résultats attestent de la nature sensori-motrice des connaissances conceptuelles et du rôle de l'action dans leur acquisition, appuyant les théories de la cognition incarnée (i.e., embodied cognition). Une série de travaux chez l'enfant de 5 à 9 ans a été conduite afin d'étudier, d'un point de vue développemental, les hypothèses d'une cognition incarnée. Les premiers testent l'existence de simulations sensori-motrices lors du traitement conceptuel. Les suivants évaluent directement le rôle des actions sur la catégorisation. Sont opposés des gestes de saisie d'objets et des gestes d'utilisation. La saisie d'objets, à pleine main ou à 2-3 doigts, permet très clairement la prise en compte d'informations structurales, utilisées ensuite comme critère de catégorisation d'objets nouveaux. Les actions d'utilisation, faire rouler ou appuyer, ont une influence moindre, plus variable selon l'âge des enfants. L'analyse des mouvements oculaires lors de la recherche de cible parmi des distracteurs similaires quant à la saisie ou à l'utilisation permet finalement de distinguer l'influence des affordances à la saisie de celle des actions elles-mêmes. Du point de vue développemental, les affordances à la saisie seraient détectées automatiquement quelles que soient les actions effectuées, dès l'âge de 5 ans, tandis que les informations issues des actions seraient prises en compte peu à peu, celles issues des actions d'utilisation intervenant plus tardivement que celles issues des actions de saisie. En outre, les performances catégorielles semblent modulées par la concordance ou la discordance entre les informations issues des actions et celles issues des affordances à la saisie.

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Harkouken, Saiah Kenza. "Etude et définition de mécanismes sémantiques dans les environnements virtuels pour améliorer la crédibilité comportementale des agents : utilisation d'ontologies de services." Thesis, Paris 6, 2015. http://www.theses.fr/2015PA066690/document.

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Ce travail de thèse se situe dans le cadre du projet Terra Dynamica visant à peupler une ville virtuelle avec des agents qui simulent des piétons et des véhicules. L’objectif de notre travail est de rendre l’environnement compréhensible par les agents de la simulation afin qu’ils puissent exhiber des comportements crédibles. Les premiers travaux qui ont été proposés pour la modélisation sémantique des environnements virtuels gardent toujours un lien de dépendance avec la représentation graphique pré-existante de l’environnement. Cependant, l’information sémantique représentée dans ce genre d’approches est difficilement exploitable par les agents pour effectuer des procédures de raisonnement complexes en dehors des algorithmes de navigation. Nous présentons dans cette thèse un modèle de représentation de la sémantique de l’environnement qui fournit aux agents des données sur l’utilisation des objets de l’environnement pour permettre au mécanisme d’aide à la décision de produire des comportements crédibles. Par ailleurs, en réponse à des contraintes inhérentes à la simulation urbaine, notre approche est capable de traiter un grand nombre d’agents, en temps réel. Notre modèle est basé sur le principe que les objets de l’environnement proposent des services permettant de réaliser les actions avec différentes qualités. Nous avons donc représenté les informations sémantiques des objets liées à leur utilisation sous forme de services dans une ontologie de services. Nous avons utilisé cette ontologie de services pour calculer une qualité de service QoS qui nous permet de trier les différents objets permettant de réaliser une même action. Ainsi, nous pouvons comparer entre les services proposés par les objets pour proposer aux agents les meilleurs objets leur permettant de réaliser leurs actions afin d’acquérir une crédibilité comportementale. Afin d’évaluer l’impact de notre modèle sur la crédibilité des comportements produits, nous avons défini un protocole d’évaluation dédié aux modèles de représentation de la sémantique dans les environnements. Dans ce protocole, des observateurs doivent évaluer le caractère crédible des comportements produits par le simulateur à partir d’un modèle sémantique de l’environnement. Grâce à cette évaluation, nous montrons que notre modèle permet de simuler des agents dont le comportement est jugé comme crédible par des observateurs humains. Nous présentons également une évaluation qualitative de la capacité de notre modèle de passer à l’échelle et de répondre aux contraintes d’une simulation temps-réel. Cette évaluation, nous a permis de montrer que les caractéristiques de l’architecture de notre modèle nous permettent de répondre en un temps raisonnable aux demandes d’un grand nombre d’agents This work is part of the Terra Dynamica project whose objective was to populate a virtual city with agents that simulate pedestrians and vehicles. The aim of our work is to make agents which understand their environment so they can produce credible behaviors The first proposed solutions for the semantic modeling of virtual environments still keep a link with the pre-existing graphic representation of the environment. However, the semantic information represented in this kind of approach is difficult to use by the agents to perform complex reasoning procedures outside the navigation algorithms. In this thesis we present a semantic representation model of the environment that provides the agents with data on the use of environmental objects in order to allow the decision mechanism to produce credible behaviors. Furthermore, in response to the constraints that are inherent to the urban simulation, our approach is capable of handling a large number of agents in real time. Our model is based on the principle that environmental objects provide services for performing actions with different qualities. We have therefore represented the semantic information of the objects related to their use, as services in an ontology of services. We used this ontology of services to calculate a QoS which allows us to sort the different objects which all perform the same action. Thus, we can compare between the services offered by different objects in order to provide the agents with the best objects that allow them to carry out their actions and exhibit behavioral credibility. To assess the impact of our model on the credibility of the produced behaviors, we defined an evaluation protocol for the semantic representation of virtual environment models. In this protocol, observers must assess the credibility of behaviors produced by the simulator using a semantic model of the environment. Through this evaluation, we show that our model can simulate agents whose behavior is deemed credible by human observers. We also present a qualitative assessment of the ability of our model to scale and meet the constraints of a real-time simulation. This evaluation allowed us to show that the characteristics of the architecture of our model allow us to respond in a reasonable amount of time to requests from a large number of agents

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Stenestrand, Ulf. "Improving outcome in acute myocardial infarction : the creation and utilisation of the Register of Information and Knowledge about Swedish Heart Intensive Care Admissions (RIKS-HIA) /." Linköping : Univ, 2002. http://www.bibl.liu.se/liupubl/disp/disp2002/med740s.pdf.

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Harkouken, Saiah Kenza. "Etude et définition de mécanismes sémantiques dans les environnements virtuels pour améliorer la crédibilité comportementale des agents : utilisation d'ontologies de services." Electronic Thesis or Diss., Paris 6, 2015. https://accesdistant.sorbonne-universite.fr/login?url=https://theses-intra.sorbonne-universite.fr/2015PA066690.pdf.

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Ce travail de thèse se situe dans le cadre du projet Terra Dynamica visant à peupler une ville virtuelle avec des agents qui simulent des piétons et des véhicules. L’objectif de notre travail est de rendre l’environnement compréhensible par les agents de la simulation afin qu’ils puissent exhiber des comportements crédibles. Les premiers travaux qui ont été proposés pour la modélisation sémantique des environnements virtuels gardent toujours un lien de dépendance avec la représentation graphique pré-existante de l’environnement. Cependant, l’information sémantique représentée dans ce genre d’approches est difficilement exploitable par les agents pour effectuer des procédures de raisonnement complexes en dehors des algorithmes de navigation. Nous présentons dans cette thèse un modèle de représentation de la sémantique de l’environnement qui fournit aux agents des données sur l’utilisation des objets de l’environnement pour permettre au mécanisme d’aide à la décision de produire des comportements crédibles. Par ailleurs, en réponse à des contraintes inhérentes à la simulation urbaine, notre approche est capable de traiter un grand nombre d’agents, en temps réel. Notre modèle est basé sur le principe que les objets de l’environnement proposent des services permettant de réaliser les actions avec différentes qualités. Nous avons donc représenté les informations sémantiques des objets liées à leur utilisation sous forme de services dans une ontologie de services. Nous avons utilisé cette ontologie de services pour calculer une qualité de service QoS qui nous permet de trier les différents objets permettant de réaliser une même action. Ainsi, nous pouvons comparer entre les services proposés par les objets pour proposer aux agents les meilleurs objets leur permettant de réaliser leurs actions afin d’acquérir une crédibilité comportementale. Afin d’évaluer l’impact de notre modèle sur la crédibilité des comportements produits, nous avons défini un protocole d’évaluation dédié aux modèles de représentation de la sémantique dans les environnements. Dans ce protocole, des observateurs doivent évaluer le caractère crédible des comportements produits par le simulateur à partir d’un modèle sémantique de l’environnement. Grâce à cette évaluation, nous montrons que notre modèle permet de simuler des agents dont le comportement est jugé comme crédible par des observateurs humains. Nous présentons également une évaluation qualitative de la capacité de notre modèle de passer à l’échelle et de répondre aux contraintes d’une simulation temps-réel. Cette évaluation, nous a permis de montrer que les caractéristiques de l’architecture de notre modèle nous permettent de répondre en un temps raisonnable aux demandes d’un grand nombre d’agents This work is part of the Terra Dynamica project whose objective was to populate a virtual city with agents that simulate pedestrians and vehicles. The aim of our work is to make agents which understand their environment so they can produce credible behaviors The first proposed solutions for the semantic modeling of virtual environments still keep a link with the pre-existing graphic representation of the environment. However, the semantic information represented in this kind of approach is difficult to use by the agents to perform complex reasoning procedures outside the navigation algorithms. In this thesis we present a semantic representation model of the environment that provides the agents with data on the use of environmental objects in order to allow the decision mechanism to produce credible behaviors. Furthermore, in response to the constraints that are inherent to the urban simulation, our approach is capable of handling a large number of agents in real time. Our model is based on the principle that environmental objects provide services for performing actions with different qualities. We have therefore represented the semantic information of the objects related to their use, as services in an ontology of services. We used this ontology of services to calculate a QoS which allows us to sort the different objects which all perform the same action. Thus, we can compare between the services offered by different objects in order to provide the agents with the best objects that allow them to carry out their actions and exhibit behavioral credibility. To assess the impact of our model on the credibility of the produced behaviors, we defined an evaluation protocol for the semantic representation of virtual environment models. In this protocol, observers must assess the credibility of behaviors produced by the simulator using a semantic model of the environment. Through this evaluation, we show that our model can simulate agents whose behavior is deemed credible by human observers. We also present a qualitative assessment of the ability of our model to scale and meet the constraints of a real-time simulation. This evaluation allowed us to show that the characteristics of the architecture of our model allow us to respond in a reasonable amount of time to requests from a large number of agents

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Matenge, Sarah Tshepho Pona. "Utilisation of traditional and indigenous foods in the North West Province of South Africa / Sarah Tshepho Pona Matenge." Thesis, North-West University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/8439.

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AIM AND OBJECTIVES The main aim of this thesis was to explore the possibilities of promoting the cultivation, utilisation and consumption of indigenous and traditional plant foods (ITPF) among urban and rural communities in the North West Province of South Africa that could possibly lead to increased IK and dietary diversity. The objectives were the following: Assess consumption of TLV in the rural and urban communities. Compare nutritional status of consumers and non-consumers of TLV using data obtained from the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology (PURE-SA) study. Assess the availability, cultivation and consumption patterns of ITPF. Assess indigenous knowledge (IK) within the rural and urban communities. Assess consumers’ views of ITPF in the rural and urban communities. Assess consumers’ acceptance of, preference for and consumption intent of dishes made from cowpea leaves. To compile recipes for the most important ITPF commonly consumed in the study areas in order to promote the cultivation and consumption of ITPF (see Addendum D). STUDY DESIGN Health profile study: For the health profile study, a comparative study was conducted on the baseline data of the population that participated in the PURE-SA study (1004 urban and 1006 rural participants) which follows the health transition in urban and rural subjects over a 12 year period. The baseline data for the North West Province of South Africa were collected from October to December 2005. Utilisation of ITPF study: The study on the utilisation of ITPF used a sequential explanatory study design which involved the collection of quantitative and qualitative data and analyses. The consumer acceptance study consisted of an explorative and experimental phase. Participants were male and female, aged older than 20, residing in the selected communities and knowledgeable on the indigenous and traditional foods of the area. METHODS A variety of quantitative and qualitative research techniques were used. Data were generated through questionnaires, focus groups and individual - and group interviews. Health profile study: Demographic characteristics and frequency of consumption of TLV data were collected by the researcher from 396 randomly selected subjects from participating subjects in the PURE-SA study. An extensive nutritional profile of these subjects was compiled including blood samples, blood pressure, anthropometric measurements and total dietary intake by means of a quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Utilisation of ITPF study: A comparative study was conducted in rural and urban populations of the North West Province. Data were collected by the researcher using a questionnaire (n=396 households), key informant interviews (n=4), and four focus groups. Consumer study: Four focus groups were conducted by the researcher, two in rural and two in urban communities, to investigate consumers’ views about ITPF. Eighty-seven participants were recruited based on a specific purpose rather than randomly. Consumers’ acceptance of, preference for and intended consumption of products made with cowpea leaves were assessed. A 5-point hedonic scale and a 7-point food action rating scale were used for sensory evaluation. RESULTS Health profile study: As expected, rural inhabitants were more likely to consume TLV. However, no household reported to consume TLV more than ten times a month. Factors such as price (affordability) and availability and easy-to-get-to points of purchase were found to be major constraints in the consumption of TLV, especially in urban communities. Urban respondents had significantly higher macronutrient intakes than rural subjects. There was no significant difference between the selected micronutrient intakes between consumers and non-consumers of TLV. Non-consumers of TLV had higher blood lipid levels than consumers from both the rural and urban areas. In the urban subjects the relative risk to develop high blood pressure was higher in non-consumers of TLV than in the consumers. However, the risk ratios of raised serum cholesterol and triglycerides were not significantly different. Utilisation of ITPF study: More plant foods were available and consumed in the rural area than the urban area. However, fewer species were available than expected due to insufficient rainfall, poor soil quality, deforestation and over harvesting. Consumption of indigenous foods was influenced by price, culture, seasonality/availability, accessibility and diversity in markets. A lack of markets for indigenous crops, insufficient rainfall and diseases and pests were cited as the major cultivation problems, followed by a lack of capital to buy farming implements, veld fires and poor soil quality. Consumer study: Based on the qualitative focus group discussions, factors that influence the consumption of ITPF were identified. These factors included benefits and barriers of ITPF consumption. Ways to increase ITFP consumption were also identified. Health and nutrition; tradition and culture; and food safety emerged as drivers for ITPF consumption. A lack of knowledge and skills of food preparation and negative images and unfamiliarity of ITPF acted as barriers. Differences in views existed between older and younger consumers. In general younger consumers found ITF rather revolting and undesirable, humiliating to consume. Sensory evaluation of food samples for the pooled data of the total study population showed that significant differences existed between the acceptability of all attributes, overall acceptance and consumption intent. Socio-demographic backgrounds such as place of residence (urban or rural), levels of education and age were shown to influence the acceptability of food samples and consumption intent. There was no positive association between acceptability of food and gender. CONCLUSIONS Health profile study: This study showed the possibility of beneficial effects of rural diets, however, the lack of knowledge concerning the bioavailability of nutrients from TLV and lack of information on food consumption database, of these vegetables constitute main barriers to obtaining information on nutrient intake. The low frequency of consumption of TLV is of concern. Taking into consideration safe agricultural practices, the promotion of TLV might be a solution towards healthier diets and combating poverty. More research is needed to investigate the health effects of these vegetables. Utilisation of ITPF study: It is evident that there was a limited number of ITPF species cultivated and consumed. Consumers, especially older people, were found to possess extensive knowledge regarding the availability of ITPF species, their habitat and uses, seasonality and potential health benefits. There is a need to intensify education on conservation of natural resources and more studies should be undertaken to document and disseminate traditional food systems. In addition, there is a need to integrate existing health and nutrition interventions with traditional food promotion. Consumer study: The results highlighted the importance of making use of a mixed method approach which made it possible not only to identify factors that influence the consumption of ITPF but also to understand the dynamics thereof from focus group discussions and how they influence acceptability, preference and consumption intent. Important benefits (drivers) of and barriers to ITPF consumption as well as suggestions on how to increase ITPF consumption were identified. Barriers to ITPF consumption and low scores of acceptability provided by younger participants can be connected to misconceptions about ITPF and lack of familiarity with the products. Therefore, a combination of strategies aimed at enhancing individual awareness of the health benefits of ITPF, decreasing barriers and conducting more acceptability studies may have a positive impact on the younger segment of the population. Thesis (Ph.D. (Consumer Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

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Kotze, Dirk J. "The development of an implementation methodology for a conceptual framework tool used for the improved viewing and utilisation of organisational information." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/1916.

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Thesis (MScEng (Industrial Engineering))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. This thesis reports on a research project conducted at Stellenbosch University, focusing on the field of information management, and contributing to the development of an approach for structuring information in such a manner that context becomes apparent, which on its part assists persons (and groups of persons) in selecting useful information from a larger whole, given a certain context. This document is composed of three general sections. The first section is a literature study focusing on the following topics: (1) Information overload: The amount of information in the world, as well as its rate of generation is discussed, together with the notion of information overload, its causes, symptoms and possible solutions. (2) Information utilisation in organisations: General concepts concerning the utilisation of information in organisations are discussed, together with the manners in which organisations fail in efficiently utilising information, but also some examples where organisations have succeeded. (3) Information modelling: Various well-known information modelling approaches currently employed to improve information utilisation are discussed and compared. It is however mentioned that none of these approaches are sufficiently general, flexible and simple enough to assist typical organisational knowledge workers in efficiently interacting with information. The second section of this thesis focuses on the conceptual framework information modelling approach currently being investigated at Stellenbosch University as a means for improving the information utilisation efficiency of organisational knowledge workers. The basic concepts of the approach are discussed, and it is compared with the more well-known information modelling approaches mentioned in the literature study. The research being conducted on the approach is further briefly discussed, which includes the purpose of this thesis (which is the development of a methodology for conceptual framework implementation in organisations), the research method followed, and the thesis hypothesis, which is: Information represented by a conceptual framework implemented through the use of the developed conceptual framework implementation methodology, offer a truthful view on information found in an organisation. The methodology developed is subsequently discussed in terms of its phases and activities, each of which is discussed in terms of its description, the rationale behind and prerequisites of its execution, details of the manner of its execution, and the eventual outputs thereof. The final section of this thesis provides information on the validation of the conceptual framework implementation methodology described in the previous section, which were done in two parts. A theoretical validation was done through a comparison of the developed methodology with existing methodologies for the implementation of other information modelling approaches. A practical validation was also done through two case studies by which conceptual frameworks were implemented at two separate organisations. The document is finally concluded through a summary of the contents of this thesis, the outcome of the hypothesis test, and some closing remarks.

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Jabot, Françoise. "L'évaluation des politiques publiques : cadres conceptuel et étude de son utilisation par les décideurs des institutions régionales de santé en France." Thesis, Université de Lorraine, 2014. http://www.theses.fr/2014LORR0201/document.

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Contexte : Malgré une volonté affichée traduite dans des textes et procédures, l’évaluation en France n’est que peu intégrée dans le processus de décision. Pourtant, dans le secteur de la santé confronté à de multiples défis, l’évaluation pourrait être une approche utile à la détermination des choix. L’utilisation de l’évaluation dépend d’une pluralité de facteurs, dont les connaissances produites et leur mode de production, les caractéristiques des décideurs et autres utilisateurs et le contexte sociopolitique et institutionnel de l’évaluation. Objectifs : Les objectifs de ce travail sont d’apprécier l’utilisation de l’évaluation dans les politiques de santé, d’identifier les leviers associés à cette utilisation et d’apprécier la capacité de l’évaluation à satisfaire les attentes et favoriser l’utilisation de ses productions. Méthode : Une revue de littérature a permis d’enrichir la compréhension du concept d’utilisation, d’identifier les facteurs influents et de faire émerger les problématiques associées. Considérant l’évaluation comme un système d’action complexe, un modèle basé sur une approche systémique a été construit et mis à l’épreuve à travers quatre étapes d’analyse des évaluations des plans régionaux de santé publique (PRSP) : (1) analyse globale de 16 évaluations ; (2) lien processus/utilisation dans une région ; (3) résultats à court/moyen terme dans 9 régions ; (4) études de cas approfondies et analyse multicritères dans 5 régions. Résultats : Une première analyse a éclairé les enjeux du contexte et la contribution des PRSP à la cohérence des politiques régionales de santé. L’examen du processus d’évaluation dans une région a montré la relation entre finalités, démarche et utilisations de l’évaluation. L’observation des suites de l’évaluation dans neuf régions a identifié différentes formes d’utilisation et les principaux facteurs intervenant. La dynamique de changement a été appréhendée dans la globalité des interactions entre le contexte, les acteurs et l’évaluation dans cinq régions. Discussion : Les retombées de l’évaluation sont plus à chercher du côté des savoirs accumulés et des évolutions des pratiques que dans des décisions formelles transformant de façon radicale les politiques. Le contexte, la crédibilité de l’évaluation, l’engagement et la motivation des acteurs sont des facteurs déterminants. Des pistes de recherche sont envisagées en vue d’approfondir les conditions du développement des capacités et de la culture d’évaluation, elles-mêmes indispensables à une meilleure exploitation de l’évaluation Context: Despite the willingness showed in texts and procedures, evaluation in France is little integrated in the decision making process. However, in the health sector which faces multiple challenges, evaluation should be a useful approach to select choices. The use of evaluation depends on multiple factors such as, knowledge and its production process, characteristics of decision makers and others users, and the political and institutional context of the evaluation Objective: The objectives were: to assess the use of evaluation on health policies; to identify levers associated with use; to assess the capacity of evaluation to fit with decision-makers needs and to enhance usability. Method: Literature review allowed to enrich the understanding of the concept of use and to identify the main influent factors as well as the related issues. Regarding evaluation as a complex system, a model based on a systemic approach was built and tested in evaluations of regional public health plans (PRSP) in 4 steps: (1) global analysis of 16 evaluations; (2) relation process/use in on region; (3) use at short/medium term in 9 regions; (4) case studies and multicriteria analysis in 5 regions. Results: A first analysis enlighted the context and the contribution of the PRSP to the coherence of regional policies. A deeper process analysis carried out in one region pointed out the relation between final aims, management and evaluation use. The examination of evaluation consequences conducted in nine regions identified different forms of use and the major factors associated with them. The dynamic of change has been apprehended as a whole through the interactions between context, users and evaluation in five regions. Discussion: The effects of evaluation are more obvious in terms of knowledge building and evolution of practice than in radical change of policies. Context, evaluation credibility, actors’ commitment and motivation are key factors. Future research should help to better understand how to foster the culture and the capacities of evaluation. These are important prerequisites to a wider use of evaluation

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Fabre, Léa. "Contributions and Opportunities of Wi-Fi Data to Improve Transport Demand Knowledge / Utilisation de données Wi-Fi, quels apports pour la connaissance de la demande de transport?" Electronic Thesis or Diss., Lyon 2, 2024. http://www.theses.fr/2024LYO20011.

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La mobilité joue un rôle clé dans les paysages urbains, en particulier, les transports en commun sont essentiels au bon fonctionnement des villes. Par conséquent, il est nécessaire de planifier les systèmes de transport en commun afin de leur garantir un fonctionnement efficace. Pour cela, il est important d'avoir une bonne connaissance de la demande de transport en commun, d'autant plus dans un monde en constante évolution.Actuellement, nous observons une forte croissance démographique mondiale ainsi qu'un important étalement urbain, deux facteurs qui sont les principales causes de l'augmentation de la demande de transport urbain. À cela il faut ajouter une forte tendance à la diversification des comportements de mobilité, principalement due à l'émergence de nouveaux modes de transport. Les données traditionnellement utilisées pour prévoir cette demande, et pour la planification des transports de manière générale, ne sont plus à même de refléter ces changements dans les comportements de mobilité. Le développement des technologies de l'information, la digitalisation et le boom de la science des données sont autant de nouvelles opportunités pour la prévision de la demande de transport. Le développement de nouveaux outils et algorithmes, notamment issus de l'intelligence artificielle, contribuent à la diversification et participent à complexifier les modèles pour améliorer la prévision des comportements de mobilité. En parallèle, nous observons également une grande diversification des données utilisées dans la recherche en transport. Parmi ces nouvelles sources de données, les données Wi-Fi sont très prometteuses. Ces données présentent des avantages significatifs lorsqu'elles sont utilisées pour la planification des transports (collectées en continue, de manière passive, elles apportent des informations sur les trajets Origine-Destination…). Cependant, les données Wi-Fi présentent aussi quelques inconvénients. Ainsi elles doivent être traitées avant d'être utilisées dans des modèles de prévision de la demande. En tant que nouvelle méthode de collecte de données sur la mobilité, des questions subsistent quant à la qualité des données, à leur contribution dans le domaine et à la manière dont elles peuvent être utilisées.L'objectif de cette thèse est de fournir une approche clé en main de l'utilisation des données Wi-Fi pour la connaissance des comportements de mobilité. Dans cette thèse, nous proposons donc des solutions pour traiter ces données au fort potentiel. Nous présentons tout d'abord une méthodologie pour filtrer les signaux parasites détectés par les capteurs Wi-Fi de manière à ne construire la matrice Origine-Destination qu'avec les signaux provenant de passagers. Le redressement des données Wi-Fi pour pallier aux erreurs de prédiction des volumes de passagers du fait de signaux non détectés est également traité. Au final, ces méthodes permettent d'obtenir des matrices Origine-Destination à la fois pertinentes pour la structure des déplacements et complètes dans les volumes de déplacements. Dans cette thèse, nous proposons également un modèle pour quantifier l'erreur entre la matrice Origine-Destination produite par les données Wi-Fi et les déplacements Origine-Destination réels, malgré la rare disponibilité de ces derniers. Quelques applications pour l'utilisation des données Wi-Fi sont également présentées. Pour conclure, les résultats de cette thèse montrent que les données Wi-Fi peuvent enrichir la connaissance des comportements de mobilité, de manière continue et à faible coût Due to its social, environmental and economic importance, mobility plays a key role in urban landscapes. In particular, public transportation is critical to the smooth functioning of cities. Therefore, public transportation systems must be planned to operate properly and efficiently. To this end, it is of paramount importance to have a great knowledge of the mobility demand, especially in an evolving world. The world today is facing a significant demographic growth along with urban sprawl, which implies an increasing demand for transportation in the cities. In addition, travel patterns are diversifying and becoming less regular, mainly due to the emergence of new modes of transport. The data traditionally used for public transportation planning are inadequate to reflect these changes in mobility behaviors. The development of information technologies, digitization and the data science boom can bring interesting benefits to the forecasting of transport demand. The development of new tools and algorithms, such as artificial intelligence, contributes to the diversification and complexity of models to improve the prediction of mobility behaviors. In parallel, we are currently witnessing the diversification of data sources used in mobility analyses. Among them, Wi-Fi data are very promising. These data have significant advantages when used in transportation planning (they provide information on Origin-Destination trips, they are collected continuously and passively…). However, Wi-Fi data also have some drawbacks. Therefore, they require further processing to be used in demand forecasting models. As a new way of collecting mobility data, questions remain about the quality of the data, their contribution, and how they can be used. The objective of this thesis is to provide a data-driven approach to the use of Wi-Fi data for mobility behaviors. In this thesis, we therefore propose solutions to process this interesting data source. A methodology is presented to filter the parasite signals detected by Wi-Fi sensors in order to keep only the passenger signals and construct relevant Origin-Destination matrices. Scaling of the Wi-Fi data to avoid errors in the predicted total number of trips due to undetected Wi-Fi devices is also handled. In the end, we provide Origin-Destination matrices that are relevant to the structure of the trips and complete in trip volumes. In addition, we propose a modeling to quantify the error between the Origin-Destination matrix produced by Wi-Fi data and real Origin-Destination trips, despite the non-continuous availability of the latter. Some applications of the use of Wi-Fi data are also presented. In conclusion, the results of this thesis show that interesting insights into mobility behaviors can be derived from Wi-Fi data, continuously and at low cost

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Oliver, Kathryn Ann. "Evaluating power, influence and evidence-use in public health policy-making : a social network analysis." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2013. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/evaluating-power-influence-and-evidenceuse-in-public-health-policymaking-a-social-network-analysis(0a47c659-cbf8-49ce-9ae3-3515369590ab).html.

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Introduction: Persistent health inequalities are the focus for much public health policy activity. Understanding the policy response to public health problems, the role of evidence, and the roles and strategies of different actors may help explain this persistence. Research suggests that policy actors often access knowledge through interpersonal relations, but current perspectives in the literature do not analyse relational aspects of finding evidence and influencing policy. Identifying powerful and influential actors (in terms of personal characteristics, strategies, and network properties) offers a method of exploring the policy process and evidence use. Methods: Network data were gathered from a public health policy community in a large urban area in the UK (n = 152, response rate 80%), collecting relational data on perceived power, influence, and sources of evidence about public health policy. Hubs and Authorities analyses were used to identify powerful and influential actors, to test whether powerful and influential actors were also sources of information; and betweenness and Gould-Fernandez brokerage were used to explore the importance of structural position in policy networks. These data were analysed in conjunction with qualitative data from semi-structured interviews (n = 24) carried out with a purposive subsample of network actors. Characteristics of powerful and influential actors, the use of evidence in the policy process, and roles and strategies used to influence policy were analysed using a framework approach, and combined with network data. Results: The most influential actors were mid-level managers in the NHS and local authorities, and to a lesser extent, public health professionals. These actors occupied advantageous positions within the networks, and used strategies (ranging from providing policy content, to finding evidence, to presenting policy options to decision-makers) to influence the policy process. Powerful actors were also sources of information for one another, but providing information did not predict power. Experts, academics and professionals in public health were represented in the networks, but were usually more peripheral and played fewer roles in the policy process. This study presents empirical evidence to support the suggestion that recognition of network structure assists individuals to be influential, and proposes a framework to categorise their activities. Conclusions: In order to influence policy, actors need good relationships with other influential actors, and the skills to exploit these relationships. The relational approach is useful for both identifying powerful and influential people (potential evidence-users) and for exploring how evidence and information reaches them. Identifying powerful and influential actors and describing their strategies for influencing policy provides a new focus for researchers in evidence-based policy, and for those wishing to influence policy. For academics and researchers, this study demonstrates the importance of directly creating ties with decision-makers

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Liwenga, Emma T. "Food insecurity and coping strategies in semiarid areas : the case of Mvumi in central Tanzania." Doctoral thesis, Stockholm : Stockholm university, Department of human geography, 2003. http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb41066185s.

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Lucas, Yvan. "Credit card fraud detection using machine learning with integration of contextual knowledge." Thesis, Lyon, 2019. http://www.theses.fr/2019LYSEI110.

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La détection de fraude par carte de crédit présente plusieurs caractéristiques qui en font une tâche difficile. Tout d'abord, les attributs décrivant une transaction ignorent les informations séquentielles. Deuxièmement, les comportements d'achat et les stratégies de fraude peuvent changer au fil du temps, rendant progressivement une fonction de décision apprise par un classifieur non pertinente. Nous avons effectué une analyse exploratoire afin de quantifier le dataset shift jour par jour et avons identifé des périodes calendaires qui ont des propriétés différentes au sein du jeu de données. La stratégie principale pour intégrer des informations séquentielles consiste à créer un ensemble d'attributs qui sont des statistiques descriptives obtenues en agrégeant les séquences de transactions des titulaires de carte. Nous avons utilisé cette méthode comme méthode de référence pour la détection des fraudes à la carte de crédit. Nous avons proposé une stratégie pour la création d'attributs basés sur des modèles de Markov cachés (HMM) caractérisant la transaction par différents points de vue afin d'intégrer un large spectre d'informations séquentielles au sein des transactions. En fait, nous modélisons les comportements authentiques et frauduleux des commerçants et des détenteurs de cartes selon deux caractéristiques univariées: la date et le montant des transactions. Notre approche à perspectives multiples basée sur des HMM permet un prétraitement automatisé des données pour modéliser les corrélations temporelles. Des expériences menées sur un vaste ensemble de données de transactions de cartes de crédit issu du monde réel (46 millions de transactions effectuées par des porteurs de carte belges entre mars et mai 2015) ont montré que la stratégie proposée pour le prétraitement des données basé sur les HMM permet de détecter davantage de transactions frauduleuses quand elle est combinée à la stratégie de prétraitement des données par aggrégations The detection of credit card fraud has several features that make it a difficult task. First, attributes describing a transaction ignore sequential information. Secondly, purchasing behavior and fraud strategies can change over time, gradually making a decision function learned by an irrelevant classifier. We performed an exploratory analysis to quantify the day-by-day shift dataset and identified calendar periods that have different properties within the dataset. The main strategy for integrating sequential information is to create a set of attributes that are descriptive statistics obtained by aggregating cardholder transaction sequences. We used this method as a reference method for detecting credit card fraud. We have proposed a strategy for creating attributes based on Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) characterizing the transaction from different viewpoints in order to integrate a broad spectrum of sequential information within transactions. In fact, we model the authentic and fraudulent behaviors of merchants and cardholders according to two univariate characteristics: the date and the amount of transactions. Our multi-perspective approach based on HMM allows automated preprocessing of data to model temporal correlations. Experiments conducted on a large set of data from real-world credit card transactions (46 million transactions carried out by Belgian cardholders between March and May 2015) have shown that the proposed strategy for pre-processing data based on HMMs can detect more fraudulent transactions when combined with the Aggregate Data Pre-Processing strategy

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Belarte, Bruno. "Extraction, analyse et utilisation de relations spatiales entre objets d'intérêt pour une analyse d'images de télédétection guidée par des connaissances du domaine." Thesis, Strasbourg, 2014. http://www.theses.fr/2014STRAD011/document.

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Les nouveaux capteurs satellitaires permettent l'acquisition d'images d'un très haut niveau de détail à des cadences élevées, produisant ainsi une importante masse de données. Le traitement manuel de ces données étant devenu impossible, de nouveaux outils sont nécessaires afin de les traiter automatiquement. Des algorithmes de segmentation efficaces sont nécessaires pour extraire des objets d'intérêt de ces images. Cependant les segments produits ne correspondent pas aux objets d'intérêt, rendant difficile l'utilisation de connaissances expertes.Dans le cadre de cette thèse nous proposons de changer le niveau d'interprétation d'une image afin de voir les objets d'intérêt pour l'expert comme des objets composés par des segments. Pour cela, nous avons mis en place un processus d'apprentissage multi-niveaux dans le but d'apprendre ces règles de composition. Une règle de composition ainsi apprise peut ensuite être utilisée pour extraire les objets d'intérêt correspondant. Dans un second temps, nous proposons d'utiliser l'algorithme d'apprentissage de règles de composition comme première étape d'une approche montante-descendante. Cette chaîne de traitement a pour objectif d'améliorer la classification à partir des informations contextuelles et de connaissances expertes. Des objets composés de plus haut niveau sémantique sont extraits à partir de règles apprises ou fournies par l'expert, et cette nouvelle information est utilisée pour mettre à jour la classification des objets aux niveaux inférieurs. L'ensemble de ces travaux ont été testés et validés sur des images Pléiades représentant la ville de Strasbourg. Les résultats obtenus montrent l'efficacité de l'apprentissage de règles de composition pour faire le lien entre connaissance experte et segmentation, ainsi que l'intérêt de l'utilisation d'informations contextuelles dans l'analyse d'images de télédétection à très haute résolution spatiale The new remote sensors allow the acquisition of very high spatial resolution images at high speeds, thus producing alarge volume of data. Manual processing of these data has become impossible, new tools are needed to process them automatically. Effective segmentation algorithms are required to extract objects of interest of these images. However, the produced segments do not match to objects of interest, making it difficult to use expert knowledge.In this thesis we propose to change the level of interpretation of an image in order to see the objects of interest of the expert as objects composed of segments. For this purpose, we have implemented a multi-level learning process in order to learn composition rules. Such a composition rule can then be used to extract corresponding objects of interest.In a second step, we propose to use the composition rules learning algorithm as a first step of a bottom-up top-down approach. This processing chain aims at improving the classification from contextual knowledge and expert information.Composed objects of higher semantic level are extracted from learned rules or rules provided by the expert, and this new information is used to update the classification of objects at lower levels.The proposed method has been tested and validated on Pléiades images representing the city of Strasbourg. The results show the effectiveness of the composition rules learning algorithm to make the link between expert knowledge and segmentation, as well as the interest of the use of contextual information in the analysis of remotely sensed very high spatial resolution images

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Mhiri, Lotfi. "Utilisation des techniques avancees des bases de donnees pour la representation des informations et des connaissances d'un systeme "intelligent" d'enseignement assiste par ordinateur : bieao." Toulouse 3, 1988. http://www.theses.fr/1988TOU30203.

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L'approche suivie est une approche base de donnees, utilisant plus particulierement les techniques des bases d'informations generalisees et les bases de donnees deductives. Le systeme de gestion de la bieao est compose d'un systeme de gestion de bases de donnees relationnelles et d'extensions declaratives et procedurales permettant ainsi l'exploitation des sous-schemas de la base

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Pellegrini, Pablo. "Agriculture transgénique : modes de production et utilisation de la connaissance scientifique. Science, Etat et Industrie dans les cultures transgéniques en Argentine." Thesis, Paris 4, 2011. http://www.theses.fr/2011PA040085.

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Les cultures transgéniques constituent l’un des développements scientifico-technologiques de plus grand impact dans l’actualité. En Argentine, leur utilisation dans l’agriculture depuis 1996 est massive, et il y a plusieurs entreprises et centres publics de recherche qui développent ou utilisent des cultures transgéniques. Il y a aussi des organismes chargés de leur régulation et des controverses vis-à-vis de leur utilisation. Les transgéniques mobilisent différentes attitudes et positions puisqu’ils supposent un croisement entre les savoirs scientifiques et un espace traditionnel comme l’agriculture.Cette thèse cherche à élucider les modes dans lesquels la production et l’utilisation de la connaissance scientifique en transgénèse végétale en Argentine sont liés au développement qui opère à échelle internationale dans ce domaine. Pour cela, on réalise un travail empirique qui cherche à expliquer comment la production et l’utilisation de savoirs scientifiques liés à la biotechnologie végétale se sont développées. En fouinant les différents secteurs impliqués (entreprises privées, centres publics de recherche, organismes de régulation de l’Etat, ONGs, producteurs agricoles) et à partir de sources documentaires, elle se propose de reconstruire la scène actuelle de la agriculture transgénique dans le pays, à travers une analyse qui s’inscrit dans la sociologie de la science. Dans quelques aspects, surtout en ce qui est lié à la controverse publique sur les transgéniques, on établit des comparaisons avec la situation dans d’autres pays, particulièrement au Brésil et en France.En termes généraux, la thèse vise à décrire les procès singuliers que la transgénèse végétale a adoptés en Argentine, mais en montrant à la fois de larges phénomènes sociaux dans lesquels s’insère ce développement scientifico-technologique Transgenic crops are one of the scientific-technological developments with the greatest impact in the present. In Argentina, its use in agriculture is massive since 1996, and there are numerous enterprises and public research centres developing or using transgenic crops. There are also organizations in charge of its regulation, and controversies about its use. Transgenic crops mobilize different sort of attitudes and stands, as they imply a cross between scientific knowledge and a traditional space as agriculture.This thesis seeks to elucidate the ways in which scientific knowledge production and utilisation in vegetal transgenesis in Argentina, relates with the developing at the international level in the area. For that purpose, an empirical work it’s realize searching to explain how it was developed the scientific knowledge production and utilisation related with vegetal biotechnology. A reconstruction of the actual scenario of transgenic agriculture in the country is proposed, through an analysis from the sociology of science, inquiring the different sectors involved (private enterprises, public research centres, state regulatory organisms, NGOs, farmers) and through documentary sources. In some aspects, mainly in what is related to the public controversies about transgenic crops, comparisons with the situation in other countries are carried on, in particular with Brazil and France.Overall, the thesis aims to describe the singular process that vegetal transgenesis adopted in Argentina, but considering, at the same time, broader social phenomena in which this scientific-technological development is involved Los cultivos transgénicos constituyen uno de los desarrollos científico-tecnológicos conmayor repercusión en la actualidad. En la Argentina, su uso en la agricultura desde 1996es masivo, y hay numerosas empresas y centros públicos de investigación desarrollandoo utilizando cultivos transgénicos. También hay organismos encargados de suregulación y controversias respecto a su uso. Los transgénicos movilizan distinto tipo deactitudes y posiciones, pues suponen un cruce entre el conocimiento científico y unespacio tradicional como la agricultura.Esta tesis busca dilucidar los modos en que la producción y utilización delconocimiento científico en transgénesis vegetal en la Argentina se vinculan con eldesarrollo que opera a nivel internacional en dicha área. Para ello, se realiza un trabajoempírico que busca explicar cómo se fue desarrollando la producción y utilización deconocimientos científicos vinculados a la biotecnología vegetal. Indagando a losdistintos sectores involucrados (empresas privadas, centros públicos de investigación,organismos estatales de regulación, ONGs, productores agropecuarios) y a partir defuentes documentales se propone reconstruir el escenario actual de la agriculturatransgénica en el país, mediante un análisis inscripto en la sociología de la ciencia. Enalgunos aspectos, sobre todo en lo que se relaciona con la controversia pública sobre lostransgénicos, se llevan a cabo comparaciones con la situación en otros países, enparticular con Brasil y Francia.En líneas generales, la tesis apunta a describir los procesos singulares que adoptóla transgénesis vegetal en la Argentina, pero dando cuenta, a la vez, de fenómenossociales más amplios en los que dicho desarrollo científico-tecnológico estáinvolucrado

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Vareilles, Gaëlle. "Comprendre la performance des volontaires de santé communautaire : une évaluation réaliste en lien avec la Fédération internationale des Sociétés de la Croix Rouge et du Croissant Rouge." Thesis, Rennes 1, 2016. http://www.theses.fr/2016REN1G036/document.

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L’implication des volontaires de santé communautaire, tels que les volontaires de la Fédération Internationale des Sociétés de la Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge, peut constituer un moyen approprié de s’attaquer au problème d’inégalités sociales et de santé. Pourtant, les connaissances manquent sur ce qui marche pour améliorer la performance des volontaires. Objectifs Comprendre comment, pourquoi, pour quels volontaires et dans quelles circonstances les stratégies organisationnelles mises en œuvre pour améliorer la performance des volontaires de santé communautaire marchent. Méthodes En raison de la complexité des programmes impliquant des volontaires de santé communautaire, nous avons adopté l’évaluation réaliste comme approche méthodologique et l’étude de cas comparative comme modèle d’étude. Dans un premier temps, des entretiens, une synthèse réaliste de la littérature ainsi qu’une revue des théories d’action qui sous-tendent ces programmes ont été réalisés pour développer le cadre théorique de l’évaluation. Ensuite, deux cas ont été sélectionnés sur Kampala, la capitale de l’Ouganda, ou la Société Nationale de la Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge Ougandaise développe des stratégies pour améliorer la performance des volontaires. Chaque cas correspond à une unité organisationnelle de la Société Nationale Ougandaise, responsable de la mise en place des programmes de santé au niveau d’un district du pays. Les méthodes de collecte de données ont inclus des entretiens individuels, des groupes de discussion, des observations, ainsi qu’une revue de documents. Un processus méthodologique de comparaison constante a été utilisé pour l’analyse des données. Résultats Les stratégies d’intervention, dont les pratiques managériales peuvent influencer positivement la performance lorsqu’elles favorisent la satisfaction des besoins psychologiques des volontaires (l’autonomie, la responsabilisation, la compétence et le lien social). Pour ce faire, les stratégies et leur mise en œuvre doivent s’adapter aux différentes formes de motivation des volontaires et à l’évolution de celles-ci pendant le volontariat. S’agissant du contexte, la reconnaissance communautaire et la reconnaissance organisationnelle sont deux facteurs clés qui interviennent dans la satisfaction des besoins psychologiques des volontaires. Discussion Cette recherche doctorale a des implications pour la Fédération Internationale des Sociétés de la Croix Rouge et du Croissant Rouge. Les résultats fournissent des informations utiles à l’action relative à la mise en place de programmes de volontaires de santé communautaire et l’approche évaluative a des implications générales en ce qui concerne la dynamique d’apprentissage organisationnel. Par ailleurs l’approche de l’évaluation réaliste a également contribué, à sa mesure, au développement du champ de l’évaluation de programme en santé. L’opérationnalisation des concepts de l’approche réaliste a été discutée et approfondie afin de contribuer au développement de cette approche Context The recruitment of community health volunteers, such as the volunteers of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society, is an established approach to improve the health of underserved communities. However, there is a dearth of evidence about what works to improve volunteers’ performance. Objectives To understand why, how, for which volunteers and under which circumstances intervention approaches to improve volunteers’ performance is more likely to be successful. Methods Given the complexity of the intervention under study, a realist evaluation as methodological approach and a case study as study design was adopted. Firstly, a realist review together with interviews with the main stakeholders and a review of the theories underlying community health volunteers programme have been conducted to develop the theoretical basis for the evaluation. Secondly for the case study, two contrasted cases have been then selected at district level in the capital of Uganda, where the Red Cross Society is implementing a community-based programme. A case is as a Red Cross unit run by a programme manager that operate around one governmental district structures. Data collection included document review, participant observation and interviews. The constant comparative method was used for the analysis. Results Intervention approaches that include supervision supportive of autonomy, skills and knowledge enhancement and that is adapted to the different sub-groups of volunteers, leads to satisfaction of the three key drivers of volunteer motivation: feelings of autonomy, of competence and of connectedness. This contributes to volunteers’ better performance. Enabling contextual conditions include the responsiveness of the organisation to community needs and recognition from the organisation and the community of the work of the volunteers. Discussion The findings will inform the management of community health volunteers and have implication for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies regrading organisational learning. It also contributed to building the field of programme evaluation in Health and led to methodological developments for doing realist evaluation

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Remigereau, Chrystelle. "L'utilisation d'outil chez l'enfant : approche neuropsychologique du développement normal et du Trouble de l'Acquisition de la Coordination." Thesis, Angers, 2016. http://www.theses.fr/2016ANGE0045/document.

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Les perturbations des activités de vie quotidienne constituent l’un des critères diagnostiques du Trouble de l’Acquisition de la Coordination (TAC). Malgré leur impact sur l’autonomie de l’enfant, les troubles d’utilisation impliqués dans ces activités quotidiennes demeurent peu explorés (e.g., mécanismes sous jacents, profils inter-individuels, recul évolutif). A notre connaissance, la notion d’utilisation d’outil n’a pas fait l’objet d’une modélisation développementale spécifique.Elle se situe aujourd’hui au carrefour des modèles sur le développement perceptivo-moteur et des théories sur l’émergence des capacités cognitives de résolution de problème chez l’enfant. Des modèles récents développés chez l’adulte apraxique suggèrent que l’utilisation d’outil est le fruit d’un processus dialectique entre un raisonnement technique (i.e., analyse abstraite des moyens techniques pertinents pour un but donné) et des habiletés sensori-motrices (i.e., guidées par les représentations sur les transformations mécaniques à opérer). A l’appui de ces modèles, la présente thèse propose d’une part d’analyser le développement typique de l’utilisation d’outil et des processus sous-jacents.Nous explorons d’autre part l’hypothèse d’un développement atypique de l’utilisation d’outil chez des enfants diagnostiqués TAC. Nos résultats apportent des arguments en faveur de la contribution du raisonnement technique au développement typique de l’utilisation d’outil. Sur le plan clinique, l’analyse de l’étendue et des causes sous-jacentes des difficultés d’utilisation d’outil confirme l’importance d’un tel examen pour la validation des critères diagnostiques du TAC Deficits in daily living activities are one of the diagnostic criteria of the Developmental Coordination Disorder(DCD). Despite their impact on child’s autonomy, tooluse disorders involved in these daily activities remainunder-assessed (e.g., underlying processes,interpersonal profiles, persistence disease). To ourknowledge, there is no theoretical framework of tool useformulated in a specifically developmental perspective.This concept actually remains at the crossroads between models of the perceptual-motor development and theories about cognitive processes of problem resolution in children. Recent models developed inadults with apraxia suggest that tool use is a dialectical process between a technical reasoning (i.e., abstractanalysis of technical means and ends) and sensory motorskills (i.e., managed by the representations on the mechanical transformations to be operated). According to these models, we first aim to analyze the typical development of tool use and the underlying processes.We then explore the assumption of an atypical development of tool use in children with DCD. Ourfindings provide evidence for the involvement of technical reasoning in typical development of tool use.From a clinical perspective, the analysis of tool use impairment and underlying deficits confirm the relevance of such an assessment for the validation of the diagnostic criteria of the DCD

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Jaffal, Ali. "Aide à l'utilisation et à l'exploitation de l'analyse de concepts formels pour des non-spécialistes de l'analyse des données." Thesis, Paris 1, 2019. http://www.theses.fr/2019PA01E031.

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De nombreuses approches ont été élaborées pour extraire des connaissances à partir des données. On distingue traditionnellement l’analyse descriptive et l’analyse prédictive. Nous nous focalisons dans cette thèse sur l’analyse descriptive des données et plus particulièrement sur l’Analyse de Concepts Formels (ACF), qui permet de construire des clusters recouvrants (appelés concepts formels) dont la signification est explicite. Il existe une relation d’ordre partiel entre les concepts formels résultant de l’ACF, qui sont organisés en une structure mathématique appelée treillis de Galois. Malgré ses nombreux avantages, l’ACF est peu accessible à des utilisateurs non experts de l’analyse de données. En effet, malgré les représentations graphiques des treillis de Galois, ceux-ci restent difficiles à interpréter, notamment lorsque les données sont volumineuses. De plus, la construction des données d’entrée de l’ACF sous la forme d’un contexte formel peut être délicate. Pour cela, nous avons proposé une méthodologie d’interprétation des treillis de Galois reposant sur un ensemble de métriques simples, dont les résultats sont présentés sous une forme visuelle aussi intuitive que possible. Nous avons également développé des stratégies pour construire des contextes formels qui, non seulement, dénaturent le moins possible les données initiales, mais permettent aussi de tenir compte des besoins de l’utilisateur en termes de recherche d’information Many data analysis techniques have been developed to extract knowledge from the data. The two traditional approaches are descriptive analysis and predictive. We focus in this thesis on descriptive data analysis, and in particular on Formal Concepts Analysis (FCA). This approach builds overlapping clusters (called formal concepts) whose meaning is explicit. There is a partial order relationship between the formal concepts resulting from FCA, which are organized in a mathematical structure called a Galois lattice. Despite its advantages, FCA is poorly accessible to users who are not experts in data analysis. Although graphical representations of Galois lattices exist, their interpretation remains difficult for large data. Moreover, the construction of FCA input data, called formal context, can be tricky. For this, we have proposed a methodology for Galois lattice interpretation based on a set of simple metrics, the results of which are presented in a visual form as intuitive as possible. We have also developed strategies for constructing formal contexts that not only remain as close to the initial data as possible, but also take into consideration the user's needs in terms of information retrieval

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Petersen, Fazlyn. "The realisation of business benefits when implementing mandatory software in an IT department: a case study in a South African financial services organisation." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2011. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_1565_1365670947.

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No organisation has an endless and unlimited supply of money, especially in a recessive economy, and therefore decisions have to be made as to which areas an organisation will invest in. As organisations, such as YZ1 financial services organisation, are focused on seeing returns on investment (ROI), implementing software that is not being used&nbsp will not render any benefits to the organisation. Research problem: Project Managers (PMs) in YZ organisation&rsquo s IT department need to perform mandated processes, as&nbsp defined in their centralised repository. PMs need to use Financial and Planning Software (FPS)2 software to perform certain project management activities, as required by their&nbsp job function. However, it was found that MPP3 software, another tool, was used for more detailed project schedules, as well as activities that were not strictly enforced by&nbsp management, the Project Office or the Quality Assurance team. Therefore, from this discovery, it was not clear whether the intended benefit of implementing this mandatory&nbsp software (FPS) was being realised &ndash since implementing software that is not being utilised fully would not deliver the intended benefits to the IT department (Devaraj &amp Kohli&nbsp 2003), even if the software is termed &lsquo mandatory&rsquo . Objective: The primary objective of this research was to explore and optimise the key success factors for an effective&nbsp implementation of mandatory software in a department, in order to derive the intended business benefits. Literature Review: Literature was reviewed in the search for models or&nbsp theories that explore the relationship between the use of mandatory software and the achievement of business benefits. The Information Management Body of Knowledge&nbsp (IMBOK) was selected as this framework defines the relationship between IT and the realisation of business benefits, and ultimately the achievement of any business strategy. The literature review focused predominantly on the level of user involvement, change management, as well as factors that influence the usage of mandatory software by&nbsp individuals. 1. The name of the organisation utilised has been changed. Refer to Ethical Consideration 2. The name of the tools utilised has been changed. Refer to Ethical&nbsp Consideration and list of acronyms 3. The name of the tools utilised has been changed. Refer to Ethical Consideration and list of acronyms. Focus was given to organisational factors affecting usage, such as top management support and organisational processes. A model was compiled using unique constructs in the Technology Acceptance Model&nbsp (and TAM2), the Motivational Model (MM) and the Model of PC Utilisation (MPCU) &ndash in order to test user acceptance of mandatory software. The literature study concludes with a&nbsp review of an approach to benefits management including five stages, namely: identifying and structuring benefits, planning for the realisation of benefits, executing the plan, in&nbsp addition to the evaluation and the review. Research design and methodology: A case study was used in this research, as it examined the phenomenon in its natural setting,&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp employing multiple methods of data collection to gather information from a few entities (groups and data sources). In this way, it was not limited to only qualitative or quantitative&nbsp approaches, but utilised mixed methods instead. A mixed methods approach was used in order to elaborate, enhance and clarify the results from the qualitative research&nbsp through the results of the quantitative analysis. Findings: The main finding, based on the compilation of three models of user acceptance, proved that FPS was not being utilised&nbsp as intended. There was also no evidence of an improvement in business operations. Therefore, benefits management was negatively impacted. Organisational processes were&nbsp dentified as the most important organisational factor, influencing the usage of FPS software. Own technological capability was considered to be the least important factor,&nbsp as respondents believed that they had sufficient IT skills in order to learn how to use FPS software. Change management was rated negatively and as a result, it impacted the&nbsp usage of FPS, as users were not involved in the decision to implement, and had limited interaction in the implementation process. In addition, there was no evidence found that&nbsp benefits management was conducted in the IT department and therefore, the impact of using alternative software could not be quantitatively assessed. Recommendations: In concluding this research, it is recommended that the &ldquo best practice&rdquo , derived from the pertinent literate should be followed more diligently if YZ organisation is to benefit from the&nbsp implementation of mandatory software. For example, in this research, it was found that top management&rsquo s support of FPS (second most important organisational factor influencing use) was lacking, despite the literature suggestion that senior management involvement in changing technology is crucial for organisational commitment. It is&nbsp suggested that a more formal approach to benefits management should be implemented. It is also recommended that further study should be conducted &ndash in order to explore&nbsp the applicability of the Japanese framing (achieving benefits from IT software through the concept of strategic instinct, rather than strategic alignment) in the context of a&nbsp developing country (such as South Africa).

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Chalendar, Vérène. "Quand l’animal soigne… Les utilisations thérapeutiques de l’animal dans le corpus médical cunéiforme assyro-babylonien." Thesis, Paris Sciences et Lettres (ComUE), 2017. http://www.theses.fr/2017PSLEP022.

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Cette thèse est consacrée à l’usage des animaux dans les pratiques thérapeutiques mésopotamiennes. Elle s’intéresse autant à l’animal utilisé à titre d’ingrédient pour la préparation des médications, qu’à l’animal participant aux rituels thérapeutiques. La première partie dresse un panorama des sources cunéiformes à disposition pour la reconstitution des pratiques médicales et propose une exploration de la perception de la faune par les Mésopotamiens en s’intéressant à la taxinomie ainsi qu’aux valeurs symboliques associées à l’animal. Elle s’attache également à l’examen de questions d’ordre pratique induites par l’usage des animaux dans la pharmacopée (approvisionnement, conservation, modalités de mise en œuvre etc.). La seconde partie de cette étude consiste en l’élaboration d’un catalogue des animaux rencontrés dans les textes médicaux cunéiformes. Celui-ci répertorie et examine les usages thérapeutiques de chaque animal en essayant de comprendre les raisons de leurs utilisations dans des contextes pathologiques spécifiques. La troisième partie est dévolue à l’étude du contexte culturel et intellectuel dans lequel ont été rédigées ces tablettes scientifiques mésopotamiennes. Les notions de « secret » et de « cryptage » du savoir sont ici mises en lumière. Le point central de cette partie consiste dans la présentation du document Uruanna = maštakal et des différentes hypothèses émises quant à son interprétation ; certaines de celles-ci remettant en question l’usage d’ingrédients d’origine animale dans la pharmacopée This thesis focuses on the use of animals in Mesopotamian therapeutic practices. It explores the animal used as ingredient for the preparation of medications, as well as the animal, which took part in the healing rituals. The first part reviews the cuneiform sources available for the reconstruction of medical practices and offers an exploration of Mesopotamian fauna through an overview of the taxonomy and the symbolic values attached to animals. It also investigates the practical issues resulting from the use of animals in pharmacopoeia (supply, conservation, methods of implementation etc.). The second part of the study consists in establishing a catalogue of animals encountered in the cuneiform medical texts. It lists and highlights the therapeutic uses of each animal and explores the reasons for their use in specific pathological contexts. The third part is devoted to the cultural and intellectual context in which these scientific Mesopotamian tablets were written. On this occasion, the concepts of “secret” and “encryption” of knowledge are considered. The main interest of this third chapter consists of a presentation and a new proposal for Uruanna = maštakal. This text has been the subject of several assumptions, which question the use of animal ingredients in the pharmacopoeia

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Laouer, Radhoine. "Une contribution à la connaissance de la relation processuelle entre la structure du conseil de surveillance et la performance de ses rôles : le cas des hôpitaux publics en France." Thesis, Bordeaux 4, 2013. http://www.theses.fr/2013BOR40011/document.

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Les théories de la Corporate Governance et la théorie de la psychologie sociale du petit groupe de prise de décision sont mobilisées afin de comprendre le mode de fonctionnement du conseil de surveillance hospitalier public et plus précisément pour tester empiriquement la relation de médiation du processus de prise de décision (les normes d’efforts, l’utilisation des connaissances et des habiletés et le confit cognitif) entre sa structure (la taille, la composition et la diversité) et la performance de ses rôles (la stratégie, le contrôle et le service). 320 questionnaires en provenance des membres des conseils de surveillance hospitaliers ont été recueillis. L’agrégation de ces réponses individuelles génère un échantillon de 159 conseils de surveillance hospitaliers publics. Les résultats des tests des hypothèses du modèle de recherche confirment le fait que la structure du conseil de surveillance n’influence pas la performance de ses rôles. Les normes d’efforts affectent positivement la performance des rôles .Seules les normes d’efforts et l’utilisation des connaissances et des habiletés médiatisent partiellement la relation processuelle entre la structure et la performance des rôles Corporate governance theories and the theory of the psychology of the small decision making group are used in order to understand the functioning mode of the public hospital supervisory board and specifically to test empirically the mediating relationship of the decision making process (Efforts norms, use of skills and knowledge and cognitive conflict) between the structure of the public hospital supervisory board (size, composition and diversity) and the performance of its roles (strategy ,control and service).320 questionnaires answered by the supervisory board members were collected. The aggregate of those individual responses generated 159 public hospital supervisory boards. The results of the hypothesis test of the model show that the supervisory board structure doesn’t influence the performance role of the supervisory board. Efforts norms influence positively the performance of its roles. Only the use of knowledge and skills, and efforts norms mediate the process relationship between the public hospital supervisory board structure and the performance of its roles

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41

Labuschagne, Kerry. "Knowledge, perception and utilisation of chiropractic by National Olympic Committees." Thesis, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10321/444.

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A dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for a Masters Degree in Technology, in the Department of Chiropractic at the Durban University of Technology, 2009. Introduction: National Olympic Committees (NOCs) select medical personnel to support their athletes at the Olympic Games. To best support athletes the knowledge, perception and utilisation of all medical professions is assumed to be high, however literature seems to indicate that this is not so. Objective: To determine the knowledge, perception and utilisation of Chiropractic by NOCs in order to develop a better relationship so that more athletes can benefit from Chiropractic care. Methods: A questionnaire was emailed to the 205 NOCs worldwide. Respective executive committee and medical commission members were asked to complete the questionnaires. Results: 76 NOCs responded (37%), returning 27 questionnaires. 30% of the respondents were high ranking members. 93% were highly educated with a bachelor’s degree or higher and 33% had represented their country as an athlete. Both committees agreed on the importance of a post-graduate sports qualification and perceived the profession to be one of spinal care specialists. Overall knowledge of Chiropractic was poor. A trend was observed among the medical commissions in their choice of Medical Doctors or Physiotherapists over Chiropractors and other professionals. The executive committees in contrast seemed more open-minded in their choice of professionals. No association was found between the knowledge and perception of Chiropractic and use of Chiropractic Conclusion: There is confusion regarding the role and scope of practice of Chiropractic by NOCs. In order to achieve a greater level of acceptance and utilisation of Chiropractic in international sports medical teams the profession needs to clarify their role, better educate NOC members on the benefits of Chiropractic, and obtain sports specific post-graduate programmes that are recognised internationally.

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Khoza, Andries David. "Utilisation of intranet in South African organisations as a knowledge management tool." Diss., 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/3147.

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Study Supervisor: . Completed: 2008 Purpose – To investigate the utilisation of intranet as a knowledge management (KM) tool in South African organisations Findings – The intranet is under utilised in many South African organisations, only 25 percent of the organisations represented in the survey has indicated to have been using the intranet as a tool to facilitate knowledge management. Most respondents indicated that emails and meetings were most effectively utilised as knowledge management tools in their respective organisations. The study also reveals that the content on the intranet is mainly focused on policies, employee contacts and communication bulletins. Employees do not contribute directly to the intranet content, hence the content on the intranet is mainly generic in nature; Information Technology (IT) teams, management and Human Resource (HR) teams are the main contributors of the intranet content. Research limitations/implications – Further research is needed to compare and deduce the benefits of utilising the intranet as a knowledge management tool with regard to business performance indexes such as, competitive advantage, market share, profits, long term growth, bottom line, sales, turnover, cost savings, etc.

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Mbete, J. M. "Utilisation and knowledge of contraception in attenders at Alice in Ciskei." Thesis, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/7462.

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Singh, Suriyabala Kissoon. "Knowledge and utilisation of contraception in Indian females attending an urban general practice." Thesis, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/2536.

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459 Indian female patients between the ages of 16 and 50. attending the practice of the researcher were asked to complete a confidential questionnaire on the knowledge and utilisation of contraception. The results of the study revealed that the majority of the participants were literate and possessed some knowledge of contraception. The contraceptive choice was the Pill with many participants also favouring the use of the intra uterine device. Condoms were used by only ten percent of the group while the use of the injection - Depot Provera - was negligible. Most peri menopausal women had completed their families and had undergone Tubal Ligation even though a fair number had the intra uterine device in place and also had continued using the Pill as their contraceptive. Theses (M.Fam.Med.)-University of Natal, Durban 1995.

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Stoler, Kara. "Ashkenazi Jewish genetic testing: utilisation of services, genetic knowledge and perceptions of stigma." Thesis, 2014.

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Genetic carrier testing programmes originated in different ethnic groups to establish whether an individual or his/her partner carries an inherited recessive genetic mutation that could cause a serious genetic condition in a couple’s offspring if both are carriers. Molecular genetic analysis has shown that despite migration and physical separation, Jewish individuals have retained their religious, social and genetic identity over many years through a common religion, dialect, customs and marriage within the community. Therefore, a number of conditions have a higher incidence in the Jewish population due to the founder effect. There are a number of serious life-threatening conditions prevalent in the Ashkenazi Jewish population that display an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. These conditions are deemed worthy of genetic carrier testing to identify couples who are at risk and assist them in making appropriate reproductive choices. This research study focused on the Ashkenazi Jewish genetic testing programmes available to the Jewish community in Johannesburg, South Africa (SA) and it explored the uptake of genetic carrier testing. It also aimed to assess genetic knowledge related to carrier risks and the autosomal recessive inheritance pattern, and to evaluate the personal or social perception of stigma associated with being a carrier of an Ashkenazi Jewish condition. The study sample included Ashkenazi Jewish men and women in Johannesburg, SA between the ages of 18 and 40 years. The study was advertised through several Jewish community resources. Data was collected through an online structured questionnaire over a one month period. All information was cleaned and coded in an Excel spreadsheet and then analysed. There were 298 individuals who participated in this study with 32.6% (97/298) male and 67.4% (201/298) female. From the total number of participants in the study, 44% (130/298) had genetic carrier testing. The participants who had testing chose to be tested when they were either single, dating or engaged. The timing would therefore have implications for participants as individuals would be aware of different reproductive options available at different stages. This study found that knowledge with regard to understanding genetics of the autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance for the common Ashkenazi Jewish genetic conditions was poor. Participants did not fully understand the implications of being a carrier of a genetic condition and underestimated the frequency of the genetic condition. Finally, no stigma for being a carrier of a genetic condition was found in the sample overall or when assessed for personal or social stigma. This finding indicated that there may be less stigma in the community in Johannesburg, South Africa. This study highlights the need for genetic services to be promoted further in the Ashkenazi Jewish community through educational programmes so that individuals are encouraged by their community and health care professionals to test for the 9 common Ashkenazi Jewish conditions. An increase in genetic carrier testing would allow more individuals to make informed reproductive decisions.

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Thondhlana, Sylivia Shamiso. "Knowledge, utilisation and perceptions of the chiropractic profession by general practitioners in Harare, Zimbabwe." Thesis, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10321/3071.

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Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree in Masters of Technology in Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2018. Background: There have been an increased number of patients using complementary alternative medicine (CAM), including chiropractic care. All population age groups are utilising chiropractic treatment for various ailments. Research has shown that general practitioners have limited knowledge and perception about chiropractic in many countries. Their perception towards other health care professionals is important, particularly in their role as gatekeepers in the health care system. The current perception in Zimbabwe is thought to be no referral of patients between general practitioners and chiropractors and a low degree of knowledge amongst general practitioners about chiropractic. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge, utilisation and perceptions of general practitioners in Harare, Zimbabwe. Objectives: • To establish the knowledge about chiropractic amongst general practitioners in Harare, Zimbabwe. • To determine perceived role and utilisation of chiropractic by general practitioners in Harare, Zimbabwe. • To determine the relationships, if any, between knowledge, perception, and utilisation of chiropractic by general practitioners in Harare, Zimbabwe. Methods: The study was a descriptive, quantitative, cross-sectional study using a structured questionnaire adapted from similar studies. The questionnaire was validated by means of a focus group discussion. The survey was conducted on a random sample of 72 general practitioners practising in the Avenues area of Harare, Zimbabwe. A single stage sampling techniques was used to select participants from a list of 88 registered general practitioners from the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe who met the inclusion criteria. Questionnaires were provided to general practitioners who were in private practice in the Avenues area of Harare, Zimbabwe at the time of the study by the researcher. The data collected was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS)® 2.4 (IBM, Armonk, NY. USA) software at a statistical significance of p<0.05. Pearson’s correlation was used to assess the relationship between continuous variables, while the t test was used to copmare the mean scores between independent binary variables. Results: Many of the participants had some kind of knowledge regarding chiropractic modalities, areas of chiropractic specialisation but only a few had adequate knowledge and a good perception of it. General practitioners who were knowledgeable about chiropractic tended to have a positive perception and were more likely to refer patients to a chiropractor. A response rate of 54.5 percent was achieved. Most of the respondents tended to be in the age group of 35-54 and most were female (54.2 percent). Over 90 percent of the participants referred patients with musculoskeletal complaints to physiotherapists while only 16.67 percent referred to chiropractors. More than 65 percent of the participants responded that they knew something about chiropractic, and of these almost 50 percent obtained their information from the media. Over 80 percent of the participants who knew something about chiropractic thought that extremities, neuro-musculoskeletal system, rehabilitation and sports injuries were areas chiropractors can specialise in. Almost all the participants who knew something about chiropractic were aware of adjustments or manipluation of joints as modalities of chiropractic treatment. Majority (75.8 percent) of the participants who knew something about chiropractic thought that chiropractic could help selected conditions, while only 3 percent felt it was not effective and 21.2 percent felt they were not informed enough to comment. GP’s surveyed considered chronic back pain (91 percent), sports trauma (85 percent), shoulder/knee problems (79 percent), arthritis (76 percent), back and pelvic problems during pregnancy (70 percent), nerve root entrapment (70 percent) and carpal tunnel syndromme (70 percent) as some of the appropriate conditions for chiropractors to treat. Forty two percent of the GP’s referred patients to chiropractors mostly on both the patient’s request and their own judgment. The main reason for not referring patients to chiropractors cited by most (70 percent) of the GPs was limited knowledge about chiropractic care. There was a statistically significant and moderately high positive correlation between knowledge and perception scores (r=0.668). This study suggests that GP’s who have a higher degree of knowledge about chiropractic tend to have a positive perception of chiropractic. There was a non-significant difference in knowledge between those who refer patients and those who do not (p=0.425). In this study knowlegde about chiropractic did not significantly influence referral to chiropractors. There was however a statistically significant difference in perception between those who refer patients and those who do not (p=0.006). The perceptions were higher in those who refer patients compared to those who do not refer patients. Perceptions were found to determine utilisation rather than knowledge even though there was a correlation between the two. M

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Matyukira, Sesedzai Peggie. "Knowledge and utilisation of antenatal care services by pregnant women at a clinic in Ekurhuleni." Diss., 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/13617.

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The aim of the study was to investigate the knowledge and utilisation of antenatal care (ANC) services by pregnant women at a clinic in Ekurhuleni. A quantitative, descriptive correlational study was carried out on 90 eligible pregnant women. Data were collected with a self-administered questionnaire and analysed with the help of a statistician using the Epi Info version 7 computer program. The results of the study indicate that most women initiated ANC later than the recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO). Over half of the respondents had overall good knowledge of ANC, but lacked knowledge of medication and screening tests done during pregnancy, some danger signs during pregnancy and of exclusive breastfeeding. Factors that were identified as associated with late initiation of ANC were current employment status, number of children, transport costs to clinic and number of antenatal visits. Department of Health Studies M.A. (Public Health)

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Lebona, Maselobe Anna. "Assessment of knowledge, attitudes and utilisation of HIV post-exposure prophylaxis among adults, Roma, Lesotho." Diss., 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/22535.

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As the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevalence rises, uninfected Basotho face an increased risk of exposure. This necessitates strengthening of strategies that prevent exposure, and where exposure has occurred, measures that prevent infection. One such measure is Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP). Awareness and knowledge of HIV PEP is therefore of paramount importance. The purpose of this study was to assess knowledge, attitudes and utilisation of HIV PEP among adults in Roma, Lesotho. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 96 adult outpatients at St Joseph’s Hospital. Data were collected by means of structured questionnaire and analysed using SPSS version 23.0. Results were presented using charts and tables. Awareness of HIV PEP among the respondents was found to be very low and for most respondents’ knowledge of HIV PEP was either non-existent or very poor. Utilisation was also found to be very low. Attitudes towards HIV PEP were, however, found to be favourable. More studies should be conducted throughout the country to further explore Basotho’s knowledge, attitude and use of HIV PEP. Health Studies M.A. (Nursing Science)

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Heinsch, Milena. "Making social work research count: researchers’ perceptions of using research in practice." Thesis, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1039375.

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Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) The purpose of this investigation was to explore the experiences and motivations of researchers in social work, in engaging with social work practitioners for the purpose of facilitating the use of research knowledge. It sought to examine how researchers conceived, explained and experienced the research utilisation process and the factors that may impact on this process, with the central aim of identifying how interaction can best lead to research use in social work. A mixed methodology grounded in Bhaskar’s critical realist paradigm was employed. This approach included both a fixed and flexible design, whereby quantitative data was gathered to determine regularities and patterns, and qualitative data to ascertain participants’ meanings, intentions, motivations, and reasons. Data was initially collected from 60 participants who were Australian researchers publishing in social work journals. A follow up semi-structured interview was conducted with 26 of the survey’s participants. A comprehensive review of the literature revealed that the knowledge utilisation field is complex and lacks conceptual depth and clarity. Consequently, the literature reflected a tendency toward superficial understandings of research use and the processes by which it might be achieved. This study offered a rich description of research knowledge utilisation in social work. Participants experienced research use as a socially engaged and relational process, rather than a unilinear event whereby research knowledge moves neatly from the context of production to that of application. The nature of the communication and the characteristics of the relationships between researchers and practitioners affected research use in practice. The power of interaction, as an influential factor in research use lies in the particular way in which it is combined with the characteristics of the individual, the organisation and the research content.

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Yaman, Habil Ruhi. "A Conceptual Model of Knowledge Acquisition and Utilisation Through Marketing Research in Tourism: Development and an Empirical Assessment." Thesis, 2001. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/212/.

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This thesis is concerned with the process of knowledge acquisition and utilisation through marketing research in tourism. Its main objective is to determine the factors that lead to a marketing research orientation in tourism organisations. A conceptual model of antecedents and consequences of marketing research in tourism is constructed within a framework of theories of the sociology of knowledge and the diffusion of innovations. The model is tested using data gained through structured personal interviews with marketing and marketing research executives in a sample of the largest Australian tourism organisations.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Knowledge utilisation'

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