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1

Sykes, Sarah. "Making Sense of Beauty Vlogging." Research Showcase @ CMU, 2014. http://repository.cmu.edu/theses/75.

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Garrett, Elizabeth Ann. "The Ancient Art of Smile-Making." TopSCHOLAR®, 2014. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1366.

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If I am anything, I am a Kentuckian, which means I appreciate a good storyteller. In my writing, I hope to bring back some dignity to the “lost cause” of the good values from a broken culture. While I am not quite “southern” enough to qualify as a writer of Southern Gothic fiction, I can relate to this brand of identity crisis in which someone wants to maintain an archaic mindset in a culture charging towards “progress.” As technology and corporate success take precedence over a genteel and pastoral soul, our collective competitiveness has crippled a quaint future of back porch comforts. Being well-read or holding open doors won’t pay for student loans, and there is no such thing as stars in our crowns anymore. For many regions of Kentucky, there is this conflict within the graying of small town communities. My region is one of these. As time marches on, the agrarian lifestyle itself becomes industrialized, and these old family farms, upon which small towns are built, are not self-sustaining. In my stories, I capture the perspectives of a rural community’s personalities. My Regionalism may be dated, but then so are the small town values. With these short stories, I hope to create a collection of characters whose backgrounds may be singular but whose messages are universal. My stories are about the universal fear of loneliness. Perry and White, the cameo characters, pop up throughout because they epitomize this with their irrational companionship. “The Ancient Art of Smile-Making,” “A Well Meaning Marionette,” “The Peacock Cloister,” and “In the Garden, Swallowing Pearls” are essentially about this innate need for company. “Murdered in a Good Dress” and “Myrtle Slog” illustrate the homesickness experienced by those who divorce themselves from closeness of the rural community. Sometimes we call “friendship” kitschy and cliché. And why is that? I made Perry and White’s bond a bit absurd because it is almost ridiculous that there could be a person in the wild world who would sacrifice themselves.
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Pender, Rebecca Lynn. "Making meaning : a couple's perspective of the reflecting team process /." Available to subscribers only, 2008. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1594484871&sid=15&Fmt=2&clientId=1509&RQT=309&VName=PQD.

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Thesis (M.S.Ed.)--Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 2008.<br>"Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education." Includes bibliographical references (p. 58-61). Also available online.
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Pugh, Dale M. "A phenomenological study of clinical decision making by flight nurse specialists in emergency situations." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1999. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1249.

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Clinical decision making is an integral, multifaceted phenomenon fundamental to nursing practice. The domain of flight nursing practice is unique in terms of knowledge, structure, clinical presentations and environment. The uniqueness and diversity of patient scenarios and the advanced practice level of the flight nurse role blend to provide a potential rollercoaster flight mission. At the time this research was conducted nursing standards to guide clinical decision making were being developed. Medically orientated clinical guidelines were in place, but they were designed to highlight a specific, well defined clinical scenario or skill. It has been argued that guidelines for nursing practice do not always parallel the complex clinical situations in which advanced practitioners may find themselves (Malone, 1992b). Flight Nurse Specialists (FNSs) with greater than two years flight nursing experience employed by the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) - Western Operations were interviewed regarding their experiences of clinical decision making in emergency situations. Using a phenomenological methodology, indepth interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. The interviews were analysed using the method described by Colaizzi (1978). Data was described and interpreted, common themes were extrapolated and analysed. A Gestalt of Knowing was identified by the interconnection and interrelationships of the extrapolated themes. The three themes are: Ways of Knowing the Patient, Context of Knowing and Reflective Practice. Ways of Knowing the Patient is constructed with the sub-themes intuitive knowing, experiential knowing and objective knowing. The second theme, Context of Knowing, is made up of the sub-themes aviation environment, non or minimised involvement in triage, knowing co11eagues, solo practitioner, experiential level and practice guidelines. Self-critique and change in practice formed the theme Reflective Practice. Findings provide a significant contribution to the knowledge of clinical decision making in nursing and to the practice of flight nursing in the Western Australian context. Several recommendations arose from the findings in relation to further research, policy making, standards development and practice developments. Further research is needed into the themes and sub-themes. FNSs need to be allowed to undertake the role of triage for those flights that they will undertake as the solo health professional. The development of standards for flight nursing would benefit from the consideration of the findings of this study and other qualitative studies of clinical decision making. Reflective practice should be considered as a mechanism for not only evaluating practice but as a mechanism for identifying stressful events.
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Ellis, Kenneth M. "Making choices : creating the scenic design for Michael Rose's play, Copernicus rising /." Available to subscribers only, 2007. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1404342671&sid=10&Fmt=2&clientId=1509&RQT=309&VName=PQD.

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6

Lange, Connor. "A GENERIC DECISION MAKING FRAMEWORK FOR AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS." DigitalCommons@CalPoly, 2013. https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/992.

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With the rising popularity of small satellites, such as CubeSats, many smaller institutions previously incapable of developing and deploying a spacecraft have starting to do so. Institutions with a history of space flight, such as NASA JPL, have begun to put projects on CubeSats that would normally fly on much larger satellites. As a result, the institutions with space flight heritage have begun to port spacecraft software that was previously designed for much larger and more complex satellites to the CubeSat platform. Unfortunately for universities, who are the majority of all institutions devel- oping CubeSats, these ported systems are too large and complex to be a practical control solution. Student teams have a high turnover rate due to graduation and when a student becomes an expert on the control system, they graduate; most students get a maximum of two or three years of experience before graduating. This thesis proposes the Generic Decision Making Framework for Autonomous Systems (GDMFAS) as an accessible, easily extensible, component-based executive system architecture. The architecture is designed for Linux distributions, including the custom Linux distribution used by PolySat, and is implemented using C++. The proposed framework provides much of the same functionality as systems designed for larger satellites in a smaller, more straightforward pack- age, which includes both scheduling and executive components. This thesis also provides validation for the prototype implementation and evaluates the system according to six metrics. The metric analysis for this work is then compared with the metric analyses of previous works.
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Katz, Ashley. "SOCIAL DISCOUNTING OF CLEAN WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY." OpenSIUC, 2019. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/theses/2619.

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The purpose of this study was to examine choice-making as it relates to providing a source of clean water to those at varying social distances. A discounting survey was completed by 65 participants asking them to choose between spending a specified about of money on plastic water bottles that have a 100% chance of harming the environment or spending $1000 on a water filtration system that has a 0% chance of harming the environment. Results indicated that as social distance increased, responding became more impulsive as evident by a steeper amount of discounting. For “Person #1”, 27.69% of participants chose to spend money on plastic water bottles while for “Person #100”, 53.8% of participants chose to spend money on plastic water bottles. The R2 calculated was 0.8633. Results also indicated that there was a positive correlation between frequency of behaving in sustainable ways and how much one valued the environment, as well as how concerned one was with the environment. Implications, strengths and limitations, and future research opportunities are discussed.
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Flynn, Brynn. "Design-centered Learning : Developing Collaborative Skills by Making Games." Research Showcase @ CMU, 2014. http://repository.cmu.edu/theses/63.

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Communication technology drives new opportunities and expectations for employees to collaborate across countries, continents and time zones. This has the potential to bring people together, increasingly connecting individuals with different experiences, perspectives, and areas of expertise. However, it also complicates collaboration. People working together in these situations must both adjust to differences between in-person and digital interactions, and also navigate the complexities that accompany a dynamic and diverse team. I address this need by I creating a set of design-oriented activities aimed at building a specific situation for children that affords the development of their collaborative skills. Over the course of three months, I ran a 9-session workshop with twenty-four fifth graders where the students collaboratively engaged in a game design project. During the workshop, children made physical games to teach players about the science of flight. As the students worked through this process, they investigated games and flight, developed game concepts, and then designed, play-tested and shared their games with others. Pre-post observations and test results show increases in fifth graders’ collaborative interactions and understanding of flight content. This study provides qualitative data to support the claim that game-making workshops can increase children’s collaborative skills, and lays the groundwork for further investigation.
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Rowsey, Kyle Evan. "Preference of Reinforcement Rate and Sub-Optimal Decision Making." OpenSIUC, 2013. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/theses/1200.

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Impulsive behavior can be viewed as selecting the less beneficial option when multiple choices are presented. This type of sub-optimal decision-making behavior has been demonstrated to be a basic behavior process that is not unique to humans. In recent years, a large body of research has surfaced analyzing the sub-optimal decision-making of animals, generating models that are analogous to impulsive human behavior. This literature attempts to investigate the factors that influence the choice-making of organisms and lead organisms to choose less reinforcement over more reinforcement in some circumstances. Research has shown that reinforcement contingencies alone do not account for all of the behavior produced, especially when organisms fail to optimize their receipt of reinforcement when given a choice. The current study sought to replicate the recent animal research on sub-optimal behavior with humans. Specifically, the current study investigated the choice-making behavior of three young boys with autism using a concurrent-chains schedule of reinforcement. Results replicated previous research with the finding that two of the three participants indicated an increasing preference for the least optimal choice while a third participant maximized his reinforcement throughout the study. Implications for future research are discussed.
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O'Sullivan, Paul T. "Lost in translation: Making sense of dance through words." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2007. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/44.

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The aim of this paper is to enter into the debate about meaning and movement and challenge the idea of dance as linguistic communication. Without words, and even with words according to some linguistic theorists, it's not possible to make sense unless we come to an agreement about a set of shared concepts. This is difficult in dance, an art form that has been silent, but undergoing evolutionary change for a large part of its history. I take the point of view that performance movement is even more arbitrary than text as a form of signification. We can read words prescriptively. We agree what a word means and what concepts a word might refer to. But even then in the combination of words we can interpret meaning differently. Even words can be confusing. We are forced at times in conversation in our first or 'natural' language to ask: "What do you mean?" So how can dance be read - when there is little semantic agreement about what a gesture, or a dance step might mean? Maybe we can't read dance. Perhaps what we read, and the only thing we can read, are the words, embedded, attached, contained, and generally surrounding the movement because we are verbal creatures. We can read words easily, after gaining an education, but reading nonverbal communication is fraught with difficulties and misunderstandings.
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Bancroft, Nancy Parent. "The Content And Process Of Women’s Decision-Making Viewed Through The Lenses of Feminine/Feminist Ethics And Roman Catholicism." Fogler Library, University of Maine, 1999. http://www.library.umaine.edu/theses/pdf/Bancroft_D.pdf.

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12

Thakker, Kinnari. "Start with Sustainability: making sustainability the meta-objective for design." Research Showcase @ CMU, 2012. http://repository.cmu.edu/theses/29.

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“Start with Sustainability” articulates the need to design products sustainably and provides designers with tools that enable them to do so. My thesis argues that a sustainable design practice is achieved by asking critical questions that anticipate social and environmental implications of our design decisions and enable discussion about it. My thesis also argues that by asking these questions early in the design process—at the problem-framing phase, enables them to largely impact the decisions going forward. The “Start with Sustainability” framework combines two models for—the Triple Bottom Line and the Life Cycle Analysis. The framework juxtaposes them to reveal more comprehensive concerns about the social, environmental and economic attributes of product life cycles. The solution then provides a set of critical questions at the intersections of these models, enabling the designer to better recognize the interdependencies between their design and other complex problems. These questions are asked in the form of a deck of cards that also include resources to aid designers to discuss and address these problems. In response to user testing, “Start with Sustainability” also includes a website for further participation and additional resources. The website would serve as a participatory way to build a repository of resources that can be customized towards the needs of different disciplines within product design.
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Restine, Keith. "Teacher Influence in Site-Based Decision Making: A Descriptive Study." TopSCHOLAR®, 1992. https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/2762.

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Site-based decision making has been the focus of considerable research. However, the study of perceived teacher influence in schools utilizing site-based decision making has been neglected as applied to specific sites. Much of the research on participatory decision making has focused primarily on the effective group behaviors of decision making bodies, the structural components of programs, descriptive case studies of programs, or on general themes such as school restructuring. Much of the literature on decision making has been remiss in describing the process from a human orientation, as opposed to a product orientation. This study examines the perception of teachers in a school with a decision making council. The focus of the study is on the perceived degree of teacher influence found in one school utilizing a site-based decision making council. The focus of this analysis was on the perceived degree of teacher influence in relation to the structural factors found at the school site. This study employed the techniques of qualitative methodology. Data were obtained through document review, observation, interview, and questionnaire. The concern was for insight into the perceived degree of influence from the viewpoint of individual perspectives which were examined. The subjects included members of a decision making council and the teachers represented by the council. The data revealed two distinct structures which were influential in the perceived degree of teacher influence. These structures were referred to as formal and informal impact agents. Sub-groupings of the formal structure were referred to as historical and novel. The formal structural variables are described as historical (hierarchical systems entrenched by tradition or role authority) and novel (hierarchical systems which impact the implementation phase of decisions). Informal structures are characterized as collegial and deal with traditional and nontraditional interaction patterns among school personnel. A consistent theme was the belief that the novel structural system accommodated more teacher influence at the school site. Collegial interactions, which were observed and described, reflected this belief. Data suggest that there are implications for focusing on the degree of influence perceived by teachers when introducing a system of governance involving site-based decision making.
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Covich, Suzanne. "Silencing violence in the family: Making the victim the problem." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2009. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1896.

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The title of my research, Silencing Violence in the Family: Making the Victim the Problem, consists of two parts: an autobiography which explores the nature and dynamics of violence against children within an Australian home and the ways in which it is silenced within the family, schools and community, and three essays which focus on the process of writing an autobiography as well as the ways in which therapy, theories and heroes have worked either to condone or break the silences. The autobiography takes into account the life of a child (predominantly inspired by male fictional heroes) who, as a teenager and young adult continues to conceal the emotional, physical and sexual violence to which she was subjected within the family. Her competitive nature, creative imagination and love of the landscape, literature and school is short-lived when she is faced with ongoing parental abuse, giving her no option other than to escape from her family when she is fifteen. As a vulnerable teenage wife and mother, her own mother rejects and demonises her as she sets the family against her. Her childhood experiences cause her to trust no one as she maintains the secrets and struggles to survive in an adult world. Themes of escape from traumas too difficult to face, illustrate the ways in which a high-achieving child, who is violated within the home, survives and develops the courage, eventually, to seek the help she needs to change entrenched patterns of behaviour that position her to be exploited and further violated as an adult. This story addresses intergenerational patterns of sexual, physical and emotional violence as it explores the nature of the perpetrators and points out the ways in which enforced silences condone such violence, while developing the potential for victims either wittingly or unwittingly to repeat such behaviours in their adult lives. The three essays explore the ways in which individuals confront human rights violations occurring within the family and selected socio-political contexts. They also examine the consequences of being silenced or of speaking and writing of such injustices. With an emphasis on the importance of speaking up in order to influence changes in policies and practices that have had a damaging impact on the lives of women and children in particular, these essays take into account the costs and benefits to autobiographical writers who have come face to face with family, government, religious, psychiatric, medical, legal, and educational institutions which have either ignored, misunderstood, or, ultimately encouraged the telling of such stories. The process of writing the autobiography remains the underlying focus in the essays, which inspire questions relative to genetic memory and the ways in which individuals recall life experiences. Institutionalised psychoanalytical and autobiographical theories that have silenced the voices of women and children are reviewed in order show how some victims of family violence have been further violated. Considering misconceptions and socially entrenched silences against those who speak of violence in their childhoods, the identification with male or female heroes is deemed to be an essential characteristic of autobiographical writers who ultimately take their stories beyond the private sphere and make them public.
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Rabbitt, Elaine. "Kimberley Women : Their Experiences of Making a Remote Locality Home." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2004. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1677.

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In previous histories of Western Australia, pre-dominantly written from a male Eurocentric viewpoint, scant attention has been drawn to the everyday lives of country women. The study described in this dissertation explores the responses of women to the challenges of relocation and settlement within a remote locality in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
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Shoeib, Ashraf. "Key Decision-making Phases And Tasks For Outsourcing Information Technology." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2000. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1537.

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Outsourcing has become an attractive option for today's organisation. Since outsourcing Information Technology (IT) is a relatively new phenomenon in Australia, little research has been conducted as to IT management strategies needed when considering outsourcing. To guide management in the decision whether or not to outsource IT, the study developed and tested a decision-making model comprising the phases of intelligence, analysis and planning, strategy selection, action, and evaluation and monitoring. The significance of decision phases and tasks contained in the model was established through a survey of major Australian organisations. The sample included Australia's top 390 companies. Such organisations would be likely to have large IT installation and therefore would have greater knowledge of IT outsourcing. The model was also applied in four major case studies to contribute to the survey and to help in interpreting the survey results. Respondent experiences in making IT outsourcing decisions were discussed. The study found that the 'action' phase of IT outsourcing is the most important decision-making phase. It is largely determined by the track record and the ability of the potential vendor to provide high service levels for the client. The need for an acceptable level of service is also strongly apparent when management evaluates and monitors the outcome of IT outsourcing. In recognition of the importance of the action phase the study presented an expanded model. It shows an expanded representation of the activities, presented in life eyrie form, related to selecting a suitable vendor and entering into an outsourcing contract. The study concluded that the proposed model was sufficiently comprehensive and structured to be a useful guide for IS outsourcing decision making. It enabled decision makers to consider complex, wide ranging and interrelated decision criteria concerning IS outsourcing for their particular circumstances and needs. Knowledge of the above findings should provide the following benefits: *The identification and description of phases, tasks and subtasks provides a checklist of what needs to be taken into account during IT outsourcing decision-making; *The identification of key phases, tasks and sub tasks will help management and others to focus on critical areas that need to be managed well in order for IT outsourcing to be successful; *The identification of the action phase as the most important phase enables management attention to be particularly focussed; *The framework can be used on a 'as needed' basis thereby making it useful for different outsourcing decision scenarios and situations. The study concludes with the research limitations and suggestions for future research.
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Roberts, Alexandra Hannah. "The Coaches’ Eye: Exploring coach decision-making during talent identification." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2021. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2391.

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For decades, researchers and practitioners interested in talent identification have discussed the coaches’ eye: the elusive ability that allows some coaches to ‘see’ qualities in an athlete that point to their talent or future potential. While there is significant anecdotal evidence of coaches who possess this ability, there is little empirical research supporting the validity or reliability of the coaches’ eye. Guided by ecological dynamics, this thesis employs mixed methodologies to explore the decision-making that underpins how high-level coaches identify talent in Olympic combat sports. These four studies captured the processes of thirty- four coaches during the talent identification process, exploring and identifying the factors that impact on a coach’s ability to perform this integral task. A systematic review and meta-synthesis revealed that ‘instinct’ is a primary contributor to coach decision-making during talent identification (TID), allowing coaches to ‘know it when they see it’. Semi-structured interviews with international coaches explored this ‘instinct’ during TID and revealed that coaches require experience, time and knowledge of context in order to identify talent. An instrumental case study corroborated these results, and also found that there is a significant conceptual difference between talent identification and talent selection, in the eyes of this coach. Both studies indicated that coaches likely select athletes based on their capabilities as a coach, not purely on athlete ability or potential. The final study found that nine national-level coaches did not agree on the rankings of talented youth judo athletes after four days. This finding indicates that the coaches’ eye is subjective and confirms the novel findings of the prior studies; namely that coaches require time to get to know athletes, their opinions of the athletes’ talent changed over time, and coaches vary in who they ‘see’ as talented. Finally, two new models are presented: the Coach-Informed Talent Identification Process and a novel model of the Coaches’ Eye in Talent Identification. The experiential coach knowledge gathered in this thesis informed the creation of these models. This thesis indicates that the coaches’ eye is the lens through which coaches view athletes, using their expertise and experience to interpret the athlete’s raw potential, and the time spent with the athlete and the context of their identification to determine whom they will select into their team. It appears that coaches perceive talent with reference to what they can develop in an athlete; thus, coaches must be involved in the identification and selection of talented athletes. These results indicate that National Sporting Organisations should ensure that coaches are provided with the necessary time, education and guidance to ensure that athlete outcomes are optimised. This thesis provides an understanding of how the coaches’ eye works during TID and a new understanding of this term. These findings have implications for the ongoing practice and research of talent identification in combat sports, and this work contain recommendations for both coaches and national sporting organisations to improve the confidence, accuracy and reliability of the coaches’ eye when forecasting talent.
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Lock, Graeme. "Strategies for increasing community participation in school decision-making processes." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1989. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1111.

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The aim of this study is to develop, by a deductive approach, a framework of strategies which would assist school administrative teams to form a school-based decision making group. Specifically, the strategies are aimed to increasing the participation of non-school-based community members in decision–making processes. Three focusing themes - the need for an overall plan the availability of adequate time and the provision of sufficient financial resources - are used as the structure for the literature review. Within these themes a number of strategies are identified which are relevant to the purpose of this study. Using a deductive approach, these strategies are assembled into a conceptual framework. The developed conceptual framework is suitable for most school situations in systems where much of the administrative functions of schools has been devolved to the school level. Some of the significant strategies in the conceptual framework were found to be the formation of an implementation team; organization of a timetable; the development, implementation and consideration of a community analysis; anticipation of difficulties; the establishment of an effective communication system; the development and implementation of specific motivational strategies; and evaluation of the change process. Although the conceptual framework is suitable for most schools, there may be some schools with certain characteristics where implementation of the outlined strategies would not be appropriate. In these cases modifications should be made to the conceptual framework of strategies. This study examines two situations where modifications could be required. In discussing the suggested modifications, the versatility of the conceptual framework is established as well as its validity reliability.
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Fasolo, Damian. "The making of Broken: A manifesto for a democratised cinema." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2020. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2340.

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The enemy of art is the absence of limitations. (Orson Welles cited in Hurbis-Cherrier, 2011, p. 16) While much has been written on low budget independent film movements, there is little research on the correlations that exist between them, and in particular, the filmmaking approaches and techniques which significantly affect their final form. The key argument of this project is that, central to the critical success of any low budget film, is a filmmaker’s ability to transform the limitations imposed on them, and the constraints that they choose, into creative gain. Though it would appear to operate contrary to ordinary reasoning and intuition, constraint in an artistic context, is one of the filmmaker’s most powerful tools. The ensuing research and practice reveal how the implementation of this approach can, for example, bring about selfreflexivity and expressionism, political subversion, active viewing, and ambiguity. Furthermore, constraints are often used as a marketing tool to leverage a film’s status by creating a point of differentiation. This exegesis examines the development of 20th century low budget movements which operated within a ‘manifesto of constraints’. Specifically, it seeks to identify filmmaking approaches of limitation, whether that be through strategies of constraint in budget, crewing, narrative form, and stylistic approach, and how these contributed to the critical success of the resulting work. In addition, there is an analysis on current trends in filmmaking practice, primarily resulting from a democratisation in technologies as well as new methods of funding, marketing and distribution. By identifying shared commonalities of limitation among the movements and their manifestos, and by taking into account recent advancements in filmmaking practices, an informed, synthesised manifesto is subsequently devised. The creative film component of this research project, a no budget, semi-autobiographical feature film entitled Broken (Fasolo, 2017), is then produced, testing the rules set out in the synthesised manifesto. Finally, both the process of production and creative work are critically examined in light of the research; and as a result of the gaps identified through practice, a new manifesto is developed and presented for the 21st century democratised, no budget filmmaker.
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Shesham, Sriharsha. "Integrating Expert System and Geographic Information System for Spatial Decision Making." TopSCHOLAR®, 2012. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1216.

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Spatial decision making is a process of providing an effective solution for a problem that encompasses semi-structured spatial data. It is a challenging task which involves various factors to consider. For example, in order to build a new industry, an appropriate site must be selected for which several factors have to be taken into consideration. Some of the factors, which can affect the decision in this particular case, are air pollution, noise pollution, and distance from living areas, which makes the decision difficult. The geographic information systems (GIS) and the expert systems (ES) have many advantages in solving problems in their prospective areas. Integrating these two systems will benefit in solving spatial decision making problems. In the past, many researchers have proposed integrating systems which extracts the data from the GIS and saves it in the database for decision making. Most of the frameworks which have been developed were system dependent and are not properly structured. So it is difficult to search the data. This thesis proposes a framework which extracts the GIS data and processes it with the help of ES decision making capabilities to solve the spatial decision making problem. This framework is named GeoFilter. This research classifies various types of mechanisms that can be used to integrate these two systems.
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Choi, Mark. "Make & Articulate : Developing Holistic Designerly Ways of Knowing Through Making." Research Showcase @ CMU, 2014. http://repository.cmu.edu/theses/72.

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Fueled by the value of “Design Thinking” as an innovation and problem solving tool, a rising number of engineers have been entering graduate programs in interaction design to learn how to design. However an engineer’s strong emphasis on the end product stands at odds with design’s emphasis on the process. This predisposition oftentimes impedes with an the engineer’s ability to fully engage with their new culture of design where they must employ new ways of knowing. The fact of the mater is, designerly ways of knowing is not something simply learned by books, or sifting through literature. It is instead a new way of knowing by approaching making as a process of discovery, clarity and craft while iterating towards refinement and articulation. For technically rational minded individuals a career change into design points to a larger challenge beyond learning tools and methods, where the act of change represents a necessity to transition in worldviews; going from a field filled with certainty to a field that deals with uncertainty, in design. Without understanding the value of designerly ways of knowing and having the agility to navigate through the uncertainty in the form of designerly ways of making, technically minded individuals can easily feel stuck and disoriented stuck while experiencing a full on “culture shock.” This thesis looks to aid in the process of transition by uncovering pre-understandings, roadblocks, and opportunities of a cultural transition from engineering to design. Using human centered design methods and informed ways of making, the goal is to create a model to engage in designerly ways of making in order to better navigate uncertainty and begin to know in designerly ways.
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Aldous, Veronica. "An exploration of the transcending experience in the art-making process." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2002. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/744.

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This study explored the transcending experience as described by visual artists that sometimes occurs during the art-making process. The exploration was conducted within a philosophical framework informed by the researcher's practice of Transcendental Meditation (TM). From this perspective, transcending is related to personal, inner (subjective), and ephemeral aesthetic experiences which never-the-less make a powerful contribution to the visual artist's experience of the creative process and to a lesser extent, the final product. The focus of the study was on the identification and documentation of the personal and subjective aspects of art-making. The study consisted of two parts; (a) this written thesis that elucidates and supports the argument, and (b) an exhibition of paintings, drawings, and journals which represent a personal narrative. The research questions for the written document are directed towards extracting artists' statements that describe the nature and benefits of transcending during art-making. Document analysis techniques were employed to study the writings of a variety of artists and to create a mosaic of insightful commentary. As a visual arts educator, the significance of the study related to the benefits of the art-making process for students of all ages. Both the exhibition and written document are presented to demonstrate that art-making and the viewing of art can provide access to silent (inner) experiences of the human mind. Strengthening the students' spiritual/aesthetic experience through art-making may bring the benefits of personal enrichment for some students by promoting the development of stronger self-concepts and self-esteem. This study presents research about an aspect of visual arts education that has to date been largely ignored. Arguments for the development of self-realization and a fuller understanding of the aesthetic experience may contribute to a case for strengthening the place of the visual arts within the curriculum.
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Solomon, Daniel Aran. "Decision Making by Patients Awaiting Kidney Transplant." Yale University, 2010. http://ymtdl.med.yale.edu/theses/available/etd-03052010-141133/.

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Involving patients in medical decisions by acknowledging patients personal values and individual preferences has become an important goal of providing ethical medical care. Despite a general movement towards a model of shared decision-making, many patients do not fully meet their preferred role in practice. The decision whether or not to accept a kidney once it is offered to a patient awaiting transplant has historically been made predominantly by the transplant surgeon with little involvement from the patient. Because dialysis can provide long-term renal replacement, declining a kidney is a viable option. Patient changes over time and inherent heterogeneity of donor kidneys make this an authentic decision requiring careful analysis of costs and benefits from the patient perspective. The purpose of this study is to improve our understanding of how patients and transplant surgeons prioritize different factors when deciding whether or not to accept a kidney that has become available, in order to empower patients to become more involved in the decision-making process. Phase I: We developed a comprehensive list of factors that patients might consider important through qualitative interviews with patients, and deliberation with a transplant surgeon (SK) and a transplant nephrologists (RF). Phase II: We quantified the relative importance of each factor for patients on the transplant list and for transplant surgeons with a computerized survey using Maximum Differences Scaling. We developed relative importance scores using Heirarchical Bayes analysis, and tested for associations between patient characteristics and relative importance scores using Spearmans correlation coefficient and the Mann Whitney U test for continuous and categorical variables respectively. Of the factors evaluated, patients placed the greatest value on Kidney quality, How closely matched you are to the kidney, and How strongly your surgeon feels you should accept the kidney. Relative importance of different factors did not change based on patient demographic characteristics. Patients who are on the waiting list longer give less importance to kidney quality (standard beta estimate -0.23, p value 0.03) and more importance to How difficult it is for you to be matched to a donor (ie whether or not you are sensitized) (standard beta estimate 0.28, p value 0.01). Surgeons placed the greatest value on Kidney quality, How difficult it is for the patient to be matched to a kidney (ie whether or not the patient is sensitized), and The age of the donor. This pilot study suggests a role for standardized education tools to help empower patients to be involved in this difficult decision. Development of decision aids can be guided by the results of this project.
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Hinojosa, Mary Margaret. "A venture in Native American shield making." CONNECT TO THIS TITLE ONLINE, 2007. http://etd.lib.umt.edu/theses/available/etd-08272007-175230/.

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25

Grobler, Jan Dirk. "Diversity in decision making for competitive advantage : conceptualising the impact diversity of ideas has on decision making efficiency." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/80223.

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Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis poses the premise that diversity influences competitive advantage. Although a direct link may not initially be apparent, by first exploring the impact of decision making on competitive advantage and then establishing the effect of diversity on decision making, it is possible to stimulate a competitive advantage. Competitiveness is investigated by looking at how service providers with the same solution participate in their market. The understanding of competitiveness is focused on complexity caused by intense competition, highly standardised service requests, organisational culture and the relationships between individuals and their organisation. The decision of participants on how to compete in the market is explored. By understanding the definition of customer value and competition it is possible to determine when problem context and participant relationships will impact on the complexity of decision making. Critical heuristics provides further insight into organisational decision making. Examining the origin and reason for decisions at both physical and philosophical levels reveals the readiness potential for action. Philosophically, the age old concepts of free will and pre-determined outcomes are debated in order to provide insight into individual beliefs regarding decision making. The concept of social construct and learning, both individual and organisational, is explored to show the importance of socially determined reality and learning. The ability to interact and to learn from interactions is investigated to highlight the role of risk during the decision making process. The notion that it is possible to make a decision without being aware is investigated. Exploring the contribution of sense making at individual and collective levels highlighting organisational decision making dynamics as one of the steps to achieve indirect decision making. Categories of complexity in the organisational culture help define patterns in decision making that may be utilised to accelerate and strengthen decision. Eleven common issues with collective decision making are subsequently identified and explored within the premise that collective decision making is fraught with problems that may cause the decision making to be ineffective. The concept of diversity is examined at social and abstract level as these deliver benefits to the processes of both understanding the problem and making the decision. The human factor in the understanding process offers mechanisms for diversity and possibilities. In conclusion this thesis shows that it is possible to enhance the competitive advantage of an organisation through decision making by understanding the elements and impact of diversity when diversity is understood correctly.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek die moontlikheid om kompeterende voordeel te kan bewerkstellig deur diversiteit. Deur eers die invloed van besluitneming op die kompeterende voordeel te bepaal, en dan die uitwerking van diversiteit op besluitneming te bereken, word die indirekte verband uitgelig. Mededingendheid word ondersoek deur te bepaal hoe diensleweraars met dieselfde oplossings in dieselfde mark deelneem. Mededingendheid word verstaan in term van die kompleksiteit veroorsaak deur intense kompetisie, die vraag na hoë standaard diens, en die impak hiervan op organisasie kultuur en die verwantskap tussen individue en die organisasies waarvoor hulle werk. Die besluite van deelnemers oor hoe om te kompeteer in die mark word verder ondersoek. Deur die definisies van kliënte-waarde en kompetisie te verstaan, word dit moontlik om te bepaal wanneer die probleem konteks en deelnemer verhouding ‘n invloed op die kompleksiteit van besluitneming het. Kritiese heuristiek lewer verdere insig tot organisatoriese besluitneming. Die ondersoek van die oorsprong en redes vir besluitneming op die vlakke van kognitiewe en filosofiese vlakke lê die gereedheids potensiaal vir aksies bloot. Die eeu oue filosofiese beginsels van vrye wil en vooraf bepaalde uitkomste word bespreek om verdere insig in besluitneming oortuigings te verkry. Sosiale konstruksie en leer op die vlakke van persoonlike en organisatoriese leer word ondersoek om die belangrikheid van sosiaal bepaalde realiteite en lesse te bewys. Die vermoë om met ander ‘n wisselwerking te kan bou en dan te kan leer uit die wisselwerking word ondersoek om die rol van risiko gedurende die besluitnemings proses uit te lig. Of dit moontlik is om besluite te kan neem sonder om bewus te wees daarvan word vervolgens ondersoek. Die bydrae van gewaarwording op persoonlike en groeps vlakke tot organisasie besluitneming dinamiek word verder uitgelig. Klasse van kompleksiteit in die organisasie kultuur help om patrone in besluitneming te definieer wat gebruik kan word om besluite te versterk en te versnel. Elf algemene probleme met gesamentlike besluitneming word vervolgens bekend gestel en ondersoek binne die siening dat gesamentlike besluite gelaai is met problem wat besluitneming oneffektief maak. Die beginsel van diversiteit word ondersoek op sosiale en abstrakte vlakke omdat dit voordele vir die proses van beide die verstaan van die probleem en die besluitneming inhou. Die menslike faktor in proses van verstaan bied meganismes vir diversiteit en moontlikhede. Ten slotte word dit aangedui dat dit moontlik is dat die kompeterende voordeel van ‘n organisasie beïnvloed kan word deur besluitneming wanneer diversiteit verstaan word en die invloed daarvan korrek aangewend word.
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Higgins, Lesley Ann. "Diagnostic Decision-Making: How Much Do Behavior Rating Scales Influence School Psychologists?" TopSCHOLAR®, 2010. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/157.

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Behavior rating scales are commonly used as part of the evaluation process throughout the field of psychology. Behavior rating scales help assess social, emotional, and/or behavioral problems in children, adolescents, and teens. Behavior rating scales indicate the severity of problem behaviors compared to a normative sample. Four scenarios were developed that varied scores on a behavior rating scale and the amount of other information that supported a specific diagnosis. A rating of the likelihood of a diagnosis was requested to see how much influence behavior rating scale scores have on diagnostic decision-making. Each of the four scenarios was sent to 200 school psychologists across the country for a total of 800 potential participants. An overall response rate of 37.5% was achieved. The findings revealed that behavior rating scales do have some influence on school psychologists’ diagnostic decision-making. However, school psychologists put more weight on other supporting information, such as classroom observations and teacher and parent reports, than on behavior rating scale scores when making a diagnostic decision.
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Lee, Henrik Darren. "Cost-based decision making model for regional in-house versus outsourcing logistics." DigitalCommons@CalPoly, 2015. https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1509.

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This thesis proposes a model for selecting between insourcing logistics for local distribution and outsourcing these functions to a third-party logistics (3PL) company. Supply chain optimization, as well as global supply chain management, are topics that are now well-covered; local distribution, despite its integral function in an organization, is much less researched. Models exist for network design and optimization, but the practical application of these network models may call for decisions and considerations that are not covered in these optimization models. A breakeven analysis selection model between using in-house logistic system and 3PL is derived, considering various regional parameters. The model is subsequently tested with sample parameters. Using this system as a basis, the thesis then moves on to analyze the potential of employing in-house logistics where, based on client density, outsourcing to 3PL is initially thought to be more cost-efficient. The proposed model can be used for the evaluation and selection of logistics systems. In addition, the model can be used for decision making regarding inventory decentralization.
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Dowdell, Emma-Kate. "Picturing irony: Making a visual case-study from the work of Camus." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2015. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1595.

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This research examines irony in photography from creative and theoretical perspectives. This body of work uses an interdisciplinary theoretical framework, drawing from literary and photographic irony, in conjunction with a practice-led research methodology. The creative project, Clint’s Last Road Trip (2014), traces the 1000 kilometre journey that my brother’s body made from his death until his cremation. It depicts the behind-the-scenes of the Western Australian regional death industry with an ironic autobiographical narrative voice inspired by that of Meursault in Albert Camus’ The Outsider (1942). The photobook that results uses the drama, the text and techniques in representation and sequencing to create an ironic tone in an otherwise sentimental and nostalgic creative work. As such, the theoretical component of this research explores Camus’ use of irony in his writings. It shows the various modes Camus works within for structuring and conveying irony, specifically through dramatic plot structure, character dialogue and writing techniques. A major outcome of this research has been the contribution to the study of irony in photography. I argue that different literary modes (dramatic irony, ironic dialogue and ironies of technique) can also be understood photographically. The exegesis and creative component concentrate mainly on documentary style photography to illustrate this position. Photographic dramatic irony occurs through revelation in multiimage sequences or through recognition in the circumstantial convergence of incongruous elements in the single image. I have also found that representational irony operates by subverting the reader’s expectations of how a particular subject should be depicted, considering all manner of photographic techniques, including lighting, colour, vantage point and lens choice. Similarly, I have observed that sequential ironies occur when a series of photographs exhibit a formal photographic language which is established and subsequently subverted. Developing Rose’s (2011) and Muecke’s (1969 & 1970) definitions of irony, the exegesis concludes that both literary and photographic irony are concerned with two messages that are constructed by contrasting outcomes (dramatic irony), statements (ironic dialogue) or formal aspects (representational or sequential techniques). Much of the irony that exists in photography takes form after the shutter has been clicked, in the layout process (including the choice to use text), or as the photographer is deciding on a camera kit. As such, it is possible to incorporate irony into any phase of photographic production.
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Wintoneak, Vanessa. "Children’s Knowledge, Identity and Right to Participation in Driving Curriculum Decision-Making." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2019. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2216.

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The research study investigated why and how educators make use of knowledge about children and their interests for the purpose of curriculum decision-making, and the subsequent influence on children’s involvement. The study took a Participatory Action Research approach and examined curriculum construction in childcare-based and school-based Kindergarten settings. Data were collected over a six-month period in 2018 from settings in the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia. Initial interviews were conducted with four Kindergarten educators to find out how they gathered and used information about children and their interests for curriculum purposes. These interviews were followed by a curriculum intervention that took place in one of the settings. Prior to the intervention, four children were selected to be in a focus group. The children’s pre-intervention involvement levels were measured using the Involvement Scale (South Australian Department of Education and Children’s Services, 2008) and through the analysis of video observations taken of the children during everyday classroom experiences. Then, two curriculum intervention activities were implemented with the children in the focus group in order to obtain information about their funds of knowledge and funds of identity. The Shoebox Activity required the children to place personally meaningful items inside of a shoebox and share these items with their teacher. The Photovoice Activity was where children took photographs of experiences in which they participated outside of Kindergarten and shared these photographs with their teacher. Following the curriculum intervention activities, the Kindergarten curriculum was constructed using children’s funds of knowledge and funds of identity. Children’s involvement levels were again measured for the post-intervention ratings, which occurred during the period of time when the adjusted curriculum experiences were offered. Results from the study indicate that children’s level of involvement significantly increases when educators know more about and prioritise children’s knowledge and identity in the curriculum. The study provides an Australian perspective in the areas of research focusing on children’s interests, curriculum construction, and children’s right to participation. This research study can be used to inform policy and build on early childhood educator practices to promote the provision of high-quality curriculum experiences for young children.
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Anderson-Marks, Michelle. "The decision making processes of small business owner-managers : an environmental focus." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2014. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/861.

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Large business is often the focus when environmental issues are discussed because their individual impact on the environment is viewed as larger than that of the smaller business. However due to the large size of the small business sector it has been recognised that reducing their collective impact is critical to achieving a sustainable future. A lack of engagement by small businesses in environmental management invoked an interest in understanding how to better engage the owner-managers in this area, but more specifically what influenced their decision. With an emphasis on the day to day running of the business, many small business owner-managers place more emphasis on core business operations and often neglect the impact their business has on the natural environment. Considering 96% of all business in Australia is classified as small, their collective impact on the natural environment is significant. As many small business owner-managers see their environmental impact as minimal, improving their environmental behaviour is challenging. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the decision making approaches of the small business owner-manager to environmental management issues. Nine small businesses from three industries were chosen and using the Critical Incident Technique to explore their decision making process, this study sought to understand from the owner-managers perspective how and why business decisions are made. Semi structured interviews were used to identify the decision making approaches for four different business decisions: economic, legislative, social and environmental. Over a series of interviews the owner-managers were able to freely describe their decision process and rich data was able to be obtained. Results indicated that owner-managers base business decisions on many factors and use a range of decision making styles depending on the type, and importance, of the decision to be made, that is core business decision are more often rationally made, whilst discretionary decisions will often be made intuitively based on the information at hand. Therefore to better engage them in ways to improve environmental management practices, increasing the knowledge and understanding to the benefits of these improvements is imperative. In addition this information is more readily accepted when the information is relevant to their business and presented in a clear manner by someone with whom the owner-manager has established a pre-existing relationship.
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Lin, Eng-Lung. "An empirical examination of ethical decision making by corporate accountants in Taiwan." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2010. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/364.

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The recent accounting scandals, characterised by the Enron affair, have not been confined to the U.S.A., but have been a worldwide phenomenon, embracing Taiwan. Most of them have involved dysfunctional behaviour incorporating earnings management. The factors which encourage earnings management decisions and the subsequent outcomes provide the motivation for this study. The study examines accountants’ earnings management behaviour in quoted firms in Taiwan, and addresses a primary issue: what are the factors which affect accountants’ ethical decision making in an earnings management context? The following subsidiary research questions were examined. (1) Does a firm’s ethical work climate affect earnings management decision making? (2) Do individual characteristics affect earnings management decision making? (3) Does moral intensity of ethical issue affect earnings management decision making?
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32

Moloney, Adrianne. ""Family" as Constructed by Adoptees After Making Contact with Their Birth Families." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1998. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/238.

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Legislative changes during the 1980s and 1990s opened confidential adoption files of the past enabling many adoptees and relinquishing parents to establish contact. This study examines the way in which the meaning of family is constructed by adoptees who have made contact with their birth relatives, and how these constructions were altered after contact. The ways in which biological and social definitions of family are constructed and contested in these settings is explored. Sociological definitions of family are discussed and the gap between ideal notions of 'family' and the lived experience of 'family' is explored. The study focuses on the process by which people are assigned as family. It explores what 'family' means to those involved in the study and the criteria they employ to construct their meanings of 'family'.
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Burkard, Anita M. "Analysis of decision maker preferences." Master's thesis, This resource online, 1991. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-01262010-020101/.

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34

Harrison, Kenneth Watson. "Environmental and Water Resources Decision-Making Under Uncertainty." NCSU, 2002. http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/theses/available/etd-06042002-150804/.

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"Decision-making under uncertainty" is an important area of study in numerous disciplines. The variety of quantitative methods that have been proposed to address environmental and water resources problems reflects the importance of this subject. In a review of the literature, methods were compared and contrasted and promising areas for future research were identified. Conclusions drawn from the review were that 1) large gains may be realized from cross-disciplinary research, 2) significant benefits may be realized from considering uncertainty, 3) advanced algorithms?probabilistic search methods and efficient methods for Bayesian analysis?and increased computing power should greatly extend the applicability of existing methods, and 4) in particular, decision-theoretic methods that have wide application for sequential decision-making. A new decision-theoretic method, Bayesian programming (BP), was developed that takes advantage of the increased computing power and improvements in Bayesian analysis methods. The method has wide applicability, suitable for problems in which there is 1) uncertainty in the modeling, 2) stochastic behavior in the systems that are modeled, 3) the possibility to reduce uncertainty through data collection, and 4) the opportunity for a recourse decision after a period of data collection. The approach combines systematic search methods (mathematical programming) and Bayesian statistical analysis techniques (Markov chain Monte Carlo) in a decision analysis framework. The BP method is tested with application to a hypothetical, but realistic river basin management problem, using real data from the much-studied Athabasca River in Alberta, Canada. The management problem involves balancing the objectives of pulp mill development and water quality protection (dissolved oxygen). Results from application of the BP method were compared with those applying other methodologies. Examination of the results indicated that the BP method is a practical method worthy of additional research. Ultimately, it is hoped, this research will lead to computer-based tools that will improve environmental and water resources decision-making.
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Roche, Cathy. "Making the grade academic achievement among Latino adolescents /." unrestricted, 2005. http://etd.gsu.edu/theses/available/etd-11112005-134602/.

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Thesis (M.A.)--Georgia State University, 2005.<br>Title from title screen. Gabriel Kuperminc, committee chair; Julia Perilla, Rod Watts, committee members. Electronic text (42 p. : ill.) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed June 12, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 33-36).
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Meeks-Sjostrom, Diana. "Clinical decision-making of nurses regarding elder abuse." unrestricted, 2008. http://etd.gsu.edu/theses/available/etd-04302008-123109/.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Georgia State University, 2008.<br>Title from file title page. Cecelia Gatson Grindel, committee chair; Anne Koci, Annette Bairan, committee members. Electronic text (144 p. : ill.) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed July 10, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 82-86).
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Van, der Horst Andreas J. (Andreas Jan). "Organisational decision making : a comparative study." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/52982.

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On title page: MPhil (Value Analysis and Policy Formulation).<br>Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2002.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis is a study in the field of organisational decision making. The focus is on decision making where the organisation is the unit of analysis (as opposed to the individual). It is a systemic approach rather than a behavioural or personal approach. The methodology employed is a conceptual study, which comprises the description and discussion of four models of decision making. Each model is discussed individually. The models date from the late 1940's to the middle 1970's and are known as the 'rational', 'procedural', 'political' and 'anarchic' models of organisational decision making. In conclusion, a major problem in the understanding of organisational decision making is discussed. This problem relates to how generic organisational decision making activity can be understood, without having to consider the behavioural features of decision making.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis is 'n studie op die gebied van besluitneming in organisasies. Die fokus is op besluitneming, waar die organisasie die eenheid van ontleding is (en nie die individu nie). Die benadering is sistemies eerder as 'n gedragsbenadering of persoonlike benadering. Die metodologie is 'n konseptuele studie en behels die verduideliking en bespreking van vier modelle van besluitneming. Elke model word individueel bespreek. Die modelle dateer vanaf die laat 1940' s tot die middel 1970' s en staan onderskeidelik bekend as die 'rasionele', 'prosedurale' , 'politieke' en 'anargiese' modelle van organisatoriese besluitneming. Ten slotte word 'n beduidende probleem rakende die verstaan van besluitneming in organisasies bespreek. Hierdie probleem hou verband met hoe generiese organisatoriese besluitnemingsaktiwiteit verstaan kan word, sonder om te hoef verwys na die gedragsaspekte van besluitneming.
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Polk, Thomas E. "Decision making strategies : the influence of task complexity, decision importance, decision maker impulsivity, and decision maker gender /." Thesis, This resource online, 1990. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-03122009-040747/.

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39

Epperson, Ann E. "Internet GIS as a Historic Place-Making Tool for Mammoth Cave National Park." TopSCHOLAR®, 2010. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/227.

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This project laid the groundwork for an Internet-delivered Public Participation Geographic Information System to facilitate exploration and discovery of the past communities of the Mammoth Cave Park area. The emergence of Internet Web 2.0 design along with distributed GIS services allows for anyone to interact with and add to the information found on central Internet sites. Historical geography often relies upon public participation from individuals outside the academic world to provide narrative descriptions, photographs and manuscripts of past places and events to augment information held by institutions and academia. A public-participation website for the Mammoth Cave Historic GIS (MCHGIS) created a central Internet location for dispersed and disparate data related to pre-park communities to be presented with a geographic context. The MCHGIS project allowed for visualization of the pre-park communities in unique ways and contributed new understandings of this pre-park area.
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Cohen, Lynne. "Moving to Western Australia : decision making processes of migrants from the United Kingdom." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1999. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1215.

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International migration has assumed a new importance during the last few decades due to the volume and increase of population movement. Two important questions are relevant to the migration process. The person has to make the decision to move and to select a place of destination. In this thesis a series of studies designed to examine the factors that led to the consideration of leaving and the attributes which contributed to the choice of destination are presented. This research begins by adopting suggestions proposed by Jahoda (1981) to ask questions and thereby increase the knowledge base. The methodological framework of this research is derived from the different issues and controversies within psychology that have arisen due to a growing dissatisfaction with the traditional approaches that underpin much psychological research. Alternative philosophical and methodological approaches are drawn upon such as, substantive theorising (Wicker, 1989), the human science methodological framework (Dokecki, 1992), critical multiplism (Newbrough, 1992) and a systems perspective (Bronfenbrenner (1977) to achieve a more holistic approach to the research. A multi-method thesis is presented in four stages that incorporate triangulation of quantitative and qualitative methods to serve both completeness and confirmation of the research. Each level provides more detail and specificity moving from the macro to the micro level of inquiry. In order to address the key question of what factors influence the decision to migrate, the first stage explores the potential reasons why people leave the United Kingdom to live in Australia. The literature on possible reasons for migration is reviewed and is used as one source of information that is then further explored in this stage using qualitative semi-structured interviews that focus on the interpretive and descriptive analysis of these reasons. Some of the possible explanations included migrating for a better life and education for the children, the climate in Australia and the better economic prospects for the future. Based on these different perspectives provided by the participants, an informed decision tree was developed. The results of this first stage of the research informed the following two stages. The second stage of the research is a specific analysis of the substantive domain that examined the information obtained from stage one in more detail. This experimental stage was ideographic and used linear regression models obtained by regression analyses to understand the basis of the migration decision and the factors which contribute to that decision. Results of this study indicated that the judgments of two thirds of the participants were well modelled by the linear model. The implications and limitations for using this approach are discussed in detail. In the third stage of the research, the substantive domain is further explored in two studies which use a multiattribute utility model approach for conceptual clarification of the decision making process. In this stage, the additional research question was addressed which examined whether there were any differences in the decision making process between migrants from the U.K. living in Australia and a specific group with a visa intending to migrate who have not yet departed from the U.K. In the first study, 446 migrants from the U.K. already living in Australia completed a questionnaire. In the second study, a group of potential migrants, who had not yet migrated but had already obtained their visas, completed a similar questionnaire. In summary, the results supported the salience of the different factors determined in the previous studies and indicated that participants could be clearly divided into three groups using cluster analysis. The implications for understanding the results of both these studies are discussed. The final stage of the research continues the process of exploring the substantive domain and returns to the migrants to understand their experiences through real life episodes of migration. This stage uses the approach suggested by Dewey (1929), and returns to the migrants who have the experience and are able to clarify the situation as they have the best knowledge. The results reinforced the importance and salience of the different factors determined in the previous stages. It also confirmed that one cannot focus solely on only one factor, as there are a combination of factors which play a role in the decision to move. The final chapter reviews the results obtained in this thesis and the different methodological perspectives used in the research. The accumulation of knowledge that has resulted from this research and the contribution made to the understanding of the substantive domain of migration is discussed further. Positive suggestions for further research are proposed.
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Coleman, Lucinda. "Sites of justice: Face-to-face encounters through dance-making in Meeting Places." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2017. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1964.

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The Australian performing arts collective, Remnant Dance, has a partnership with the charity organisation, MyKids Incorporated, which supports a community of orphaned and abandoned youth at the Andrew Youth Development Centre (AYDC) in Yangon, Myanmar. During 2013-2014, young people from the AYDC were invited to make a contemporary dance film together with Remnant Dance artists. The film, called Meeting Places, evolved as part of a developing body of visual and performance art works that sought to explore collaboration in a dance collective. The dance film was set at the AYDC and in the disused Nagar Glass Factory in Yangon, using glass as a metaphor for a surface that invites reflection as well as open transparency between participants. My initial research question, ‘where is my front?’ was situated in the dance of interconnectivity, and referred to the primary site of communication with others. I wanted to investigate how this ‘front’ shifts, and alters in response to others and in particular how the frontline separates performers from their audience. The contemporary dance film, Meeting Places, became the centrepiece in a body of interdisciplinary art work that was devised through cross-cultural collaborations. My research into dance as a dialogue of interconnectedness led me to expand the idea of frontlines, asking how examination of dance-making can be a site for social justice arts praxis. Driven by a reflexive practice-led research methodology, this research delves into dance-making as a mechanism for social engagement, whilst illuminating the problem of how to articulate dance research as an intuitive inquiry. The spaces between the bodies of the participants, both the children and professional dancers, allowed unique connectivity and exchanges of corporeal knowledge across cultural boundaries, inviting conversations that, I suggest, overcame linguistic differences. The language of dance ruptured dualistic notions of knowledge production, creating a hybrid space through tacit, non-linguistic experiences of movement. The research began with an exploration of connectivity through practice in the dance studio, as well as an analysis of collaboration and the effectiveness of the collective practice. The dance film, Meeting Places, emerged as an invitation to engage with dance as a form that argues for the body as a site of agency, unpacking Emmanuel Lévinas’ concepts of the ‘face’ as a critical encounter with being. The idea of the ‘front’ thus became invested with new meaning, and with this shift, the reflective capacity for examining what I refer to as moments of consensus and dissensus within the collective was enhanced. The process of making the contemporary dance film has been examined through a philosophical frame informed by the work of theorists such as Mikhail Bakhtin, Judith Butler, Gilles Deleuze, Michel Foucault, Elizabeth Grosz, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Slavoj Zizek and particularly, Emmanuel Lévinas, along with contemporary thinkers on social justice in the arts. The cultural exchange between Remnant Dance artists and youth at the AYDC in Myanmar revealed that the social justice imperative, rather than being merely a by-product of artistic engagement, was actually the heart of the dance-making. The significance of arts research in this context includes knowledge creation in the body, with others, and that a space of agency is created for ethical engagement, specifically through the language of dance. The creation of new dance through cross-cultural, multi-arts forms and interdisciplinary contexts enabled space for narratives of justice to emerge along the frontline of dance’s particular mode of communication.
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42

Gray, Jameel. "Fair decision making and legitimacy : the effects of treatment on compliance and outcome satisfaction in a sample of incarcerated males /." Available to subscribers only, 2007. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1402175771&sid=3&Fmt=2&clientId=1509&RQT=309&VName=PQD.

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43

Reed, Melissa L. "Perceived barriers of college students to making healthful food choices /." View online, 1992. http://repository.eiu.edu/theses/docs/32211998881491.pdf.

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44

Hall, Daniel Shane. "Raptor an empirical evaluation of an ecological interface designed to increase warfighter cognitive performance." Thesis, Monterey, Calif. : Naval Postgraduate School, 2009. http://edocs.nps.edu/npspubs/scholarly/theses/2009/Jun/09Jun%5FHall%5FDaniel.pdf.

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Thesis (M.S. in Human Systems Integration)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2009.<br>Thesis Advisor(s): Shattuck, Lawrence G. "June 2009." Description based on title screen as viewed on July 14, 2009. Author(s) subject terms: Cognitive Systems Engineering, Ecological Interface Design, Direct Perception, Direct Manipulation, Situation Awareness, Decision Making, Cognitive Workload, DMSC, C-SWAT. Includes bibliographical references (p. 171-174). Also available in print.
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45

Buys, Angela Florina. "Making human capital the differentiating factor." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/49701.

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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study looks at practical guidelines on how to make human capital the differentiating factor. It is the first phase of a process of further study, commentary and implementation. Students at the University of Stellenbosch Business School completed one assignment of their choice from one of eight key areas. These related to the following concepts: people management strategies delivering tangible results; entrenching a workplace culture that delivers optimum performance; high performance workplace practices; growth through competency-based skills training; team-based leadership; strategy processes for changing workplaces into major competitive advantages; transforming knowledge into power and enabling organisations to implement change. The approach followed in this study was to identify two or three well-researched (with regard to existing and international best practices) assignments in each of the eight areas and in this way conduct an assessment of what organisations are currently doing to make human capital the differentiating factor. It was clear that more world-class organisations recognize the bottomline value of a skilled and dedicated workforce. However, investing in human capital is not that easy. It requires many choices like, amongst others: What are the appropriate reward strategies for an organisation? Which benefits are competitive, cost-effective and valued? How do organisations deal with a globally mobile workforce? Valued lessons learnt and recommendations were identified, for future students and organisations, with regard to the second round of validating the information gathered in this research project.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek praktiese riglyne oor hoe om mense kapitaal die onderskeidende faktor te maak. Die studie is die eerste fase van 'n proses van verdere studie, kommentaar en implementering. Studente aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch - Bestuurskool het elk 'n werkstuk van eie keuse in een van agt sleutel areas voltooi. Die onderwerpe het met die volgende verband gehou: mense bestuursstrategië wat tasbare resultate oplewer; vestiging van 'n werksplek kultuur wat optimum prestasie bewerkstellig; hoë-prestasie werksplek praktyke; groei deur vermoëndheids gebaseerde vaardigheids opleiding; span gebaseerde leierskap, strategiese prosesse om die werksplek in 'n grootskaalse kompeterende voorsprong te verander; die transformasie van kennis na mag en die instaatstelling van organisasies om verandering te implementeer. Die uitgangspunt van hierdie studie is gerig op die identifisering van twee of drie goed nagevorsde werkstukke(met verwysing na bestaande en internasionale beste praktyke) in elk van die agt areas en op hierdie wyse te bepaal wat organisasies doen om mense kapitaal die onderskeidende faktor te maak. Dit. het duidelik geword dat die meer wêreld-klas organisasies die grondwaarde van 'n vaardige en toegewyde werksmag erken. BeIegging in mense kapitaal is egter nie so eenvoudig nie. Dit vereis ondermeer keuses oor: Wat is die mees gepaste vergoedingsstrategie vir 'n organisasie? Watter voordele is kompeterend, koste-effektief en gewaardeerd? Hoe handel organisasies met 'n globaal mobiels werksmag? Waardevolle lesse en aanbevelings, vir die tweede fase van geldigheidsverklaring van die inligting versamel in hierdie navorsingsprojek, is vir toekomstige studente en organisasie identifiseer.
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Francis, Ian Leigh. "The role of glycosidically-bound volatile compounds in white wine flavour." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1994. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phf8184.pdf.

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47

White, Irma. "An initial concept study for a product management decision support system (PMDSS) supporting executives in a manufacturing, marketing and distribution company." Master's thesis, This resource online, 1990. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-03302010-020213/.

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Wittwer, Glyn. "The Australian wine industry during a period of boom and tax changes /." Title page, contents and abstract only, 2000. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phw832.pdf.

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Kern, Wilfried. "The effects of group cohesiveness on group conformity and member satisfaction." Thesis, This resource online, 1992. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-03032009-040758/.

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50

McCoy, Vicki J. "Alice Hamilton the making of a feminist-pragmatist rhetor /." unrestricted, 2005. http://etd.gsu.edu/theses/available/etd-11162005-153338/.

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Thesis (M.A.)--Georgia State University, 2005.<br>Title from title screen. James Darsey, committee chair; David Cheshier, Mary Stuckey, committee members. Electronic text (237 p.) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed July 12, 2007. Includes bibliographical references.
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