Tesis sobre el tema "Value Diversity"

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2003.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa has made a remarkable transformation from an openly racist to a tolerant and democratic nation. The transformation process removed the legal barriers between subgroups that formerly postulated separate development for the various racial groups and restricted the contact between individuals to a major extent. In present day society, one can observe the transformation process in that South African citizens from different backgrounds have to develop new patterns of communication and interaction. This process was mirrored in the student culture of Stellenbosch. The first objective of this study was to research how individual students experienced their social and academic environment. Since student relations do not always conform to the University norm of mutual respect for human diversity, the University felt the need to facilitate an intervention for valuing human diversity. The second objective of this study was to evaluate the process of the intervention, focusing on the programme context, the programme activities and the program theory. In addition, the impressions of workshop participants were studied. In order to conceptualise the research objectives, the theoretical principles of valuing diversity were discussed in the form of a purposive literature review on the social psychology and sociology of stereotyping and related processes, which were examined as barriers to valuing diversity. The Value Diversity Intervention was implemented in August 2001. The intervention aimed to heighten students' awareness of the diversity of the student body and to improve the interaction among the various student subgroups. The intervention was designed as a workshop and included 50 students from various backgrounds who were living in the University residences. Two evaluation types were utilised in this study, i.e. the evaluation of perceived needs and the evaluation of the intervention process. The research questions were clarified and the specific methods for gathering and analysing the data were specified. In addition, the aspect of validity and the quality of the obtained data were reviewed. The evaluation of perceived needs showed that individual students perceived the student population to be divided into minority ('coloured', 'black') and majority ('white') groups. Even though group membership did not affect specific instances of intergroup relations (e.g. individual friendships), it had implications for the social atmosphere on campus, which was characterised by a lack of intergroup contact and a domination by the majority group. Accordingly, minority group members interpreted the social atmosphere more negatively than majority group members. Hence, minority group members perceived a need to improve intergroup interaction. This analysis indicates that a value diversity intervention may be beneficial. This corresponded to the view of the Department of Student Affairs, which arranged the Value Diversity Intervention. The evaluation of the intervention highlighted both negative and positive aspects. Firstly, the intervention design did not include the promotion of the intervention itself, which might have been essential making students interested in the diversity topic and in motivating students to participate. Secondly, the intervention did not address the specific diversity challenges as experienced by students of the University of Stellenbosch. Students expressed concerns regarding the applicability of the provided information in their daily life. Thirdly, the workshop focused mainly on stereotypes. Yet, the possible effects of stereotypes were not sufficiently discussed. In addition, a large number of stereotypes were listed, but these were often biased due to the lack of participants from diverse groups. Further, no workshop technique which questioned the presented lists of biased stereotypes was applied or generated. Besides these technical considerations, it should be noted that stereotypes in general perpetuate the division between subgroups. Thus, the workshop focused to a large extent on past and present aspects, which divide the student population, instead of focusing on uniting issues. The described negative aspects might have been balanced by one of the four observed workshops. This specific workshop was characterised by a small amount of participants and a positive presentation of one of the main facilitators. This resulted in a productive discussion, where the participants used the possibility to reflect on the current situation out of their perspective and reflected upon the contributions of the facilitator. Students might have been motivated to take positive impulses of this workshop in their daily life. Based upon this research, recommendations can be determined. Firstly, the promotion of the intervention should emphasize the desirability of diversity values and highlight the personal potential benefits to participants. Secondly, it might be useful to acknowledge differences between students, but to place a greater emphasis on similarities, i.e. on aspects that connect students. Thirdly, the curriculum of the intervention should be modified to cater especially for student needs. Fourthly, the selected workshop components should achieve an equal balance between lecture parts and interactive elements. Participants should have the possibility to take an active part in the intervention if they are interested in doing so. The final recommendation entails that future interventions should be based on a comprehensive, sustained strategy with long-term goals. These strategies should be integrated in the already existing infrastructure of an institution. This intervention has to be understood as a contribution to the transformation process that South Africa is currently undergoing. Based on the recent discussion at the University of Stellenbosch about the adoption of a comprehensive diversity strategy, it is hoped that this singular intervention will be linked to further contributions in this transformation process.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid Afrika het 'n merkwaardige transformasie vanaf 'n openlik rassistiese tot 'n tolerante en demokratiese nasie ondergaan. Voorheen het die wetlike skeiding tussen subgroepe aparte ontwikkeling en, vir verskeie rassegroepe, minimale kontak met individue in verskillende rassegroepe beteken. Die transformasieproses in Suid-Afrika het hierdie omstandighede verander en in die huidige Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing is die proses waardeur mense van verskillende agtergronde nuwe patrone van kommunikasie en interaksie moet ontwikkel, merkbaar. Die transformasieproses kan ook in die studentekultuur van Stellenbosch gesien word. Die eerste doel van die tesis was om ondersoek in te stel na hoe individuele studente hulle sosiale en akademiese omgewing ervaar. Aangesien studenteverhoudinge nie altyd tot die Universiteit se norm van wedersydse respek vir menslike diversiteit konformeer nie, het die Universiteit gevoel dat daar 'n behoefte is om 'n intervensie te fasiliteer om waardering vir menslike diversiteit skep. Die tweede doel van die tesis was om die proses van die intervensie te evalueer deur te fokus op die konteks van die program, die programaktiwiteite en die programteorie. Verder is die indrukke van die deelnemers aan die werkswinkelook bestudeer. Die teoretiese beginsels onderliggend aan die waardering van diversiteit is bespreek ten einde die navorsingsdoelwitte te konseptualiseer. Dit is verwesenlik deur 'n "doelgerigte" literatuurstudie oor die sosiale sielkunde en sosiologie van stereotipering en verwante prosesse wat gesien word as struikelblokke in die evaluering van diversiteit. Die intervensie vir die waardering van diversiteit is in Augustus 2001 deur die Universiteit van Stellenbosch geimplimenteer. Die intervensie het as doel gehad om studente 'n verhoogde gewaarwording van die diversiteit van die studenteliggaam te bied en ook om interaksie tussen die verskeie studente-subgroepe te bevorder. Die intervensie is ontwerp as 'n werkswinkel vir 50 studente van verskillende agtergronde wat van Universiteitsbehuising gebruik maak. Die tesis verduidelik hoe die navorsingsdoelwitte korrespondeer met die evalueringstipes wat gebruik is, nl. die evaluasie van waargenome behoeftes en die evaluasie van die proses. Die navorsingsvrae is duidelik gestel en die wetenskaplike metodes vir dataversameling en dataanalise word gespesifiseer. Verder word die aspek van die geldigheid en kwaliteit van die data ook bespreek. Die evaluering van waargenome behoeftes het gewys dat individuele studente die studentepopulasie sien as verdeel In 'n minderheidsgroep ('bruin' en 'swart') en 'n meerderheidsgroep ('wit'). Alhoewel lidmaatskap tot n betrokke groep rue intergroepverhoudings affekteer nie (bv. individuele vriendskappe), het dit tog implikasies vir die sosiale atmosfeer op kampus wat deur 'n tekort aan intergroepkontak en dominasie deur die meerderheidsgroep gekarakteriseer kan word. Vervolgens interpreteer minderheidsgroepe die sosiale atmosfeer meer negatief as lede van die meerderheidsgroep. Dit kan dan ook as die rede aangevoer word waarom lede van minderheidsgroepe 'n waargenome behoefte het om intergroepinteraksie te bevorder. Die persepsies van die respondente wat 'n onderhoud toegestaan het, het aangedui dat 'n intervensie vir die waardering van diversiteit voordelig sal wees en dit het ooreengestem met die siening van die Departement van Studentesake, wat die intervensie gereël het. Die evalusie van die intervensie beklemtoon albei die negatiewe en positiewe aspekte. Eerstens, het die intervensie intervensie-ontwerp, nie die promosie van die intervensie self behels nie, wat noodsaaklik sou gewees het om student geinteresseerd te maak in die diversiteit van die onderwerp en om die studente te motiveer om mee te doen. Tweedens, het die intervensie nie die spesifieke uitdagings soos deur die studente van die Universiteit van Stellnbosch ondervind is, aangespreek nie. Studente het hulle bekommernis uitgespreek oor die toepassing van die informasie in hulle daaglikse lewe. Derdens het die werkswinkel hoofsaaklik gefokus op stereotipes. Nogtans was die effekte van die stereotipes nie deeglik bespreek nie. Boonop was daar te groot aantal stereotipes gelys, maar dit was bevooroordeeld as gevolg van die gebrek van deelnemer van diverse groepe. Daar was ook geen werkswinkel tegnieke van toepassing wat die aangebode lyste van die bevooroordeelde stereotipes bevraagteken het nie. Naas die tegniese oorwegings, moet daar gelet word dat stereotipes in die algemeen die verdeling tussen subgroepe in stand hou van stereotipes in die algemeen. Dus het die werkswinkel tot 'n groot mate gefokus op huidige en vorige aspekte wat die studente verdeel het in plaas daarvan om te fokus op sake van ooreenstemming. Gegrond op hierdie navorsing, kan aanbevelings gemaak word. Eerstens moet daar klem gelê word op die bevordering van die verskeie behoeftes en waardes van die intervensie en die potensiaal waarby deelnemers kan baat. Tweedens, kan dit waardevol wees om verskille tussen studente te erken maar groter klem te lê op eendersheid, d.i. aspekte wat die studente tot mekaar verbind. Derdens moet die leerplan van die intervensie gewysig word om in die behoeftes van die student te voorsien. Vierdens, moet daar 'n balans gehandhaaf word tussen die lesings en interaktiewe elemente. Daar moet 'n moontlikheid bestaan vir deelnemers om 'n aktiewe rol in die intervensie te speel indien hulle dit verlang. Ten slotte word aanbeveel dat toekomstige intervensie gebaseer word op begrypende en volgehoue strategie met lang termyn doelwitte. Die bogenoemde strategie moet in die alreeds bestaande infrastruktuur verweef word. Hierdie intervensie kan beskou word as 'n bydrae tot die transformasie proses wat Suid-Afrika huidiglik ondergaan. Gebaseer op die onlangse gesprek by die Universiteit van Stellenbosch oor die aanneming van'n omvattende diversiteitstrategie, word daar gehoop dat die enkelvoudige intervensie kan inskakel by verdere bydraes in die transformasie proses.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Globalisation has led to the use of English lingua franca (ELF) in many international classrooms and in the majority of the South African tertiary education institutions. The South African situation and use of ELF is grounded in the historic developments of the country and an understanding that it is an international requirement for individuals to have access to English language skills to enable them to realise their potential and participate fully within South African society (CHE, 2002:4). While the development of the previously neglected field of African languages as scientific and academic languages remains a priority, examining the use of ELF in the South African tertiary classroom is essential; therefore, this study explores the use of ELF in the South African tertiary education classroom to understand the role of linguistic diversity in the learning environment. Particular attention is directed to the linguistic repertoires of students, their codeswitching behaviour and instances of miscommunication. The study was conducted at a university of technology and participants were observed during group work sessions, which culminated in a formal assessment. Questionnaires were also utilised to gain further data for analysis. Findings indicate that the role of English as a global economic language should not be underestimated. However, the promotion of multilingualism is advocated and attention should be given to not only the promulgation of language policies, but also their implementation. Furthermore, flexibility in language should be encouraged, with a move away from the traditional use of one language for teaching and learning to a translanguaging classroom and an assessment environment, which brings to the forefront the benefits of translanguaging, where one language is used to reinforce and increase understanding in the other languages (Garcia & Wei, 2014:64). This will assist students to reach their full potential in the tertiary education environment.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Globalisasie het gelei tot die gebruik van Engelse lingua franca (ELF) in baie internasionale klaskamers, sowel as in die meerderheid van Suid-Afrika se tersiêre onderwysinsitute. Die Suid-Afrikaanse situasie en die gebruik van ELF is gegrond op die historiese ontwikkelings in die land. Elke student moet, om sy volle potensiaal te ontwikkel en volkome deel te wees van die Suid-Afrikaanse gemeenskap, Engels taalvaardig wees, wat in elk geval 'n internasionale vereiste is (CHE, 2002:4). Terwyl die ontwikkeling van Afrika-tale (wat voorheen nie so baie aandag gekry het nie) as 'n wetenskap- en akademiese taal steeds die voorkeur geniet, moet die ondersoek in die gebruik van ELF in die Suid Afrikaanse klaskamers gesien word as ʼn uiters belangrike onderwerp. Hierdie navorsing ondersoek die gebruik van ELF in die Suid-Afrikaanse tersiêre klaskamer. Die doel is dan om die rol van linguistieke diversiteit in die leeromgewing, naamlik die klaskamer, na te vors. Spesifieke aandag is gegee aan die studente se linguistieke vaardighede, kodewisseling en kommunikasiebreuke. Hierdie navorsing is gedoen by 'n universiteit van tegnologie en deelnemers is waargeneem tydens groepwerksessies. Die waarnemings is ten slotte saamgevat in 'n formele assessering. Vraelyste is ook gebruik om inligting te verkry vir verdere ontleding. Bevindings het bewys dat die rol van Engels as ʼn globale ekonomiese taal nie onderskat moet word nie. Alhoewel die bevordering van veeltaligheid bepleit word, moet aandag nie net gegee word aan die teorie van taalbeleide nie, maar ook aan die uitvoering hiervan. Buigsaamheid moet verder in taalonderrig aangemoedig word deur weg te beweeg van die tradisionele gebruik van slegs een taal vir onderrig en leer. Daar behoort dus meer as een taal in die klaskamer en op assesseringsgebiede gebruik te word; dit sal lei tot die versterking en beter verstandhouding tussen tale (Garcia & Wei, 2014:64). Dit sal leerders ondersteun om hulle volle potensiaal te bereik in ʼn tersiêre onderwys-omgewing.

This thesis intends to analyze the influence of diversity in deep-level characteristics of team members on team dynamics. Intragroup conflict (relationship and task conflict) and team cohesiveness are selected as the group dynamics to be studied. Deep-level diversity is investigated with respect to personality traits (extraversion and time-urgency) and values (individualism) of team members. In addition, the moderating effect of time on the diversity- team dynamic relationship is analyzed. For the purpose of testing the hypotheses, a questionnaire study was conducted with 297 individuals from 55 teams, employed in defense and IT companies in Ankara. All analyses were performed at the group level. The results indicated that deep-level diversity in individualism was positively associated with relationship conflict in groups. Contrary to the hypothesis, it was also found that time played a neutralizing role on the effects of deep-level diversity on team conflict

This study focuses on the vegetation of the African city of Bujumbura, Burundi. Urban flora is detailed according to the origin of the species (native or introduced), their life form, the use of these species by the local population and their behaviour (invasive or not).

The correlation between different natural and anthropogenic environmental factors and the composition of plant communities has been demonstrated through the analysis of vegetation plots. Three types of green areas were studied: spontaneous vegetation on terra firma, wetlands

and domestic gardens.

The main ecological factor correlated to the composition of the spontaneous vegetation of terra firma is the degree of urbanization. From the suburb to the city centre, savannah species typical for the region are replaced by alien invasive species, mostly ruderals. The latter generally have a large distribution, often on several continents. The physiognomy of the vegetation also changes, with hemicryptophytes and phanerophytes in the outskirts and the dominance of therophytes and chamaephytes in the city centre.

In most of wetlands, a large proportion of the plant species are natives, but some wetlands are almost totally invaded by alien species. Soil type is the main environmental factor correlated with

the variability of the vegetation.

The flora of domestic gardens is mainly composed of introduced species used as ornamental, food or medicinal plants. The socio-economical status of the neighbourhood is the main factor correlated with the variability of the garden flora. In high standing neighbourhoods, most species are onamental, with many trees and shrubs. In popular neighbourhoods, the flora is mainly utilitarian (vegetables and fruits), with a significant proportion of native species, and composed mainly of annual species.

A small proportion of the alien species cultivated in gardens has become invasive in the semi-natural vegetation of the city and its surroundings. Many other species cultivated in the gardens could become invasive, based on their ecology and their invasive behaviour in other regions with a climate similar to that of Bujumbura.

Overall, the city of Bujumbura has a diverse flora, with many useful species (vegetables and fruits, traditional medicine, construction of fences and roofs, material for mats and art objects.). The vegetation also hosts wildlife: birds, fishes, hippos, crocodiles etc…

In conclusion, the vegetation of Bujumbura contributes to biodiversity conservation and provides services to the urban population, but the expansion of alien invasive species and the consequent homogenization of the vegetation is a challenge for the future.

Doctorat en Sciences
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

This study set out to explore and describe the experiences of executives and coaches when going through a process of executive coaching. The rationale was that an understating of their experience and their perceived benefits that they gain from a coaching process, might afford insight into a relatively new field. Subsequently this could perhaps contribute to the knowledge of executive coaching in South Africa and develop the discipline further by focusing on the experiences of the different parties. A qualitative approach was followed since it provides rich, descriptive data that increases the contextual depth. To ensure the quality of the research, sensitivity was given to criteria of transferability, credibility and dependability. Exploratory research was employed because executive coaching in South Africa has not been documented that extensively. This method was also chosen because the researcher aimed to describe and interpret the context-bound research subject. Grounded theory was used to analyse the qualitative data. Ten participants were interviewed individually to collect information regarding their experiences. Five coaches and five coachees were interviewed, the interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed from a grounded theory perspective. The findings indicated the experiences of coachees and coaches when going through a coaching process. There are five transcending findings that the researcher found very interesting although these were not all linked to the research questions. They are as follows:
1) Approach / focus of coach seems closely linked to experience of coachee
2) Coaches use very different paradigms / models
3) Use the term executive coaching interchangeable with other terms
4) Coach not unaffected by executive coaching relationship
5) Important for the coachee to feel that the coach understands his/her culture The first indicates that the approach of the coach seems closely linked to the experience of the coachee”. The second indicates that coaches use different paradigms and some followed a more involved process. The third indicates that coaches also use different terms to refer to executive coaching which may lead to misunderstandings in the field. The fourth transcending finding indicates that the coach is not unaffected by the coaching relationship and that they also value growth and development from coaching. The last transcending finding indicates that the coachee feels it is important that the coach understands his/her culture and background. This study contributes to the field of coaching, more specifically, executive coaching in South Africa. The findings also stress the importance of understanding and respecting the diversity in South Africa, specifically in terms of our cultures, backgrounds and different frameworks. Copyright 2008, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Hattingh, M 2008, An explorative comparison of the value and experiences of the coach and coachee during executive coaching, MCom dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-02162012-120517 / > C12/4/133/gm
Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2011.
Human Resource Management
unrestricted

Genomic analysis provides a substantial amount of information on evolutionary history, novel genes, transcriptomic expression and regulation in response to environmental stimuli, how efficiently organisms utilize their genome, and directional genome evolution. Genome size analysis serves as the first step in the sequencing process, because sequencing and annotation costs are directly correlated with genome size. Invertebrates represent the vast majority of faunal diversity on the planet, and, to a greater extent, the marine environment, although they are vastly understudied when compared to vertebrate genomes. Flow cytometry is a widely used, reliable, and accurate means of estimating genome sizes and has yielded valid measurements in this comparatively broad taxonomic study. This methodology quantifies genome sizes by measuring the fluorescent re-emission from nuclei that have been saturated with DNA- intercalating dyes, such as propidium iodide. Genome sizes of 19 species across five phyla were estimated by comparison with the known genome size of chicken (Gallus domesticus). Several estimates reported here are the first for their species or class. In addition to estimating new marine invertebrate genome sizes, analyses of some common preservation methods of tissue viability for flow cytometric estimations were performed. Generally, in comparison to RNAlater or ethanol, DMSO-based storage buffer was most successful at preserving nuclear membrane integrity, a requirement for flow cytometric genome size estimations. Recommendations of cost-effective species eligible for current next-generation sequencing technology (<3.5 Gb) are given for invertebrate genomicists seeking potential novel species to sequence.

This research is an enquiry to find an electoral formula that conforms to Canadian constitutional values. Three core values that are pertinent to the issue of electoral systems are identified: democracy, diversity, and efficiency. Each of these core values is divided into different aspects. These aspects will form the backbone of the evaluation of different electoral systems in this work. I will begin with an evaluation of the plurality model of elections, which is currently used in Canada. I will demonstrate that many of the attributes of the current system are not in tune with Canadian constitutional values, in particular with the progressive interpretation that the Supreme Court of Canada has given to the right to vote as enshrined in Section 3 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Although the interpretation of the right to vote will be the main thrust of the constitutional scrutiny in this work, attention will also be given to other pertinent rights such as equality rights, minority rights, and the freedom of expression. Next, I will examine provincial electoral reform initiatives that were initiated in five Canadian provinces. All of these initiatives - three of which were put to referenda and eventually defeated - proposed adopting a variant of proportional representation. Accordingly, I will evaluate proportional systems according to the intended values. I will conclude that these systems have problems of their own and they also cannot strike a fine balance between competing values. In the final stage, I will make a new proposal for elections to the Canadian Parliament. First, I will demonstrate that majority systems are better candidates to attain the envisioned values. Then I will introduce a new variant of the majority model, which I call a majority-preferential two-round variant. I will demonstrate that this new variant will outperform the other variants in the attainment of values if adopted for elections to the House of Commons. Finally, I will argue that the combination of a House of Commons elected through the majority-preferential formula and a proportionally elected Senate will result in a more balanced approach to the relevant constitutional values.

Directors' remuneration has long attracted a great deal of attention from financial economists and academics due to its strategic role as a remedy to control agency problems. The key issue is the conflict between directors and shareholders on whether the remuneration is designed to maximise shareholders' value or to favour directors, who run the company on behalf of the investors. However, the conflict can never be detected when the disclosure of remuneration is not transparent. The study was conducted in Malaysia which provides a distinctive research setting different from other developing countries because Malaysia has a disclosure exercise that is still far below best practice as well as a unique Malaysian cultural and institutional environment. Thus, the unusual combination of politics (government) dominated by Malays and business dominated by the minority Chinese provides an interesting background to explore the determinants and consequences of directors' remuneration disclosure. This study's novelty stands on the exploration of ownership structure and board diversity in determining directors' remuneration disclosure, as well as the impact of disclosure towards firm value. The first chapter investigates the association between ownership structure and directors' remuneration disclosure. A significant and negative association is noted between family ownership and remuneration disclosure, suggesting that the traditional family control in Malaysia continue to be dominating outweighing the necessity of public disclosure. Moreover, this study encountered a non-linear relationship between government ownership and remuneration disclosure, indicating that the disclosure of directors' remuneration is positive up to a certain level of government ownership but reduces as government ownership increases. Evidently, directors in government-owned companies are being extra vigilant in disclosing their remuneration due to the political and personal security reasons, particularly post the 12th general election of Malaysia in 2008 that witnessed the government lose its two-thirds majority in parliament for the first time after 40 years. The second chapter examines how board diversity influences disclosure. The study found that only age diversity is significantly and negatively associated with directors' remuneration disclosure, supporting the age stereotype that characterised old directors who are wise and wisdom. Hence, the adverse disclosure behaviour can be explained by their ability to credibly withhold voluntary information and strategically disclose mandatory information on remuneration. Contrary to prior studies, this study found that ethnic diversity does not have a significant influence on directors' remuneration disclosure possibly due to the equal number of Malay and non-Malay directors on board throughout the period under review. Interestingly, cultural convergence is also known to be a contributing factor as both ethnics exercise their belief in determining the level of strategic remuneration disclosure. In line with upper echelon theory, the presence of female directors is found to be an insignificant determinant of remuneration disclosure possibly due to their risk-averse personality in the high-risk disclosure area. The third chapter aims to assess the extent to which directors' remuneration disclosure reflects information that is relevant to firm value. By using Tobin's Q, this chapter shows that directors' remuneration disclosure is value relevant in both financial and non-financial sectors among the FTSE30 companies. The finding implies that the market highly values directors' remuneration disclosure as it signals board transparency and provides a window to overall governance quality of an organisation. This chapter proposes that commitment to directors' remuneration disclosure has potential benefits that outweigh the risk of disclosing within the Malaysian context. Furthermore, this chapter explicitly addresses and justifies the potential endogeneity problem that has been ignored by typical accounting studies. Using the two-stage least squares (2SLS) technique to control for the endogeneity of voluntary remuneration disclosure in assessing its impact on firm value, findings from the robustness analysis carried out suggest that the empirical results reported are robust to potential endogeneity problems. Finally, this study provides two practical implications. First, it provides a disclosure incentive for directors to make better remuneration disclosure in the annual report. Despite that there is evidence of hesitancy to disclose due to the political volatility in Malaysia subsequent to the 12th general election in 2008, the market significantly values directors' remuneration disclosure as it signals good governance practice by the company as well as great reputation portrayed by the board members. More specifically, this study encourages disclosure on directors' remuneration as it positively affects firm value, in both financial and non-financial sectors. Secondly, this study offers essential guidelines for companies in determining the board composition. It suggests that a distinctive personality of each director can be a competitive advantage of a firm when it is properly transformed to make it congruent with the firm's objective, in achieving maximum efficiency of decision-making. While age diversity is found to be significantly associated with directors' remuneration disclosure, the remaining board diversity dimensions such as gender, and ethnicity are also significant in a condition when it is critically analysed using the upper echelon theory within the context of Malaysia. Overall, the study indicates the need to incorporate a diversified composition of the top decision-makers in deciding a strategic remuneration disclosure.

Thesis (PhD(Agric) (Conservation Ecology and Entomology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: See full text document for abstract
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: sien volteks dokument vir die opsomming

This paper concerns the issue of ignorance about values, and how to best deal with it.I try to find out what we ought to do when we are ignorant of what it is valuable topromote. The proposed solution is an indirect system of “provisional values”, builtaround three goals that are likely to increase our chances of achieving real value,should such a thing be possible.These three provisional goals the system gives us are as follows: knowledge,optionality, and diversity.Knowledge is the traditional way of trying to relieve our ignorance and has beenthe focus of most philosophizing about value.Optionality means having options, or the power to act differently. This is likelyto become important should we ever discover what it is actually valuable to do.Finally, diversity is simply the idea that, not knowing what truly is valuable, weshould do as much as possible of everything in the hope that some of it may bevaluable.
Denna uppsats handlar om problemet med vår brist på kunskap om värde och hur manbäst hanterar det. Jag försöker ta reda på vad vi borde göra i situationer där vi ärokunniga om vilka mål som är värdefulla att uppnå. Den lösning som föreslås är ettindirekt system av ”provisoriskt värde”. Detta system är uppbyggt kring tre mål somsannolikt kommer att öka våra chanser att uppnå direkta eller verkliga värden, om ensådan sak skulle vara möjlig. Dessa tre provisoriska mål som systemet ger oss ärföljande: kunskap, optionalitet och mångfald.Kunskap är det traditionella sättet att försöka lindra vår okunnighet, och harvarit fokus för det mesta filosoferandet om värde.Optionalitet innebär att ha alternativ eller makten att agera annorlunda. Dettakommer sannolikt att bli viktigt om vi någonsin upptäcker vad det är värdefullt attgöra.Slutligen är mångfald helt enkelt tanken att om vi inte vet vad som verkligen ärvärdefullt så bör vi göra så mycket som möjligt av allt i hopp om att något av det kanvisa sig värdefullt.

The selection of musical materials for use in the classroom is problematic. Since music educators have limited time with students, the inclusion of musical materials necessitates the perceived exclusion of other musical materials. This perception is due in part to the increasing diversity of students represented in the classroom, the cultural labeling of musical materials, the influence of multiculturalism on music education, and the influence of the Western aesthetic in music education. Since diverse groups can and do propose socially perceived valuations of these materials as critical for the inclusion of specific musical materials for use in the classroom, this inquiry examines some of the problems associated with the perceived valuations of musical materials for students. As multiple musical materials are used toward similar educational outcomes, or a single musical material is used toward diverse educational outcomes, the value of musical materials is determined by their perceived function for the individual, the group, and the universal human. These valuations are connected to ideologies that sometimes conflict with one another. Numerous solutions to these conflicts in diverse student populations are not perfect, but necessary. Considerations of similar characteristics of perceived musical quality within and across cultures provide an approach to one possible solution. Music educators should be better equipped to make appropriate decisions as they choose musical materials for use in the classroom when consideration is given to the diverse perceptions of these materials around the world and the historical and socio-political frameworks that describe what music education should be.

The board of directors holds a key position in corporate governance. The board is responsible for the strategy and development of the firm. The gender composition of the board can affect the quality of this operating procedure by changing the dynamic of the group. This paper aims to investigate if there is any relationship between board gender diversity and the firm’s financial performance, as measured by Tobin’s Q. While most of the previous studies in this field has been conducted on US data, this study adds to a growing number of articles outside of the US by using Swedish data. The study uses panel data over the years 2011-2014 and finds no statistically significant link between gender diversity and a firm’s financial performance. This study adds to the minority of articles that argue that gender diversity does not affect performance. Limitations regarding the methodology is presented and strategies for future research is discussed.

This is an essay about the difficulties that can occur within the intercultural preschool, with how the parents background, willpower and whishes may not always be applicable to the preschool curriculum due to cultural differences. It is about how I as an educator can have intentions that collide with childrens and parents homeculture. There are different references in different cultures and we need to find ways to communicate regardless of any language difficulties that may be present. From a written dilemma I explore how different conditions can affect our communication skills to parents of foreign origin. Through my work I daily meet with different cultures and diversity which is the reason and idea behind this essay.
Detta är en essä om de svårigheter som kan uppkomma i den interkulturella förskolan kring hur föräldrars bakgrund, vilja och önskemål kanske inte alltid går att koppla till förskolans läroplan på grund av kulturella skillnader. Den handlar om hur jag som pedagog kan ha intentioner som krockar med barn och föräldrars hemkultur. Vi har olika referensramar i olika kulturer och vi behöver finna sätt att kommunicera med varandra trots eventuella språksvårigheter. Utifrån ett beskrivet dilemma utforskar jag hur olika förutsättningar påverkar kommunikationen med föräldrar av utländsk härkomst. Detta är något jag dagligen möter i mitt arbete på förskolan och som jag verkligen brinner för.

Bakgrund: Tidigare studier på området socialt entreprenörskap visar på att sociala företag syftar till att skapa socialt värde. Hur detta värde skapas har dock varit svårt att konkretisera. Med anledning av att flera sociala företag med fokus på att öka mångfalden på den svenska arbetsmarknaden grundats de senaste åren, är det av intresse att studera hur dessa företag skapar socialt värde. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att skapa förståelse för hur sociala företag, i samspel med organisationer i andra sektorer i samhället, kan skapa socialt värde genom sitt arbete för en ökad mångfald. Metod: Studiens forskningsdesign är av kvalitativ karaktär och följer en abduktiv ansats. Studien undersöker ett socialt företag och dess partnerföretag och deras gränsöverskridande samarbete i form av ett mentorskapsprogram. Empiriinsamlingen har utförts genom kvalitativa intervjuer, etnografi samt dokumentstudier. Slutsats: Studien finner fem olika aspekter som beskriver hur socialt värde kan skapas genom ett samarbete över sektorsgränserna i samhället. Den första aspekten som identifierats är möten, vilken är den mest centrala förutsättningen för att kunna skapa socialt värde i ett gränsöverskridande samarbete. Utöver den aspekten finner studien att ansvarstagande, samverkan, nätverksskapande och kulturskillnader är aspekter som bidrar till socialt värdeskapande.
Background: Previous research within social entrepreneurship has shown that social enterprises are aiming to create social value. How the value is created is hard to concretize. Due to the fact that several social enterprises focusing on increasing the diversity of the Swedish labor market have been founded in recent years, the key interest is to study how these enterprises create social value. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to create an understanding of how social enterprises, in collaboration with organizations across sectorial boarders in society, can create social value through their aim for a higher diversity on the Swedish labor market. Method: The research design is of qualitative nature and follows an abductive approach. The study investigates a case in the form of a social enterprise and its partner companies and their cross-sectoral cooperation in the form of a mentorship program. Empirical collection has been conducted through qualitative interviews, ethnography and documentary studies. Conclusion: The study finds five different aspects that describe how social value can be created through cooperation across the sectoral boundaries in society. The first aspect identified is the meeting, which is the most central prerequisite for creating social value in cross-sectoral cooperation. In addition to this aspect, the study finds that responsibility, collaboration, networking and cultural differences are aspects that contribute to social value creation.

The objective of this thesis is to quantitatively understand the economic performance of protected area management strategies for forest and biodiversity conservation. Examples such as integrated conservation and development and eco tourism are assessed in terms of their ability to deliver on welfare benefits to local communities, and an assessment of the opportunity costs of forest conservation as a land use strategy. In addition the contribution of forest conservation in protected areas can make to poverty alleviation and economic development is also examined. The geographical focus of this study is the Albertine Rift region of East and Central Africa, stretching north from the southern end of Lake Tanganyika through the spine of Africa to the northern end of Lake Albert. The Albertine Rift is one of Africa’s most important landscapes for the conservation of forests and biodiversity. The overarching objective is addressed using a series of case studies empirically valuing the opportunity costs of conserving forests in a selection of sites in the central part of the Albertine Rift. The success of conservation is most often measured against progress in reducing habitat or species loss and not often in terms of the contribution of the protected area to poverty alleviation and local economic development. Achieving improvements of conservation strategies in the social dimension requires objective evidence on their effects. Economic valuation of protected area resources provides a quantitative means of assessing the promise and performance of conservation policies in achieving welfare benefits to local communities. This thesis provides three case studies each addressing current valuation and social issues in conservation and sets them in a context of managing protected areas in the broad dynamic setting of poverty alleviation and economic growth from a developing economy perspective. In addition two of the empirical studies are as concerned with methodological enquiry and the performance of novel environmental economic valuation techniques, such as the contingent valuation and choice modelling approaches, as the application of results to conservation questions. The empirical studies show that the benefits to local households and communities from their local forests may be greater than at first perceived. Across all protected area categories, biomes and income groups, households derived significant amounts of their overall income from their local protected area with large proportions of the value of goods harvested from forests being consumed in the home. Amongst income groups high income households often appropriated a greater share of the value of forest goods. There was no significant difference found between the household consumption and the sale of protected area products between income groups. The findings indicate that imposing reductions in forest use may increase poverty amongst local people whilst increasing household income will not necessarily reduce forest exploitation. This indicates that community conservation and integrated conservation and development programmes must target the poor forest adjacent households more actively to ensure poverty alleviation, whilst providing improved protection and law enforcement for effective conservation. It is also shown that biodiversity conservation can have an economic return through mountain gorilla eco-tourism. Findings show a disparity between what constitutes eco-tourism and the real values of tourists towards biodiversity conservation and local social benefits from protected areas. Despite showing a high marginal utility for biodiversity conservation, consumers are unwilling to pay for local community benefits from tourism as part of the permit price to view gorillas. Clearly the link between successful conservation and the welfare status of local communities is not sufficiently established in the minds of consumers to influence their spending decisions. The challenges of effectively mobilising communities to protect biodiversity are discussed in the context of the variable impacts of integrated conservation and development programs over the last three decades. Direct payment payments for conservation services schemes are discussed as an innovative tool to add to the gamut of community approaches currently on offer. Payments for conservation schemes are viewed with cautious optimism in terms of their possibility for success. Despite their allure of being more economically and socially efficient at achieving welfare and conservation objectives, given the complex nature of any society, no less research in to social and economic dynamics of protected area use by local communities would be needed to ensure success of such schemes. However, the overwhelming majority of benefits form protected areas are tied up in ecosystem services values. Mechanisms to generate funding and distribute payments for these benefits in terms of offsetting the local opportunity costs are essential to change local behavior and reduce forest degradation and destruction.

I examined how politics affects corporate policies and value in two dissertation essays. In my first essay, we investigate whether diversity in points of view within corporate boards, as captured by the diversity in political ideology of board members, can affect a firm's performance. We employ personal political contributions' data to measure political ideology distance among groups of inside, outside directors and the CEO. Our empirical evidence strongly supports the notion that outside directors' monitoring effectiveness is more likely to be enhanced when their viewpoints are distinct from those of management. We find that ideologically diverse boards are associated with better firm performance, lower agency costs and less insiders' discretionary power over the firm's Political Action Committee (PAC) spending. Taken together, our results lead us to conclude that multiplicity of standpoints in corporate boardrooms is imperative for board effectiveness. In my second essay, we document that firms surrounded by high degrees of policy risk generated by local politicians' legislative activities present significantly high stock returns, indicating investors' perception of policy risk. We find that the diverse political strategies firms implement 1) successfully mitigate such policy risk, 2) help firms to acquire more lucrative procurement contracts, and 3) even get firms in trouble with legal issues. Additional results reveal that poor stock performance related to litigation is significantly recovered by political connections. Overall, our results reflect that investors view corporate political activities as effective hedging strategies against policy risk. Collectively, politics plays a critical role in determining corporate policies and/or value.

I dagens samhälle är en organisations attraktivitet en viktig faktor. Det är viktigt att attrahera nya medarbetare samt att behålla nuvarande medarbetare. Varierande faktorer påverkar attraktiviteten och organisationen kan arbeta med olika Employer Branding-processer för att uppnå attraktivitet. Syftet med studien är att undersöka vad som kan utgöra säkerhetsbolaget Securitas till en attraktiv arbetsgivare, med förslag på förbättring och utveckling hur organisationen kan attrahera och behålla medarbetare. De teoretiska utgångspunkterna behandlar teorier kring Employer Branding. Studien baseras på en kvantitativ metod där en enkät utformades för att samla in empirisk data om medarbetarnas åsikter om organisationen som en attraktiv arbetsgivare. Ett möte skedde med chefer och HR-partner från Securitas innan enkäten utformades för att veta hur organisationen arbetar med att attrahera och behålla medarbetare. Urvalet av respondenter är avgränsat till väktare som arbetar i en region i mellersta Sverige. Empirin är sammanställd med hjälp av diagram och har analyserats med de teoretiska utgångpunkterna. Slutsatserna är att faktorer som relationer, utbildning, information, förmåner och arbetsutrustning är attraktiva. Alla dessa faktorer är i behov av förbättring och om det inte åtgärdas kan det bli svårt att attrahera och behålla medarbetare. Förbättringsförslag och åtgärder har sammanställts i punktform och baseras på det som framkommit i analysen och diskussionen.
In today's society, the attractiveness of an organization is an important factor. It is important to attract new employees and to retain existing employees. Various factors affect the attractiveness and, in order to achieve attractiveness, the organization can work with different employer branding processes. The aim with this study is to examine what can constitutes Securitas as an attractive employe, with suggestions for improvement and development to attract and retain employees. The theoretical point covers theories with Employer Branding. The study is based on a quantitative method where a survey was created to gather empirical data about employees´view and opinions about the organization as an attractive employer. A meeting was held with Securitas executives and HR partners before the survey was designed to know how the organization works to attract and retain employees. The selection of respondents is limited to guardians who works in a region in the middle of Sweden. Diagram have been used to compiled the empiricism and theories have been used to analyze the empiricism. The conclusions are that factors such as relationships, education, information, benefits and work equipment are attractive. All of these factors need to be improved and if it doesn't happened can it be difficult to attract and retain employees. Improvement proposals have been compiled in a dot shape and is based on what have been said in the analysis and discussion.

The present state of forestry post mining land uses has prompted concern among researchers, landowners, and the public. Surface mines reclaimed to forests under the provision of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) may not achieve site productivity levels required by the law. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many pre-law reforested mined sites are growing productive forests. The purpose of this study was to characterize these forests and the mine soils in which they are growing, and use them to benchmark forest development on mined land. Using 14 mined and 8 non-mined sites in the midwestern and eastern coalfields research to address the following objectives was undertaken: (i) characterize the development, composition, and diversity of woody species on pre-SMCRA, forested surface mined land; (ii) estimate forest and site productivity on surface mined land and determine the soil and site properties most influencing forest growth; (iii) estimate projected rotation-age timber product value; (iv) quantify current carbon sequestration pools associated with the developing woody plant biomass, the forest floor, and developing soil medium; (v) compare the diversity, forest and site productivity, commercial value, and carbon capture of reclaimed mined sites to that of regional non-mined forest systems. Species richness between non-mined and mined sites was about the same within each region with 14 to 15 tree species in the canopy. Canopy richness of eastern mined sites was less than that on midwestern mined sites (12 species compared to 17 species, respectively). Species richness of the understory and woody ground layer were similar between sites planted to pines versus hardwoods. White pine (Pinus strobus) monocultures, planted on many sites in the eastern region, caused species unevenness throughout all forest strata. Midwestern mined sites and eastern sites planted to hardwoods closely approximated non-mined sites in commercial species composition. Planted species represented the majority of canopy layer dominance and abundance (82% relative dominance and 56% relative abundance). Site productivity between non-mined sites and 12 of the 14 mined sites was similar. Regression analysis identified the five most influential soil properties affecting site quality, which included soil profile base saturation, total coarse fragments, total available water, C horizon total porosity, and soil profile electrical conductivity. These five properties explained 52 % of the variation in tree growth. Forest productivity of these mined sites was equal to or greater than that of non-mined forests, ranging between 3.3 m3ha-1yr-1 and 12.1 m3ha-1yr-1. Management activities such as planting pine and valuable hardwood species increased the stumpage value of forests on reclaimed mine sites. Rotation-age stumpage values on mined study sites ranged between $3,064 ha-1 and $19,528 ha-1 and were commonly greater than stumpage values on non-mined reference sites. After 20 to 55 years, total site carbon levels on mined study sites averaged 217 Mg ha-1, while total carbon amounts on natural sites averaged 285 Mg ha-1. The amounts of carbon captured within the plant biomass and litter layer were the same on mined and natural sites. However, the soil carbon content of mined sites averaged 39 % lower than natural soils. The amount of carbon captured across mined sites was largely a function of forest stand age. Pre-SMCRA forests growing on mined sites with productivity levels similar to non-mined sites are capable of developing forest attributes comparable to or greater than those found on non-mined land within a period of 60 years, the length of a commercial hardwood rotation. These mature forests can serve as benchmarks for forest development on mined lands being reclaimed under current state and federal regulations.
Master of Science

Cette thèse porte sur les déterminants et les enjeux de la diversité du genre dans la composition des instances de gouvernance d'entreprise. Elle a pour objectif de contribuer au débat sur la féminisation du conseil d'administration, mettant en perspective les discussions en cours sur les enjeux économiques de la diversité du genre. Au regard des réflexions théoriques, actuelles ou plus anciennes, sur le rôle et la composition du conseil d'administration dans le processus de création de valeur, la thèse explore les dimensions relatives aux apports de compétences, au processus d'apprentissage organisationnel et à la capacité d'innovation. Les recherches menées corroborent, en particulier, la plausibilité de la thèse du "business case". Les résultats montrent clairement que la féminisation des instances de gouvernance est porteuse d'enjeux économiques et managériaux. Ils soulignent que la féminisation apporte des compétences distinctives au conseil d'administration, qu'elle participe favorablement à la bonne gouvernance, porteuse d'avantages compétitifs, et que le marché financier encourage l'intégration des femmes au conseil d'administration des entreprises. Ainsi, la thèse conclut que les entreprises tirent un apport net à envisager des mesures de féminisation de leurs instances de gouvernance. Toutefois, la prudence s'impose dans le parti pris de systématiser le recours à la diversité du genre au conseil d'administration comme un moyen de performance incontournable.

Les recherches sur la justice organisationnelle ont prouvé que l’équité était un concept majeur pour appréhender l’expérience de travail des salariés. Pourtant, les chercheurs en ce domaine ont focalisé leur attention sur la relation verticale entre salariés et managers ou entre les salariés et les organisations auxquelles ils appartiennent, au détriment des rapports entre individus de même niveau hiérarchique. Cette thèse a pour but de présenter le concept de justice dans les équipes de travail en analysant la perception des salariés quant au traitement qui leur ait réservé, à titre individuel, sur leur lieu de travail. Afin de démontrer la pertinence théorique et pratique de la perception individuelle de l’équité dans les équipes de travail, le thème de la justice organisationnelle sera confronté au thème du conflit, au concept de diversité et aux valeurs socio-culturelles des salariés. Les problématiques de recherche se concentrent sur les conséquences de la perception de l´équité entre collègues, sur les relations entre les concepts d'injustice et de conflit, de dissemblance et de satisfaction et sur le rôle modérateur des valeurs socio-culturelles sur la perception de l'équité et du comportement de citoyenneté organisationnelle. Ces questions de recherche sont testées d´une part à travers une étude longitudinale portant sur 256 salariés de firmes allemandes et, d´autre part, à travers deux questionnaires portant sur 448 salariés répartis dans des équipes de travail multinationales en France. Ces données sont analysées grâce à une modélisation en équation structurelle sur Mplus et par la méthode de modération et médiation sur le logiciel macro SPSS de Hayes. Le résultat de la première enquête met en évidence un phénomène de réciprocité entre les différents types d'injustices et les catégories diverses de conflits sur le lieu de travail, cette corrélation se renforçant à mesure que le temps passe. La dissemblance des valeurs entre salariés d'une même équipe a un impact négatif sur la satisfaction globale du groupe. L'injustice distributive et procédurale est un vecteur de ce phénomène. Dans le même temps, la différence de classe d'âge entre salariés d'une même équipe a un effet positif sur la satisfaction du groupe. Dans ce cas, c'est la communication entre les membres du groupe qui sert de conducteur. Enfin, la seconde étude démontre que les effets du concept d'équité sur le comportement de citoyenneté organisationnelle ont plus d'impact sur les sujets à tendance individualiste, soumis à une forte hiérarchie et réceptif à l'incertitude
Organizational justice research has shown that fairness is a key part of the employee’s work experience. However, justice scholars focused their considerations on the vertical relationship between employees and managers or organizations, neglecting horizontal relationships between peers. This dissertation advances justice research in teams by discussing and testing the individual peer justice perspective, which deals with the individuals’ perceptions of how fairly they are treated by teammates. To demonstrate the theoretical and practical relevance of the individual peer justice perspective, the organizational justice literature is integrated with the literatures of workplace conflict, workplace dissimilarity, and national cultural values. The research questions center around the predictors and outcomes of individual peer justice, the injustice-conflict interrelationship, the mechanisms of the dissimilarity-team satisfaction relationship, and the moderating role of cultural values on the relationship between justice perceptions and organizational citizenship behavior. The related hypotheses are tested through a longitudinal survey study with 256 employees from a variety of organizations in Germany and through a two-wave survey study with 448 multinational self-managed team members in France. The data is analyzed through structural equation modelling using Mplus and through moderation and mediation analyses using the SPSS macro of Hayes. The results of the first study indicate a reciprocal relationship between injustice dimensions and conflict types in the workplace, whereby this relationship becomes stronger over time. Distributive and procedural injustice further mediate the negative impact of perceived value dissimilarity (relative to teammates) on team satisfaction. The positive effects of perceived age dissimilarity (relative to teammates) on team satisfaction are mediated by information elaboration. Finally, the second study demonstrates that peer justice effects on organizational citizenship behavior are stronger for team members who score high in individualism, high in power distance, and low in uncertainty avoidance

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:26:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Andre Luis Janzkovski Cardoso.pdf: 3235259 bytes, checksum: de95db3d87770a97633e014f4ddefd93 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-04
Fundo Mackenzie de Pesquisa
The work force in organizations is undergoing a transformation process, either through the evolution of knowledge, or through increased diversity and greater representation of classes now identified as a minority; it can also be taken place due to new social relations and legal requirements, or the increased use of virtual teams and in the development of multicultural teams. Similarly, there is a change in the demographic profile of customers, because these are more diverse, demanding, aware and knowledgeable of their role in the society. Common sense easily associates the diversity of the workforce to advantages for the organization, but scientific studies have revealed some ambiguously results that could prove this relationship. The aim of this study was to extend the view for a value chain consisting of customers and suppliers in order to understand their perceptions about the theme of diversity and how ideas and actions related to the subject are shared. The research method used was qualitative and a case study was performed with non-participant observation, document analysis and grasp interviews with different stakeholders of the organization. The data was managed in light of the content analysis, based on thematic categorization. The neoinstitutionalism theory has been used as reference to explain the way organizations interact among themselves and how they try to reach harmonization of initiatives with mainly isomorphism. The results show that the internal members and representatives of the supply chain share the perception of the importance and benefits related to diversity initiatives practiced in the company studied. First, the data revealed that these initiatives are institutionalized within, not through formal policies and practices adopted by the organization, but a culture of valuing diversity, developed in a learning process on how to address the environmental and strategic contingencies, especially after an organizational change. On the other hand, there was a process of sharing and building of learning about the importance of diversity among firms that was part of the supply chain organization, which use a mimetic approach to mirror diversity perspective into their human resource management practices. As a final contribution, this study presents a reflection for the use of diversity in organizations.
A força de trabalho nas organizações está passando por um processo de transformação, seja pela evolução do conhecimento, seja pelo aumento da diversidade e na maior representação de classes ora identificadas como minoritárias, seja também pelas novas relações sociais e exigências legais, pelo maior uso de times virtuais e no desenvolvimento de equipes multiculturais. Da mesma forma, há uma mudança no perfil demográfico dos clientes, pois estes estão mais diversos, exigentes, conscientes e conhecedores de seu papel na sociedade. O senso comum associa favoravelmente a diversidade da força de trabalho a vantagens para organização, mas há carência de estudos científicos que comprovem essa relação. O objetivo deste estudo foi estender o olhar para uma cadeia de valor constituída de clientes e fornecedores de maneira a compreender suas percepções acerca do tema diversidade e como são compartilhadas ideias e ações relacionadas ao assunto. O método de pesquisa utilizado foi o qualitativo e realizou-se um estudo de caso com observação não participante, análise documental e entrevistas em profundidade com diferentes stakeholders da organização. Os dados foram trabalhados à luz da análise de conteúdo, baseando-se em categorização temática. A teoria neoinstitucional foi utilizada como referência para explicar como as organizações interagem entre si e como buscam a harmonização de iniciativas por meio, principalmente, do isomorfismo. Os resultados mostram que os membros internos e de representantes da rede de fornecedores compartilham a percepção da importância e das vantagens relacionadas às iniciativas de diversidade praticadas na organização pesquisada. Por um lado, os dados revelaram que essas iniciativas são institucionalizadas internamente, não por meio de práticas e políticas formais adotadas pela organização, mas por uma cultura de valorização da diversidade, desenvolvida num processo de aprendizado de como enfrentar as contingências ambientais e estratégicas, principalmente após uma mudança organizacional. De outro lado, observou-se haver um processo de compartilhamento e construção de aprendizado sobre a importância da diversidade entre as empresas que constituem a rede de fornecedores da organização, as quais por mimetismo passam a espelhar em suas práticas de gestão de pessoas a perspectiva da diversidade. Como contribuição final deste trabalho, é apresentada uma reflexão sobre ações para o uso da diversidade nas organizações.

The purpose of the thesis is to gain knowledge about how preschool teachers talk about the handling of children's ethnic differences circle time. In order to collect data, qualitative interviews with preschool teachers at five different pre-schools in the Stockholm area have been selected. In the result analyzed with discourse analysis as applied and through Laclau and Mouffe's discourse theory, eight different concepts (characters) emerged which preschool teachers use when talking about children's ethnic differences. The result shows which discourses are actualized when preschool teachers talk about children's ethnic differences. Within the various discourses it emerges that preschool teachers talk about differences by using the concepts of differences, language, culture, ethnicity, interculturalism, justice, identity and equal value. Some of the preschool teachers talk about the concept of ethnic differences as a possible exclusion of children's equal value, which means that they instead want to talk about similarities. What has emerged from the study is that the concept of ethnic differences can be replaced by ethnic diversity in order to enable another meaning which also covers everyone's equal value.
Uppsatsens syfte är att få kunskap om hur förskollärarna talar om hanteringen av barns etniska olikheter under samling. För att samla in data har kvalitativa intervjuer med förskollärare vid fem olika förskolor i Stockholmsområdet genomförts. I resultatet som analyserats med diskursanalys som ansats och genom Laclau och Mouffes diskursteori framkom åtta olika begrepp (tecken) vilka förskollärare använder sig av när de talar om barns etniska olikheter. Resultatet visar vilka diskurser som aktualiseras när förskollärarnas talar om barns etniska olikheter. Inom de olika diskurserna framkommer att förskollärarna pratar kring olikheter genom att använda begreppen olikheter, språk, kultur, etnicitet, interkulturalitet, rättvisa, identitet och lika värde. Några av förskollärarna talar kring begreppet etniska olikheter som ett möjligt uteslutande av barns lika värde vilket leder till att de istället vill prata om likheter. Det som framkommit i studien är att begreppet etniska olikheter kan ersättas av etnisk mångfaldför att möjliggöra en annan innebörd vilken även omfattar allas lika värde.

Background: The "introduction of new public management" in institutions of higher education has brought a measurement-minded form of governance based on "doing more with less". At the same time, universities have increasingly become institutions where documentation proving the conformation to norms of society is more important than the actual outcomes of the organization. A more viable strategic mind set based on the core goals of higher education is therefore required in order to increase the congruence between stated goals and outcomes. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explore how the demographics in boards and top management teams in higher education affect performance through the mediating role of cluster development. Method: This thesis has an abductive research approach as we emanate not only from previous theoretical discussions on public governance, upper echelon and cluster development, but also from a qualitative pilot study where we explore the cluster development concept in the university context. Our quantitative study is a cross-sectional study based on partly a survey sent to most directors and managers in higher education in Sweden, and partly independent data collection from financial reports and other sources. Results and conclusion: The results are based on a small sample with few observations which imply that we cannot draw strong conclusions based on our statistical findings. We can however discern different indications of relationships between certain demographic diversity factors in boards and top management teams and certain aspects of cluster development. There are however mixed indications regarding the relationship between cluster development and university performance.
Bakgrund: Införandet av new public management i universitet och högskolor har fört med sig ett mätningsfokuserat styre som bygger på "att göra mer med mindre". Samtidigt har lärosätena allt mer blivit institutioner där dokumentation som styrker samhällets krav är viktigare än det faktiska utfallet i organisationen. En mer livskraftig strategisk utveckling som baseras på de verkliga målen för högre utbildning krävs därför för att öka kongruensen mellan uppsatta mål och utfall. Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka hur demografiska egenskaper i styrelser och ledningsgrupper inom universitet och högskolor påverkar prestation genom klusterutveckling. Metod: Denna uppsats har en abduktiv forskningsansats eftersom vi inte endast utgår ifrån tidigare teoretiska diskussioner om offentlig styrning, upper echelon och klusterutveckling, men också från en kvalitativ förstudie där vi utforskar klusterutveckling i universitetssammanhang. Vår kvantitativa studie är en tvärsnittsstudie baserad på dels en enkät som skickats till de flesta styrelseledamöter och medlemmar i ledningsgrupper i alla svenska universitet och högskolor i Sverige. Den är även dels baserad på självständig datainsamling från årsredovisningar och andra källor. Resultat och slutsats: Resultaten baserar sig på ett litet urval med få iakttagelser vilket innebär att vi inte kan dra säkra slutsatser utifrån våra statistiska analyser. Vi kan dock urskilja olika indikationer på samband mellan vissa demografiska mångfaldsfaktorer i styrelser och ledningsgrupper och vissa aspekter av klusterutveckling. Det finns dock blandade resultat om förhållandet mellan klusterutveckling och universitetens och högskolornas prestation.

Thesis (MComm (Industrial Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Although fifteen years have passed since the change in political dispensation in South Africa, the integration of citizens belonging to the previously disadvantaged sections of society is still progressing at a bewilderingly slow pace. Gaining access to the world of work is instrumental in the alleviation of poverty and the promotion of economic and social stability in a country still plagued by the legacy of apartheid. While South Africa is currently in the process of breaking down the scaffolding of apartheid and promoting the welfare of all South Africans along more equitably lines, the overall success of relevant initiatives fundamentally hinges on both the former oppressors and the formerly oppressed coming to terms with the past and, more importantly, engaging in a process of constitutional reconciliation and compromise to overcome unconstructive attitudes brought about through decades of colonialism, racism and segregation. Following from this, attitudes towards cultural diversity in general and, more specifically, the forces (i.e. nomological network of antecedents) that shape such attitudes, informed the research question that initiated the current study. Preliminary theorising culminated in the formulation of a tentative theoretical model explicating the relationship between various variables and the attitude towards cultural diversity. The proposed theoretical model in an effort to answer the question that initiated the research implied that values influence the attitude towards cultural diversity. Furthermore, it was argued that the relationship between values and the attitude towards cultural diversity is moderated by race and gender. The proposed theoretical model was formally assessed with the use of a convenience sample of 1 357 students from four prominent universities in South Africa (Northwest University, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, University of Stellenbosch, and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University). A quasi double cross-validation procedure was utilised whereby a single sample was divided into two equal subsamples: (a) a calibration sample and (b) validation sample. A combination of qualitative and quantitative research paradigms was utilised in the current study. Only quantitative results are reported formally, although the qualitative technique of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was utilised extensively during the stages of theorisation. The statistical analysis became naturally segmented in four distinct sections: the validation of the Schwartz Value Survey (SVS) and the Cultural Diversity Belief Scales (CDBS); the refinement of the SVS and CDBS; testing of the proposed theoretical model via Structural Equation Modelling (SEM); and testing the moderating effects of race and gender on the attitude towards cultural diversity by means of moderated regression analysis. Partial support was found for the proposed linkages between values main effects and the attitude towards cultural diversity, as well as for the moderating effects of race and gender on the value-attitude linkages. Conclusions were drawn from the results obtained and recommendations for future research have been made.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Alhoewel die politieke bewind in Suid-Afrika reeds vyftien jaar gelede verander het, vorder die integrasie binne die samelewing van die voorheen benadeelde gedeeltes van die bevolking teen ‘n verstommend stadige pas. Die verkryging van toetrede tot die wêreld van werk dra by tot die verligting van armoede en die bevordering van ekonomiese en maatskaplike stabiliteit in ‘n land wat steeds deur die nalatenskap van apartheid geteister word. Met Suid-Afrika tans betrokke by die aftakeling van die apartheidsteierwerk en die bevordering van die welsyn van alle Suid-Afrikaners op meer gelyke grondslag, rus die algehele sukses van relevante inisiatiewe daarop dat die voormalige verdruktes en die voormalige verdrukkers met die verlede vrede maak, maar ook meer dat hulle deur ’n proses van grondwetlike versoening en akkoord die onopbouende houdings wat deur dekades van kolonialisme, rassisme en segregasie tot stand gekom het, kan oorkom. Vanuit hierdie agtergrond het houdings teenoor kulturele diversiteit in die algemeen en, meer spesifiek, die magte (d.i. nomologiese netwerk van voorafgaande gebeure) wat aan sulke houdings vorm gee, die navorsingsvraag laat ontstaan wat tot die huidige studie gelei het. Die voorafgaande teorie-ontwikkeling het tot die formulering van ‘n tentatiewe teoretiese model gelei om die verhouding tussen verskeie veranderlikes en die houding teenoor kulturele diversiteit te ontvou. In ‘n poging om ‘n antwoord te vind vir die vraag wat tot die navorsing gelei het, het die voorgestelde teoretiese model geïmpliseer dat waardes die houding teenoor kulturele diversiteit beïnvloed. ‘n Verdere argument was dat die verband tussen waardes en die houding teenoor kulturele diversiteit deur ras en geslag gemodereer word. Die voorgestelde teoretiese model is formeel geassesseer met gebruik van ’n gerieflikheidssteekproef bestaande uit 1 357 studente vanuit vooraanstaande universiteite in Suid-Afrika (die Universiteit van die Noordweste, die Kaapse Skiereiland Universiteit van Tegnologie, die Universiteit van Stellenbosch en die Nelson Mandela Metropolitaanse Universiteit).’n Kwasi dubbele kruis-validering (quasi double cross-validation) prosedure is gebruik waardeur ‘n enkelvoudige steekproefneming in twee gelyke steekproewe verdeel is: (a) ‘n kalibreringssteekproef en (b) ‘n valideringsteekproef. ’n Kombinasie van kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe navorsingsparadigmas is in die huidige studie gebruik. Slegs kwantitatiewe resultate word formeel gerapporteer, alhoewel kwalitatiewe Kritiese Diskoers-analise (Critical Discourse Analysis) omvattend gebruik is gedurende die teoretiseringstadia. Die statistiese ontledings het op natuurlike wyse in vier duidelike afdelings verdeel: die validering van die Schwartz Value Survey (SVS) en die Cultural Diversity Belief Scales (CDBS); die verfyning van die SVS en die CDBS; die toets van die voorgestelde teoretiese model met behulp van Structural Equation Modelling (SEM); en die toets van die modererende effekte van ras en geslag op die houding teenoor kulturele diversiteit deur middel van modererende regressie-analise. Gedeeltelike ondersteuning is gevind vir die voorgestelde verband tussen hoof-effekte van waardes en die houding teenoor diversiteit, sowel as vir die modererende effek van ras en geslag op die waardes-houdings verband. Gevolgtrekkings is gemaak uit die resultate wat verkry is en voorstelle in verband met toekomstige navorsing is aan die hand gedoen.

A l’heure où des réformes proposent de réintroduire la morale à l’école, il est pertinent de s’interroger sur les conceptions qu’ont les individus des valeurs. Cette étude propose une approche comparatiste et croisée des représentations sociales de la tolérance, de la liberté et de la démocratie dans deux groupes marqués par des différences culturelles. Ainsi, des sujets français et libanais proches du milieu éducatif ont participé à ce travail de recherche dont l’objectif est d’examiner certains aspects de l’éducation aux valeurs. Dans une première partie empirique, à partir d’une tâche d’association libre sur mot inducteur « tolérance », les données ont été traitées par le biais d’une analyse prototypique, une analyse de similitude et une analyse multidimensionnelle. Les résultats obtenus montrent que la tolérance est associée à des valeurs et à des thèmes relatifs aux spécificités de chaque société. Des divergences intergroupes et intragroupes sont constatées dans la représentation de la tolérance. Cela rend compte que cette valeur s’inscrit dans une diversité culturelle malgré des consensus attitudinaux apparents. La deuxième partie empirique compare la représentation sociale de la « liberté » et de « la démocratie en tant que valeur universelle » entre des étudiants français et libanais. Nous constatons que la liberté est associée à des domaines plurivalents et qu’elle fonctionne comme un « nexus » (Rouquette, 1994). Quant à la représentation de la démocratie en tant que valeur universelle, elle fait référence à des valeurs tout en s’inscrivant en tant que mode de gouvernement et en suscitant une certaine vision de la démocratie. Outre les différences culturelles, les résultats soulignent que des divergences intragroupes apparaissent lorsque les valeurs se transforment en situations sociétales concrètes. La discussion de l’ensemble de ces études souligne l’importance de tenir compte des conflits de valeurs (évoqués par plusieurs auteurs) dans la question de transmission de valeurs à l’école
At a time when reforms propose to reintroduce ethics at school, it is pertinent to question the conceptions that individuals have about values. This study proposes a crossed and comparatist approach of social representations of tolerance, liberty and democracy in two groups marked by cultural differences. Thus, French and Lebanese subjects within the domain of education participated in this research work with the objective being to examine certain aspects of the education of values. In the first empirical part, starting from a task of free association on the inductor word “tolerance,” the data was treated through a prototypical analysis, an analysis of similitude and a multidimensional analysis. The results obtained show that tolerance is associated to values and themes relative to the specificities of each society. Intergroup and intragroup divergences were noted in the representation of tolerance. This demonstrates that this value correlates to a cultural diversity despite apparent attitudinal consensuses. The second empirical part compares the social representation of “liberty” and “democracy as a universal value” between French and Lebanese students. We notice that liberty is associated to polyvalent domains and that it functions as a “nexus” (Rouquette, 1994). As for the representation of democracy as a universal value, it references values all the while representing a mode of government and generating a certain vision of democracy. In addition to the cultural differences, the results underline that intragroup divergences appear when values transform into concrete societal situations. The discussion of the ensemble of these studies underlines the importance of taking into account conflicts of values (evoked by several authors) in the question of transmission of values in school

Thesis (doctoral)--Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2004.
Appendix consists of reprints of five manuscripts, four of which are co-authored with others. Includes bibliographical references. Also partially available online in PDF format; online version lacks appendix.

Democracy has been encountering an increasing number of critics. Whether it comes from a sympathy for autocrats, free-markets, or the more knowledgeable, this increasing democratic scepticism often takes an epistemic form. Democracy's critics argue that democratic procedures and institutions are unlikely to make good decisions or produce good outcomes in terms of justice or the common good, and should, therefore, be restricted if not completely rejected in favour of its more able alternatives. In the face of such scepticism, this thesis develops an epistemic theory of deliberative democracy. This theory has two principal aims. The first is to analyse and define the epistemic properties of deliberative democracy, and the second is to clarify the possible role epistemic values can play in a wider justification of democratic rule. In accordance with the first, the thesis analyses the ability of deliberative democratic institutions to make good or correct decisions in comparison to a broad range of prominent alternatives. These include traditional rivals such as autocracy and aristocracy, but also more modern and less considered alternatives such as free-markets, limited epistocracy and forms of technical calculation. Through these comparisons, it is argued that we have no good or clear epistemic reason to reject democracy. Deliberative democracy is found to be epistemically superior to many of its alternatives and epistemically equivalent to even its best competitors. The thesis, therefore, mounts a strong reply to democracy's epistemic sceptics. The analysis, however, also helps clarify which form of deliberative democracy is epistemically most valuable, pointing to the value systems approaches which give a prominent role to direct citizen deliberation. The epistemic theory of deliberative democracy also aims to clarify what role epistemic values can play in a wider justification of democratic rule. The thesis argues that deliberative democracy is epistemically superior to many of its rivals and no worse epistemically than even its best alternatives. This suggests that although epistemic values cannot mount a stand-alone defence of democracy, democrats would only be required to defend very weak non-epistemic values to produce a mixed justification. Far from being 'rule by the incompetent many' and therefore highly reliant on procedural values, the thesis will demonstrate that epistemic values can carry significant weight in an argument for democratic rule.

I den föreliggande studien undersöker vi tre litterära verk med mångkulturellt tema och dess potential till arbete med värdegrundsfrågor i grundskolans årskurs 4–6. Syftet är att analysera hur karaktärer med annan etnicitet än den vita västerländska normen framställs. I studien analyseras tre populära litterära verk som vi har stött på under utbildningen, under vår praktik i verksamheten och som visat sig vara frekvent utlånade på Kalmar Stadsbibliotek. Till stöd använder vi teorier om kritisk litteracitet och främst Hilary Janks modell för att undersöka kategorier som makt, mångfald och design. Av de litterära verken visar det sig att etnisk mångfald uttrycks och kategoriseras på olika sätt, att individens möjligheter i samhället påverkas av namn och utseende med annan etnicitet samt att huvudkaraktärernas hemmiljö beskrivs på ett stereotypt sätt. Därefter undersöks resultatets didaktiska potential utifrån värdegrundsfrågor och hur dessa kan integreras med den valda litteraturen. Resultatet visar hur valda delar i verken kan vara fruktbara i arbete med den typ av värdegrundsfrågor som skrivs fram i styrdokumenten.

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A goiabeira (Psidium guajava L.) é uma das fruteiras de maior importância econômica da família Myrtaceae. O Brasil é um dos maiores produtores de goiaba do mundo, sendo esta uma cultura potencial em expansão e rentabilidade. A polinização cruzada da espécie e a existência de pomares heterogêneos de propagação seminal resultam em variabilidade, permitindo a seleção de genótipos para o melhoramento da cultura. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a diversidade genética em genótipos de P. guajava selecionados em pomar de origem seminal e cultivares por características morfológicas e químicas de qualidade de fruto, também associar dados de conteúdo de DNA nuclear (2C), cariótipo, morfológicos e de marcadores moleculares microssatélites. Verificou-se a existência de divergência entre as Cortibel com relação às características de fruto, com genótipos apresentando performance superior e genótipos com desempenho semelhante à cultivares, potenciais para uso em hibridações ou como cultivares. As análises cariotípica e de conteúdo de DNA nuclear (2C) mostraram que os genótipos possuem um genoma estável, pequeno e diplóide e características cariotípicas relacionadas a grupos ancestrais de angiospermas. O dendrograma UPGMA baseado em dados morfológicos e SSR evidenciaram diversidade entre os genótipos, com melhor discriminação pelos dados de SSR. Como a maioria dos genótipos mostraram similaridade morfológica para as características de frutos, aliada a dissimilaridade molecular, estes se mostraram interessantes para o uso em hibridações em programas de melhoramento. O conjunto de dados gerados contribuiu para expandir o conhecimento sobre o genoma e a diversidade genética em P. guajava. Também é importante na estruturação de programas de melhoramento para a cultura, além de contribuir para estudos evolutivos
Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is one of the most economically important fruit crop from Myrtaceae family. Brazil is one of the largest producers of guava in the world, which is a potential crop in growth and profitability. Cross-pollination of the species and the existence of heterogeneous seminal propagation orchards result in variability, allowing the selection of genotypes for crop improvement. The aim of this study was to evaluate genetic diversity between P. guajava L genotypes selected from seminal origin orchard and cultivars, by morphological and fruit quality chemical characteristics, also associate data from nuclear 2C-value, karyotypic, morphological and simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker. There were divergences between Cortibel selections by fruit characteristics, with genotypes showing superior and similar performance when compared with cultivated genotypes, potential for use in hibridation and as cultivars. Karyotype and nuclear 2C-value analyses showed that all genotypes have a stable and very small diploid genome (2n = 2X = 22; 2C = 0.95 pg), and karyotypic characteristics related to ancestral angiosperm groups. UPGMA dendrogram based on morphological and SSR data evidenced diversity among the genotypes, with better discrimination by SSR data. Since most genotypes showed morphological similarity for fruit characteristics, combined with molecular dissimilarity, the use of these genotypes in hybridation breeding programs could be of interest. The obtained data set contributed to expand the knowledge about genome and genetic diversity of P. guajava. Also are important to structure crop improvement programs and contribute to evolutionary approaches

Semi-natural grasslands, which are a declining and fragmented habitat in Europe, contain a high biodiversity, and are therefore of interest to conservation. This thesis examines how plant diversity is influenced by the landscape context, and how plant and fungal diversity can be targeted by practical conservation using indicator species and congruence between species groups. Reproduction and recruitment of the dioecious herb Antennaria dioica was also investigated, providing a case study on how fragmentation and habitat degradation may affect grassland plants.

Grassland size and heterogeneity were of greater importance for plant diversity in semi-natural grassland, than present or historical connectivity to other grasslands, or landscape characteristics. Larger grasslands were more heterogeneous than smaller grasslands, being the likely reason for the species-area relationship.

A detailed study on A. dioica discovered that sexual reproduction and recruitment may be hampered due to skewed sex-ratios. Sex-ratios were more skewed in small populations, suggesting that dioecious plants are likely to be particularly sensitive to reduced grassland size and fragmentation.

A study on indicators of plant species richness, used in a recent survey of remaining semi-natural grasslands in Sweden, revealed several problems. A high percentage of all indicator species were missed by the survey, removing an otherwise significant correlation between indicator species and plant species richness. Also, a null model showed that the chosen indicator species did not perform significantly better than species chosen at random from the available species pool, questioning the selection of the indicators in the survey. Diversity patterns of the threatened fungal genus Hygrocybe were not congruent with plant species richness or composition. Plants are thus a poor surrogate group for Hygrocybe fungi, and probably also for other grassland fungi. Implications from this thesis are that conservation of semi-natural grasslands should target several species groups, and that an appropriate scale for plant conservation may be local rather than regional.

Understanding managerial behavior and its underlying motivations is of key interest in times where the role of business in society is generally viewed critically. While CEO influence on strategy making processes is almost undisputed, little attention has explicitly been paid to how CEO values and the characteristics of the top management team (TMT) interact in shaping corporate strategy making. This is surprising if one follows the assumption that top managers who work closely together will by necessity influence each other's actions. Hence, we would expect the CEO-TMT interface to be vital in understanding how leadership influences strategy making. To address this, we propose a model in which the personal values of the CEO have a direct effect on the characteristics of corporate strategy making processes yet where this association is moderated by TMT diversity. We test the model with data from Austria and Germany obtained through a large-scale survey conducted in spring 2015 and a follow-up survey conducted in fall 2015 and find general support for our model. CEO values geared towards self-transcendence (as opposed to selfinterest) seem to be associated with more formal strategy making processes, while values geared towards openness to change (as opposed to conservation) are found to be associated with more flexible and less externally open ones. TMT diversity moderates all of these relationships. Our results add to upper echelon theory as well as to strategy process research and highlight promising avenues for future research.

Scholars suggest that organizational diversity management (DM) programs are useful not only to satisfy legal requirements or social demands, but also to further the achievement of business objectives. However, much is still to be learned about the effects of such programs on individuals' perceptions of the organization. After reviewing the relevant literature on organization-level DM programs, I present a theoretical framework using recent literature that takes a strategic perspective on DM. This research classifies organization-sponsored DM programs into qualitatively different categories. Using the typology, I develop a model that proposes person-organization fit perceptions and attributions as mechanisms driving the relationship between DM programs and organizational attractiveness. I describe two experimental studies designed to test the proposed relationships between organizational diversity perspectives and applicants' perceptions of organizations. The first follows a two-phase between-subject design, while the second uses a within-subject policy-capturing methodology. Results, implications, and conclusions are discussed.

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Este estudo constrói uma base de dados inédita para analisar se a diversidade de gênero em conselhos de administração no Brasil adicionou valor para o acionista no período entre 2010 e 2017. Como estratégia de mensuração regredimos os excessos dos retornos sobre o patrimônio líquido das empresas - excessos em relação ao retorno de mercado (ROE menos o retorno do Ibovespa) contra o percentual de mulheres no conselho de administração. Utilizamos o método dos mínimos quadrados com dados referentes às empresas de capital aberto listadas na bolsa brasileira (B3) que apresentaram liquidez em bolsa superior à 1%. Controlamos os resultados para heterogeneidade dos conselhos adicionando os seguintes regressores: idade dos conselheiros, tamanho e independência do conselho. Concluímos que existe uma relação positiva e estatisticamente significativa entre uma maior presença de mulheres em conselhos de administração e geração de valor nas empresas, quando a geração é mensurada pelo excesso do retorno sobre o patrimônio líquido em relação ao retorno médio de mercado
This study builds an unprecedented database to analyze whether gender diversity in boards of directors in Brazil added shareholder value in the period between 2010 and 2017. As a measurement strategy we regressed the excesses of returns on companies 'stockholders' equity - excesses in relation to the market return (ROE less Ibovespa's return) against the percentage of women on the board of directors. We used the least squares method with data referring to publicly traded companies listed on the Brazilian stock exchange (B3), which had liquidity on the stock exchange of more than 1%. We control the results for heterogeneity in boards by adding the following regressors: age of board members, size, and board independence. We conclude that there is a positive and statistically significant relationship between a greater presence of women in boards of directors and a greater generation of value in companies, when generation is measured by the excess of return on equity in relation to the average return of the market

Farm enterprise diversification is an important tool for agricultural producers with respect to risk management. As agricultural producers in Virginia look to prepare their farm businesses for the new millennium, they are increasingly considering non-traditional enterprises and activities for their farms. As producers add new enterprises, they encounter challenges to develop new skills and gather adequate information for their new activities. Virginia Cooperative Extension has the task of providing producers with timely and useful research-based information. As both producers and Virginia Cooperative Extension agents and specialists prepare for the challenges of the changing face of agriculture in Virginia in the next generation, a mutual understanding of the key factors and motivations for enterprise diversification is necessary. This study investigates the key factors, motivations, and information needs of seven diversified farms in Virginia. The implications for producers and Cooperative Extension are outlined, and recommendations are made for Virginia Cooperative Extension, lenders, and agribusiness.
Master of Science

Dance
Ph.D.
In the study, the curricula of three selected dance departments in the United States, whose stated missions embrace cultural diversity, are examined. The primary research question is: Do the curricula of selected dance departments in the United States reflect the values of cultural diversity or pluralism as explicitly expressed in their mission statement? Through random online sample of thirty-nine mission statements from non-conservatory-based dance departments that grant degrees in the field of dance was collected. Although the use of the term diversity expanded greatly throughout the late 20th century, a delimitation of this study was to focus on cultural diversity as it relates to race and ethnicity. Mission statements are part of most dance departments' rationale and communication of values. Since dance departments are a part of larger institutions, it can be assumed that their missions are consistent with the focus of those organizations. As a primary outcome of organizational and of strategic planning, these statements are designed to differentiate one college or university from others. They are an articulation of the specific vision and long-term goals of a college or university, or more specifically in the case of this study, a dance department. Because one cannot assume a college or university's interest or commitment to cultural diversity, this study identified departments with a stated interest in cultural diversity from which to assess how such interest and commitment translates to curriculum; no direct conclusions about the home institution's implicit approach to cultural diversity was made. Future dance educators, dance artists, community artists, and arts administrators, as well as dance historians and scholars, are educated in the dance departments of colleges and universities throughout the United States. Thus, these departments have a large impact on the way dance is experienced throughout our society. Through an analysis of primary data, I examined the ways in which selected dance departments fulfill, or do not fulfill, their stated missions of cultural diversity. The methodology included a document analysis of the following primary source documents: mission statements, audition requirements, sequential department curriculum, required course readings, and demographics of faculty and students. Additionally, all teaching faculty and senior undergraduates from the selected dance departments were given a questionnaire to complete. The educational and performance background of faculty members, along with their areas of expertise, was the focus of the faculty questionnaire. In an effort to understand if student goals are aligned with the mission of the department, the student questionnaire included questions that asked seniors what type of positions they were interested in pursuing after graduation, and whether or not they felt they were prepared to enter the workforce given their course of study. The questions of how student goals are connected to working in culturally diverse communities of the 21st century, and if so, how the curriculum was designed to met the goals of students, were also explored. Finally, a field observation was included to provide context for each of theses institutions. This examination of three selected dance departments in terms of culturally diverse curricular offerings provides dance educators in higher education with examples of how selected dance departments carry out their stated missions. In this study dance departments that have developed strategies and mechanisms to implement their stated missions of cultural diversity throughout their curriculum are highlighted. Additionally, I encourage departments that have not been able to transmit their commitment to cultural diversity to department curriculum to do so, offering them tangible strategies which they can implement.
Temple University--Theses

Cette thèse porte sur la structure spatiale de la diversité génétique. Dans un premier temps, nous étudions un processus à valeurs mesure décrivant l'évolution de la composition génétique d'une population soumise à la sélection naturelle. Nous montrons que ce processus satisfait un théorème de la limite centrale, et que ses fluctuations sont données par la solution d'une équation aux dérivées partielles stochastique. Nous utilisons ce résultat pour donner une estimation du fardeau de dérive au sein d'une population structurée en espace.Dans un deuxième temps, nous nous intéressons à la composition génétique d'une population lorsque les individus se déplacent plus facilement dans une région de l'espace que dans l'autre (on parle alors de dispersion hétérogène). Nous démontrons dans ce cas la convergence des fréquences alléliques via la convergence des lignées ancestrales vers un système de mouvements browniens de Walsh.Nous détaillons également l'impact d'une barrière géographique traversant l'habitat d'une population sur sa diversité génétique. Nous montrons que les lignées ancestrales décrivent dans ce cas des mouvements browniens partiellement réfléchis, dont nous donnons plusieurs constructions.Dans le but d'appliquer ces travaux, nous adaptons une méthode d'inférence démographique au cas de la dispersion hétérogène. Cette méthode utilise les blocs continus de génome hérités d'un même ancêtre entre les paires d'individus dans l'échantillon et permet d'estimer les caractéristiques démographiques d'une population lorsque celles-ci varient dans l'espace. Pour terminer nous démontrons l'efficacité de notre méthode sur des données simulées
This thesis deals with the spatial structure of genetic diversity. We first study a measure-valued process describing the evolution of the genetic composition of a population subject to natural selection. We show that this process satisfies a central limit theorem and that its fluctuations are given by the solution to a stochastic partial differential equation. We then use this result to obtain an estimate of the drift load in spatially structured populations.Next we investigate the genetic composition of a populations whose individuals move more freely in one part of space than in the other (a situation called dispersal heterogeneity). We show in this case the convergence of allele frequencies via the convergence of ancestral lineages to a system of skew Brownian motions.We then detail the effect of a barrier to gene flow dividing the habitat of a population. We show that ancestral lineages follow partially reflected Brownian motions, of whom we give several constructions.To apply these results, we adapt a method for demographic inference to the setting of dispersal heterogeneity. This method makes use of long blocks of genome along which pairs of individuals share a common ancestry, and allows to estimate several demographic parameters when they vary accross space. To conclude, we demonstrate the accuracy of our method on simulated datasets