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Seefeldt, Dawn Amber. "Evaluation of Equivalence Relations: Models of Assessment and Best Practice." OpenSIUC, 2015. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/dissertations/1219.
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Due to changing age demographics in the United States, by 2050, an estimated 62.1 Americans will be over the age of 65 and the number of Americans with cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer’s disease, will increase drastically as well (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014; Ortman, Velkoff, & Hogan, 2014). Once a diagnosis or behavioral indicators of cognitive impairment are present, it would be beneficial to apply a treatment package that promotes the maintenance or re-establishment of stimulus control in the environment. From a behavioral perspective, stimulus control aids in learning and memory through both respondent and operant conditioning. In the current study, stimulus equivalence training was completed and compared to cognitive and functional assessments scores with older adult participants with and without cognitive impairment as a systematic replication of Gallagher and Keenan (2009). Formation of equivalence relations after exposure to linear series (LS) training with 2 3-member stimulus classes across arbitrary, familiar, and stimuli from Gallagher and Keenan (2009) was compared via trials to criterion, accuracy per relation, and session length to scores on the Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE), Saint Louis University State Exam (SLUMS), and Barthel ADL Index. Several methodological changes were applied to a second study to examine the impact of increased programmed stimuli, training changes, and the use of one-to-many (OTM) and many-to-one (MTO) training structures with 3 3-member stimulus classes on equivalence formation. Composite performance scores were created for accuracy during LS, OTM, and MTO training. Non-parametric analyses were conducted between assessment and composite scores. The SLUMS and Barthel ADL Index were not correlated with any composite scores. However, MMSE scores and LS composite scores were correlated. The SLUMS was more sensitive to the detection of cognitive impairment as judged by classification and diagnoses. OTM and MTO composite scores also had a strong, positive correlation. Overall, more participants demonstrated higher levels of accurate responding during LS training than during OTM and MTO training. In contrast to previous research, only 25% of the sample demonstrated equivalence formation. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.
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Bylin, Johan. "Best practice of extracting magnetocaloric properties in magnetic simulations." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Materialteori, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-388356.
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In this thesis, a numerical study of simulating and computing the magnetocaloric properties of magnetic materials is presented. The main objective was to deduce the optimal procedure to obtain the isothermal change in entropy of magnetic systems, by evaluating two different formulas of entropy extraction, one relying on the magnetization of the material and the other on the magnet's heat capacity. The magnetic systems were simulated using two different Monte Carlo algorithms, the Metropolis and Wang-Landau procedures. The two entropy methods proved to be comparably similar to one another. Both approaches produced reliable and consistent results, though finite size effects could occur if the simulated system became too small. Erroneous fluctuations that invalidated the results did not seem stem from discrepancies between the entropy methods but mainly from the computation of the heat capacity itself. Accurate determination of the heat capacity via an internal energy derivative generated excellent results, while a heat capacity obtained from a variance formula of the internal energy rendered the extracted entropy unusable. The results acquired from the Metropolis algorithm were consistent, accurate and dependable, while all of those produced via the Wang-Landau method exhibited intrinsic fluctuations of varying severity. The Wang-Landau method also proved to be computationally ineffective compared to the Metropolis algorithm, rendering the method not suitable for magnetic simulations of this type.
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Burdon, Wendy. "Models for compliance in the financial service industry : theory versus practice : is a best practice model feasible in an environment of regulatory flux?" Thesis, Northumbria University, 2016. http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/30225/.
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The overall purpose of this thesis is to examine the models for effective compliance, and those currently adopted in practice within the financial service sector. The need for financial service organisations to maintain a robust compliance function has developed due to ever increasing regulatory demands following the most recent global financial crisis, alongside concerns over compliance culture within financial service organisations. An overarching research question exists of why the compliance function is often viewed as business inhibiting within practice. This research engaged with practitioners with experience of working in financial service organisations and regulatory bodies. Repertory grid interviews (a technique stemming from Personal Construct Theory) explored practitioners’ personal worldviews of what comprises effective compliance via consideration of experiences ranging from ‘worst’ to ‘aspirational’ compliance. Practitioners do not align perceptions of benefits and costs of compliance in a linear fashion, when comparing worst and aspirational compliance experiences, which challenges the traditional models presented within academic literature. Barriers to regulatory compliance were highlighted, when exploring personal constructs with recurring themes of culture (management buy in) and also judgement (spirit, as opposed to, letter of the law). Compliance officer are highly aware of the importance of relationships with the regulator, and remain proactive in prioritising workload around the regulatory approach. An alternative model for compliance is presented in the form of the ‘Compliance Trust’. The model results in a compliance community which would operate independently from the financial service firms that they serve, and differs from traditional commercial consultancy or outsourcing with the emphasis on societal contribution and integrity, rather than economic motivations. The compliance trust would benefit organisations, via rotation of experience and knowledge sharing. This research provokes reflection on current practice in comparison to existing academic theories, and seeks to identify whether alternative models are viable for the future of compliance approaches within financial service practice.
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Wynberg, Rachel Paula. "Identifying pro-poor, best practice models of commercialisation of southern African non-timber forest products." Thesis, University of Strathclyde, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.435106.
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Ziad, Tariq Mah'd Abed. "Bridge asset management : a framework for best practice and artificial intelligence models to aid multi-criteria decision making." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2009. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.505406.
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Highway bridges are vital links within the highway network, representing a major long term infrastructure investment. A well managed bridge stock is therefore fundamental to the safety and availability of the highway network as a whole. In carrying out bridge management functions, Highway Authorities face growing pressures arising from inadequate budgets and greater accountability, when many of the existing bridges have reached the upper limits of their design life spans while being subjected to increasing and unprecedented traffic loading. There are many factors that influence the decision making process in bridge management, including funding and prioritisation decisions, and hence a MultiCriteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach is vital to ensure optimisation and a satisfactory trade-off between conflicting factors. The two key outputs of this thesis are the development of a bridge management framework for implementing best practices in Highway Authorities, and the development and testing of Artificial Intelligence (AI) models to aid multi-criteria decision making in bridge management. The case study approach was adopted, based on Manchester City Council's Bridges Practice, for mapping accepted good asset management practices in developing the bridge management framework; and for providing the vital bridge maintenance scheme data used in designing the AI decision support models. The most significant factors influencing decision making in bridge management were established through a nationwide questionnaire survey undertaken within the UK Highway Authorities' practicing bridge managers. Highway authority interviews were also conducted within the different types of Highway Authorities nationally and within the case study to verify existing bridge management practices and to inform the development of the bridge management framework. Several decision support models were developed using three different AI techniques, namely Artificial Neural Networks, Fuzzy Logic and Genetic Algorithms, as standalone models, within hybrid systems or both. The developed AI models and hybrid systems were validated using bridge maintenance schemes not used in the development phases, and found to be effective, to varying performance levels, in predicting the output Prioritisation Score for each bridge maintenance scheme within the test data set. The output bridge management framework was validated through an interview with Manchester's Roads and Bridges Manager, as a target end-user, and the framework was judged as a valuable tool capable of delivering the necessary upgrading in highway authority bridge management practices.
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Nadalin, Penno Letitia. "Understanding the Sustainability of Selected Recommendations for a Nursing Best Practice Guideline within an Acute Care Context." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/42666.
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Background: To date, little attention has focused on what the factors are and how Best Practice Guidelines (BPGs) are sustained in acute care over time.
Problem: For ten years, a multi-site acute care center supported the use of a Pain Assessment and Management Policy and Protocol (Pain P/P), placing the decision to use it with point of care nurses. Despite early implementation success, the nursing department identified an evidence-based gap on Medicine care units.
Purpose: To (i) identify factors influencing nurses’ use (or not) of the Pain P/P over time, and ten years post-implementation; (ii) examine related knowledge translation interventions (KTIs) used over time, and ten years post-implementation; (iii) validate unit nurses’ use of the Pain P/P ten years post-implementation; and (iv) identify relevant sustainability frameworks/models/theories (F/M/Ts), constructs and factors for sustained use of BPGs in acute care.
Methodology: A case study of an organization-wide nursing BPG was conducted ten years following initial implementation using mixed methods guided by the Dynamic Sustainability Framework (Chambers, 2013). The case study setting was a 1122 bed acute care center in Canada. I examined BPG sustainability at the (corporate) department and unit levels (two embedded subcases). Data sources included 19 informant interviews (3-corporate, 16-unit level), 200 chart audits (100/subcase), and 29 documents. I concurrently conducted a systematic review to identify sustainability concepts and factors for use in acute care to compare case study results.
Results: I identified 7 constructs, 49 factors, and 29 KTIs influencing sustained use of evidence-base practices (EBPs) in acute care. Three factors and eight KTIs had a continuous influence during implementation and sustained use phases. Findings confirm the concept of sustainability is a dynamic ‘process’ or ‘ongoing phase’.
Conclusions: This thesis provides a novel resource to support future practice and research aimed at sustaining EBPs to improve nursing practice and related patient outcomes. Attention to the level of application and changing conditions over time impacting factors that influence EBP use is required for sustainment. Use of a participatory approach to engage users in designing remedial plans and link KTIs to target behaviors that incrementally address low adherence rates promotes sustainability.
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Sekaluvu, Lawrence. "Assessment of ephemeral gully erosion using topographic and hydrologically based models in Central Kansas." Thesis, Kansas State University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/20557.
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Master of ScienceDepartment of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Aleksey Sheshukov
The global requirements for food and agricultural products have increased enormously in recent years mainly due to increase in global population. More land is brought under human development and cultivation including marginal lands that are susceptible to degradation processes of erosion, waterlogging, and depletion of organic matter. The resulting effects include; deprivation of the roles performed by the environment, high costs of water treatment, and sedimentation of water reservoirs. This study aims at assessment of ephemeral gully (EG) erosion using topographic and hydrologically based models in two paired watersheds in Central Kansas. The effects of best management practices (BMPs) implementation on EG formation, and erosion rates within the watershed are discussed. The topographic index (TI) models used include: slope area model (SA), compound topographic index model (CTI), wetness topographic index model (WTI), slope area power (SA2), kinematic wave model (nLS), and modified kinematic wave model (nLSCSS). EGs predicted by each model threshold were compared with observed EGs obtained through digitization and field reconnaissance. The agreement of thresholds obtained from location and length approaches were compared by means of drainage density concept. Statistical analysis was performed by error matrix for EG location analysis, and root mean square error (RMSE) and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) for EG length analysis. A TIN-based real-time integrated basin simulator (tRIBS) model, a physically-based, distributed hydrological model was coupled with an EG erosion component (Foster and Lane model) to estimate the erosion rates, and effect of installation of BMPs on reduction of EG erosion rates from agricultural fields. The results indicated that TI models could predict EG location with a maximum total accuracy of 70%. The effectiveness of TI models at prediction of EGs is affected by watershed features such as installed structural best management practices, roads, and culverts. The CTI model outperformed all the TI models at prediction of EGs with maximum Kappa and NSE values of 0.32 and 0.55 respectively, and a minimum RMSE value of 0.087 m. Structural BMPs are effective at controlling erosion from croplands, however, the effectiveness of structural BMPs at reduction of sediment loadings from EGs vary depending on surface cover, and BMP geometry.
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Overlack, David John. "Using explicit knowledge models and best practice guidelines to improve humanitarian outcomes through the development of a knowledge tool for international health workers." Thesis, Curtin University, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/1611.
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This study attempts to improve Red Cross health workers’ access and use of information to improve decision making processes through understanding the deficiencies and limitations that currently exist within the Red Cross movement around knowledge management. The development of mobile computing and communication devices is transforming how aid organisations collect, use and transform data into actionable knowledge. A portable reference resource has been developed for humanitarian health workers along with a proposed modified decision-making framework.
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He, Wu. "The effects of conceptual description and search practice on users' mental models and information seeking in a case libray with a best match search mechanism." Diss., Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10355/5863.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006.The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on July 21, 2008) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.
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Mpofana, Mziwonke Milton. "Transferability of Policies and Organisational Practices across Public and Private Health Service Delivery Systems: A Case Study of Selected Hospitals in the Eastern Cape: Exploring Lessons, Ambiguities and Contradictions." University of the Western Cape, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/5638.
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Philosophiae Doctor - PhDSince the advent of South Africa's democracy in 1994 there have been several changes in the policy and legislative arena specifically promoting public-private-partnerships in the health sector. These initiatives have given rise to opportunities for inter-sectoral policy transfer under the rubric of ―best practices‖. This exploratory study examines the character, obstacles and contested nature of a selection of policy transfers between private and public health institutions in a single province of South Africa. The study looks at the dynamics at play around envisaged, current and past transfers of policies and organisational practices in relation to administrative systems and technologies used in four different hospital settings – two public and two private hospitals in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. This thesis explores the views of managers and labour organisations about policy transfer focusing on local contexts, and how various parties construct policy transfer, hence providing a perspective of policy at the ―plant‖ level. In this research, special focus is placed on different agents' role and understandings of their contexts and how and why policies move and contradictions of these developments. In-depth interviews were conducted at four major Eastern Cape hospitals. The thesis argues that in practice, policy transfer is messy, politicized and traversed by power and vested interests and that organised labour plays a key role in policy transfer process. The thesis focuses on the different philosophical/ideological underpinnings, socio-political values and operational environments in each sector. This study is designed to contribute to existing knowledge on practices particularly between the public and private sectors in order to widen the understanding of the complexity of transferability.
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Lee, Gan Kai William. "A decision model for manufacturing best practice adoption : linking practices to competitive strategies." Thesis, Cranfield University, 2007. http://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/2724.
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This thesis describes research that has developed a decision model for the analytical selection of manufacturing best practices. The competitiveness and growth in the manufacturing sector is critical for Singapore economy. Design and improvement of manufacturing systems is imperative to sustain the competitiveness of manufacturing organisations in the country. It is common for companies to adopt manufacturing best practices in this design process to emulate the success and performance of their counterparts. However, practices should be adapted to the competitive environment and strategy of the company to yield the desired results. Therefore, linkages between best practices and their associated competitive priorities will present useful guidelines for action to help manufacturing organisations achieve superior performance. The research programme has set out to define a decision model for best practice adoption. A broad taxonomy of manufacturing strategies and concepts has been used to identify and cluster a list of popular best practices commonly adopted. The decision framework for best practice adoption process is then formulated and a preliminary decision model constructed. This model is verified through semistructured interviews with industry and academic experts. Validation of model is conducted via case study research on eight manufacturing organisations. Linkages between practices and competitive strategies are then constructed to establish the final decision model. Finally, this decision model is illustrated in the form of a guidebook to help practitioner in the best practice selection process. This research has bridged the fields of manufacturing strategy and best practice research by establishing a comprehensive taxonomy of manufacturing strategies and concepts to classify the popular and commonly adopted best practices. A decision model that links best practices to competitive strategies has been developed to select the most appropriate practices for an environment. Thus, the work presented in this thesis has made a significant and original contribution to knowledge on the provision of analytical decision support for practitioners engaging in the manufacturing best practice adoption process.
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Schumann, Sandra. "Evolution von Distanzmaßen für chirurgische Prozesse." Doctoral thesis, Universitätsbibliothek Leipzig, 2014. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:15-qucosa-143096.
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Der Operationssaal ist ein hochkomplexes System mit dem Ziel patientenindividuelle Therapien zum Erfolg zu führen. Schwerpunkt dieser Arbeit ist der Arbeitsablauf des Chirurgen. Ein chirurgischer Prozess beinhaltet die durchgeführten
Arbeitsschritte des Operateurs während eines Eingriffffs. Der protokollierte chirurgische Prozess ist Ausgangspunkt der Untersuchungen.
Es wurde eine Methodik entwickelt, die mit statistischen und standardisierten Verfahren Unterschiede zwischen dem Ablauf verschiedener chirurgischer Prozesse messen kann. Dazu wurden die vier Distanzmaße Jaccard, Levenshtein, Adjazenz und Graphmatching auf chirurgische Prozesse angewandt. Eine Evaluation anhand von Daten einer Trainingsstudie zur Untersuchung laparoskopischer Instrumente in der minimalinvasiven Chirurgie bildet die Grundlage zur Bestimmung von Levenshteindistanz und Adjazenzdistanz als die Maße, die optimal geeignet sind Unterschiede zwischen chirurgen Prozessen zu messen.
Die Retrospektivität der Distanzanalyse wird aufgehoben indem folgende Hypothese untersucht wird: Es gibt einen Zusammenhang zwischen der Distanz zur Laufzeit eines chirurgischen Eingriffs mit der Distanz nach kompletten Ablauf des
Eingriffs. Die Hypothese konnte bestätigt werden.
Der Zusammenhang zwischen Prozessablauf und Qualität des Prozessergebnisses wird mit folgender Hypothese untersucht: Je größer die Distanz eines chirurgischen Prozesses zum Best Practice, desto schlechter ist das Prozessergebnis. In der Chirurgie ist der Best Practice der chirurgische Prozess, der als die beste
Prozedur angesehen wird, um das angestrebte Therapieziel zu erreichen. Auch diese Hypothese konnte bestätigt werden.
Die Anwendung der Distanzmaße in der klinischen Praxis erfolgte beispielhaft an Eingriffffen aus der Neurochirurgie (zervikale Diskektomie) und der HNO (Neck Dissection).
Insgesamt wurde mit der in dieser Arbeit dargelegten grundlegenden Methodik der Distanzmaße bei der Analyse chirurgischer Prozesse ein Grundstein für vielfältige weitere Untersuchungen gelegt.
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Abeln, Brittany, and Brittany Abeln. "Best Practice Model for Nurses Experiencing Work-Related Bereavement." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/555521.
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The purpose of this thesis is to present a best practice model to support nurses experiencing work-related bereavement to prevent complicated grief following the death of a patient. The death of a patient is a universal experience for nurses. Nurses are at risk for experiencing complicated grief due to limited time to process patient deaths. Review of the literature in PubMed was conducted using the keywords: nurse, death, patient death, attitudes, nurses' response and dying. The project produced a best practice model for nurses experiencing work-related bereavement. The Helping Overcome Patient Expiration (HOPE) Model gives nurses experiencing work-related bereavement options for support. It incorporates a monthly nurse's grief support meeting, Zen room, handout and workplace memorial. The project culminated in a hypothetical implementation and evaluation plan of the HOPE Model. The proposed best practice model for nurses experiencing work-related bereavement would reduce possible stressors, prevent maladaptive coping, and promote nurse retention in hospitals.
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Poon, Joanna L. K. "Development of a process model for the design stage of building projects." Thesis, University of Wolverhampton, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/2436/111548.
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Riat, Amerdeep Singh. "#Best practice' lean production in small to medium sized manufacturing enterprises, and its assessment." Thesis, University of Sunderland, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.337041.
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Dorner, Sarah M. "Evaluating best management practices for agricultural watersheds using probabilistic models." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape4/PQDD_0020/MQ55669.pdf.
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Athey, Glenn C. "Evaluating a best practice model for an economic development agency." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 1998. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/3129/.
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This thesis is concerned with evaluating effectiveness and performance in economic development agencies. Development agencies are typically quasi- public bodies that operate at metropolitan, sub-regional and local scales with the purpose of promoting and realising economic development in their areas. The aim of this thesis is to develop a best practice model for such agencies. The institutions that were studied as part of this project included a wide range of different economic development organisations located in Belfast, Berlin, Glasgow and London. Initially, the thesis discusses the history of economic development activity at sub-national scales in the UK and internationally, and explores the role that such agencies play. Aspects of organisational performance and effectiveness in the context of economic development agencies are further discussed. The research proceeds according to a framework of organisational analysis, describing and analysing the environment that agencies operate in, the most influential characteristics and factors for agency performance, and features of operational design and implementation. The basis for the original research in this thesis is data from a substantial number of qualitative interviews with individuals from development agencies and other interest groups. The thesis argues that there are a wide range of characteristics and factors that contribute to agency effectiveness and performance, and that these have been insufficiently explored in past research. Economic development agencies are also significantly influenced by the environment which they operate in. Overall, it is argued that in order to be successful at their task, economic development agencies need to be truly excellent organisations. This includes developing effective mechanisms for corporate management, staff development, and a market-led rationale for organisational philosophy and action. The concluding chapter of this thesis develops a framework for creating and sustaining excellence in economic development organisations.
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Thatcher, Gregory W. "A model of best practice: Leadership development programs in the nuclear industry." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2006. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5307/.
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This study looked at leadership development at top performing nuclear plants in the United States. The examination of leadership development as actually practiced in the nuclear energy industry lead to the development of a best practice model. The nuclear industry is self-regulated through the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations (INPO). INPO has been evaluating nuclear plants over the past 15 years. Recently they have identified supervisor performance as a key factor in poor plant performance. INPO created a model for leadership development called Growing Industry Leaders. The nuclear industry has identified its aging workforce and subsequent loss of leadership as an emerging issue facing the nuclear industry in the next five to ten years. This initiative was aimed at both the supervisor shortfalls identified through plant evaluations and the state of the workforce within the nuclear industry. This research evaluated the elements of this model and compared them to a model of best practice. This research answered the following questions: What elements of leadership development should be included in leadership development programs? What would a model of best practice in leadership development look like? Data was collected from nine out of 103 top performing plants. Development activities were categorized by a seven member panel of experts. These categories were then validated using three rounds of a Delphi process to reach consensus. This became the basis for the best practice model for leadership development.
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Cruz, Lucas Rubiano de Souza. "A best practices method for aircraft flight control law design." Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica, 2008. http://www.bd.bibl.ita.br/tde_busca/arquivo.php?codArquivo=705.
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This work develops a systematic design procedure for flight control laws design which allows: the use of best practices; compatibility with current fly-by-wire implementation; and integration with aircraft and systems design. Such procedure is based on a two-degree-of-freedom control structure, the first degree of freedom defining input to output characteristics and the second coping with disturbance rejection, noise rejection and robustness. The procedure uses a frequency domain based uncertainty description for treating robustness. A case study comprising a primary longitudinal flight control law design for a business aircraft is defined to evaluate the procedure. Results show the adequacy of the procedure: to coalesce many different requirements into simpler ones; evidence compromises between different requirements; design robust control laws given a set of reasonable requirements.
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Williams, Marjory Dana. "Construction and Initial Evaluation of a Systems Model of Nursing Best Practice from a Complexity Science Perspective." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/195170.
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Despite the acceptance of best practice as a standard for quality health care delivery, the exact nature of what constitutes best practice does not share universal definition or application. The purpose of this dissertation is to propose an integrative conceptual representation of nursing best practice from the philosophical perspective of complexity science.A five-step concept clarification approach was used to identify the concept, systematize observations and descriptions, develop an operational definition, construct a model, and formulate hypotheses. An expert panel explored preliminary validity of the definition and model.Purposive recruitment of clinicians and scholars was conducted for expert panel membership. The expert panel rated the strength of the model dimensions of adequacy, representative-ness, consistency, clarity, simplicity, generalness, accessibility, importance, and relevance, as well as interest in development and application. Narrative data from open-ended questions was incorporated into model refinement.Clinician properties and context properties emerged as two principle domains of interdependent influence. Key dynamic processes included critical thinking by which clinicians operationalize properties into practice choices, and informative reflection by which the organization monitors and improves performance through information flow and learning. All aspects of the conceptual model, with the exception of consistency of relationships, were ultimately rated as strengths by the expert panel. Relationships among constructs were identified as complex, diverse, and difficult to isolate. Expert perception was that clinician and context properties most likely equally influence nursing best practice, but that context properties may have greater influence than clinician properties over time.This model incorporates a full range of interdependence across clinician and context domains of influence. This model requires further operationalization of constructs prior to formal validity testing. The application of complexity science introduces challenges to research and measurement in the study of complex adaptive systems. The model presented in this dissertation provides a perspective from which a better understanding of health care system interdependencies may arise.
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Mallikarachchi, Thanuja D. "Performance Models for Manufactured Stormwater Best Management Practices with Sedimentation and Filtration in Series." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1547131754278262.
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Shearer, James D. "Development of a Digital Game-Based Learning Best Practices Checklist." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1303865257.
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Chan, Anne. "Best practices of outstanding mentors in psychology : an ecological, relational, and multicultural model /." May be available electronically:, 2008. http://proquest.umi.com/login?COPT=REJTPTU1MTUmSU5UPTAmVkVSPTI=&clientId=12498.
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Zeckoski, Rebecca Winfrey. "Simulation of Runoff and Pollutant Loss in Urbanizing Watersheds." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/34106.
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The effect of urbanization on previously agricultural watersheds is an increasingly important issue for watershed planners. Urbanization increases runoff and pollutant loadings to the watershed outlet. Watershed planners in areas that previously had little impervious cover must now consider the effects of new roads and buildings on hydrologic processes. The ANSWERS-2000 watershed model was modified to simulate watersheds with mixtures of agricultural and urban areas. In addition, components were added to simulate atmospheric deposition and urban management practices, including wet ponds, dry ponds, and infiltration trenches.
The modified model was evaluated on two watersheds in Blacksburg, Virginia, including a subwatershed of Stroubles Creek and a large parking lot on the Virginia Tech campus with a dry pond at its outlet. The model predicted the hydrology and pollutant losses for the year 1999 from the Stroubles Creek watershed within 50% of the observed values after calibration. Prediction errors were much higher for the parking lot and dry pond simulation of the period of time from August 1995 to February 1996. For the parking lot inflow to the dry pond, errors ranged from 0 to 100%. For the dry pond effluent, errors for runoff and sediment losses were -11.5 and 60.1%, respectively, and nutrient losses were poorly predicted (greater than 100% error). There was considerable uncertainty as to the quality of the observed data and this may account for some of the predicted sediment and nutrient loss errors. The modified model was applied to the Battlefield Green Watershed in Hanover County, Virginia to demonstrate the watershed response to development in that watershed. As simulated, sediment and nutrient losses were 30 to 50 times higher after development.
The model is intended for use on watersheds with an impervious cover of 30% or less, due to the increased difficulty in accurately quantifying the hydrology of highly urbanized watersheds and because of uncertainty in atmospheric deposition rates on such watersheds. The pond subroutines are very simplified, and limit simulation to ponds with simple geometries.
Master of Science
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Xu, Zhifeng. "Best practice of risk modelling in motor insurance : using GLM and Machine Learning approach." Master's thesis, Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/20405.
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Mestrado em Actuarial ScienceO pricing na atividade seguradora está a tornar-se cada vez mais interessante e desafi- ador pelo facto de a dimensão dos dados a analisar estar a crescer de forma explosiva. Torna-se assim urgente para as seguradoras reconsiderar a forma de lidar com este vol- ume de dados. Para implementar modelos sofisticados de pricing para produtos de seguro automóvel, aplicámos técnicas de machine learning, incluindo modelos GLM penalizados e métodos de boosting, que ajudam a identificar as características mais importantes de entre uma grande quantidade de variáveis candidatas. Estes métodos também permitem detetar potenciais interações sem testar as inúmeras combinações bidimensionais. Para um uso eficiente desses métodos, é necessário compreender o objetivo do modelo, as hipóteses que o suportam e dominar as metodologias estatísticas. Embora haja alguma evidência de um maior poder preditivo dos modelos baseados em machine learning quando comparados com os tradicionais GLM, estes últimos beneficiam de uma estrutura, mais conveniente e mais interpretável. O modelo GLM é mais fácil de ex- plicar às partes interessadas o que nos levou a utilizar os GLM na modelação do risco, mas absorvendo os ensinamentos dados pelos modelos de machine learning. A avaliação dos modelos é realizada pela análise dos resíduos quer na fase de treino quer de validação quer ainda de teste. Após a revisão pela equipa, aplicam-se alguns ajustes em cada modelo para reforçar a sua significância e a sua robustez. Espera-se que eles tenham alto poder preditivo nos dados fora da amostra e possam, portanto, ser usados no futuro.
Insurance pricing nowadays is getting more and more interesting and challenging due to the fact that the dimension of analysable data is evolutionarily exploding. It is an urgent call for insurers to reconsider how to deal with the data more accurately and precisely. To implement pricing sophistication in motor insurance products, we apply cutting edge machine learning techniques including penalized GLM and boosting methods, which help us identify the important features among massive amount of candidate variables, and detect potential interactions without trying the endless two-way combinations manually. In order to sufficiently make use of these methods, we need to deeply understand the research objective, preliminary assumptions and statistical backgrounds. Although there is some evidence indicating the existence of higher predictive power of machine learning models compared with traditional GLM (Generalized Linear Models), GLM is more convenient and interpretable, especially for multiplicative models. GLM model is easier to be demonstrated to stakeholder, therefore we still achieve our risk models in GLM, but absorbing the insights from our machine learning results. The evaluation of models is done by progression, it is generally performed by residual analysis of the training or validation dataset, and testing errors for the holdout dataset. After peer review, we apply some adjustment in each model, to get models that are significant and robust. They are expected to have high predictive power in the out-of- sample data, thus can be used in the future.
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Chen, Jeff Yu-Jen. "Toward a multi-stakeholders partnership best-practice model for coaching interventions in customised executive education." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/97419.
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Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this highly competitive market, organisations are placing a strong emphasis on leveraging its organisational learning (OL) activities to achieve a sustained advantage. Organisations are increasingly recognising the value of partnering with external education providers to implement customized executive education programmes that can address their unique business need. Coaching interventions are frequently incorporated in such learning initiatives to enhance the alignment of the learning and development practises with the organisational goals and to increase the level of learning transfer once the program has been completed. The best-practises of coaching interventions remain however several understudied. This study therefore investigated the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships on the effectiveness of coaching interventions within a customised executive programme. Qualitative data was collected through a series of semi-structured interviews targeting coaches, organisational learning drivers and delegates to obtain multi-source feedback for enhanced validity of perceptions. The findings were subsequently subjected to thematic analysis resulting in the emergence of 7 core themes. The results emphasised the importance of aligning the interpretation of management, organisational learning drivers (OLDs), coaches and delegates regarding the goals of the organisation and the coaching initiative. A recurring theme across the datasets related to the importance of transparent, direct and open communication prior to the commencement of coaching. Furthermore, the advantages of group coaching highlighted in this study were supported by previous literature. Another important contribution of this study pertained to evaluating and sustaining the mental and behavioural shifts delegates experienced during the coaching interventions. This highlighted the importance of soliciting management support, eliciting informal accountability and post-coaching interventions. As a result of combining multi-stakeholder perceptions, the findings of this study may contribute towards developing a best-practice model for coaching interventions in customised executive education (CEE) programmes.
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Norris-Jones, Lynne. "Demonstrate and document : the development of a best practice model for biometric access control management." Thesis, Cardiff Metropolitan University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10369/6411.
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This thesis investigates the social, legal and ethical perceptions of participants towards the implementation of biometric access control systems within a sample of United Kingdom work-based environments. It focuses on the application of fingerprint scanning and facial recognition systems, whilst alluding to the development of more advanced (bleeding edge) technologies in the future. The conceptual framework is based on a tripartite model in which Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is applied to the workforce whilst the principles of Utilitarianism and the Psychological Contract are applied to both management strategies and workforce perceptions. A qualitative paradigm is used in which semi-structured interviews are conducted with management and workforce participants within a sample of United Kingdom-based organisations (represented by Case Studies A-D). Discourse from these interviews are analysed, leading to the development of a series of first-cut findings for suggested "Best Practice " in the social, legal and ethical management of biometric access control systems. This process is subsequently developed with a refined sample of respondents (Case Studies A and C) culminating in the presentation of a suggested "Best Practice Model" for application to all four case studies. The model is based upon elements of a pre-determined Code of Practice (ISO/IEC 27002lnformation Technology - Security techniques - Code of Practice for Information Security Management) towards fostering acceptance of biometric technology within the workplace, in answering the question: How should organisations using biometric access control systems address social, legal and ethical concerns in the management of specific working environments in the United Kingdom?
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Webb, Evan. "Towards a General Logic Model for Recreational Youth Development Programs." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/36872.
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Recreational organizations that deliver activities to youth within their communities can provide an effective setting for positive youth development (PYD) endeavours due to being fun, engaging, and an environment where skill-building is inherent. However, not all recreational organizations offering PYD aimed programs are successful and many are cancelled after a short amount of time. A framework or guide for (1) promoting PYD through community recreation and (2) evaluating and identifying PYD outcomes does not yet exist. This research seeks to develop a model to inform recreational program design to bring about positive developmental outcomes in youth participants using empirical data collected from three successful organizations. Both one-on-one interviews and a focus group with youth participants and adult staff were utilized following a qualitative multiple case study approach. Data collected was concerned with the positive developmental outcomes experienced by youth participants in the organizations and mechanisms used to realize these outcomes. The key themes, derived through inductive and deductive analyses, are presented as a five-step logic model. These themes help identify the intended results of programs along with the resources and processes needed to achieve these results, thus making this study’s findings easy to integrate into recreational programming. The model’s process factors included a series of inputs (i.e., contextual factors and external assets) and activities (i.e., direct and indirect strategies). Findings identified as intended PYD outcomes included outputs (i.e., objective measurable indicators), short-term outcomes (i.e., life skills), and long-term impacts (i.e., the four Cs including life skill transfer and contribution). This study elaborates on concepts identified in previous research that are conducive to PYD while bringing them together into a framework for designing recreational programs with the goal of promoting positive developmental outcomes in youth. However, further testing through quantitative, longitudinal, and intervention research may be needed.
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Berryman, Reba. "Knowledge management in virtual organizations: A study of a best practices knowledge transfer model." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2005. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4740/.
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Knowledge management is a major concern for organizations today, and in spite of investments in technology, knowledge transfer remains problematic. This study sought to determine whether a relationship exists among participant group demographics (experience), implementation of an integrated knowledge transfer system (best practices model), knowledge transfer barriers, and knowledge transfer project (Web-based training) outcome in a virtual organization. The participant organization was a network of individuals and groups who practice patient advocacy in the research and treatment of cancer. These advocates volunteer in various capacities and are not collocated nor do they report to any single organizational entity. Volunteer participants were randomly assigned to a treatment or control condition. The treatment participants received a training supplement based upon a best practices knowledge transfer model. All participants reviewed a Web-based communications training module scheduled for deployment by the participant organization. Upon completion of the training program, participants were instructed to practice specific techniques from the program. At the end of this period, participants completed an online survey that measured demographics, perceived barriers to the knowledge transfer, and project outcome. Knowledge transfer barriers were defined as knowledge, source, recipient, and organizational context characteristics that inhibit the expected transfer. Project outcome was a composite score of items measuring completion time, budget, and satisfaction of the user. Multiple regression identified two significant predictor variables, source (the training program and implementation) and experience (amount of time spent in advocacy practice). Additional analyses found knowledge (causal ambiguity and unproven knowledge) and the experimental treatment condition to show a strong relationship with the explained variance of the dependent variable, knowledge transfer project outcome. Results suggest that an online training implementation is a valid tool for certain specific transfer design characteristics. Experience was a negative predictor of outcome, suggesting that participant-specific level of training material may produce improved outcome. Furthermore, knowledge in the form of evidence that the material is useful as well as explanation of the cause and effect linkage is a factor in a more successful transfer. Finally, the application of a knowledge transfer system designed around organization-specific variables shows promise as a factor in enhanced knowledge transfer in Web-based training in virtual organizations. Further research is suggested to provide additional insight into the predictive value of these variables.
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Roberts, Hayley. "The practice of community archaeology in the UK : a model for best practice based upon case studies from Dorset and Cambridgeshire." Thesis, Bournemouth University, 2017. http://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/29661/.
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Archaeology undertook a process of definition and exclusivity in order to develop as a discipline. It justified its increasing control and management of the archaeological resource as being on behalf of the public. This has been challenged by the concept of community archaeology, which was originally defined as a collaborative process, where non-archaeologists are considered equal partners in the research process. In the UK local archaeology societies have been interpreted as community archaeology. They developed in parallel to the profession and are traditionally managed by and for volunteers, some of whom have considerable archaeological experience. The term community archaeology has also been used to describe a much wider range of projects, many of which have been stimulated by professional organisations wishing to demonstrate impact. These usually, but not always, aim to engage the community through participation. There has been some theoretical discussion about community archaeology. This has predominantly revolved around definition but little research has taken place into the practice occurring within the UK. This has resulted in a lack of published guidance. This PhD thesis will start to fill this gap. It considers the concept of community archaeology and its relationship with professional archaeology. In particular it focuses upon the concept of the volunteer and the local archaeology society. The research used a qualitative approach to understand current practice. Interviews with volunteers from local archaeology societies identified that they conduct archaeological research for a range of reasons. Primarily these are site accessibility and personal interest however volunteers are also motivated by a sense of wider purpose and they desire to conduct their research to professional standards. The thesis compares this to interviews with professional archaeologists, who value these societies for the support that they provide to the archaeological profession. Case study projects were used as a second methodology to explore the practice of community archaeology in the UK upon theoretical guidance, and in particular the concept of collaboration in. Volunteers in archaeology look towards professional archaeologists to provide guidance, identifying them as experts. They also require a range of different archaeological experiences. Relationships between the public, experienced volunteers and professional archaeologists were demonstrated to be complex and these categories are not exclusive. The research concludes that community archaeology has previously been described as a bottom up or collaborative practice, this research demonstrates that the practice has evolved and that now many examples conform to the Authorised Heritage Discourse. This has created a lack of guidance; in response this PhD presents a model of best practice for professional and volunteer archaeologists. This will ensure that community archaeology is practiced to the maximum benefit of all involved.
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Wilmer, André [Verfasser]. "Entwicklung und Evaluation eines Best-Practice-Modells zur Erhöhung der Arzneimitteltherapiesicherheit bei ambulanten Krebspatienten / André Wilmer." Bonn : Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Bonn, 2016. http://d-nb.info/1107184371/34.
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Rammutla, Tshegofatso Matsobane. "Fiscal stability assurance in petroleum agreements : a best practice model for the modern fiscal stabilisation clause." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/60086.
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The petroleum industry is beset with risks that can threaten the commercial viability of extractive companies. These risks also pose a danger to the economies of countries and the jobs of the men and women on the ground. Some of these risks are unavoidable and come part and parcel with extracting hydrocarbons. However, fiscal risk is something that can be managed and thereby minimized ? for the good of both the state hosting the resource and the extractive company. A number of tools exist to manage this risk; this study looks at the fiscal stabilisation clause as it is a particularly popular option for investors.
The study takes a qualitative approach through an investigation into literary works and explores how and why the fiscal stabilization clause has become a popular option for fiscal risk management. These clauses have been heavily criticized by various stakeholders and yet they remain as relevant today as when they were first shaped in the 20th century. The study also looks at the controversy surrounding the validity of such clauses by examining various legal sources ? particularly doctrinal writings and international arbitration rulings. The investigation reveals a shift in the stabilisation clause?s scope, and more importantly its objective, over the years. Drafters as well as legal opinion seems to be at odds with the restrictive nature of yesteryear clauses, which may unjustly tie the hands of a host state ? and as such a more balanced approach is sought.
These considerations lead to the main thrust of the study which is to determine what practical drafting steps can be taken to ensure the efficacy of these clauses. The focus leans on the most pertinent substantive components that such a clause should contain to ensure the risks and benefits of resource development are shared fairly. The procedure and objective of the renegotiation mechanism contained the clause is particularly important as it is this key ingredient that makes or breaks the fiscal stability of a project. The study builds on extensive writings on the subject and attempts to build a body of best practice in this regard.Mini Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2017.
Public Law
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Alvarado, Lizeth, Juan Díaz, Juan Quiroz, and Carlos Raymundo. "Basic production planning and control model based on process management to increase the productivity of mango MSEs in Casma." Springer Verlag, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10757/656119.
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El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado.The department with the greatest economic dependence on the fruit is Ancash, and the Province of Casma is most important in production, as it only produces mango; however, at the productivity level, is a marked difference of 8.2 t/ha compared to the highest worldwide producer, Mexico. Taking this data into consideration, an analysis of the MSEs producing mango in Casma was conducted and problems were seen in the management of resources and processes, both at the levels of planning and control. Considering the problems of MSEs from Casma, a basic Production Planning and Control model was designed based on Process Management and agricultural best practices. The model consists of applying process management tools, such as the flow diagram, the SIPOC turtle, data sheet indicators, procedures, and formats for each sub-process, all with the aim of better understanding the proposal’s development and increasing the productivity of MSEs.
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Hedrington, Jones Renata Aloma. "Human Service Professionals' Practice with Families After Parental Incarceration." ScholarWorks, 2015. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/1195.
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Social workers and other human services professionals helping families reintegrate after parental incarceration deal with multiple issues without a model of for facilitating family resilience. The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to explore the essence of the perceived role, activities, and practices of a sample of social workers and other human service professionals engaged in the use of family group conferences (FGCs). FGCs are also referred to as restorative justice, as they inform and assist human service professionals in developing clinical interventions and best practices to support reintegration, family preservation, and stabilization. The framework for this study was built around restorative justice theory, resiliency theory, and a larger social ecological theory and focused on the use of FGCs as a developing practice within family systems and the community. The primary research questions investigated the practitioners' experiences using FGCs. Data came from interviews of participants (15) drawn from professional associations and included their own case notes and reflections. The data was sorted and analyzed with the assistance of qualitative analysis software (Atlas.Ti7) to search for themes that may assist in identifying the phenomenon. The findings suggest that the FGC model should consist of a training curriculum, consistent practice, and dedicated and committed financial resources to support programs. This study impacts social change by informing human services professionals of current best practices and may provide a model of FGCs that will help implement services to families.
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Mirindo, Frank. "Environmental Dispute Resolution in Tanzania and South Africa: A Comparative Assessment in the Light of International Best Practice." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2008. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_9222_1263173869.
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This research examines the effectiveness of these dispute resolution mechanisms in environmental disputes and what improvements should be made in order to make those mechanisms suitable for these types of disputes.
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Fehn, Jeffrey A. "A Training Curriculum Model of Multi-ethnic Ministry Best Practices Designed for Harmony Vineyard Church." Thesis, Regent University, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3737469.
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The current picture of the American Church is considerably less gloriously diverse than the end-times church portrayed in Revelation 7:9. Since the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s observation in 1956 of Sunday morning as the most segregated time in America, much has been written about the subject of diverse churches, by many different authors and from many different perspectives. By distilling the best practices found in these writings into a model curriculum and teaching it to his congregation, the author answers the question “What constitutes an effective training model designed to increase awareness of some of the key aspects of multi-ethnic churches for Harmony Vineyard Church in Ashland, Virginia?”
The project’s rationale was straightforward and simple. First, a more unified, diverse church blesses God the Father. Second, for pastors who desire a multi-ethnic congregation, this project will hopefully serve as a single resource addressing the specific issues of teaching and training both pastors and congregations in exactly how to go about creating such a congregation. Third, developing more multi-ethnic congregations is desirable, important, and strategic as the U.S.A.’s ethnic population continues to grow.
The intervention project consisted of seven training segments designed to do the following: 1) to portray God’s heart for unity; 2) to introduce multi-ethnic church terms and concepts; 3) to introduce cultural awareness and its importance, and; 4) to conduct a “sacred conversation” about race and racial issues. The training included both sermons and classroom teaching, and was presented during May, 2015.
Another aspect of the project was a questionnaire-based study of self-described multi-ethnic Vineyard churches to test if the literature’s best practices needed to be contextualized for each denomination, and specifically for Vineyard churches. The good news is that apparently they do not. It was also good news to discover that in many cases, monoethnic churches can become multi-ethnic even if their neighborhoods are not particularly diverse.
At the project’s end it was determined that the curriculum put forth was a successful training model as a significant majority of the participants’ feedback pointed to an increased awareness of the training’s four focus areas mentioned above.
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Ansah, Yaw Boamah. "Enhancing Profitability of Pond Aquaculture in Ghana through Resource Management and Environmental Best Management Practices." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/51122.
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The accelerating pace of growth of aquaculture in sub-Saharan Africa has received much positive appraisal because of the potential of the industry to contribute to economic development and food security by providing jobs and animal protein. Adoption of best management practices (BMPs) holds the potential to ameliorate the related environmental impacts of aquaculture, such as in the amounts of nutrients and sediment that will enter natural water bodies from earthen pond effluents. The goals of this study were to characterize adoption of aquaculture BMPs on small-scale, pond-based farms in Ghana, and to assess selected economic, social, and environmental outcomes of BMP adoption. Two BMPs: 1) water reuse, and 2) commercial floating feeds, were investigated for adoption by pond-based fish farmers in Ghana. I conducted my study in Ghana using on-farm experiments involving intensive monitoring of water quality and growth of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) over two production cycles. Additionally, I administered a baseline survey to 393 (and a follow-up survey to 160) fish farmers. I determined the best model for modelling farmed Nile tilapia growth with multi-model inference based on Akaike information criterion (AIC), the profitability of adopting BMPs with stochastic enterprise budgets and, social welfare impact with the Economic-Surplus model. I used a Markov model to predict the equilibrium rate of adoption of the two BMPs and determined the impact of BMP adoption on the reduction of pollutant loading with the Minimum-Data method of the Tradeoffs Analysis (TOA-MD).
My results showed that the logistic model is a better alternative to the von Bertalanffy model for modelling the growth of Oreochromis niloticus under pond aquaculture conditions. There were no significant differences in fish weight between the water re-use BMP and the use of new water. Adoption of the commercial floating feed BMP resulted in a 100% increase in fish final weight and yield, and in higher profitability, compared to the sinking feed type. Probability of making a profit was highest (72%) in the scenario with commercial feed and self-financing. Net present values (NPV) of about US$ 11 million and US$ 375 million could be obtained from the adoption of commercial floating feed and Genetically-Improved Farm Tilapia (GIFT) strain, respectively, in Ghana. Hence, any innovation that has a significant impact on fish yield also will have a significant impact on mean NPV and social welfare. However, I identified a number of potential negative ecological and genetic impacts exist from introducing the GIFT strain into Africa from Asia. Although considered low-intensity production systems, nutrients and solids in study ponds were found to be higher than levels expected in intensive culture ponds by wide margins. Pond water quality was significantly higher with commercial floating feed. The water-reuse BMP also prevented pollutants from leaving ponds altogether for the number of cycles for which pond water was reused, especially if associated BMPs such as rainfall capture and avoidance of water exchange are observed. Significant reductions in the loading of all water quality variables (nitrogen, phosphorus, solids, and BOD5) could be achieved with the adoption of the recommended feed type in Ghana. Adoption of the water reuse BMP has the potential to cause pollution reductions of 200% - 3,200% above that from the floating feed BMP. The strongest influence on the combined adoption of these BMPs were from : farmer's awareness of the feed BMP, perceived necessity and relative profitability of the water reuse BMP, and farmer's years of experience. A combination of central media (workshops), demonstrations, and lateral diffusion was found to be the most effective channel for disseminating these BMPs. Maximum adoption rate of the feed BMPs was estimated to be 38% - 58%. Also, US$ 6,000/year and US$12,000/year need to be paid per 0.6 ha pond surface area to push adoption of the feed BMP to 50% and 70%, respectively.
Hence, to ensure the successful adoption of aquaculture BMPs, I recommend that regular well-planned workshops be organized to create awareness and a conducive atmosphere to target farmers at multiple stages of the innovation decision process. Incentives and effective dissemination will encourage the adoption of these and other environmental BMPs. Feed costs need to be lowered in order to encourage the adoption of commercial floating feed in Ghana. Future analyses could quantify the differences in production costs between using the two water types, to reveal the possible higher relative profitability of pond water reuse over draining ponds after each production cycle. Also, African governments are advised to commission rigorous baseline and ecological risk analyses before adoption of the GIFT strain. Improvements in management practices and infrastructure could increase the yield and profitability of the local strains even if genetically-improved strains are not introduced.Ph. D.
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Al-Manhali, Maria Patricia Trujillo. "Design, analysis and development of HR best practices model in Abu Dhabi police HR general directorate." Thesis, University of Salford, 2011. http://usir.salford.ac.uk/26534/.
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Human Resources Best Practices are essential for any organization as these practices are well known for the effective role they play in increasing the organization productivity and efficiency. Many years ago, scientists started studying these practices, analyzing them and accordingly raise their findings and recommendations to guarantee boosting the productivity. This study presents Human Resources Best Practices theories presented by many scientists. Believing in the importance of these practices, many organizations started to take more attention in deploying and applying them in their organizations and in specific, this research is interested in the approach that has been taken and still being taken by Abu Dhabi Police to apply these practices in reality. This research is studying the deployment of the Human Resources Management Best Practices in Abu Dhabi Police. It started with giving a detailed explanation of the Human resources Management and the HRM Best Practices. Then it was narrowed towards studying the HRM Best Practices in Abu Dhabi Police through analyzing three specific case studies that they had effective roles in applying these practices in reality. At the end, in order to make sure that these HRM Best Practices were achieved successfully at Abu Dhabi Police, three surveys were carried out as part of this research to measure the satisfaction rate of Abu Dhabi Police employees. Accordingly, the final model of the HRM Best Practices in Abu Dhabi Police was derived. The final model included all Best Practices that were applied in reality, and the Best Practices that were not yet applied in reality, but we still think they are essential for the affectivity of the organization. According to surveys results, it was found that the satisfaction rate was very high for most of the measured criterion. That means the cases studies were successful in implementing a number of HRM Best Practices, thus, the decision makers in the Abu Dhabi Police were able to observe the results of applying these factors. At the end, this thesis presents our recommendations to carry out the same research in the other gulf countries in order to prove that what could be implemented successfully in one of the gulf countries could be applied in other gulf countries as they share the same traditions, norm and mentality.
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Assiri, A. H. "The implementation of the balance scorecard : an empirical study and a proposed generic model based on best practice." Thesis, University of Bradford, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.521433.
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Wade, Charles Robert. "Evaluation of Best Management Practices for Bladed Skid Trail Erosion Control and Determination of Erosion Model Accuracy and Applicability." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/35714.
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Sediment is one of the leading non-point source pollutants in the U.S and has detrimental effects on biological communities such as aquatic communities; human use such as recreation; and natural processes such as flood water storage. For silvicultural operations, the majority of sediment is produced from erosion on highly disturbed areas, such as skid trails, haul roads, and log landings. Erosion from silvicultural activities not only has the potential to introduce sediment into waterways but can also decrease site productivity through the removal of topsoil. In order to minimize erosion from silvicultural operations, forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) have been developed, but efficacies of various BMP options are not well documented. This study evaluated five closure and cover BMPs for the control of erosion on bladed skid trails through both field based measurements with sediment traps and soil erosion modeling. The erosion models used were the Universal Soil Loss Equation for Forestry (USLE â Forest), the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation version 2 (RUSLE2), and the Water Erosion Prediction Project for Forest Roads (WEPP â Forest Roads). Erosion model predictions were also regressed against field based results to determine accuracy. The bladed skid trail BMP treatments evaluated were: 1) water bar only (Control); 2) water bar and grass seed (Seed); 3) water bar, grass seed, and straw mulch (Mulch); 4) water bar and piled hardwood slash (Hardwood Slash); and 5) water bar and piled pine slash (Pine Slash). Field based results show that the Control treatment was the most erosive (137.7 tonnes/ha/yr), followed by the Seed treatment (31.5 tonnes/ha/yr), Hardwood Slash treatment (8.9 tonnes/ha/yr), Pine Slash treatment (5.9
tonnes/ha/yr), and finally the Mulch treatment was the most effective erosion control technique (3.0 tonnes/ha/yr). Model accuracy results show that RUSLE2 performed the best overall. Both USLE â Forest and WEPP â Forest Roads under predicted values on the Control treatment, where erosion rates were very high. WEPP â Forest Roads under predicted these values the most. All models generally show that the Control was the most erosive followed by the Seed, Hardwood Slash, Pine Slash, and Mulch treatments.Master of Science
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Helmold, Marc. "Establishing a best practice model of supplier relationship management (SRM) for multinational manufacturing companies in the European transportation industry." Thesis, University of Gloucestershire, 2013. http://eprints.glos.ac.uk/632/.
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Purpose/objectives: The research deals with establishing a best practice model in SRM for manufacturing companies in the European transportation industry. The objective of the thesis is to identify schools of thought in SRM, to highlight the causal factors for supply disruptions and to outline how supply disruptions can be anticipated, managed and prevented. The identified best practices shall be categorized and utilized to establish a best practice model for the respective sector. The purpose is to show how supply chain resilience can be accomplished in global and complex supply chains by means of proactive SRM. Design/methodology/approach: The empirical part of the research has been conducted with a qualitative and multiple approach over a period of more than two years. The paper examines best practice elements through a systematic literature review combined with semi-structured interviews involving senior managers in SRM in the European transportation industry. Two case studies have been included for confirming or disconfirming the best practice elements. The empirical part has been divided into four phases: (1) verifying or falsifying the appropriateness of the research questions, (2) best practice identification and categorization, (3) confirmation or disconfirmation of best practices in SRM, and (4) refining best practice elements. Findings: The findings represent a significant contribution on how to deal with complex and global supply networks. They will help researchers and practitioners faced with the task of setting up supplier relationships. Furthermore, the findings can be applied when establishing an overall best practice framework and SRM model. Research limitations/implications: The research focuses on establishing a best practice SRM model for multinational manufacturing companies in the European transportation industry. The model has not yet been implemented. Therefore, implementation and application to other industries will have to be the subject of further research.
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Hare, William J. "Integration of health and safety planning in construction project management through the development of a best practice "Gateway" model." Thesis, Glasgow Caledonian University, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.426425.
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Groman, Marlene. "A Model of Best Practices for Project Management Strategies in an Administrative Computing System Implementation in Higher Education." NSUWorks, 2006. http://nsuworks.nova.edu/gscis_etd/550.
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The purpose in this research was to investigate the use of project management best practices in an enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation in higher education. ERP packages are well known information systems in support of all functional areas of an academic institution. However their successful implementation has not only eluded the private sector but the non-profit sector as well. Specifically higher education institutions are different because of their structure of administration and academics. This collegial structure based on academic self-governance is unique and therefore poses additional issues. Furthermore, proven project management methodologies and best practices have also by-passed higher education. The critical success factors (CSF) for ERP implementations were found in the literature. The combination of project management best practices and these CSFs presented an opportunity for forming a best practice model for academic institutions to follow. A survey was administered via the web to gather information from higher educational institutions to see if they not only used these factors but followed any project management methodologies. Analysis showed that those institutions that followed project management best practices, and instituted factors that were needed for successful implementations, indeed had a successful implementation. This research also produced a model for academic institutions to follow in their administrative computing implementations.
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Kepczynska-Walczak, Anetta. "A model proposal for digitisation and recording data on architectural heritage in Poland based on European guidelines and best practice." Thesis, University of Strathclyde, 2004. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.405493.
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Al-Ajlam, Mohammed A. "Critical success factors in customer relationship management (CRM) implementation: An emperical study and proposed generic model of the best practice." Thesis, University of Bradford, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.493309.
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The last decade has seen the emergence of customer relationship management (CRM) as a technique to underpin organisational performance improvement in improving customer retention, customer satisfaction and customer value. However, evidence suggests that many CRM initiatives fail to achieve desired results. So far, however, empirical research is scarce. The study is therefore an exploratory investigation into the CRM implementation based on a holistic view. This includes: a comprehensive scrutiny of the relevant literature; a comprehensive analysis of case studies of CRM implementations in 81 organisations . presented in the literature, in order to arrive at the most critical factors of CRM implementation and their degree of criticality; exploratory global survey of 85 organisations in 18 countries that have already implemented or are in the process of implementing CRM; finally in-depth studies of five leading organisations to understand how CRM implementation processes and the critical factors identified are being addressed in the real world. The study identifies 15 critical factors that must be carefully considered in the CRM implementation to achieve a successful project. Six dominant factors: developing a customer-centric strategy, executive sponsorship, organisational change, communication, project planning and management and business justification stood out as the most effective. Based on the major empirical findings, the study proposes a generic holistic model for effective CRM implementation which contains essential elements that contribute to project success.
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Hay, Roe Denise A. "Best Practice Model for School Nurses Teaching Human Sexuality Education to High School Students for the Prevention of Unintended Pregnancy." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/311757.
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Al, Qur'an Marwan. "Location decision-making processes of internationalising firms: a multiple case study investigation." Thesis, Curtin University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/35.
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Research into the location decision of Australian international firms was primarily directed toward investigating motivations of Australian investors for setting up their foreign direct investments (FDI) in specific foreign countries. Nevertheless, the strategic decision-making process concerning the selection of a beneficial foreign country for either Australian or Western Australian international operations has been neglected in the existing literature; hence, an evident and significant gap was identified. Therefore, the current exploratory investigation used an interpretive paradigm to examine ‘how do Western Australian internationalising firms arrive at a beneficial foreign location choice for their international operations and hence attain successful international expansion. As an attempt to provide rich and deep insights into managerial actions and procedures, as well as critical success factors, that should be considered in effective international location decision-making process to attain a beneficial foreign location choice, five empirical comparative in-depth case studies excluding a pilot case study were purposefully selected from among sixteen potential Western Australian firms which established manufacturing and service operations abroad. Furthermore, seven international location decision-making processes were examined within these five cases through relying on several data sources: in-depth face to face interviews, short telephone and follow-up interviews and questionnaire instrument as primary data sources besides field notes, documents review when available and internet sources as secondary data sources. Two main stages of analysis were undertaken in the current research, namely, within and cross-case analyses.The empirical findings of the extant research show that a thorough consultative and international experience-based strategic decision process should be considered to attain effective foreign country selection decisions. The consultative decision process encompasses five crucial managerial phases; that is, (1) strategic analysis of internationalisation drivers, (2) strategic searching and development of location factors and alternatives, (3) acquiring of adequate and relevant information about the prospective locations and, hence, strategic assessment for these alternatives, (4) strategic selection of final beneficial foreign location choice, and finally, (5) effective implementation of the selected location choice. Results reveal that the decision process cannot separately lead to the selection of a beneficial foreign location choice in the absence of four critical success factors, i.e., (1) international business experience of the selected location team, (2) the country knowledge about the potential foreign locations, (3) in-house and external consultations with international business experts and (4) identification of a trustworthy and internationally experienced manager or local partner for the international operation. The findings also illustrate that the comprehensive foreign country selection decision process is a multi-stage decision process which incorporates three separate location selection processes, namely, (1) country selection, (2) city selection and (3) site selection process. The current research extends the satisficing or bounded rational decision theory by confirming the appropriateness and the effectiveness of the theory in foreign country selection decisions.In addition, the earlier critical success factors are adding new and important aspects of knowledge to the existing research on location decision-making process in international business, as well as foreign direct investment decisions. Accordingly, the former management phases and critical success factors were integrated into a conceptual model. The major and the unique contribution of the current thesis to existing theory is the development of a decision model which combines two fields of management research; that is, strategic decision-making and location decision-making in international business. The research provides important methodological contributions to international business research in relation to an effective multiple case study approach to capture elements of the comprehensive and complex international location decision-making process. Finally, the research findings and decision model have practical managerial implications for both international and internationalising firms by assisting them to improve the effectiveness of their foreign country selection decision processes. Further, the findings provide benefits for foreign investment policy-makers as well as local development officials in both home and host countries by assisting them to increase their outward FDI and attract more inward FDI and, consequently, boost the economic development movement in their countries.
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Rowlings, Douglas. "A corporate failure prediction model for non-financial South African corporates incorporating best practices used by the credit industry." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20439.
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In the context of the current macroeconomic environment there is an expectation of an increase in South African non-financial corporate failure, where advance prediction thereof will become even more important. A number of South African non-financial corporate failures have occurred following the financial crisis. In addition, South Africa experienced a watershed moment with the first default on a non-financial corporate bond in 2013. At the same time, with the adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) framework there have been significant advances in the quality of financial information which should improve its usage in predicting corporate failure. This study used the latest sample to date of listed South African non-financial corporates that met the definition of failure but limited the universe of financial information to that which was prepared under IFRS. At the same time, adjustments were made to the financial data based upon pre-selection of independent credit statistic variables most commonly used in ranking relative credit risk for non-financial corporates. Additionally, equity market price data was introduced into the model to add a forward-looking information consideration. This resulted in an eleven variable model where differentiation of corporate failure was facilitated through the use of multiple discriminant analysis.
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King, Audrey E. H. "Communicating towards resiliency: identifying the barriers and social constraints related to grazing best management practices in Kansas and Oklahoma." Thesis, Kansas State University, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/32628.
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Master of Science - Agricultural Education and CommunicationDepartment of Communications and Agricultural Education
Lauri M. Baker
Kansas and Oklahoma were in the top five cattle producing states in the United States. Beef cattle producers across Kansas and Oklahoma had access to best management practices (BMPs) for proper grazing land management, but were still underutilizing these practices. This study sought to understand why producers did not adopt grazing BMPs suggested by Extension professionals and to identify opportunities to improve communication and adoption. Under the postulates of elaboration likelihood model (ELM), if BMPs were communicated to producers in a way that persuaded them to adopt BMPs, the resiliency of the entire beef cattle grazing system, would increase. This study was guided by community-based social marketing (CBSM) and elaboration likelihood model (ELM). Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 43 producers in north central Oklahoma and south central Kansas during the summer of 2015. Initial participants were recruited using a purposive sampling method through Extension contacts with a snowball sample after initial participants were identified. Interviews were transcribed by a professional transcription service and analyzed using Glaser’s constant comparative method. Producers in the study were aware of BMPs like rotational grazing, prescribed burning, and the usage of alternative forages. The major themes discovered in this study include Producers had varying definitions of both rotational grazing and cover crops; Producers used each other, Extension and university materials and personnel as information sources; Practices producers used were determined by visual observations and past experiences. Barriers and social constrains to the adoption of BMPs that were discovered included: water availability and quality, land leases, time and labor, land lords, generational gaps, and a lack of skilled employees. Producers saw the benefits of burning practices and rotational grazing. Another major theme was drought tested the resiliency of producer’s operations. This study offers several recommendations for Extension professionals and research. The way that Extension agents were communicating BMPs should be researched and analyzed. The implementation of CBSM and ELM by Extension professionals could increase the adoption of BMPs in grazing systems. A major implication of this study was the need for Extension to more openly communicate with producers rather than just exchange information.
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NeeQuaye, Barbara Burris. "A Maturity Model for Online Classes across Academic Disciplines." NSUWorks, 2013. http://nsuworks.nova.edu/gscis_etd/259.
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The number of academic institutions offering courses online has increased with courses being offered across almost all academic disciplines. Faculty members are often confronted with the responsibility of converting a face-to-face course to an online course while simultaneously dealing with new technologies and the interrelationship between the technology, content, and pedagogy. Best instructional practices may be applied inconsistently in the online environment due to faculty members' lack of proficiency in implementing such practices. Although Course Management Systems and Web 2.0 technologies make the task seem less daunting, faculty members still need guidance in consistently implementing best practices in online courses. The study examined the problem of academic institutions offering online courses without any validation or tracking processes to ensure course quality.
An online instructional maturity model was developed to guide faculty members in implementing learner-centered practices in online courses. Survey methodology was used to collect data on instructional practices being implemented in the North Carolina Community College System. The model was developed from the survey findings using guidelines from the American Psychological Association Learner-Centered Principles, best practices found in the literature, and the People Capability Maturity Model. Feedback from an expert panel was used to refine the model.