Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Grounded theory methodology'

Research evidence highlights regular physical activity (PA) as an increasingly important factor in the prevention of a variety of chronic diseases. Consequently, encouraging people to make PA related lifestyle changes is an everyday challenge faced by health professionals in primary and secondary health care settings. Although a number of intervention strategies have been developed and implemented, research evidence presents only limited support for their efficacy. While short-term changes may be achievable using current intervention strategies, long-term change (i.e. maintenance) appears much more difficult to achieve. Although many public health interventions are developed without explicit reference to theory, evidence suggests that the explicit use of theory will significantly improve the chances of effectiveness (Nutbeam & Harris, 2004). As no existing theoretical models are specifically intended to account for PA behaviour change, a number of pre-existing theoretical frameworks have been adopted to explain PA participation. This thesis reviews the existing body of theoretical literature in exercise psychology alongside conducting a systematic review (Study 1) of interventions based on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM). As a result, the theoretical depth or explanatory quality of existing models and theories is called into question, when applied to a PA context and specific phenomena such as long-term PA behaviour change. After reflecting on the debate surrounding different epistemological viewpoints and theoretical perspectives, applications of an alternative theory generating research approach (the Grounded Theory Methodology: GTM) are explored and evaluated. As a result, in light of the considerable epistemological debate that surrounds GTM, study 2 of this thesis focuses explicitly on methodological issues within exercise psychology. A critical review of applications of GTM within exercise psychology is conducted. Results reveal that many existing studies.demonstrate a poor understanding of GTM and/or fail to present an adequate account of the research process. Ultimately the results of study 2 provide valuable implications for study 3 of this thesis, which adopts GTM to develop an ecologically valid explanatory model of long-term PA behaviour change. Twenty-one adult participants (9 male, 12 female), aged between 38 and 62 years, were recruited from a countywide PA referral scheme. All participants had made long-term, positive changes to their PA habits. Participants contributed to 25 in-depth interviews. All sampling and analytical procedures were dictated by the key tenets of GTM and a constructivist theoretical stance. To assist with the GTM process, the software package QSR-NVivo was used throughout. A grounded theory of longterm PA behaviour change is presented in the form of a multidimensional explanatory model. The model identifies a number of observed cognitive processes, which appear central to PA behaviour change and maintenance. The underlying mechanisms responsible for these are also highlighted. Results are discussed with specific emphasis on literature surrounding value theories, core beliefs and the introduction of prominent clinical psychology and psychotherapy approaches within exercise psychology. Finally, implications for theory development and applied practice are highlighted and directions for future research suggested.

This study explores the processes and conditions surrounding long-term care decision-making and care management after traumatic brain injury. Grounded theory methodology and methods were used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 51 participants in New South Wales, Australia. A grounded theory of care management was developed through constant comparison of data and cases and identified a social problem, a core social process, strategies, conditions and consequences. The basic social problem was the need for ongoing care, a problem which the person with brain injury and others managed collectively. Together, they determined an appropriate care location or living situation, configuration of carers and level of care. This study provides a framework for understanding preferred ways of living with care after brain injury. Increased autonomy was a desired outcome. Living alone and spending time alone were associated with increased autonomy and increased risk. A series of strategies and processes are suggested that allow professionals and family carers to gradually increase risk, and share responsibility for risk management. The findings have implications for health professional and legal practice, education, research and policy.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Gross National Happiness (GNH) is an aspirational development philosophy promoted by Bhutan’s 4th King. GNH attracted world attention at the United Nations (UN) when Happiness was declared the 9th Millennium Development Goal in 2012. This dissertation examines how GNH is manifest in tourism policy, planning and development in Bhutan. The study employs a constructivist grounded theory methodology (GTM). Data was collected through a number of qualitative methods, including fieldwork, participant observation, case studies, and semi-structured interviews with tourism stakeholders. The investigation follows the researcher’s journey, navigating through a romanticised notion of GNH, to experiencing the issues and challenges of the implementation of GNH policy in tourism in Bhutan. The GTM led the researcher to Foucault’s governmentality framework, which is used to examine the relationship between tourism development and GNH, in particular the changes in Bhutan’s tourism policy from high value, low volume to high value, low impact, between 2008 and 2012. The study uncovered a number of contradictions in the implementation of GNH; paradox through the change in tourism policy; tensions resulting from the Accelerate Bhutan’s Socio-economic Development (ABSD) Plan’s McKinsey Report; controversy around the Ura-Shinghkar Gold Course Development; and, the concerns of some tourism stakeholders about meeting the demands of increasing tourist numbers whilst maintaining GNH principles. The dissertation has found that the first term democratically elected Bhutanese government (2008 - 2013) prioritised economic benefits over its socio-cultural and environmental integrity through the ABSD Plan, and demonstrates the complexities involved in tourism policy, planning and development. The dissertation concludes that the ‘low impact’ tourism policy is unsustainable and proposes that reverting to ‘low volume’ is better aligned to the GNH value-led and slow-paced development philosophy. The study contributes an increased understanding of the complexities inherent in Bhutan aligning its tourism policy, planning and development with its GNH development philosophy.

The purpose of this three-essay dissertation was to expand knowledge and theory regarding soft systems methodologies (SSMs) and data visualization approaches in business, engineering, and other social sciences. The first essay depicts a bibliometric analysis study of the historic impacts of SSM from 1980-2018 on business, engineering, and other social sciences fields. This study found 285 articles that described or employed SSM for research and included outcomes such as top SSM authors, author citation impacts, common dissemination outlets, time-bound distribution of publications, and other relevant findings. This study provided a picture of who, what, why, when, and where SSM has had the greatest impact on academic thought and practice. The second essay presents research on the academic impact of Systemigrams, an associated data visualization approach, finding examples of conceptual or research development that employed Systemigrams to depict complex problem situations. Recommendations for improvement of designing these data visualizations to increase their field use resulted from this study. The final essay leverages a selection of the articles as use cases to produce a grounded theory study to identify phenomena that arose from the use of SSM for operations and firm strategy research. This study identified two broad themes including (i) scope, structure, and process challenges and (ii) performance and evaluation limitations. These themes were explained by six patterns that emerged from the publications. Each produced change recommendations for SSM process, practice, and reporting to support its continued viability and adoption in business and operations research.

The current research used grounded theory methodology (GTM) to construct a conceptualization of personal knowledge within a knowledge management (KM) perspective. The need for the current research was based on the use of just two categories of knowledge, explicit and tacit, within KM literature to explain diverse characteristics of personal knowledge. The construct of tacit knowledge has often been explicated and debated in KM literature. The debate over tacit knowledge arose from the complex epistemological roots of tacit knowing and the construct of tacit knowledge popularized by organizational knowledge creation theory. The ongoing debate over tacit knowledge in KM literature has shed little light on personal knowledge within a KM perspective. The current research set aside the debate over tacit knowledge and pursued the construct of personal knowledge from the perspective of the knower using GTM. Thirty-seven interviews were conducted with fourteen participants. Interviews were audio recorded and coding was accomplished with the qualitative data analysis software MAXQDA.

A total of eight categories were identified. These were organized into two groups. The core category being overwhelmed represented the absence of personal knowledge. The categories questioning self, seeking help, and microthinking fit under being overwhelmed. Together these categories were inverse indicators because they all decreased as knowledge acquisition progressed. The core category being confident represented the presence of personal knowledge. The categories remembering, multitasking, and speed fit under being overwhelmed. Together these categories were direct indicators because they all increased as knowledge acquisition progressed.

Three significant conclusions were drawn from the current research. These conclusions led to the conceptualization of personal knowledge from a KM perspective. The first significant conclusion was the conceptualization of a process of knowing as Integrated Complexity: From Overwhelmed to Confident (ICOC). The second significant conclusion was personal knowing as first-person epistemology is a universally lived experience that includes commitments to internal and external requirements as well as a bias toward integration. The third significant conclusion was personal knowledge can be viewed as a complex adaptive system. Finally, the current research concluded that personal knowledge within a KM perspective is a complex adaptive system maintained through acts of first-person epistemology.

This thesis is a philosophical and empirical investigation into the problems and possibilities of sharing education. Beginning with the question, 'What is it possible to share in education?' there is consideration of a number of major philosophical, political and sociological issues including: the role of religion in education, the appropriate level of state control of education, the rights of parents to choose and the rights of children to be autonomous. It is acknowledged that problems exist with common education in certain forms, but it is argued that there is a case for common education in liberal democracies that is not necessarily confined to common schools but which engenders sharing, dialogue, openness and criticality. Using the evolving situation of separate and shared education in Northern Ireland, a grounded theory approach is employed to understand the problems and possibilities for sharing in collaborative education projects involving schools of different ethos. As a result of this study a deeper understanding is achieved of the basic .social processes experienced by teachers involved in sharing education, especially in relation to how the aims of sharing are framed (through 'fitting', 'guarding', 'widening horizons' and 'avoiding') and how the activity of sharing is managed (through 'learning', 'leading', 'bridging' and 'struggling'.) This thesis concludes by arguing that, even in contexts where separate schooling is dominant, boundaries become porous when pupils and teachers participate in shared activity. Sharing education can present many obstacles but, where attention is given to the social context of sharing education, and when the transformative potential of learning is nurtured, it can enhance teachers' professional development, widen the horizons of young people and contribute to the improvement of community relations.

This thesis presents a Constructivist Grounded Theory study that explores the impact that life science specific intermediaries have on knowledge exchange and commercialisation. Many of the life science intermediaries (LSIs) that operate to bridge the divide between industry and academia receive public funding, and many have come and gone. It is important for us to better understand the reasons behind this turnover and how we can develop LSIs that have staying power. The research explores what LSIs are and the different ways they can impact on knowledge exchange and commercialisation. The study engaged 22 different LSIs sites from the UK, Holland and France. These 22 different LSIs have been placed into five different Case intermediary models, moreover, 30 interviews were conducted, informal observations were collected and field notes also known as memos were taken throughout the research process. Through the use of Constructivist Grounded Theory five theoretical concepts emerged, these included the following: that a LSI needed to have commercialisation targets, those with KEC objectives embedded had more chance of gaining further funding, and they require sufficient time and that funding resources are adequate and they should employ staff from both academia and industry within the LSI. A theoretical framework model that can be used to help design and develop a high functioning LSI is presented. Discussions with policy decision makers and the expectations from a range of stakeholders feed into this framework model. The theory development adds to the knowledge on innovation intermediaries and in particular the sectoral systems of innovation (SSI) which allows for a more focused approach on innovation intermediaries from a single sector viewpoint. Furthermore, the study feeds into more recent research on the reason why intermediaries fail.

Student satisfaction is becoming increasing important as a quality measure in undergraduate programs, including nursing programs, globally. To date theories of student satisfaction have focused primarily on students’ perceptions of the educational environment rather than their perceptions of learning. Understanding how students determine satisfaction with learning is necessary if schools of nursing are to better understand measures of overall satisfaction and balance the requirements of multiple stakeholders. The aim of this study was to explore and better understand students’ satisfaction with learning in undergraduate nursing programs. Constructivist grounded theory methodology, underpinned by symbolic interactionism, was used to identify how students determine satisfaction with learning. The setting for the study was two large, multi-campus nursing schools located within Australian universities. The campuses were city based, metropolitan, semi-rural and rural. One school of nursing offered a program that was designated as online. Seventeen demographically diverse undergraduate nursing students, studying different stages of a three-year program, participated in twenty-nine semi-structured interviews. Participants were asked to describe situations where they had been satisfied or dissatisfied with their learning. Analysis was conducted according to guidelines for constructivist grounded theory. The substantive theory developed suggests that students are satisfied with learning when they shape a valued learning journey that accommodates the social contexts of the self, the university and the nursing workplace. The basic psycho-social problem, therefore, is negotiating a valued learning journey that accommodates the self, the university and the nursing workplace. Students are diverse. They have diverse lifestyles, commitments, abilities and attitudes to their study. The university and the nursing workplace are experienced differently. Workplaces where nurses work are complex and unique. Students must create meaning across contexts if they are to experience learning of perceived value and be satisfied with their learning. The basic psycho-social process, ‘shaping a valued learning journey across the Bachelor of Nursing program’, has three phases. In phase 1 students orient themselves to valued learning in the pedagogical landscape. They identify knowledge requirements and expected standards, making judgments about the relative worth of what they are learning. When they identify they are studying knowledge of high perceived worth and can adjust their lives so that learning of perceived worth is possible they are positioned to become satisfied with their learning. In phase 2 students seek valued learning experiences across diverse pedagogical terrain. They seek learning experiences of value online, on campus and in the nursing workplace. Those students who are able to experience learning of their choosing are more satisfied with their learning than those who are less able to do so. In phase 3 students evaluate their learning as they progress through the program and judge the value of their knowledge acquisition. Where students acknowledge their learning achievements as worthwhile and timely they are satisfied with their learning. When their knowledge acquisition is valued less, or their understanding takes longer to acquire than they anticipate, they are less satisfied with their learning. Similarly, where students recognise a developing, valued, professional identity in the present and for the future, and the grades they receive meet their self-expectations, they are satisfied with their learning. Strategies for enhancing satisfaction with learning ensure all students have the necessary personal, social and economic resources to succeed and a realistic understanding of what the Bachelor of Nursing program entails both on enrolment and as they progress through the program. Programs that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate students’ individual situations, plans, hopes and dreams are required. In conclusion, when students experience a valued learning journey they are satisfied with their learning. When they struggle to do so they are less satisfied. A valued learning journey is an experience that is unique to the individual, changes over time, and may be transient or sustained, mild or intense. Findings from the research indicate how students, nurse academics and nurse clinicians can facilitate satisfaction with learning in undergraduate nursing programs while still being mindful of the learning requirements for professional nursing practice.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Nursing & Midwifery
Griffith Health
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This thesis evaluates a novel methodology for the user testing of digitally mediated human-animal interactions. The proposed method includes the structural analysis of video observations following a Grounded Theory approach. Complemented with more subjective human observations, this methodology aims to initiate a more informed iterative design and research process in which the animal’s experience with a playful artefact is analysed and reflected upon. The research involves the user testing of a prototype for an independently developed tablet game designed for cats and humans. With a focus on the user experience of the cat, the data analysis of this study results in new insights in the behaviour of the cat while interacting with the game. These outcomes are subsequently concluded in the form of design iterations that can help to improve the prototype. This study demonstrates how a new methodology can provide an initial focus on the perceptions and experience of the animal and lead to valuable insights that can advance the design of a digital artefact intended for animal use. Further research in this new area of interaction design can benefit from this study by expanding the theoretical framework and methodologies to different contexts and settings with the integration of playful technological artefacts and other animals that are known to engage in natural play.

The research investigates the role of Knowledge Management (KM) in supporting innovation and learning in the construction industry. The Construction industry is complex in nature and notoriously fragmented suffering high losses in productivity. Being a substantial part of the national economy, the construction industry greatly influences the country's GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Innovation has lately been regarded as the key to improve its productivity and to change traditional and fundamental thinking that has plagued the industry for a long time leading to new and more rational philosophies. The research demonstrates that KM may act as an enabler of such innovation by facilitating organisational learning. The research is carried out in two phases. In Phase 1, the research employs grounded theory methodology to develop and map out the current state of knowledge related activities being undertaken in two leading Australian construction organisations. This results in the development of a model, the main depiction of which is a segregation between three crucial components (people, process & technology) of an organisation required to successfully carry out the construction work. It also helps identify the gap between the organisation's internal and external knowledge sources that restricts the pull of knowledge from external knowledge sources. The culture of the organisation is considered to provide this resistance. An improvement in this state through KM is the main objective of the research which is realised in Phase 2. Soft System Methodology (SSM) is utilised as a KM tool to achieve this objective in this phase. As one of the systems approaches, it has the capacity to make sense of intricate systems like const ruction where a complex interaction between people, process and technology occurs all the time. A mission critical business process of pre-tendering of a leading Australian construction contractor organisation is selected to carry out the SSM investigation that resulted in four SSM case studies. This investigation helps explain how KM initiatives through SSM improve the integration of people, process and technology; increasing the capacity of the organisation to pull external knowledge and improve its own internal knowledge bank. All these improvements help an organisation to transform itself into a learning organisation that could continually innovate.

This study examined the notion of respect in the college classroom. While pedagogical researchers had previously studied the phenomenon, each found challenges in defining it. Moreover, communication scholars do not examine respect as a primary pedagogical factor with learning implications. Focus groups provided venues for topic-specific discussion necessary for better understanding the diversity of students' worldviews regarding respect in the college classroom. Grounded theory allowed for searching theoretical relevance of the phenomenon through constant comparison with categorical identification. The most practical contributions of this research identifies as several major notions including, the importance of relationships within the process, student self-esteem, and global-classroom respect. In addition, implications emerged from the data as learning, motivation, and environment. One other practical contribution exists as a respect communication model for the college classroom. Further, examining students' worldviews of respect in the classroom provides benefits for pedagogical scholars, students, and instructors.

The pervasive nature and use of social media has transformed society and this transformation has attracted significant attention from both industry and academia. The organisational implementation and use of social media are plagued with many challenges, leaving managers frustrated at not achieving the desired results. This emergent and complex nature of the social media phenomenon requires researchers to consider novel approaches when conducting social media research. As the number of Information Systems (IS) researchers conducting research on the social media phenomenon increases, so too does the need to develop relevant and rigorous social media theories. This challenge must be addressed by IS researchers who are contemplating, or are busy conducting research on the social media phenomenon. My PhD thesis responds to the call made by academics and practice for the development of relevant and rigorous social media theories, with the aim of providing a better explanation than what is currently found in the social media literature on social media use within an organisational context. Owing to the emergent nature of the social media phenomenon, the grounded theory method (GTM) is used to develop a substantive theory that increases understanding of this particular phenomenon. Two organisations are selected as the case studies. Both are industry leaders in South Africa, with one being a prominent retailer with a very visible social media presence and the other, being a leading university in South Africa, which is actively growing its social media presence. The results show that organisations enter into a collective storytelling process with their online community. Risk to reputation and the need for online community engagement are identified as reasons for this. Organisations using social media need to be aware of the following conditions that impact on social media use: (1) the social media landscape, (2) the characteristics of social media for use, (3) the relationship between content and social media, (4) content quality, (5) the online community-organisation power dynamic, and (6) the provision of a seamless online experience for the community. Challenges during the collective storytelling process lead to organisations experiencing social media use failures. To overcome these failures, organisations implement education interventions. An evolving supportive social media strategy that provides formal guidelines for social media use ultimately leads to a reduction in the organisational risk to reputation and an improvement in online community engagement, initially identified as the reasons why organisations decide to use social media. The main theoretical contribution is the development of a holistic theoretical framework using the GTM to better explain social media use within organisations when engaging with their online community.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Kentucky, 2009.
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HNC incidence and mortality is greater in men and is associated with high risk behaviours and social deprivation. HNC is frequently diagnosed at advanced stages requiring multi-modality treatment which can have a significant impact on appearance and function. Gender can influence health behaviours yet research into male experiences of cancer has primarily focussed on prostate cancer and HNC is an area which is under investigated. The aim of this study was to explore how men with HNC experience appearance and functional change in the first 12 months following diagnosis. Grounded theory methodology (GT) was chosen as the overall purpose of GT is the generation of theory from the data which has explanatory power and advances the understanding of social and psychological phenomena. Retrospective semi-structured interviews were performed with 12 men who were 12 to 24 months post-diagnosis. Key components of GT practice used were simultaneous data collection and analysis, constructing analytic categories from the data, constant comparison, memo-writing and theoretical sampling. Three categories emerged from the data which were inter-related: normalising change; “under siege”: getting through treatment; and reclaiming self. The core category was reconciling change; a new normal which reflects the social and psychological processes involved in accommodating and assimilating change in appearance and function for men with HNC. The substantive theory provides insight into how men with HNC prioritise function and actively distance themselves from concerns regarding appearance. Furthermore, it identifies men who are at risk of social anxiety and isolation due to multiple changes or body incompetence. This study builds on theories of masculinity, body image and disfigurement. The substantive theory developed provides health and social care professionals with new knowledge to support clinical practice and improve care provision.

A significant amount of research in the field of small business management has correlated small firm performance with the sophistication of overall management skills (see, for example, Gasse, 1997; Gadenne, 1998; Zinger, leBrasseur and Zannibi, 2001; Balderson, 2003) and more particularly problem solving skills. Yet, even though problem solving skills are at the core of the small business management process (Jennings and Beaver, 1997), there has been little research to date that has focused on understanding the actual approach small business owner-managers take to solve the problems they encounter as the present study has done, through the utilization of an interpretive research design applied to a sample of small firms. The primary purpose of this exploratory study is to investigate the nature of problem solving practices adopted by 11 small business owner-managers on Central Vancouver Island, Canada, by identifying the types of problems encountered in the years following their establishment, the actions taken to solve these problems and the outcomes of these actions for the firm. It examines the characteristics of the problemm solving approaches utilized by owner-managers as they encountered problems, and identifies how they perceived the impact of the approach taken on the continued survival of their firm. The methodological approach taken in this study is positioned within an emergent body of research in the field of small business and entrepreneurship that applies an interpretive paradigm to uncover the complex facets of how individuals develop their capabilities and management practices (Chell and Allman, 2003) with a particular emphasis on the small business owner-manager. The interpretive assumptions guiding the research process have allowed new understandings to emerge about problem solving in small firms within the wider context of managerial capability as a critical contributor to small business survival. More specifically, the critical incident technique method (Flanagan, 1954; Chell, 1998), along with an approach to data analysis and coding that draws from grounded theory (Glaser, 1992; Glaser and Strauss, 1999; Strauss and Corbin, 1998), are combined and applied as a qualitative research strategy. This strategy has not previously been used in relation to the study of problem solving in small firms. This interpretive paradigm allows the exploration of how small business owner-managers attach meaning to their subjective experiences and the implications of these perceptions for the business outcomes of the firm, specifically as they relate to solving critical business problems. As a result, the interpretive methods applied in the course of this study make a novel contribution to the field, since they have yielded new interpretations on the nature of problem solving processes in the sample of small firms studied. The findings presented here reveal the intuitive, improvised and non-linear nature of how problems are actually solved in these small firms, in contrast to a number of well-known theoretical research frameworks that propose well-defined and delineated steps in the problem solving process. The results of this study make a valuable contribution to building new theory in this area of inquiry by demonstrating how more dynamic processes occur in practice. An alternative way to conceptualize problem solving in small firms is presented in Chapter 6, A Holistic Framework for Problem Solving in Small Firms.

Abstract The prevalence of memory disorders is increasing worldwide due to an aging population. The condition affects not only those with the disorder, but also their families and the wider social network. Establishing services that meet the needs of patients and their families is a topical issue and requires knowledge produced from service user viewpoints. However there remains limited knowledge of how families manage their lives when there is a memory disorder. This study produces a substantive theory that describes the processes of managing life after disclosure of a progressive memory disorder from the viewpoint of individuals with that diagnosis and their family caregivers. A qualitative longitudinal research design informed by grounded theory methodology was undertaken. Research data were gathered for 2006–2009 using in-depth interviews (n=40) from those with the memory disorder (n=8) and their family caregivers (n=8). The data were analyzed using a constant comparative analysis. A core category ‘Accepting memory disorder as part of family life’ with related categories and subcategories was formulated from the gathered data. Family illness trajectory begins when patients or close relatives recognize the symptoms. Diagnosis of memory disorder is a turning point in that trajectory. It changes the course of lives for both individuals and their whole family and leads families to seek a new equilibrium. Altering life challenges people with the diagnosis and their family caregivers to restructure their roles and identities. Adjusting to altering self and adapting to the new role of caregiver are intertwined processes. Families strive to manage these changes by acknowledging available qualities and resources, seeking meaningful social support and living for today. Managing life with a memory disorder produces mutual processes in families that contain both positive and negative factors. Accepting memory disorder as part of family life represents a hope-fostering adjustment. The findings confirm and supplement the knowledge base in nursing science of family experiences and the means families use for managing life after diagnosis of a progressive memory disorder. These findings can be well utilized by professionals working with patients and their families who are living with newly diagnosed memory disorder while also advancing nursing education
Tiivistelmä Väestön ikääntymisen vuoksi muistisairauksien esiintyvyys on kasvussa koko maailmassa. Etenevä muistisairaus vaikuttaa sekä sairastuneiden että perheiden elämään, ja heidän tarpeisiinsa vastaavien palvelujen kehittäminen on ajankohtaista. Perheiden selviytymistä koskevaa tutkimustietoa palvelujen kehittämiseksi on kuitenkin rajallisesti. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli kehittää aineistolähtöinen teoria, joka kuvaa muistisairaiden ja omaishoitajien elämänhallinnan prosesseja muistisairausdiagnoosin varmistumisen jälkeen. Tutkimus oli laadullinen pitkittäistutkimus, jossa aineisto kerättiin vuosina 2006–2009 syvähaastattelemalla (n=40) sekä sairastuneita (n=8) että heidän omaisiaan (n=8). Aineisto analysoitiin grounded theory -metodologian jatkuvan vertailun analyysimenetelmällä. Tutkimuksessa tuotetun aineistolähtöisen teorian ydinkategoriaksi muodostui ’Muistisairauden hyväksyminen osaksi perheen elämää’. Ydinkategoriaan olivat yhteydessä pää- ja alakategoriat, jotka kuvasivat vastavuoroisia elämänhallinnan prosesseja perheessä. Perheiden kehityskulku muistisairauden kanssa käynnistyi ennen diagnoosin varmistumista, kun sairastunut itse tai hänen läheisensä kiinnittivät huomiota oireisiin. Muistisairausdiagnoosi oli käännekohta, joka muutti perheiden elämänkulun suuntaa ja johti etsimään uutta tasapainoa elämässä. Muuttuva elämäntilanne haastoi sairastuneet ja heidän omaisensa rakentamaan uudelleen käsitystä itsestään ja sosiaalisista rooleistaan. Sairastuneiden kokemuksena tämä tarkoitti sopeutumista muuttuvaan itseen ja omaisten kokemuksena mukautumista uuteen omaishoitajan rooliin. Nämä kehityshaasteet kytkeytyivät toisiinsa. Perheet pyrkivät selviytymään muuttuvassa elämäntilanteessaan huomioimalla käytettävissä olevat voimavarat, hyödyntämällä merkityksellistä sosiaalista tukea ja tavoittelemalla elämää tässä ja nyt. Muistisairaiden ja omaishoitajien vastavuoroiset elämänhallinnan prosessit sisälsivät sekä myönteisiä että kielteisiä tekijöitä. Muistisairauden hyväksyminen osaksi perheen elämää merkitsi toivoa vahvistavaa sopeutumista. Tutkimustulokset täydentävät hoitotieteen tietoperustaa perheiden kokemuksista ja elämänhallinnan keinoista muistisairausdiagnoosin varmistumisen jälkeen. Tutkimustuloksia voidaan hyödyntää sekä käytännön hoitotyössä tuettaessa muistisairaita ja heidän perheitään diagnoosin jälkeen että hoitotyön koulutuksessa

Bakalauro baigiamasis darbas nagrinėja socialinius procesus vykstančius projektinėje veikloje, naudojant šiuolaikinį, į žmogiškuosiuos išteklius orientuotą, projektinės veiklos požiūrį. Iki šiol projektinių veiklų įgyvendinimas buvo suprantamas labai siaurai: reikalingas techninis darbas, apimantis veiklų įgyvendinimo procesus, etapus. Tokiu būdu individai ir tarp jų vykstantys socialiniai procesai laikomi neesminiais ir projekto rezultatams įtakos neturintys veiksniai. Todėl šio darbo tikslas – atskleisti socialines sąveikas, vykstančias projektų valdymo metu. Tyrimas atliktas remiantis mokslinės literatūros šaltinių analizės metodu; pusiau struktūruotu interviu ir dokumentų analizės metodu, naudojant grindžiamosios teorijos metodologijos strategiją. Atlikus tyrimą remiantis šia strategija per nuolatinį egzistuojančių ir formuojamų teorijų palyginimą buvo konstruojamos naujos teorijos, kurios praplėtė esamas projekto valdymo teorijas taikytinas socialiniams procesams: saviraiškos galimybės projektinėje veikloje, ugdomasis projektinės aplinkos poveikis, tarpusavio pažinimo procesas. Taip pat praplėstos ir papildytos šios teorijos: konfliktų atsiradimo ir jo išvengimų būdų, komunikacijos proceso naudojant kontrolės mechanizmą, kryptingos darbinės veiklos komandoje, komandinio darbo sąvokos neįsisavinimo teorijos.
Undergraduate thesis examines the social processes in project management a contemporary to human resource-oriented, project's activities. So far, the implementation of project activities have been defined too narrowly: for technical work, including activities in the implementation of processes and stages. In this way, individuals within and between social processes are considered minor and do not affect project performance factors. Therefore, the goal to reveal the social interactions taking place in project management. The study was conducted on the basis of scientific literature analysis method and semi-structured interviews and document analysis, using grounded theory methodology strategy. The investigation based on this strategy through the regular existing molding and comparison of theories have been constructed in the new theory, which expanded the existing project management theories applicable to the social process of expression the possibility of project work, educational environment for the project, between the cognitive process. As well as extended and supplemented by this theory: the emergence of conflict and avoidance techniques, communication with the process control mechanism, focused work team performance, teamwork concept-execution theory.

Abstract : Since at least the 1980's, a growing number of companies have set up an ethics or a compliance program within their organization. However, in the field of study of business management, there is a paucity of research studies concerning these management systems. This observation warranted the present investigation of one company's compliance program. Compliance programs are set up so that individuals working within an organization observe the laws and regulations which pertain to their work. This study used a constructivist grounded theory methodology to examine the process by which a specific compliance program, that of Siemens Canada Limited, was implemented throughout its organization. In conformity with this methodology, instead of proceeding with the investigation in accordance to a particular theoretical framework, the study established a number of theoretical constructs used strictly as reference points. The study's research question was stated as: what are the characteristics of the process by which Siemens' compliance program integrated itself into the existing organizational structure and gained employee acceptance? Data consisted of documents produced by the company and of interviews done with twenty-four managers working for Siemens Canada Limited. The researcher used QSR-Nvivo computer assisted software to code transcripts and to help with analyzing interviews and documents. Triangulation was done by using a number of analysis techniques and by constantly comparing findings with extant theory. A descriptive model of the implementation process grounded in the experience of participants and in the contents of the documents emerged from the data. The process was called "Remolding"; remolding being the core category having emerged. This main process consisted of two sub-processes identified as "embedding" and "appraising." The investigation was able to provide a detailed account of the appraising process. It identified that employees appraised the compliance program according to three facets: the impact of the program on the employee's daily activities, the relationship employees have with the local compliance organization, and the relationship employees have with the corporate ethics identity. The study suggests that a company who is entertaining the idea of implementing a compliance program should consider all three facets. In particular, it suggests that any company interested in designing and implementing a compliance program should pay particular attention to its corporate ethics identity. This is because employee's acceptance of the program is influenced by their comparison of the company's ethics identity to their local ethics identity. Implications of the study suggest that personnel responsible for the development and organizational support of a compliance program should understand the appraisal process by which employees build their relationship with the program. The originality of this study is that it points emphatically that companies must pay special attention in developing a corporate ethics identify which is coherent, well documented and well explained.
Résumé : La présente recherche porte sur les systèmes de gestion connus sous l’appellation de « programme de conformité » et « programme d’éthique ». Plus particulièrement, elle étudie le processus par lequel un programme de conformité a été mis en place au sein d’une entreprise multinationale allemande œuvrant au Canada : Siemens Canada Limitée. Elle propose un modèle qui décrit le processus par lequel cette compagnie a implanté un programme de conformité au sein de son organisation. Dans le cadre de cette étude, un programme de conformité est conçu comme étant un système de gestion. Il s’agit donc d’un ensemble de processus, mis en place par une organisation, qui sont reliés ensemble et qui fonctionnent afin d’atteindre un même but. Dans le cas des programmes de conformité, ce but comporte deux volets : a) voir à ce que les individus travaillant au sein d’une organisation respectent les lois et règlements relatifs à leur travail, et b) énoncer un ensemble de normes d’ordre éthique et voir à ce qu’elles soient bien comprises au sein de l’organisation afin qu’elles puissent servir de guide lors de prises de décisions concernant des sujets possédant un enjeu d’ordre éthique. L’historique des programmes de conformité remonte, selon Head (1997), à la fin des années 1940. Initialement, les programmes tenaient surtout compte des lois antitrust et se développaient à mesure que de nouvelles dispositions légales étaient adoptées par les gouvernements. Toutefois, ils ont pris des caractéristiques plus contemporaines à partir des années 1980 suite à deux événements. Le premier était la mise en place d’un programme développé par un groupe réunissant de trente-deux entreprises réunies sous l’appellation de « Defense Industry Initiative on Business Ethics and Conduct » (DII). La justification de ce regroupement était de promouvoir un programme servant à convaincre le législateur qu’il était inopportun d’adopter de nouvelles réglementations puisque les compagnies avaient pris les mesures nécessaires afin d’assurer la conformité de leurs agissements avec les lois. La deuxième était l’introduction des « U.S. Federal Sentencing Guidelines » ; un ensemble de règles constituant une procédure uniforme servant à déterminer la peine à imposer aux organisations reconnues coupables d’un crime. Ces règles ont, en quelque sorte, incité les entreprises à adopter des programmes de conformité. Quant aux programmes d’éthique, leur historique remonte, selon Rasberry (2000) également aux deux mêmes développements mentionnés précédemment. Le premier département d’éthique au sein d’une entreprise aurait été mis sur pied vers 1985 par des compagnies du groupe DII. Les individus travaillant au sein de ces départements étaient désignés comme des « consultants en éthique ». La prolifération de ces départements a amené ces individus à fonder, en 1992, l’association connue à l’époque sous le nom de « Ethics Officer Association. » Les études portant sur les programmes de conformité ou les programmes d’éthique sont rares. Les quelques articles sur le sujet décrivent très peu leur fonctionnement ou comment ils ont réalisé leur mis en œuvre. Cette situation de disette documentaire s’explique par la réticence des compagnies à accueillir une étude de leur programme. Elles ne se sont pas à l’aise avec l’idée qu’un agent externe, sur qui elles n’ont aucun contrôle, effectue un examen de leurs opérations, surtout celles ayant un contenu délicat. Une exception à cette tendance générale est la compagnie Siemens qui a accepté de participer à la présente étude portant sur son programme de conformité. Le projet de recherche initialement proposé par le chercheur à Siemens visait à évaluer l’efficacité de leur programme de conformité. Toutefois, après examen de documents fournis par la compagnie, il s’est avéré qu’elle avait déjà effectuée une telle démarcher. Répéter cet exercice n’aurait servi qu’à infirmer ou corroborer les données qu’elle avait déjà en main. Au cours de discussions subséquentes avec le gestionnaire responsable de la conformité, ce dernier indiqua que la compagnie ne rencontrait aucun problème de gestion avec son programme. Sans problème managérial apparent, il indiqua qu’il serait tout de même intéressé à ce que le chercheur lui trouve quelque chose, une caractéristique ou une information, que la compagnie ignore à propos de son programme de conformité. Cet état de fait fut le point de départ de la présente recherche. Dans un premier temps, le chercheur proposa à la compagnie que la recherche porte sur le développement du programme de conformité. Toutefois, en cours de l’étude, le chercheur a dû modifier sa question de recherche en sa forme définitive et qui s’énonce comme suit : quelles sont les caractéristiques du processus par lequel le programme de conformité développé par Siemens a été intégré dans la structure organisationnelle existante et a gagné l’acceptation des employés ? Pour répondre à cette question, la présente étude a été menée selon une orientation constructiviste, utilisant la méthodologie de la théorisation enracinée. Elle a examiné le processus par lequel un programme de conformité spécifique, celui de Siemens Canada Limitée, a été mis en œuvre à travers l’ensemble de son organisation. En conformité avec les préceptes de cette méthodologie, elle ne fut pas menée en concordance avec un cadre théorique précis. Elle a plutôt procédé en tenant compte de certains construits théoriques qui ressortaient de la littérature dans le domaine de l’éthique et de l’éthique des affaires. Ces construits ont été utilisés strictement en tant que points de référence et non pas en tant que cadre théorique. Les données colligées au cours de l’étude provenaient de documents produits par l’entreprise et aussi des entrevues réalisées avec vingt-quatre gestionnaires travaillant pour Siemens Canada Limitée. Le chercheur a utilisé le logiciel QSR-Nvivo afin d’effectuer le codage des documents examinés ainsi que les transcriptions des entrevues. Le logiciel a également servi lors de l’analyse de l’ensemble des données. Quant à la triangulation, celle-ci a été effectuée en recourant à un certain nombre de techniques d’analyse et en comparant les découvertes (terme utilisé ici à la place de « résultats » afin de conserver le caractère qualitatif de l’étude) avec la théorie existante contenue dans la littérature académique. La description du processus de mise en œuvre du programme de conformité fournie par le chercheur ne provient pas d’un modèle préconçu provenant de la littérature traitant soit de l’éthique des affaires, soit des programmes de conformité. Le vocabulaire utilisé pour décrire le processus correspond soit à des mots utilisés par les individus participant à l’étude, ou des mots choisis par le chercheur qu’il estimait pouvaient résumer les idées exprimées par les participants. Ainsi, le modèle descriptif et le vocabulaire utilisé pour l’expliquer émergent de l’analyse des données. Le modèle descriptif du processus de mise en œuvre du programme de conformité émerge de l’expérience des participants et du contenu des informations trouvées dans les documents. Le vocable utilisé pour désigner ce processus est celui de « remoulage » et représente la catégorie de base qui a émergé des données. Ce processus principal est composé de deux sous processus : le premier désigné comme étant de l'« embedding » (incrustation) et le second désigné comme « appraisal » (appréciation). Le processus de remoulage intègre un nouvel élément structurel, le programme de conformité, dans la structure organisationnelle déjà existante. Toutefois, la particularité de ce processus est de parvenir à transformer la fibre constitutive de la structure organisationnelle sans modifier la structure en tant que telle. En quelque sorte, le « moule » initial est préservé, mais en le « remoulant », avec l'apport du programme de conformité, la compagnie se transforme. Étant donné qu'il s'agit d'un remoulage par le biais d'un programme de conformité, le résultat de tout cet effort doit se manifester, d'une part, par l'adoption, par les employés, de l'identité éthique promue par la compagnie et, d'autre part, par leur utilisation efficiente et constante des outils et des procédures rattachés au programme. Ce résultat à deux volets est atteint à la condition que les deux sous processus, soit ceux d'« embedding » et d'« appraising », parviennent à persuader les individus à être favorablement disposé à agir de façon concordante. Dans le cas de Siemens Canada Limitée, le processus de remoulage implique trois groupes distincts d'acteurs : le personnel corporatif mondial situé en Allemagne, le personnel canadien rattaché spécifiquement à la fonction de la conformité et, finalement, les employés à qui le programme a été présenté et qui doivent suivre les nouvelles procédures. Le personnel corporatif mondial et le personnel canadien à la conformité sont les maîtres du sous-processus d'« embedding ». Le groupe corporatif mondial est impliqué au développement du programme, à sa transmission aux entités régionales, et à la surveillance de son déploiement. Toutefois, les données recueillies au cours de cette étude ne permettent pas de fournir une description plus détaillée de leur travail. Le groupe du personnel canadien à la conformité devait voir à la diffusion du programme à l'échelle du Canada. Il devait fournir une formation aux employés et fournir une rétroaction au niveau corporatif quant aux résultats. Dans leur cas également, les données ne permettent pas une description plus détaillée de leur travail. Le troisième groupe d'acteurs, les employés, est principalement impliqué dans le sous-processus d'« appraising ». Ce groupe est composé de gestionnaires et de personnel non managérial qui ont reçu la formation sur la conformité et a eu à appliquer les nouvelles procédures. La présente étude fournit une description détaillée du sous-processus « appraising ». Elle indique que les employés développent une appréciation du programme de conformité en considérant trois facettes. La première est en lien avec l'impact des changements apportés par le programme sur le quotidien vécu par les employés. À ce niveau, les employés apprécient le programme de conformité selon qu'il facilite leur travail ou qu'il le rend plus fastidieux. La deuxième facette est en lien avec la relation établie entre employés et le personnel rattaché à la conformité. À cet égard, les employés apprécient le programme de conformité selon le degré de collaboration et de confiance établi avec le personnel de conformité. La troisième facette identifiée est en lien avec l'identité éthique corporative. L'étude a identifié qu'une des composantes du programme de conformité est l'identité éthique corporative. Celle-ci est contenue et transmise par divers outils : tels que le code d'éthique, la déclaration de la mission de l'entreprise, la déclaration de la vision de l'entreprise, et autres. Or, les employés développent également une appréciation de cette identité éthique corporative par rapport à un référent particulier : l'identité éthique locale. L'étude indique que cette appréciation se fait selon deux ensembles de qualités. Le modèle décrit dans cette étude suggère qu'une société qui envisagerait de mettre en œuvre son propre programme de conformité devrait tenir compte des trois facettes du sous-processus « appraising ». L'étude suggère notamment que toute entreprise qui songe à développer un programme de conformité doit avoir un souci particulier quant à l'identité éthique de l'entreprise. Ceci est attribuable au fait que l'employé va s'identifier au programme de conformité et va l'accepter pourvu qu'il juge que l'identité éthique de l'entreprise et l'identité éthique locale s'accordent. Les découvertes de la présente étude devraient intéresser tout le personnel chargé de l'élaboration et le soutien organisationnel d'un programme de conformité. Ce personnel doit comprendre qu'une mise en œuvre réussie d'un programme de conformité n'est pas seulement conditionnelle à une bonne planification et à une bonne exécution. Elle est aussi dépendante des trois facettes contenues dans le sous-processus « appraising », tout particulièrement l'identité éthique corporative.

En se basant sur la littérature, nous étudions les liens entre les concepts de mobilité intra-organisationnelle et de Responsabilité Sociétale de l’Entreprise (RSE). Aujourd’hui, les salariés et les entreprises portent un intérêt croissant pour ces deux concepts. Le contexte économique et social, engendre une grande préoccupation pour la mobilité et pour la RSE. La loi du 22 septembre 2017 modifie en profondeur le droit du travail notamment au niveau du régime du licenciement. Ce contexte vient accentuer et souligner l’importance du sujet. Afin de comprendre les enjeux, nous étudions ces concepts sous l’angle gestionnaire, économique et juridique. Puis, le fruit de notre réflexion nous amène à conceptualiser la «mobilité responsable» à partir de cinq grands piliers : l’employabilité, la justice organisationnelle, l’équité, les catégories-socio professionnelles et les ancres de carrière. Notre démarche empirique a pour objectif de mieux appréhender les enjeux des démarches de mobilité interne. Tout d’abord, nous réalisons 47 entretiens auprès de membres de la direction des ressources humaines de 19 grands groupes situés en France. Dans le cadre d’une démarche basée sur la théorie enracinée, l’objectif est l’émergence de la connaissance sur le processus et les outils d’accompagnement de la mobilité interne. À l’issue de ces entretiens, nous proposons une grille de lecture originale et innovante. Afin de recueillir le point de vue des salariés, nous mettons en œuvre une démarche quantitative. Dans cette perspective, nous diffusons un questionnaire de recherche via internet auprès de salariés de grandes entreprises en France. Notre échantillon compte 313 répondants. Cette démarche complémentaire permet de connaître les liens avec notre concept de mobilité responsable. Nous cherchons à valider ou invalider nos hypothèses et à mesurer les influences de la mobilité responsable. Nous trouvons de profondes différences dans les pratiques de mobilité intra-organisationnelle dans les entreprises. La catégorie socio-professionnelle est un élément prégnant expliquant la diversité des pratiques d’entreprise. Cette thèse contribue à l’exploration de la mobilité responsable dans les disciplines de sciences de gestion au sein des problématiques de gestion des ressources humaines
Based on the literature, we study the links between the concepts of intra-organizational mobility and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Today, employees and companies are increasingly interested in both concepts. The economic and social context gives rise to great concern for mobility and CSR. The law of September 22, 2017 profoundly changes the labor law, particularly at the dismissal regime. This context accentuates and emphasizes the importance of the subject. To understand the issues, we study these concepts from a managerial, economic and legal point of view. Then, we conceptualize "responsible mobility" based on three main pillars: employability, organizational justice and equity. Our approach allows us to better understand the issues related to the intra-organizational mobility approach within companies. First, we carry out 47 interviews with members of the human resources department of 19 major groups located in France. As part of an approach based on Grounded Theory, the objective is the emergence of knowledge about the process and the tools for supporting internal mobility. As an outcome of these interviews, we propose an original and innovative reading grid. In order to gather the point of view of the employees, we implement a quantitative approach. Then, we circulate a research questionnaire to employees of large companies in France via the Internet to gather data on the point of view of the employees. Our sample has 313 respondents. This complementary approach makes it possible to know the links with our concept of responsible mobility. We seek to validate or invalidate our hypotheses and measure the impact of responsible mobility. We find many differences in intra-organizational mobility practices. The socio-professional category is an essential element explaining the diversity of practices in companies. This thesis contributes to the exploration of responsible mobility in the disciplines of management sciences in the context of human resources management issues

This thesis examines pupils’ justice conceptions regarding educational assessment. Due to the context-dependency of norms and values as well as of assessment, the study compares the justice conceptions of pupils in two different’socio-educational’ contexts: Sweden and Germany. The main interest of the study is to understand and to reconstruct pupils’ own relevance structures and what just assessment means from a pupils’ point of view. Here, the study aims to reach beyond the level of mere description by providing theoretical conceptualisations of pupils’ justice conceptions regarding assessment. Thus, the study´s methodological foundation is characterised by a combination of a context-sensitive comparative approach on the one hand, and on the other hand a pragmatist Grounded Theory approach. Data were mainly generated through focus group interviews with pupils attending the last year of the lower secondary level in the Swedish comprehensive school as well as in different school types in the German school system. In total, the sample consists of 95 pupils, who were interviewed in 21 focus group interviews. In addition, other sources of data were included, such as regulations and guidelines that supported a context-sensitive analysis of pupils’ conceptions. The theoretical conceptualisation that explains pupils’ justice conceptions is ‘meta-assessment’. ‘Meta-assessment’ refers to pupils’ evaluation of the assessment they experience in terms of justice and represents the shared, abductively derived and overlying analytical category regarding pupils’ conceptions. Pupils’ ‘meta-assessment’ is based on normative justice conceptions as well as on justice conceptions that are related to pupils’ situation and context-bound experiences with assessment. The first ones are about the ethico-moral character of pupils’ justice conceptions. The second shed light on the contextual conditions and consequences of the logics and practices underlying educational assessment as experienced by pupils on an everyday basis. This implies that just assessment from a pupils’ perspective needs to be understood in its wider contextual embedment; and in relation to teaching and learning in order to understand the complex interrelations of what just assessment ‘is’, and ‘should be’ from the perspective of those, who are mainly affected by it.

This chapter presents a grounded-theory-oriented analysis of central discussions of the ICMLV symposium which tries to clarify which tertia comparationis the participants referred upon. In total, nine implicitly and seven explicitly used T.C. are presented. An additional analysis yields that a meaning-oriented understanding of culture was in majority used throughout the symposium.

This study explores the experiences of relatives waiting. Often relatives wait for considerably long periods, especially in critical care areas, whilst their loved one, whose health status is unknown, receives care. To explore these experiences and to understand the symbolic meaning behind the participants’ stories, a grounded theory approach was utilised which is firmly rooted in the sociological theory of symbolic interactionism. A qualitative approach was employed in order to yield a rich description of the human experience often not found in quantitative studies (Jamerson, Scheibmeir, Bott, Crighton, Hinton and Kuckelman, 1996, p. 468). Similarly, the use of feminist principles to guide this study has facilitated a greater understanding of such issues as gender roles, language, power and hierarchy. Using grounded theory methodology, audio-taped interviews were conducted with six female relatives who were recruited using theoretical sampling. Simultaneous recruitment, data collection, analysis and literature review took place, as advocated and outlined by Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss (1967). The overarching core category discovered using this approach which epitomises the waiting experience, is the balancing of both positive and negative aspects of the four codes identified. These four codes are -mothering, trust, flustered anxiety and institutional and medical power. Each code had negative aspects, such as being denied the felt need to mother the critically ill loved one, being asked to entrust the health of a loved one to people that relatives had never met, feelings of fluster and anxiety, and a perception that they would interfere with medial care if they were to be involved in their loved one’s care. Conversely, each code could potentially have a positive aspect, such as being involved in the care of the loved one, feelings of relief once the care of the loved one was entrusted to ‘professional’ health care providers, affiliating with other relatives who were waiting in similar circumstances, and receiving frequent information from staff. A final model was produced that illustrates the balance that many relatives aspire to when waiting in the Emergency Department waiting room. If the balance tips in favour of the negative aspects of the codes, a negative impact on the relative’s feelings of well being can result.

In der Debatte um europäische Entwicklungsprozesse gewinnen grenzüberschreitende Vernetzung und Kooperationen immer mehr an Bedeutung. So wird dem deutsch-tschechischen Grenzraum als „Raum der Begegnung“ (AGEG 2006: 9) eine wesentliche Schlüsselrolle zugesprochen. Die vorliegende Arbeit nimmt Bezug auf die Theorie der Netzwerkgesellschaft von Castells (vgl. 2001, 2003a, 2003b), in der zwangsläufig Inklusionen und Exklusionen von Personen, Gruppen und Räumen die Folge sind. Die soziale (Aus)Schließung (vgl. Weber 1972 [1921]) lässt ungleichheitssoziologisch und professionstheoretisch Schlüsse auf die Funktionsbestimmung Sozialer Arbeit im deutsch-tschechischen Grenzraum zu. Sprachliche Vielfalt, kulturelle Unterschiede, ungleiche Rechts- und Bildungssysteme oder ökonomische Disparitäten wirken sich unmittelbar auf grenzüberschreitende Interaktionen, Aneignungsprozesse des sozialen Raums und Inklusionen bzw. Exklusionen aus. Dieser heuristische Rahmen tangiert die deutsch-tschechischen Grenzraumnetzwerke als Gegenstand der vorliegenden empirischen Arbeit. Geleitet von der Grounded Theory-Methodologie (Strauss/Corbin 1996) wurde das Modell: ‚Deutsch-tschechische Grenzraumnetzwerke als subjektiv konstruierte Möglichkeits- und Wirklichkeitsräume‘ systematisch anhand der Daten aus 19 deutschen und tschechischen Experteninterviews entfaltet. Die Akteure Sozialer Arbeit konstruieren ihr Netzwerkverständnis vor dem Hintergrund subjektiver Relevanzsetzungen. Vergleicht man ihre subjektiven Konstruktionen hinsichtlich der Handlungsorientierungen und Bestimmungsgründe des sozialen Handelns, so lassen sich Muster erkennen, welche sich in den Profilen relativ straffe Organisation, stabile Partnerschaft, Gesamtkunstwerk und Freundschaft niederschlagen. Diese vier In-Vivo-Kodes verweisen prägnant auf die unterschiedlichen Konstruktionen der Netzwerkakteure. Auf einer Vielfalt an morphologischen, qualitativen, normativen und funktionalen Merkmalen deutsch-tschechischer Grenzraumnetzwerke fußend lassen die Daten differenzierte subjektive Sinnproduktionen erkennen. Dabei ist eine weitgehende Kongruenz zwischen den subjektiven Relevanzsetzungen und den konstruierten Wirklichkeiten der Netzwerke feststellbar
In the debate on European development processes, cross-border networking and cooperation are gaining ever greater significance. The German-Czech border region, for example, is at-tributed a particular key role as a “place of encounter” (AGEG 2008: 15). The present disser-tation makes reference to Castells’ theory of the network society (cf. 2001, 2003a, 2003b), in which the inclusion and exclusion of individuals, groups and areas are inevitable conse-quences. Social closure/exclusion (cf. Weber 1972 [1921]) permits conclusions to be drawn in the contexts of the sociology of inequality and professional theory regarding the functional characterisation of social work in the German-Czech border region. Language diversity, cul-tural differences, distinct legal and education systems as well as economic disparities affects directly cross-border interaction, processes of appropriation of the social space, and inclusion or exclusion. This heuristic framework is pertinent to the German-Czech border region networks as subject of the present empirical study. Guided by the grounded theory methodology (cf. Strauss/Corbin 1996), the model of ‘German-Czech border region networks as subjectively constructed spaces of opportunity and reality’ was developed systematically on the basis of data from 19 interviews with German and Czech experts. The actors in social work construct their understandings of networks against the background of subjective definitions of relevance. By comparing their subjective constructs in terms of action orientation and the determining reasons behind the social actions, the following pattern emerge and find expression in the profiles relatively strict organisation [relativ straffe Or-ganisation] [relativně pevná organizace], stable partnership [stabile Partnerschaft] [stabilní partnerství], overall work of art [Gesamtkunstwerk] [společné umělecké dílo] and friendship [Freundschaft] [přátelství]. These four in vivo codes provide a succinct indication of the dif-ferent constructs of the network actors. Founded on a diversity of morphological, qualitative, normative and functional attributes of German-Czech border region networks, the data permit recognition of differentiated processes of subjective sensemaking. In this respect, a high degree of congruence between the subjective definitions of relevance and the constructed realities of the networks can be ascertained

This qualitative study was successful in utilization of grounded theory methodology to ascertain nurses' decision-making processes following their awareness of having made a medical error, as well as how and/or if they corrected and reported the error. Significant literature documents the existence of medical errors; however, this unique study interviewed thirty nurses from adult intensive care units seeking to discover through a detailed interview process their individual stories and experiences, which were then analyzed for common themes. Common themes led to the development of a theoretical model of thought processes regarding error reporting when nurses made an error. Within this theoretical model are multiple processes that outline a shared, time-orientated sequence of events nurses encounter before, during, and after an error. One common theme was the error occurred during a busy day when they had been doing something unfamiliar. Each nurse expressed personal anguish at the realization she had made an error, she sought to understand why the error happened and what corrective action was needed. Whether the error was reported on or told about depended on each unit's expectation and what needed to be done to protect the patient. If there was no perceived patient harm, errors were not reported. Even for reported errors, no one followed-up with the nurses in this study. Nurses were left on their own to reflect on what had happened and to consider what could be done to prevent error recurrence. The overall impact of the process of and the recovery from the error led to learning from the error that persisted throughout her nursing career. Findings from this study illuminate the unique viewpoint of licensed nurses' experiences with errors and have the potential to influence how the prevention of, notification about and resolution of errors are dealt with in the clinical setting. Further research is needed to answer multiple questions that will contribute to nursing knowledge about error reporting activities and the means to continue to improve error-reporting rates.

This qualitative study develops a model of a virtual community for people with longterm, severe physical or mobility disabilities. The model also has implications for the wider community of people with disabilities. The study uses the Strauss and Corbin grounded theory methodology to inform the investigation from which a systematic theory has been developed. On the basis of this theory, the study proposes strategies for implementing the virtual community model. In-depth interviews were conducted with twelve Queenslanders with paraplegia, quadriplegia or other severe, long-term physical or mobility disabilities and with six health care professionals, service providers, information personnel and policy advisers involved in their well-being. The methodology used one interview question to determine their experiences and perceptions regarding virtual communities and the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Each interview explored in detail the elements, enablers and barriers behind the usage of ICT and/or assistive technology. The personal responses and narratives of the people with disabilities who use the technology and their allied health care professionals were analysed and interpreted for meaning before the transcripts were returned to these participants for validation. Rich explanations were derived. Details of the various response categories of these interviews were analysed as part of the grounded theory, constant comparison methodology, and the relationship to the literature was considered. These de-constructed meanings were compared and contrasted with those in the current literature. The central theme to emerge from these narratives is that people with long-term disabilities regain a sense of control and independence in their lives through the use of ICT, as they move towards an on-line community. Other major themes that emerged from being on-line indicated that being on-line tended to break down people's isolation, while potentially changing the work paradigm (both vexed issues for people with disabilities). Information and communications technology and on-line communities offer ways to enhance every person's inclusion, participation and empowerment in our society. The primary outcome of the study is a theory regarding the character of virtual communities for people with long-term, severe mobility impairments that stakeholders may consider whenever such a virtual community is proposed. The theory is represented as a virtual community model. The model identifies the need for "a sense of control" as the foundational element of virtual communities for the disabled, and distinguishes the key domains in which disabled people participate in virtual communities. The barriers and enablers to their participation are specified within it. The model also provides a framework within which virtual communities can be facilitated. It melds six types of e-communities or sets of well-developed discrete categories (for example, themes, concepts) that the data from this study revealed: education-oriented, fantasy-oriented, information-oriented, interestoriented, relationship-oriented and transaction-oriented, depending on the type(s) of consumer need(s) to be met. The study concludes that although the technology itself provides strategies for independence and thus facilitates self-empowerment, it is also capable of being disempowering. Many interviewees referred to this aspect as a "double-edged sword". Empowerment and dis-empowerment are intersecting processes because of digital divide and information literacy issues and this "double-edged sword", which virtual reality presents for people with physical disabilities. Based on the new knowledge and the model as the outcomes of this study, a range of recommendations are discussed that have application in the community for persons with mobility impairments.

This qualitative study develops a model of a virtual community for people with longterm, severe physical or mobility disabilities. The model also has implications for the wider community of people with disabilities. The study uses the Strauss and Corbin grounded theory methodology to inform the investigation from which a systematic theory has been developed. On the basis of this theory, the study proposes strategies for implementing the virtual community model. In-depth interviews were conducted with twelve Queenslanders with paraplegia, quadriplegia or other severe, long-term physical or mobility disabilities and with six health care professionals, service providers, information personnel and policy advisers involved in their well-being. The methodology used one interview question to determine their experiences and perceptions regarding virtual communities and the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Each interview explored in detail the elements, enablers and barriers behind the usage of ICT and/or assistive technology. The personal responses and narratives of the people with disabilities who use the technology and their allied health care professionals were analysed and interpreted for meaning before the transcripts were returned to these participants for validation. Rich explanations were derived. Details of the various response categories of these interviews were analysed as part of the grounded theory, constant comparison methodology, and the relationship to the literature was considered. These de-constructed meanings were compared and contrasted with those in the current literature. The central theme to emerge from these narratives is that people with long-term disabilities regain a sense of control and independence in their lives through the use of ICT, as they move towards an on-line community. Other major themes that emerged from being on-line indicated that being on-line tended to break down people's isolation, while potentially changing the work paradigm (both vexed issues for people with disabilities). Information and communications technology and on-line communities offer ways to enhance every person's inclusion, participation and empowerment in our society. The primary outcome of the study is a theory regarding the character of virtual communities for people with long-term, severe mobility impairments that stakeholders may consider whenever such a virtual community is proposed. The theory is represented as a virtual community model. The model identifies the need for "a sense of control" as the foundational element of virtual communities for the disabled, and distinguishes the key domains in which disabled people participate in virtual communities. The barriers and enablers to their participation are specified within it. The model also provides a framework within which virtual communities can be facilitated. It melds six types of e-communities or sets of well-developed discrete categories (for example, themes, concepts) that the data from this study revealed: education-oriented, fantasy-oriented, information-oriented, interestoriented, relationship-oriented and transaction-oriented, depending on the type(s) of consumer need(s) to be met. The study concludes that although the technology itself provides strategies for independence and thus facilitates self-empowerment, it is also capable of being disempowering. Many interviewees referred to this aspect as a "double-edged sword". Empowerment and dis-empowerment are intersecting processes because of digital divide and information literacy issues and this "double-edged sword", which virtual reality presents for people with physical disabilities. Based on the new knowledge and the model as the outcomes of this study, a range of recommendations are discussed that have application in the community for persons with mobility impairments.

This paper presents the results from a study of information behaviors in the context of people's everyday lives undertaken in order to develop an integrated model of information behavior (IB). 34 participants from across 6 countries maintained a daily information journal or diary – mainly through a secure web log – for two weeks, to an aggregate of 468 participant days over five months. The text-rich diary data was analyzed using a multi-method qualitative-quantitative analysis in the following order: Grounded Theory analysis with manual coding, automated concept analysis using thesaurus-based visualization, and finally a statistical analysis of the coding data. The findings indicate that people engage in several information behaviors simultaneously throughout their everyday lives (including home and work life) and that sense-making is entangled in all aspects of them. Participants engaged in many of the information behaviors in a parallel, distributed, and concurrent fashion: many information behaviors for one information problem, one information behavior across many information problems, and many information behaviors concurrently across many information problems. Findings indicate also that information avoidance – both active and passive avoidance – is a common phenomenon and that information organizing behaviors or the lack thereof caused the most problems for participants. An integrated model of information behaviors is presented based on the findings.

This study explores the processes and conditions surrounding long-term care decision-making and care management after traumatic brain injury. Grounded theory methodology and methods were used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 51 participants in New South Wales, Australia. A grounded theory of care management was developed through constant comparison of data and cases and identified a social problem, a core social process, strategies, conditions and consequences. The basic social problem was the need for ongoing care, a problem which the person with brain injury and others managed collectively. Together, they determined an appropriate care location or living situation, configuration of carers and level of care. This study provides a framework for understanding preferred ways of living with care after brain injury. Increased autonomy was a desired outcome. Living alone and spending time alone were associated with increased autonomy and increased risk. A series of strategies and processes are suggested that allow professionals and family carers to gradually increase risk, and share responsibility for risk management. The findings have implications for health professional and legal practice, education, research and policy.

Multiple factors impact women’s lives after they have transitioned through higher education and into the workforce, including the struggle to achieve a balance between paid work and unpaid care responsibilities. Despite changes in Australian social and cultural attitudes, career transitions remain difficult for many women in Australia. This thesis presents a qualitative, grounded theory study that explores how women in Australia navigate and experience career transitions; specifically, the transitions to higher education and the workforce which form the pathway to their careers. Emerging from the interviews were two distinct groups of women. Group 1 comprised mature age students on entry to university and Group 2 women had transitioned directly from high school to university. The Group 1 women shared stories about the lack of family and partner support, of time and sleep deprivation, and for some, domestic violence, dominance, resistance and abandonment as they studied. Many of these women experienced an up to fivefold burden of time as they juggled work, care, study, domestic responsibilities, and small business management. Concurrently, many experienced ‘pressure’, ‘guilt’, ‘stress’, changed and broken relationships and financial insecurity. Despite this, higher education held the promise of future security. Group 2 women invariably knew they would go to university, and were supported by their families. Those who married and later undertook further studies were supported by their husbands. For both groups, the university transition experience was influenced by varying degrees of support from families, partners, universities, social networks and relevant higher education and government policies. In the work transition experience however, it was the individual level of resilience required relative to available support that was the significant factor. Initially, a constructivist grounded theory approach was adopted. However, emergent social justice issues arising during interviews and analysis prompted development of a new methodology incorporating a critical perspective. Exploring the integration of a critical perspective required reviewing and juxtaposing constructivist grounded theory with critical theory. The shared axiomatic elements of these paradigms made them commensurable, and adaption made possible the concurrent practice of both. Thus, merging critical theory with constructivist grounded theory resulted in the new methodology critical constructivist grounded theory. It follows the evolutionary path of qualitative interpretive work, addressing the need for a critical stance to expose social justice issues. At the heart of the new methodology is a systematic analysis method, critical colours, enabling examination of the social, political, cultural, economic, structural, gender and historical forces impacting Australian women’s lives. What is more, critical colours analysis processes are adaptable to other axiologically congruent methodologies. Advanced coding methods identified the categories of Time Related Forces, Striving for Security, Transformation of Self and the construct of the Emergent Core Self. Theoretical integration of these categories and construct with critical colours analyses produced the critical constructivist grounded theory of Australian women’s career transitions. The grounded theory reveals the ideologies of neoliberalism, capitalism and patriarchy impose a restrictive framework to the ways in which women’s career transitions are experienced. The model illustrates that the more roles and responsibilities women assume, the greater the time and financial deficits they experience, the more support is required. The grounded theory crystallises women’s experiences as the cumulative effect of the forces of time, study, deprivations, the quest for security (financial and emotional), and the transformative power of learning. The Emergent Core Self makes clear that the women have an altered sense of resilience and knowledge of ‘who I am’. This study reveals that the navigation of career transitions by women in Australia is influenced by the undercurrents of an authoritarian social system skewed to inequality. The implications of the findings point strongly to the need for systemic change where equality is a matter-of-course. From a social systems perspective, it is suggested that the Nordic model provides a system of governance that benefits all citizens. This alternative model offers a solution to embed equity into the Australian systems of governance and social supports. The citizen-centred support characteristics of the Nordic model not only releases women’s burden of time and security, potentially delivering the supportive environment necessary for women in Australian to successfully navigate career transitions, it also provides a platform for equity for all.

This research project explores factors affecting sustainability initiatives within educational institutions. Using grounded theory and mixed-methods, the project evaluates the experiences and perspective of nineteen individuals involved with sustainability initiatives in schools. Twelve research participants are from one school community while the other seven are sustainability programme coordinators at a range of educational institutions. Results indicate that significant life experiences and situational factors both have an impact on an individual’s perspective on sustainability. The success of sustainability initiatives relies heavily on keen advocates for sustainability within the community and the support ascribed to sustainability by the institution. Providing engaging, hands-on experiences, supporting individuals and groups, and encouraging role modeling can foster an ethic of sustainability across the community. The outcome of this research project is a framework designed to help individuals and institutions in their efforts to support and implement sustainability initiatives. Keywords: Sustainability, education, barriers, environment

This research addresses the following questions: how do successful professionals cultivate boundary-spanning relationships to develop professional goods; and what lessons can be drawn from their successes? This study uses grounded theory to interpret qualitative interview data from four expert networkers to help demonstrate how successful people in various industries build relationships — and what characteristics these successful networkers have in common. Using grounded theory, five key themes emerged: uncertainty reduction, ingratiation, reciprocity, mentoring relationships and the importance of follow-up. The study of networks has a well-developed body of surrounding literature; however, the current research does little to address how individual actors successfully build the relationships upon which networks are based. Therefore, this qualitative research into the characteristics shared by successful networkers is a positive contribution to the body of knowledge concerning social network theory — and will serve as a guide for those wishing to expand their personal and business networks.

This study explored the current opinions of Chinese citizens on environmental sustainability in China, while inquiring about the role of the Chinese government in shaping public consciousness on environmentalism. This case study was a qualitative analysis that was informed by both grounded theory and ethnographic content analysis (ECA) conducted through fifteen open-ended interviews with Chinese citizens and content analysis of government documents and media coverage that pertain to environmentalism. During the data collection and analysis process, the researcher considered the cultural landscape of China and reflected on how the media, Chinese spirituality, and communication patterns affect the conceptualization of environmentalism by citizens. This research found that public awareness of environmental sustainability is influenced by a social hierarchy of needs, philosophical legacies, allegiance to authority, and China‟s global position. Consequently, this research uncovered the importance of cultivating cultural awareness when non-Chinese citizens approach the topic of environmentalism in China. Keywords: Chinese Government, Environmentalism, Public Opinion, Grounded Theory

This dissertation presents a multi-method research approach for the systematic study of wicked problem domains (Rittel, 1984 [1972]), developed through an investigation of an information system (IS) within a health service organisation, BreastScreen Tasmania (BST). BST is an accredited organisation within a national screening and assessment Progam, BreastScreen Australia. The Program is a population health initiative that also provides multi-disciplinary diagnostic clinical services to individual clients/patients, measured against 176 National Accreditation Standards. The demographic change of ageing population is a crisis that threatens the sustainability of future health services and highlights a role for IS/ICT to deliver work efficiencies. Conflicting perspectives and competing models for assuring the quality and safety of health services assume a role for IS/ICT to provide data processing capabilities to support health service practices and to evaluate health service outcomes. An ‘e-health’ vision assumes that well-integrated information and standardised work practices will result in efficiency, effectiveness, safety and quality. But IS/ICT solutions often fail to accommodate the complexities of information use in health settings. This situation of competing perspectives, opposing forces and health IS/ICT failures indicates that health service delivery into the future is a wicked problem that cannot be easily defined and will not be solved by better IS design. The methodological contribution of this research is a structured process of inquiry that emphasises a human-centred perspective: patient-centred care, human centred computing and human centred research. The dissertation shows how a multi-method approach is systematically conducted, how appreciation of a problem situation for an organisation emerges and is studied over three-phases. Soft Systems Methodology was adopted as the conceptual framework for the research process. Grounded Theory Methodology provided a range of flexible strategies and lenses for qualitative data collection and analysis. A construct, ‘People, place and things’ (PPT), was developed and used as a heuristic device to sensitise the researcher to different units of analysis, techniques and lenses for structuring and modelling data, particularly drawing on Distributed Cognition, Communities of Practice and Activity Theory. Substantively, the research contributes a detailed single case of a health service delivery organisation with wicked problem properties. The investigation focused on the role and impact of a client record (electronic and paper) on two BST activities and their inter-relationships. Firstly, accrediting the delivery of its breast screening and assessment services and secondly supporting decision-making of both individual clinicians and clients/patients. More broadly, it also analysed how the IS impacted on the roles and interactions amongst the professionals working within BST. BST’s problem situation was identified as a nexus between accreditation and practice in which two forms of accreditation are in tension. These tensions are embedded in the information system supporting BST activities. BST uses a client information system to measure its performance at organisation level, which can conflict with social forms of accreditation such as professional memberships. This conflict is mirrored by the difference between population-level, evidence-oriented data and the meaning of data in the context of a specific client receiving a health service. Theoretically, the research contributes two conceptual models. Model one highlights that the nexus is embedded in the organisation’s information system and work practice design such that two forms of accreditation are in tension and must be managed. Artefacts used to measure performance construct organisation-level accreditation; individuals are accredited socially via membership. Model two highlights that the client record is fully integrated to provide data that is oriented to support three different purposes: evidence of organisation performance, supporting professional judgment and client decision-making. Boundary maintenance activities by a staff member in the role of institutional broker are required to manage the differences in meaning for each information orientation. This research has implications for the role of IS/ICT in health service delivery and accreditation, including assumptions on the benefits of information integration and work practice standardisation. IS design can readily embed principles and work processes that align with measuring standardised work by population-level data for health service quality assurance. However, the wicked problem characteristics affecting health services means that IS that prioritises population-level data-oriented accrediting models can fail to provide information to support social information interactions, including how work is measured for quality within professional memberships. In addition, providing an information system to monitor performance is important, but IS/ICT is also needed to effectively support health service practitioners and clients in making decisions and to provide feedback on individual performance. The outcomes of using this method demonstrate the value of a three phase, process inquiry approach utilising multiple methods. Socio-technical perspectives are useful for understanding wicked problem domains and the PPT-construct keeps the analysis open to a range of insights for understanding the information support provided in the context of health care delivery. Identifying social insights and social methods of measuring quality of performance of relevance to IS design is time consuming but critical to facilitate human-centred uses of information being supported by the design of technical artefacts for health service delivery contexts. IS design to support standardised work processes and that embeds non-social, quantitative forms of measuring that work is relatively straightforward. Understanding, modelling and developing IS that reflects social insights is much more complex but critical if the e-health IS are to have a positive impact on the current vision for patient-centred, safe and quality assured, effective and efficient health services into the future.

The primary objective of this research was to determine if a specific set of reflective practices enhance university undergraduate students’ abilities to: 1) reflect on their thinking processes to become more aware of their own intellectual habits and how they form; 2) inquire with open-minded curiosity, including suspension of assumptions long enough for them to be challenged; and 3) generate justifiable, contextual understandings and judgments, individually and in collaboration. “Reflective practices” refers to a specific set of reflective learning activities introduced to undergraduates in two courses: mindfulness practice extended into journal writing, listening, inquiry and dialogue. The purpose of the reflective practices in this research was to support independent, critical thinking: well-reasoned, evaluative judgments based on evidence, contextual understanding, and respect for others. Students were instructed in both individual, introspective activity as well as in paired and group interaction while preserving a degree of mindfulness. Indicators of the dispositions for critical thinking were developed using grounded theory methods to study students’ experiences, as well as those dispositions previously identified in the research literature. Qualitative results showed increased self-confidence, engagement with multiple points of view, and an unexpected sense of connectedness that was stronger between students who disagreed with each other than between students who found easy agreement in their interaction. Quantitative results showed statistically significant gains in the average number of indicators of critical thinking dispositions appearing in student journals comparing week 1 to week 11. There was also positive correlation between final essay exam scores graded for critical thinking skills and the total number of indicators found in students’ journals.
This thesis presents primary research on the impacts of mindfulness applied to introspective and interactive learning activities in undergraduate university courses.

PhD (Business Management)
Department of Business Management
The questions of what constitutes entrepreneurship and, in turn, who an entrepreneur is, have dominated entrepreneurship discourse in recent times. Over the years, a multiplicity of definitions of entrepreneurship has been proffered. However, most of these definitions to be either Eurocentric or Western-oriented and largely devoid of (South) African socio-economic imperatives. Naturally, the manner in which entrepreneurship in South Africa is conceptualised derives from the former definitions. Furthermore, the classification of entrepreneurship ventures in the country is also problematic. A Eurocentric classification regime is, on the one hand, too simplistic; and, on the other hand, it fails to fully capture the true essence of entrepreneurial activity within the South African economy. It is, therefore, not surprising that entrepreneurship development policies and interventions are not successful in stimulating entrepreneurship. This problem, this study argues, is a result of the lack of localised research aimed at understanding entrepreneurship classification dynamics in South Africa. This constitutes a research gap, which this study seeks to address. It is against this background that the aim of this study is to develop a taxonomy of entrepreneurial ventures in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. To achieve this purpose, which is pre-paradigmatic, the proposed study was designed along the dictates of a qualitatively grounded theory research. This facilitated the application of multiple methods of data collection. The study sampled 5 entrepreneurs in the Limpopo Province who were interviewed using an in-depth format. The value of this work is among the first in seeking to propose a framework (i.e. taxonomy) for classifying entrepreneurship ventures within the South African context. The implication of the study is that it potentially provides policymakers with valuable tools to understand South African entrepreneurship and the channels of intervention for small business ventures.
NRF

No
In this article we explain how the development of new organization theory faces several mutually reinforcing problems, which collectively suppress generative debate and the creation of new and alternative theories. We argue that to overcome these problems, researchers should adopt relationally reflexive practices. This does not lead to an alternative method but instead informs how methods are applied. Specifically, we advocate a stance toward the application of qualitative methods that legitimizes insights from the situated life-with-others of the researcher. We argue that this stance can improve our abilities for generative theorizing in the field of management and organization studies.

There are many Aboriginal (First Nation, Métis and Inuit) students attending Canadian universities who remain resilient despite the multiple challenges that arise during their first year of studies. This thesis focused on six undergraduate Aboriginal students attending the University of Saskatchewan who learned about resilience as it was demonstrated in Aboriginal novels, plays, poetry and short stories, taught in their university courses. Aboriginal literature with a fictional or non-fictional autobiographical voice demonstrated characters and people who prevailed over hardships without giving up. A combination of Indigenous methodology and grounded theory methods were used in this qualitative study, to analyze how Aboriginal students were learning from Aboriginal literature about their own resilience. Resilience in this study is defined by the Nehiyaw (Cree) concept of Miyo-Pimatisiwin (The Good Life), which refers to relying on traditional Aboriginal concepts, values and perspectives in striving for a good life and being attentive to wholistic growth and balance of the four areas of self: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual (Hart, 2002, p. 13). This study found that Aboriginal students’ resilience is influenced by Aboriginal literature taught in undergraduate courses in three valuable ways: coping with personal and academic challenges, engagement in university learning with a sub-theme of approaches of professors validating Aboriginal literature and experiences, and personal growth and transformation. The University of Saskatchewan has recently announced initiatives aimed at increasing Aboriginal student retention and success, and this study lends support to the development of measures to increase the University of Saskatchewan’s aspirations in this regard.

The successes and failures of interventions to close the disadvantage gap for remote Aboriginal communities have been well documented but the role of the non-Indigenous advisers tasked with carrying out those interventions has remained obscure. This study explores the development of the culture of non-Indigenous government staff living and working in remote Aboriginal settlements in Central Australia in the 1960s and early 1970s. Elements of Constructivist Grounded Theory Methodology and its methods were used to analyse interviews of a representative group of workers. Three core themes were identified: Confronting disconnectedness, Finding our own space within the institution, and We formed a new social framework. Further analysis led to a descriptive narrative that incorporated personal characteristics, social processes, reactions to ambiguous governance structures, and the creation of a new social structure. From this analysis, three propositions can be drawn: (1) Remote communities with an absence of governance structures attracted workers characterised by a preference for autonomy and self-organisation, workers who sought difference, meaning and adventure. (2) Remote Aboriginal settlements with inadequate governance structures resulted, paradoxically, in social connectedness being contingent on the ability to maintain and navigate distance from other people. (3) The stronger the governance structures, the more cohesive the group. This led to less need for external networking, which, in turn, lessened the likelihood that remote workers would be influenced by other external factors. The relationship between the strength of governance structures and the workers’ personal characteristics determined how, and with whom, non-Indigenous workers formed meaningful connections. Conclusions: The ongoing heterarchical network – an unranked collective of absent, unclear or frequently changing hierarchies - that is identified in this thesis, would likely benefit from the development of a national peak body which could aggregate and maintain an organisational structure, and formalise training and the maintenance of professional standards of workers in remote settlements.

Diese Studie beschäftigt sich mit der Nutzung und Funktion (‘uses and functions’) von Musik im Leben von Individuen in der Provinz Groningen am Anfang des 21. Jahrhunderts. Diese Studie ist eine ethnomusikologische Studie und repräsentiert die Subdisziplin der ‘ethnomusicology-at-home’. Es benutzt Andreas Reckwitz’ Formulierung der Praxistheorie als theoretischen Anhaltspunkt und methodologischen Prinzipien aus dem Feld der qualitativen Soziologie. Im Kern der Studie steht das Individuum. Eine theoretische Stichprobe von 30 Individuen, die ihren musikalischen Lebenslauf in narrativ-biographischen Interviews aufführten welche im Detail analysiert wurden, ergab schließlich eine ‘grounded theory’ der Nutzung und Funktion von Musik in Groningen im Jahr 2010. Die Theorie besteht aus drei zusammenhängenden Teilen. Der erste Teil beinhaltet Beschreibungen der Nutzung von Musik, wie sie von den Befragten zum Ausdruck gebracht wurden. ‘Nutzung’ bezieht sich auf ‘the customary exercise of music’ in konkreten musikalisch sozialen Situationen. Das Ergebniss dieser Studie ist eine detaillierte Beschreibung von sechs Elementen von musikalisch sozialen Situationen. Diese sechs Elemente sind: Personen, die musikalisches Verhalten ausüben (‘musicking’), Dinge hantieren und immaterielle Ressourcen an spezifischen Orten und in spezifischen Perioden benutzen. Die Studie zeigt, dass diese sechs Elemente zusammen in den Biographien der Befragten unendlich verschiedene Landschaften individueller musikalisch sozialer Situationen widerspiegeln in denen Individuelle auf verschiedenste Art und Weise Musik nutzen. Der zweite Teil der Theorie beinhaltet ein Modell, dass die Funktion von Musik vom Standpunkt des (als sozial definiertes) Individuums aus beschreibt. Das Modell beschreibt drei Allumfassende Funktionen von Musik: die Bestätigung des Ichs, die Verbindung des Ichs zum nicht-Ich, und die Regulierung des Ichs. Die Bestätigung des Ichs findet statt weil Musik in einem ‘Bestätigungskreis’ das Ich trifft, und das Ich reihum die Musik die es trifft gefällt – ein für den Befragten unbegreiflich und eher unberechenbarer Prozess auf dessen Fundament das Ich sich Musik auswählt, ein Prozess oft begleitet durch das Reden über ‘mögen’ und ‘beurteilen’ von Musik. In diesem Prozess wird das musikalische Ich bestätigt und erneut bestätigt. Dieser Bestätigungskreis ermöglicht den Individuen eine Verbindung zum nicht-Ich herzustellen; abgesehen von der Verbindung zur Musik können sie auch das Ich zu Anderen, zum Übernatürlichen, zum Materiellen, zur Zeit und zum Ort verbinden. Die bestätigenden und verbindenden Funktionen von Musik führen zu Effekten, die wohlmöglich in einer Rückkopplungsschlinge benutzt werden in welcher die Regulierung des Ichs stattfindet. Die Nutzungen und Funktionen von Musik werden als ‘geteilte und umstrittene Wege des Tuns und Redens’ betrachtet, als Ausdruck von geteilten und umstrittenen kulturellen Codes, die die sozial standardisierte und sozial standardisierende kulturellen zusammenhängenden kulturellen Kontexte formen in denen Individuen funktionieren. Diese kulturelle Kontexte der Nutzung und Funktion von Musik werden im dritten Teil dieser Studie beschrieben. Die Studie beschreibt wie drei kulturelle Codes zwischen den verschiedenen Befragten (jedoch nicht allen) geteilt werden: der Code ein Instrument zu spielen, der Code des Handwerks und der Code der Musikalität formen zusammen der Supercode des musikalischen Spezialisten. Diese drei zusätzlich-allgemeinen Codes werden mit zwei weiteren Codes kombiniert um die hochspezifischen und kulturell-hegemonischen musikalische Subjektkultur der Kunstmusik zu formen. Diese Subjektkultur drückt aus, das Musik eine Spezialdisziplin ist – das Handwerk von talentierten Individuen ein Instrument zu spielen; das dieses Handwerk mit Expressivität kombiniert werden muss; und das durch diese Form von spezialisierten Expressivität Objekte ins Leben gerufen werden, die den idealen Bereich des Künstlerischen repräsentieren. In diesem Versuch einer ‘grounded theory’ der Nutzung und Funktion von Musik in Groningen im Jahre 2010 wurde skizziert, wie Individuen zu musikalischen Individuen werden. Während des Musizierens im Kontext musikalisch sozialer Situationen nutzen Individuen Musik aufgrund der Funktionen der Bestätigung, Verbindung und Regulierung des Ichs; und sie tun das im Kontext eines Netzes von kulturellen Codes, die geteilte und umstrittene – und manchmal hegemonische – Art des Tuns und Redens kennzeichnen. Eine Auswertung der Theorie und Methodologie, die in diesem Studium angewendet wurden zeigen, das sich beide die weitere Entwicklung des Feldes ‘ethnomusicology(-at-home)’ unterstützen; eine Auswertung der Ergebnisse im Licht der existierenden Forschung zeigt, dass sie zu weiteren Einblicken in die Nutzungen und Funktionen der Musik beitragen. Vier Bereiche für weitere Forschung werden erwähnt: Typologisierung von Nutzungen und Funktionen der Musik; musikalische Diskurse; musikalische Subjektkulturen; und der Ort der musikalischen Subjektordnung der Kunstmusik in gegenwärtiger Gesellschaft. Die Studie schließt ab mit einer Beschreibung der möglichen Folgen für Musikhochschulen. Den Musikhochschulen wird empfohlen ihre Studenten dazu an zu regen über ihr zukünftiges Publikum im weitesten Sinne des Wortes nachzudenken, und dabei auch die verschiedenen Varianten der Nutzungen und Funktionen von Musik zu berücksichtigen, die das Musizieren des Individuums ausmachen. Musikhochschulen werden ermutigt die Studenten (auch) als Dienstleister zu verstehen, sie zu lernen als solche offen zu sein und ihre Beziehungen mit der musikalische ‘Andere’ nicht urteilend gegenüber zu stehen. Musikhochschulen wird empfohlen dies in ihre Kurrikula zu integrieren durch Entwicklung von transformativen Projekten in welchen Studenten musikalische ‘Andere’ treffen, und ihre Studenten zu fördern sich ihres potenziellen Publikums bewusst zu sein in allen musikalischen sozialen Situationen die sie antreffen oder in welchen sie sich selbst wieder finden.