Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'SELECTED PUBLIC'

Australian universities are multi-million dollar operations employing tens of thousands of people. They attract revenue from a variety of government and non-government sources, and yet, as non-profit organisations they are judged by governments, peers and their communities on their performance in teaching and research rather than on a financial bottom line. In order to achieve these results, university managers must make decisions on how to allocate available funding throughout the university. Faced with competing demands on scarce funds, how do university managers make these choices? One option is to use a resource allocation model to 'crunch the numbers'. Resource allocation models can incorporate a number of elements - student and staff numbers, weightings and performance data, for example - to allocate available funds. These allocation models are used in different ways in different universities, but serve the same basic purpose of assisting decision-making on how much to allocate to different sections of the organisation. Such models operate within a process and context that includes the strategic aims of the University, the organisation structure, its committees and culture. This thesis contains case studies of resource allocation models and processes used in three Australian universities. It examines the methods used for resource allocation at the first and second levels within each university; that is, from the Vice-Chancellor to Dean (or equivalent), and from Dean to Head of School (or equivalent). Observations and conclusions are drawn on the models used, the processes surrounding the models, and the continuity between the two layers of allocations. The research finds all the case-study universities operate models at multiple levels in their organisations, and that there is a concerning lack of consistency and flow-through at these different levels. The messages that the university leadership intends to send through the allocations may be lost to managers one-process removed from them. The research also concludes that transparency is the most important element of the resource allocation process. University staff dealing with allocation processes will accept the results, even if they are not ideal, if they can understand how and why decisions were made. As a professional doctorate thesis, the aim is to provide a practical aid to people with responsibility for resource allocation in universities.

Thesis (DBA) - Faculty of Business and Enterprise, Swinburne University of Technology, 2007.
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Business Administration in the Faculty of Business and Enterprise, Swinburne University of Technology, 2007. Typescript. Bibliography: p. 209-227.

Knowledge is now regarded as the most important resource surpassing other resources like land and capital. It is a foregone conclusion that knowledge flows out of organizations through various ways such as resignations, retirement and death yet, it does not seem as if organizations are employing strategies to retain such a vital component of production and service delivery. This study investigated the knowledge retention strategies in three Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) public broadcasting organizations of the South African Broadcasting Corporation in South African (SABC), the Department of Broadcasting Services (DBS) in Botswana and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) in Zimbabwe. The aim of this study was to establish how knowledge is captured and retained at such organizations. The objectives of the study were; to find out the types of strategies the three broadcasting organizations employ to capture and retain knowledge; establish how the three broadcasting organizational cultures enable knowledge acquisition, transfer, sharing and retention; establish the role of ICTs as tools and enablers of knowledge retention, creation, transfer and sharing in the three broadcasting organizations; and to propose recommendations on the best strategies for retention of knowledge in the three public broadcasting organizations as well as suggest areas for further and future research. v The study used the survey method and employed the triangulation design for data gathering. Data were collected from three SADC public broadcasting organizations. The population sample comprised 240 professional staff including 38 managers from different sections of the broadcasting organizations. The researcher collected data by administering a questionnaire to staff, interviews with managers and observations. Documentary analysis was also conducted in order to supplement data and fill in gaps. The researcher was mainly interested in gathering data that would give a comprehensive picture about knowledge retention methods in broadcasting organizations. There were four main findings. First, knowledge management as a relatively new concept and practice has not yet been properly embraced in the public broadcasting organization system in order to capture and retain knowledge that is acquired and generated in the organizations. There are no measures put in place in the organizations to retain the knowledge to ensure that once those who hold vital tacit knowledge are gone, the knowledge may still be available and accessible. Second, the study established that the respective organizational cultures impede on organizational knowledge retention. The study established that there was no culture of knowledge sharing. It also emerged that employees were not free to share their knowledge because of government regulations, prevailing political contexts, mistrust and general lack of incentive to share knowledge. Third, the study established that the organizations have no strategies or systems in place to capture the experts‟ knowledge or the knowledge of experienced staff and vi those approaching retiring age. The Human Resources Departments hold exit interviews that cover issues purely to do with why the person is leaving the organization instead of recording the work experiences and expertise of the departing employees. Fourth, the study revealed that the public broadcasting organizations still lag behind in collaborative and communicative technologies that facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing of tacit knowledge but retention of knowledge generally. The study also found that, some of the organizations studied did not have internet connectivity and websites were not yet functional, which hampered acquisition and sharing of knowledge for retention purposes. The importance of this study is that it has made a contribution and provided literature on knowledge retention strategies for public broadcasting corporations as part of knowledge management practice. On the basis of these findings the study recommended the following: appointment of knowledge management officers, establishment of Communities of Practice, encouraging knowledge sharing between employees, introduction of joint programmes with other broadcasting organizations by managers and their supervision of mentoring programmes; organizations to facilitate acquisition of information and communication technologies that enable knowledge management

In recent year, there has been virtually no research into the strategic management practices of the Thai financial services sector. The aims of this research is to explore the strategic management practices of the Thai financial services sector (both banking companies and non-banking companies), and also seeks to identify whether there are differences in the strategic management practices on the basis of size, business type, and ownership respectively. The findings from this research will provide a benchmark against which further research into strategic management in Thailand can be undertaken. The Thai economic crisis (approximately 1997 to 1999) has impacted very strongly on the Thai financial services sector, as evidenced by the reduction in the number of companies and the dramatic increase in non-performing loans. It is against this background, that this research investigates the strategic management practices (including the general environments, the immediate environments, the internal environments, the corporate strategies, and the planning and planning system) of the Thai financial services companies to gain an understanding of their strategic management practices (year 2000) and the changes to their strategic management practices. This research also examined the impact of both internal environmental factors and external environmental factors on the strategic management practices of the Thai financial services companies. The process for this research was based on a through literature review, an analysis of the industry, the development of a conceptual framework (building on prion research overseas), and the development of a survey approach based on personal interviews with carefully selected respondents. This research has selected all the companies in the Thai financial services sector (13 domestic banks, 5 major government banks, 33 foreign bank�s branches, 33 finance and securities companies, and 10 credit foncier companies) who survived the economic crisis in Thailand. In total of the 99 approached to participate companies, 71 (72%) Thai financial services companies participated in the survey, consisting of 26 finance and securities companies, 18 foreign bank�s branches, 13 domestic banks, 9 credit foncier companies, and 5 major government banks. In respect to the data analysis, both qualitative and quantitative methods were utilised in this study, using both univariate and multivariate techniques. Of the 71 companies who participated in this research, 80% (N=57) had a formalised strategic planning (FSP) system, which presented 94% of large companies, 100% of medium sized companies, which was 97% of banking companies and 63% of non-banking companies. Whereas, 72% of the small companies has no formalised strategic planning (NFSP) system which was 100% of credit foncier companies and 15% of finance and securities companies. This research also shows that only 6% of foreign majority ownership companies and 32% of Thai majority ownership companies in the Thai financial services sector did not have FSP system. Of the NFSP companies, 50% would implement a FSP system over the next five years. These findings show that the Thai financial services companies have adopted a fairly traditional approach to strategic management and rely heavily on formalised strategic planning system. For these reasons, the major focus of the analysis of this research is on the FSP companies. Of the FSP companies, define their strategic management as the process of sharing the organisational structure, the company�s resources, the company�s culture and managerial style, the company�s long-term goals, the company�s mission statement, the company�s strategies, the company�s planning, and the external environmental factors to build a market position strong enough and an organisational capable enough to achieve successful performance despite unforeseeable events, potent competition, and internal problems. This research shows that there are significant differences in the organisational structure, process, and system either for size, business type, and ownership aspects. Overall, the large companies that comprised most of the domestic banking companies with Thai majority ownership and the foreign bank�s branches believe they were more likely to be strategically managed through their structures, processes and systems than the other groups of FSP companies. The findings in this thesis shows that these banking companies identified a much clearer managing of planning and planning system which including corporate plans, second level long-term plans, planning�s objectives, planning�s roles, planning�s processes, planning�s coordination issues, planning�s structures than the other group of FSP companies. In contrast, of the NFSP companies, the strategic issues and strategies emerged from the vision of the CEO, whereas did not appear to have roles, objectives, etc. for their strategic issues identification and strategy development process, anywhere as clearly as the FSP companies identified for their planning. The evidence from this research shows that the FSP companies were more likely to consider they were strategically managed than the NFSP companies. This research has identified a schematic representation of the strategic management practices of the companies with a FSP system and a NFSP system. The results of this research enables a better understanding of the strategic management practices of the Thai financial services sector. Also, prospective researchers can use data and the conceptual model generated from this research to further develop the theories of strategic management and to explore whether meaningful differences occur between strategic management practices of other Thai industries and the Thai financial services sector. This research as the first significant study of strategic management practices for the Thai financial services sector, provides an important benchmark for future research e.g. strategic management practices of the Thai financial services companies in the next five years, how the Thai financial services companies seek to recover from the major economic crisis etc. Both further research and replication of this research would enhance a meaningful understanding of strategic management practices.

Indium phosphide (InP) is an important III-V compound, with a variety of applications, for example, in light emitting diodes (LED), InP based photonic crystals and in semiconductor lasers, heterojunction bipolar transistors in integrated circuit applications and in transistors for microwave and millimeter-wave systems. The optical and electrical properties of this compound can be further tailored by ion implantation or prospectively by swift heavy ion beams. ¶ Thus knowledge of ion-induced disorder in this material is of important fundamental and practical interest. However, the disorder produced during heavy ion irradiation and the subsequent damage accumulation and recovery in InP is far from being completely understood. In terms of the damage accumulation mechanisms, the conclusions drawn in the numerous studies performed have often been in conflict with one another. A factor contributing to the uncertainties associated with these conflicting results is a lack of information and direct observation of the “building blocks” leading to the ultimate damage created at high ion fluences as an amorphous layer. These building blocks formed at lower fluence regimes by single ion impacts can be directly observed as isolated disordered zones and ion tracks for low energy and swift heavy ion irradiation, respectively. ¶ The primary aim of this work has thus been to obtain a better understanding of the disorder in this material through direct observations and investigation of disorder produced by individual heavy ions in both energy regimes (i.e. elastic and inelastic energy deposition regimes) especially with low ion fluence irradiations. In this thesis the heavy ion induced disorder introduced by low energy Au ions (100 keV Au+) and high energy Au (200 MeV Au+16) ion irradiation in InP were investigated using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS/C) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). ¶ The accumulation of damage due to disordered zones and ion tracks is described and discussed for both low energy and swift ion irradiation respectively. ¶ The in-situ TEM annealing of disordered zones created by 100 keV Au+ ion irradiation shows that these zones are sensitive to electron beam irradiation and anneal under electron energies not sufficient to elastically displace lattice atoms, i.e. subthreshold energies for both constituent atoms In and P. ¶ Ion tracks due to swift heavy ion irradiation were observed in this material and the interesting track morphology was described and discussed. The surface nanotopographical changes due to increasing fluence of swift heavy ions were observed by AFM where the onset of large increase in surface roughness for fluences sufficient to cause complete surface amorphization was observed. ¶ In addition to InP, the principle material of this project, a limited amount of TEM observation work has been performed on several other important compounds (apatite and monazite) irradiated by 200 MeV Au+ ions for comparative purposes. Again the observed segmental morphology of ion tracks were shown and possible track formation scenario and structure were discussed and similarities were drawn to the previously observed C60 cluster ion tracks in CaF2 as more knowledge and data base exist about defect dynamics and formation in that material.

This study highlights the professional development needs and perceptions of secondary teachers in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) as these relate to teacher promotion level, years of teaching experience, and subject specialisation. The study also investigates the delivery mechanisms best suited to these needs and perceptions. In a devolving education system, effectiveness of teachers' professional development will depend on finding an appropriate balance between the systems' needs, the schools' needs and the needs of individual teachers. A mismatch appears to exist between the provision of professional development and teachers' perception of their professional development requirements. This study was conducted in secondary government high schools and colleges in a selected school region of the ACT. It involved circulating, collecting and analysing a survey which included seven questions related to four selected themes on professional development. These are � teachers' participation in professional development activities by time and provider � teachers' perception of the effectiveness of formal and informal professional development in and away from the workplace � teachers' preferred delivery system of professional development � professional development and the role of the Advanced Skills Teacher classification. The overall findings of this study indicate that the professional development needs of secondary teachers in the ACT are as multifaceted and diverse as those found in other studies such as Logan (1990), DEBT (1991), Boomer (1988) and the Schools Council (1990). A less centralised more devolved system of professional development has a greater chance of meeting the varied needs of individual teachers according to the DEBT (1991) study and the ACT review (ACTDET, 1993: 52). In the ACT a centralised program of professional development is provided by the Professional Development Section of the ACT Department of Education and Training (ACTDET). This centralised model of professional development delivery is the most used provider of professional development services and programs within the ACT, although 43% of the respondents in this study did not attend any courses offered by the Professional Development Section. Overall this study found very little variation occurred in teachers' beliefs about whether professional development is more effective if conducted through formal courses, or by informal associations with teachers, students and parents. The findings imply the need for a balance between on-site and off-site delivery mechanisms of professional development. Working with colleagues for professional development purposes is supported by the respondents who agreed with involving the proposed Advanced Skills Teacher 2 classification (AST 2) with specific organisational and leadership responsibilities for professional development. This study found that respondents in Health/PE and Science had very low participation rates in courses offered by the Professional Development Section, compared to other key learning areas, and they perceived that they improved their knowledge and skills to a greater degree 'on' the job, that is, at school. Teachers with extended teaching experience perceived formal courses to be a more effective means of improving their skills and knowledge. In conclusion this study raises the question of balancing the needs of the individual teacher with those of the school and the system. It has highlighted the need for a more structured professional development plan for ACT teachers so that funding and programs do not focus solely on system priorities or school priorities at the expense of the individual teachers' needs and priorities.

Intertidal wetland habitats in southeastern Australia have changed significantly during the past sixty years. Mangrove habitats have expanded both seawards and landwards, the latter being at the expense of saltmarsh habitats. This relatively common phenomenon is generally suggested to be an outcome of sea-level rise. Several factors potentially responsible for this change are examined, including changes in mean sealevel during the past 50 to 100 years, changes in climate, population growth, catchment landuse, and estuary type. A protocol for mapping estuarine habitats was developed and implemented, incorporating the application of geographic information systems. Spatial and temporal coastal wetland habitat changes at nine sites along the New South Wales coast are illustrated. These habitat dynamics were shown to not correlate between sites. The results demonstrate that sea-level rise in this region cannot solely account for the extent of change during the past sixty years. With the exception of one site (Careel Bay), there have been no correlations between contemporary mean sea-level rise and mangrove incursion of the saltmarsh habitats at the study sites, or with rainfall patterns, at the scale of observation in this study, which was largely decadal. The only correlations determined during this study have been between population growth and coastal wetland habitat dynamics in some sites. In spite of saltmarsh habitat loss being a regional phenomenon, local factors appear to have a profound bearing on the rates of change. Neither contemporary mean sea-level rise, rainfall patterns, estuary type, catchment landuse, catchment natural cover nor population pressure can account solely for the patterns in the spatial and temporal dynamics of the coastal wetlands of New South Wales. It seems apparent that regional factors create preconditions favourable for mangrove incursion, but that localised conditions have been responsible for the extent of these incursions from site to site. That is, despite higher sea-level and greater rainfall, the extent of change has been determined by the unique characteristics of each site. The results have important implications for current estuary management practices in the state of New South Wales. The lack of spatial and temporal trends in coastal wetland habitat dynamics point to the need for management to be conducted on a localised, rather than regional scale. Additionally, anthropogenic influences must be carefully managed, since the extent of mangrove habitat expansion into saltmarsh areas is unlikely to be a natural occurrence.

Nodularia spumigena is an estuarine cyanobacteria that produces the toxin nodularin. This toxic cyanobacteria is known to have caused death to domestic and wild animals and is recognised as dangerous to human health. N. spumigena causes harmful algal blooms in many parts of the world including Australia. The toxic solutes of N. spumigena are potentially dangerous when contact is made to contaminated water bodies or is ingested by primary consumers. In Australia blooms of N. spumigena are common in the Gippsland Lakes in South-eastern Victoria and cause socio - economic hardships to the local communities. This PhD investigates the toxic effects of N. spumigena and its solutes to a range of aquatic life. A method known as SPME - HPLC showed promise in environmental monitoring of N. spumigena toxins by measuring nodularin from water samples. Other research presented study into the lethal and sublethal effects of on an extract from N. spumigena to aquatic fauna. Resu lts showed the N. spumigena extract was not lethal to many aquatic fauna although zooplankton from the Gippsland Lakes showed mortality at environmental relevant levels. Biochemical studies focusing on animal detoxification and antioxidation enzymes and DNA integrity showed sublethal effects to the N. spumigena extract. Results presented in this thesis show that an extract of N. spumigena elicited detoxification and antioxidation responses in animals tested. Furthermore, the use of the COMET assay showed increased damage to DNA of animals tested. Results also showed that different organs in animals tested responded differently to the aqueous extract, suggesting mode of uptake maybe important in toxicosis. Further, feeding studies with N. spumigena help elucidate mode of uptake using enzyme response biomarkers. The overall results of this research provided an assessment of the toxic affects of N. spumigena on aquatic fauna with special reference to the Gippsland Lakes, Victoria, Australia.

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of satisfaction of selected teacher spokespersons toward Indiana Public Law 217, the collective bargaining law for teachers.A survey instrument consisting of forty-six items in five Likert-response categories was mailed to 125 randomly selected teacher spokespersons in Indiana. Space was provided for respondents to write comments or rationale for their answers. Fifty-seven teacher spokespersons responded to the survey.The following rank order was utilized for each of the sections of Indiana Public j 217 ranging from (5) highly dissatisfied, (4) somewhat dissatisfied, (3) neutral, (2) somewhat satisfied to (1) highly satisfied based on the mean scores.Findings1. Selected teacher spokespersons rated four section items between 4.00 and 5.00.2. Of the forty-six section items that were surveyed, seventeen sections were rated between 3.00 and 3.99.3. Negotiators for the teachers ranked seventeen sections of Indiana Public L&7_ between 2.00 and 2.99.4. Eight section items were rated between 1.00 and 1.99 by the teacher spokesperson.Conclusions1. Teacher spokespersons were dissatisfied with the inability to strike and the penalities for unlawful strikes.2. Teacher spokespersons were dissatisfied with the procedures and restrictions governing bargaining and discussions.3. Teacher spokespersons were dissatisfied with the provisions and procedures of fact-finding, arbitration and maintaining a status quo contract.4. Teacher spokespersons were dissatisfied with the sections of the law dealing with the rights of the employer5. Teacher spokespersons were dissatisfied with the stated intent of the law.6. Teacher spokespersons were dissatisfied with the structure and powers of the Indiana Education Employment Relations Board.7. Teacher spokespersons were satisfied with the definitions of certificated employees and exclusive representative.8. Teacher spokespersons were satisfied with the procedures of unfair practices as stated in the law.9. Teacher spokesperson were satisfied with the procedures of dues deductions as stated in the law.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1986.
Title from title page screen, viewed July 8, 2005. Dissertation Committee: Ned B. Lovell, William E. Piland (co-chairs), Mary Ann Lynn, John R. McCarthy, John L. Brickell. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 163-171) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (MTech (Public Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, [2017].
The study is located within a Project Management paradigm. The South African national Department of Education’s (the DOE) approach to e-Education and its directive issued in 2004 to integrate Information and Communication Technologies (ICT’s) into teaching and learning forms the premise of this study. In 2009, the Western Cape Government adopted the Modernisation Programme to bring the provincial government on par with international best practice, to ensure that government officials are fit for their respective purposes. The challenge for the Western Cape Government was its ability to implement a project management approach to all activities performed by all stakeholders and role players in the project implementation process. The core objective of the study was to develop a theoretical framework to monitor and control projects and practices within selected provincial government departments in the Western Cape, with specific reference to the Department of the Premier (DotP) and the Western Cape Education Department, in order to achieve and provide an improved project management approach to monitor and control projects when implementing strategy and, in turn, enhance effective and efficient service delivery. A qualitative research approach was used, as the researchers were keen to hear verbal accounts around the experiences and perceptions of selected individuals within the Department of the Premier and Western Cape Education Department around the MSPiL Training Project in particular, and how it is monitored and controlled. Applicable literature was consulted which indicated the complexity of project management in the public sector as it relates to monitoring and control of projects. Methods/mechanisms, procedures and systems for defining, planning, scheduling, controlling, organising, monitoring and evaluating project activities to enhance service delivery, were forwarded. One of the core findings of the study was that an agile project management approach/methodology is best suited to an environment that has faster turnaround times with more streamlined, speedier approvals and processes, red tape reduction, as well as more direct communication channels. The aforementioned lacked in the South African public sector. A recommendation forwarded is that the Department of the Premier, Centre for e-Innovation’s (Directorate GITO: Education, Cultural Affairs and Sport) project office and a task team that specifically deal with the MSPiL project should clearly understand their department’s requirements whilst defining, planning and managing projects to improve project management maturity, as well as constantly communicate the roadmap, benefits and progress at both project/programme, departmental and provincial level by 2019, since this is when the Western Cape Provincial Strategic Plan reaches its end. This will assist the department and its MSPiL project team to improve project tasks and activities for future projects with similar characteristics.

Magister Administrationis - Madmin
The Batho Pele principles can be seen as a tool to help transform the South African public sector by making it more responsive to the needs of its citizens. The White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service strives to enhance service delivery to all South Africans (Taylor,2007).The role of the Batho Pele principles is to improve service delivery within the public sector and to assist with the transformation of a public sector that is more effective and people centred. However, if these principles are ignored, it will lead to a public sector that only caters to the needs of the middle class and higher-income groups, thus leaving the lowerincome citizens with a substandard of service delivery. Batho Pele means to put the people first; however, that can only take place if these principles are implemented correctly and continuously and their successes and challenges monitored and addressed (RSA, 1997b). If the people are not valued, it will lead to a scenario where citizens lose trust in government. This in turn, could lead to a decrease in active public participation. By not engaging and consulting with the people, government will not adhere to the very first of the Batho Pele principles. Service delivery to all citizens and a responsive public sector are yet to be achieved (Taylor, 2007. Matas argues that the South African public sector lacks effectiveness and efficiency and as a result of this, unequal service delivery is experienced by millions of South Africans (Matas, 1994. The main research objective of this study is to examine the implementation process of the Batho Pele principles through the case of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) and how it influences its interactions with relevant clients/citizens. The reason why this department was selected was due to the fact that this department within the Western Cape was solely responsible for assisting wine farm owners across the country with the necessary submissions of wine samples and scientific laboratory reports. This process facilitates the testing, approval and marketing of the wines produced.

Dissertation Submitted in Fulfillment of the Requirements for the M-tech in Public Relations Management Department of Public Relations Management Faculty of Informatics and Design 2013
This study aims to investigate the selected perceptions of Public Relations Practitioners about the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA) Namibia, in order to recommend to PRISA Namibia ways they can attract membership and gain support and recognition from PR practitioners. This research was conducted through in-depth interviews. The participants in this study were divided into three groups, namely, the members, nonmembers and the Chairperson (current and previous) of PRISA Namibia. A total of 10 participants were interviewed. The results of the study indicate that PR practitioners in Namibia know relatively little about PRISA Namibia activities in Namibia. Most of the Participants are frustrated with PRISA Namibia’s lack of visibility and accessibility. However, most members acknowledged that PRISA Namibia had, in the past, added immense value to their Public Relations (PR) careers. The recommendations of the study include: PRISA Namibia organising conferences or workshops on ethics; PRISA Namibia publishing an ethics booklet that can be used by PR students and professionals to illustrate how practitioners can practically adhere to PRISA code of ethics on a day to day basis; and PRISA Namibia creating social media pages on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The cycling of arsenic in the marine photosynthetic plants and algae was examined by analysing total arsenic concentrations and arsenic species in selected marine photosynthetic organisms from the south-east coast, NSW, Australia. A range of elements required for metabolism in photosynthetic organisms were also analysed to determine if any relationship between these elements and arsenic concentrations occurred. Organisms were selected from salt marsh and mangrove ecosystems, marine inter-tidal and estuarine environments, and two species of marine phytoplankton cultured, to represent the different marine environments that primary producers inhabit. Organisms selected were compared to species within their own environment and then a comparison made between the varying ecosystems. In the salt marsh and mangrove ecosystems, the leaves of four species, the mangrove Avicennia marina, the samphire Sarcocornia quinqueflora, the seablight Suaeda australis, and the seagrass Posidonia australis were sampled from three locations from the south-east coast of NSW using nested sampling. Mean total arsenic concentrations (mean � sd) dry mass for all locations were A. marina (0.38 � 0.18 �g g-1 to 1.2 � 0.7 �g g-1), S. quinqueflora (0.13 � 0.06 �g g-1 to 0.46 � 0.22 �g g-1), S. australis (0.03 � 0.06 �g g-1 to 0.05 � 0.03 �g g-1)and P. australis (0.34 � 0.10 �g g-1 to 0.65 � 0.26 �g g-1). Arsenic concentrations were significantly different between species and locations but were consistently low compared to marine macroalgae species. Significant relationships between As and Fe concentrations for A. marina, S. quinqueflora and P. australis and negative relationship between As and Zn concentrations for S. quinqueflora could partially explain arsenic concentrations in these species. No relationship between As and P concentrations were found in this study. All terrestrial species contained predominantly inorganic arsenic in the water extractable and residue fractions with minor concentrations of DMA in the water-soluble fraction. P. australis also contained dimethylated glycerol and phosphate arsenoriboses. The presence of arsenobetaine, arsenocholine and trimethylated glycerol arsonioribose is most likely due to the presence of epiphytes on fronds on P. australis. In contrast, macroalgae contained higher total arsenic concentrations compared to marine terrestrial angiosperms. Total arsenic concentrations also varied between classes of algae: red macroalgae 4.3 �g g-1 to 24.7 �g g-1, green macroalgae 8.0 �g g-1 to 11.0 �g g-1 and blue green algae 10.4 �g g-1 and 18.4 �g g-1. No significant relations were found between As concentrations and concentrations of Fe, Co, Cu, Mn, Mo, Mg, P and Zn concentrations, elements that are required by macroalgae for photosynthesis and growth. Distinct differences between algal classes were found for the proportion of arsenic species present in the lipid and water-soluble fractions, with green algae having a higher proportion of As in lipids than red or estuarine algae. Acid hydrolysis of the lipid extract revealed DMA, glycerol arsenoribose and TMA based arsenolipids. Within water-soluble extracts, red and blue-green algae contained a greater proportion of arsenic as inorganic and simple methylated arsenic species compared to green algae, which contained predominantly glycerol arsenoribose. Arsenobetaine, arsenocholine and tetramethylarsonium was also present in water-soluble extracts but is not normally identified with macroalgae and is again likely due to the presence of attached epiphytes. Residue extracts contained predominantly inorganic arsenic, most likely associated with insoluble constituents of the cell. Mean arsenic concentrations in the green microalgae Dunaliella tertiolecta were 13.3 �g g-1 to 14.5 �g g-1, which is similar to arsenic concentrations found in green macroalgae in this study. Diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum arsenic concentrations were 1.62 �g g-1 to 2.08 �g g-1. Varying the orthophosphate concentrations had little effect on arsenic uptake of microalgae. D. tertiolecta and P. tricornutum metabolised arsenic, forming simple methylated arsenic species and arsenic riboses. The ratio of phosphate to glycerol arsenoriboses was higher than that normally found in green macroalgae. The hydrolysed lipid fraction contained DMA arsenolipid (16-96%) with minor proportions of phosphate arsenoribose (4-23%). D. tertiolecta at f/10 phosphate concentration, however, contained glycerol arsenoribose and another arsenic lipid with similar retention as TMAO as well as DMA. The similarities between arsenic species in the water-soluble hydrolysed lipids and water-soluble extracts, especially for P. tricornutum, suggests that cells readily bind arsenic within lipids, either for membrane structure or storage, releasing arsenic species into the cytosol as degradation of lipids occurs. Inorganic arsenic was sequestered into insoluble components of the cell. Arsenic species present in D. tertiolecta at lower phosphate concentrations (f/10) were different to other phosphate concentrations (f/2, f/5), and require further investigation to determine whether this is a species-specific response as a result of phosphate deficiency. Although there are similarities in arsenic concentrations and arsenic species in marine photosynthetic organisms, it is evident that response to environmental concentrations of arsenic in uncontaminated environments is dependent on the mode of transfer from the environment, the influence of other elements in arsenic uptake and the ability of the organism to metabolise and sequester inorganic arsenic within the cell. It is not scientifically sound to generalise on arsenic metabolism in �marine plants� when species and the ecosystem in which they exist may influence the transformation of arsenic in higher marine organisms. There is no evidence to suggest that angiosperms produce AB as arsenic is mostly present as inorganic As, with little or no arsenic present in the lipids. However, marine macro- and microalgae both contain lipids with arsenic moieties that may be precursors for AB transformation. Specifically, the presence of TMA and dimethylated arsenoribose based arsenolipids both can transform to AB via intermediates previously identified in marine organisms. Further identification and characterization of As containing lipids is required.

The relationships between selected sprint specific bounding exercises and sprint performance were analysed using fourteen sprint athletes (7 elite performers, 7 sub-elite performers). Subjects were required to perform sprints over 60m, Counter Movement Jumps with and without loading (20kg), High Speed Alternate Leg Bounding over 30m and High Speed Single Leg Hopping over 20m. All athletes were subject to anthropometric measurement (Height, Weight and Leg Length). Of all variables measured, the Elite group were significantly better (p<0.001) in Counter Movement Jump, Time to 60m, Time from 30m to 60m and in their Maximal Running Velocity. Linear regressions were carried out on all variables that correlated with Time to 30m (Acceleration Phase) and Maximal Running Velocity at both the pO.OOl and p<0.01 level of significance. This allowed several prediction tables to be compiled that had performance measures (sprints and jumps) that could be used as testing measures for sprint athletes to determine their Acceleration Phase and Maximal Running Velocity. A stepwise multiple regression demonstrated that Time to 60m was the best predictor of Maximal Running Velocity. Time to 60m, Leg length, High Speed Alternate Leg Bounding and Sprint Stride Rate were the best predictors of the Acceleration Phase. A Stepwise cross-validation linear discriminant function analysis was used to determine the best predictors from both sprint and jump measures that would distinguish an athlete as an elite or sub-elite performer. From sprint variables, Time to 60m and Time to 30m were the two variables that best placed a sprint subject in either the Elite or Sub-elite group. From the bounding variables, Counter Movement Jump and the Ground Contact Time of the High Speed Alternate Leg Bounding were the two variables that best placed a sprint subject in either the Elite or Sub-elite group. The present study suggests that Time to 60m is the best predictor of Maximal Running Velocity and Acceleration Phase. Counter Movement Jumping and High speed Alternate Leg Bounding are also useful tools in developing and testing elite sprint athlete performance.

What are the policy-relevant factors that condition WASH sector performance in Sub-Saharan Africa? Close examination of three case study countries, Equatorial Guinea, Malawi, and Mauritania, reveals interesting insights. Delivery of WASH services is shaped to a large extent by the overall quality and structure of a country’s government. More specifically, having an excessive profusion of policy-making and policy-implementing actors can hinder WASH sector performance. Furthermore, governments may face strong incentives to invest more heavily in providing WASH services to urban areas over rural areas, and to invest more heavily in the water sub-sector than in the sanitation sub-sector. Adequate financing of WASH investment appears to be a necessary but not sufficient condition for performance in both the water and sanitation subsectors. Additionally, monitoring and evaluation appears to be a crucial factor in formulating and implementing effective policies. In the rural water subsector, a country’s institutional setup and technology choice can have a major impact on water source maintenance and operability.

Thesis (PhD) -- University of Western Sdyney, 2001.
"A thesis presented in accordance with the regulations governing the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, University of Western Sydney" "November 2001" Bibliography: leaves 249 - 254.

As human beings we are continually interacting with the landscape, and have been doing so throughout the entire course of our evolution. This thesis specifically investigates the way in which hunter-gatherers negotiate and interact with their landscapes, focusing on three patterns of behaviour: wayfinding, mapmaking and territoriality. An examination of the relevant international literature reveals that globally, hunter-gatherer groups both past and present share a number of similarities with regard to their wayfinding and mapmaking techniques, territorial behaviour. A case study of Maori interaction with the landscape of prehistoric and protohistoric Te Wai Pounamu [the South Island] provides further support for the central argument that hunter-gatherers collectively negotiate and interact with the landscape in distinctive ways. This is contrasted with the interaction of European explorers and travellers with the 19th century landscape of Te Wai Pounamu in Chapter 5. It is determined that hunter-gatherers use detailed cognitive or 'mental' maps to navigate their way through a range of landscape from dense forests to barren plains. These maps often consist of sequences of place names that represent trails. These cognitive maps are most commonly developed through direct interaction with the landscape, but can also be formed vicariously through ephemeral maps drawn with the purpose of communicating geographical knowledge. Prior to European contact, little importance seems to have been given to artefactual or 'permanent' maps within hunter-gatherer societies as the process of mapmaking was generally regarded as more significant than the actual product. Although the literature on hunter-gatherer territoriality is complex and in some cases conflicting, it is contended that among a number of hunter-gatherer groups, including prehistoric and protohistoric Maori in Te Wai Pounamu, interaction and negotiation with the landscape was/is not restricted to exclusive territories marked by rigidly defined boundaries. Among these groups, a specific method of territoriality known as 'social boundry defence' was/is employed. This involves controlling access to the social group inhabiting an area rather than access to the area itself, as with groups utilising the territorial method of 'perimeter defence'.

This study describes an evaluation of some aspects of the Australian Capital Territory Resource Teacher Program during 1985. The Resource Teacher Program was an Australian Capital Territory Schools Authority initiative whereby an additional specially trained teacher was allocated to a school to assist with fulfilling particular needs which the school had identified. The study used two techniques to collect information, questionnaire and interview. The questionnaire data was analysed and provided response frequencies of all 263 respondents in relation to students, teachers, parents and schools in each of the sixteen schools in the Program. Interviews were also conducted to allow for those involved in the Resource Teacher Program to make a direct contribution to the study's information base. Aspects of two theoretical education evaluation approaches were used as the basis of the study's theoretical framework. The TenBrink model was used, working from required judgements through to recommendations. Aspects of Stake's approach to educational evaluational were also used to enable identification of issues and to facilitate input of the Resource Teacher Program's participants. It was shown that students who had been involved in the Resource Teacher Program benefitted in the areas of academic progress, behaviour modification programs, previously unmet needs and gifted and talented programs. Teacher benefits were in the areas of in-school curriculum and advisory support. Parents who had been involved in the Program had benefitted by developing an increased understanding of current educational practice and how to help their children. Schools had benefitted through better use of school counsellors, increased parent participation and improved teaching resources. The identification of issues which required consideration in order to enhance the Program's effectiveness were of major importance in this study. These included the Resource Teachers' role definition, Resource Teacher stress, school commitment to the Resource Teacher Program, evaluation of the Program, the training program, the notion of secondary school resource teachers and the Australian Capital Territory's Schools Authority's commitment to the Resource Teacher Program.

This research study was designed to examine the relationship between globalization as measured by the KOF index, its related forces (economic, political, cultural and technological) and the public provision of higher education. This study is important since globalization is increasingly being associated with changes in critical aspects of higher education. The public provision of education was measured by government expenditure and educational outcomes; that is participation, gender equity and attainment. The study utilized a non-experimental quantitative research design. Data collected from secondary sources for 139 selected countries was analyzed. The countries were geographically distributed and included both developed and developing countries. The choice of countries for inclusion in the study was based on data availability. The data, which was sourced from international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank, were examined for different time periods using five year averages. The period covered was 1970 to 2009. The relationship between globalization and the higher education variables was examined using cross sectional regression analysis while controlling for economic, political and demographic factors. The major findings of the study are as follows. For the two spending models, only one revealed a significant relationship between globalization and education with the R2 s ranging from .222 to .448 over the period. This relationship was however negative indicating that as globalization increased, spending on higher education declined. However, for the education outcomes models, this relationship was not significant. For the sub-indices of globalization, only the political dimension showed significance as shown in the spending model. Political globalization was significant for six periods with R2 s ranging from .31 to .52. The study concluded that the results are mixed for both the spending and outcome models. It also found no robust effects of globalization on government education provision. This finding is not surprising given the existing literature which sees mixed results on the social impact of globalization.

This is primarily a study of the leadership behaviour of women principals in primary schools in the UAE. Differences between principal's views of their own behaviour and teacher's perceptions of the principals leadership behaviour were analysed. Data was collected through a demographic Questionnaire and the use of the Leader Behaviour Descriptive Questionnaire (LBDQ), Form XII. The sample consisted of 60 elementary school Principals and 425 teachers. Women principals face problems peculiar to their situation as working women in a deeply conservative society and this is put into the wider context of the educational system within which they work. The major findings and conclusions were that Principals perceived themselves as exhibiting leadership behaviour, in most of the 12 leadership behaviour categories, more often than their teaching staff. In particular Principals perceived their leadership behaviour to be significantly higher than did their teachers in the areas of : 1. Demand Reconciliation 2. Initiating Structure, 3. Tolerance of Freedom, 4. Role Assumption, 5. Production Emphasis and 6. Integration And lower than teachers in Predictive Accuracy. No significant differences existed in the other 5 dimensions. Principals' leadership behaviour was perceived by teachers to be more related to consideration of their staff, than to issues surrounding the initiating of structure in the school. There were significant differences between non-trained and trained Principals in leadership behaviour in the following areas : 1. Tolerance of Uncertainty and 2. Superior Orientation No significant differences were found between teacher's perceptions of their principals' behaviour regarding the demographic variables being investigation except for years of experience. However, significant differences were perceived in principals' leadership behaviour based on different school size, in terms of : 1. Persuasiveness and 2. Integration. Finally major recommendation and implication include: 1.The re-design of training programmes to improve principals' technical, human relations and conceptual skills. 2.The Ministry of Education should consider upgrading the criteria by which Principals are selected, and encourage higher education to participate more actively in preparing school administrators. Efforts to improve performance among the Principals starts with the recruitment, selection and training of both teachers and administrators. It is also hoped that in the future Principals and Administrators in schools will be given a greater role in the decision making process.

Reference service is one of the library’s primary services besides acquisitions, classification, cataloguing and physical planning. This service provides personalized assistance to library users in accessing and using suitable information resources to meet their needs. This research progress paper attempts to identify the status of digital reference services (DRS) in four public university libraries in Malaysia. In this study, the researcher attempts to identify usage of both traditional and digital reference services, user awareness of DRS, user satisfaction, and need for DRS. Two different sets of questionnaires were distributed: (1) a librarians’ questionnaire to librarians in the four university libraries, namely, Tun Abdul Razak Library, UiTM; University of Malaya (UM) Library; Tun Seri Lanang Library, UKM; and Sultan Abdul Samad Library, UPM; (2) a users’ questionnaire to students of the Faculty of Information Management, UiTM, and the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, UiTM, UM and UPM. The findings show that DRS are effective forms of service delivery but their full potential has not yet been exploited. Email reference, Web forms and Ask-A Librarian are the main channels used in providing digital reference, although plans are under way to implement more sophisticated Internet technologies and collaborative digital reference.

This survey study on students attitudes towards science was conducted in Papua New Guinea. It involved 200 randomly selected grade six students in eight selected community (primary) schools (4 urban and 4 rural) of four provinces. There were six research questions to focus the study. The instruments consisted of 9 Students Background Questions, 9 interview questions, 43 Students Science Attitude Questionnaire Items, and a 20-item cognitive test. The former three sets of instruments were trialled in two schools. The test questions were not trialled as they were trialled previously in several schools within PNG. The 43 Likert-type items were divided into five categories - curiosity, enjoyment, science learning, perceived achievement, and relevance. Each category was assigned 10 items, with the exception of perceived achievement which had three items. About half of the the statements in a category were negatively worded. A student had to put a tick in a box next to a statement according to his or her feelings. The choices were given by the five-point scale - Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Hot Sure (NS), Disagree (D), and Strongly Disagree (SD) along with three laces (smiling, uncertain and frowning) which were added as interest, From the twenty five students in a study school, a group of 6 students (3 males and 3 females) was randomly selected for face to face interview. The responses in the items associated with the five categories (dependent variables) were used to assess various student characteristics (independent variables) of parent and home background (i.e. parent educational levels and language use at home), gender (male and female), biogeographical location (urban and rural), and level of performance in standardized cognitive test (above average, average and below average). Statistical techniques of correlation coefficient, analysis of variance and factor analysis were used in analysing the responses but the results were not clear due insufficient trialling and test of reliability with the limited period in which the data had to be collected. As consequence, chi-square test (contingency tables) was used as alternative statistical test to determine significant differences in responses to the items at 0.05 level. With the exception of perceived achievement, student responses to the items on the categories were generally and satisfactorily positive. The mean levels of attitudes in the categories were not as high as one may expect (Table 5.1). Relatively, few of the items associated with student independent variables showed significant differences. There was generally no significant differences in parent and home backgrounds (i.e. language use and parent educational background). Urban students tended to be more positive than the rural students, but. this not could be generalised due to a small number of items with significant differences. Male students showed more positive attitudes to science than female students, but this was limited to a small number of items. The students with above average scores in the cognitive test showed more positive attitudes to science than those of average and below verage scores. However, the number of items were quite small, and therefore could not be generalised. Points of improvement in the practice of teaching and future research in attitudes to science are recommended. For instance, the present officially prescribed time of 40 minutes per week for science should be changed to 1.5 to 2 hours after further investigation. The reason for this is that it requires some preparation before actual lessons begin (e.g. collecting materials by groups) and the students are generally slow.

An evaluation was undertaken of four selected social impacts of the Integrated Urban Infrastructure Development Program (IUIDP) on the community in three kelurahans in Western Java (Jamika, Warung Muncang, and Maleber), with particular emphasis on low income people, using Social Impact Assessment methods. The impacts studied were changes in employment, household income, land and rental values. The evaluation suggests that the execution of the IUIDP generated beneficial as well as adverse effects. The beneficial effects include that the program created employment for several residents in the study areas and generally improved the household income of the residents concerned. Also some benefits have accrued to a number of land owners as the value of their land increased. Other benefits identified include improved access, water supply, sewerage and garbage services. The adverse effects of the IUIDP include that the government did not provide either compensation (for those who had to sacrifice their land) or reconstruction assistance (for those who had to cut back their property for access routes). Another adverse effect was experienced by tenants who found their rent increased. There was a widely held perception among the residents surveyed that, on balance, the project had been beneficial.

An exploratory study of Board-Registered School Subjects was undertaken in 1989 to investigate the impact of this category of subjects on the curriculum for Year 11 and 12 students in Queensland secondary schools. The study was undertaken at two levels -the Systems and the Schools levels. At the Systems level, analysis of Reports and other documents was supplemented by interviews with key personnel in the education authorities. The segment at the Schools level consisted of interviews with administrators or teachers in ten schools in South East Queensland and a small student survey. Board-Registered School Subjects, first developed in that State in 1982, broadened the Senior curriculum from its traditionally academic base. The development of this category of subjects also heralded the beginnings of school based curriculum development in many secondary schools in that State. However, in the latter years of the 1980's, policies and syllabuses developed by the Queensland Department of Education indicate that a shift to systems based curriculum development is probable in the 1990's. Four sub-categories of Board-Registered School Subjects were identified in the sample schools. These were alternatives to core subjects, such as English and Mathematics, vocationally oriented subjects, those related to life/leisure skills and subjects which reflected the nature of the geographical area. The response by many schools to the development of these subjects was enthusiastic; most schools in the sample offered six to eight Board-Registered School Subjects to students in Years 11 and 12. Although many of these subjects were developed initially for students of "lower ability", a reported recent trend was for "academic" students to select one Board-Registered School Subject. The enthusiastic response by schools was curbed to some extent by the reaction of some teachers, students and parents to these subjects. Several Board-Registered School Subjects offered in 1989 were not implemented because insufficient numbers of students selected them. The major factor which mitigated against successful implementation of Board-Registered School Subjects was that students' results in these subjects could not be used in the calculation of the Tertiary Entrance Score, the basis for selection to tertiary institutions. For many students and parents, the Tertiary Entrance Score appeared to be the major goal of Senior secondary education.

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between mental well-being and selected health behaviors. A cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 490 students at Western Kentucky University during the 1993 Spring, Summer, and Fall semesters. Study participants completed the Participant Data Sheet, General Weil-Being Schedule, and the Health Behavior Instrument. The data were gathered and analyzed via correlation analysis which revealed a relationship between mental well-being and certain health behaviors. The correlations between general well-being and selected health behaviors were stronger among males than females. There was a relationship found between mental well-being and hours of sleep, eating breakfast, and exercising. It is very noteworthy that there was a significant correlation between GWBS and combined health behaviors.

This study examines three basic questions. Why did so many familiar floral species with which agricultural people have more or less successfully contested places for some 10,000 years apparently become highly problematic in New Zealand? How did those in whom the developing contest aroused considerable anxiety try to solve the problems they saw emerging? And what were the outcomes of their chosen courses of action? This study is organised around three main themes, science, the law and agricultural practices. Within each theme I take into consideration the ways New Zealanders used particular aspects of these broad disciplines to try to identify, understand and solve the problems they perceived to have been caused by their weedy biota. I also consider the extent to which recourse to these means has helped or hindered the ends they sought. The methodology adopted for this study is a variation of an 'organisational approach', advocated by the German environmental historian Frank Uekoetter. It focuses on the ways responses to perceived environmental problems are organised within a society. From my use of Uekoetter�s model I conclude that, despite a number of setbacks during the mid to late 19th century, by 1939 New Zealanders had developed highly dynamic processes within their weed science, extending into the wider farming community, by which they could feel their way with some confidence into a future where they might better manage the contest with their weeds, if not actually eradicate them.

Prior to 1994 I had little interest in the activities of the police. As a mass media consumer I was aware of the prominence of crime in the daily news agenda and I watched, read and listened to potted summaries of rape, mayhem and murder. Frequent too, were stories of police malpractice, incompetence and corruption. Police stories were also a significant part of television drama with programs like the long running British series The Bill, and a range of Australian productions: The Feds, Halifax f.p, Rafferty's Rules, Blue Heelers, State Coroner, and Water Rats. The police also featured at the cinema with crime genre movies Natural Born Killers (Oliver Stone, USA), Once Were Warriors (Lee Tamahori, New Zealand) and Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, USA) becoming box office hits. My interest in the portrayal of police change dramatically when on the 7th of October 1994, I was appointed Officer-in-Charge of the Media and Publications Branch of the Australian Federal Police (AFP). I was responsible for all aspects of the communication function including: media liaison, crisis management, media management, publications and internal communication. My branch dealt with media inquiries from local, national and international media across the gamut of issues facing the AFP. These ranged fiom industrial issues about budgets and overtime, allegations of corruption and incompetence, and operational matters as diverse as burglaries, alleged Nazi war criminals, peace-keeping operations and drug 'busts'. Needless to say my police stakeholders did not always see things the same way as my media colleagues. I was seeing at a practical day-to-day level the complex taxonomy of police/media relations outlined by Putnis (1996). Putnis noted the ubiquity of the police and the media as social institutions and observed that their daily operations involved a complex, dynamic, relationship constructed out of many thousands of interactions, across all levels of the organisations, in many different settings. My experiences in dealing with the media became the genesis of this study. My aim is to expand our understanding of the police/media relationship by exploring characteristic forms of print news-media reports about policing, the impact these reports have on police, and on law and order policy. The possibility of bias towards police in this study is acknowledged given I was a member of a police service fiom 1994 until 2002 and the research relies heavily on 'participant observer' techniques (Kay 1997; Potter1 996; Schofield 1993). Every effort has been made to maintain a critical perspective on the subject matters raised and it should be noted my association with police ended prior to the writing-up phase of the research. In addition to comments fiom my supervisory panel, ongoing discussions with media colleagues were another strategy adopted to ensure balance in the writing-up of this study. This is a unique study in that it offers an insider's perspective of police/media relations and at a time that represented a watershed for police. The early 90s was a period of straightened finances for public sector agencies and police, like other agencies, were under pressure fiom governments to demonstrate the efficient use of public monies (AFP 1995; Grieve 2000). Reform programs swept through policing with many, like the AFP, being organised along business lines (Palmer 1995; Etter 1995; Rohl 1999; WAPOL 1999). The 90s were also a watershed for criminal organisations with the emergence of transnational criminal syndicates, such as drug traffickers, that had the potential to impact on crime at a local level without even entering the country, let alone the jurisdiction, in which the crime took place (Bliss and Harfield 1998; Palmer 1995; McFarlane 1999). In order to combat these syndicates, police began to work in a more cooperative fashion and formed loose coalitions, often across countries, in a manner similar to the criminal syndicates they were trying to combat (Palmer 1995). The 90s also saw the continuation of committees of inquiry and royal commissions into police malpractice (Landa and Dillon 1995) and the inevitable bad press for police (Wood 1996; Munday 1995). The media and police have a symbiotic relationship and it is a critical one as most members of society have little direct contact with the criminal justice system. Information about crime, and the efforts of police to combat it, is obtained second hand through fictional accounts from such vehicles as television dramas, and from the news media. As aptly described by Hall et al. (1975), nearly thirty years ago, the media is the link between crime and the public. The police are therefore heavily reliant on the media to provide a balanced account of the panoply of issues surrounding the criminal justice system (Cowdery 2001). At its most fundamental, police require the support of the communities they serve in order to be effective, and the news media can have a major impact on perceptions about police performance (Reiner 1997; Surette 1992). As organisational entities, police need to compete with other bureaucracies for public hnding, and the media is an essential tool in generating positive publicity about successful operations and policies. The media is, therefore, critical to the maintenance of positive relationships with the two most important stakeholders in the policing function: the community and the government. McGregor (1993) provides a useful summary of the literature relating to print media coverage of policing issues: there are substantial discrepancies between official accounts of criminal activity and press reports of crime; the media tends to homogenise crime by concentrating on a limited range of crimes (mainly violent crime) and drawing facts from a limited range of sources (police/court reports); the media over-report serious crimes, especially murder and crimes with a sexual element; and, the press concentrates crime reportage on events rather than issues, so crime incidents and specific crimes form the bulk of crime news as opposed to analyses of the causes of crime or remedies, trends or issues. McQuail (1994, p.256) reminds us that assessing media performance on the basis of media content, measured against the extent to which content relates to reality, is open to question. He argues that there is no general answer to questions of meaning construction, but media research has pointed to several elements in a more general framework of social and personal meanings including clues as to what is more or less important, salient or relevant in many different contexts (1994, p. 379). An important research question concerns the impact of news media practices, particularly given the significant costs to the community flowing from the commission of crime, its investigation by police, and the processing of offenders through the criminal justice system. The Australian Institute of Criminology estimates the cost of crime in Australia is approximately $19 billion, while the cost of dealing with crime is another $13 billion (Mayhew 2003). The news media, articulated through radio talk-back hosts, are seen as having undue influence on how public funds on crime control are spent (ABC, The Media Report, 1 August 2002; Chan 1995; Cowdery 2001; Dixon 2002; Weatherbum 2002). These commentators have pointed to the serious public policy issues arising from the contribution made by the media towards what Weatherburn describes as an irrational public debate about law and order (2002, p. 12) and Hogg and Brown have coined 'the uncivil politics of law and order' (1998, p. 4). As Hogg and Brown (1998, p. 4) observe: crime is depicted as a problem of ever-increasing gravity set to overwhelm society unless urgent, typically punitive measures are taken to control and suppress it. The influence of the media on public policy has long been recognised. As Paletz and Entmann (l981, p. 6) observe: they influence the decisions and actions of politicians; they are open to manipulation by the powerful which insulates the powerful fiom accountability to the public; they reallocate power amongst the already powerful; they decreased to a marked extent the ability of ordinary citizens to judge events; they foment discontent among the public; and they preserve the legitimacy of the political, economic and social system. Ethnomethodological approaches (Ericson and Haggerty 1997) underpin the research in this study. The ethnomethodological approach was used because of its wider scope, employing as it does, observation, interviewing, and document-analysis techniques (Ericson et al. 1987, p. 77) and its ability to provide meaning and context to the phenomena under observation (Hall 1978; Willis l981). Ethnomethodological approaches are complemented by news framing analyses (Barkin and Gurevitch 1987; Blood, Putnis and Pirkis 2002; Capella and Jamieson 1996; Coleman 1995; Entman 1993; Kitzinger 2000; Keely 1999; Darling-Wolf 1997; London 1993; Pan and Kosicki 2001; Miller and Riechert 2001; Pirkis and Blood 2001; Reese, Gandy and Grant 2003; Scheufele 1999) to explore the news media frames employed in the genre of print crime reporting. What emerges from the study is evidence of a one-sided, highly negative, discourse about policing implemented through a range of media frames centred on conflict and broader xenophobic and egalitarian narratives. Despite the advantages police have as information gatekeepers, their attempts to manage the media environment have met with little success (Hughes 2004; Williams 2002) and the need for police to restrict access to police communications is being challenged (Crime and Misconduct Commission 2004, Inquiry into the effects of a Queensland Police Service decision to adopt digital technology for radio communications). There are exceptions, of course: the news media are not all bad. Routine reporting of crimes, where details of offenders are publicised, greatly assists the work of police as reflected in the case of 43-year-old Mr Colin George Dunstan which is discussed in Chapter Eight. Dunstan sent a series of explosive devices through the mail system in Canberra and police provided the media with photographs of the devices, Mr Dunstan (who was the main suspect), and his vehicle. The media coverage restricted Mr Dunstan's movements and led to his early arrest. Similarly, publication of the details of missing persons, warnings about lethal batches of drugs and crimes such as drink-spiking, enable police to reach a mass audience efficiently and quickly. And at a more abstract level, as noted by McQuail (1994, p. 34), modem communication vehicles can make a positive contribution to cohesion and community. The emergence of the 'yapping pack' form of journalism (Tiffen 1999, p. 207) has resulted in elements of the media exercising a worrying degree of influence over what should be a broader and better informed debate about criminal justice issues. An illustration of this process occurred toward the end of this study with the widely reported spectacle of the Premier of New South Wales presenting his replacement police minister before radio presenter Mr Alan Jones for his endorsement; the subsequent involvement of that minister in operational police matters (Williams 2002); and the departure of the state's police commissioner as a result of sustained media attack (ABC, The Media Report, 1 August 2002; Weatherburn 2002). These incidents say much about the influence of the news media in relation to police matters and makes this study a timely one. What follows is a literature review examining contemporary trends in policing and the media; a detailed analysis of two major case studies involving complex police operations; an analysis of a number of examples of print media reports about policing, to identify typical, or characteristic, media frames; the findings from nearly 50 interviews with senior people involved in the policelmedia interface; and an examination of changes in the milieu in which media reports about policing occur.

Decentralization of health services in Uganda, driven by the structural adjustment programme of the World Bank, was embraced by government as a means to change the health institutional structure and process delivery of health services in the country. Arising from the decentralization process, the transfer of power concerning functions from the top administrative hierachy in health service provision to lower levels, constitutes a major shift in management, philosophy, infrastructure development, communication as well as other functional roles by actors at various levels of health care. This study focused its investigation on ways and levels to which the process of decentralization of health service delivery has attained efficient and effective provision of health services. The study also examined the extent to which the shift of health service provision has influenced the role of local jurisdictions and communities. Challenges faced by local government leaders in planning and raising funds in response to decentralized health serdelivery were examined.

Prayer is a central element of all religions (Coleman, 1999; Engebretson, 1999). Alongside the sense of the theological importance of prayer there has been increased recognition of the psychological function and personal benefit of prayer for adults (Pargament, 1997). This thesis reports on research that investigated the theological and psychological perceptions of prayer held by children, shown through their understanding of the meaning and function of prayer. This thesis contributes to the research field of children’s spirituality. As there is little existing research literature on children and prayer, the findings of this study provide valuable new understanding and propose new aspects of theory with implication for professionals involved in the education and the welfare of children. The research reported in this thesis represents the first Australian research on children’s perception of the meaning and function of prayer. The choice of participants reflects the diverse philosophical and religious traditions found in the Australian, multifaith society. Semi-structured interviews were video-recorded with 60 participants from primary school Year Five (10-12 years). Five male and five female participants were selected from each of six different schools in the Melbourne metropolitan area. These were: the Catholic, Independent (Christian), Christian (Parent-Controlled or Community School), Jewish, Islamic and the Government schools. Students completed a drawing exercise and a written sentence completion exercise as part of the interview, and the three sources of data were analysed qualitatively using the method of Grounded Theory. The data was interpreted in the light of a detailed literature review on the nature and function of prayer as part of children’s spirituality. The review also examined relevant sections of the literature of religious education and literature on contemporary Australian life. This study has provided Australian data on the meaning and function of prayer for children as part of children’s spirituality. Considerable agreement has been observed through the data, between children educated in a variety of school systems which embraced different philosophical and faith traditions. In the multicultural Australian community said to be secularized, prayer for these children has been shown as a valued aspect of life. The personal experiences of prayer for many were seen to be associated with the community of faith to which the participants belonged, and for others, prayer was learnt eclectically and practised in a private individualistic manner. All participants indicated that they had prayed and all contributed ideas about prayer through the interviews. All participants perceived prayer to function as an aid in life. Prayer was used by participants at significant moments in their life, and the words or thoughts in prayer helped to clarify and articulate deep feelings. Eight elements of theory (in accord with the literature on Grounded Theory ) have been generated through this research which are presented as recommendations for professionals engaged in religious education and student welfare.

This treatise provides an overview of the American style of school public relations and suggests the possibilities for the positive impact such a treatise could have within the South African educational realm. Three models of school PR are proposed in this treatise in view of the fact that there is no one-size-fits-all kind of approach to school public relations. Schools differ in size either physically or financially, and these differences can have an impact on the extent to which public relations would be practised. Thus each model is described according to the practise of a minimum, standard and an advanced school PR plan. These models strive to provide either a starting point for implementing a PR plan; or a checklist for schools who already practise some form of PR. The nature and scope of public relations is explored within three selected South African public schools in Uitenhage to establish the extent to which the Modern Age of School Public Relations has “arrived”. Based on the research findings it can be deduced that most schools practise some form of PR, whether strategically planned or spontaneously, as the need arises. However, although it is apparent that the Modern Age of school public relations is being set in motion, it must be expanded on and progressed to incorporate all the facets of a proactive systematic PR plan. The content of this research paper details a step-by-step approach for South African schools to start a planned public relations programme. Furthermore taking into account current trends it proposes ideas to involve learners, staff and parents in the planning and implementation of strategic public relations in an attempt to achieve the school’s objectives and validate its vision. This treatise aims to provide a foundation for exploring the current practise of public relations within the educational environment and could stimulate further study by investigating and evaluating the PR of all class ranks of South African schools.

While many authors (Washburn, 2005; Newman, Couturier, Scurry, 2004; Kirp, 2004; Bok, 2003; Wolff and Bryan, 1999) have written about their belief that American higher education is moving toward a market orientation, limited studies have been published citing the actual practice or success/failure of an institution(s) demonstrating market orientation qualities. The purpose of this study was to determine if two selected public Carnegie High Research Activity institutions were utilizing market orientation practices (Jaworksi and Kohli, 1993; Narver and Slater, 2000) as evidenced in their organizational culture, to enhance undergraduate recruitment and retention strategies. Through case study research design the research questions queried whether a market orientation was present or emerging at two public Carnegie High Research Activity Institutions. Further, the study attempted to determine if an organizational culture could influence market orientation practices relevant to institutional recruitment and retention outcomes. Based upon the findings and the resulting conclusions, it appeared a market orientation does positively affect retention outcomes at both institutions. Further, in these two instances, it does appear that an organizational culture can affect the "market orientation-ness" of the institution. The findings do not indicate there is conclusive evidence of a market oriented recruitment focus, with the exception of University B's effort to recruit specific and targeted groups.

Women often experience having to stand in line in order to use public restrooms. The primary purpose of this exploratory study was to determine the number and types of activities performed in the restroom, along with the amount of time spent in the restroom, as these factors might influence the revision of plumbing codes and the design of public restrooms. Data were collected by a self administered questionnaire at four sites--an airport, highway rest area, sports arena, and conference center. The subjects were also timed. The sample consisted of 230 male and 224 female respondents. Males and females were similar in the types of activities performed in the restroom. Urination, washing hands, and checking appearance were the three activities performed most frequently by both genders. Females were more likely to have to stand in line to use the restroom than males, though the wait was usually fewer than five minutes. At two of the sites, airport and sports arena, females, on an average, performed more activities than males. At all four sites, females spent a significantly greater amount of time in the restroom than did males. For female respondents the mean time ranged from 152.5 seconds (sports arena) to 180.6 seconds (rest area). For male respondents the mean time ranged from 83.6 seconds (sports arena) to 112.5 seconds (airport). There was no significant relationship between age and the amount of time spent in the restroom, for either gender at any of the four sites. The results from two sites, however, showed a slight trend toward older people spending more time in the restroom. There was no clear pattern with regard to explaining the relationship between the amount of time spent in the restroom and the number of activities performed. For males only, there were significant differences among the four sites and the amount of time spent in the restroom. For both males and females, there were significant differences between number of activities performed and site. This research indicates that females need a greater number of elimination fixtures than do males, and that revision of plumbing codes, based on further research, is needed.
Ph. D.

The purpose of the study was to determine whether or not a variance in the quality of the public high school facilities existed among the Commonwealth of Virginia school divisions, since the 1982 Peccia study, An Analysis Of The Financing Of Public High School Capital Facilities In Virginia. Reasons for the variance in the quality of the public high school facilities, if any, were determined from an examination of a capital facilities survey instrument and various economic and financial characteristics. Methods and procedures used in the study included the capital facilities survey instrument, Crossman CAFIS. The Crossman CAFIS accurately reflected not just the number of facilities that existed in the school divisions but the quality of each facility. The researcher sent an electronic survey instrument to each high school principal within the sampled school divisions to rate their facilities using 75 indicators. The researcher visited all the high schools within the study in order to ensure the variance in how one perceives the differences in facilities would be limited. Any variance in the quality of the public high school facilities among the sampled school divisions were examined for economic factors that include; local composite index, fiscal effort and fiscal capacity. A significant finding of the study was that a large variance existed between the quality of high school facilities within the sampled school divisions, as measured by Crossman CAFIS. Reasons for that variance can be partially attributed to the fiscal effort of the sampled school divisions. School divisions that made a large fiscal effort and had a large fiscal capacity scored high on the Crossman CAFIS. School divisions that made a low fiscal effort and had low fiscal capacity, also scored low on the Crossman CAFIS. The lowest quality of high school facilities were found to be in the Western region of Virginia, despite isolated instances of high fiscal effort by some school divisions. Implications and recommendations were made in accordance with the findings of the study. A large variance existed in the Virginia school divisions between the quality of high school facilities as measured by CAFIS. The reason for the variance in high school facilities were due in part to the level of fiscal effort exerted by the school divisions.
EDD

The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine if urban universities truly support faculty in carrying out the universities' self-stated commitment to professional service. Professional service refers to significant professional activities outside the categories of teaching and scholarship that draw upon one's professional expertise in his or her academic discipline. A secondary purpose was to identify the incentives universities employ to encourage professional service.;Two public, urban universities in Virginia were studied for this project. The population for this study consisted of two groups at each of the two institutions: full-time faculty currently involved (within the past five years) in professional service activity and the continuing education administrator.;The case study approach was used and included content analysis of institutional documents related to professional service and survey analysis.;The main research question addressed was: at institutions which claim professional service as central to their mission, are there incentives or rewards for faculty participation? Five subsidiary research questions were also addressed: (1) Do institutions clearly define professional service? (2) Do institutions have clear cut incentives and rewards for professional service? (3) Are there negative consequences for faculty who engage in professional service? (4) Do institutional policies exist for evaluating professional service? (5) Do institutional leaders actively support professional service?;It was concluded that few incentives exist for faculty who choose to participate in professional service activity. From the perspective of the faculty respondents, this mission of continuing education and professional service as well as other non-research roles are not attractive areas to devote much professional time to, as the time spent on such activities competes with research time and instructional activity which represent greater potential for personal reward. Also, it was concluded that the definition and policy for professional service are often fragmented and vague.;The generalizability of the findings are limited because the faculty participants in this study hold appointments at public, urban universities. Similar studies including a larger number of faculty participants employed at different kinds of institutions would be helpful. Also, further study is needed on specific criteria for evaluating faculty professional service and the leadership role for professional service within the institution.

This study uses qualitative research methodologies to explore the ways in which the Learning by Design framework facilitated the introduction of Multiliteracies and multimodal learning into the classrooms of three Queensland middle schooling teachers as they participated in a professional learning project during the second half of 2004. Recent Queensland education policy initiatives recognise the need for students to espand their 'lilterate' repertoires in this increasingly diverse cultural, linguistic, techno, and global-economic based society; an outcome that has drawn attention to the crucial role of professional learning in giving teachers the skills to produce curriculum and pedagogical designs in line with such a goal. While the documentation of conscious pedagogical choices in teachers' approaches to teaching and learning about Multiliteracies and subsequent classroom practice in Queensland has varied according to teachers' individual preferences and conte xts, this study aimed to investigate what differences occurred when teachers deployed the Learning by Design pedagogy to produce a deliberate articulation of the micro teaching and learning conditions necessary for multimodal learning. From the cross-case analysis and interpretation of the research data, five propositions have emerged: the relationahip between the depth and breadth of teacher expertise in multimodality and its effect on instruction/design, learner engagement and performance; the alignment of pedagogical choices to learning goals, pedagogical alignment to learner goals; pedagogical alignment to learner needs and dispositions; consideration of flexibility in preparation of learners in transition points during the middle years of schooling; and the importance of quality multi-supportive professional learning environments to produce reflective practitioners with genuine and purposeful new knowledge. In this research the effectivity of the Learning by Design pedagogical framework was found to be directly related to the extent of professional learning and expertise that teachers had developed in both multimodality and the theory and principles informing the Learning by Design framework itself. The teaching of multimodal literacy creates an enormous pedagogical challenge for teachers as well as students. The research raises important considerations, therefore, not only about pedagogy but about the importance of developing professional learning initiatives to euip teachers to achieve the policy goals set out in recent initiatives. The highlights the need for the development of an in-depth and wide-ranging approach to the issue of professional learning. It is clear from this research that the Learning by Design framework can be used to transform classroom practice. However, it is equally clear that there must be a greater emphasis on professional learning and more resources channelled into building the groundwork for these new teaching initiatives.