Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Study Engagement'

Employee engagement has been a popular research subject since the change of the millennium. Although it was first mentioned in 1990 by W. A. Kahn, there is no universally agreed upon theoretical background to date. The scientific discussion is divided into two branches which often ignore one another. In addition to having different perspectives to engagement in general, there are also multiple ways to measure engagement. In this thesis the aim is to test the ISA engagement scale (Soane et al. 2012) in a new context. References to the ISA engagement scale dimensions and items are searched for from the official texts of two case companies, Kesko and VR Group. As the mentions are found, there are development suggestions made for ISA engagement scale. For example, employer-originated development is seen as an additional condition for ISA engagement. The study is qualitative and uses a case-study methodology. The results can be utilized within the engagement research field as they bring forward perspectives omitted from the past discussion. The study also strengthens the position of ISA engagement scale as a good way to measure engagement in organizations.

Companies that have a well-formulated Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practice is one step in the right direction of contributing to a prosperous society where future generations are not compromised. Although companies may have a CSR practice, it is not guaranteed that that the practice is effective. Essentially, employees have a key role in the success of the company’s CSR practice. Employees are major actors in carrying out and actualizing the company’s CSR initiatives and without the employees’ willingness to engage in CSR initiatives, the company will fail to uphold a CSR practice. Therefore, it is essential for companies to understand how employees can become engaged in the CSR practice. We have extracted previously identified factors that have played a role in employees CSR engagement, i.e. attitudes towards CSR, organizational identification, management support, training and development, recognition, CSR culture, and internal CSR communication. In order to get a deeper understanding of employee CSR engagement, it was perceived of relevance to examine in what way these factors influence employees’ engagement in CSR. The study has been conducted at a case company operating in the green service support sector. Trough semi-structured interviews, this study consists of experiences and perceptions from both managers and employees. Whilst the study focuses on the employee perspective, managers are included in order to get a more comprehensive understanding of employee CSR engagement. We found that both internal and external factors can be drivers or impediments for employee CSR engagement. Matching values and attitudes towards CSR were found to be drivers, because working with an important societal mission, or consider and value CSR on a personal level positively influence CSR engagement among individual employees. Supportive managerial behaviour, more specifically, inspirational managers, setting clear goals and appropriate recognition was also found to be drivers for CSR engagement. Furthermore, in terms of CSR integration, insufficient CSR culture and internal CSR communication was found to be impediments. This because, employees did not feel they knew how to contribute, nor did they experience that CSR was prioritized. Additionally, two new factors were found; time constraints as an impediment, and social interactions as a driver. Keywords: Corporate social responsibility, employee engagement

This thesis reports a study of parental engagement in children's learning in three Pakistani heritage families in England. The aim of the study was to explore the perspectives and beliefs of Pakistani parents on how and why they engage with their children's school-related learning and beyond, and to investigate the perspectives of children on how their parents' engagement impacted on their behaviour as learners. The study aims to fill gaps in the existing research literature pertaining to examining parental engagement through the eyes of parents and students who face barriers to engagement. Contributions could be made in this area through studies focused on how parents engage with their children in the home. To achieve this, four questions were proposed: What are the forms of parental engagement in terms of children's school-related learning and beyond in a sample of Pakistani homes? Do parents have a clear view why they are engaging in such a way: if so, what is that view? To what extent do these forms of engagement appear to be shaped by distinctive cultural characteristics of Pakistani parents? How do their children view the impact of parental engagement on themselves as learners? These questions were investigated through an overarching ethnographic methodology to understand a small part of the cultural practices of this group. The data was collected through a combination of mixed qualitative methods: solicited diary interviews; photo voice interviews; video footage interviews; documents; field notes; and semi-structured interviews. The findings illuminated the issues of parental engagement and ethnicity, on which there is little literature, and made implications for policies and practices aimed at raising the achievement of this group. The data revealed how the parents engaged with their children in school-related issues; reading, writing and attending school functions. Moreover, the parents were engaged with aspects beyond school; such as, religion, culture, play and computers. The parents had a very broad understanding of education that encompassed not only school, but also activities outside the school environment. This is a very significant aspect, as the parents recognised that school does not teach everything. Data moreover revealed that the parents had different capacities ofengagement according to their own educational background and occupational stance. Those educated in Pakistan relied on the children's to help each other with school work, while some parents could provide more resources to their children consequently of their occupational stance. The parents wanted to preserve their culture and religion. They did this by teaching their children about their religion and culture; Quran, Arabic, Urdu and by sending them to the mosque. All this had a positive influence on their children's spiritual, cultural, personal, social and moral development. The children viewed parental engagement as a positive contributor to their lives. The main purpose of this engagement was to shape the children into good human beings. The children understood the importance of being self-confident, comfortable with who they are and motivated to succeed. Parental engagement made the children confident and wanting to strive for the best, while religious development made them understand the concept of right and wrong. The study moreover contributes to knowledge in several ways;1. the study highlights the diversity in the Pakistani population;2. the study adds to the understanding of how working-class Pakistani parents can have broad understandings of education which extend far beyond school-based learning, and include developing the skills, attitudes and resources to lead a 'good' life;3. the study demonstrates that religiosity is shown to be integral to Pakistani parents' engagement in their children's learning;4. the study highlights that Pakistani parents are shown to take responsibility for their children's 'holistic' education, and are also shown to use siblings as 'educational resources' to support school-based learning when they are unable to do so;5. the study reveals the relevance of Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth theory to the Pakistani community;6. the study also makes a contribution by presenting an insider account of parenting practices in Pakistani families.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2013.
This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references.
This dissertation contributes to our understanding of the strategies the companies use to engage external stakeholders, as well as the processes and outcomes of engagement. The first essay proposes a framework for evaluating a firm's stakeholder engagement strategy, comprised of eight dimensions that vary on a spectrum from least to most advanced. This essay also proposes six kinds of engagement outcomes: three involving learning and relationship building, and three involving tangible changes. The essay concludes with preliminary findings about engagement outcomes at the two case companies. The second essay uses the first essay's strategy framework to develop and validate scales for measuring each strategy dimension, and test which of these vary together to comprise a higher-order strategy. This type of analysis has not yet been done in the research on stakeholder engagement, which instead relies on descriptive typologies comprised of elements that are assumed, but not proven, to cluster together. The analysis in this paper generated six first-order factors, five of which combined to form a Strategy factor. This was used to score companies in the oil and gas, electric power, and automotive industries. Together, the first and second essays represent a first step towards more precisely defining and measuring the level of sophistication of a firm's stakeholder engagement strategy. The third essay is a fine-grained social psychological analysis of how negotiation frames, interpersonal trust, and issue characteristics interacted in one long-term engagement between a power company and environmental non-governmental stakeholders. The question motivating the analysis is: What prevented the participants from realizing the possibility they envisioned for engagement? I argue that a combination of issue characteristics and relational ambivalence -- the simultaneous presence of interpersonal trust and distrust -- motivated the company to engage in "quasi-cooperation" with stakeholders. Quasi-cooperation is the simultaneous deployment of cooperative and competitive tactics. The discovery by stakeholders of the company's quasi-cooperation triggered a conflict spiral that led to the destruction of the parties' working relationships, ending their engagement. Theoretical implications and practical lessons drawn from this case expand our knowledge of how practitioners might approach long-term engagements differently in the future.
by Katherine W. Isaacs.
Ph.D.

Dubin's and Cohen's (1970) Empirical Motivational Model of Updating (EMMPU) guided the design of this research, leading to the examination of the relationships among lifelong learning characteristics, job satisfaction, and engagement in professional updating activities for occupational therapists. Occupational therapists completed the Characteristics of Lifelong Learners in the Professions Questionnaire (Livneh, 1986), the Index of Organizational Reactions (Smith, 1976), the Professional Activity Engagement Survey, and participated in qualitative interviews.Statistically, no relationships were found among job satisfaction, characteristics of lifelong learning, and engagement in professional updating activities. The qualitative data suggested that these relationships existed. Characteristics of lifelong learning significantly predicted 7% of the variation in time spent engaged in professional updating activities. There were significant differences found on characteristics of lifelong learning and engagement in professional updating activities among therapists with varying educational 1eve1s.Utilizing grounded theory methodology, a theory of Professional Learning Management emerged from the data, contributing to the understanding of professional updating that was not addressed by the EMMPU model. In the theory of Professional Learning Management, patient treatment interaction triggered the need for updating by occupational therapists. The patient interaction determined the specifics of the necessary learning in regards to the content, timing, context, and methods. Occupational Therapists were reliant upon off-the-job learning in order to provide quality patient care. There was a cyclical feedback loop between off-the-job learning and application of that learning on the job within the patient treatment situation.Unlike the EMMPU model, updating occurred under both positive and negative contexts. The high engagers in professional updating were able to learn in spite of the barriers restricting learning efforts. The barriers to learning were not managed as well by the medium and low engagers in professional updating activities. Regardless of level of updating, occupational therapists utilized a variety of updating methods in accordance with the way in which the learning needs were defined by the patient treatment situation.3
Department of Educational Leadership

This study examined the written responses of seven adolescents to three novels. During the course of two school years, the students recorded their ongoing responses to small sections (ten to fifteen pages) of each novel in a response log. These responses were examined for evidence of patterns, typical responses, individual variations, and the effects of narrative structure. The Purves and Rippere instrument was used to determine response patterns while a new instrument developed by the researcher to accomodate the nature of the preliminary, ongoing responses was implemented to address the remaining three questions. The following general observations were made: 1. No predictable, sequential pattern of response could be found in student response writings. 2. Certain responses predominated: namely, narrational retelling, tentative frameworklng of the content, and analysis of characters and events 3. The written responses were generally characterized by considerable variation in individual responses. 4. Texts bearing distinct narrative features prompted different responses both for individuals and the group as a whole. Conclusions: The effects of writing during the reading of literary texts appears to bring response to a clear, conscious level. Writing in the response log encourages a conscious transaction with the literary text and consequently, readers can engage more actively and knowledgeably in the reading experience. Some broad conclusions and implications emerged from the study: 1. Particularly as they encounter complex literary works, adolescents should be encouraged to engage actively and consciously in their reading of literature by recording their ongoing responses in a log. 2. Teachers ought to promote the development of personal literary responses that require active thinking through testing hypotheses, making connections and interpreting the literary content 3. By purposefully structuring active meaning-making in the study of literature, teachers can determine the student needs and create the context for meaningful discussion. Moreover, by publicly sharing the contents of the response logs, all class members can contribute to and enhance their responses. Using writing to gauge the ongoing literary response allows both students and their teachers to be consciously aware of the "sense-making" strategies employed. As the medium for critical reading, writing promotes tentative, flexible construction of meaning. Furthermore, the instrument developed for analyzing the ongoing student responses in this study provides both a way to consciously examine the content of written responses and exposes alternative responses in order to extend understanding and appreciation of literature.
Education, Faculty of
Language and Literacy Education (LLED), Department of
Graduate

This thesis explores how governance networks prioritise and engage with their stakeholders, by studying three exemplars of “Regional Road Group” governance networks in Queensland, Australia. In the context of managing regionally significant road works programs, stakeholder prioritisation is a complex activity which is unlikely to influence interactions with stakeholders outside of the network. However, stakeholder priority is more likely to influence stakeholder interactions within the networks themselves. Both stakeholder prioritisation and engagement are strongly influenced by the way that the networks are managed, and in particular network operating rules and continuing access to resources.

Each month, thousands of U.S service members are discharged from the military and are forced to make the decision of what to do with the rest of their lives. For an increasingly large percentage of such veterans, the decision that they will make will be to become full-time college students and pursue an education that will provide them with meaningful careers. Unfortunately, due to the type of constant deployment cycles that many student-veterans undergo while enlisted/commissioned, a large percentage of veterans taking part in the military-to-college transition process have received mental/physical injuries that serve as major obstacles for achieving successful transitions. Specifically, this study seeks to determine if social support, willingness towards campus communication, self-esteem, and eagerness towards social networking site usage are related to a student-veterans overall level of academic engagement. This study draws its data from a sample of 202 full-time student-veterans. Data was collected through a volunteer self-administered online questionnaire. Six sections respectively measured eagerness towards SNS (Social Networking Site) usage, academic engagement, social support, willingness towards campus communication, self-esteem, and demographic information. Data was collected from California community colleges, California State Universities institutions, University of California institutions, and California private non-for profit institutions. This study found a statistically significant positive relationship between social support, self-esteem, willingness to communicate, and academic engagement. Essentially, student-veterans who have high levels of social support/self-esteem and are willing to communicate are more likely to possess high levels of academic engagement. There was no significant relationship found between eagerness towards SNS usage and academic engagement. Moreover, this study is significant as it suggests that a student-veteran’s level of academic engagement is positively correlated to their overall level of academic engagement. Thus, maintaining strong social support networks that allow student-veterans to interact in personal and one-on-one interactions is of great importance for a student-veteran during their time in college in order to achieve their academic and professional goals.

The study examines the use of the shadow study technique in determining student engagement in learning. The students and teachers who comprise the subjects for this study were randomly chosen from a large metropolitan midwestern school district. The students were randomly selected from a list of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students provided by the district. Teachers were also randomly selected from a list of tenured teachers provided by the district. The shadow study, a quasi ethnographic data collection technique, was used to gather data for this study. Observations were recorded every five to seven minutes over the course of a school day. Fifty-eight students and twenty-two teachers were shadowed. Fifty-eight volunteer observers shadowed the students, and twenty-two shadowed the teachers. Data were grouped by grade level, first impressions were recorded, and responses to lists of topics for student and teacher behavior were noted. These impressions and notes were then coded and tabulated. Teacher behavior included initial impressions, instructional techniques, teacher-teacher interactions, student engagement, and teacher student interactions. Student behavior included initial impressions, instructional techniques, teacher-student interactions, and student-student interactions. These data were compared to topics described in the literature as positively influencing student engagement in learning. Topics included: authentic instruction, small group instruction, the use of computers, project based learning, individualized instruction, hands-on learning, and small group and whole class discussions. The study found the predominant instructional techniques in these classrooms to be very traditional. Teacher lecturing and student note taking and the use of worksheets prevailed. Students in these schools were actively engaged in learning about thirty percent of the time. Conversely, students were passively engaged or disengaged about seventy percent of the time. The shadow study technique, while inefficient, is an effective method to examine student engagement in learning.

Social scientists claim young United States (U.S.) citizens have become disengaged in civic life which jeopardizes democracy (White et al., 2007; CIRCLE & Carnegie, 2003, p.8). As a nation, the U.S. has failed to teach students the skills, knowledge, and abilities necessary for democratic life (White et l., 2007). Social scientists claim young U.S. citizens have become disengaged in civic life since the 1980s (Colby, 2007; CIRCLE & Carnegie, 2003, p.4). Compared to past generations, young citizens in the United States are less engaged in political life and lack an understanding of what it means to be an active and engaged citizen (Colby, 2007; White et al., 2007; CIRCLE & Carnegie, 2003, p.4). The idea of engaged citizenship has become narrowly defined as the simple act of voting, limiting the possibilities of citizens in improving society through community involvement (White et al., 2007). However, social scientists and social science educators have witnessed an increase in volunteerism of young U.S. citizens since about 2000. Along with this increase in volunteerism, other empirical evidence has painted a more positive picture of young Americans' civic engagement (Zukin et al., 2006). While researchers admit that young U.S. citizens are less politically engaged, young citizens demonstrate an interest in civic engagement (e.g., volunteering and participating in social campaigns) (Zukin et al., 2006). Historically, kindergarten through twelfth-grade (K-12) social-studies education has responded, through a civic-focused curriculum, to the needs of the United States. The nation's colleges and universities have also traditionally focused on the education of the country's future civic leaders, paying particular attention to teaching citizenship for the common good while promoting civic duty and responsibility. In comparison, little attention has been focused on the civic education of the community college student. The primary focus of community colleges has been to stimulate local economies and provide training for workforce development. In addition to workforce development, community colleges have provided access to under-prepared students who are interested in completing a four-year degree at a university, where civic leadership has been integrated into the curriculum. This research study followed a qualitative phenomenological approach that investigated the attitudes and perceptions of community college students and their civic and political engagement. The researcher collected data pertaining to civic engagement from three sources: open-ended qualitative questionnaires, student focus-groups, and a drawing activity completed by students. This research study was conducted in a large urban community college located in the southeastern region of the United States. Wilson Community College is a pseudonym used to conceal the identity of the college that was used in this research study.
ID: 031001433; System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader.; Mode of access: World Wide Web.; Adviser: William B. Russell.; Title from PDF title page (viewed June 24, 2013).; Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Central Florida, 2012.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 167-171).
Ph.D.
Doctorate
Education and Human Performance
Education; Social Science Education

Although districts and schools have implemented several types of parental engagement programs, numerous programs fail to meet the needs of African American parents, especially during the high school years. One reason may be the lack of awareness and sensitivity toward the needs of African American parents. Using a two-part conceptual framework informed by Hoover-Dempsey Sandler’s (1995, 1997) model of parental engagement and critical race theory, this qualitative case study examined how African American parents defined parental engagement during the high school years. This study also explored parents’ role construction and self-efficacy, and if and how parents understood district parental engagement policies. Data were collected from documents and semi-structured interviews from 15 African American parents of high school children. Data were analyzed using thematic network analysis (Attride-Stirling, 2001) and a variation of constant comparative analysis (Strauss & Corbin, 1990). Study findings revealed that parents described high school parental engagement as a fluid process that changed over time to best fit the academic and nonacademic needs of their children. This impacted parents’ parental engagement behaviors and practices. Whereas parents were unfamiliar with the district’s parental engagement policies, they were familiar with other school practices and policies that impacted their engagement behaviors. Parents defined their role in broad terms, such as being their children’s protector, teacher, and advocate. Parents’ self-efficacy was mainly based on their children’s academic performance in school and a village of supporters. Parents reported creating informal information networks to access information and services to assist them in supporting their child academically during high school. Although parents reported engaging in school-based activities, the primary method of engagement was home-based engagement practices.

The purpose of this single-case study was to explore strategies small business leaders used to engage the next generation of customers to ensure sustainability for longer than 5 years. The study population included senior leaders from a for-profit company headquartered in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Von Bertalanffy's general systems theory (GST) was the conceptual lens used in this study. Data were collected via semistructured interviews with 3 leaders of the organization. Participants for this doctoral study were members occupying leadership roles in a small, family-owned, for-profit business. Member checking was incorporated to help ensure accuracy, consistency, and credibility. Document analysis included reviews of financial statements, tax records, marketing and advertising plans, client survey information, and additional corporate artifacts. Using thematic analysis, themes emerging from this study included the importance of systematic approaches to engaging the next generation of customers through strategic processes, transparency in operations, fiscal accountability and protection of stakeholder interests, and use of technology to support business growth. Findings from this study might contribute to positive social change by enabling for-profit small business owners to succeed in their selected ventures and support local economic growth by engaging the next generation of customer.

An Exploratory Study of Mathematics Engagement of Secondary Students by Tracy Thomas Brown A large proportion of American students are not psychologically connected or engaged to what is occurring in their classes; in addition, they fail to take school seriously, have lost interest in school, and do not value or seek out success (Steinberg, Brown, & Dornbusch, 1996). In addition, the relationship in a mathematics classroom between schooling and engagement from the student’s perspective is not well known (Cothran & Ennis, 2000). The purpose of this study was to investigate engagement in order to describe students’ constructs of student engagement, their beliefs, attitudes, and values as they relate to engagement in secondary mathematics. Three broad questions guided this investigation: (a) What are students’ practices and beliefs concerning student engagement in the secondary mathematics classroom? (b) What are the patterns of engagement in the secondary mathematics classroom? (c) What are the interactions between the student in the secondary mathematics classroom and primary contexts that affect student engagement? Data were collected through behavioral observations, interviews, recent events, journals, and observer’s perceptions in this interpretive case study. Participants in this study were eleventh- and twelfth-grade high school students who were recruited from a high school in a rural community in the southeast United States. Data from the transcriptions of observations, interviews, researcher’s journal, and students’ journals were analyzed using a constant comparative and pattern-matching method using a tentative codebook. The codebook included: (a) themes derived from the affective, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions of student engagement; (b) contexts that affect student engagement; (c) properties of attribution theory; (d) the processes and sources of self-efficacy; and (e) factors that researchers have found that affect student engagement. Themes for each participant emerged from the data. A cross-case analysis was conducted. The cross-case themes were (a) moods, feelings, and/or physical conditions; (b) effort; (c) behavioral engagement, including attentiveness and help-seeking skills; and (d) approach to instruction. Findings from this study show that there are specific student practices, behaviors, and patterns that affect engagement. This study provides specific descriptions of these practices, behaviors, and patterns with respect to the influences on student engagement.

Online classrooms and online learning have proliferated as smartphones have become ubiquitous. The combination of developments relating to the efficacy of online learning and the use of smartphone as tools to gather and process information have raised questions about the impact of smartphones on higher education. Smartphones have become more and more a part of our daily lives. The smartphone has been an especially critical component of the lives of teenagers and young adults. It is as important to have a smartphone as it once was to get a driver's license. In the United States, the Department of Education brought forth a motion that allowed children to bring their devices in to schools. Many of the officials had no doubt in their minds that this would facilitate effective learning. Past research indicates that students are willing to embrace the use of smartphones in their learning. Based on current statistics, even economically disadvantaged students are able to access smartphones, though they may not have access to other gadgets such as laptops and Internet connections at their homes. According to scholarly literature, smartphones become a tool for learning the moment they are used to take pictures as notes and record videos when conducting interviews. Smartphones also have many other qualities that make them useful for learning: connectivity, portability, interactivity, and individuality. This study investigated differences in the way students approach online learning, comparing those who use smartphones, rather than mobile devices more generally, to access their online classroom and students who use more traditional tools, such as desktop and laptop computers, to access their online classroom. This study used a mixed-methods research design to investigate the use of smartphones and their effect on learning behaviors and engagement in online education at a regionally accredited US institution. The study examined quantitative aggregate and latent qualitative differences in relation to the effects smartphone devices have on students' approach to learning and engagement when these devices are used as a means of accessing and studying through an online learning management system. The study found statistically significant differences in the ways students approach their own learning using their smartphone to log in to their learning management system and students who used other iv technological mediums to sign in to their learning management system. The study also found statistically significant differences in engagement patterns, albeit conflicting results have been found in comparisons between online students who indicated using their smartphones to log in to the learning management system when compared to students using desktop computers or tablets. The study also revealed that the type of tasks online students perform with a smartphone varies significantly from the tasks that students perform when using a desktop or tablet.

There is a new trend in organizational psychology to address the transient nature of constructs through intra-individual studies. This approach is mostly used to understand phenomena which are highly sensitive to changes in the environment and to internal states in workers, such as the intra-individual variation in well-being related concepts such as cognition, affect and motivational states. Traditionally the concept of work engagement has been considered and studied as a relatively stable-in-time concept, a great portion of research has been carried out with transactional designs and with self-report questionnaires. However, this methodology does not allow capturing the variability and fluctuations of the state and intra-individual transient cognitive and affective states of work engagement. Therefore, this dissertation aims to address the study of the intra-individual variables of cognition and affect that could be related to the daily state work engagement and explain how they are related. In order to capture the fluctuations of the cognitive, affective and motivational states, in this thesis diary experiences of 117 workers on 1170 work events were collected and analyzed with a longitudinal methodology and the diary technique. As a result, this dissertation proposes theoretical framework and reports three empirical studies to understand how the internal variables of the individual are related in a dynamic and transient process and which variables foster or inhibit work engagement. Upon the basis of the empirical studies, a model is proposed to explain how the antecedents of state work engagement function and which are some moderators of transient affect. The results highlight the importance of the temporary character of states such as affect, daily work engagement and cognitive appraisals about events at work. It proposes a multilevel approach to study the dynamics of the process that generates work engagement on a daily basis. To conclude, in the final chapter, practical managerial implication and future avenues of research are discussed.
El enfoque de abordar la naturaleza transitoria de algunos constructos de la psicología de las organizaciones a través del estudio intra-individual es novedoso y es la tendencia que existe actualmente para comprender fenómenos altamente sensitivos a los cambios del entorno y de la vida interna del trabajador, como son la cognición, el afecto y los estados motivacionales. Mayormente se ha estudiado el concepto del work engagement como un concepto estable en el tiempo y la mayor parte de la investigación se ha realizado con diseños transeccionales y con cuestionarios de auto-reporte, metodologías que no permiten captar la variabilidad y fluctuaciones del estado. En este contexto cobra relevancia el estudio intra-individual de la vida interna y estados transitorios de los trabajadores. La presente tesis tiene como objetivo abordar al estudio intra-individual de variables transitorias cognitivas y afectivas que pueden estar relacionadas con el work engagement diario y explicar cómo se relacionan. Con la intención de captar las fluctuaciones de los estados cognitivos, afectivos y motivacionales de los trabajadores se recogió y analizó experiencias diarias de 117 trabajadores del sector servicios, se usó una metodología longitudinal y con la técnica de diario (N = 1170 registros en el lugar de trabajo). En el presente trabajo se propone un marco teórico y se realizan tres estudios empíricos para entender cómo se relacionan las variables internas del individuo en un proceso dinámico y transitorio, y qué variables facilitan o inhiben el work engagement. A partir de los estudios empíricos se propone un modelo que explica cómo funcionan los antecedentes del state work engagement y moderadores del afecto transitorio. Los resultados de estos tres estudios destacan la importancia de la consideración temporal de estados como el afecto, el work engagement diario y las valoraciones cognitivas sobre los eventos en el trabajo y proponen un enfoque multinivel para estudiar la dinámica del proceso de generación del work engagement diario. Para finalizar se discuten las implicaciones prácticas y direcciones futuras de investigación en esta área de estudio.

A comparative case analysis of two industry leaders, Red Bull and Burberry, allowed an exposition of current best practices and underlying engagement strategies with far reaching implications applicable to many industries apart from those in which each company resides. This article give an introductory look at initial engagement tactics through event marketing and new technologies before a depth analysis regarding preparing for and capitalizing on subsequent consumer engagements resulting in growing a brand community. Both companies successfully engaged their respective brand communities through event marketing and new technologies in a way that encouraged the transformation from passive members to active consumers and brand evangelists. Extrapolating the industry specific tactics each company implemented to achieve such transformation has allowed for an understanding of several best practices for social engagement utilizing new media and new technologies.

Globalization, 24-hour connectivity, and the expectation that members of the organization commit increasingly more time to work are the reality in an ever-changing environment. Research shows, however, that these demands have resulted in a significant work-life imbalance that produces the opposite effect of reducing productivity. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between work life balance satisfaction of front-line managers and the engagement of employees whom they supervise. The variables of these study were: work life balance satisfaction of frontline managers measured by Work life Balance and Emotional Support Scale and engagement perception employees measured by Employee Engagement Survey. Survey data from front-line managers and front-line employees from different industries across the United States were analyzed using a Bivariate Pearson Correlation test to understand the strength of the correlation. The study results r (89) = 0.115, p>.01showed no statistically significant correlation between managers work life balance satisfaction and employee engagement. Work-life imbalances create a significant internal conflict as the manager tries to cope with the stress and pressure that affect his/her overall ability to effectively lead and manage. Their work behaviors can promote or destroy a positive work environment where employees strive to meet the organizations' mission and vision. The organization and front-line managers benefit from understanding the findings because the organization may adopt innovative ways to support manager work-life balance and front-line managers may improve employee engagement. Positive social change is realized in less stress for managers and employees whom interact in an environment that demands more time and flexibility. Considering the amount of time, we spend at work, less stress can improve the overall quality of the work environment and productivity.

Master of Agribusiness
Department of Agricultural Economics
Keith Harris
Iowa State University’s Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative (AgEI) was founded in 2005 from a generous gift given by Roger and Connie Underwood of Ames, IA. The original mission for the initiative was to provide undergraduate students at Iowa State University, specifically in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), with practical business development and entrepreneurial experiences essential for their success in future careers and endeavors. A non-conventional case study structure will walk readers through the history of how the AgEI program came to be and introduce them to the present day, while acknowledging tribulations the program has faced along the way. The purpose of this study is to determine wether the addition of soft skills programming will strengthen the value of the program to Iowa State University CALS students and generate actionable ideas on how to do so. Further analysis will ascertain whether enticing additional participation in the program, while maintaining its original entrepreneurial goals, will allow the AgEI program to grow in value and size. Quantitative, as well as qualitative, means of analysis are utilized to understand the students’ needs for soft skills development and identify skills deemed necessary by entrepreneurs to find success in the marketplace. Results indicate that it is advantageous to add a focus in soft skills development for undergraduate students who have an interest in entrepreneurship and small business development. These skills compliment their technical skills nicely when considering all aspects of creating a successful startup business. By implementing soft skills development programming, the AgEI program will be able to produce more well-rounded individuals and enhance their likelihood to successfully start their own businesses.

Learning-by-doing learning environments support a wealth of physical engagement in activities. However, there is also a lot of variability in what participants learn in each enactment of these types of environments. Therefore, it is not always clear how participants are learning in these environments. In order to design technologies to support learning in these environments, we must have a greater understanding of how participants engage in learning activities, their goals for their engagement, and the types of help they need to cognitively engage in learning activities. To gain a greater understanding of participant engagement and factors and circumstances that promote and inhibit engagement, this dissertation explores and answers several questions: What are the types of interactions and experiences that promote and /or inhibit learning and engagement in learning-by-doing learning environments? What are the types of configurations that afford or inhibit these interactions and experiences in learning-by-doing learning environments? I explore answers to these questions through the context of two enactments of Kitchen Science Investigators (KSI), a learning-by-doing learning environment where middle-school aged children learn science through cooking from customizing recipes to their own taste and texture preferences. In small groups, they investigate effects of ingredients through the design of cooking and science experiments, through which they experience and learn about chemical, biological, and physical science phenomena and concepts (Clegg, Gardner, Williams,&Kolodner, 2006). The research reported in this dissertation sheds light on the different ways participant engagement promotes and/or inhibits cognitive engagement in by learning-by-doing learning environments through two case studies. It also provides detailed descriptions of the circumstances (social, material, and physical configurations) that promote and/or inhibit participant engagement in these learning environments through cross-case analyses of these cases. Finally, it offers suggestions about structuring activities, selecting materials and resources, and designing facilitation and software-realized scaffolding in the design of these types of learning environments. These design implications focus on affording participant engagement in science content and practices learning. Overall, the case studies, cross-case analyses, and empirically-based design implications begin to bridge the gap between theory and practice in the design and implementation of these learning environments. This is demonstrated by providing detailed and explanatory examples and factors that affect how participants take up the affordances of the learning opportunities designed into these learning environments.

Aquesta tesi explora la implicació (engagement) d’estudiants d’idiomes en fòrums de discussió asíncrons que formen part d’un curs d’aprenentatge de l’anglès en línia per a adults a la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. La implicació dels estudiants a l’aula no és una àrea nova de recerca en educació, però fa ben poc que s’estudia. Hi ha antecedents teòrics en l’àmbit de la implicació dels aprenents (Fredricks, Blumenfeld i París, 2004; Kahu, 2013; Schindler, Burkholder, Morad i Marsh, 2017) que confirmen que consta de tres dimensions: el compromís actitudinal, el compromís cognitiu i el compromís emocional. El compromís actitudinal es refereix a les accions que duen a terme els aprenents per tal de participar en les tasques que se’ls proposen, el compromís cognitiu té a veure amb què és allò que s’aprèn i es fa i el compromís emocional considera la connexió emocional dels aprenents amb el seu aprenentatge. La recerca en aquest camp s’ha centrat principalment en la dimensió conductual. Els estudis que han abordat la dimensió emocional ho han fet emprant una gran varietat de mètodes, els quals, majoritàriament, han emprat qüestionaris adreçats als estudiants (Dixson, 2010; Nakazawa, 2009; Young i Bruce, 2011) com a font principal de dades, això implica que les conclusions que s’han obtingut es basen en les respostes d’aquells estudiants que estan molt compromesos i no en la resta. La recerca entorn el compromís cognitiu s’ha centrat en l’estudi de l’autoregulació i en l’ús d’estratègies d’aprenentatge (Fredricks et al., 2004), i han focalitzat la motivació dels aprenents per aprendre, la seva persistència per assolir els objectius d’aprenentatge i el processament crític de la informació (Schindler et al., 2017) o volgut assenyalar les millores en l’aprenentatge mesurats en termes de notes (Dixson, 2010). En aquest estudi, analitzem les tres dimensions de la implicació de dos grups d’estudiants d’anglès que duen a terme tres tasques d’escriptura en fòrums de discussió asíncrons. Ens plantegem l’objectiu d’explorar com els estudiants interaccionen amb les tasques i entre ells. Per aconseguir-ho, duem a terme tres estudis de casos; el primer estudi analitza dos grups d’aprenents que treballen amb el mateix professor per realitzar la tasca d’escalfament (warm-up) del curs; el segon estudi de cas analitza la participació d’un dels grups d’aprenents del primer estudi de cas en tres tasques; i el darrer estudi del cas redueix i analitza el compromís de tres aprenents del grup del segon estudi de cas, també a través de les tres tasques d’escriptura. Adoptem un mètode específic per a l’estudi de cada dimensió del compromís dels estudiants. Per analysitzar el compromís actitudinal, analitzem la participació i la interacció, per estudiar el compromís cognitiu, fem un seguiment de com canvien les notes de cadascun dels aprenents des del principi fins al final del curs i, en el darrer estudi de cas, també analitzem la complexitat, la precisió i la fluïdesa en les contribucions de les tres estudiants seleccionades. Per observar el compromís emocional dels aprenents, realitzem una anàlisi quantitativa dels continguts de les seves contribucions per tal de cercar indicadors de presència social. El nostre estudi demostra que les tres dimensions del compromís de l’alumne estan interrelacionades. Les nostres conclusions posen de relleu que els índexs més alts de participació i interacció solen correspondre als estudiants que han millorat les seves qualificacions o, com a mínim, els que les han mantingut estables al llarg del curs. Les contribucions d’aquests dos grups d’estudiants també mostren nivells més elevats d’indicadors de presència social, principalment en les primeres etapes del curs.
Esta tesis explora la implicación (engagement) de estudiantes de idiomas en foros de discusión asíncronos que forman parte de un curso de inglés en línea para adultos en la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. La implicación de los estudiantes en el aula no es un área nueva de investigación en educación, pero hace poco que se estudia. Hay antecedentes teóricos en el ámbito de la implicación de los aprendices (Fredrick, Blumenfeld y París, 2004; Kahu, 2013; Schindler, Burkholder, Morad y Marsh, 2017) que confirman que consta de tres dimensiones: el compromiso actitudinal, el cognitivo y el emocional. El compromiso actitudinal se refiere a las acciones que los aprendices llevan a cabo para participar en las tareas propuestas, el compromiso cognitivo tiene que ver con qué es lo que aprenden y hacen, y el compromiso emocional considera la conexión emocional de los aprendices con su aprendizaje. La investigación en este campo se ha centrado principalmente en la dimensión conductual. Los estudios que han abordado la dimensión emocional lo han hecho utilizando una gran variedad de métodos que, en su mayoría, han empleado cuestionarios dirigidos a los estudiantes (Dixson, 2010; Nakazawa, 2009; Young y Bruce, 2011) como fuente principal de datos. Esto implica que las conclusiones obtenidas se basan en las respuestas de los estudiantes que están muy comprometidos y no en el resto. La investigación en torno al compromiso cognitivo se ha centrado en el estudio de la autorregulación y en el uso de estrategias de aprendizaje (Fredrick et al., 2004), con el objetivo de investigar la motivación de los aprendices para aprender, su persistencia para alcanzar los objetivos de aprendizaje y el procesamiento crítico de la información (Schindler et al., 2017) o han querido señalar las mejoras en el aprendizaje medidos en términos de calificaciones (Dixson, 2010). En este estudio, analizamos las tres dimensiones de la implicación de dos grupos de estudiantes de inglés que llevan a cabo tres tareas de escritura en foros de discusión asíncronos. Nos planteamos el objetivo de explorar cómo los estudiantes interaccionan con las tareas y entre ellos. Para ello, llevamos a cabo tres estudios de casos; el primer estudio analiza dos grupos de aprendices que trabajan con el mismo profesor para realizar la tarea de introducción (warm-up) del curso; el segundo estudio de caso analiza la participación de uno de los grupos de aprendices del primer estudio de caso en tres tareas; y el último estudio del caso reduce y analiza el compromiso de tres aprendices del grupo del segundo estudio de caso, también a través de las tres tareas de escritura. Adoptamos un método específico para estudiar cada dimensión del compromiso de los estudiantes. Para el compromiso actitudinal, analizamos la participación y la interacción, para el compromiso cognitivo, hacemos un seguimiento de cómo cambian las notas de cada uno de los aprendices desde el principio hasta el final del curso y, en el último estudio de caso, también analizamos la complejidad, la precisión y la fluidez en las contribuciones de las tres estudiantes seleccionadas. Para observar el compromiso emocional de los aprendices, realizamos un análisis cuantitativo de los contenidos de sus contribuciones para buscar indicadores de presencia social. Nuestro estudio demuestra que las tres dimensiones del compromiso del alumno están interrelacionadas. Nuestras conclusiones ponen de relieve que los índices más altos de participación e interacción suelen corresponder a los estudiantes que han mejorado sus calificaciones o, como mínimo, los que las han mantenido estables a lo largo del curso. Las contribuciones de estos dos grupos de estudiantes también muestran niveles más elevados de indicadores de presencia social, principalmente en las primeras etapas del curso.
This thesis explores engagement of language learners in asynchronous discussion forums which are used as part of a fully online English language learning course for adults at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. Learner engagement is not a new area of research in education but it is only quite recently that online language learner engagement has been the focus of study. There is a solid theoretical background in the area of learner engagement (Fredricks, Blumenfeld and Paris, 2004; Kahu, 2013; Schindler, Burkholder, Morad and Marsh, 2017) and it is generally agreed to consist of three dimensions: behavioural, cognitive and emotional engagement. Behavioural engagement refers to learners’ participation and involvement as they carry out the pedagogical task at hand, cognitive engagement involves what and how learners learn, and emotional engagement considers learners’ emotional connection to their learning. Research has mainly focused on the behavioural dimension and where the emotional dimension is addressed, methods have varied considerably and the primary source of data has tended to be student questionnaires (Dixson, 2010; Nakazawa, 2009; Young and Bruce, 2011), which means that findings are focused on those learners who are highly engaged and do not take into consideration the rest. Where cognitive engagement is included in research, approaches have focused on self-regulation and the use of learning strategies (Fredricks et al., 2004), with the objective of understanding learners’ motivation to learn, persistence to achieve learning objectives and deep processing of information (Schindler et al., 2017). In such contexts learning gains are measured in terms of grades (Dixson, 2010). In this study, we observe these three dimensions of engagement in two groups of learners as they carry out three writing tasks in asynchronous discussion forums. Our objective is to provide some insight into how learners engage with the tasks and with one another. To achieve this, we carry out three case studies; the first analyses two separate groups of learners working with the same teacher while they carry out a course warm-up task; the second case study analyses the engagement of one of the two groups of learners from the first case study across three tasks; and the final case study narrows the focus further by analysing the engagement of three learners from the group in the second case study across the three tasks. We adopt a specific method for each dimension of learner engagement. For behavioural engagement, we analyse participation and interaction quantitatively by measuring post rates, word counts, post reading activity, forum threading characteristics and the number of interactions. For cognitive engagement, we track how individual learners’ marks change from the start to the end of the course and in the final case study, we analyse and compare three learners’ posts in terms of their complexity, accuracy and fluency. For emotional engagement, we carry out quantitative content analysis of posts in terms of social presence. The main findings of the study indicate that the three dimensions of learner engagement are inter-related and therefore should not be studied separately as has traditionally been done. We conclude that higher rates of participation and interaction tend to correspond to learners whose marks improve or at least stay the same over the course. The contributions of the learners in these two groups also show higher levels of indicators of social presence, particularly in the early stages of the course.

Research expresses the need for society to develop ways that encourage civic responsibility. As the need to educate and encourage citizens to be more civic-minded increases, higher education, communities and agencies need to learn more meaningful ways to engage constituencies in the process that will result in greater civic responsibility. The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to describe how collaborative experiences influence civic engagement. Utilizing collaborative learning methods, while emphasizing specific learned skills (attributes) within small groups, both youth and adult experiences within the process tended to be enhanced and meaning was found within the experience. Although the study did not set out to develop a model for engaging citizens in decision-making, elements described within participant experiences contributed to developing a civic engagement model that fosters a sense of voice, empowerment, and meaning resulting in the likelihood of enhancing civic responsibility for those involved in the process.

This study explored interdisciplinary studies students' academic and social engagement. As the review of literature demonstrated, student engagement and satisfaction are important to retention and institutions can adopt policies and practices to foster student engagement. Because interdisciplinary studies programs often struggle to maintain relevance, fostering student engagement is one way to ensure maximum student satisfaction and retention. This study identified factors of student engagement that were positively related to satisfaction and confirmed that requiring core interdisciplinary studies courses had a positive impact on engagement. A quantitative instrument, the Interdisciplinary Studies Student Engagement Survey, was adapted from the National Survey of Student Engagement questionnaire to collect self-reported responses. The following eight factors of student engagement were found to be relevant: (a) diversity-related activities, (b) shared understanding and experiences, (c) interaction with peers, (d) interaction with faculty members, (e) active and collaborative learning, (f) integrated learning, (g) out-of-class experiences, and (h) academic challenge. Respondents reported the most frequent participation in integrated learning and the least frequent participation in out-of-class experiences. It was determined that students with nontraditional characteristics tended to participate more frequently in academic engagement, whereas students with traditional characteristics tended to participate more in social engagement. In addition, enrollment in mandatory interdisciplinary core courses was found to positively influence engagement in seven of the eight identified factors. Enrollment in core courses was also positively related to satisfaction. Finally, all eight engagement factors positively correlated with satisfaction to some degree.
ID: 030646249; System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader.; Mode of access: World Wide Web.; Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Central Florida, 2011.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 311-339).
Ed.D.
Doctorate
Educational and Human Sciences
Education and Human Performance
Educational Leadership

This qualitative case study examined the engagement experiences of African American students in the COMPASS and PEACE Linked Learning certified pathways at Millikan High School in the Long Beach Unified School District. The study explores institution-controlled factors of the Linked Learning Pathways model that demonstrate positive influences over the African American achievement gap. Institution-controlled factors that positively influence equitable practices and access in concert with engaged student-controlled factors could potentially reduce the dropout rate. The long term benefits of Linked Learning could improve the quality of the workforce as well as reduce poverty, crime, and incarceration rates.

This case study consisted of 18 interviews: 1 0 with African American students in COMPASS and PEACE and 8 with adult staff members who had direct involvement with the students. The participants' voices illuminated five themes. First, having a robust desire to realize the dream in a certified pathway operationalized students' efforts. Second, quality curriculum and instruction fueled by strong philosophical belief is an institution-controlled factor that positively affects African American students' level of engagement specific to ethics, personal growth, and academic satisfaction. Third, critical race pedagogy is an instructional tool used by teachers who genuinely have passion for teaching disenfranchised students. Fourth, a focus on social justice means students engage in dialogue and activities around global and local issues that inspire them to act. Fifth, students' access and equity influence whether or not they feel welcomed and empowered to take the initiative to seek assistance. Together, these five themes weaved a picture of a supportive environment that promotes greater student satisfaction and enhances engagement.

The study is directly related to the state's high school reform efforts to improve the quality of the workforce and economic development. The measures of quality within a Linked Learning certified pathway were integral to this study and could significantly inform reform efforts and support strides toward closing the achievement gap. The program proposes to support all students, and Millikan demonstrated results with African American students are worthy of examination. This inquiry investigated Linked Learning Pathways' support of African American students, their perceptions, and lived experiences using the SELL conceptual framework. The SELL was informed by Appleton, Christenson, and Furlong's "Student Engagement with School: Critical Conceptual and Methodological Issues of the Construct," Tinto's "Dropout from Higher Education: A Theoretical Synthesis of Recent Research" and Tinto and Pusser's (2006) "Moving from Theory to Action: Building a Model of Institutional Action for Student Success."

Leading at a distance has emerged concurrently with complex global changes, resulting in the diverse use of technology, virtual teams, and collaboration as a way of solving problems and growing innovative and successful organizations. Little research has been done to explore the perceptions of individuals who lead virtual organizations. In the absence of such research, little is known about effective leadership processes in virtual environments. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to discover an explanatory theory, derived from data, which facilitates an understanding of effective virtual leadership systems and processes. This study used classic grounded theory methodology involving multiple extant data reviews (> 20) and a purposive sampling group of 77 virtual leaders, dispersed globally, who were interviewed using voice-over Internet protocol, phone contacts, and e-mail as data collection methods. The grand tour research question for this study examined issues leaders faced when leading/working virtually and the processes virtual leaders used to resolve the stated issues. Data were analyzed using open coding, sorting, memoing, constant comparative analysis, selective coding, and theoretical sampling. The key finding of this study was a generated theory of seducing engagement, addressing participants' main concern: the process of cultivating success in the virtual worker-learner. Engagement is viewed as a significant variable in successful virtual working, virtual leading, and organizational/company success. The results from this study might be used by global organizations to inform infrastructure and planning for virtual leading; to enhance the knowledge, training, and preparedness of virtual leaders; and to spur further research in a rapidly growing field.

Doctor of Education
Department of Educational Leadership
Michael Holen
Facing the rapidly increasing globalization of world economies and a steadily diversifying domestic consumer base, U.S. corporations have embraced the benefits of hiring more employees with diverse perspectives and experiences. Particularly in industries dependent upon knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, recognition has grown that the American work force is seriously constrained by the clear underrepresentation of minority participants. In engineering, the most prevalent attempt to address these issues is through the establishment of multicultural engineering programs (MEPs), often designed as partnerships between universities and major corporate entities. These programs strive to identify, recruit, retain, educate and ultimately employ significant numbers of students of color to strengthen industry innovation and competitiveness. This investigation was initiated to expand the limited research literature on MEPs and the nature of their partnerships with industry. Using qualitative methodology, an exploratory viewpoint, and the lens of the Commitment-Trust Key Mediating Variable Model (KMV) of Relationship Marketing, the relationships of five mature and highly regarded university MEPs and one of their self identified primary industry partners were examined. Leaders of the National Association of Multicultural Engineering Program Advocates, the national representative body for MEPs, identified exemplary MEPs in the organization’s five regions; using a selection paradigm, five institutions were chosen for study selected from four of the regions. Each institution then identified a primary industry partner. Participants responded to in-depth interviews (MEPs) and questionnaires (industry) with respect to the nature, benefits, and challenges to both entities in the partnerships. Documents were reviewed for each program and industry. Responses were coded, crosschecked, and analyzed for patterns and themes. In particular, the study explored the issue of how commitment and trust are established in these partnership relationships. Twenty-four patterns and three themes emerged. Clearly, university-industry multicultural engineering partnerships are viewed as engendering important employment opportunities for underrepresented program graduates, promoting a well-developed pipeline of minority employee talent for industry, and increasing funding both for university multicultural programming and minority student support. The study also reports on the broad range of activities these partnerships practice. It suggests avenues for further study to enhance university-industry engagement.

The purpose of this study is to define and apply an engagement framework built upon Inclusive Management theory to examine the practice of participation as understood by administrators, elected officials, NGO leaders and public participation practitioners across multiple countries and to illustrate the framework through three case studies. Specifically, it asks how does Inclusive Management guide us in understanding participation as practiced by managers/leaders with responsibility for this work? It also considers the potential connections between management and participation as demonstrated in the data, and further, it seeks to identify how IM as a theory may be enriched or empirically elaborated as a result of this examination. This research examines the observation of phenomena identified by study participants ordinarily not considered a consequence of efforts that engage the public. Using inclusive management theory, the resulting engagement framework includes clusters of outcomes, continuous events and capacity-building as its core elements. The framework shows inclusive management in action and offers a different way of knowing (Feldman, Khademian, Ingram, & Schneider, 2006; Gomez, Bouty, & Drucker-Godard, 2003; Nicolini, Gherardi, & Yanow, 2003) participation in government decision making than generally is depicted in the public participation literature or characterized anecdotally. The engagement framework also corresponds in several ways to the techniques of dialogue, deliberation and appreciative inquiry. As the data will demonstrate in this dissertation, the engagement framework may draw upon these techniques, and moreover, that the relational, informational and stewardship dimensions of engagement reinforce one another. This dissertation also addresses a longstanding gap in the participation literature, in that it provides strategies that connect management theory and practice with participatory principles.
Ph. D.

The data generated from the user's activities and surfing online can have a significant impact when used to improve the content of web pages. The user has little time to scan the content of a web page and the motivation to save time is high. Recommendations and personalized content are becoming more and more common and both businesses and consumers seem to benefit from more targeted content. In order to know what recommendations to present to each individual, information about the user is needed and there are many tools to analyze the behaviours of the users online. In this study, we examined if relevant content on the front-page of Visma, a business software provider, can increase the interaction on the front-page and what metrics can be used to measure the interaction. Together with experts in the field we investigated the eAccounting software users’ preferences for targeted recommendations. By having a pop up survey for users of Visma, conducting an A/B test and using a heatmap for the eAccounting users we found out that a more customized front-page makes the user interact more with the page.

This thesis discusses an investigation into the understandings that school-based teaching assistants had of engaging with Foundation degree study at a new university. The general methodological approach adopted was qualitative. It was informed by aspects of the ethnographic perspective, but does not claim to be a traditional ethnography. The central issues that were explored were learners’ views of their reasons for choosing their course of study, their thoughts on being a Foundation degree student and feelings as they reached the end of their studies. This thesis offers a distinctive approach by addressing these three issues which are not examined holistically in existing research literature on teaching assistants and Foundation degree study. It also highlights the way that a range of circumstances and, crucially, identities inform Foundation degree students’ views of their engagement with study. Specifically, the research underlines the importance that notions of studentship, domestic roles and workplace experiences play in structuring these students’ understandings. This thesis also adds to the body of research that has explored the experiences of student-parents by documenting how learners from this group engage with a sub-degree level programme of vocationally-related higher education. In common with many ethnographers, the investigation’s ontological position was that individuals socially construct the world as they interpret it and act on these understandings. It was informed by the interpretivist perspective that has been developed by sociologists of education. This data was collected over four academic years and covered various points of the students’ studies. Semi-structured interviews with first and second year students were the primary method of data collection. Interviewing was initially conducted in a group format, before a smaller number of individual interviews were undertaken were carried out to further explore emergent themes. Eight group interviews were carried out with 44 participants. These were followed up with 12 individual interviews. Participant observations and documentary analysis of course-related documents were also drawn upon as contextualising sources. This data was utilised to develop the interview schedules which produced the main findings that are reported in this thesis. Fourteen modules were observed to produce supporting contextualising data. The overarching finding of this research was that for those whose views were captured, their engagement with Foundation degree study was often framed in terms of it being part of a complex and dynamic process of identity work. This cut across motives for study, experiences of being a Foundation degree student and the meanings ascribed to leaving their studies. Learners often defined their engagement across each of these in terms of identity transformation and preservation. Personal, occupational, learner and domestic identities were viewed as structuring this process. Employed student-mothers faced particular challenges due to having to manage inequitable experiences that accompanied their domestic, workplace and Foundation degree identities.

Adolescent engagement in home-based treatment is a challenge within the social work field. Studies have suggested that the foundation of clinical practice relies on the clinician's ability to understand the process of engaging adolescents in treatment, which may also include a period of adaptability, relatability, and connectedness within the treatment setting. The purpose of this study is to explore the clinical practice approaches, roles, and experiences utilized in home-based treatment to adolescents residing in a large city in northeastern United States. This study was grounded in the ecological systems theory which provides social workers with an opportunity to assess the relationships between an individuals behaviors and the environment. A qualitative research design was used in this study. Social work clinicians participated in focus groups to address the clinical roles, characteristics, and skills essential for reducing barriers related to adolescent engagement in home-based treatment and explore the clinical practice approaches and knowledge base related to adolescent engagement in home-based treatment, including the areas of competence, respect, empathy, and passion. Data were analyzed using audiotapes of the focus groups, the transcription process, coding, and a reliability check. Findings from this study suggest that effective social work practice techniques depend upon the clinician's ability to engage the adolescent throughout the entire treatment process. The outcomes for this action research study included both challenging and rewarding opportunities for clinicians to increase understanding of characteristics, skills, values, and experiences in providing home-based treatment to adolescents of a large city in the northeastern United States.

In 2013, 1% of Medicare reimbursements were withheld from U.S. hospitals, with a proposed cap of 2% in 2017 for redistribution to those hospitals that improve overall care and patient satisfaction. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the engagement strategies that some hospital middle managers used to improve employee performance to increase patient satisfaction. The sample included 4 health care middle managers in 1 hospital in northeast Connecticut. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was Kahn's personal engagement theory. Data were collected via semistructured interviews, participant observations, and review of hospital and public government documents. The process of member checking and methodological triangulation contributed to the study validity. The data were analyzed using Yin's 5-step method of analysis. Themes that emerged from the study were the importance of the role of the manager in fostering employee engagement, implementing explicit communication techniques, assisting employees in role performance, promoting employee wellbeing, commitment to patient care and satisfaction, and providing employees with rewards and recognition. Although this was a single case study, health care managers from other hospitals could benefit from the results of this study. The implications for social change include the potential for hospital managers to implement strategies to improve employees' engagement, thus improving patients' care and satisfaction, and the overall health and wellness of individuals in the community.

Leading at a distance has emerged concurrently with complex global changes, resulting in the diverse use of technology, virtual teams, and collaboration as a way of solving problems and growing innovative and successful organizations. Little research has been done to explore the perceptions of individuals who lead virtual organizations. In the absence of such research, little is known about effective leadership processes in virtual environments. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to discover an explanatory theory, derived from data, which facilitates an understanding of effective virtual leadership systems and processes. This study used classic grounded theory methodology involving multiple extant data reviews (> 20) and a purposive sampling group of 77 virtual leaders, dispersed globally, who were interviewed using voice-over Internet protocol, phone contacts, and e-mail as data collection methods. The grand tour research question for this study examined issues leaders faced when leading/working virtually and the processes virtual leaders used to resolve the stated issues. Data were analyzed using open coding, sorting, memoing, constant comparative analysis, selective coding, and theoretical sampling. The key finding of this study was a generated theory of seducing engagement, addressing participants' main concern: the process of cultivating success in the virtual worker-learner. Engagement is viewed as a significant variable in successful virtual working, virtual leading, and organizational/company success. The results from this study might be used by global organizations to inform infrastructure and planning for virtual leading; to enhance the knowledge, training, and preparedness of virtual leaders; and to spur further research in a rapidly growing field.

This thesis is based on a case study of blended workplace learning, investigating learner engagement and interaction in a blended learning program. Results show that various individual, workplace, and program factors influence learner engagement and interaction; and that human interaction has an important role to play in learner engagement in blended learning. The results highlight to designers, facilitators, and learners of blended workplace learning programs, the importance of considering a range of factors and particularly building in human interaction for a successful program.

It's widely acknowledged that the identification and engagement of stakeholders is a critical success factor for Business Process Management (BPM). Despite this, to date there has been a limited and inconsistent approach to stakeholder identification and scant attempts to holistically identify the factors which impact their engagement. This research addresses these gaps, presenting two models. The first model is a BPM stakeholder model designed to identify and enumerate all important stakeholders. The second model presents a holistic, systems-view of the factors influencing stakeholder engagement. Both models synthesises existing knowledge and provides empirical support from an in-depth case study.

Educational Administration
Ed.D.
Since college and university students typically vary in their utilization of student services and resources, the variance in undergraduate business student engagement levels in professional development activity was explored by this quantitative study. Professional development is defined as career-related preparation of students for entry into the professional business environment and is accomplished through coaching, workshops, mentoring, student professional organization involvement, and internships that complement the content knowledge taught in the classroom. The results of a mandatory student satisfaction survey were analyzed to identify drivers/correlates of engagement, specifically relative to participation in professional development activity at a mid-Atlantic, urban research institution with an undergraduate business school population of approximately 5,700 students. The goal was to assess the demographic, organizational and motivational drivers (using a distal to proximal flow of relevance) that serve as potential initiators of variance in engagement levels related to professional development activity. This study attempted to provide insight as to the types of students who are engaged or disengaged by examining a combination of student background characteristics, pre-college credentials, college credentials, and organizational/motivational factors. The existing literature has concentrated on identification of "good practices" leading to engagement, as well as the impact of educationally purposeful activities on the higher education experience, but has not clearly identified the precise drivers of student engagement. Academic research on undergraduate student engagement in professional development activity is even more challenging to locate and is practically non-existent. The study population consisted of 864 graduating seniors who completed the mandatory senior student satisfaction survey. Student demographic data from the University's information system as well as self-reported survey responses comprised the independent variables. This information was used to create thirty drivers of engagement categorized into five variable sets. The dependent variables, identified as behavioral indicators of engagement in student professional development activity, were derived from self-reported responses in the senior survey. A factor analysis was used to create a Total DV score relative to student engagement in professional development activity. Descriptive statistics provided a picture of each group of students. ANOVA and correlational analyses were used to determine the predictive factors (by variable sets) for professional development activity engagement (PDAE). Twenty-five of the thirty independent variables produced significant correlations (.000) spanning the five variable sets thereby indicating that multiple factors are ultimately involved in this complex model of student engagement in professional development activity.
Temple University--Theses

The title of the study is “The use of advergames in creating online consumer engagement. A casestudy of LEGO.” In this study the concept of using advergames in creation of online consumerengagement will be explored. In order to narrow the scope of the study two research questionswere established: What are the elements of advergames that drive online consumer engagement?;How are advergames currently used by the market leading company in its marketing campaignsin order to create online consumer engagement? The outcome of the research can help deepenthe current knowledge of scholars and practitioners in their communication and brand buildingevolving advergames and the creation of customer engagement in this area.In order to gain more knowledge of online consumer engagement and advergames, numerousliterary sources were used such as: papers, articles, books, and annual reports of LEGO. Thecollected data is supported by a vary of interviews with employees of LEGO from differentdepartments.After analysis of the collected data and linking it to the theoretical framework numerousconclusions can be drawn to answer the initial research questions. First, the attributes thatstimulate advergames in creating online consumer engagement are the Unique SellingProposition (technical features such as: the technical platform, game type, dimensions, genre,prominence of advertising and congruity of brand and game) and the Emotional SellingProposition (representation elements such as audiovisual style, narration, procedural rhetoric).Currently, LEGO integrates digital games in their integrated marketing approach, linking themtightly connected to certain real life products. On the other hand, the importance of advergamesis growing as the study has identified that more and more company’s target customers (children)are moving towards digital entertainment specifically related to mobile technologies. For this, thecompany tries to create engagement and awareness by using advergames. The company tries toreach the light user group through storytelling and the middle to heavy user group throughadvanced technical elements of the games.The limitations of the study is in particular the fact that the cases were taken from one company,one product market and one target consumer group means that the results of the study should beconsidered carefully when applying for other companies, product markets and consumer groups.Secondly, the qualitative method of research means that it is heavily dependent on the individualskills of the researchers and more easily influenced by the researchers’ personal biases andpeculiarity.

This thesis adds a complex account to existing climate change engagement literature, which captures the ways that interactions with, and interpretations of, climate change emerge across the spaces and practices of day-to-day life. The empirical research for this thesis was based in Penryn and Falmouth, two small adjoining coastal towns located in the county of Cornwall, in the southwest of the UK. Fieldwork across a number of sites including schools, community groups and the local fishery engaged participants in a wide variety of research interactions. A combination of ethnographic and autoethnographic techniques were applied to produce complex, nuanced and personal accounts of interactions with and reflections on climate change that emerged in a day-to-day context. This study employed the innovative use of a personal research archive to facilitate the process of sense making across a body of highly detailed and contextual data. Through the use of thematic coding, links between data collected in diverse research encounters has been drawn together to produce meaningful narratives of climate change engagement in day-to-day life. These narratives capture the adaptive, imperfectly situated and inconsistent engagement responses that emerge as a result of the challenging nature of climate change and the inevitable, multiple pressures of the day-to-day context. The research approach taken in this study, and the findings set out in the thesis make contributions to three main areas of climate change engagement literature. Firstly, it explores the way that climate change is situated and understood in the context of day-to-day life. Secondly, it considers the implications of conceptualising climate change engagement as either a ‘process’ or a ‘state’. Finally, it extends existing analysis of ‘barriers to engagement’, locating them within the complexity of the day-to-day context and identifying them as part of essential interpretive iterations of engagement.

In the present world, the companies on using the open source projects have been tend to increase in the innovation and productivity which is beneficial in sustaining the competence. These involve various developers across the globe who may be contributing to several other projects, they constantly engage with the project to improve and uplift the overall project. In each open source project, the level of intensity and the motivation with which the developers engage and contribute vary among time. Initially the research is aimed to identify how the engagement and activity of the developers in open source projects vary over time. Secondly to assess the reasons over the variance in engagement activities of the developers involved in various open source projects. Firstly, a literature review was conducted to identify the list of available metrics that are helpful to analyse the developer’s engagement in open source projects. Secondly, we conducted a multi-case study, that involved the investigation of developer’s engagement in 10 different open source projects of Apache foundation. The GitHub repositories were mined to gather the data regarding the engagement activities of the developers over the selected projects. To identify the reasons for the variation in engagement and activity of developers, we analysed documentation about each project and also interviewed 10 developers and 5 instructors, who provided additional insights about the challenges faced to contribute in open source projects. The results of this research contain the list of factors that affect the developer’s engagement with open source projects which are extracted from the case studies and are strengthened through interviews. From the data that is collected by performing repository mining, the selected projects have been categorized with the increase, decrease activeness of developers among the selected projects. By utilizing the archival data that is collected from the selected projects, the factors corporate support, community involvement, distribution of issues and contributions to open source projects and specificity of guidelines have been identified as the crucial and key factors upon the success of the open source projects reflecting the engagement of contributors. In addition to this finding the insights on using open source projects are also collected from both perspectives of developers and instructors are presented.  This research had provided us a deeper insight on the working of open source projects and driving factors that influence engagement and activeness of the contributors. It has been evident from this research that the stated factors corporate support, community involvement, distribution of issues and contributions to open source projects and specificity of guidelines impacts the engagement and activeness of the developers. So, the open source projects minimally satisfying these projects can tend to see the increase of the engagement and activeness levels of the contributors. It also helps to seek the existing challenges and benefits upon contributing to open source projects from different perspectives.

This case study examines the organizational changes and alignment that took place at Northern Kentucky University to enhance the public engagement agenda. Participants included 31 faculty members and five administrators. Based on qualitative interviews, 13 themes emerged related to change strategy needed to support public engagement as a core mission and value of the university. Findings suggest that Northern Kentucky University was successful in enabling a public engagement mission and vision, but that ongoing efforts are needed to continue past success. Further, the findings related to the change strategy are likely applicable to other changes at the university and should continue to be explored for future major planned change initiatives.