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An Evaluation of the Terms and Conditions of Appointed County School Superintendents Contracts in the State of Florida and the Correlation between District Size and Superintendent Salary
Title
An Evaluation of the Terms and Conditions of Appointed County School Superintendents Contracts in the State of Florida and the Correlation between District Size and Superintendent Salary.
Creator
Soules, Steven, Murray, Kenneth, Murray, Barbara, Doherty, Walter, Hutchinson, Cynthia, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The purpose of this study was to provide an in-depth examination of the terms and conditions found in the employment contracts of Florida Appointed School District Superintendents, with a secondary focus on salary and termination without cause. Employment contracts were obtained from each of the 26 school districts with appointed school superintendents, and then carefully analyzed for similarities and differences. The results of this study will provide Florida school districts with...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to provide an in-depth examination of the terms and conditions found in the employment contracts of Florida Appointed School District Superintendents, with a secondary focus on salary and termination without cause. Employment contracts were obtained from each of the 26 school districts with appointed school superintendents, and then carefully analyzed for similarities and differences. The results of this study will provide Florida school districts with information to construct the best possible employment contracts to both attract top talent and protect the interests of the school district.
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Date Issued
2015
Identifier
CFE0006006, ucf:51028
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006006
A comparative analysis of public school collective bargaining agreements in Florida
Title
A comparative analysis of public school collective bargaining agreements in Florida.
Creator
Berk, Aliza, Bartee, RoSusan, Gordon, William, Doherty, Walter, Edyburn, Dave, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This study examines the terms and conditions found in the 67 Florida public school collective bargaining agreements. Such collective bargaining agreements are negotiated between two parties, the teacher unions and their employers, under Florida Statute 447. The purpose of this mixed-methods study, conducted using both qualitative and quantitative research methods, is as follows: 1) to determine the extent to which CBA provisions exist within the master contracts of Florida teachers (2016-2017...
Show moreThis study examines the terms and conditions found in the 67 Florida public school collective bargaining agreements. Such collective bargaining agreements are negotiated between two parties, the teacher unions and their employers, under Florida Statute 447. The purpose of this mixed-methods study, conducted using both qualitative and quantitative research methods, is as follows: 1) to determine the extent to which CBA provisions exist within the master contracts of Florida teachers (2016-2017) and; 2) to determine the extent to which, if any, collective bargaining provisions vary among school districts (i.e. district size, district performance, district locale). The study finds that none of the eight desirable provisions were present in all 66 collective bargaining agreements indicating that collective bargaining agreements vary in terms of the inclusion of desirable provisions for teachers. The study also finds that that spatial relationship plays a role in determining bargaining outcomes. The results of this study provide insight into the terms and conditions of collective bargaining agreements in Florida; thereby providing Florida school districts with information to construct the best possible competitive contracts in the future, which would then attract top talent as well as to protect the best interests of their districts.
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Date Issued
2019
Identifier
CFE0007431, ucf:52711
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007431
Design of a JMLdoclet for JMLdoc in OpenJML
Title
Design of a JMLdoclet for JMLdoc in OpenJML.
Creator
Donthala, Arjun Mitra Reddy, Leavens, Gary, Turgut, Damla, Jha, Sumit Kumar, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The Java Modeling Language (JML) is a behavioral interface specification language designed for specifying Java classes and interfaces. OpenJML is a tool for processing JML specifications of Java programs. To facilitate viewing of these specifications in a user-friendly manner, a tool JMLdoc was created. The JMLdoc tool adds JML specifications to the usual Javadoc documentation. JMLdoc is an enhancement of Javadoc that adds to the Javadoc documentation the JML specifications that are present...
Show moreThe Java Modeling Language (JML) is a behavioral interface specification language designed for specifying Java classes and interfaces. OpenJML is a tool for processing JML specifications of Java programs. To facilitate viewing of these specifications in a user-friendly manner, a tool JMLdoc was created. The JMLdoc tool adds JML specifications to the usual Javadoc documentation. JMLdoc is an enhancement of Javadoc that adds to the Javadoc documentation the JML specifications that are present in the source code. The JMLdoc tool is a drop-in replacement for Javadoc, with additional functionality and additional options. The current design of JMLdoc uses the standard Javadoc's doclet. The current design lacks the provision for doclet extensions, unlike Javadoc. This thesis proposes a new design which is more aligned with the design of Javadoc and its provision for doclet extensions by implementing a JMLdoclet: a new doclet for OpenJML with support for JML elements. The new design makes JMLdoc independent of Javadoc's internals. This way maintenance is reduced as Javadoc evolves. The new design also combines specifications from inheritance and refinements and presents the complete JML specification to the user. This new doclet based design will be more maintainable and easier to extend.
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Date Issued
2016
Identifier
CFE0006295, ucf:51596
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006295
INTERNATIONAL CONTRACTS: A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF TRANSNATIONAL CONTRACT FORMATION
Title
INTERNATIONAL CONTRACTS: A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF TRANSNATIONAL CONTRACT FORMATION.
Creator
Ackerman, David, Browm, Cynthia, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Globalization is the promise of the future, and it presents, quite literally, a world of opportunities not available in the past. International collaborations in science, research, and business now enjoy increased probabilities of success, in part, because of the advance in technology and the possibility of instantaneous communications. The convenience, simplicity and affordability of technology are helping to make the world accessible to almost everyone. With new availability of...
Show moreGlobalization is the promise of the future, and it presents, quite literally, a world of opportunities not available in the past. International collaborations in science, research, and business now enjoy increased probabilities of success, in part, because of the advance in technology and the possibility of instantaneous communications. The convenience, simplicity and affordability of technology are helping to make the world accessible to almost everyone. With new availability of international concerns and the growth of global partnerships in all areas of interest, an increased need arises for agreements that memorialize collaborators' commitments, responsibilities and obligations. There is a corresponding concern that the agreements be enforceable across national and international lines should anything go wrong. There is no collaboration, partnership or venture that will not be touched in some way by the law. Whose law governs and how rules and regulations of different nations will be applied are of escalating concern. Empirically examining the state of international contract law is the overarching focus of my research. Adopting a research methodology involving both quantitative and qualitative techniques, I am investigating whether any consistency exists between attorneys of different practice sectors (academic, government, corporate and private) considering choice of law, enforcement of contract provisions, and the inclusion of preventative measures of international contracts. My results contribute to the future success of international collaborations of all concerns by empirically identifying the need for increased education on various dispute resolution options, as well as the effect cultural awareness has on the drafting of international contracts.
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Date Issued
2011
Identifier
CFH0003845, ucf:44686
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0003845
Acute Effects of Placebo and Open-Label Placebo Treatments on Muscle Strength, Voluntary Activation, and Neuromuscular Fatigue.
Title
Acute Effects of Placebo and Open-Label Placebo Treatments on Muscle Strength, Voluntary Activation, and Neuromuscular Fatigue.
Creator
Swafford, Alina, Stout, Jeffrey, Fukuda, David, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Placebo treatments have long been used to study the psychological effects of expectancy and conditioning on an inert intervention. Interestingly, open-label placebo treatments (i.e., directly telling subjects they are receiving an inactive intervention) have recently shown promise in minimizing pain in clinical patient populations. We utilized a repeated measures design to examine the acute effects of placebo, open-label placebo, and control treatments on muscle strength and voluntary...
Show morePlacebo treatments have long been used to study the psychological effects of expectancy and conditioning on an inert intervention. Interestingly, open-label placebo treatments (i.e., directly telling subjects they are receiving an inactive intervention) have recently shown promise in minimizing pain in clinical patient populations. We utilized a repeated measures design to examine the acute effects of placebo, open-label placebo, and control treatments on muscle strength and voluntary activation (Experiment #1), as well as neuromuscular fatigue (Experiment #2). Twenty-one untrained males (n=11) and females (n=10) visited the laboratory on three occasions to receive each treatment in a randomized, counter-balanced manner. All visits involved a pretest, 15-minute intervention period, and posttest. In Experiment #1, knee extensor maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) peak torque and percent voluntary activation were evaluated. In Experiment #2, subjects performed 20, six-second MVICs while surface electromyographic signals were detected from the vastus lateralis. Subjective assessments of energy and perceived exertion were also examined. In Experiment #1, no differences among interventions were demonstrated for peak torque or voluntary activation, but a main effect revealed that energy levels increased following each treatment (p = .016, ?2 = .257). Experiment #2 demonstrated that placebo and open-label placebo treatments had no influence on neuromuscular fatigue, but there were main effects for declines in absolute (p = .001, ?2 = .675) and normalized peak torque (p = .001, ?2 = .765), electromyographic mean frequency (p = .001, ?2 = .565), neuromuscular efficiency (p = .001, ?2 = .585), and energy levels (p = .006, ?2 = .317). Collectively, placebo and open-label placebo treatments had minimal influence on strength, voluntary activation, and fatigue resistance in untrained subjects. We speculate that our subject population and study design intricacies that are unique to placebo trials may explain our findings.
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Date Issued
2018
Identifier
CFE0007254, ucf:52204
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007254
A STUDY OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEE LABOR LAW IN THE UNITED STATES
Title
A STUDY OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEE LABOR LAW IN THE UNITED STATES.
Creator
Bula, Oleh, Murray, Kenneth, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This study examined the legal issues of public employee labor relations in the United States. Included in this study is a review of relevant case law as it pertains to collective bargaining in the public sector. In addition to reviewing the case law, this study researched the statutory language of each state for public sector collective bargaining. The study includes a review, analysis, and summary of the state and federal laws for public sector collective bargaining. The collective...
Show moreThis study examined the legal issues of public employee labor relations in the United States. Included in this study is a review of relevant case law as it pertains to collective bargaining in the public sector. In addition to reviewing the case law, this study researched the statutory language of each state for public sector collective bargaining. The study includes a review, analysis, and summary of the state and federal laws for public sector collective bargaining. The collective bargaining process in the United States is designed to resolve disputes between two parties, the employer and the employee. The resolution of these disputes often depends on the relative bargaining power of each party. The private sector has a collective bargaining process that has been well established since the passage of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935 and the Labor-Management Relations Act of 1947. The federal laws that have been implemented in the last fifty years, to include the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972, the American with Disabilities Act of 1990, among others, cover the scope of almost all of the private sector collective bargaining (Oberer, 1994). The public sector contains 50 different state laws and several federal laws defining the scope of collective bargaining for public employees. The bargaining process in the public sector takes place in the context of the political arena. This political influence, which is unique in each state and at each level of government, provides additional steps to the bargaining process that further differentiate public sector bargaining from private (Valletta, 1985). This study provides conclusions on certain aspects of public sector collective bargaining that lead to dispute resolution and contract negotiation to include fact-finding procedures, mediation, arbitration, and strike policies, in the current state of the law. Recommendations are made to public officials, policy makers, and other stakeholders for the future of public employee labor relations in the United States.
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Date Issued
2005
Identifier
CFE0000353, ucf:46293
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000353
ORGANIZATIONAL LEGITIMACY AND THE STRATEGIC USE OF ACCOUNTING INFORMATION: THREE STUDIES RELATED TO SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DISCLOSURE
Title
ORGANIZATIONAL LEGITIMACY AND THE STRATEGIC USE OF ACCOUNTING INFORMATION: THREE STUDIES RELATED TO SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DISCLOSURE.
Creator
Cho, Charles, Roberts, Robin, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This dissertation consists of three separate, but inter-related, studies overarching a common theme labeled "the role played by social and environmental accounting disclosures using different methodologies and framed within legitimacy theory." The first study investigates the use of different language techniques in social and environmental disclosures (SED) and tests whether the impression management hypothesis holds when disclosures are measured as such. The second study extends the ...
Show moreThis dissertation consists of three separate, but inter-related, studies overarching a common theme labeled "the role played by social and environmental accounting disclosures using different methodologies and framed within legitimacy theory." The first study investigates the use of different language techniques in social and environmental disclosures (SED) and tests whether the impression management hypothesis holds when disclosures are measured as such. The second study extends the "legitimacy on the Internet" arguments of Patten and Crampton (2004) by examining the content and presentation of corporate website environmental disclosure in relation to firm environmental performance of four size-matched sample groups constructed based on industry environmental sensitivity and America's Toxic 100 membership (the top 100 polluters in the US). The third study investigates whether and how Total, one of the world's largest integrated oil and gas companies headquartered in France, utilized legitimation strategies such as social and environmental disclosures, to respond to two significant environmental incidents. Taken together, these three studies build upon prior theoretical and empirical work to substantiate and advance social and environmental accounting research using various methodological lenses and perspectives.
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Date Issued
2007
Identifier
CFE0001555, ucf:47155
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001555
PRESSURE LOSSES EXPERIENCED BY LIQUID FLOW THROUGH PDMS MICROCHANNELS WITH ABRUPT AREA CHANGES
Title
PRESSURE LOSSES EXPERIENCED BY LIQUID FLOW THROUGH PDMS MICROCHANNELS WITH ABRUPT AREA CHANGES.
Creator
Wehking, Jonathan, Chew, Larry, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Given the surmounting disagreement amongst researchers in the area of liquid flow behavior at the microscale for the past thirty years, this work presents a fundamental approach to analyzing the pressure losses experienced by the laminar flow of water (Re = 7 to Re = 130) through both rectangular straight duct microchannels (of widths ranging from 50 to 130 micrometers), and microchannels with sudden expansions and contractions (with area ratios ranging from 0.4 to 1.0) all with a constant...
Show moreGiven the surmounting disagreement amongst researchers in the area of liquid flow behavior at the microscale for the past thirty years, this work presents a fundamental approach to analyzing the pressure losses experienced by the laminar flow of water (Re = 7 to Re = 130) through both rectangular straight duct microchannels (of widths ranging from 50 to 130 micrometers), and microchannels with sudden expansions and contractions (with area ratios ranging from 0.4 to 1.0) all with a constant depth of 104 micrometers. The simplified Bernoulli equations for uniform, steady, incompressible, internal duct flow were used to compare flow through these microchannels to macroscale theory predictions for pressure drop. One major advantage of the channel design (and subsequent experimental set-up) was that pressure measurements could be taken locally, directly before and after the test section of interest, instead of globally which requires extensive corrections to the pressure measurements before an accurate result can be obtained. Bernoulli's equation adjusted for major head loses (using Darcy friction factors) and minor head losses (using appropriate K values) was found to predict the flow behavior within the calculated theoretical uncertainty (~12%) for all 150+ microchannels tested, except for sizes that pushed the aspect ratio limits of the manufacturing process capabilities (microchannels fabricated via soft lithography using PDMS). The analysis produced conclusive evidence that liquid flow through microchannels at these relative channel sizes and Reynolds numbers follow macroscale predictions without experiencing any of the reported anomalies expressed in other microfluidics research. This work also perfected the delicate technique required to pierce through the PDMS material and into the microchannel inlets, exit and pressure ports without damaging the microchannel. Finally, two verified explanations for why prior researchers have obtained poor agreement between macroscale theory predictions and tests at the microscale were due to the presence of bubbles in the microchannel test section (producing higher than expected pressure drops), and the occurrence of localized separation between the PDMS slabs and thus, the microchannel itself (producing lower than expected pressure drops).
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Date Issued
2008
Identifier
CFE0002289, ucf:47865
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002289
Commitment and Credibility in FDI
Title
Commitment and Credibility in FDI.
Creator
Sullivan, Kathleen, Hamann, Kerstin, Edwards, Barry, Boutton, Andrew, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
How can firms in foreign direct investment (FDI) best protect their assets from host government contract beach? FDI is the largest and most stable form of external financing to less developed countries (LDCs). It increases job growth, technological development, and efficiency in the host country, subsequently increasing economic development. Companies prefer to invest in countries that are less prone to contract breach. I propose that credibility of commitments can help explain variation in...
Show moreHow can firms in foreign direct investment (FDI) best protect their assets from host government contract beach? FDI is the largest and most stable form of external financing to less developed countries (LDCs). It increases job growth, technological development, and efficiency in the host country, subsequently increasing economic development. Companies prefer to invest in countries that are less prone to contract breach. I propose that credibility of commitments can help explain variation in contract breach. I propose that firms are most likely to avoid contract breach when they are involved in supply chains and when the host country has a preferential trade agreement (PTA).I measure this relationship using a difference of means test and logistic regression. Using data from 1992-2008 from the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), I find that on average, the least amount of cases filed involved supply chains and PTAs. Only 4% of cases involved supply chains and PTAs, suggesting a protective force in FDI. The interaction between supply chains and PTAs has a significantly positive effect on investors winning their cases in the ICSID. My results suggest that in the event of a contract breach, my interaction variable of membership in supply chains and PTA's help investors protect their assets. The implications of these findings are twofold. To safeguard their FDI, firms can ensure better protection from contract breach through supply chains. Furthermore, host countries can attract more FDI from PTAs. For future research, I suggest case study analysis as well as interviews with representatives from foreign firms that have dealt with contract breach.
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Date Issued
2019
Identifier
CFE0007866, ucf:52795
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007866
Understanding and Mitigating Sources of Teacher Dissatisfaction
Title
Understanding and Mitigating Sources of Teacher Dissatisfaction.
Creator
Howard, Carl, Boote, David, Hopp, Carolyn, Vitale, Thomas, Hayes, Grant, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This dissertation in practice focuses on a review of literature to answer the guiding question, what can teachers and other educational stakeholders do to help address their sources of dissatisfaction in order to build a positive school climate? The author used a modified frame analysis from Bolman and Deal, other published literature, and personal experience to identify seven different, but sometimes related, domains that affect teachers and school climate. These seven domains include...
Show moreThis dissertation in practice focuses on a review of literature to answer the guiding question, what can teachers and other educational stakeholders do to help address their sources of dissatisfaction in order to build a positive school climate? The author used a modified frame analysis from Bolman and Deal, other published literature, and personal experience to identify seven different, but sometimes related, domains that affect teachers and school climate. These seven domains include operations/management, contract application, professional development, classroom management, interpersonal, financial, and unanticipated events. The modified frame analysis was used to help empower teachers to solve problems that affect their performance and motivation, to prevent burnout, attrition, as well as help build and maintain a positive school climate. This dissertation promotes the notion that school climate is composed of and constructed from these seven domains as constituent parts that combine to create the school climate. The author-created tool, Tools for Teachers to Address Domains of Dissatisfaction, enables teachers to quickly reference potential solutions to problems faced. The tool is a prototype, created based on professional literature sources focusing on research-based strategies to identify problems and methods a teacher can use to solve a problem, thus preventing a negative school environment for the students, staff as well as other stakeholders. The domains of dissatisfaction were tested against real-life issues submitted to a Faculty Advisory Committee in order to provide veracity and justification of the domains.
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Date Issued
2015
Identifier
CFE0005956, ucf:50796
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005956