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Pages
- Title
- Success in Technology Organizations.
- Creator
-
Bass, Joseph, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Rabelo, Luis, O'Neal, Thomas, Sivo, Stephen, Hosni, Yasser, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In today's economic environment, it is advantageous for technology organizations to be cognizant of prevalent influences on success and failure and to incorporate this knowledge into their business and innovation strategies. Technology organizations were defined within this research as those in the business of created competence which is expressed in terms of entities consisting of devices, procedures, and acquired human skills (Clarke, 2005). Although, no organization contains the ideal mix...
Show moreIn today's economic environment, it is advantageous for technology organizations to be cognizant of prevalent influences on success and failure and to incorporate this knowledge into their business and innovation strategies. Technology organizations were defined within this research as those in the business of created competence which is expressed in terms of entities consisting of devices, procedures, and acquired human skills (Clarke, 2005). Although, no organization contains the ideal mix of culture and ideological emphases, some have amassed impressive track records of great success. A literature review was used to identify factors relevant within similar contexts such as influences on creativity, innovation, Research and Development (R(&)D), etcetera. The salient factors identified within the literature review were hypothesized as being very important to great success within technology organizations. A conceptual model was created that visually illustrated the interactions of those factors and their influence on technology organization success which was defined as average annual revenue growth and direct new job creation. An internet questionnaire was utilized to test the hypotheses among 15 very successful technology organizations according to their respective Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) or equivalents. These companies were randomly chosen from a population of the technology organizations included in Inc. Magazine's Inc. 5000, a list of the 5000 fastest growing companies in America. The questionnaire primarily consisted of Likert questions designed to test the hypotheses. The dependent variable in the statistical analyses, technology organization success, was ranked according to average annual revenue growth and direct new job creation relative to the other organizations within the sample set. The top category in typical questionnaire Likert questions included the adjective (")very(") that was interpreted to imply that the particular factor was exactly or precisely essential to affect that level of success, this in the collective opinion of the CTOs. Not meeting the threshold of exactly or precisely was interpreted that the factor may not be essential to that level of success. Rejection of the respective null hypotheses and subsequent acceptance of the alternative hypotheses were interpreted as evidence that particular factors were essential to great levels of technology organization success. And, the conceptual model was updated accordingly. Acceptance of null hypotheses demonstrated that the factors may not be essential; therefore, they were excluded from further discussion and the model. Seventeen key factors and/or categories were identified according to the Chief Technology Officers within the population of very successful technology organizations as having substantial influence on the success of those organizations. Recommendations were made to technology organizations aspiring towards prolific levels of success.As a check, three open-ended questions were included and used to verify that no consensus crucial elements were omitted within the Likert question section of the questionnaire. There were no consensus factors identified within those open-ended questions.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004652, ucf:49903
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004652
- Title
- ENGAGEMENT, TRUST, AND RECIPROCITY: EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL CAPTIAL AND PARTICIPATION IN NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
- Creator
-
Feiler, Rebecca, Wright, James, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This study examines the extent to which various forms of social capital impact participation in nonprofit organizations. Previous research has focused on the importance of trust and engagement among social and political networks to form strong community ties that can cultivate the growth of social capital and promote participation in nonprofit organizations. The data analyzed in this study were derived from the Central Florida Social Capital Benchmark survey, collected at the University of...
Show moreThis study examines the extent to which various forms of social capital impact participation in nonprofit organizations. Previous research has focused on the importance of trust and engagement among social and political networks to form strong community ties that can cultivate the growth of social capital and promote participation in nonprofit organizations. The data analyzed in this study were derived from the Central Florida Social Capital Benchmark survey, collected at the University of Central Florida's Institute for Social and Behavioral Sciences. To represent social capital, related variables from the survey are combined to create indices that represent civic engagement and community trust. For the purposes of this study, participation in nonprofit organizations is defined by volunteerism and philanthropy. Results from this analysis provide evidence that (1) social capital assets are predictors of volunteerism and philanthropy and (2) higher levels of social capital are correlated with increased participation in nonprofit organizations. Although participation in nonprofit organizations can vary depending on a community's characteristics, social capital can be seen as an important element in the development of the nonprofit sector.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001382, ucf:47010
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001382
- Title
- The Creation and Validation of a Compromising Scale for Nurses.
- Creator
-
Ng, Matthew, Horan, Kristin, Jex, Steve, Pace, Victoria, Min, Hanyi, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
For reasons such as job context and different interactions, compromising as performed by nurses is likely fundamentally different than compromising performed by other occupations. The following study proposes the creation and validation of a compromising scale for nurses. The first study aims to create the compromising scale for nurses through contemporary methods then test the reliability as well as the factor structure using an exploratory factor analysis on currently employed nurses...
Show moreFor reasons such as job context and different interactions, compromising as performed by nurses is likely fundamentally different than compromising performed by other occupations. The following study proposes the creation and validation of a compromising scale for nurses. The first study aims to create the compromising scale for nurses through contemporary methods then test the reliability as well as the factor structure using an exploratory factor analysis on currently employed nurses recruited through a Qualtrics panel study. The second study then takes the final compromising scale for nurses and conducts a confirmatory factor analysis among a sample of employed nurses participating in a mindfulness intervention to verify the previously discovered factor structure. This study provides a unique approach to conflict resolution instruments and discusses the implications this may have.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007692, ucf:52418
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007692
- Title
- Third Order Nonlinearity of Organic Molecules.
- Creator
-
Hu, Honghua, Vanstryland, Eric, Hagan, David, Zeldovich, Boris, Hernandez, Florencio, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The main goal of this dissertation is to investigate the third-order nonlinearity of organic molecules. This topic contains two aspects: two-photon absorption (2PA) and nonlinear refraction (NLR), which are associated with the imaginary and real part of the third-order nonlinearity (?(3)) of the material, respectively. With the optical properties tailored through meticulous molecular structure engineering, organic molecules are promising candidates to exhibit large third-order nonlinearities....
Show moreThe main goal of this dissertation is to investigate the third-order nonlinearity of organic molecules. This topic contains two aspects: two-photon absorption (2PA) and nonlinear refraction (NLR), which are associated with the imaginary and real part of the third-order nonlinearity (?(3)) of the material, respectively. With the optical properties tailored through meticulous molecular structure engineering, organic molecules are promising candidates to exhibit large third-order nonlinearities. Both linear (absorption, fluorescence, fluorescence excitation anisotropy) and nonlinear (Z-scan, two-photon fluorescence, pump-probe) techniques are described and utilized to fully characterize the spectroscopic properties of organic molecules in solution or solid-state form. These properties are then analyzed by quantum chemical calculations or other specific quantum mechanical model to understand the origins of the nonlinearities as well as the correlations with their unique molecular structural features. These calculations are performed by collaborators. The 2PA study of organic materials is focused on the structure-2PA property relationships of four groups of dyes with specific molecular design approaches as the following: (1) Acceptor-?-Acceptor dyes for large 2PA cross section, (2) Donor-?-Acceptor dyes for strong solvatochromic effects upon the 2PA spectra, (3) Near-infrared polymethine dyes for a symmetry breaking effect, (4) Sulfur-squaraines vs. oxygen-squaraines to study the role of sulfur atom replacement upon their 2PA spectra. Additionally, the 2PA spectrum of a solid-state single crystal made from a Donor-?-Acceptor dye is measured, and the anisotropic nonlinearity is studied with respect to different incident polarizations. These studies further advance our understanding towards an ultimate goal to a predictive capability for the 2PA properties of organic molecules. The NLR study on molecules is focused on the temporal and spectral dispersion of the nonlinear refraction index, n2, of the molecules. Complicated physical mechanisms, originating from either electronic transitions or nuclei movement, are introduced in general. By adopting a prism compressor / stretcher to control the pulsewidth, an evolution of n2 with respect to incident pulsewidth is measured on a simple inorganic molecule (-)carbon disulfide (CS2) in neat liquid at 700 nm and 1064 nm to demonstrate the pulsewidth dependent nonlinear refraction. The n2 spectra of CS2 and certain organic molecules are measured by femtosecond pulses, which are then analyzed by a 3-level model, a simplified (")Sum-over-states(") quantum mechanical model. These studies can serve as a precursor for future NLR investigations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004387, ucf:49400
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004387
- Title
- Allen organ in brick church, c. 1986.
- Creator
-
Unknown
- Date Issued
- 1986, 2012-01-18
- Identifier
- DP0016116, CF00026116, SLC_C075, St. Luke's Lutheran Church and School, DSpace at St. Luke's, St. Luke's Lutheran Church: Brick church 1957-1992, St. Luke's Church Archives, http://hdl.handle.net/10860/741, ucf:44653
- Format
- Image (JPEG)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/DP0016116
- Title
- Planar Organic Photovoltaic Devices.
- Creator
-
Alzubi, Feras, Khondaker, Saiful, Chow, Lee, Schelling, Patrick, Gesquiere, Andre, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Organic Photovoltaic devices (OPV) are considered to be attractive candidates for clean and renewable energy source because of their potential for low cost of fabrication, easy processing, and their mechanical flexibility. The device efficiency of OPV cells are limited by several factors. Among them are: (i) donor-acceptor interface, (ii) morphology of the materials, (iii) electrode-organic semiconductor (OSC) interface and (iv) device architecture such as active material thickness and...
Show moreOrganic Photovoltaic devices (OPV) are considered to be attractive candidates for clean and renewable energy source because of their potential for low cost of fabrication, easy processing, and their mechanical flexibility. The device efficiency of OPV cells are limited by several factors. Among them are: (i) donor-acceptor interface, (ii) morphology of the materials, (iii) electrode-organic semiconductor (OSC) interface and (iv) device architecture such as active material thickness and electrode separation. Although, the donor-acceptor interface has been studied in detail, the commonly prevalent vertical OPV device structure does not allow a good understanding of the other key issues as the vertical structure limits one of the electrode to be a transparent electrode as well as introducing inseparable relation between the electrodes separation and the active material thickness. In addition, it is also well known that the charge transport in OSC is anisotropic and the charge mobility is better in lateral direction rather than vertical direction. In order to address some of these issues, we fabricated OPV devices in a planar device structure where cathode and anode of dissimilar metals are in-plane with each other and their photovoltaic behaviors were studied. We used poly(3-hexylthiophene) and [6,6]-pheny1 C61-butyric acid methy1 ester (P3HT:PCBM) blend as an active material. In particular, we present a detailed study about the effects of the structural parameters such as the channel length, the active layer thickness, and the work function of the electrodes on the open circuit voltage (Voc), short circuit current (Isc), fill factor (FF) and the power conversion efficiency (PCE).In order to determine the suitable anode and cathode for the planar organic photovoltaic (P-OPV) structure, we first fabricated and measured organic field effect transistor (OFET) devices with different contacts and studied the effect of barrier height at the P3HT:PCBM/electrode interface on the device output and transport properties. The study showed a clear effect of varying the contact material on the charge injection mechanism and on the carriers mobilities. The results have also shown that Au with high hole mobility and on current in the p-channel can be used as an anode (holes extractor) in the P-OPV device while In, Cr, and Ti that showed a reasonable value of electron mobility can be good candidates for cathode (electron extractor). We also found that, Ag, Al, and Mg showed large barrier which resulted in large threshold voltage in the I-V curve making them undesired cathode materials in the P-OPV device. We then fabricated P-OPV devices with Au as an anode material and varied the cathode material to study the effect of the interface between the P3HT:PCBM layer and the cathode material. When Al, Mg, or Ag used as a cathode material no PV behavior was observed, while PV behavior was observed for In, Cr, and Ti cathode materials. The PV behavior and the characteristic parameters including Voc, Isc, FF and PCE were affected by varying the cathode material. The results have shown that the P-OPV device performance can be affected by the cathode material depending on the properties and the work function of the metal.We have also studied the effect of varying the P3HT:PCBM layer thickness at a fixed channel length for Cr and Ti cathode materials and Au as anode. While Voc and FF values do not change, Isc and PCE increase with increasing the layer thickness due to the increase of the light absorption and charges generation. Moreover, we studied the effect of varying the channel length at a fixed film thickness; and showed that the values of Isc and PCE increase with decreasing channel length while Voc and FF maintain the same value. In this thesis we will also present the results on experimentally defining and testing the illuminated area in the P-OPV device by using different measurement set-ups and different electrodes patterns. The results prove that the illuminated area in the P-OPV device is the area enclosed between the two electrodes. Lastly, we will present the effect of the P3HT:PCBM ratio on the P-OPV device performance. We show that 1:2 ratio is the optimized ratio for the P-OPV device. The detailed results in this thesis show a potential opportunity to help improving and understanding the design of OPV device by understanding the effects of the device structural parameters.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004804, ucf:49754
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004804
- Title
- C. I. O. : promise or menace?: Promise or menace?.
- Creator
-
Industrial Union Party (Founded 1928)
- Date Issued
- 1937
- Identifier
- 2700020, CFDT2700020, ucf:5149
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FCLA/DT/2700020
- Title
- Synthetic Design and Characterization of Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds in Molecular and Extended System.
- Creator
-
Pour, Gavin, Belfield, Kevin, Frazer, Andrew, Elsheimer, Seth, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The work presented herein focuses on the synthesis and characterization of polycyclic aromatic compounds for a wide variety of toxicological, analytical, and electronic applications. First, the modular synthesis of 12 dibenzo- and naphtho- fluoranthene polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) via a Pd-catalyzed five-membered ring closing procedure is discussed. By understanding the various modes through which the Pd migrates during transformation, structural rearrangements were bypassed,...
Show moreThe work presented herein focuses on the synthesis and characterization of polycyclic aromatic compounds for a wide variety of toxicological, analytical, and electronic applications. First, the modular synthesis of 12 dibenzo- and naphtho- fluoranthene polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) via a Pd-catalyzed five-membered ring closing procedure is discussed. By understanding the various modes through which the Pd migrates during transformation, structural rearrangements were bypassed, obtaining regioselectivity through various redesigns in the synthetic route. Each compound in the serious was rigorously characterized via 1D/2D NMR, absorption and emission spectroscopy as well as cyclic voltammetry, which shows vast differences due to small structural changes between these constitutional isomers. Next, a series of polyphenylated organic ligands for zirconium metal organic frameworks is presented as materials for post-synthetic Scholl cyclodehydrogenation. Lastly, a series of organic linkers featuring covalently anchored redox-active pendants is explored for tuneable redox activity in Zr-based metal-organic frameworks. Thin-films were grown onto fluorine-doped tin-oxide glass electrodes and analyzed by cyclic voltammetry. This is the first reported pre-synthetic incorporation of covalently-bound ferrocenyl pendants into such a system. By attenuating the proportions of redox active and inactive links the oxidative peak currents could be tuned. This body of work represents a contribution toward the practical design and synthesis of polycyclic aromatic for a wide variety of analytical and electrochemical applications.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007512, ucf:52647
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007512
- Title
- Treatment of Leachate Organic Matter through Sunlight Driven Processes.
- Creator
-
Lozinski, Duncan, Reinhart, Debra, Lee, Woo Hyoung, Bolyard, Stephanie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The ability to manage leachate during post-closure care (PCC) of a landfill may be increasingly difficult as leachate organic matter (LOM) becomes recalcitrant when a landfill ages, requiring advanced and costly treatment technologies. This research investigated the ability to treat LOM through sunlight driven processes, with a focus on photolysis, to provide insight to landfill owners and operators on the potential of wetlands treatment as a means for reducing long-term risks and costs...
Show moreThe ability to manage leachate during post-closure care (PCC) of a landfill may be increasingly difficult as leachate organic matter (LOM) becomes recalcitrant when a landfill ages, requiring advanced and costly treatment technologies. This research investigated the ability to treat LOM through sunlight driven processes, with a focus on photolysis, to provide insight to landfill owners and operators on the potential of wetlands treatment as a means for reducing long-term risks and costs associated with leachate treatment during PCC. The study was completed in eight batch tests, where leachate was exposed to natural sunlight in central Florida for a period of 90 days. It was hypothesized that through photolytic reactions, in particular photolysis, high molecular weight recalcitrant LOM would be degraded to labile, low molecular weight material. To identify the treatment mechanisms, transformation processes were measured using ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMs), size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from the beginning to the end of the test period. Additionally, the ability for nitrogen species to become bioavailable when exposed to sunlight was evaluated for two of the leachate samples using solid-phase extraction (SPE) to fractionate recalcitrant dissolved organic nitrogen (rDON) and bioavailable dissolved organic nitrogen (bDON). Results suggest that treatment of LOM through sunlight driven processes is possible. Treatment is dependent upon the dilution of leachate and characteristics of the LOM. Dilution must be high enough to allow sunlight to penetrate the depth of the liquid. UV-Vis, EEMs, and SEC show that high molecular weight recalcitrant material is undergoing transformation into lower molecular weight material as a result of photolytic and likely biological reactions promoted by sunlight. The ability for nitrogen to become bioavailable when exposed to sunlight was shown to be dependent upon nitrogen concentrations in the sample.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007044, ucf:51987
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007044
- Title
- ENGINEERING A NEW FORM OF ENCLOSURE: INTERNATIONAL CONVERGENCE IN GMO REGULATION.
- Creator
-
Altif, Jessica, Jacques, Peter, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
As society begins to recognize its impact on ecological systems, the belief that modern political institutions can offer a sense of control and certainty, as well as protect the health of its citizens, is increasingly questioned. In an era of uncertainty, faith in science and technology to alleviate industrial impacts on the environment is often embraced by policymakers yet questioned by the public who see the authoritative role of the sciences in the political sphere as contributing to...
Show moreAs society begins to recognize its impact on ecological systems, the belief that modern political institutions can offer a sense of control and certainty, as well as protect the health of its citizens, is increasingly questioned. In an era of uncertainty, faith in science and technology to alleviate industrial impacts on the environment is often embraced by policymakers yet questioned by the public who see the authoritative role of the sciences in the political sphere as contributing to global risk. The development of biotechnology, specifically genetically modified food, places an anthropocentric focus on resolving and/or adapting to environmental degradation, further reflecting an adherence to the dominant social paradigm to address the consequences of modernization. In order to explicate the dualism of human/nature relations inherent in biotechnology, the focus of this research provides an exploration into two competing paradigms of genetically modified organism (GMO) regulatory policy: scientific rationality and social rationality. Through a careful examination of the evolution of GMO regulation in the United States and the European Union, the precarious relationships between science and politics and progress and precaution reveal an actual convergence instead of divergence between these two actors in the international system. Although existing literature proclaims a division between the values and ethics of U.S. and EU environmental policy, the end result of this comparison in GMO regulation illustrates that in both the risk assessment and precautionary approaches, nature is still viewed as an instrument for advancing enclosure of the commons.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003021, ucf:48371
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003021
- Title
- UNDERSTANDING COLLABORATION, ITS ANTECEDENTS AND PERCEIVED OUTCOMES IN SERVICE PARTNERSHIPS OF COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
- Creator
-
Concha, Maritza, Kapucu , Naim, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The purpose of this study is to assess the motivations of community-based organizations (CBOs) staff to participate in service partnerships and their influence on collaboration practices and perceived outcomes of collaborative efforts. This study uses structural equation modeling to assess the relationships between exogenous variables (motivational factors) and endogenous variables (inter-organizational collaboration and perceived outcomes). This study also uses qualitative methods to address...
Show moreThe purpose of this study is to assess the motivations of community-based organizations (CBOs) staff to participate in service partnerships and their influence on collaboration practices and perceived outcomes of collaborative efforts. This study uses structural equation modeling to assess the relationships between exogenous variables (motivational factors) and endogenous variables (inter-organizational collaboration and perceived outcomes). This study also uses qualitative methods to address perceptions on collaboration not captured by the survey instrument. A total of 538 service partnership staff (supervisors and front liners) received the survey's link or a copy of the survey to participate. Out of the 538, 217 completed the survey which represents a 40% response rate. Due to missing responses and multiple outliers, 201 observations were used for analysis. Based on the findings of this study, it was concluded that the development of service partnerships are mostly affected by environmental factors related to solving social problems which accounts for 37% of variance in inter-organizational collaboration. Empirical evidence from this study has shown that CBOs staff have the tendency to work for the purpose of meeting their social missions. Furthermore, inter-organizational collaboration accounts for 76% of variance in perceived outcomes. When a three factor collaboration model was created, it was further noticed that cognitive and resource reciprocity statistically significant influence perceived outcomes where differences in the perceptions of front liners and supervisors were also found. These findings highlight important aspects to understand the collaboration dynamics of service partnerships and also points out the different views of community based organization staff regarding the motivation to collaborate and the impact of collaboration practices in perceived collaboration outcomes. However, it is also important to note that findings on the comparison between front liners and supervisors are exploratory in nature as there could be other external factors that could affect the impact in inter-organizational collaboration and collaboration outcomes. Regarding the focus groups, three themes emerged with respect to the motivations for participating in service partnerships. Agents for social change, building relationships and needs of resources are recurrent themes that explained the desires to collaborate. On collaboration practices, two main general themes emerged which are interdependence and partnership values. Lastly, impacting the community, sustainability issues and expanding services were the main themes found when perception of service partnership outcomes was addressed. Findings of this study suggest further exploration on multi-dimensional models of collaboration, investigate differences in staff perceptions, and continue exploring the influence of social threat responsiveness in inter-organizational collaboration and perceived partnerships outcomes.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003959, ucf:48709
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003959
- Title
- THE EFFECTS OF USING AN INTERACTIVE STUDENT NOTEBOOK ON THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONCEPTS AND ALGORITHMS OF ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION OF FRACTIONS AND MIXED NUMBERS FOR FIFTH GRADE MATHEMATICS STUDENTS.
- Creator
-
Twar, Brian, Ortiz, Enrique, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The purpose of this action research study was to observe the effectiveness of the utilization of an instructional tool in my three mathematics classes. Using a tool, called an Interactive Student Notebook, or ISN, the goal was to equip my students with a tool that would allow them to take and keep daily notes as well as conduct guided and independent practice in an organized fashion. I believed that my students would therefore utilize their notes and class work as a reference and study tool...
Show moreThe purpose of this action research study was to observe the effectiveness of the utilization of an instructional tool in my three mathematics classes. Using a tool, called an Interactive Student Notebook, or ISN, the goal was to equip my students with a tool that would allow them to take and keep daily notes as well as conduct guided and independent practice in an organized fashion. I believed that my students would therefore utilize their notes and class work as a reference and study tool to assist them with their homework as well as studying for assessments. Weak to moderate correlations between the students' ISN assessments and end-of-topic assessments scores was found. In-class observations of student utilization of their ISNs and out-of-class observations of students' collected ISNs were also conducted to assess how well students were able to keep their ISNs neat and organized. It was observed that most of the students were able to keep their ISNs complete and organized. Students also shared, by completing surveys, mostly positive feedback of the ISN process. They shared how often they used their ISNs at home as a reference and study tool and how useful they believed their ISNs were. Therefore, I concluded that even though there was not a strong correlation between high ISN assessment scores and high topic assessment scores, the ISN was still a useful tool that assisted my students to keep organized notes and class work, and proved to be a useful reference and study tool.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004093, ucf:53147
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004093
- Title
- Social Media and Stakeholders' Relationship in Nonprofit Organizations.
- Creator
-
Shi, Wanzhu, Bryer, Thomas, Hu, Qian, Zavattaro, Staci, Saxton, Gregory, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Social media tools, as the advanced technology, have penetrated into nonprofit management field prevalently. Nonprofit organizations adopt social media tools, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest for attracting potential supporters, raising advocacy, and running fundraising campaigns. Social media tools break the limitation of time and space through the Internet. They change the way of how people communicate and interact with each other. The philanthropy industry hopes that...
Show moreSocial media tools, as the advanced technology, have penetrated into nonprofit management field prevalently. Nonprofit organizations adopt social media tools, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest for attracting potential supporters, raising advocacy, and running fundraising campaigns. Social media tools break the limitation of time and space through the Internet. They change the way of how people communicate and interact with each other. The philanthropy industry hopes that social media tools could bring them the new opportunities to engage with their stakeholders, such as donors, volunteers, and customers. However, since this technology is still developing, the studies of using social media in nonprofit field are still at the infant stage. Many nonprofit practitioners are confused and questioning the effectiveness of adopting social media for civic engagement. The dissertation aims to examine how to adopt social media advantageously for helping nonprofit organizations to engage with their stakeholders. Therefore, this study uses a mix of methodology to examine how social media tools could help nonprofit organizations to gain a stronger relationship with their stakeholders. Also, the study explores in more details about the content that nonprofit organizations have sent on their social media platforms. To develop the theoretical framework, this study used social capital and social exchange theory as the guidance. To observe and examine the strategy of using social media in nonprofit organizations, the study is inspired and adopts the social media typology from Lovejoy and Saxton's (2012) research and the communication models from Lewis, Hamel, and Richardson's work (2001). The study proposed that to gain a stronger relationship with the stakeholders, nonprofit organizations should apply a well-designed comprehensive strategy with multiple goals on their social media platforms. This strategy should consider more about the stakeholders' desires and needs and allows the organizations to communicate with the stakeholders effectively. Also, the study also argues that the content that an organization presents on its social media would impact on the stakeholders' interaction greatly. The study targeted on the art/culture/humanities nonprofit organizations in the United States (n = 195). Data was collected directly from the targeted organization's social media platforms (Facebook and Twitter). The regression analysis was conducted to investigate what strategy that nonprofit organization used could gain a high engagement from their stakeholders. A content analysis was also conducted to explore what posts and tweets could influence how stakeholders react. The results indicate that most nonprofit organizations realize the importance of adopting social media, but a few of them still have not embraced the benefits of the technology essentially. Comparing with the activities on Twitter, both nonprofit organizations and their stakeholders were more active on Facebook. On social media, the primary goal for most nonprofit organizations was to disseminate the information. But sending out the information can be an effective strategy. If a nonprofit organization could combine their values/missions/programs with the hot spot on social media, it can promote the stakeholders' engagement greatly. Building a dialogic content on the organization's social media is still overlooked. But no evidence in this study shown that initiating a dialog would receive a high engagement from the stakeholders. The results of this study also show that a nonprofit organization delivered the posts or tweets more frequently does not necessarily mean it would receive a higher interactivity from its stakeholders. The organization's size (the annual budget) does not influence how nonprofit organizations used their social media tools to interact with their online stakeholders. Overall, the study explored how art/culture/humanities nonprofit organizations used their Facebook and Twitter to interact with their online stakeholders. The study helps both the researchers and the practitioners to understand the strategies of using social media tools in nonprofit organizations. It also reveals several practical examples to illustrate what kind of social media content could attract or discourage the online stakeholders' engagement. The study is also a good benchmark report for nonprofit practitioners to evaluate their social media usage.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006659, ucf:51244
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006659
- Title
- The effect of Baldrige performance excellence program on organization's innovation/dynamic capabilities.
- Creator
-
Alomairy, Mohammed, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Rabelo, Luis, Xanthopoulos, Petros, Porter, Robert, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This dissertation investigated the effect of Baldrige performance excellence program on organization's innovation/dynamic capabilities improvement. According to the literature, there is little or no practical method for building dynamic/innovation capabilities within organizations. The study hypothesizes that Baldrige performance excellence program helps organizations to systematically develop the required dynamic/innovation capabilities for innovation.Twenty-four organizations that had...
Show moreThis dissertation investigated the effect of Baldrige performance excellence program on organization's innovation/dynamic capabilities improvement. According to the literature, there is little or no practical method for building dynamic/innovation capabilities within organizations. The study hypothesizes that Baldrige performance excellence program helps organizations to systematically develop the required dynamic/innovation capabilities for innovation.Twenty-four organizations that had implemented Baldrige program over the past five years participated in this research study. Two types of data were measured/collected from these organizations; Performance excellence data and Innovation capabilities data. To avoid bias in the data collection, the two data were measured and collected at different time frames and using different tools and methods. The analysis confirmed positive correlation between Organizations' performance excellence improvement through Baldrige program and Innovation capabilities represented in the Six Building Blocks Innovation model used in this research study.The performance excellence data of the organizations were measured using three different assessment programs from Florida Sterling Council, the state approved version of the US National Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award Program. The three different assessment programs were designed to help organizations in various stages of their performance excellence journey. Challenge program; designed for new organizations that have no experience with Baldrige criteria and typically have low performance, requires a written application and a team of five experienced examiners to visit the organization and conduct thorough interviews with the all the employees. Governor Sterling Award (GSA) program; designed for more experienced organizations that want to further improve their performance using intensive assessment criteria, requires a written application and a team of eight experienced examiners to visit the organization and conduct intensive interviews with most of the the employees. And Governor Sustained program; designed for mature organizations that completed the GSA assessment in the past three years and want to continue sustain their performance, requires a written application and a team of three experienced examiners to visit the organization and conduct a thorough meetings and interviews with management level employees.ANOVA statistical tool was used to analyze the difference in performance among the organizations that participated in at least one of the three assessment programs. The result showed a statistical difference with challenge program being the control group. This confirms that organizations' can systematically improve their performance when implementing Baldrige performance excellence program.The innovation capabilities data of the participated organizations were measured/collected using a survey-based tool. The innovation capabilities survey covers six building blocks; Innovation Value, Innovation Behavior, Innovation Climate, Innovation Resources, Innovation Process, Innovation Success measures. The Overall innovation capabilities measured based on the average score of all the six innovation building blocks.ANOVA statistical tool was used to analyze the innovation capabilities of organizations from the three assessment programs. The result confirmed a statistical difference with challenge program being the control group. Regression analysis was also used to analyze the relationship between performance excellence and each of the six innovation building blocks. The outcome of the study shows a positive correlation between the implementation of Baldrige performance excellence and organizations' innovation capabilities. Which confirms that Baldrige performance excellence program can be used by organizations to systematically build the required dynamic/innovation capabilities for innovations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006068, ucf:50964
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006068
- Title
- From Sisters to CEO's: Defining Organizational Rhetoric in a Case Study of Social Sorority Bylaws.
- Creator
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Rood, Paige, Roozen, Kevin, Holic, Nathan, Jones, Natasha, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Organizational Rhetoric is typically used in the fields of Communication and Mass Communication to examine the communicative strategies that animate businesses and corporate organizations. This study aims to give a more rhetorically focused definition of organizational rhetoric by emphasizing how communicative acts structure action and shape the construction of identity in settings beyond formal workplaces. Based on an analysis of the social sorority bylaws of Kappa Alpha Theta and the...
Show moreOrganizational Rhetoric is typically used in the fields of Communication and Mass Communication to examine the communicative strategies that animate businesses and corporate organizations. This study aims to give a more rhetorically focused definition of organizational rhetoric by emphasizing how communicative acts structure action and shape the construction of identity in settings beyond formal workplaces. Based on an analysis of the social sorority bylaws of Kappa Alpha Theta and the rhetorical situations those bylaws address, this study suggests that social sororities employ organizational rhetoric as an effective means of persuading their members to be active participants within the organization. Ultimately, the analysis argues that the rhetoric employed by social sororities mimics the typified, effective rhetorical moves of an organization to shape the agency and identities of their members.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005993, ucf:50784
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005993
- Title
- Assessing Safety Culture among Pilots in Saudi Airlines: A Quantitative Study Approach.
- Creator
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Alsowayigh, Mohammad, Karwowski, Waldemar, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Lee, Gene, Hancock, Peter, Mikusinski, Piotr, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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In high- risk industries, such as aviation, safety is a key for organization survivor. Most accidents involve human losses and bring substantial cost to organizations. Accidents can devastate the reputation and profitability of any organization. In aviation, more than 80% of aircraft accidents are related to human errors. Safety culture has substantial impact on the success of any organization. Employees' performance and behaviors are influenced by their perception of safety culture within...
Show moreIn high- risk industries, such as aviation, safety is a key for organization survivor. Most accidents involve human losses and bring substantial cost to organizations. Accidents can devastate the reputation and profitability of any organization. In aviation, more than 80% of aircraft accidents are related to human errors. Safety culture has substantial impact on the success of any organization. Employees' performance and behaviors are influenced by their perception of safety culture within their organization. In the aviation industry, pilots are considered the last resort to prevent accidents or mishaps in the air or ground. The focus on pilots' perception of safety culture is vital to understand how the airline can influence pilots' behaviors in the flight deck, and provide opportunities to minimize risk or unsafe behavior in the future. The present study examined the effect of safety culture on safety performance among pilots of Saudi Airlines. Safety performance was measured by pilot attitude toward violations and pilot error behavior. The study further analyzed the mediating role of pilot commitment to the airline between safety culture and measures of safety performance. The study used a quantitative approach using survey questionnaire to collect the data. A total of 247 commercial airline pilots, captain and first officer, flying at Saudi Airlines voluntarily participated in the study. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to validate each latent construct. The study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the relationship between all variables in the study using AMOS 22 software. The study results revealed that safety culture had a direct effect on pilot attitude toward violations and indirect effect on pilot error behavior. Moreover, safety culture had strong effect on enhancing pilot commitment to the airline. The mediating role of pilot commitment to the airline was not significant, and could not mediate the relationship between safety culture and measures of safety performance. The present research contributed to the current state of knowledge about the significant role of safety culture as a main predictor of safety performance in civil aviation. The present study contributes to aviation psychology by analyzing the effect of safety culture as a predictor for improving pilot commitment to the airline. In addition, this research analyzed the effect of safety culture on pilot attitude toward violations and pilot error behavior. Study findings can be used by airline management to better identify causes of unsafe behavior inside the cockpit. The outcomes of this research emphasize the role of management in shaping and affecting employees' behaviors and attitudes.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005454, ucf:50371
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005454
- Title
- The Relationship of State Political Instability and Economic Failure to Predatory Organized Crime in Multiple Nations: A Global Comparative Anaylsis.
- Creator
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Ruth, Terrance, Wan, Thomas, Zhang, Ning, Winton, Mark, Matusitz, Jonathan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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ABSTRACTThis dissertation examines the relationship of political instability and economic failure to predatory organized crime in multiple nations. This is an important issue since each year the increase in predatory crime networks contributes to international economic failure, security risks, and the spread of organized crime. In an effort to understand the relationship between state failure and economic failure on the one hand, and organized crime on the other, this study will seek to...
Show moreABSTRACTThis dissertation examines the relationship of political instability and economic failure to predatory organized crime in multiple nations. This is an important issue since each year the increase in predatory crime networks contributes to international economic failure, security risks, and the spread of organized crime. In an effort to understand the relationship between state failure and economic failure on the one hand, and organized crime on the other, this study will seek to address three goals. First, the study tests the degree to which variables that imply economic failure and state failure correlate with predatory organized crime. Second, the study determines the extent of the relationship between the social and economic indicators and predatory organized crime in multiple nations. Third, the study examines the future implications of predatory organized crime predictor variables in the context of national strategies to eradicate or reduce organized crime.This study investigates the relationship in failed states between predatory crime groups and various economic and state stability indicators. In particular, this study examines the impact of seven predictor variables on the variation in Predatory Organized Crime in 122 countries. The findings suggest that the state failure hypothesis correctly articulates the failure of the state to offer key social goods such as security, stability, and justice, thereby producing an environment where crime groups assume state responsibilities. The findings also support the economic failure hypothesis that poor economic outcomes such as high unemployment, low SES, and a dependency on an underground economy encourage the development of criminal groups.The ultimate goal of this study is to assist policy makers, policy analysts, scholars, and officials at donor agencies and international financial institutions in establishing effective tools for identifying and removing predatory organized crime units. Analytical results provide general support to all hypotheses. Moreover, policy implications for predatory organized crime control in developing countries are discussed. The author's objective is to increase understanding of this issue and show the need for further research.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005546, ucf:50296
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005546
- Title
- EXPLORING TACIT KNOWLEDGE IN ORGANIZATIONS.
- Creator
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Plazas, Andrea, Salas , Eduardo, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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There has been a growing prevalent interest to explore the role of knowledge in organizations. Bhardwaj and Monin (2006) identified the knowledge of individuals' as a valuable source of competitive advantage. An organizations well-rounded institutional memory- the organizations collective experiences (Rothwell & Poduch, 2004), fosters competitive advantage. There is a prevailing need to scrutinize the role of tacit knowledge in organizations and how it's hard to articulate nature makes it...
Show moreThere has been a growing prevalent interest to explore the role of knowledge in organizations. Bhardwaj and Monin (2006) identified the knowledge of individuals' as a valuable source of competitive advantage. An organizations well-rounded institutional memory- the organizations collective experiences (Rothwell & Poduch, 2004), fosters competitive advantage. There is a prevailing need to scrutinize the role of tacit knowledge in organizations and how it's hard to articulate nature makes it difficult for organizations to acquire and preserve institutional memory value. The aim of this review is to illustrate that tacit knowledge contributes significantly to the institutional memory value, expansion and preservation. In an effort to simplify this relationship between tacit knowledge and institutional memory, a comprehensive literature search was performed. I first discuss the role of knowledge in organizations and use the literature on tacit knowledge as a guide to explain the importance of its elicitation for institutional memory expansion and preservation. I then propose: (1) the use of tacit knowledge elicitation as a mediator, and (2) recommend training and a learning organization environment as moderators, for the contribution to take place. Finally, I suggest that organizations: (a) Elicit tacit knowledge sharing at their human capital development training programs (b) develop and implement this trainings at managerial levels, and (c) a "know-why" method to elicit and capture tacit knowledge in a reference guide, to consequently add value to the institutional memory, I conclude with a discussion of implications and limitations for the proposed perspective, and provide suggestions for future research.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFH0004492, ucf:45062
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004492
- Title
- How Political Violence Helps Explain Organized Crime: A Case Study of Mexico's "War on Drugs".
- Creator
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Fulk, Alanna, Ash, Konstantin, Wilson, Bruce, Mirilovic, Nikola, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This thesis examines research from the disciplines of political science and criminal justice to develop a theory that explains geographic variation in violence related to organized crime. Large-scale organized crime violence exhibits characteristics of both ordinary crime violence and political violence, but these subjects are generally analyzed separately. However, as large-scale organized crime has become more prevalent and violent in recent years, most notably in Latin America, studies,...
Show moreThis thesis examines research from the disciplines of political science and criminal justice to develop a theory that explains geographic variation in violence related to organized crime. Large-scale organized crime violence exhibits characteristics of both ordinary crime violence and political violence, but these subjects are generally analyzed separately. However, as large-scale organized crime has become more prevalent and violent in recent years, most notably in Latin America, studies, including this one, have attempted to cross disciplinary boundaries in order to better explain trends in organized crime onset, termination and violence. This thesis argues that although the overall goal of organized crime groups is not to take control of a country, both organized crime groups and insurgent groups confront the state's monopoly on violence, leading to evident similarities in the way they use violence to attain their goals. They both use violence to maintain control over resources, take control from other groups and retaliate against the government. Previous literature has demonstrated that control is directly linked to geographic variation in political violence and through case studies of organized crime violence in Honduras and Brazil, as well as negative binomial regression analysis of organized crime violence in Mexico, this thesis finds that control is also directly linked to geographic variation in organized crime violence.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007457, ucf:52688
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007457
- Title
- Teach them to eat: Complexities of Community Based Organization and Nutrition Education Initiatives in the Prevention of Chronic Disease.
- Creator
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Matos, Allison, Mishtal, Joanna, Matejowsky, Ty, Reyes-Foster, Beatriz, Harris, Shana, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This thesis examines how participants of an eight-week nutrition education class utilize disseminated information to manage chronic disease, as well as explores the challenges a community based nutrition education resource center faces in the arena of chronic disease prevention. Per the World Health Organization's Global Report on Diabetes, 422 million adults currently live with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, a four-fold increase since the 1980s. Within the U.S., approximately nine percent...
Show moreThis thesis examines how participants of an eight-week nutrition education class utilize disseminated information to manage chronic disease, as well as explores the challenges a community based nutrition education resource center faces in the arena of chronic disease prevention. Per the World Health Organization's Global Report on Diabetes, 422 million adults currently live with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, a four-fold increase since the 1980s. Within the U.S., approximately nine percent of the adult population suffers from diabetes, and obesity, a major contributor to the disease, afflicts nearly thirty-five percent. While medical professionals frame the controlling of chronic disease from a pathophysiological perspective by promoting self-care methods and using language rooted in personal responsibility for successful treatment plans, implementation of such strategies by patients is more nuanced. In Orlando, Florida, staff at a community based, non-profit, nutrition resource center, Hebni Nutrition Consultants Inc., has played a key role in advocating for African-American community health in Central Florida, educating clients about chronic disease prevention and management since their establishment in 1995. Using ethnographic methods of participant-observation and semi- structured interviews, this project explores the challenges the staff of Hebni face operating at the intersection of the public and private sectors, as well as how participants of Hebni's programming understand discourses of empowerment, neoliberal ideas of self-care, and individual versus collective identity, when navigating the biomedical world. This project contributes not only to the growing body of research surrounding health disparities in minority communities, but also how neoliberal policies have shifted responsibility of community health and wellbeing from the state and onto private organizations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006478, ucf:52893
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006478
