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- Title
- RESOURCE ACCUMULATION DYNAMICS DURING THE NEW VENTURE FORMATION PROCESS.
- Creator
-
Gresock, Amy, Ford, Cameron, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
As described by the resource-based view, resource accumulation is a key concern for new ventures. Although we know that getting the right resources is a critical issue to organizations, we know far less about how fledgling firms assemble these resources over time. The purpose of this study is to examine the dynamics of resource accumulation and their effect on performance and growth during new venture formation. In particular, I examine the constructs of financial capital, human capital, and...
Show moreAs described by the resource-based view, resource accumulation is a key concern for new ventures. Although we know that getting the right resources is a critical issue to organizations, we know far less about how fledgling firms assemble these resources over time. The purpose of this study is to examine the dynamics of resource accumulation and their effect on performance and growth during new venture formation. In particular, I examine the constructs of financial capital, human capital, and performance, and will test relationships using a sample from the Kauffman Firm Survey (KFS) that provides the necessary data to test my longitudinal proposals. I predict that that the constructs of human capital and financial capital impact performance, and that performance later impacts these constructs. I use latent curve analysis to examine the growth and decline of resource classes, and also cross-lag analysis to see how performance affects the acquisition of subsequent resources. This work has potential implications for strategy and entrepreneurship scholars alike. The document is organized as follows: Chapter 1 will serve as the introduction of the work and describe my research question and intent. Chapter 2 will serve as a relevant literature review and gives detail to theoretical perspectives guiding the study at hand. Chapter 3 presents the methodology, including information about the sample and the statistical methods utilized. Chapter 4 explains the results of the testing of hypotheses. Finally, Chapter 5 gives conclusions, limitations, and provides direction for future research.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003181, ucf:48600
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003181
- Title
- Understanding the Role of Resources in Writing Center Tutoring Sessions.
- Creator
-
Lambert, Megan, Hall, Mark, Vie, Stephanie, Roozen, Kevin, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This research examines the use of writing resources in tutoring sessions, which is considered one of the valued tutoring practices at the University Writing Center (UWC) at the University of Central Florida (UCF). This research explains the methodology and presents the findings of a study that serves as a partial answer to the call for more evidence-based research in the field of writing center studies. There is scholarship that explains the importance of using resources to facilitate...
Show moreThis research examines the use of writing resources in tutoring sessions, which is considered one of the valued tutoring practices at the University Writing Center (UWC) at the University of Central Florida (UCF). This research explains the methodology and presents the findings of a study that serves as a partial answer to the call for more evidence-based research in the field of writing center studies. There is scholarship that explains the importance of using resources to facilitate learning, but there is a lack of empirical research that explores the patterns and variations in the resources that writing tutors use, the ways they are implemented in tutoring sessions, and the effects of the moves tutors and writers make involving resources.To address this gap in the research, the researcher developed a study of tutoring sessions in the UCF UWC to explore the role of writing resources as they are used to mediate activity in tutoring sessions. This research investigates the relationship between the use of resources by the tutor and/or the writer and the impact this has on the facilitation of the writer's learning during the consultation. To gain insight into these areas of interest, tutoring sessions were video recorded and follow-up interviews were conducted with the participants to gain insight into the choices made involving resources and the resultant consequences. This research demonstrates the potential of writing resources to contribute to the collaborative knowledge development processes that happen in tutoring sessions to address writing concerns. This study also provides insight into the control that tutors have over the distribution of knowledge in the way that they implement resources into the tutoring session. What we can learn from these findings is a step toward developing a more evidence-based practice in the writing center.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005644, ucf:50176
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005644
- Title
- HUMAN RESOURCES: A KEY ASPECT IN COMPANY INNOVATION.
- Creator
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Hall, Kristin, Danneels, Erwin, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Innovation is a key factor for companies. It is also essential on an individual scale for employees. To ensure they are utilizing employees to the utmost efficiency, companies must implement practices to ensure the attraction and retention of top employees. Human resource practices can help to define and explain essential techniques to help employees gain satisfaction from their work, creating intrinsic motivation, and allowing them to ultimately perform more efficiently and perhaps even...
Show moreInnovation is a key factor for companies. It is also essential on an individual scale for employees. To ensure they are utilizing employees to the utmost efficiency, companies must implement practices to ensure the attraction and retention of top employees. Human resource practices can help to define and explain essential techniques to help employees gain satisfaction from their work, creating intrinsic motivation, and allowing them to ultimately perform more efficiently and perhaps even creatively for the company, helping to generate significant profits. The intent of this thesis is to analyze human resource practices on an empirical study of eight companies (provided from a previous study by Erwin Danneels, Ph.D.) and to determine whether or not human resource practices can help predict a firm's ability to enter new markets and implement new technologies, ultimately leading to innovation. Companies are grouped depending on their residual values generated from Danneels' study and analysis. His research observes the ability to predict new market entrance and technology implementation through five company characteristics: constructive conflict, willingness to cannibalize, slack, learning from failure, and various types of environmental scanning. This thesis seeks to find positive relationships between human resource practices and the companies where the model proves to be a good fit. I define human resource practices by the following six categories, breaking them up into incentives and skill development: extra benefits, fitness incentives, social responsibility, and continuous learning, global opportunities, and rewards/opportunities for advancement. This analysis hopes to contribute to further research by generating an association between human resource practices and company innovation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFH0004097, ucf:44805
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004097
- Title
- WATER POLITICS IN THE MIDDLE EAST:A MULTICASE APPROACH TO REGIONAL WATER SHORTAGE.
- Creator
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Mulholland, Holly, Sadri, Houman, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Water shortage is a salient issue in the Middle East commonly overshadowed by more sensational topics such as the oil crisis and the Arab-Israeli Conflict. There is a debate among scholars as to whether water shortages in the Middle East will destabilize the region into armed conflict. Realists argue that non sustainable water sources will be the catalyst which will inevitably lead states to fight one another in a zero-sum game over limited water resources. Liberal Functionalists argue that...
Show moreWater shortage is a salient issue in the Middle East commonly overshadowed by more sensational topics such as the oil crisis and the Arab-Israeli Conflict. There is a debate among scholars as to whether water shortages in the Middle East will destabilize the region into armed conflict. Realists argue that non sustainable water sources will be the catalyst which will inevitably lead states to fight one another in a zero-sum game over limited water resources. Liberal Functionalists argue that there are precedents for multilateral cooperation and a technical approach may hold the key to providing solutions to the current water crisis. This research will examine three case studies from the Middle East region: the Jordan River Basin, the Tigris and Euphrates River Basin, and the Disi Aquifer on the border of Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Limited to a specific geographic region, these cases are indicative of water shortages that have or will become potential geostrategic centers for the water crisis.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003652, ucf:48824
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003652
- Title
- DETERMINANTS OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE ON COUNTY EFFICIENCIES: A STUDY OF FLORIDA COUNTIES.
- Creator
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Davis, Janet, Lawther, Wendell, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Performance measurement has been adopted and implemented in the private sector as a tool to measure and improve performance. Performance measurement is relatively new to the public sector, yet counties could benefit from establishing performance measures. This study uses the 67 Florida counties to compare Human Resource performance measures to county efficiency measures through path analysis to assess the contribution compensation and recruitment practices have on county efficiency measures...
Show morePerformance measurement has been adopted and implemented in the private sector as a tool to measure and improve performance. Performance measurement is relatively new to the public sector, yet counties could benefit from establishing performance measures. This study uses the 67 Florida counties to compare Human Resource performance measures to county efficiency measures through path analysis to assess the contribution compensation and recruitment practices have on county efficiency measures of fiscal, process and technical efficiencies. It includes county contextual variables in the models. The data was collected via professional publications and organizations, survey and personal contacts and entered into a SPSS data set. Six path analyses were established 1) three for HR variables with the three county efficiency variables and 2) three for HR variables plus contextual variables with the three county efficiency variables. The compensation variable, annual salary adjustment, was statistically significant to county fiscal efficiency, in the HR to county fiscal efficiency and HR / contextual variables to county fiscal efficiency. None of the variables were statistically significant in the process efficiency models. Health costs were statistically significant in the county technical efficiency path analysis. When the county contextual variables were added, health costs, percentage of benefit to salary, county size and county wealth were statistically significant. The HR compensation variables impact county efficiency, either fiscal or technical.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002053, ucf:47603
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002053
- Title
- RESOURCE ALLOCATION USING TOUCH AND AUDITION.
- Creator
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Mortimer, David, Gilson, Richard, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
When people multi-task with inputs that demand attention, processing, andencoding, sensory interference is possible at almost any level. Multiple Resource Theory (MRT) suggests that such interference may be avoided by drawing from separate pools of resources available when using different sensory channels, memory processes, and even different response modes. Thus, there should be advantages in dividing tasks among different sensory channels to tap independent pools of attentional resources....
Show moreWhen people multi-task with inputs that demand attention, processing, andencoding, sensory interference is possible at almost any level. Multiple Resource Theory (MRT) suggests that such interference may be avoided by drawing from separate pools of resources available when using different sensory channels, memory processes, and even different response modes. Thus, there should be advantages in dividing tasks among different sensory channels to tap independent pools of attentional resources. For example, people are better with two tasks using the eye and ear, than when using two auditory or two visual inputs. The majority of the research on MRT involves visual to auditory comparisons, i.e., the prime distance senses. The unstated implication is that the theory can be easily applied to other sensory systems, such as touch, but this is untested. This overlooks the fact that each sensory system has different characteristics that can influence how information processing is allocated in a multiple-task environment. For example, vision requires a directed gaze that is not required for sound or touch. Testing MRT with touch, not only eliminates competing theories, but helps establish its robustness across the senses. Three experiments compared the senses of touch and hearing to determine if the characteristics of those sensory modalities alter the allocation of processing resources. Specifically, it was hypothesized that differences in sensory characteristics would affect performance on a simple targeting task. All three experiments used auditory shadowing as the dual task load. In the first and third experiments a target was placed to the left or right of the participant and the targeting cue (either tactile, auditory, or combined) used to locate the target originated from the side on which the target was located. The only difference between experiments 1 and 3 was that in experiment 1 the auditory targeting cue was delivered by headphones, while in experiment 3 it was delivered by speakers. Experiment 2 was more difficult both in auditory perception and in processing. In this study the targeting cues came from in front of or behind the participant. Cues coming from in front of the participant meant the target was to the left, and conversely if the cue came from behind it meant that the target was to the right. The results of experiments 1 and 3 showed that when the signals originated from the sides, there was no difference in performance between the auditory and tactile targeting cues, whether by proximal or distal stimulation. However, in experiment 2, the participants were significantly slower to locate the target when using the auditory targeting cue than when using the tactile targeting cue, with nearly twice the losses when dual-tasking. No significant differences were found on performance of the shadowing task across the three experiments. The overall findings support the hypothesis that the characteristics of the sensory system itself influence the allocation of processing resources. For example, the differences in experiment 2 are likely due to front-back reversal, a common problem found with auditory stimuli located in front of or behind, but not with tactile stimuli.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000848, ucf:46657
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000848
- Title
- CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AT FLORIDA COMMUNITY COLLEGES.
- Creator
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Morgan, Nancy, Bozeman, William, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
As educational funding from traditional sources decreases and the cost of operating educational programs increases, community colleges are seeking ways to diversify funding streams and increase revenue. For many 2-year colleges, resource development, particularly the procurement of government grants and contracts, represents a viable source of revenue. The purpose of this research was (a) to establish a profile of grant development programs in Florida community colleges and (b) to identify...
Show moreAs educational funding from traditional sources decreases and the cost of operating educational programs increases, community colleges are seeking ways to diversify funding streams and increase revenue. For many 2-year colleges, resource development, particularly the procurement of government grants and contracts, represents a viable source of revenue. The purpose of this research was (a) to establish a profile of grant development programs in Florida community colleges and (b) to identify factors associated with successful grant development. A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect information about grant development programs at the 28 publicly-supported community colleges in the state of Florida. Twenty-six colleges completed the survey. The grant success rate, return on investment, and organizational and operational integration of institutional advancement functions of the respondent colleges were incorporated into linear mathematical models to predict grant development success. Although no statistically significant predictive relationships were determined, organizational and operational integration of institutional advancement functions can not be considered to be without some influence on a college's ability to generate grant revenue. The potential for community college efforts to yield increasing grant funding will continue to transform higher education. The study of the components and characteristics that allow for predicting successful grant acquisition is of continuing research interest and mounting practical importance to community college presidents, administrators, trustees, and resource development professionals.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000352, ucf:46282
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000352
- Title
- OIL, POLITICS OF THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND THE PERSIAN GULF.
- Creator
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Parks, Jacob, Sadri, Houman, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This study investigated the effect the price of oil has on enabling political establishments to maintain their presence within the business environment. The study consists of three different case studies with each of the states (Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates) being chosen based upon their level of state involvement within the business community. Each case study investigated whether the price of oil had any effect on influencing the amount of political involvement within the...
Show moreThis study investigated the effect the price of oil has on enabling political establishments to maintain their presence within the business environment. The study consists of three different case studies with each of the states (Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates) being chosen based upon their level of state involvement within the business community. Each case study investigated whether the price of oil had any effect on influencing the amount of political involvement within the business community, property rights or trade freedom. The findings for all three case studies suggest that the price of oil has little to no effect on determining the amount of influence the state possesses within the business environment. Based on the results of this investigation, recommendations were made to improve the United States relationship with each country. Additional analysis and recommendations were made concerning the future economic impact of Iraq relying solely on oil as its revenue source.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002390, ucf:47758
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002390
- Title
- A COMPARTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE EVOLUTION OF FOREST MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES IN GENERAL, WITH A FOCUS ON OREGON, NORTH CAROLINA AND FLORIDA.
- Creator
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kelly , patrick, Kiel, Dwight, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and discuss the evolution of forest management practices in the United States. The paper discusses the trends in forest management that have occurred within the United States in general, and specifically within the western (Oregon) and southern (North Carolina and Florida) United States. The trends discussed include the three (3) to four (4) epochs of management and use that are generally accepted within the forest management literature, with...
Show moreABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and discuss the evolution of forest management practices in the United States. The paper discusses the trends in forest management that have occurred within the United States in general, and specifically within the western (Oregon) and southern (North Carolina and Florida) United States. The trends discussed include the three (3) to four (4) epochs of management and use that are generally accepted within the forest management literature, with the exception of North Carolina that is in the process of a fifth (5). The comparative analysis within the paper discusses the western model of management which tends to be distinctly different from the southern model in terms of regulatory approaches. The western model (i.e. Oregon) tends to be highly regulated, while the southern model is primarily voluntary, and quasi-regulatory in terms of using alternative mechanisms of regulation (i.e. Best Management Practices that regulate water quality). The paper also discusses the role of professionalism within the various forest services in each state, although the regulatory mechanism is the most important explanatory variable. In general, each state's forest services tend to be highly professional with licensing requirements, educational services and cooperative management. The two models are also distinctly different in terms of ownership, with Oregon being owned (nearly 50%) by the public, whereas the southern states are dominated by Nonindustrial Private Forest Owners (NIPF).
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001074, ucf:46770
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001074
- Title
- COORDINATION, MATCHMAKING, AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION FOR LARGE-SCALE DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS.
- Creator
-
Bai, Xin, Marinescu, Dan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
While existing grid environments cater to specific needs of a particular user community, we need to go beyond them and consider general-purpose large-scale distributed systems consisting of large collections of heterogeneous computers and communication systems shared by a large user population with very diverse requirements. Coordination, matchmaking, and resource allocation are among the essential functions of large-scale distributed systems. Although deterministic approaches for...
Show moreWhile existing grid environments cater to specific needs of a particular user community, we need to go beyond them and consider general-purpose large-scale distributed systems consisting of large collections of heterogeneous computers and communication systems shared by a large user population with very diverse requirements. Coordination, matchmaking, and resource allocation are among the essential functions of large-scale distributed systems. Although deterministic approaches for coordination, matchmaking, and resource allocation have been well studied, they are not suitable for large-scale distributed systems due to the large-scale, the autonomy, and the dynamics of the systems. We have to seek for nondeterministic solutions for large-scale distributed systems. In this dissertation we describe our work on a coordination service, a matchmaking service, and a macro-economic resource allocation model for large-scale distributed systems. The coordination service coordinates the execution of complex tasks in a dynamic environment, the matchmaking service supports finding the appropriate resources for users, and the macro-economic resource allocation model allows a broker to mediate resource providers who want to maximize their revenues and resource consumers who want to get the best resources at the lowest possible price, with some global objectives, e.g., to maximize the resource utilization of the system.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001172, ucf:46845
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001172
- Title
- NUTRITION RESOURCES FOR FOOTBALL PLAYERS IN DIVISION I INSTITUTIONS: THE ATHLETIC TRAINER'S PERSPECTIVE AND ROLE.
- Creator
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Giannini, Giovanna Marie, Schellhase, Kristen C., University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Background: The importance of nutrition on athletic performance is evident. Athletic trainers (ATs), nutritionists/RDs, strength and conditioning specialists (SCSs), and other athletic department personnel may be available to student-athletes and can be solicited for nutrition advice. Multiple studies have found that although some universities have a sports nutritionist on staff, student-athletes approached an AT most often for nutrition advice rather than an SCS, nutritionist or other person...
Show moreBackground: The importance of nutrition on athletic performance is evident. Athletic trainers (ATs), nutritionists/RDs, strength and conditioning specialists (SCSs), and other athletic department personnel may be available to student-athletes and can be solicited for nutrition advice. Multiple studies have found that although some universities have a sports nutritionist on staff, student-athletes approached an AT most often for nutrition advice rather than an SCS, nutritionist or other person. ATs have the necessary education to provide proper nutrition information to student-athletes; however, it is not the primary role of an AT. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the quantity, quality and variety of nutrition support offered to Division I student-athletes who participate in football. Additionally, the purpose was to gain the perspective of the AT with regard to their role in educating football players on basic nutrition principles. Design: Cross sectional. Setting: Participants completed a web-based questionnaire. Patients or Other Participants: 253 Division I institutions were identified; from those institutions 120 head ATs were randomly chosen to receive the questionnaire. Responses from 30 (25%) head ATs (Football Bowl Subdivision 53.6%; Football Championship Subdivision 46.4%) were analyzed. Results: A majority (69%, n=20) of the institutions provided access to a nutritionist/RD. When asked who they believed student-athletes would solicit nutritional advice from first, respondents ranked their answers as follows: AT (n=11, 36.7%), SCS (n=10, 33.3%), nutritionist/RD (n=7, 23.3%), and coach (n=2, 6.7%). However, in the Likert scale questions, participants felt between neutral and slight agreement regarding their own responsibility, or that overall, ATs should feel responsible to teach nutrition or promote proper eating habits. In another question, participants were asked who is responsible for educating football players about nutrition at their institution and were able to select more than one response. Participants felt that all three professionals had a fairly high level of responsibility (SCS n=26, 86.7%; AT n=23, 76.7%; nutritionist/RD n=21, 70%). ATs ranked their perception of who helped with management of specific medical issues as follows: AT (n=26, 86.7%), nutritionist/RD (n=21, 70%), physician (n=18, 60%), and SCS (n=3, 10%). FBS institutions seem to provide more nutrition services compared to FCS institutions; 73.7% of FBS institutions are providing access to a nutritionist/RD and whereas only 26.5% of FCS institution provide this service. Conclusions: ATs from our study strongly agreed that nutrition plays an important role in performance. As shown in previous studies, ATs and SCSs were found to be the primary sources of nutrition information for student-athletes in Division I settings. This study gathered the AT�s perspective and perceived roles regarding where student-athletes receive nutrition information from most often. The ATs in this study confirmed that they felt the ATs and SCSs were primarily approached for nutrition advice. Although these ATs responded that the SCSs, ATs, and nutritionist/RDs were all responsible to educate football players at their institutions, the ATs answers were conflicting when they said that they did not feel the ATs role should be responsible for educating football players on nutrition and performance. Because ATs did perceive themselves as qualified, it is suggested that they may feel another professional of the sports medicine team is more appropriate to fill this role. A sports medicine team consisting of ATs, SCSs, nutritionists/RDs and physicians should work together to promote the benefits of nutrition and provide optimal services within their professional scope of their practice. In the absence of one or more professional, effective knowledge and communication must be maintained to assure that the roles of nutrition services are still provided to football players.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFH2000014, ucf:45582
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000014
- Title
- Managing IO Resource for Co-running Data Intensive Applications in Virtual Clusters.
- Creator
-
Huang, Dan, Wang, Jun, Zhou, Qun, Sun, Wei, Zhang, Shaojie, Wang, Liqiang, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Today Big Data computer platforms employ resource management systems such as Yarn, Torque, Mesos, and Google Borg to enable sharing the physical computing among many users or applications. Given virtualization and resource management systems, users are able to launch their applications on the same node with low mutual interference and management overhead on CPU and memory. However, there are still challenges to be addressed before these systems can be fully adopted to manage the IO resources...
Show moreToday Big Data computer platforms employ resource management systems such as Yarn, Torque, Mesos, and Google Borg to enable sharing the physical computing among many users or applications. Given virtualization and resource management systems, users are able to launch their applications on the same node with low mutual interference and management overhead on CPU and memory. However, there are still challenges to be addressed before these systems can be fully adopted to manage the IO resources in Big Data File Systems (BDFS) and shared network facilities. In this study, we mainly study on three IO management problems systematically, in terms of the proportional sharing of block IO in container-based virtualization, the network IO contention in MPI-based HPC applications and the data migration overhead in HPC workflows. To improve the proportional sharing, we develop a prototype system called BDFS-Container, by containerizing BDFS at Linux block IO level. Central to BDFS-Container, we propose and design a proactive IOPS throttling based mechanism named IOPS Regulator, which improves proportional IO sharing under the BDFS IO pattern by 74.4% on an average. In the aspect of network IO resource management, we exploit using virtual switches to facilitate network traffic manipulation and reduce mutual interference on the network for in-situ applications. In order to dynamically allocate the network bandwidth when it is needed, we adopt SARIMA-based techniques to analyze and predict MPI traffic issued from simulations. Third, to solve the data migration problem in small-medium sized HPC clusters, we propose to construct a sided IO path, named as SideIO, to explicitly direct analysis data to BDFS that co-locates computation with data. By experimenting with two real-world scientific workflows, SideIO completely avoids the most expensive data movement overhead and achieves up to 3x speedups compared with current solutions.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007195, ucf:52268
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007195
- Title
- Assessing Institutional Response to Sexual Violence on College Campuses: The Relationship Between Organizational Characteristics of Colleges and Adherence to National Guidelines.
- Creator
-
Macri, Lisa, Burg, Mary Ann, Anderson, Kim, Yegidis, Bonnie, McMahon, Sarah, Potter, Roberto, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This dissertation is a cross sectional exploratory study assessing adherence to the federal campus sexual violence Clery Act and Title IX guidelines among a national sample of (n=94) institutions of higher education (IHE) to determine if there are any relationships between organizational characteristics and CSV policy adherence using a three-part index of compliance: (1). Levels of IHE compliance to federal policies; (2). Levels of IHE provision of CSV prevention services and programs; and (3...
Show moreThis dissertation is a cross sectional exploratory study assessing adherence to the federal campus sexual violence Clery Act and Title IX guidelines among a national sample of (n=94) institutions of higher education (IHE) to determine if there are any relationships between organizational characteristics and CSV policy adherence using a three-part index of compliance: (1). Levels of IHE compliance to federal policies; (2). Levels of IHE provision of CSV prevention services and programs; and (3). Levels of IHE provision of CSV interim and supportive measures. Resource Dependency Theory (Pfeffer (&) Salancik, 1978) informed the study's primary hypothesis that an IHE's reliance on federal financial aid would positively correlate to higher scores on the measures of IHE CSV compliance. Results from regression analyses found a statistically significant (p(<).001) relationship between the receipt of federal student aid dollars by all IHE in the sample and the scores on all levels of the compliance measure. For each federal student aid dollar received, total compliance scores increased by 4 points for all IHE in the sample. Other IHE characteristics, such as the presence of a recent Title IX investigation, were assessed in regard to their relationship to compliance levels. Findings of this exploratory study suggest provisional support for the application of RDT to IHE compliance behaviors regarding campus sexual violence. Additionally, two-year IHE in the sample had statistically significantly lower levels of overall compliance, identifying an opportunity to improve compliance..
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007492, ucf:52631
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007492
- Title
- The Path of a Stressed Temporary Worker to CWB.
- Creator
-
Striler, Jamie, Shoss, Mindy, Jex, Steve, Ehrhart, Mark, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Temporary workers may experience unique and oftentimes stressful work situations that can precipitate negative outcomes for these workers, their coworkers, and their organizations. The current study considered broader implications of the various work experiences among temporary workers by testing the relationships of workplace stressors to temporary workers' behaviors. The workplace stressors examined were chosen based on their salience to temporary workers as shown throughout the current...
Show moreTemporary workers may experience unique and oftentimes stressful work situations that can precipitate negative outcomes for these workers, their coworkers, and their organizations. The current study considered broader implications of the various work experiences among temporary workers by testing the relationships of workplace stressors to temporary workers' behaviors. The workplace stressors examined were chosen based on their salience to temporary workers as shown throughout the current temporary worker literature, and included economic stressors, interpersonal mistreatment, and organizational constraints. It was hypothesized that these stressors would predict temporary workers' behaviors via emotional exhaustion and moral disengagement pathways, predicting the performance of counterproductive work behaviors (CWB). Three waves of data were collected from multiple sources, including at a temporary staffing agency, at a large university, and using the MTurk platform. Results showed that the temporary workers varied in their experiences of workplace stressors, which were linked to both cognitive and emotional reactions, which consequently predicted CWB. More specifically, temporary workers who experienced higher levels of workplace stressors reported higher levels of emotional exhaustion and moral disengagement, and then these reactions were linked to an increased likelihood of performing behaviors that are harmful to the organization and/or others within the organization.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007730, ucf:52414
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007730
- Title
- Three essays on applications of intrahousehold resource allocation models.
- Creator
-
Pamornpathomkul, Santikorn, Dickie, Mark, Gerking, Shelby, Scrogin, David, Rutstrom, Elisabet, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This dissertation consists of three chapters on the topic of intrahousehold resource allocation models. The first chapter tests the unitary and general collective models of intrahousehold resource allocation for various household compositions. I find that, for the quasi-quadratic Engel curve specification, the overall results support the previous findings in the literature that the unitary model fails to explain how resources are allocated for all household types. However, when using the...
Show moreThis dissertation consists of three chapters on the topic of intrahousehold resource allocation models. The first chapter tests the unitary and general collective models of intrahousehold resource allocation for various household compositions. I find that, for the quasi-quadratic Engel curve specification, the overall results support the previous findings in the literature that the unitary model fails to explain how resources are allocated for all household types. However, when using the QUAIDS specification, the results can reject the unitary model only for smaller-sized households. The general collective model, on the other hand, cannot be rejected in either quasi-quadratic or QUAIDS and not in any of the household compositions. Overall, the results support the general collective model of household behavior rather than the unitary model.The second chapter derives and tests restrictions imposed by the collective model for households with more than two decision-makers in the absence of price variation. It extends the two-decision-maker model in chapter one to derive the testable restrictions for households with multiple decision makers using unconditional demand systems. Moreover, for comparison, a particular type of demand system that is conditional on distribution factors is also estimated as an alternative way to test the collective model. The results show that neither unconditional nor conditional demand systems can reject Pareto efficiency. Therefore, both approaches provide consistent outcomes supporting the hypothesis that the multiple-decision-maker households in Thailand behave in the Pareto efficient manner predicted by the collective model.Finally, my third chapter attempts to examine how one can exploit household-level consumption data to recover information about individual household members for situations with no price variation. By combining consumption data from single and couple households, I am able to estimate the resource shares and indifference scales (a variation of the standard equivalence scales in the collective settings) for each household member via a system of Engel curves. The results show that, in Thailand, wives are likely to have higher resource shares than husbands in the married-couple households, while wives with higher education have the ability to extract more household resources. However, resource shares for wives are smaller for older-married compared to younger-married couples. Moreover, if a female were to live alone, she would need approximately three-quarters of the couple's income to reach the same indifference curve, and hence the same standard of living, that she would attain as a wife in the married-couple household.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004150, ucf:49057
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004150
- Title
- Comparing Types of Adaptive Automation within a Multi-Tasking Environment.
- Creator
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Taylor, Grant, Szalma, James, Hancock, Peter, Mouloua, Mustapha, Reinerman, Lauren, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Throughout the many years of research examining the various effects of automation on operator performance, stress, workload, etc., the focus has traditionally been on the level of automation, and the invocation methods used to alter it. The goal of the current study is to instead examine the utilization of various types of automation with the goal of better meeting the operator's cognitive needs, thus improving their performance, workload, and stress. The task, control of a simulated unmanned...
Show moreThroughout the many years of research examining the various effects of automation on operator performance, stress, workload, etc., the focus has traditionally been on the level of automation, and the invocation methods used to alter it. The goal of the current study is to instead examine the utilization of various types of automation with the goal of better meeting the operator's cognitive needs, thus improving their performance, workload, and stress. The task, control of a simulated unmanned robotic system, is designed to specifically stress the operator's visual perception capabilities to a greater degree. Two types of automation are implemented to support the operator's performance of the task: an auditory beep aid intended to support visual perception resources, and a driving aid automating control of the vehicle's navigation, offloading physical action execution resources. Therefore, a comparison can be made between types of automation intended to specifically support the mental dimension that is under the greatest demand (the auditory beep) against those that do not (the driving automation). An additional evaluation is made to determine the benefit of adaptively adjusting the level of each type of automation based on the current level of task demand, as well as the influence of individual differences in personality.Results indicate that the use of the auditory beep aid does improve performance, but also increases Temporal Demand and Effort. Use of driving automation appears to disengage the operator from the task, eliciting a vigilance response. Adaptively altering the level of automation to meet task demands has a mixed effect on performance and workload (reducing both) when the auditory beep automation is used. However, adaptive driving automation is clearly detrimental, causing an increase in workload while decreasing performance. Higher levels of Neuroticism are related to poorer threat detection performance, but personality differences show no indication of moderating the effects of either of the experimental manipulations. The results of this study show that the type of automation implemented within an environment has a considerable impact on the operator, in terms of performance as well as cognitive/emotional state.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004340, ucf:49414
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004340
- Title
- POST-IMPLEMENTATION SUCCESS FACTORS FOR ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING (ERP) STUDENT ADMINISTRATION SYSTEMS IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS.
- Creator
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Sullivan, Linda, Bozeman, William, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This research study investigated the post-implementation experiences of 6 higher education institutions following the initial implementation of a Student Administration ERP system and explored how these institutions used the post-implementation phase to maximize the benefits from the ERP system. A mixed-method approach consisting of an online survey and qualitative case study was utilized for data collection; within-case and cross-case analyses were performed to generate the research results...
Show moreThis research study investigated the post-implementation experiences of 6 higher education institutions following the initial implementation of a Student Administration ERP system and explored how these institutions used the post-implementation phase to maximize the benefits from the ERP system. A mixed-method approach consisting of an online survey and qualitative case study was utilized for data collection; within-case and cross-case analyses were performed to generate the research results and findings. The overall post-implementation experiences of the case study institutions were found to be similar in nature, regardless of institution size. Several post-implementation characteristics were also found to be shared in varying degree among all case studies. Customizations and third-party software were used by all case studies in post-implementation to meet operational needs not provided by the Student ERP system. The number of customizations and enhancements completed or under consideration by the case study institutions indicate that there are many areas in which current Student ERP systems do not fit the needs of higher education institutions. The results of this research can inform and guide higher education administrators on the institutional impacts and changes that will occur in the ERP post-implementation environment. Administrators will be enabled to better evaluate the overall success of their project based upon post-implementation characteristics and experiences of the institutions in this study and apply the outcomes to improve planning for future ERP system projects.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002698, ucf:48226
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002698
- Title
- The Bridging Technique: Crossing Over the Modality Shifting Effect.
- Creator
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Alicia, Thomas, Mouloua, Mustapha, Hancock, Peter, Szalma, James, Pharmer, James, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Operator responsiveness to critical alarm/alert display systems must rely on faster and safer behavioral responses in order to ensure mission success in complex environments such as the operator station of an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). An important design consideration for effective UAS interfaces is how to map these critical alarm/alert display systems to an appropriate sensory modality (e.g., visual or auditory) (Sarter, 2006). For example, if an alarm is presented during a mission in a...
Show moreOperator responsiveness to critical alarm/alert display systems must rely on faster and safer behavioral responses in order to ensure mission success in complex environments such as the operator station of an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). An important design consideration for effective UAS interfaces is how to map these critical alarm/alert display systems to an appropriate sensory modality (e.g., visual or auditory) (Sarter, 2006). For example, if an alarm is presented during a mission in a modality already highly taxed or overloaded, this can result in increased response time (RT), thereby decreasing operator performance (Wickens, 1976). To overcome this problem, system designers may allow the switching of the alarm display from a highly-taxed to a less-taxed modality (Stanney et al., 2004). However, this modality switch may produce a deleterious effect known as the Modality Shifting Effect (MSE) that erodes the expected performance gain (Spence (&) Driver, 1997). The goal of this research was to empirically examine a technique called bridging which allows the transitioning of a cautionary alarm display from one modality to another while simultaneously counteracting the Modality Shifting Effect.Sixty-four participants were required to complete either a challenging visual or auditory task using a computer-based UAS simulation environment while responding to both visual and auditory alarms. An approach was selected which utilized two 1 (task modality) x 2 (switching technique) ANCOVAs and one 2 (modality) x 2 (technique) ANCOVA, using baseline auditory and visual RT as covariates, to examine differences in alarm response times when the alert modality was changed abruptly or with the bridging technique from a highly loaded sensory channel to an underloaded sensory channel. It was hypothesized that the bridging technique condition would show faster response times for a new unexpected modality versus the abrupt switching condition. The results indicated only a marginal decrease in response times for the auditory alerts and a larger yet not statistically significant effect for the visual alerts; results were also not statistically significant for the analysis collapsed across modality. Findings suggest that there may be some benefit of the bridging technique on performance of alarm responsiveness, but further research is still needed before suggesting generalizable design guidelines for switching modalities which can apply in a variety of complex human-machine systems.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005568, ucf:50283
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005568
- Title
- EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE WATER RESOURCES FOR CAPE COAST AND ITS ENVIRONS IN GHANA.
- Creator
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Kumah, Alex, Nnadi, Ola, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Cape Coast once a national capital of Ghana and its environs in recent years have constantly suffered perennial acute water shortage. The Brimsu dam which takes its supplies from the Kakum River with current production capacity of 1.4 × 104 m3/day cannot meet the water needs of the study area. The operating levels of the dam during crisis have reduced from 7.3 meters to 4.7 meters over the years with subsequent reduction in water production by 35%. Recently, the operating level has...
Show moreCape Coast once a national capital of Ghana and its environs in recent years have constantly suffered perennial acute water shortage. The Brimsu dam which takes its supplies from the Kakum River with current production capacity of 1.4 × 104 m3/day cannot meet the water needs of the study area. The operating levels of the dam during crisis have reduced from 7.3 meters to 4.7 meters over the years with subsequent reduction in water production by 35%. Recently, the operating level has reduced further to about 3.5 meters with 60% reduction in water supply. This study evaluated alternative water resources to augment water supply and mitigate the impact of perennial water shortage. Among the alternatives considered are surface water from Twifo Prasso on the Pra River, groundwater supplies, and the desalination technology. Mean annual streamflow of Pra River at Twifo Prasso was used to evaluate the continuous availability and reliance on surface water. Hydrogeological assessment of geology underlying the study area vis-à-vis the existing borehole and their yields was used to evaluate groundwater potential. Desalination technology which is not currently in existence in the study area was considered based on available literature. Since the implementation of projects of this magnitude are the responsibilities of the central government through grants and loans, the study focuses on the cost implications of water from these alternatives to the final consumer in terms of affordability. In considering the cost of water from the various alternatives to per capita per day consumption in rural and urban settlements within the study area for a household of five, the cost of surface water remains the most affordable means of water supply, followed by groundwater. Borehole yields indicate that intensive exploitation of groundwater even though more expensive than surface water sources could minimize the effect of perennial water shortage and over dependence on surface water. The cost comparison analyses have shown that the cost of desalination using reverse osmosis is still expensive and could not compare favorably with the existing water supply alternatives. The analyses have thus confirmed the long held perception that "desalination is expensive and cannot be used in study area".
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001300, ucf:47018
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001300
- Title
- STOCHASTIC RESOURCE CONSTRAINED PROJECT SCHEDULING WITH STOCHASTIC TASK INSERTION PROBLEMS.
- Creator
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Archer, Sandra, Armacost, Robert, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The area of focus for this research is the Stochastic Resource Constrained Project Scheduling Problem (SRCPSP) with Stochastic Task Insertion (STI). The STI problem is a specific form of the SRCPSP, which may be considered to be a cross between two types of problems in the general form: the Stochastic Project Scheduling Problem, and the Resource Constrained Project Scheduling Problem. The stochastic nature of this problem is in the occurrence/non-occurrence of tasks with deterministic...
Show moreThe area of focus for this research is the Stochastic Resource Constrained Project Scheduling Problem (SRCPSP) with Stochastic Task Insertion (STI). The STI problem is a specific form of the SRCPSP, which may be considered to be a cross between two types of problems in the general form: the Stochastic Project Scheduling Problem, and the Resource Constrained Project Scheduling Problem. The stochastic nature of this problem is in the occurrence/non-occurrence of tasks with deterministic duration. Researchers Selim (2002) and Grey (2007) laid the groundwork for the research on this problem. Selim (2002) developed a set of robustness metrics and used these to evaluate two initial baseline (predictive) scheduling techniques, optimistic (0% buffer) and pessimistic (100% buffer), where none or all of the stochastic tasks were scheduled, respectively. Grey (2007) expanded the research by developing a new partial buffering strategy for the initial baseline predictive schedule for this problem and found the partial buffering strategy to be superior to Selim's "extreme" buffering approach. The current research continues this work by focusing on resource aspects of the problem, new buffering approaches, and a new rescheduling method. If resource usage is important to project managers, then a set of metrics that describes changes to the resource flow would be important to measure between the initial baseline predictive schedule and the final "as-run" schedule. Two new sets of resource metrics were constructed regarding resource utilization and resource flow. Using these new metrics, as well as the Selim/Grey metrics, a new buffering approach was developed that used resource information to size the buffers. The resource-sized buffers did not show to have significant improvement over Grey's 50% buffer used as a benchmark. The new resource metrics were used to validate that the 50% buffering strategy is superior to the 0% or 100% buffering by Selim. Recognizing that partial buffers appear to be the most promising initial baseline development approach for STI problems, and understanding that experienced project managers may be able to predict stochastic probabilities based on prior projects, the next phase of the research developed a new set of buffering strategies where buffers are inserted that are proportional to the probability of occurrence. The results of this proportional buffering strategy were very positive, with the majority of the metrics (both robustness and resource), except for stability metrics, improved by using the proportional buffer. Finally, it was recognized that all research thus far for the SRCPSP with STI focused solely on the development of predictive schedules. Therefore, the final phase of this research developed a new reactive strategy that tested three different rescheduling points during schedule eventuation when a complete rescheduling of the latter portion of the schedule would occur. The results of this new reactive technique indicate that rescheduling improves the schedule performance in only a few metrics under very specific network characteristics (those networks with the least restrictive parameters). This research was conducted with extensive use of Base SAS v9.2 combined with SAS/OR procedures to solve project networks, solve resource flow problems, and implement reactive scheduling heuristics. Additionally, Base SAS code was paired with Visual Basic for Applications in Excel 2003 to implement an automated Gantt chart generator that provided visual inspection for validation of the repair heuristics. The results of this research when combined with the results of Selim and Grey provide strong guidance for project managers regarding how to develop baseline predictive schedules and how to reschedule the project as stochastic tasks (e.g. unplanned work) do or do not occur. Specifically, the results and recommendations are provided in a summary tabular format that describes the recommended initial baseline development approach if a project manager has a good idea of the level and location of the stochasticity for the network, highlights two cases where rescheduling during schedule eventuation may be beneficial, and shows when buffering proportional to the probability of occurrence is recommended, or not recommended, or the cases where the evidence is inconclusive.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002491, ucf:47673
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002491
