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(1 - 20 of 60)
Pages
- Title
- Wage labour and capital.
- Creator
-
Marx, Karl, Aveling, Eleanor Marx
- Date Issued
- 1935
- Identifier
- 369428, CFDT369428, ucf:5451
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FCLA/DT/369428
- Title
- SOCIAL WORK VALUES AND HOSPITAL CULTURE: AN EXAMINATION FROM A COMPETING VALUES FRAMEWORK.
- Creator
-
Evans, Amanda, House, Jess, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The purpose of this study is to assess the perceptions of social workers employed in Florida hospitals in relation to the core values of their profession and the alignment of those values within the culture of their current work setting. The conceptual framework for the study was from organizational behavior theory specific to culture, values, and trust. The Competing Values Framework (Cameron & Quinn, 1999) provided a method to distinguish co-existing competing values within an organization....
Show moreThe purpose of this study is to assess the perceptions of social workers employed in Florida hospitals in relation to the core values of their profession and the alignment of those values within the culture of their current work setting. The conceptual framework for the study was from organizational behavior theory specific to culture, values, and trust. The Competing Values Framework (Cameron & Quinn, 1999) provided a method to distinguish co-existing competing values within an organization. The research findings indicated that 65% of the professional social workers who participated in the study perceived that the core values of their profession are very much in alignment with the written mission statement of their hospital. However, less than half of the respondents (42%) stated the daily business of the hospital strongly reflected the mission statement. The social workers perceived the current culture of hospitals in Florida as being closely clustered among four cultures: clan, adhocracy, market, and hierarchy. However, they would prefer a stronger clan culture and less of a market culture in the future. A large majority (85%) of all respondents communicated that their work assignments allowed them to demonstrate their professional values on a regular basis. However, only 63% stated that they trusted that their hospital valued the knowledge and skills of their profession.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000866, ucf:46673
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000866
- Title
- THE INFLUENCE OF VIRTUAL MANIPULATIVES ONSECOND GRADER'S ACQUISITION OF PLACE VALUE CONCEPTS.
- Creator
-
Jolicoeur, Kay, Dixon, Juli, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The purpose of this study was to examine my own practice of teaching place value and the influence virtual manipulatives had, in addition to physical manipulatives, on place value understanding of my second grade students. I wanted to see how adding a base-ten computer applet might better meet the needs of all learners while also meeting the needs of today's technological classroom. Through this study, I found that both physical and virtual manipulatives helped students acquire place value...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to examine my own practice of teaching place value and the influence virtual manipulatives had, in addition to physical manipulatives, on place value understanding of my second grade students. I wanted to see how adding a base-ten computer applet might better meet the needs of all learners while also meeting the needs of today's technological classroom. Through this study, I found that both physical and virtual manipulatives helped students acquire place value concepts. I found that virtual manipulatives had features that engaged students in a way that increased their mathematical language, increased students' ability to represent more conceptual understanding of composing and decomposing numbers, and express enthusiasm towards mathematics. A pretest and posttest revealed that students' academic performance increased. While research on virtual manipulatives and mathematical achievement is fairly recent, this study offers insight to other classroom teachers and the research community.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003763, ucf:48799
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003763
- Title
- HOLY BOOKS OR POCKET BOOKS? CLASS AND VALUES IN AMERICAN POLITICS.
- Creator
-
Keaton, Matthew, Knuckey, Jonathan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
There has been much speculation recently as to the political effect that "moral values" have on Americans and much research has shown inconclusive results as far as the effect of class. This paper aims to study how class and values, including moral values and postmaterialist values, interact with politics in the United States. The analyses performed to determine these effects include crosstabulation and logistical regressions and will include data from the National Election Studies (NES). It...
Show moreThere has been much speculation recently as to the political effect that "moral values" have on Americans and much research has shown inconclusive results as far as the effect of class. This paper aims to study how class and values, including moral values and postmaterialist values, interact with politics in the United States. The analyses performed to determine these effects include crosstabulation and logistical regressions and will include data from the National Election Studies (NES). It is found that postmaterialist values have little effect on political behavior but in separate analyses, class and moral values have increasing influences on vote choice and partisan identification. It is also determined that moral values currently has more influence on presidential votes, but there is no clear indication that values are consistent indicators of House vote choice or partisan identification.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001319, ucf:47028
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001319
- Title
- THE ROLE OF CULTURAL VALUES IN ORGANIZATIONAL ATTRACTION.
- Creator
-
Muniz, Elizabeth, Dipboye, Robert, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The United States' (U.S.) workforce is more diverse than in previous decades in terms of race, gender, and native language (Fay, 2001). Such demographic shifts have changed how organizations attract applicants and how they motivate, reward, and retain employees (McAdams, 2001). Furthermore, organizations benefit from diversity by: (a) attracting the best talent available in the workforce (Cox, 1993), (b) increasing their product marketability to customers (Deshpande, Hoyer, & Donthu, 1986...
Show moreThe United States' (U.S.) workforce is more diverse than in previous decades in terms of race, gender, and native language (Fay, 2001). Such demographic shifts have changed how organizations attract applicants and how they motivate, reward, and retain employees (McAdams, 2001). Furthermore, organizations benefit from diversity by: (a) attracting the best talent available in the workforce (Cox, 1993), (b) increasing their product marketability to customers (Deshpande, Hoyer, & Donthu, 1986; Redding, 1982), and (c) fostering creativity, innovation, problem solving, and decision making in employees (Thomas, 1999; Thomas, Ravlin, & Wallace, 1996; Watson, Kumar, & Michaelsen, 1993). Given such benefits, organizations should attend to initiatives that facilitate the attraction of applicants from diverse backgrounds. Research has demonstrated that applicants use information about human resource systems, such as rewards, to form judgments about the perceived fit between them and the organization (Bretz & Judge, 1994; Schneider, 1987). For instance, organizations with policies accommodating work and family issues attract applicants preferring such benefits. Because reward systems influence applicants' opinions about the relative attractiveness of organizations (Lawler, 2000), it is important to determine the factors that influence such preferences. Motivation theories, such as the Theory of Reasoned Action, suggest that preferences toward reward systems are guided by individuals' values (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975; Vroom, 1964). Such values, in turn, cause differences in reward preferences and organizational attraction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation of individuals' cultural values to the attraction of organizations offering different kinds of reward systems. More specifically, it sought to test three hypotheses. Hypothesis 1 predicted that there would be a two-way interaction between collectivism and the type of organization on organizational attraction. Hypothesis 2 predicted that there would be a two-way interaction between individualism and the type of organization on organizational attraction. Hypothesis 3 predicted that there would be a positive relation between collectivism and subjective norms used in organizational attraction. To test the three hypotheses, data from 228 participants were analyzed to evaluate their level of attractiveness to two different types of organizations (i.e., career-oriented vs. family-oriented). Findings for the test of Hypothesis 1 indicated that there was a joint effect between collectivism and the type of organization on organizational attraction. The slopes of the regression lines for each type of organization (i.e., family-oriented and career-oriented) differed as a function of collectivism. The slope of the regression line for the family-oriented organization was steeper than the slope of the regression line for the career-oriented organization. Results for the test of Hypothesis 2 indicated a joint effect between individualism and the type of organization on organizational attraction. The slopes of the regression lines for each type of organization (i.e., family-oriented and career-oriented) differed as a function of individualism. The slope of the regression line for the career-oriented organization was steeper than the slope of the regression line for the family-oriented organization. Findings for the test of Hypothesis 3 showed that collectivism was related to subjective norms. Results indicated that the more collective the individual, the higher the subjective norms. In addition, supplementary analysis showed that individualism was not related to subjective norms. Taken together, results from the tests of the three hypotheses support components of the Theory of Reasoned Action, and the premise that values are a factor related to an individual's attraction to a particular organization. The current study showed that the cross-cultural values of individualism and collectivism help predict organizational attraction. Based on these results, practical implications, contributions to theory, study limitations, and future research are discussed for designing organizational attraction strategies for a culturally diverse workforce.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001859, ucf:47395
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001859
- Title
- EFFECTS OF REAL ESTATE CYCLES ON RESIDENTIAL AMENITY VALUES FOR WATER RESOURCES.
- Creator
-
Hillard, Amy, Milon, Walter, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Little research has been conducted on the effects of housing price cycles on preferences for environmental landscape attributes over time (Cho, Kim, & Roberts, 2011). If the economic value of scarce resources like water resource amenities depends on consumer preferences, then it is useful to address possible effects of cyclical variation in the housing market on these values. This issue is addressed in the primary research question for this thesis: Did the 2007-2009 recession and consequent...
Show moreLittle research has been conducted on the effects of housing price cycles on preferences for environmental landscape attributes over time (Cho, Kim, & Roberts, 2011). If the economic value of scarce resources like water resource amenities depends on consumer preferences, then it is useful to address possible effects of cyclical variation in the housing market on these values. This issue is addressed in the primary research question for this thesis: Did the 2007-2009 recession and consequent real estate bust affect marginal willingness to pay for water resource amenities for properties in proximity to the lower St. Johns River (SJR) in Duval County, FL? Prior published studies on the most recent real estate cycle were used to evaluate the timing of housing market impacts during the most recent recession. Also, sales price and sales volume distributions for Duval County were evaluated to compare trends. Based on prior research and results, three separate hypotheses were generated and tested using the hedonic pricing method for residential properties in Duval County. The first hypothesis was that the recent recession impacted the implicit prices of water resource amenities for residential properties in proximity to the SJR. Two separate regression models were developed to test different recession periods (2007-2012 and 2008-2012) based on sample data. Time fixed effect binary variables were used to construct recession interaction effects with water related amenities (proximity to the SJR as well as tributary and riverfront properties). Results showed that during the recession period, sales prices for houses further away from the river experienced a greater negative impact than those closer to the river. This result is similar to research by Cohen, Coughlin, and Lopez (2012) who suggest that, higher priced or high tier residential houses (in this case, those closer to river) tend to hold their value more than low tier residential houses. Also, consistent with research by Bin, Czajkowski, Jingyuan, and Villarini (2015), sales prices for tributary and riverfront homes were not impacted by the recession. A second hypothesis was developed to test whether sales prices for houses in Duval County recovered to pre-recession levels. A regression model was constructed with a separate recession interaction effect variable for 2013-2015 and results indicated that the housing market did not make a full recovery from the recession. A final hypothesis was developed on the significance of interaction variables water quality indicator Chlorophyll-A and a recession effects binary variable. All water quality interaction variables introduced within the model were not significant at the 1% or 5% levels. Future research might include testing interactions with parcel land area and recession time effects and also examining other water quality indicators including Secchi Disk, dissolved oxygen, or turbidity. It may also be useful in the future to use an alternative method of measuring implicit prices of environmental characteristics, such as the repeat sales method.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFH0004890, ucf:45423
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004890
- Title
- ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF ELICITING INDIVIDUAL WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR TRAVEL TIME SAVINGS: A PILOT STUDY.
- Creator
-
LASCELLES, ASHLEY, Harrison, Glenn, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
How does one estimate the value of an individual's time? One possible way is to estimate how much a person is willing to pay for time savings. The majority of transportation studies have used stated preference surveys to estimate an individual's willingness to pay (WTP) for travel time savings. However, stated preferences approaches are subject to hypothetical bias since they elicit WTP for hypothetical outcomes instead of real outcomes. One study used a revealed preference approach...
Show moreHow does one estimate the value of an individual's time? One possible way is to estimate how much a person is willing to pay for time savings. The majority of transportation studies have used stated preference surveys to estimate an individual's willingness to pay (WTP) for travel time savings. However, stated preferences approaches are subject to hypothetical bias since they elicit WTP for hypothetical outcomes instead of real outcomes. One study used a revealed preference approach in a natural experiment to elicit WTP for travel time savings but the data was for a non-recurring event, which was not replicable. The purpose of this pilot study is to explore new methods, using procedures from a replicable field experiment, to elicit individual WTP for travel time savings. By using a revealed preference approach in an experimental setting, we address the legitimate concern over hypothetical bias while allowing the experimental methods and resulting data set to be replicated in other settings. The results show that the proposed field experiment is feasible, and that a sample of college students places a value of $22.43 on an hour of time. This estimated value is significantly greater than zero. We also find that individual WTP for travel time savings is significantly larger than the average wage rate, and that this WTP varies significantly across certain demographics. We conclude by reviewing the simplifying assumptions made within the study and offer extensions of how our data set can be replicated in the future for more complete analysis.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002184, ucf:47911
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002184
- Title
- Multiple-Case Study and Exploratory Analysis of the Implementation of Value-Added Teacher Performance Assessment on Eighth Grade Student Achievement in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.
- Creator
-
Carter, James, Taylor, Rosemarye, Doherty, Walter, Hahs-Vaughn, Debbie, Gordon, William, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The goal of this research was to analyze the academic impact of the implementation of the Value Added Assessment Model. The researcher analyzed the Value Added Assessment Models in the three Value Added Assessment Model states that had implemented the Value Added Assessment Model for more than five years. Additionally, the research was done by analyzing the academic impact as measured by the eighth grade reading NAEP and the eighth grade mathematics NAEP. The researcher paired the three...
Show moreThe goal of this research was to analyze the academic impact of the implementation of the Value Added Assessment Model. The researcher analyzed the Value Added Assessment Models in the three Value Added Assessment Model states that had implemented the Value Added Assessment Model for more than five years. Additionally, the research was done by analyzing the academic impact as measured by the eighth grade reading NAEP and the eighth grade mathematics NAEP. The researcher paired the three states that had implemented Value Added Assessment Model for more than five years, with three demographically matched states that had not implemented Value Added Assessment Model. The states were matched as follows: Ohio (Value Added Assessment Model implementing state) with Michigan (non Value Added Assessment Model state), Pennsylvania (Value Added Assessment Model implementing state) with Virginia (non Value Added Assessment Model state) and Tennessee (Value Added Assessment Model implementing state) with Georgia (non Value Added Assessment Model state). The mean composite scale score in NAEP from the following categories of students were compared and analyzed: 1) All students 2) White students 3) Black students 4) National School Lunch Program Eligible Students 5) National School Lunch Program Ineligible Students 6) Exceptional Education students. The results of the study indicated that the impact of Value Added Assessment Model on academic impact as measured by the eighth grade reading NAEP and the eighth grade mathematics NAEP was negligible.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005468, ucf:52862
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005468
- Title
- DO IMMIGRANT STUDENTS CONSUME LESS ENERGY THAN NATIVE-BORN AMERICAN STUDENTS?.
- Creator
-
Lei, Lei, Pals, Heili, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This paper uses a sociological model to compare the residential energy consumption between immigrant students and native-born American students and to explain the difference by demographic characteristics, values, and specific attitudes. Further, it tries to explore whether the relationship between immigration status and residential energy consumption is mediated by value orientation towards frugality and specific attitudes towards energy conservation. The data of an online survey among...
Show moreThis paper uses a sociological model to compare the residential energy consumption between immigrant students and native-born American students and to explain the difference by demographic characteristics, values, and specific attitudes. Further, it tries to explore whether the relationship between immigration status and residential energy consumption is mediated by value orientation towards frugality and specific attitudes towards energy conservation. The data of an online survey among native-born and foreign-born students at the University of Central Florida are used. The results suggest that immigrants consume less energy at home than native-born Americans, but the time stayed in the US doesn't have an impact on the energy consumption of immigrants. In addition, the results do not show evidence that value orientation towards frugality and specific attitudes toward energy conservation mediate the relationship between immigration status and energy consumption at home.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003629, ucf:48855
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003629
- Title
- LINKING PLACE VALUE CONCEPTS WITH COMPUTATIONAL PRACTICES IN THIRD GRADE.
- Creator
-
Cuffel, Terry, Dixon, Jule, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In an attempt to examine student understanding of place value with third graders, I conducted action research with a small group of girls to determine if my use of instructional strategies would encourage the development of conceptual understanding of place value. Strategies that have been found to encourage conceptual development of place value, such as use of the candy factory, were incorporated into my instruction. Instructional strategies were adjusted as the study progressed to meet the...
Show moreIn an attempt to examine student understanding of place value with third graders, I conducted action research with a small group of girls to determine if my use of instructional strategies would encourage the development of conceptual understanding of place value. Strategies that have been found to encourage conceptual development of place value, such as use of the candy factory, were incorporated into my instruction. Instructional strategies were adjusted as the study progressed to meet the needs of the students and the development of their understanding of place value. Student explanations of their use of strategies contributed to my interpretation of their understanding. Additionally, I examined the strategies that the students chose to use when adding or subtracting multidigit numbers. Student understanding was demonstrated through group discussion and written and oral explanations. My observations, anecdotal records and audio recordings allowed me to further analyze student understanding. The results of my research seem to corroborate previous research studies that emphasize the difficulty that many students have in understanding place value at the conceptual level.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002634, ucf:48196
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002634
- Title
- Same Fight, Different Player: An Insight into Culture, Information Sharing, and Team Performance.
- Creator
-
McCoy, Cecily, Fritzsche, Barbara, Salas, Eduardo, Mouloua, Mustapha, Mangos, Phillip, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The purpose of this study was to examine the relations among culture, information sharing, and performance among culturally-homogeneous NATO Officer teams. Forty-eight teams participated from five countries, namely, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and USA. Teams of four participants were randomly assigned to a role and the task was an interdependent computer-based mission using an adapted version of Neverwinter Nights(TM) (Bioware, 2003), where they had to communicate among teammates...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to examine the relations among culture, information sharing, and performance among culturally-homogeneous NATO Officer teams. Forty-eight teams participated from five countries, namely, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and USA. Teams of four participants were randomly assigned to a role and the task was an interdependent computer-based mission using an adapted version of Neverwinter Nights(TM) (Bioware, 2003), where they had to communicate among teammates and with non-human players to find weapons caches and other mission objectives. Not one individual had all of the information needed to perform the tasks; thus, they needed to share information with each other. The results of the study suggested that total information sharing was related to both team performance and cultural values (Power Distance, Individualism, and Uncertainty Avoidance). Specifically, Situation Update was the information sharing dimension that was significantly related to team performance. In addition, culture moderated the relations between information sharing and team performance. Specifically, there were hypotheses regarding Individualism moderating the relations between (a) Supporting Behavior, (b) Information Exchange, and (c) Reinforcement / Punishment and team performance. The results were that for high Individualists, the more supporting behavior, the better the teams performed. For low Individualists, the more supporting behavior, the worse the teams performed (-)a finding that was in the opposite direction than hypothesized. In support of the hypotheses, for high Individualists, as Information Exchange and Reinforcement / Punishment increased, team performance also increased. Conversely, for low Individualists, as Information Exchange and Reinforcement / Punishment increased, team performance decreased. A Task Direction x Power Distance interaction was also hypothesized and supported. Task Direction was positively related to team performance for high-Power Distance teams. For low-Power Distance teams, an increase in task direction was associated with a decrease in team performance. In addition, the effective teams exchanged more information and communicated similarly during the beginning, middle, and end of the missions. Moreover, high-Individualist teams were more successful and spent more time communicating about Planning in the beginning, and Situation Update for both the middle and end of the task. In contrast, teams low on Individualism spent more time communicating about Planning for all three phases of the task. There were also interesting rank differences in Information Sharing between senior and junior Norwegian Officers that are noteworthy. Study limitations, contributions, and practical implications for military teams and similar career fields were discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004716, ucf:49806
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004716
- Title
- EXPLORING TEACHING METHODS CORRESPONDING WITH THE THEORY OF BASIC HUMAN VALUES IN LATE CHILDHOOD AND EARLY ADOLESCENCE CLASSROOMS.
- Creator
-
Daly, Nicole, Roberts, Sherron-Killingsworth, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Recent research that indicates ten universal values are shared across cultures has developed into the Schwartz Value Systems Theory. This theory describes the ten basic human values that derive from different motivational forces such as social superiority, an inner desire in novelty, and loyalty to one's group. The values and corresponding motivational forces guide an individual's decisions. After the Schwartz Value Systems Theory had been developed, two surveys have been created in order to...
Show moreRecent research that indicates ten universal values are shared across cultures has developed into the Schwartz Value Systems Theory. This theory describes the ten basic human values that derive from different motivational forces such as social superiority, an inner desire in novelty, and loyalty to one's group. The values and corresponding motivational forces guide an individual's decisions. After the Schwartz Value Systems Theory had been developed, two surveys have been created in order to assess an individual's value hierarchy. While both of these surveys accurately measure an adult's values, further research has indicated children possess individual values similarly to adults. As a result, the Picture Based Values Survey for Children was created in order to consider children's values. The results from the children who took the Picture Based Values Survey For Children revealed that those children as a group acquired the same value hierarchy as adults. Since motivational forces determine an individual's values, it would seem predictable that values might have an effect on a student's level of motivation to succeed in the classroom. When a student's motivational goals are met in the classroom, then they will become engaged in the lesson by aligning students' values to the teaching methods incorporated in the lesson. This thesis therefore integrates prior research on children's value development, the effects these values have on society and the classroom, and ways to exhibit values through discourse and teaching methods. Further, this seeks to apply this research in late childhood and early adolescence classrooms by examining the effects that may result from teachers exhibiting each of the ten universal values through their teaching methods through publicly shared videos.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFH2000267, ucf:45995
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000267
- Title
- THE EFFECTS OF LIFE VALUES AMONG NON-PSYCHEDELIC DRUG USERS AND PSYCHEDELIC DRUG USERS: A COMPARISON STUDY ON LIFE VALUES.
- Creator
-
Peng, Lin, Saunders, William, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The intent of this study was to compare life value differences using the Life Values Inventory. Differences among non-psychedelic users and psychedelic users were examined. Participants, ranging from age 18 to 48 from the University of Central Florida (UCF), a large state university, were recruited on a voluntarily basis. This was primarily done through online message board, the Sona System, and classroom announcements. The study was presented through the Sona System provided by UCF. In...
Show moreThe intent of this study was to compare life value differences using the Life Values Inventory. Differences among non-psychedelic users and psychedelic users were examined. Participants, ranging from age 18 to 48 from the University of Central Florida (UCF), a large state university, were recruited on a voluntarily basis. This was primarily done through online message board, the Sona System, and classroom announcements. The study was presented through the Sona System provided by UCF. In addition, all participants were students of the university. Results indicated significant differences among three out of 14 life values measured. The three life values that were shown to be significantly different among the non-psychedelic users and psychedelic users were: 1) concern for others, 2) loyalty to family or group, and 3) responsibility. In addition, the life value of spirituality was only found to be marginally significant.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004599, ucf:45227
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004599
- Title
- INITIAL-VALUE TECHNIQUE FOR SINGULARLY PERTURBED TWO POINT BOUNDARY VALUE PROBLEMS VIA CUBIC SPLINE.
- Creator
-
Negron, Luis, Mohapatra, Ram, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
A recent method for solving singular perturbation problems is examined. It is designed for the applied mathematician or engineer who needs a convenient, useful tool that requires little preparation and can be readily implemented using little more than an industry-standard software package for spreadsheets. In this paper, we shall examine singularly perturbed two point boundary value problems with the boundary layer at one end point. An initial-value technique is used for its solution by...
Show moreA recent method for solving singular perturbation problems is examined. It is designed for the applied mathematician or engineer who needs a convenient, useful tool that requires little preparation and can be readily implemented using little more than an industry-standard software package for spreadsheets. In this paper, we shall examine singularly perturbed two point boundary value problems with the boundary layer at one end point. An initial-value technique is used for its solution by replacing the problem with an asymptotically equivalent first order problem, which is, in turn, solved as an initial value problem by using cubic splines. Numerical examples are provided to show that the method presented provides a fine approximation of the exact solution. The first chapter provides some background material to the cubic spline and boundary value problems. The works of several authors and a comparison of different solution methods are also discussed. Finally, some background into the specific singularly perturbed boundary value problems is introduced. The second chapter contains calculations and derivations necessary for the cubic spline and the initial value technique which are used in the solutions to the boundary value problems. The third chapter contains some worked numerical examples and the numerical data obtained along with most of the tables and figures that describe the solutions. The thesis concludes with some reflections on the results obtained and some discussion of the error bounds on the calculated approximations to the exact solutions for the numeric examples discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003460, ucf:48398
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003460
- Title
- Weighted Low-Rank Approximation of Matrices:Some Analytical and Numerical Aspects.
- Creator
-
Dutta, Aritra, Li, Xin, Sun, Qiyu, Mohapatra, Ram, Nashed, M, Shah, Mubarak, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This dissertation addresses some analytical and numerical aspects of a problem of weighted low-rank approximation of matrices. We propose and solve two different versions of weighted low-rank approximation problems. We demonstrate, in addition, how these formulations can be efficiently used to solve some classic problems in computer vision. We also present the superior performance of our algorithms over the existing state-of-the-art unweighted and weighted low-rank approximation algorithms...
Show moreThis dissertation addresses some analytical and numerical aspects of a problem of weighted low-rank approximation of matrices. We propose and solve two different versions of weighted low-rank approximation problems. We demonstrate, in addition, how these formulations can be efficiently used to solve some classic problems in computer vision. We also present the superior performance of our algorithms over the existing state-of-the-art unweighted and weighted low-rank approximation algorithms.Classical principal component analysis (PCA) is constrained to have equal weighting on the elements of the matrix, which might lead to a degraded design in some problems. To address this fundamental flaw in PCA, Golub, Hoffman, and Stewart proposed and solved a problem of constrained low-rank approximation of matrices: For a given matrix $A = (A_1\;A_2)$, find a low rank matrix $X = (A_1\;X_2)$ such that ${\rm rank}(X)$ is less than $r$, a prescribed bound, and $\|A-X\|$ is small.~Motivated by the above formulation, we propose a weighted low-rank approximation problem that generalizes the constrained low-rank approximation problem of Golub, Hoffman and Stewart.~We study a general framework obtained by pointwise multiplication with the weight matrix and consider the following problem:~For a given matrix $A\in\mathbb{R}^{m\times n}$ solve:\begin{eqnarray*}\label{weighted problem}\min_{\substack{X}}\|\left(A-X\right)\odot W\|_F^2~{\rm subject~to~}{\rm rank}(X)\le r,\end{eqnarray*}where $\odot$ denotes the pointwise multiplication and $\|\cdot\|_F$ is the Frobenius norm of matrices.In the first part, we study a special version of the above general weighted low-rank approximation problem.~Instead of using pointwise multiplication with the weight matrix, we use the regular matrix multiplication and replace the rank constraint by its convex surrogate, the nuclear norm, and consider the following problem:\begin{eqnarray*}\label{weighted problem 1}\hat{X} (&)=(&) \arg \min_X \{\frac{1}{2}\|(A-X)W\|_F^2 +\tau\|X\|_\ast\},\end{eqnarray*}where $\|\cdot\|_*$ denotes the nuclear norm of $X$.~Considering its resemblance with the classic singular value thresholding problem we call it the weighted singular value thresholding~(WSVT)~problem.~As expected,~the WSVT problem has no closed form analytical solution in general,~and a numerical procedure is needed to solve it.~We introduce auxiliary variables and apply simple and fast alternating direction method to solve WSVT numerically.~Moreover, we present a convergence analysis of the algorithm and propose a mechanism for estimating the weight from the data.~We demonstrate the performance of WSVT on two computer vision applications:~background estimation from video sequences~and facial shadow removal.~In both cases,~WSVT shows superior performance to all other models traditionally used. In the second part, we study the general framework of the proposed problem.~For the special case of weight, we study the limiting behavior of the solution to our problem,~both analytically and numerically.~In the limiting case of weights,~as $(W_1)_{ij}\to\infty, W_2=\mathbbm{1}$, a matrix of 1,~we show the solutions to our weighted problem converge, and the limit is the solution to the constrained low-rank approximation problem of Golub et. al. Additionally, by asymptotic analysis of the solution to our problem,~we propose a rate of convergence.~By doing this, we make explicit connections between a vast genre of weighted and unweighted low-rank approximation problems.~In addition to these, we devise a novel and efficient numerical algorithm based on the alternating direction method for the special case of weight and present a detailed convergence analysis.~Our approach improves substantially over the existing weighted low-rank approximation algorithms proposed in the literature.~Finally, we explore the use of our algorithm to real-world problems in a variety of domains, such as computer vision and machine learning. Finally, for a special family of weights, we demonstrate an interesting property of the solution to the general weighted low-rank approximation problem. Additionally, we devise two accelerated algorithms by using this property and present their effectiveness compared to the algorithm proposed in Chapter 4.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006833, ucf:51789
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006833
- Title
- AN INTEGRATED MODEL OF WORK CLIMATE.
- Creator
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Kuenzi, Maribeth, Schminke, Marshall, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Management scholars have become increasingly interested in the role of organizational context. As part of this trend, research on work climates has thrived. This contemporary climate research differs from traditional approaches by concentrating on facet-specific climate types like service or innovation, rather than general, global conceptualizations of climate. Consequently, the climate literature has become fragmented and disorderly. I seek to remedy this in my dissertation. Specifically, I...
Show moreManagement scholars have become increasingly interested in the role of organizational context. As part of this trend, research on work climates has thrived. This contemporary climate research differs from traditional approaches by concentrating on facet-specific climate types like service or innovation, rather than general, global conceptualizations of climate. Consequently, the climate literature has become fragmented and disorderly. I seek to remedy this in my dissertation. Specifically, I propose and test an integrated model of work climate that examines both molar and facet-specific climates. Chapter 1 is a review of the organizational work climate literature. This review seeks to review, reorganize, and reintegrate the climate literature. In addition, this review brought to light an issue that hinders the integration of the climate literatures: the literature does not contain a quality instrument for assessing the general characteristics of the molar work climate of an organization. In Chapter 2, I develop a theoretically-driven measure of work climate by drawing on the competing values framework (Quinn & Rohrbaugh, 1983). Preliminary results from three studies suggest that the proposed four-component model of molar work climate appears to be viable. The results indicate the instrument has internal reliability. Further, the results demonstrate discriminant, convergent, and criterion-related validity. In Chapter 3, I propose and test an integrated model of work climate by drawing on bandwidth-fidelity theory (Cronbach & Gleser, 1957). I predict that facet-specific climates will be more strongly related to specific outcomes and molar climates will be more strongly related to global outcomes. Further, I suggest weaker, indirect relationships between molar climate and specific outcomes and between facet-specific climates and global outcomes. The results indicate support for my predictions.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002032, ucf:47576
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002032
- Title
- THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELORS' VALUES AND LEADERSHIP PRACTICES TO THEIR PROGRAMMATIC SERVICE DELIVERY.
- Creator
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Shillingford, Margaret, Lambie, Glenn, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Professional School Counselors (PSCs) have been called to be leaders for educational reform to support the academic, career, and personal/social development of all students through the coordination and facilitation of their comprehensive, developmental school counseling program (American School Counselor Association , 2005; National Model©). The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the contributions of PSCs' values and leadership practices to their programmatic service...
Show moreProfessional School Counselors (PSCs) have been called to be leaders for educational reform to support the academic, career, and personal/social development of all students through the coordination and facilitation of their comprehensive, developmental school counseling program (American School Counselor Association , 2005; National Model©). The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the contributions of PSCs' values and leadership practices to their programmatic service delivery (counseling, coordinating, consulting, and curriculum). The three constructs and instruments investigated in this study were: (a) Schwartz Value Theory (the Schwartz Value Survey ; Schwartz, 1992), (b) the Leadership Challenge Theory (the Leadership Practices Inventory ; Posner & Kouzes, 1988), and (c) school counselors' programmatic service delivery (the School Counselors Activity Rating Scale ; Scarborough, 2005). The findings of this study contribute to the school counseling, counselor education, and leadership literature. The sample size for this study was 249 certified, practicing school counselors (elementary school, n = 83; middle school, n = 76; high school, n = 74; multi-level, n = 8) in the state of Florida (35% response rate). The participants completed an on-line surveys including a general demographic questionnaire, the SVS (Schwartz, 1992), the LPI (Posner & Kouzes, 1988), and the SCARS (Scarborough, 2005). The statistical procedures used to analyze the data included (a) structural equation modeling (path Analysis), (b) confirmatory factor analysis, (c) simultaneous multiple regression, (d) Pearson product-moment (2-tailed), and (e) Analysis of variance (ANOVA). The primary research hypothesis for the study was that practicing school counselors' values and leadership practice scores would contribute to their levels of programmatic service delivery. The statistical analyses of these data identified several significant findings. The path analysis models testing the contribution of school counselors' values and leadership practices on their service delivery did fit for these data. Specifically, the results indicated that values contributed minimally to the model fit (less than 1%); however, leadership practices made a significant contribution (39%) to the school counselors' service delivery. Additionally, 31% of the participants reported that their current school counseling program was consistent with how they perceive a successful school counseling program should be implemented, yet only 29% of the school counselors reported feeling comfortable in challenging their involvement in non-counseling related duties. Further, although these data indicated that the majority of the school counselors valued self-transcendence (accepting of rules and appreciating others); structural equation modification re-specification procedures revealed that the model fit supported the value type, self-enhancement (self-direction and personal success) as a more significant contributor in promoting leadership practices and effective service delivery. Implications for professional school counseling and counselor education are presented, along with areas for future investigation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002559, ucf:47653
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002559
- Title
- CLASSROOM MATHEMATICAL PRACTICES IN A PRESERVICE ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS EDUCATION COURSE USING AN INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE RELATED TO PLACE VALUE AND OPERATIONS.
- Creator
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Andreasen, Janet, Dixon, Juli, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This qualitative study documents a classroom teaching experiment in a semester-long undergraduate mathematics education course for 16 prospective elementary school teachers. The purpose of this study was to investigate how social aspects of the classroom environment facilitated the collective mathematical learning of place value and whole number operations by preservice elementary school teachers. Design-based research methodology was used for formulating the study. A hypothetical learning...
Show moreThis qualitative study documents a classroom teaching experiment in a semester-long undergraduate mathematics education course for 16 prospective elementary school teachers. The purpose of this study was to investigate how social aspects of the classroom environment facilitated the collective mathematical learning of place value and whole number operations by preservice elementary school teachers. Design-based research methodology was used for formulating the study. A hypothetical learning trajectory and instructional sequence related to place value and operations were created and refined in the two semesters prior to this study. The instructional sequence was in its third iteration for this study. The developmental levels that children progress through in learning place value and operations were used in identifying the learning trajectory and supporting tasks in which the preservice teachers were asked to engage. A large portion of the instructional sequence involved a setting of base eight instead of base ten. The sequence returned to base ten in order to discuss whole number operations and alternative strategies for operations in an effort to further develop the preservice teachers' conceptual understandings of place value and operations and to examine children's thinking strategies. Data were collected through video-taped recordings of class sessions, audio-taped recordings of table discussions and research team meetings, field notes, and journals written by the research team. Sixteen preservice teachers participated in the study which lasted over 5 class sessions of 3 hours and 10 minutes each. The emergent perspective which attempts to coordinate the individual learning and the social aspects of the classroom that support collective learning was used as an interpretive lens for data collection and analysis. The social aspects along with some aspects of individual student understandings together give an indication of collective mathematical understandings of the students as a whole group. Social norms established were: a) the expectation of providing explanations and justifications for solutions and solution methods, b) making sense of each other's solutions and c) asking questions of classmates or the instructor. Sociomathematical norms that were valued but not fully established were: a) criteria for different solutions and solution methods and b) criteria for what constituted a good explanation. Data analysis for the establishment of classroom mathematical practices was conducted using Toulmin's argumentation model (Toulmin, 1969). A three phase approach described by Rasmussen and Stephan (in press) was used in determining what constituted a classroom mathematical practice. The classroom mathematical practices that facilitated student learning in this study were: a) unitizing, b) flexibly representing numbers, and c) reasoning about operations. This study led to the refinement of the hypothetical learning trajectory and further progress in defining an instructional theory of how preservice teachers may come to understand place value and whole number operations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0000917, ucf:46718
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000917
- Title
- A CONSUMER-BASED ASSESSMENT OF ALLIANCE PERFORMANCE: AN EXAMINATION OF CONSUMER VALUE, SATISFACTION AND POST-PURCHASE BEHAVIOR.
- Creator
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Mouri, Nacef, Ganesh, Jai, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Strategic alliances have become a recognized strategy used by firms in the pursuit of their diverse organizational objectives. Consequently, the literature on alliances is replete with research investigating the value strategic alliances generate for participating organizations. Strategic alliances have been shown to contribute to firm value through numerous sources, including scale economies, effective risk management, cost efficient market entries, and learning from partners. Largely...
Show moreStrategic alliances have become a recognized strategy used by firms in the pursuit of their diverse organizational objectives. Consequently, the literature on alliances is replete with research investigating the value strategic alliances generate for participating organizations. Strategic alliances have been shown to contribute to firm value through numerous sources, including scale economies, effective risk management, cost efficient market entries, and learning from partners. Largely overlooked in the literature however, are issues investigating the relationship between strategic alliances and one of the organization's most important constituents, the consumer. Questions such as how the consumer reacts to inter-firm alliances, how strategic alliances impact consumer value, satisfaction, and customer post-purchase behavior have yet to be answered. This lacuna has been recently highlighted by prominent researchers in the discipline (Rindfleisch and Moorman 2003). Focusing on marketing alliances, the present dissertation attempts to address this gap in the alliance literature by advancing and testing a theoretical framework examining consumers' cognitive, affective, and behavioral reactions to organizational strategic alliances. The dissertation also contributes to the satisfaction literature. Scholars in this area have traditionally viewed satisfaction as a cognitive response to the comparison of actual consumption experiences with some comparison standard (confirmation/disconfirmation paradigm). Recently however, there have been increasing calls for satisfaction measures to capture not just how the customer thinks the product performed relative to the comparison standard, but also the resulting customer emotion. The study provides additional support of an affective route to customer satisfaction, particularly when customer hedonic value is enhanced. Moreover, the association between customer satisfaction and behavioral outcomes is also examined. While prior research shows that satisfaction is positively related to loyalty and word of mouth and negatively related to intentions to switch, it was found that these relationships are even stronger in the presence of alliances. The results of this dissertation provide important theoretical and managerial insights. The strategic alliance literature is enhanced insofar as this is the first effort aimed at investigating the impact of strategic alliances on the consumer. The study examines the relationship between marketing alliances and customer value, particularly utilitarian and hedonic value, as well as the moderating role of alliance type (functional or symbolic) in this relationship. From a managerial perspective, engaging in strategic alliances is strategically critical and costly. By providing insight into how alliances enhance consumer value, and how in turn value enhancement is related to customer satisfaction and behavioral outcomes, the present research will help managers make more appropriate and better-informed alliance decisions.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000744, ucf:46594
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000744
- Title
- IS ECONOMIC VALUE ADDED (EVA) THE BEST WAY TO ASSEMBLE A PORTFOLIO?.
- Creator
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Pataky, Tamas, Gilkeson, James, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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In search of a better investment metric, researchers began to study Economic Value Added, or EVA, which was introduced in 1991 by Stern Stewart & Co in their book, "The Quest for Value" (Turvey, 2000). Stern Stewart & Co devised EVA as a better alternative to evaluate investment projects within the corporate finance field, later to be considered for use as a performance metric for investor use. A wide array of multinational corporations, such as Coca-Cola, Briggs and Stratton, and AT&T...
Show moreIn search of a better investment metric, researchers began to study Economic Value Added, or EVA, which was introduced in 1991 by Stern Stewart & Co in their book, "The Quest for Value" (Turvey, 2000). Stern Stewart & Co devised EVA as a better alternative to evaluate investment projects within the corporate finance field, later to be considered for use as a performance metric for investor use. A wide array of multinational corporations, such as Coca-Cola, Briggs and Stratton, and AT&T adopted the EVA method, which led to EVA's worldwide acclaim. Several points in the study reveal that EVA does not offer less risk, higher returns, and more adaptability for an investor. In fact, EVA underperformed the traditional portfolio performance metrics in key measurements including mean returns, and confidence intervals. EVA is a difficult performance metric to calculate, with several complex components that can be calculated in several different ways such as NOPAT, cost of equity, and cost of debt. Any information that is inaccurate or lacking can significantly impact the outcomes. Traditional performance metrics, on the other hand, such as ROA, ROE, and E/P are simple to calculate with few components, and only one way to calculate them.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFH0004289, ucf:44909
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004289
