2024-03-29T11:02:26Zhttp://uobrep.openrepository.com/oai/requestoai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1299172020-05-23T03:57:12Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Tourism, poverty and poverty reduction in Msambweni district, Kenya
Barasa, Davis Wekesa
tourism
Africa
economic conditions
N840 International Tourism
Kenya
poverty reduction
poverty
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, Faculty of Education, Sport & Tourism, in fulfilment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in June 2010.
This thesis examines the potential of tourism’s contribution to poverty reduction as perceived by local people in Msambweni district in Kenya. Whilst many studies in tourism have focused mainly on the macro-economic impacts of tourism in developing countries, there is little empirical work on understanding its effects upon poverty reduction. Furthermore, researches on how the poor or local people define poverty are also at their embryonic stage. The research utilises multiple qualitative methods and participatory approaches including focus group discussions and meetings. Key objectives of the research are: to critically analyse how poverty is conceptualised by local people; to identify the barriers to participation in the tourism industry and development process; and make recommendations on how to overcome them. The thesis reviews the theoretical framework of poverty within the discourse of development studies. Contrary to the conventional economic definition of poverty, poor people in Msambweni view it as a multidimensional concept. The understanding of the concept of poverty as perceived by the ‘poor’ themselves is critical for addressing barriers to their participation in the tourism development process and in designing meaningful tourism-led anti-poverty strategies. The thesis also reviews other relevant tourism concepts and development paradigms. The central argument of this thesis is that the current model of tourism development in Msambweni is not suitable for addressing poverty. The study identifies barriers to local people’s participation in tourism development in Msambweni. Key barriers include weak capacity in the context of physical, human, financial and institutional capital; corruption; poverty; lack of information; weak linkages with the local economy attributable to the lack of access to tourist markets; and the inability to develop and promote the ‘right’ types of tourism. Ecotourism, volunteer tourism and ‘philanthropy tourism’, although practiced on a small scale, are the most preferred types of tourism by local people. Philanthropy tourism, an emergent term of this study, involves tourists visiting local attractions, villages, and schools and making donations to support various projects. The study concludes that for tourism to have meaningful contribution to poverty reduction, barriers that limit local people’s participation must be addressed. There is also the need for a paradigm shift to embrace policies that facilitate the transfer of economic benefits from the macro-level towards the poor at the micro-level, combined with the development and promotion of the ‘right’ types of tourism as identified by local people.
2011-05-23T13:22:54Z
2011-05-23T13:22:54Z
2010-06
Thesis or dissertation
Barasa, D. (2010) Tourism, poverty and poverty reduction in Msambweni district, Kenya.
Unpublished Thesis (PhD), University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/129917
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1318982020-05-08T04:06:15Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Multidimensional perfectionism and motivation in sport : potential mediating and moderating variables
Hill, Andrew P.
Sport
Motivation
Perfectionism
C600 Sports Science
Recent research has found that self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism have distinct consequences for athletes. The purpose of the thesis was to extend this research by further examining their motivational consequences for athletes and identifying the psychological mechanisms that explain their divergent consequences. The first two studies suggested that the positive relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and athlete burnout was mediated by the tendency to engage in validation-seeking and utilise avoidant coping, whereas the inverse relationship between self-oriented perfectionism and athlete burnout was mediated by the tendency to utilise problem-focused coping and eschew avoidant coping. Because these initial studies provided little evidence to suggest that self-oriented perfectionism has negative psychological consequences for athletes, the nature of self-oriented perfectionism and its consequences were examined more closely in two subsequent studies. A comparative study examining similarities and differences in the correlates of selforiented perfectionism and conscientious achievement striving found that while both include a commitment to high standards, self-oriented perfectionism also includes a concern over mistakes, fear of failure and negative reactions to imperfection. An experimental study examining the response of student-athletes II higher in this dimension of perfectionism to successive failures further suggested that, in comparison to those with lower levels of self-oriented perfectionism, those with higher levels of self-oriented perfectionism experienced a more pronounced increase in threat following an initial failure and reported withdrawing effort from the subsequent performance. The final two studies suggest that the divergent consequences of these two dimensions of perfectionism may also be explained by differences in the controllability of sources of self-worth and evaluative standards. In addition, in some instances, perceptions of the achievement climate may influence the self-criticism experienced by perfectionists. Collectively, this series of studies suggest that socially prescribed perfectionism will invariably lead to motivational and psychological difficulties for athletes. In contrast, such difficulties may not be inevitable for those with higher levels of self-oriented perfectionism; however, it may render athletes vulnerable to psychological difficulties when personal standards are not meet.
2011-05-24T13:58:15Z
2011-05-24T13:58:15Z
2009-10
Thesis or dissertation
Hill, A. (2009) Multidimensional perfectionism and motivation in sport : potential mediating and moderating variablesUnpublished Thesis (PhD), University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/131898
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1331132020-04-23T07:27:52Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Evaluation of the response capability of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the impact of natural hazards
Al Ghasyah Dhanhani, Hamdan
United Arab Emirates
hazards
natural disasters
disasters
B910 Environmental Health
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of
Bedfordshire
The UAE is an Islamic state which has undergone dramatic urbanization in the last 30 years. It is situated near the eastern margin of the Arabian tectonic plate, close to the seismically active collision zone between the Arabian and Eurasian Plates, marked by the Zagros Mountain belt of Iran. In the UAE the population of Dibba in Fujairah has felt tremors as recently as November 26 2009 and an earthquake with a magnitude (M) of 5 occurred in Masafi, Fujairah, in March 2002. The most recent earthquake was M 4.3, and awareness of seismic hazard is increasing. In addition to earthquakes, rapid heavy rainfall in the arid environment of the UAE typically results in high level of discharge and flooding. Tropical storms have also struck the Indian Ocean coast of the UAE and have caused damage in coastal areas. The impact of natural hazard events in Fujairah since 1995 and the responses of the authorities and affected communities illustrates the issues faced by the country and is discussed in the thesis. The Federal Plan to face disasters in the UAE prepared by the Civil Defence sets out the role of the government structures in the UAE to manage disasters with particular reference to the Ministry of Interior, which is the responsible body. A survey of UAE ministries and the Civil Defence shows that in practice there is lack of clarity between the roles of government bodies and there are many areas of confusion regarding jurisdiction and responsibility between the federal and individual emirate institutions. It was a concern that some supporting ministries were unaware of their role as set out in the overall plan. There is lack of evidence of an integrated approach and no testing of effectiveness of emergency procedures through simulation exercises. It is recognized that, not only are school children particularly vulnerable to natural disasters but also that education is an important mitigation tool through raising awareness of hazard exposure amongst the population. A survey of schools in Fujairah showed that there was little preparation for natural disasters and no framework to address this issue or to ensure the structural integrity of school buildings. The survey revealed that there is a willingness to learn among the school children and this was followed up by a pilot scheme to raise awareness. This is important as the survey also revealed that traditional views about losses are still common amongst parents, particularly in rural areas. The vulnerability of the communities to natural hazards is strongly influenced by cultural and social factors. A survey was undertaken of the population in the UAE to investigate their awareness of natural hazards, their perception of risk and how this might be mitigated. The survey revealed a low level awareness and what the role of government agencies would be in the event of a disaster. A majority considered that disasters were Acts of God, a punishment, and the most effective way to mitigate risk was through religious observance. It is clear that even in a developed Islamic country an effective response to mitigate risk needs to recognize and address the cultural and religious contexts. Finally the thesis evaluates the response capability of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the impact of natural hazards. This analysis shows that though there is a Federal Plan for Disasters there is little specific focus on natural hazards. Ministries not directly involved with the Civil Defence were sometimes unclear regarding their roles. At an operational level there is lack of clarity regarding responsibilities and lines of authority between different bodies and between Federal and emirate structures. The Civil Defence was very much focused on response with little effort devoted to reducing vulnerability through awareness-raising, hazard assessment and monitoring. These need to be addressed to minimize the risk from natural disasters.
2011-06-14T12:03:02Z
2011-06-14T12:03:02Z
2010-07
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/133113
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1330952020-05-08T04:06:26Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Feminine identity as the site of struggle: the confrontation of different models of femininity in contemporary Spanish cinema directed by women (1990-2005)
García-López, Ana
Spanish cinema
identity
cinema
femininity
female identity
L216 Feminism
P303 Film studies
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
The last two decades have witnessed an unprecedented incorporation of women within the Spanish film industry. This is part of a general increase in newcomers since the beginning of the 1990s, when the industry was undergoing a deep restructuring. The media has celebrated this incorporation of women filmmakers, recurrently referring to their different sensibility, a feminine perspective noticeable in their films. Despite the socio-cultural interest of this incorporation, no thorough study of their work has been completed. This research project surveys the extent and scope of these women's incorporation within the industry, and explores the varied ways that their films engage with the main discursive trends that define femininity in Spanish cinema and mass media. Femininity is broadly understood here as the socio-cultural interpretations of what constitutes 'correct womanhood', but, also, discursively: as the space of struggle wherein individual (fictional) women engage with these constructions, by contesting and / or adopting some of their elements. Further attention is given to the ways that these new filmmakers's films engage with traditional and modern formulations of femininity, as articulated in implicit relation to, respectively, Francoism and postfeminism. In the core chapters, several detailed analyses are given of especially relevant films by these women, using a critical discourse analysis approach. These chapters address topics that are foregrounded in these women’s films and that have been central to feminine experience, namely: the family and motherhood, romanticism and sexuality, and the ‘Other’. From the study it emerges that these women’s films adopt a different perspective if only because they often render visible discriminatory behaviours (e.g. discrimination at work) and representational practices (e.g. the sexual objectification of women). Regarding their treatment of the aforementioned ‘feminine themes’ (i.e. family and romanticism), these filmmakers self-consciously engage with the conventions that have constructed femininity in the media.
2011-06-14T12:11:29Z
2011-06-14T12:11:29Z
2009-08
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/133095
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1330962020-05-15T01:59:02Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Changes in diversionary strategies within the youth justice system of England & Wales (1908-2010)
Randall, Vicki Louise
youth justice
M990 Law not elsewhere classified
A thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Philosophy of the University of Bedfordshire
Youth justice in England and Wales is a highly politicised area of government policy and youth justice provision has always been a highly contested issue. The discourse of diversion stems from debates about the purpose and effectiveness of various types of penal regimes, and particularly their effect on children and young people in trouble with the law. The process of diversion aims to remove children and young people from the formal sanctions of the criminal justice system or minimize their penetration into it, and failing that it aims to avoid incarceration. Over the years diversion has taken many forms and the extent to which children have been diverted has varied. This thesis explores the various types of diversionary practice and how they have changed over time. It explores the political, administrative and professional conditions under which diversion has been a priority and those under which it has been effective. Bernard (1992) has argued that there is a ‘cycle of youth justice’ in which responses to youth crime move from the harsh to the more lenient before swinging back again. The thesis suggests that there is a ‘spiral’ of youth justice in which different paradigms are sometimes entangled together leading to the often contradictory and complex realities of youth justice and diversion without necessarily returning to the place of origin. It concludes that, given the current fiscal climate, there is a distinct likelihood that diversion policies will gain ascendancy. However, any developments will be fragile and susceptible to unintended consequences if the ‘real’ outcomes for children and young people are not part of the motivation for reform.
2011-06-14T12:39:49Z
2011-06-14T12:39:49Z
2011-03
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/133096
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1335492020-05-08T04:03:22Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Compositional structures in mural design : towards a site-specific deconstructive mural methodology
Abdelrahman, Akmal H.H.
murals
site-specificity
architecture
W190 Fine Art not elsewhere classified
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Murals have been the formal visual interpretation of the cultural, social and political life of all ages. Throughout they have been consistently combined with their architectural setting, for example, in ancient Egyptian tombs, in Renaissance churches and on the external walls of buildings in Mexico in the twentieth century. This is a central feature of mural painting. However many contemporary murals do not integrate with their architectural settings, in other words, do not fulfil the site-specificity of the architectural spaces for which they were made. This means that the most important aspect that distinguishes murals from other types of painting is absent. I studied and analysed a number of murals produced in the Italian Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo as this particular period is considered to be not only one of the most significant in the history of art but also a period in which painting and architecture were very closely allied as practices. In particular the radical developments in painting of pictorial space took place along side the developments in architecture. I argue that Renaissance murals could be described, using the terminology of contemporary art, as site-specific art. By identifying the relationship between pictorial space, architectural space and compositional structure I was able to test, through my own practice, the importance of these relationships in understanding the site-specificity of the compositional structure of murals. To address the issue of sitespecificity in murals, I investigated and developed a set of compositional structures through my mural practice that could be applied in the design, execution, and teaching of contemporary mural design. I have developed the notion of a deconstructive method of mural design in which the illusory space of the mural derives its compositional structure from the architectural space in which it sited. I have applied it, tested it and refined it through the execution of a number of hypothetical and live mural commissions. I believe that the approach to the study and practice of mural design I have developed from the perspective of a practice lead researcher contributes to the furtherance of mural design as both a profession and field of study. In particular the identification of compositional structures in mural design and the proposal of a deconstructive method contributes to our understanding of what a mural is as well as current notions of site-specificity in contemporary art.
2011-06-17T09:54:54Z
2011-06-17T09:54:54Z
2009
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/133549
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1335692020-05-12T03:10:30Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
The role and impact of the press in Bahrain in the process of democratisation : special reference to the discourse of pre and post reforms in Bahraini newspapers (1996-2006)
Al-Fadhel, Jehad Abdulla
Bahrain
democracy
newspapers
impact of press
democratisation
P500 Journalism
L222 Democracy
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Bedfordshire
This dissertation sets out to investigate the role of the press in effecting political and socio-economic changes in the Bahraini society prior, during and after the Reform Act which was issued by King Hamad Bin Issa Al-Khalifa in February 2001. To this end, the author has used qualitative and quantitative research methods. This was carried out through content analysis of archival data, questionnaires and in-depth structured interviews. The population was randomly selected from journalists, intellectuals, women in key positions as well as media specialists. Qualitatively, the results point to some dramatic changes in varied areas. The press has brought about enhancing the margin of freedom of expression which is depicted in both the coverage and discourse of newspapers discourse. More importantly, the press has a remarkable role in women political empowerment which had been almost absent prior to the Reform Act. Quantitatively, a wider range of topics and issues, some of which are quite sensitive, are now addressed with relative transparency. Another significant change is the increasing number of newspapers. Before the Reform Act there were only two Arabic newspapers, now there are seven Arabic and two English newspapers. Despite such promising changes, some informants continue to believe that the margin of freedom of expression is somewhat restricted and there are some topics and issues that cannot be approached adequately. In light of the results of this study, it can be concluded that the press has effected some major political, social, economic, educational, etc. changes in Bahrain, albeit not quite satisfactorily.
2011-06-17T10:00:27Z
2011-06-17T10:00:27Z
2009-03
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/133569
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1335712020-05-12T03:10:50Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
An analysis of the involvement construct in the information processing of advertising messages
Danbury, Annie Hagen
advertising
information processing
N561 Advertising
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Bedfordshire
This research investigated the role of felt involvement in processing advertising messages by means of a 3x2 factorial experiment with control. The experiment was designed to examine the effects of advertising exposure on the decoding process with a risk and pleasure treatment for three product categories. Overall, results from 583 respondents provide strong support for the influence of affective components of involvement in the evaluation of advertising information in both high and medium involvement situations. Specifically, risk and pleasure antecedents were examined to determine their relative impact on involvement, information processing, and outcomes of the decoding process in terms of recall and attitudes to the advertisement. The involvement construct was found to be relatively stable, but the affective antecedents, pleasure and sign, influenced the decoding process and its outcomes after advertising exposure. Evidence from this research suggests that cognitive processing of advertising messages is simpler than has been assumed in the advertising and consumer behaviour literature to date as information processing is driven predominantly by affect. Pleasure appeals were also found to be particularly effective across product categories. Purchase risk was perceived to be very low or non-existent at the time of advertising exposure. Insight into the underlying processes that influence the decoding of advertising is also provided. This suggests that advertising situations are specific and based on the relative importance of the product, the nature of involvement, advertising appeal, user status, proximity of the next purchase, attitude to advertising and potentially gender identification.
2011-06-17T10:22:07Z
2011-06-17T10:22:07Z
2007-01
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/133571
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1335702020-05-13T02:12:55Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Examining perfectionism in elite junior athletes : measurement and development issues
Appleton, Paul Richard
perfectionism
junior athletes
sport
sports psychology
C600 Sports Science
The major theme of the current thesis was the definition, measurement, and development of perfectionism in elite junior sport. The first purpose was to examine the psychometric properties associated with Hewitt and Flett’s (1991) Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS-HF) when complete by a sample of elite junior athletes. In study one, a confirmatory factor analysis failed to support the original structure of 45-item MPS-HF. Subsequent exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a more parsimonious 15-item factor structure representing self-oriented (SOP), socially prescribed (SPP), and other-oriented perfectionism (OOP). Having established a reconstituted version of the MPS-HF, a second purpose of the research programme was to consider the origins of perfectionism in elite junior athletes using a cross-sectional design. Initially, in study two a social learning model was supported, with 18%-26% of variance in athletes’ perfectionism predicted by parents’ perfectionism. Building upon this finding in study three, a structural equation model revealed that parenting styles, including empathy and psychological control, mediated the parent-athletic child SPP relationship. In study four, a significant pathway emerged between parents’ achievement goals and athletes’ dispositional perfectionism, offering support for a social expectations model of perfectionism development. Specifically, parents’ task and ego orientations were positively associated with athletes’ SOP. In contrast, athletes’ SPP was predicted by parents’ ego orientation. Study four also demonstrated the nature and form of motivational regulation associated with athletes’ SOP and SPP. That is, a pathway emerged between athletes’ SPP and controlled forms of regulation, while athletes’ SOP was correlated with self-determined and controlled motivation. Finally, in study five, the coach-created motivational climate accounted for approximately 19% of variance in athletes’ perfectionistic cognitions, highlighting the role of additional social agents in the development of athletes’ perfectionism. The results of this research programme contribute to existing knowledge of perfectionism by forwarding reliable measures of SOP and SPP for employment in sport, and revealing a complex array of pathways that underpin the development of perfectionism in elite junior athletes. Ultimately, by preventing the occurrence of such pathways, athletic children may be protected from the perils of perfectionism.
2011-06-17T10:14:35Z
2011-06-17T10:14:35Z
2009
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/133570
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1335512020-05-14T03:42:17Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Development of a whole-cell based biosensor technique for assessment of bioavailability and toxicity of heavy metals in soil
Ding, Yurong
biosensors
heavy metals
soil
toxicity
bioavailability
F853 Pollution Control
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
The aim of this study was to develop a suitable monitoring protocol for mediated amperometric whole-cell biosensors for in situ assessment of heavy metals in soil. E. coli 8277, Pseudomonas 9773, Pseudomonas 9046 and Pseudomonas 8917 were screened as biosensor catalysts to select the sensitive biosensor configurations to heavy metals. A new protocol was developed for monitoring heavy metals in defined solution, soil pore water, and in situ in soil. This study also demonstrated the applications of mediated amperometric bacterial biosensors for in situ assessing the bioavailability and toxicity of heavy metals in freshly spiked soils or historically contaminated soils, and mixture toxicities of heavy metals. It was found that the biosensors incorporating selected bacterial strains were appropriately sensitive to copper, but less sensitive to Zn, Pb, and Hg, compared to Microtox assay. The advantage of the mediated amperometric bacterial biosensor system is its in situ application in soils. The present study demonstrated that soil pore water does not accurately reflect conditions of soil ecosystem, and that in situ bioassays are more reliable for determining the bioavailability and toxicity of heavy metals. This is the first reported use of disposable whole cell biosensors for in situ heavy metal bioavailability and toxicity assessment. The biosensor protocol developed here can be adapted to allow the incorporation of dfferent bacterial biocatalysts for applications in soil quality assessment, screening of sites for contamination ‘hot spots’, and the evaluation of soil degradation or rehabilitation from metal pollution. Mediated amperometric bacterial biosensors are not analyte specific, their response reflecting the metabolic impact of the combined chemical and physical properties of the environment to which they are exposed. In assessing the toxicity of soil samples from fields using these biosensors, it is vital to get appropriate control soil samples. The conditions of soil samples also need to be well defined. The sensitivity of the mediated amperometric whole-cell biosensors to heavy metals need to be further improved. Investigations are also required to determine how the natural conditions affect the application of the biosensor system in the field.
2011-06-17T10:28:45Z
2011-06-17T10:28:45Z
2009-05
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/133551
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1343702020-05-13T02:14:23Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Revisiting ‘street-level bureaucracy’ in post-managerialist welfare states : a critical evaluation of front-line discretion in adult social care in England
Ellis, Kathryn Ann
social care
bureaucracy
welfare state
social work management
social work assessment
L432 Welfare Policy
The thesis set out in this submission is drawn from six of the candidate’s publications, based in turn on empirical findings from four research studies of adult social care in England spanning the period 1992 2006. As a body of work, it interrogates the validity of Lipsky’s (1980) conclusions about the origins and nature of ‘streetlevel bureaucracy’ in the wake of subsequent welfare restructuring. The earlier studies pay particular attention to the impact of managerialisation on frontline assessment practice amongst adult social work teams following implementation of the 1990 National Health Service and Community Care Act. Later studies tackle a further challenge to Lipsky’s thesis of street-level bureaucracy, that is, the potential for a change in the nature of the exchange relationship between street-level bureaucrat and client in the light of the insertion of service user involvement, empowerment and rights into governance arrangements after 1990, including adult social care. The candidate argues that the ethnomethodological approach adopted in three out of the four studies has yielded rich data on frontline practice of a type screened out by much contemporaneous research on the impact of social care reforms. Taken together with the span of the research studies over some fifteen years, this has supported not only a detailed analysis of the relationship between the micropolitics of assessment practice and key features of the differing environments within which they occur but also their articulation with changing modes of welfare governance. Discourse analysis of interview findings from the remaining study has permitted insights into the way social workers integrate thinking about human and social rights into their everyday assessment practice. The candidate summarises her threefold contribution to the literature in a taxonomy derived from the research findings which serves, firstly, to articulate the relationship between core dimensions of the policy and practice environment and the differing forms of frontline discretion to emerge after 1990; secondly, to explore the impact of user empowerment and rights on the distribution of resources; and, thirdly, to evaluate the continuing relevance of ‘streetlevel’ bureaucracy for understanding frontline social work practice. She concludes by sketching out possible future directions for her work.
2011-06-24T10:12:40Z
2011-06-24T10:12:40Z
2009
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134370
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1343732020-05-11T01:59:27Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Practical design of optimal wireless metropolitan area networks: model and algorithms for OFDMA networks
Gordejuela Sánchez, Fernando
wireless metropolitan area networks
OFDMA
wireless networks
G420 Networks and Communications
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Ph.D.
This thesis contributes to the study of the planning and optimisation of wireless metropolitan area networks, in particular to the access network design of OFDMAbased systems, where different parameters like base station position, antenna tilt and azimuth need to be configured during the early stages of the network life. A practical view for the solution of this problem is presented by means of the development of a novel design framework and the use of multicriteria optimisation. A further consideration of relaying and cooperative communications in the context of the design of this kind of networks is done, an area little researched. With the emergence of new technologies and services, it is very important to accurately identify the factors that affect the design of the wireless access network and define how to take them into account to achieve optimally performing and cost-efficient networks. The new features and flexibility of OFDMA networks seem particularly suited to the provision of different broadband services to metropolitan areas. However, until now, most existing efforts have been focused on the basic access capability networks. This thesis presents a way to deal with the trade-offs generated during the OFDMA access network design, and presents a service-oriented optimization framework that offers a new perspective for this process with consideration of the technical and economic factors. The introduction of relay stations in wireless metropolitan area networks will bring numerous advantages such as coverage extension and capacity enhancement due to the deployment of new cells and the reduction of distance between transmitter and receiver. However, the network designers will also face new challenges with the use of relay stations, since they involve a new source of interference and a complicated air interface; and this need to be carefully evaluated during the network design process. Contrary to the well known procedure of cellular network design over regular or hexagonal scenarios, the wireless network planning and optimization process aims to deal with the non-uniform characteristics of realistic scenarios, where the existence of hotspots, different channel characteristics for the users, or different service requirements will determine the final design of the wireless network. This thesis is structured in three main blocks covering important gaps in the existing literature in planning (efficient simulation) and optimisation. The formulation and ideas proposed in the former case can still be evaluated over regular scenarios, for the sake of simplicity, while the study of latter case needs to be done over specific scenarios that will be described when appropriate. Nevertheless, comments and conclusions are extrapolated to more general cases throughout this work. After an introduction and a description of the related work, this thesis first focuses on the study of models and algorithms for classical point-to-multipoint networks on Chapter 3, where the optimisation framework is proposed. Based on the framework, this work: - Identifies the technology-specific physical factors that affect most importantly the network system level simulation, planning and optimization process. - It demonstrates how to simplify the problem and translate it into a formal optimization routine with consideration of economic factors. - It provides the network provider, a detailed and clear description of different scenarios during the design process so that the most suitable solution can be found. Existing works on this area do not provide such a comprehensive framework. In Chapter 4: - The impact of the relay configuration on the network planning process is analysed. - A new simple and flexible scheme to integrate multihop communications in the Mobile WiMAX frame structure is proposed and evaluated. - Efficient capacity calculations that allow intensive system level simulations in a multihop environment are introduced. In Chapter 5: - An analysis of the optimisation procedure with the addition of relay stations and the derived higher complexity of the process is done. - A frequency plan procedure not found in the existing literature is proposed, which combines it with the use of the necessary frame fragmentation of in-band relay communications and cooperative procedures. - A novel joint two-step process for network planning and optimisation is proposed. Finally, conclusions and open issues are exposed.
2011-06-24T11:17:06Z
2011-06-24T11:17:06Z
2009-10
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134373
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1343552020-05-11T01:57:28Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
An investigation into performance based pay in Nigerian financial institutions
Maycock, Eno Amasi
Nigeria
financial institutions
individual performance related pay
team pay
team working
business culture
performance related pay
performance management
job satisfaction
N690 Human Resources not elsewhere classified
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy of the University of Bedfordshire
PURPOSE – To critically investigate the effect/impact the implementation of both team and individual based pay has when responses are measured in terms of teamworking, job satisfaction, culture and commitment in 2 Nigerian financial institutions. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH – The study presents the first empirical case-study research carried out in Nigeria. The data are based on 2 Nigerian financial institutions surveys from 2002 to 2006. The analysis addresses the impact of the introduction of PRP within these institutions. Questionnaires were sent out to the 226 employees. Interviews and focus groups were also carried out with both managers and employees across both organisations. FINDINGS – The findings indicate the importance of valence for monetary incentives, the instrumentality of performance for the monetary incentives and clear individual and group objectives for improving performance. On the basis of the analysis of the data from employees covered by the scheme, the results suggests that there are clear indications that it has raised motivational levels, though employees prefer working with individual performance related pay than in teams, but would not mind working in teams if it is linked to a reward, but the responses indicate that individual performance related pay has damaged the concept of team working. The results indicated a positive link of PRP having a positive effect with employees on higher grade levels; this result support other results from a number of earlier UK studies. The results also indicate that the introduction of PRP can enhance culture change and enhanced performance but may not ultimately lead to commitment from employees. The findings also indicate a positive link between PRP, improved individual and organisational performance, change in culture and job satisfaction. Though the research indicates positive outcomes from one organisation it also indicates negative outcomes from the other organisation. Why would that occur, as both organisations operate the same form of individual PRP? It leads the researcher to conclude that PRP must be modified to take into account the cultural (national & organisational) implications of the transference western management practices into non-western organisations. The research finishes by listing out implications for management and recommendations. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS – As this study utilises data from Nigerian financial institutions only, its results cannot be generalised to other sectors and countries characterised by different cultures and contexts. However, what is critical though is that the approach used to finding these results can be applied in a wide variety of situations, thus enabling the examination of external validity. ORIGINALITY/VALUE – This study is one of the first to explore the effect/impact of the introduction of performance related pay in Nigerian financial institutions and reflecting on the historic cultural context of gift giving and culture within organisations and the impact this has on the success or failure of PRP schemes. It also provides a new empirical evidence on the use of performance related pay. The results also show a link between the introduction of performance related pay and a change in the psychological contract from a relational contract to a transactional psychological contract, where commitment (bought) and loyalty is based on the monetary aspects of the relationship. The results supports an interpretation of incentive pay as motivated by expectancy theory and provides new evidence on the relationship between the success of performance related and its use by employees as a bargaining tool for salary increases and new job roles. Its implications should be of interest to human resource managers when designing reward strategies for their organisations.
2011-06-24T11:29:36Z
2011-06-24T11:29:36Z
2009-10
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134355
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1343752020-04-23T07:29:16Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
A study of the theme of borderland in Nadine Gordimer's fiction
Mazhar, Syeda Faiqa
borderland
Nadine Gordimer
South Africa
colonialism
Q322 English Literature by author
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Bedfordshire
This doctoral project is an analytical study of South African writer, Nadine Gordimer's fiction produced from 1949 to 1994. She presents a theme similar to the post-colonial critic, Homi Bhabha's notion of borderland which he propounds as a place of creativity and cultural hybridity in his work The Location of Culture (1994). The "borderland" in Gordimer's fiction acts as a liminal space and becomes a connective tissue in her characters' lives. It emerges in the form of crossing physical frontiers and mental barriers which existed in South African society. Through moments of transition, Gordimer makes her characters aware of a liberal person's marginal position, between the reactionary colonial past and the "inbetween-ness" of the borderland in radical future of South Africa. Along with this introductory background, Chapter One establishes the dual working of physical and psychological processes through which Gordimer develops the theme of "borderland" in her fiction. The subsequent three chapters focus on the variety in the presentation of "borderland" encounters in her fiction written before and after Sharpeville (1960). The thesis concludes that the dual development of physical and psychological processes is a central narrative strategy which determines a link between chronology and the presentation of "borderland" in Gordimer's fiction.
2011-06-24T11:33:27Z
2011-06-24T11:33:27Z
2007-01
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134375
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1343602020-05-11T01:59:34Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Studies on the effect of cryopreservation on gene expression in zebrafish blastomeres
Lin, Chia-Hsin
Institute of Research in the Applied Natural Sciences
cryopreservation
zebrafish
DNA damage
gene expression
C410 Applied Genetics
Danio rerio
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Cryopreservation is now a common practice in the fields of aquaculture, conservation and biomedicine. The success of cryopreservation is usually analysed in terms of cell survival, although there are other potential adverse effects that don’t necessarily result in cell death. These include DNA damage, which could result in altered gene expression. The aim of this study is to discover if cryopreservation has an impact on gene expression using zebrafish (Danio rerio) as the model organism. As the whole embryo cannot yet be successfully cryopreserved, isolated blastomeres from the embryos were used to investigate the impact of cryo-treatment on gene expression. This study sets out firstly to determine an optimum cryopreservation protocol for 50% epiboly blastomeres (Epiboly displaces the blastoderm margin to 50% of the distance between the animal and vegetal pole). Blastomeres had the highest survival level (70.2 ± 3.2%) when a mixture of 1.5 M dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and 0.1 M sucrose were used as cryoprotectants. As quantitative analysis of gene expression using real-time PCR requires the use of a housekeeping gene as an internal control to normalize date, the second study aimed to identify and validate housekeeping genes for use in cryopreservation studies of zebrafish blastomeres. Seven potential housekeeping genes were analysed across a range of embryo stages and isolated blastomeres using the GeNorm and NormFinder software packages. Results indicated β-actin and EF1α housekeeping genes to be the most appropriate for cryopreservation studies on zebrafish embryos and blastomeres, and these housekeeping genes were used in the third study, the effect of cryopreservation on Pax gene expression. The results indicated that the trends (profile changes) in expression of Pax2a and Pax5 occurred to a lesser extent in frozen-thawed blastomeres than in fresh blastomeres whilst the opposite was true for Pax8. The trends in expression of Pax2b were delayed in frozen-thawed blastomeres compared to fresh blastomeres. Cryopreservation can therefore disrupt normal gene expression patterns in zebrafish embryos which could have a detrimental effect on embryo development. This is the first study on the stability of housekeeping and transcription factor genes in chilled and cryopreserved embryonic cells of the zebrafish. This work will significantly enhance future studies investigating the impact of cryopreservation on gene expression in zebrafish embryos.
2011-06-24T12:36:08Z
2011-06-24T12:36:08Z
2009-01
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134360
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1343792020-05-15T02:01:16Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
The development of an intelligent ray launching algorithm for wireless network planning
Lai, Zhihua
propagation simulation
path loss
discrete ray launching
multipath
delay spread
wireless network planning
parallel
POP-C++
wireless networks
G420 Networks and Communications
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the dgree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Bedfordshire
Current propogation models are no longer sufficient for wireless network planning. They are neither accurate (empirical) nor fast enough (deterministic) to be applicable in the applications of Automated Cell Planning. This thesis focuses on the development of a new method, namely Intelligent Ray Launching Algorithm (IRLA), which is based on a fast, accurate and robust algorithm that is especially suitable for wireless network planning. The infrastructure of IRLA is thoroughly analysed in this thesis and the results are presented. Foster's design methodology has been used to parallelise the new model. Various scenarios for outdoor, indoor, indoor-to-outdoor and outdoor-to-indoor settings have been employed to test the effectiveness and efficiency of IRLA. The field strengths (path loss) and multipath information were calculated, which were used to demonstrate the application of IRLA. The accuracy of IRLA is guaranteed via the use of a meta-based heuristics calibration procedure. In order to achieve a simulation within a realistic time scale, acceleration techniques such as avoid double marking, multi-threading and the use of Parallel Object-Oriented Programming C++ have been employed. Since multipath for a large number of receiver locations can be easily obtained via IRLA, the study of delay spread has been presented. The success of the integration with a wireless network planning platform exemplifies that IRLA is suitable for wireless network planning and optimisation, which is beneficial to relevant academics and industries. Testing demonstrated that depending on various scenarios, IRLA obtains industrially-recognised accuracy ranging from 5 to 8 dB Root-Mean-Square-Error. This model is highly-efficient because its required runtime for most simulations is from a few seconds to a few minutes.
2011-06-24T12:52:01Z
2011-06-24T12:52:01Z
2010-06
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134379
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1343712020-04-23T07:27:55Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Adaptive intelligent tutoring for teaching modern standard Arabic
Kseibat, Dawod
intelligent tutoring systems
Arabic
language learning
Q420 Classical Arabic
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
The aim of this PhD thesis is to develop a framework for adaptive intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) in the domain of Modern Standard Arabic language. This framework will comprise of a new approach to using a fuzzy inference mechanism and generic rules in guiding the learning process. In addition, the framework will demonstrate another contribution in which the system can be adapted to be used in the teaching of different languages. A prototype system will be developed to demonstrate these features. This system is targeted at adult English-speaking casual learners with no pre-knowledge of the Arabic language. It will consist of two parts: an ITS for learners to use and a teachers‘ tool for configuring and customising the teaching rules and artificial intelligence components among other configuration operations. The system also provides a diverse teaching-strategies‘ environment based on multiple instructional strategies. This approach is based on general rules that provide means to a reconfigurable prediction. The ITS determines the learner‘s learning characteristics using multiple fuzzy inferences. It has a reconfigurable design that can be altered by the teacher at runtime via a teacher-interface. A framework for an independent domain (i.e. pluggable-domain) for foreign language tutoring systems is introduced in this research. This approach allows the system to adapt to the teaching of a different language with little changes required. Such a feature has the advantages of reducing the time and cost required for building intelligent language tutoring systems. To evaluate the proposed system, two experiments are conducted with two versions of the software: the ITS and a cut down version with no artificial intelligence components. The learners used the ITS had shown an increase in scores between the post-test and the pre-test with learning gain of 35% compared to 25% of the learners from the cut down version.
2011-06-24T10:15:57Z
2011-06-24T10:15:57Z
2010-06
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134371
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1343542020-05-13T02:14:09Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Facilitating organisational creativity : exploring the contribution of psychological, social and organizational factors
Loewenberger, Pauline Anne
innovation
creativity
organisations
N212 Creative Management
Towards the end of the first decade of the 21st century the economic downturn increases the significance of creativity and innovation to business success. As the seed of innovation or fuel for the innovation engine creativity is important throughout the process in distinguishing successful innovations. However, many organisations struggle to transform the rhetoric of creativity and innovation into reality because of a lack of understanding of what this means or how to achieve this. Fragmentation of existing research leads to ambiguous evidence with a danger of spurious relationships or confounding of factors that is inadequate to advance theoretical understanding and inform practice. This investigation provides a number of valuable contributions to overcome such limitations through systemic analysis of individual, social and organisational factors that support creativity based on a research strategy of multiple case studies and employing quantitative and qualitative techniques. Empirical investigation employing both the KEYS assessment of creative climate and personality characteristics is rare. Findings reinforce the contribution for four of five factors deemed most important to supporting creativity together with the Openness to Experience personality dimension. The presentation of a general linear model explains 47% variance based on Organisational Encouragement, Challenging Work, Work Group Support, Organisational Impediments, and Openness to Experience. Alternative models suggest Openness to experience moderates the significance of climate factors. For individuals very high on this personality dimension the interaction of Challenging Work and Work Group Support contributes 60% variance in creativity. Qualitative investigation extends the variance contributed by the general linear models to include the significance of shared understanding and meaning, the need for continuous active stimulation and supportive mechanisms, passion or love for one’s work and freedom to voice ideas. Finally, synthesis of creativity theories with HRM and HRD extend and advance theory and practice in a number of ways that have implications for the limitations of KEYS and for models of SHRM. Results extend existing knowledge and understanding of facilitation and implications are explored in-depth for organisations aspiring to creativity and innovation.
2011-06-24T11:23:24Z
2011-06-24T11:23:24Z
2009-12
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134354
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349492020-05-14T03:42:25Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
The systemic determinants of levels of child incarceration in England and Wales
Bateman, Tim
prison
criminal justice
child incarceration
youth justice
L560 Probation/After Care
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire for the degree of Professional Doctorate in Youth Justice
For a brief moment in the 1980s, a number of local authorities across England and Wales declared themselves ‘custody free zones’ (Rutherford, 2002), symbolising an intent that children should not be incarcerated for their offending behaviour within the local authority boundary. While this lofty aspiration was not always fulfilled, on occasion it was. More importantly, such declarations can be seen as manifestations of a widespread commitment, extending well beyond those ‘zones’, to the idea that the use of custody for children should be avoided wherever possible. During the course of the decade, that commitment found expression in an unprecedented fall in the number of young people deprived of their liberty by the criminal courts. The 1990s proved to be very different. A sea-change in the treatment of children in conflict with the law led to an escalation in custody every bit as sharp as the decline that had preceded it. This thesis seeks to explain that shift in order to understand the implications for practice if the imprisonment of children is to be reduced. The explanatory account is set against a longer term background of social, economic and political change that yielded what Garland (2002) has characterised as the ‘crisis of penal modernism’. It invokes what Foucault (1991) calls a ‘history of the present’ in which patterns of incarceration since the late 1960s are analysed to shed light on the systemic determinants of the current high level of youth custody. Local variations in the use of child imprisonment are also interrogated in the context of the historical experience to ascertain the nature of political, systemic and cultural factors that are consistent with lower rates of detention. The thesis concludes that the recent rise in custody cannot be understood in isolation: the same underlying dynamic that fuelled the carceral explosion impacted equally on other aspects of the youth justice system; and necessitated a significant cultural shift on the part of the those who might previously have been expected to resist the use of detention. Without an understanding of these corresponding changes, strategies for custody reduction that rely heavily on the provision of ‘robust’ community based alternatives, or those that seek to reduce the population of the secure estate simply by ‘nipping in the bud’ (Straw, 1997) children’s offending, are unlikely to lead to the desired outcome.
2011-06-30T08:55:26Z
2011-06-30T08:55:26Z
2010-04
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134949
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349312020-05-14T03:38:12Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Studies in equine reproduction
Wilsher, Sandra Ann
horse breeding
equine reproduction
embryo transfer
equine fertility
D390 Veterinary Sciences not elsewhere classified
A report submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Publication
The papers put forward by the candidate represent a significant contribution to three main areas within the body of knowledge of equine reproduction. Namely, i) epidemiological surveys of the efficiency of Thoroughbred racing and breeding, ii) the morphology and functions of the equine placenta and, iii) embryo transfer in the horse. Two extensive surveys on reproductive efficiency of Thoroughbred mares and stallions at stud and factors associated with the failure of Thoroughbred horses to train and race demonstrated that increasing mare age is the greatest limiting factor to an otherwise high rate of fertility in English Thoroughbreds although a high incidence of early embryonic death remains a significant loss to the breeding industry. The racing wastage survey showed little change over the past 20 years in the percentage of 2- and 3-year-old horses that fail to run, the percentage that are never placed in a race and the number that suffer significant injury or illness during their racing careers. Radical and innovative changes to training methods are needed to overcome these problems. The morphology of the equine placenta was examined using gross measurements, stereological-techniques, vascular casting and immunohistochemistry and the findings related to fetal development and postnatal growth. Stereological measurements applied to term placentae established reference parameters such as surface area per unit volume of placental microcotyledons, the total microscopic area of contact between mother and fetus at the placental interface, and placental VI efficiency. Maternal age, parity, size, genotype and nutrition were all shown to alter placental morphology and, hence, pre- and postnatal fetal development. A novel pair of cervical forceps were designed and marketed to provide a simple and practical method for undertaking transcervical embryo transfer in the horse which enables inexperienced operators to transfer horse embryos successfully. These Wilsher Equine Embryo Transfer Forceps have won widespread acclaim and commercial application in the equine veterinary and scientific communities. A pharmacological method to extend donor-recipient synchrony was developed with both commercial and scientific application. Further work also showed the unique ability of the equine embryo to tolerate a very wide window of donor-recipient asynchrony and it provided a valuable research tool with which to study the relevant roles of the conceptus and uterine environment in regulating embryonic differentiation and fetal growth in the mare.
2011-06-30T09:01:40Z
2011-06-30T09:01:40Z
2009-04
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134931
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349322020-05-29T03:44:57Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
“Other spirit voices in the air” : community radio, mobile phones and the electromagnetic spectrum
Gordon, Janey
community radio
mobile telephony
communications media
P302 Radio studies
H641 Telecommunications Engineering
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by published works of the University of Bedfordshire
This collection of published scholarly work concerns the growth and development of community radio and mobile telephony during the period 2000-2009, with reference to specific examples and case studies. The associated report examines the extent that the public are using these media to the benefit of individuals and communities and also suggests that the public have regained use of the electromagnetic spectrum through the use of community radio and mobile phones. The over arching hypothesis is that both community radio and mobile telephony are: • providing benefits to society, rangmg from improving daily life and avoiding inconveniences, to ameliorating critical or life-threatening situations and resisting oppression, • re-establishing rights of usage in the electromagnetic spectrum for ordinary members of the public which were surrendered to governmental authorities in the early years of spectrum experimentation, • using the electromagnetic spectrum as a tool for activism, political discussion, social engagement and exchange of information about matters of common interest, • worthy of research and examination to investigate how these two forms of communications media are impacting on the lives of individuals and society as a whole.
2011-06-30T09:14:08Z
2011-06-30T09:14:08Z
2010-06
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134932
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349332020-05-13T02:14:16Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Studies on cryopreservation of zebrafish (Danio rerio) oocytes using controlled slow cooling and vitrification
Guan, Mo
cryopreservation
zebrafish
oocyte viability
C410 Applied Genetics
Danio rerio
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Cryopreservation of gametes provides a promising method to preserve fish genetic materials, which offers many benefits to the fields of aquaculture, conservation and biomedicine. Although successful cryopreservation of spermatozoa of about 200 fish species has been achieved, systematic studies on cryopreservation of fish oocytes have only recently been undertaken. The objective of the present studies was to use zebrafish as a model system to develop a cryopreservation protocol for fish oocytes and to develop reliable viability assessment methods for monitoring zebrafish oocyte viability both before and after cryopreservation. A simple and rapid enzymatic method for zebrafish oocytes isolation was developed and the investigations on cryopreservation of zebrafish oocytes using improved controlled slow cooling and vitrification were carried out. Oocyte viability following cryopreservation was investigated by ATP assay, oocyte viability molecular signature (OVMS) and cryomicroscopic observation in addition to staining methods. The optimum conditions for oocyte enzymatic separation were identified as 0.4mg/ml collagenase or 1.6mg/ml hyaluronidase treatment for 10min at 22ºC and this method can be used for oocytes at all stages. The use of sodium free medium (KCl buffer), fast warming and 4-step removal of cryoprotectants in an improved controlled slow cooling protocol significantly enhanced oocyte viability (67.5 ± 1.7%) when compared with a previous study (16.3 ± 2.3%) in this laboratory. Mixtures of cryoprotectants (methanol, Me2SO and propylene glycol), stepwise addition and removal of cryoprotectants in combination of a new vitrification system (CVA65 vitrification system) were used in vitrification studies. Oocyte survivals after vitrification assessed by trypan blue staining were relatively high (76.5 ± 6.3%) shortly after warming in KCl buffer. Furthermore, the result of ATP assay showed that ATP levels in oocytes decreased significantly after cryopreservation indicating the bioenergetic systems of oocytes were damaged. Cryomicroscopic observations demonstrated that Intracellular ice formation (IIF) is the main factor causing injuries during cryopreservation of zebrafish oocytes. The results provided by the present study will assist successful protocol design for cryopreservation of fish oocytes in the future.
2011-06-30T09:20:17Z
2011-06-30T09:20:17Z
2009-03
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134933
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349372020-05-15T02:00:53Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Personal knowledge development in online learning environments : a personal value perspective
Haag, Markus
personal knowledge development
online learning environments
organisational knowledge creation
knowledge management
online learning
C812 Educational Psychology
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
This thesis investigates personal knowledge development in online learning environments and the impact that personal values have on it. Personal knowledge development was investigated from the perspective of Nonaka’s SECI model of organisational knowledge creation. This model served as the basis for an adapted model that conceptualises personal knowledge development in online learning at the individual level. The personal value types of the Schwartz Value Survey and the Portrait Values Questionnaire were adopted to measure personal values and their impact on personal knowledge development in online learning environments. Three data collection approaches were used. First, an exploratory study was conducted which elicited online learners’ experiences of their personal knowledge development in online learning; this study used online discussion forums for data collection. Second, a Delphi study was carried out. Experts were asked which of the ten individual-level value types by Schwartz are likely to be particularly relevant in the context of online learning. Third, an online survey was created. Its aim was to measure the impact that personal values and background variables, such as gender and age, have on personal knowledge development in online learning. A measurement instrument was devised that measures three of the SECI modes, namely Externalisation, Combination and Internalisation. This instrument measures the magnitude of online learners’ Externalisation and Combination activities as well as their level of Internalisation, i.e. the outcomes of personal knowledge development. Results of the exploratory study show that there are widely diverging experiences of personal knowledge development in online learning. The literature review suggests that the cultural situatedness of an online learning environment is an important influencing factor on personal knowledge development. The results of the Delphi study suggest that Self-Direction, Stimulation, and Achievement are particularly relevant value types in the context investigated here. Finally, the online survey confirms this view, as all three value types were found to be positively correlated with Externalisation, Combination, and Internalisation, with the exception of the Achievement-Combination relationship. A modified version of the SECI model is proposed, which extends the applicability of the original SECI model from the organisational to the individual level. It is argued that this model is suitable to describe personal knowledge development in the context of online learning. The study also contributes to closing the gap in research on the impact of personal values in the context investigated in this study. Moreover, a measurement instrument was created that can be used to measure Externalisation and Combination, i.e. personal knowledge development processes, and Internalisation, i.e. personal knowledge development outcomes.
2011-06-30T10:05:02Z
2011-06-30T10:05:02Z
2010-10
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134937
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349392020-05-15T02:01:39Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Policing in the iron cage : the tensions between the bureaucratic mandate and street level reality
Hallam, Stephen A.
crime recording
policing
police reporting
bureaucracy
crime statistics
M211 Criminal Law
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
In April 2002 a National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) was introduced across police forces in England and Wales. The intention of this standard, resultant of two highly critical reports regarding police recording of crime, was to improve crime data and promote a victim focussed approach. Research in the field of crime recording emphasises police reporting and recording mechanisms, with a significant reliance placed on police data. However, inter-personal and situational factors determining the ways in which notification of an event is, or is not, translated into a crime record are often inadequately explored. Consequently, there is little recent knowledge regarding the views of individuals reporting an event and the way in which they, through the interactions with the police, affect recording rates. This thesis explores these effects and investigates the impact of deviation from the rules governing crime recording upon service user experiences and satisfaction. Incident logs from three forces were analysed, officer focus groups and questionnaire-based surveys were undertaken and interviews were conducted with service users. Perceptions of service users and police officers vis-à-vis the effectiveness of police intervention were examined, together with the efficacy of previous research methodologies employed to gauge recording rates, the rules regarding crime recording and the existent performance frameworks. The findings suggest that previously reported recording rates are inevitably unreliable owing to a lack of detail within incident logs and the complexities involved in the recognition and labelling of events as crimes. Whilst easing of workloads is a common theme highlighted in previous research, there is notably less emphasis and recognition of other factors. The response, by officers at street level, to the realities of the social world, the conflicting priorities brought about by managerial dictum and the bureaucratic rules governing the recording of crime is to ‘define down crime’. The findings fill the considerable knowledge gap regarding diverse service user requirements and conflicting priorities faced by service providers prior to the introduction of the NCRS, suggesting that the imposition of managerial ideals, the accompanying bureaucratic rules and the corollary, the diminution of discretion, has a detrimental effect on service delivery.
2011-06-30T10:19:57Z
2011-06-30T10:19:57Z
2009-01
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134939
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349502020-05-14T03:42:03Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Incremental high quality probabilistic roadmap construction for robot path planning
Li, Yueqiao
robotics
path planning
roadmap construction
robot path planning
H671 Robotics
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
In robotics, path planning refers to the process of establishing paths for robots to move from initial positions to goal positions without colliding into any obstacle within specified environments. Constructing roadmaps and searching for paths in the roadmaps is one of the most commonly used methodologies adopted in path planning. However, most sampling-based path planners focus on improving the speed of constructing roadmaps without taking into account the quality. Therefore, they often produce poor-quality roadmaps. Poor-quality roadmaps can cause problems, such as time-consuming path searches, poor quality path production, and even failure of the searching. This research aims to develop a novel sampling-based path planning algorithm which is able to incrementally construct high-quality roadmaps while answering path queries for robots with many degrees of freedom. A novel K-order surrounding roadmap (KSR) concept is proposed in this research based on a thorough investigation into the criteria of high-quality roadmaps, including the criteria themselves and the relationships between them. A KSR contains K useful cycles. There exist a value T for which we can say, with confidence, that the KSR is a high quality roadmap when K=T. A new sampling-based path planning algorithm, known as the KSR path planner that is able to construct a roadmap incrementally while answering path queries, is also developed. The KSR path planner can be employed to answer path queries without requiring any pre-processing. The planner grows trees from the initial and goal III configurations of a path query and connects these two trees to obtain a path. The path planner retains useful vertices of the trees and uses these to construct the roadmap and adds useful cycles to the existing roadmap in order to improve the quality. The roadmap constructed can be used to answer further queries. With the KSR path planner algorithm, there is no need to calculate the value of K to construct a high quality roadmap in advance. The quality of the roadmap improves as the KSR path planner answer queries until the roadmap is able to answer any path queries and no further useful cycles can be added into the roadmap. If the number of path queries is infinite, a high quality KSR can be constructed. The novelty of this KSR path planner is twofold. Firstly, it employs a vertex category classifier to understand local environments where roadmap vertices reside. The classifier is developed using a decision tree method. The classifier is able to classify vertices in a roadmap based on the region information stored in the vertices and their neighbours within a certain distance. The region information stored in the vertices is obtained while the edges connecting the vertices are added to the roadmap. Therefore, employing the vertex category classifier does not require much additional execution time. Secondly, the KSR path planner selects suitable developed strategies to prune the existing roadmap and add useful cycles according to the identified local environments where the vertices reside to improve the quality of the existing roadmap. Experimental results show that the KSR path planner can construct a roadmap and improve the quality of the roadmap incrementally while answering path queries until the roadmap can answer all the path queries without any pre-processing stage. The roadmap constructed by the KSR path planner then achieves better quality than the roadmaps constructed by Reconfigurable Random Forest (RRF) path planner and traditional probabilistic roadmap (PRM) path planner.
2011-06-30T10:31:26Z
2011-06-30T10:31:26Z
2009-10
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134950
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349512020-04-23T07:35:29Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Novel, robust and cost-effective authentication techniques for online services
Norrington, Peter
authentication
visual passwords
passwords
computer security
visuo-cognitive authentication
G920 Others in Computing Sciences
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Ph.D.
This thesis contributes to the study of the usability and security of visuo-cognitive authentication techniques, particularly those relying on recognition of abstract images, an area little researched. Many usability and security problems with linguistic passwords (including traditional text-based passwords) have been known for decades. Research into visually-based techniques intends to overcome these by using the extensive human capacity for recognising images, and add to the range of commercially viable authentication solutions. The research employs a mixed methodology to develop several contributions to the field. A novel taxonomy of visuo-cognitive authentication techniques is presented. This is based on analysis and synthesis of existing partial taxonomies, combined with new and extensive analysis of features of existing visuo-cognitive and other techniques. The taxonomy advances consistent terminology, and coherent and productive classification (cognometric, locimetric, graphimetric and manipulometric, based respectively on recognition of, location in, drawing of and manipulation of images) and discussion of the domain. The taxonomy is extensible to other classes of cognitive authentication technique (audio-cognitive, spatio-cognitive, biometric and token-based, etc.). A revised assessment process of the usability and security of visuo-cognitive techniques is proposed (employing three major assessment categories – usability, memorability and security), based on analysis, synthesis and refinement of existing models. The revised process is then applied to the features identified in the novel taxonomy to prove the process‘s utility as a tool to clarify both the what and the why of usability and security issues. The process is also extensible to other classes of authentication technique. iii Cognitive psychology experimental methods are employed, producing new results which show with statistical significance that abstract images are harder to learn and recall than face or object images. Additionally, new experiments and a new application of the chi-squared statistic show that users‘ choices of abstract images are not necessarily random over a group, and thus, like other cognitive authentication techniques, can be attacked by probabilistic dictionaries. A new authentication prototype is designed and implemented, embodying the usability and security insights gained. Testing of this prototype shows good usability and user acceptance, although speed of use remains an issue. A new experiment shows that abstract image authentication techniques are vulnerable to phishing attacks. Further, the testing shows two new results: that abstract image visuo-cognitive techniques are usable on mobile phones; and that such phones are not, currently, necessarily a threat as part of observation attacks on visual passwords.
2011-06-30T10:37:01Z
2011-06-30T10:37:01Z
2009-01
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134951
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349532020-05-13T02:12:45Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Developing a model for investigating the impact of language assessment within educational contexts by a public examination provider
Saville, N.D.
language assessment
ESOL
English language testing
English language assessment
examinations
Q330 English as a second language
language testing
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Bedfordshire
There is no comprehensive model of language test or examination impact and how it might be investigated within educational contexts by a provider of high-stakes examinations, such as an international examinations board. This thesis addresses the development of such a model from the perspective of Cambridge ESOL, a provider of English language tests and examinations in over 100 countries. The starting point for the thesis is a discussion of examinations within educational processes generally and the role that examinations board, such as Cambridge ESOL play within educational systems. The historical context and assessment tradition is an important part of this discussion. In the literature review, the effects and consequences of language tests and examinations are discussed with reference to the better known concept of washback and how impact can be defined as a broader notion operating at both micro and macro levels. This is contextualised within the assessment literature on validity theory and the application of innovation theories within educational systems. Methodologically, the research is based on a meta-analysis which is employed in order to describe and review three impact projects. These three projects were carried out by researchers based in Cambridge to implement an approach to test impact which had emerged during the 1990s as part of the test development and validation procedures adopted by Cambridge ESOL. Based on the analysis, the main outcome and contribution to knowledge is an expanded model of impact designed to provide examination providers with a more effective “theory of action”. When applied within Cambridge ESOL, this model will allow anticipated impacts of the English language examinations to be monitored more effectively and will inform on-going processes of innovation; this will lead to well-motivated improvements in the examinations and the related systems. Wider applications of the model in other assessment contexts are also suggested.
2011-06-30T10:50:22Z
2011-06-30T10:50:22Z
2009-01
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134953
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349542020-05-12T03:10:02Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
The role of tourism in poverty reduction in Elmina, Ghana
Sonne, Joel
Ghana
tourism
poverty
poverty reduction
Elmina
N840 International Tourism
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Bedfordshire
Governments and donor agencies are increasingly advocating tourism as a viable poverty reduction option in developing countries. However, the debate surrounding tourism development mechanisms and benefits to local people is based upon limited empirical evidence. Much of the literature has focused on the socio-economic impacts of tourism in developing countries, but there is comparatively limited investment of the relationship between tourism and poverty reduction from the perspectives of the stakeholders, particularly local people. To build knowledge about this relationship, this research study examines the role of tourism in poverty reduction in Elmina, Ghana. The core aim of the research is to analyse the inter-relationship between poverty reduction and tourism from the perspective of local people and stakeholders. The research focuses upon the importance of tourism as a developmental strategy to tackle poverty. The research methodology was formulated within an interpretive paradigm utilising qualitative techniques to investigate tourism and poverty in Elmina. Stakeholders who participated in the study included: Government; Donor Agencies; Local People; Tourists; and the Private Sector. The data was analysed using thematic data analysis methods. Researcher reflexivity is also integrated into the study in view of the researcher’s experience of employment in a public sector tourism organisation in Ghana. The thematic findings contribute to knowledge about the relationship between tourism and poverty reduction in Elmina and are categorised into three main themes. Firstly, local people in Elmina define and understand poverty and tourism opportunities in multiple ways, which differ from other stakeholders; however, differences in meanings and understandings exist between and within individuals and groups in Elmina. The attributes accounting for the differences in views include: level of education; access to the tourism market; participation in decision-making; and type of businesses. Secondly, local people participate in tourism mainly as owners of informal tourism businesses and employees. ii However, a group of marginalised people, the ‘Castle Boys’, also benefit from the support received from philanthropic tourists through the activities of begging and informal tour guiding as ways of earning income to escape from poverty. Finally, several barriers to participation for local people in tourism exist in the Elmina community, which marginalises and excludes a cross-section of the locals from the advantages of socio-economic opportunities. These barriers include: a low level of education attainment; a lack of availability of and access to credit facilities; and a lack of ‘voice’ in the decision-making process, indicating a general need for capacity building. Government and donor agencies’ neoliberal policy objectives of utilising cultural tourism for development has failed to achieve poverty reduction in Elmina. This issue has given rise to evolving questions of the use of tourism as a developmental tool to reduce poverty and how to empower local people to actively participate in emerging socio-economic opportunities. This research subsequently contributes to furthering the understanding of the role of tourism in poverty reduction, and theoretically comprehending the role of tourism as a development strategy to combat poverty in local communities.
2011-06-30T10:55:09Z
2011-06-30T10:55:09Z
2010-05
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134954
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349572020-05-12T03:10:21Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
A leader’s journey to engage : an interpretive study
Trinder, Jane
leadership
engagement
change management
N210 Management Techniques
N214 Change Management
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Of the University of Bedfordshire
This research focuses on the perspectives and capabilities held by leaders as they seek to develop an effective engagement strategy when leading change. It has brought together aspects of change, leadership, engagement and leadership development theory in seeking to understand what helps and hinders leaders in developing engagement capabilities. The concept of engagement has taken on increasing significance in recent years, due to its link with higher performance and profitability in organisations. Much existing literature focuses on processes that encourage the involvement of others, and measuring engagement using survey questions. The surveys tend to focus on identifying if someone finds meaning in their role, and whether the environment they operate in enables engagement. This research has sought to use research methodologies based on action learning that encourages the development of capabilities enabling engagement, whilst examining the psychological and contextual factors that help and hinder development. The research draws on adult maturity theory which is used as a framework to aid analysis. This theory suggests that the capability to engage may unfold with the maturing process. This theory aligned with the findings resulting in a profile of what engagement looked like at various levels of maturity. This is useful in that by understanding the capabilities associated with engagement at various levels of maturity it supports leaders and HR consultants to identify development required, and potentially can aid the choice of leader for running change programmes. Four key themes were identified during the analysis. Firstly, the impact of context and how it impacts choices made. Secondly, the importance of capabilities associated with authenticity. Thirdly, the link with emotional intelligence. Finally, the importance of developing a learning practice. The implication of this research is that intent to engage is insufficient as is the focus on process and policy aspects of engagement. Engagement capabilities can be developed and the development of the individual needs as much consideration as the need to ensure strategy, policy and process is appropriate for the engagement strategy. It suggests that when considering major change in organisations focus should be placed on the mindset and capabilities of potential change leaders, to identify whether they have the capabilities likely to align to a particular engagement strategy and to support their understanding of their development needs.
2011-06-30T11:31:30Z
2011-06-30T11:31:30Z
2010-01
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134957
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349602020-05-16T03:00:15Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Development of cryopreservation techniques for early stages zebrafish (Danio rerio) oocytes
Tsai, Sujune
zebrafish
oocyte viability
oocytes
cryopreservation
C410 Applied Genetics
Danio rerio
A thesis submitted to the university of Bedfordshire in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Cryopreservation of germplasm of aquatic species offers many benefits to the fields of aquaculture, conservation and biomedicine. Although successful fish sperm cryopreservation has been achieved with many species, there has been no report of successful cryopreservation of fish embryos and late stage oocytes which are large, chilling sensitive and have low membrane permeability. In the present study, the sensitivity to chilling and toxicity of cryoprotectants of early stage zebrafish ovarian follicles were studied before designing protocols for their cryopreservation using controlled slow cooling. The effect of cryoprotectant, freezing medium, cooling rate, method for cryoprotectant removal, post-thaw incubation time and ovarian follicle developmental stage were investigated. In vitro culture method for early stage zebrafish ovarian follicles were also developed. The studies showed that stage I and II ovarian follicles are less sensitive to chilling than stage III follicles and methanol was the least toxic cryoprotectant. 4M methanol in potassium chloride (KCl) buffer was found to be the optimal cryoprotective solution and the optimum cooling rate was 4 °C/min for stage I and II follicles. Although the highest survivals after 2 h post-thawed incubation were 50.7 ± 4.0% for stage II ovarian follicles obtained with FDA+PI staining, ADP/ATP ratios of the cryopreserved follicles were significantly increased indicating increased cell death. Furthermore, in vitro culture experiments showed that there was no growth for stage I and II ovarian follicles after cryopreservation, indicating that successful cryopreservation of early stage zebrafish ovarian follicles at liquid nitrogen still remains elusive. From in vitro culture study, 90% L-15 medium at pH 9.0 containing 10 IU/ml hCG was effective for in vitro culture of stage I and II ovarian follicles. Systematic study on cryopreservation of early stage fish ovarian follicles at liquid nitrogen temperature is reported ii here for the first time. The results will provide useful information on the future development of protocol design for successful cryopreservation of early stage fish ovarian follicles.
2011-06-30T11:48:19Z
2011-06-30T11:48:19Z
2009-01
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134960
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349722020-05-08T04:06:36Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Mothering by the book : constructions of mature student mothers’ identities in the context of mothering and study practices and Mother/Child relationships
Visick, Amanda
motherhood
mature students
mother-child relationship
L310 Applied Sociology
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Bedfordshire
This project investigates the development of mature student mothers’ identities in the dual contexts of constructions of the women’s at-home study practices and of their ‘responsibilities’ for their children’s development. Interviews were conducted with 23 women – all ‘new university’ students – and with their schoolaged children. I used discourse analysis focussing on language as performative and constitutive in order to understand positioning of, and by the women. I also drew upon critical developmental psychological theory and the concepts of discourse, intersubjectivity and dialogicality as epistemological resources in order to understand the women’s and children’s accounts. The methodology yielded a diversity of constructions of the women, these drawing upon a variety of discourses. The first empirical chapter addresses constructions of mature student mothers, the second, constructions of child development and the third, constructions of ‘influence’. The organisation of the empirical chapters reflects not only the importance I accorded to particular themes, but also the idea that separating mothers’ concerns and those of their children can be less fruitful in examinations of identity construction than addressing these together. The key issues that are a thread connecting the empirical chapters are time (requiring ‘balancing’ of social positions); change (in mothering practices and confidence); perceived ‘influence’ on children’s development, and relationships (including the ways in which identities are constructed in the ‘space in the middle’). Participants addressed these issues in different ways with some women positioning not spending ‘quality’ time with their children as meeting children’s developmental needs (addressed in Chapter Seven). Other important themes were mothering constructed as mundane and undervalued (in Chapter Five), children’s constructions of ‘roles’ as helpers (in Chapter Six) and perceived intersubjectivity in mother/child interactions (examined in Chapter Seven). In the concluding chapter I discuss the implications of the findings in terms of the contribution of the research to theoretical debates about motherhood, mothering and child development. I also reflect on my position as a mature student mother, examining my involvement in the research process and finally, suggest applications for the findings reported in the thesis.
2011-06-30T12:04:26Z
2011-06-30T12:04:26Z
2009-10
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134972
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349622020-05-13T02:10:37Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Understanding change in Chinese undergraduate students’ language learning motivation : during the transition to UK higher education
Zhang, Qian
language learning
ESOL
motivation
Chinese students in UK higher education
academic English
English language teaching
Q330 English as a second language
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Bedfordshire
This thesis investigates changes in Chinese undergraduate students’ language learning motivation during the transition from their home cultural setting to the host cultural setting, while studying on a China-UK 2+1 collaborative programme at the University of Bedfordshire. Since the 1990s, there has been growing attention to research on L2 motivation in classroom or other educational settings. To bridge the gap between general and L2 motivational theories, a number of theoretical frameworks have been developed. The most comprehensive of these is Dörnyei’s (1994a) three-level motivational framework. However, there is as yet little empirical evidence to verify this. The study employed mixed methods. Firstly, in order to identify whether these students’ language learning motivation changed over time, a two stage questionnaire survey was carried out with 158 students. Questionnaires were first administered in October shortly after students arrived in the UK to begin their courses and again in May when they were close to completing their degrees. Factor analysis was used to verify the structure of the questionnaire. Paired t-tests were used to evaluate whether significant changes had occurred in each of the motivational dimensions addressed. Secondly, in-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with 14 of the questionnaire respondents. The interviews explored motivational change in more open-ended fashion and in greater depth. Students’ comments were transcribed, translated and categorised on the basis of Dörnyei’s (1994a) framework. The conclusions, triangulated by both the key findings and the interview results, indicate that Chinese students have strong instrumental orientations and that their language learning motivation changes significantly at the Learner Level and Language Learning Situation Level of the framework. Some patterns underlying these changes were also discovered. The research findings additionally served to support the applicability of the Dörnyei (1994a) framework. Based on the empirical research findings, some practical recommendations are offered respectively for Chinese students and academic staff. These include: 1) The university should provide more information, or relevant training, about the British academic system and culture. 2) Academic staff need to understand Chinese students more fully and might adjust their teaching style to accommodate them. 3) There is a need for the university to redesign the academic English module to help students efficiently cope with their studies in the UK.
2011-06-30T12:24:35Z
2011-06-30T12:24:35Z
2008-10
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134962
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349742020-05-15T02:01:25Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Drowsiness detection based On Gegenbauer features
Zhang, Xiaoliang
drowsiness
Gegenbauer features
drowsiness detection
G761 Automated Reasoning
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) official reports, many traffic accidents have been caused due to drivers’ drowsiness. Previous work based on computer vision techniques achieved drowsiness detection, usually with special hardware that depended on laboratory environments. To overcome limitations of these approaches, a natural light based surveillance system is proposed. The system achieves drowsiness detection in three stages: face segmentation, drowsiness feature extraction and classification. To segment faces, a simplified skin colour model is developed to compute colour distance maps from original facial images. Candidate faces are located using colour distance maps in conjunction with centres of gravity of individual faces. Gegenbauer features are then applied to capture shape information that is related to drowsiness. The computation of these features is based on moments derived from coefficients of Gegenbauer polynomials. To detect the behaviour of a subject, image sequences of his/her face are classified into drowsy and nondrowsy states by a Hidden Markov Model using Gegenbauer features. A sequence is classified as drowsy if the number of drowsy states in the Hidden Markov Model reaches a pre-defined threshold. To evaluate the proposed system, experiments are conducted using 65 video clips that contained a mixture of 54 drowsy and 11 non-drowsy behaviours. The proposed system detected 47 drowsy behaviours from these video clips successfully, and thus resulting in a detection rate of 87%. This proposed system is independent of infrared illuminators that were found to be unreliable in previous systems. Furthermore, the new system deploys multiple facial features and presents a more accurate description of drowsiness rather than a single facial feature proposed by previous authors.
2011-06-30T12:32:53Z
2011-06-30T12:32:53Z
2008-03
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134974
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349402020-05-12T03:10:11Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Automated processing and analysis of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry screening data
Hitchcock, Jonathan James
gas chromatography
chromatography
mass spectrometry
sports drug surveillance
B290 Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy not elsewhere classified
F151 Pharmaceutical Chemistry
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Ph.D.
The work presented is a substantial addition to the established methods of analysing the data generated by gas chromatography and low-resolution mass spectrometry. It has applications where these techniques are used on a large scale for screening complex mixtures, including urine samples for sports drug surveillance. The analysis of such data is usually automated to detect peaks in the chromatograms and to search a library of mass spectra of banned or unwanted substances. The mass spectra are usually not exactly the same as those in the library, so to avoid false negatives the search must report many doubtful matches. Nearly all the samples in this type of screening are actually negative, so the process of checking the results is tedious and time-consuming. A novel method, called scaled subtraction, takes each scan from the test sample and subtracts a mass spectrum taken from a second similar sample. The aim is that the signal from any substance common to the two samples will be eliminated. Provided that the second sample does not contain the specified substances, any which are present in the first sample can be more easily detected in the subtracted data. The spectrum being subtracted is automatically scaled to allow for compounds that are common to both samples but with different concentrations. Scaled subtraction is implemented as part of a systematic approach to preprocessing the data. This includes a new spectrum-based alignment method that is able to precisely adjust the retention times so that corresponding scans of the second sample can be chosen for the subtraction. This approach includes the selection of samples based on their chromatograms. For this, new measures of similarity or dissimilarity are defined. The thesis presents the theoretical foundation for such measures based on mass spectral similarity. A new type of difference plot can highlight significant differences. The approach has been tested, with the encouraging result that there are less than half as many false matches compared with when the library search is applied to the original data. True matches of compounds of interest are still reported by the library search of the subtracted data.
2011-06-30T10:25:15Z
2011-06-30T10:25:15Z
2009-04
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134940
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349522020-05-11T01:59:42Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Managing in the middle, the practice of managing change in English Universities
Sarchet, Christopher
higher education management
change management
university management
middle management
higher education administration
N214 Change Management
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Business Administration of the University of Bedfordshire
Higher Education Institutions are worth £45 billion to the UK economy, according to a report published in 2006 by Universities UK (UUK), the representative organization of the United Kingdom’s universities. The higher education sector has undergone considerable change with the introduction of the marketplace, tuition fees and business management structures and methods. Managing change as a middle manager is acknowledged to be important activity (see for example, Beer, Eisenstat and Spector, 1990) and yet there is a limited amount of empirically research that has been conducted to discover how change is managed in the higher education sector in England by these staff. This study explores the perceptions of higher education managers about their role in managing change in the higher education sector. It is an exploratory study based on thirty-one interviews with managers in nine universities from across the higher education sector in England. The universities were chosen to ensure there was a representative sample from the main groups within the sector and a geographical spread across the country’s regions. The literature review found a wide range of contrasting viewpoints that provided a myriad of support and confusing messages. There was a lack of information about how higher education managers manage and, in particular, how they manage change. Managers, and those who seek to help them, face challenges in seeking and providing guidance and improving practice. The middle manager has to manage change and use a variety of means to achieve it. They are caught in the middle between senior managers and staff and other stakeholders. They have primarily learned from experience but need support and guidance when they come across change projects of which they have no knowledge. This can be provided by access to case based practice and a network of experienced experts. This research recommends the creation of such support using new media available via the internet provided through professional associations such as the Association of University Administrators (AUA).
2011-06-30T10:43:29Z
2011-06-30T10:43:29Z
2009-04-30
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134952
en
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349552020-05-15T02:01:04Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Improving the performance of Six Sigma : a case study of the Six Sigma process at Ford Motor Company
Thompson, Steven James
Six Sigma
Ford Motor Company
quality control
quality management
N210 Management Techniques
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of DBA
This thesis concerns the question, "Why is the performance of Six Sigma within The Ford Motor Company below that experienced in other companies, and what can be done to improve it?" The aim of the thesis was to make recommendations that would improve the performance of Six Sigma within the Ford Motor Company. Results from the literature were categorised according to headings found in the European Foundation for Quality Model (EFQM): strategy, people, process and leadership. The key factors identified from the literature review as being significant for a successful Six Sigma deployment were that projects were aligned to the strategy of the organisation, individuals were clear on their role and had appropriate skills, processes were well defined and understood and leadership team was committed to Six Sigma. The research started with a review of the results from two employee surveys. The first was given to Black Belts and asked questions concerning Six Sigma. The second was given to all the employees in the organisation. The survey data failed to identify the cause of lower than expected results, and so the investigation followed with a series of twelve interviews. When these also failed to identify the factor or factors responsible for deployment performance, the project database was reviewed. The Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control steps (DMAIC) were then analysed using Gardner’s Model of Process Maturity. The thesis concluded that the main influence driving Six Sigma performance was the low process maturity of the project selection and scoping processes and this gave rise to variable project performance. The thesis then presents material to improve project performance including a process map, a process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) of the project selection and scoping process, a control plan that ensures that the projects are on track and a macro using Excel and Minitab that works within the Ford Motor Company system to provide automatic evaluation of projects.
2011-06-30T11:00:20Z
2011-06-30T11:00:20Z
2007
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134955
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349612020-05-14T03:39:20Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_132371col_10547_129931
Development of new methods to assess the quality of zebrafish (Danio rerio) ovarian follicles
Zampolla, Tiziana
zebrafish
oocytes
cryopreservation
oocyte quality
C410 Applied Genetics
Danio rerio
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Bedfordshire
High quality fish oocytes are essential for in vitro maturation (IVM), in vitro fertilization (IVF) protocols, and for use in cryopreservation. It is important to develop methods for assessing oocyte quality for applications in aquaculture, the preservation of endangered species and managing fish models used in biomedical research. The lack of reliable methods of evaluating oocyte quality limits progress in these areas. The present study was undertaken to develop new methods to assess ovarian follicle viability and quality of stage III zebrafish (Danio rerio) ovarian follicles. The methods developed were then applied to study the impact of cryoprotectant and/or cryopreservation procedures. A vital staining procedure, not previously used with zebrafish oocytes, has been investigated. FDA-PI (Fluorescein diacetate-Propidium Iodide) staining was found to be a more sensitive then currently used viability tests and it could also be applied to all ovarian follicles developmental stages. Mitochondrial activity and distribution as biological markers was investigated with the mitochondrial membrane potentialsensitive dye JC-1- (5,5’,6,6’-tetrachloro-1,1’,3,3’-tetraethylbenzimidazolylcarbocyanine iodide). Confocal microscopy, Cryo-scanning and electron microscopy studies were undertaken to determine mitochondria distributional arrangement within the ovarian follicle. This provided new information on zebrafish ovarian follicle structure, and showed that mitochondria exhibited a contiguous distribution at the margin of the granulosa cell layer surrounding stage III zebrafish oocytes. Cryoscanning results showed a polygonal structure of the vitelline envelope, which is reported here for the first time with the mitochondrial distributional arrangement in the granulosa cell layer. Mitochondrial distribution and the evaluation of mitochondrial activity proved to be sensitive markers for ovarian follicle quality, providing more detailed information on cryoprotectant impact. The measurement of ATP levels, ADP/ATP ratio and mtDNA copy number were also undertaken following cryoprotectant exposure. These findings, together with the observation of mitochondrial distribution, suggested that even cryoprotectant treatments that are considered to have little or no toxicity can have a deleterious effect on mitochondrial activity, potentially compromising oocyte growth and embryo development. Therefore, a further optimization of the currently used protocol may need to be considered. The study of organelle distribution and organisation would support in vitro maturation and oocyte development fields, as well as their use as biological markers for quality determination. These findings will contribute to a better understanding of oogenesis/folliculogenesis processes in fish.
2011-06-30T12:18:00Z
2011-06-30T12:18:00Z
2009-03
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134961
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349752020-05-13T02:13:20Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
The role of the TGfU pedagogical approach in promoting physical activity levels during physical education lessons and beyond
Smith, Lindsey Rachel
physical education
teaching games for understanding
physical activity
X330 Academic studies in Secondary Education
C600 Sports Science
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
The study was designed to initially determine levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) occurring during physical education in 11-12 year olds using appropriate objective methods. Subsequently, the potential of a pedagogical method; ‘teaching games for understanding’ to increase PA levels and self determined motivation during PE lessons, and habitual physical activity during leisure time was examined. The most reliable and valid PA measurement tool for the chosen age group was the RT3 ® triaxial accelerometer. PA levels during PE lessons fell short of the recommended 50% (20 minute) criterion, with children accumulating 16.4 ± 2.3 minutes (44.9 ± 5.6%) of mean MVPA during lesson time. Seven day habitual activity monitoring revealed that time spent in MVPA on a PE day was significantly higher (P <0.05) than on a weekend day. This study also highlighted that on non PE days the lack of PE-related activity was not compensated by engagement in other activity. An investigation into the effects of a 12 week TGfU pedagogical strategy on MVPA and elements of Self Determination Theory during PE lessons revealed that boys assigned to the intervention displayed significantly higher (P <0.01) levels of MVPA, and significantly higher levels of autonomy (P < 0.05) post-intervention versus the control group. In addition, a non significant trend for an increase in habitual PA for boys assigned to the intervention lessons was revealed. No significant differences were displayed in the constructs of the TPB pre-post intervention and no significant benefits of TGfU were noted for girls. The reported increases in MVPA and levels of autonomy during PE lessons in boys using a TGfU approach are novel and promising. However it is suggested that future research incorporates such strategies in a health-promoting PE environment in addition to the traditional skills-based activities. This may have potential in enhancing MVPA during PE in girls and boys, and may promote greater transference to habitual physical activity levels. The potential for self determined environments positively impacting upon motivation and intentions to be physically active both during and outside of PE lessons warrants further exploration but over longer time periods.
2011-06-30T12:49:26Z
2011-06-30T12:49:26Z
2010-10
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134975
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1349632020-05-29T03:47:10Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
The role of linguistics in the learning, teaching and assessment of mathematics in primary education : a case study of a lower school in the United Kingdom
Raiker, Andrea
linguistics
mathematics teaching
mathematics learning
mathematics assessment
X320 Academic studies in Primary Education
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Bedfordshire
This doctoral research was concerned with the role of language and its implications for the learning, teaching and assessment of mathematics for children aged 4-9 years. Earlier research by the author had established language and assessment as bridges enabling learning although they had the potential to increase the divide between teacher and learner. Reflection raised the question on how children achieved in mathematics despite potential difficulties with language and assessment. Review of the literature concluded that resources and sociocultural norms were also bridges between learner and teacher. A model was established of the relationships and processes between all perceived variables that provided an external, theoretical structure to be evaluated against structuralist, pragmatic and integrational linguistic approaches and empirical outcomes. The overarching approaches adopted were institutional ethnography and case study. An appropriate methodology was devised whereby sophisticated ICT equipment captured all visual and speech events during classroom interactions. Frequency analysis at word level, content analysis at utterance level and discourse analysis at total speech level triangulated with content analysis of interviews and evaluation of documentation completed the empirical research. Data analysis revealed five registers of children’s talk. Evidence suggested that the peer-peer ‘conditioned talk’ used in focused group work was the most effective for learning as it enabled them to discern the small steps in the inferential leaps in discourse made by their teachers, work out problems together, inform their peers, share findings and reinforce each others’ learning. Learners’ language showed aspects of structural, pragmatic and integrational linguistics, confirming a conclusion of the literature review that the various linguistic approaches discussed should be used to support and not exclude each other. The contribution made to knowledge is the ethnomethodology provided by the model, ICT resource and the five registers of talk revealed by the linguistic approach to discourse analysis. Teachers would be able to understand nuances of language used by their pupils and acquire essential skills and tools to put into effect the personalised learning agenda. Peer-peer observation of teachers would be an appropriate platform for the observation of the different registers used by learners, the resources that generate those registers, and their most effective use to close the gap between natural language and the subject specific language of mathematics.
2011-06-30T12:41:20Z
2011-06-30T12:41:20Z
2008-02
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134963
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1352442020-05-12T03:10:58Zcom_10547_132194com_10547_129915col_10547_132222col_10547_129931
Real bad girls : the origins and nature of offending by girls and young women involved with a county youth offending team and systemic responses to them
Williams, Jeanette Deborah
youth justice
young offenders
female young offenders
social exclusion
L560 Probation/After Care
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire for the Professional Doctorate in Youth Justice
Amidst growing concerns about a rise in girls entering the Youth Justice System and official data highlighting increases in girls violent offending this doctoral thesis focuses on girls in the Youth Justice System. Drawing on case files and in depth interviews with a cohort of girls supervised by a Home Counties Youth Offending Team (YOT), and interviews with YOT practitioners it explores their needs and offending patterns and examines contemporary system responses to them. It aims to contribute to practice knowledge and understanding about girls offending, and to identify approaches and interventions most likely to be effective with them. Findings point to girls having multiple and interrelated needs and troubled backgrounds. Exclusion from school and non attendance, experience of severe family conflict and violence, heavy alcohol use and poverty and disadvantage are all cited as key risk factors for girls’ involvement in offending and other types of behaviour which can lead to social exclusion. Minor assault and the influence of alcohol emerge as key features in girls offending patterns. Assaults commonly arise from disputes with friends or family members, or occur whilst girls are in a mixed peer group where assaults are perpetrated against another young person or a Police Officer. The impact of more formal responses by Police and YOTS are evident and show that the highly regulated and male oriented Youth Justice System hampers the likelihood of successful interventions with girls. This study cites the importance of gender specific responses and interventions which are holistic, informal and flexible to meet the distinct needs and offending patterns of girls in the Youth Justice System. More widely early identification of girls at risk, information sharing across children, health and adult services, and the provision of a range of support and positive opportunities to girls which extend beyond the life of a Court Order are identified as key aspects of strategies aimed at improving future outcomes for girls.
2011-07-04T11:54:48Z
2011-07-04T11:54:48Z
2009-10
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/135244
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1352462020-05-12T03:10:40Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Knowledge, learning and reflection : consulting in communities of practice
Lawday, Geoff
communities of practice
learning
reflection
knowledge management
consulting
Submitted for the degree of Doctor of Business Administration: University of Bedfordshire
The objectives of the research was to identify how knowledge, learning and reflection is mediated in communities of practice. The overall aim was to base the evidence from the lived experiences of those who are part of the communities of practice under study. The research was undertaken through a qualitative inquiry using a social constructionist perspective. The research was pursued through participative action research in one case study organisation, and through participative observation, or observation in fifteen others. The key findings of this inquiry include six sociological elements which were common to all sixteen organisations. Further, four key knowledge flow processes were consistent across all cases. In total forty-one main findings were identified to the pursued research questions. Two conceptual models of learning and reflection were presented as ways to help understand how knowledge, learning and reflection are mediated in communities of practice. The models can be used at different levels of abstraction and conceptualisation. The study provides original insights into consulting activity within communities of practice, and highlights key themes based upon the lived experiences of the participants in the inquiry.
2011-07-04T12:24:30Z
2011-07-04T12:24:30Z
2009-06
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/135246
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1352602020-05-15T02:01:53Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
On statistical characterization of EESM effective SNR over frequency selective channels
Song, Hui
Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing
wireless telephony
wireless communication systems
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of University of Bedfordshire
With frequency selective fading, the SNRs of each sub-carrier would vary over the time and frequency. It would then cause fluctuations of the effective SNR. As the decision of MeS in LA is based on the effective SNR, the study of the statistical characterization of effective SNR over frequency selective fading channels would be very important, This problem forms the basis of investigation in this thesis. The methodology used in this thesis is generally divided into two parts. The first part is to investigate the method in obtaining the distribution of EESM over frequency selective fading channels. Such approach will be very helpful for the second part of the work which is to obtain the exact distribution of the EESM effective SNR for a specified fading model. In this case, Nakagami-m fading model is used. The choice of this model is based due to its simplicity and experimental consistency. One of the important features of the distribution is that the SNR of a signal under Nakagami fading is gamma distributed. Thus, in performance evaluation involving Nakagami fading, one can often rely on established results (in the statistics literature) of the gamma distribution. An important special case of the Nakagami distribution is the Rayleigh distribution, which arises in the situation of where the line-of-sight (LOS) component between the transmitter and the receiver is absent, i.e., when all of the received power stems from scattered components. The corresponding distribution for the SNR is the exponential distribution. The research in this thesis represents an effort to provide a statistical characterization of EESM effective SNR which has not appeared in any existing literatures. The goals of this thesis is to Characterize the statistics of EESM effective SNR over frequency selective channels. Obtain the distribution of EESM effective SNR over correlated Nakagami-m fading channels. Theoretically analyze the performance (Le. average SNR, outage probability and Symbol Error Rate (SER) etc.) of EESM over correlated Nakagami-m fading channels. Provide simple approximations to the proposed analytical results. Try to find extension and application of the results.
2011-07-04T12:44:00Z
2011-07-04T12:44:00Z
2010-04-13
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/135260
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1353112020-05-13T02:13:42Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Teachers as evaluators : a grounded approach to project evaluation
Leask, Marilyn
Cambridge Institute of Education
project evaluation
education
A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements Degree of Master of Philosophy
The aim of the research is to establish the potentIal of au approach to formative evaluation which utilizes and develops the skills of teachers. This 'teacher evaluator' approach depends on teachers planning, directing, controlling and carrying out evaluations. A detailed case study of the practice as it developed in one LEA over a three year period was undertaken. The research contributes to the debate about educational evaluation practice in five areas: It advances theory of educational particular reference to the UK. -It identifies an approach which enhances the professionalism of teachers. -Through the publication of a detailed case study it promotes the development of theory from the reality of practice. -It provides the ground work for forging new links between professional educational evaluators and the teaching profession. -It defines an approach to evaluation which has the potential to provide timely, relevant, and effective, formative evaluation. The teacher evaluator approach to evaluation can be seen as a natural extension of the developing research tradition in the UK which was stimulated by the work of Stenhouse. In the UK, partvcularly since Stenhouse published hiS seminal work in 1975, there have been a number of developments in educational evaluation practices particularly in the area of qualitative evaluation through action-research and school self-evaluation. It is the contention of this thesis that the teacher-evaluator approach fills a gap in this developing teacher-researcher tradition - that of LEA-wide project evaluation by teachers. Through careful examination of the evidence collected, the significance of thls development in the teacher~based research tradition, was analysed and subsequently confirmed. An approach such as this, which hands over the power of evaluation to teachers, is especially relevant in the light of current demands for accountability in education. However, the success and effectiveness of the approach was found to be affected by a variety of issues. These issues are covered in detail in the text and relate to three key areas: the framework established for the evaluation which depends on the local context; the role and responsibilities of the teacher-evaluators; the methodology and practices adopted. It is conSidered that this approach prOVides the framework for a new model of educational evaluation which combines the strengths of professional external evaluation with the knowledge and expertise of teachers, and which provides long term benefits for the LEA. ThiS case study is presented as a contribution to the development of an educational research tradition which Stenhouse identifies as essential to the improvement of education. Publication of this research may further stimulate work in thiS area and thus contribute to the advancement of theories relating to teacher-led evaluation.
2011-07-05T08:47:17Z
2011-07-05T08:47:17Z
1988-04
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/135311
en
University of East Anglia
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1422292020-04-23T07:28:02Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Security and usability in click-based authentication systems
al-Khateeb, Haider
passwords
computer security
visual passwords
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Ph.D.
Web applications widely use text passwords to confirm people‟s identity. However, investigations reveal text passwords have many problems and that there is a need for alternative solutions. For instance, users often forget their passwords, choose passwords which are easy-to-guess or vulnerable to cracking tools. Further, people write passwords down and/or share them with others. In addition, phishing attacks (using fraudulent websites to steal users‟ credentials) continue to cost millions of dollars every year. During the second half of 2009, the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) reported 126,697 unique phishing attacks worldwide. As such, one of this research‟s objectives is to investigate public awareness of, and attitude towards, text password security and usability supported by surveying both up-to-date literature and users. The aim of this research is to develop an alternative solution using visual passwords (VPs) to authenticate users on web applications and investigate its security and usability. A VP can be many things: a set of images used as a login portfolio, click-points inside images or a doodle (signature) drawn by a user. Since text passwords are favoured for their usability over tokens and biometrics, the research scope has been set to investigate alternative ideas which do not require resources additional to standard computer devices used to sustain human-computer interactions, such as mouse and keyboard. VPs have the potential to develop an alternative solution within this scope. A comprehensive survey of the VP schemes found in the literature is conducted followed by a security and usability evaluation in which click-based systems are selected as the most suitable approach to achieve the aims and objectives of this research. Click- iii based systems are VP authentication schemes in which the VP is a sequence of click-points performed on one or more images. Further, user perceptions were investigated to study their acceptance of various authentication mechanisms and techniques. A novel click-based scheme is presented and developed throughout the research to introduce and investigate novel ideas to maintain security and usability simultaneously. It can resist multiple phishing and shoulder-surfing attacks without revealing the full user credentials. Further, the layout is designed to prevent MiTM attacks, also known as the second generation of phishing attacks. The VP is hashed to resist database attacks and the password space is extremely large compared to text passwords to resist brute force attacks. It has dual cues to maintain memorability and password recall is easy even when it is system-generated. Usability is considered through observation and laboratory studies to meet the requirements of HCI-Sec (Secure Human-Computer Interactions) aiming to present a secure scheme people can actually use.
2011-09-13T08:45:42Z
2011-09-13T08:45:42Z
2011-04
Thesis or dissertation
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/142229
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1422502020-04-23T07:37:46Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Iterative block ciphers’ effects on quality of experience for VoIP unicast transmissions under different coding schemes
Epiphaniou, Gregory
VOIP
voice over internet protocol
iterative block ciphers
authentication
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of
the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Issues around Quality of Service (QoS) and security for Voice over IP (VoIP) have been extensively investigated separately, due to the great attention this technology currently attracts. The specific problem this work addresses centres upon the selection of optimal parameters for QoS and security for VoIP streams integrating both network impairments and user perception metrics into a novel empirically-driven approach. Specifically, the simulation model seeks the optimal parameters in terms of variable VoIP payloads, iterative block ciphers, codecs and authentication mechanisms to be used, so that optimum tradeoff between a set of conflicting factors is achieved. The model employs the widely used Transmission Rating Factor, R, as the methodology to predict and measure the perceived QoS based on current transmission and network impairments. The R factor is then used to map perceived QoS to the corresponding Mean Opinion Score value, which gives the average estimation of perceived voice quality (Quality of Experience). Furthermore, a genetic algorithm (GA) has been developed that uses the output from the simulation model as an input into an offline optimisation routine that simultaneously maximises the VoIP call volumes and the Level of Encryption (LoE) per call basis, without degrading the perceived quality of service under a specific threshold as dictated by the R factor. The solutions reflect the optimum combination of parameters for each codec used and due to the small size of the search space the actual speed of GA has been validated against an exhaustive search algorithm. The results extracted from this study demonstrate that under strict and pre-defined parameters the default payload size supported by the codecs is not the optimal selection in terms of call volume maximisation and perceived QoS when encryption is applied.
2011-09-13T09:53:41Z
2011-09-13T09:53:41Z
2010
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/142250
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1435342020-04-23T07:28:19Zcom_10547_132192com_10547_129915col_10547_132231col_10547_129931
An enhanced cross-layer routing protocol for wireless mesh networks based on received signal strength
Amusa, Ebenezer Olukayode
wireless networks
wireless mesh networks
wireless network performance
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
The research work presents an enhanced cross-layer routing solution for Wireless Mesh Networks (WMN) based on Received Signal Strength. WMN is an emerging technology with varied applications due to inherent advantages ranging from self-organisation to auto-con guration. Routing in WMN is fundamen- tally achieved by hop counts which have been proven to be de cient in terms of network performance. The realistic need to enhance the link quality metric to improve network performance has been a growing concern in recent times. The cross-Layer routing approach is one of the identi ed methods of improving routing process in Wireless technology. This work presents an RSSI-aware routing metric implemented on Optimized Link-State Routing (OLSR) for WMN. The embedded Received Signal Strength Information (RSSI) from the mesh nodes on the network is extracted, processed, transformed and incorporated into the routing process. This is to estimate efficiently the link quality for network path selections to improved network performance. The measured RSSI data is filtered by an Exponentially Weighted Moving Average (EWMA) filter. This novel routing metric method is called RSSI-aware ETT (rETT). The performance of rETT is then optimised and the results compared with the fundamental hop count metric and the link quality metric by Expected Transmission Counts (ETX). The results reveal some characteristics of RSSI samples and link conditions through the analysis of the statistical data. The divergence or variability of the samples is a function of interference and multi-path e effect on the link. The implementation results show that the routing metric with rETT is more intelligent at choosing better network paths for the packets than hop count and ETX estimations. rETT improvement on network throughput is more than double (120%) compared to hop counts and 21% improvement compared to ETX. Also, an improvement of 33% was achieved in network delay compared to hop counts and 28% better than ETX. This work brings another perspective into link-quality metric solutions for WMN by using RSSI to drive the metric of the wireless routing protocol. It was carried out on test-beds and the results obtained are more realistic and practical. The proposed metric has shown improvement in performance over the classical hop counts metric and ETX link quality metric.
2011-09-29T08:58:36Z
2011-09-29T08:58:36Z
2010-11
Thesis or dissertation
Amusa, E. (2010) 'An enhanced cross-layer routing protocol for wireless mesh networks based on received signal strength'. PhD Thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/143534
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1441642020-04-23T07:34:25Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Enablement & exploitation: the contradictory potential of community care policy for mental health services user/survivor-led groups
Armes, David Grahame
mental health services
User/Survivor Movement
NHS and Community Care Act
community care policy
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Luton
This thesis examines ways in which social policy supported by successive Conservative and Labour Governments has affected the British User/Survivor Movement (BUSM) since the introduction of the 1990 NHS and Community Care Act. It focuses on the formalising effects of community care policy, and the discursive resistance tactics of user/survivor activists in opposition to formalisation of their movement. The aims of the thesis are: firstly, exploration of the contradictory potential of community care policy where there is a formal relationship between local and/or health authorities with mental health services user/survivor-led groups; secondly, tracking New Labour’s policy agenda and the responses of user/survivors; finally, an attempt to develop a user/survivor theoretical standpoint towards community care policy. To achieve these aims the following were undertaken: a literature review which informed the development of a theoretical standpoint; interviews with user/survivor pioneers of the movement; and interviews with discussion groups of user/survivors who were active at local, regional, and/or national level. Analysis of respondents’ statements was completed using a theoretical standpoint based on Feminist/Foucauldian methodology. The chosen methodology resulted in an amended theoretical standpoint to take account of the use of reason by user/survivors and the creation of taxonomies which describe ways in which user/survivors discursively resist formalisation. These results formed the basis for the main conclusions which are as follows: first, user/survivors who engage in ‘consumerist’/empowerment activities, such as advocacy or involvement, can rightly claim to be challenging existing power relations; second, user/survivors entering into formal relationships with health/social services authorities do not necessarily reproduce discriminatory forms of care; third, although the culture of the BUSM has changed since the late 1980s, user/survivor activists are still trying to keep informal/empathic values alive; fourth, a danger exists that user/survivors will be pushed out of providing services and relegated to being the objects of consultation; and finally, there is a need to challenge the reason/unreason dichotomy enabling New Labour to characterise user/survivors as ‘dangerous’. The distinctive focus of this thesis on theoretical standpoint and discursive knowledge provides the basis for its contribution to theoretical and social policy debates in the field of mental health.
2011-10-06T12:47:11Z
2011-10-06T12:47:11Z
2005-12
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/144164
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1456192020-04-23T07:36:52Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Metaphor and relevance theory : a new hybrid model
Stöver, Hanna
Relevance Theory
Cognitive linguistics
Conceptual Metaphor Theory
metaphor
Situated Conceptualization
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Bedfordshire
This thesis proposes a comprehensive cognitive account of metaphor understanding that combines aspects of Relevance Theory (e.g. Sperber & Wilson 1986/95; Carston 2002) and Cognitive Linguistics, in particular ideas from Conceptual Metaphor Theory (e.g. Lakoff & Johnson 1980; Lakoff 1987; Johnson 1991) and Situated Conceptualization (e.g. Barsalou 1999; 2005). While Relevance Theory accounts for propositional aspects of metaphor understanding, the model proposed here additionally accounts for nonpropositional effects which intuitively make metaphor feel ‗special‘ compared to literal expressions. This is achieved by (a) assuming a further, more basic processing level of imagistic-experiential representations involving mental simulation patterns (Barsalou 1999; 2005) alongside relevance-theoretic inferential processing and (b) assuming processing of the literal meaning of a metaphorical expression at a metarepresentational level, as proposed by Carston (2010). The approach takes Tendahl‘s ‗Hybrid Theory of Metaphor‘ (2006), which also combines cognitive-linguistic with relevance-theoretic ideas, as a starting point. Like Tendahl, it incorporates the notion of conceptual metaphors (Lakoff & Johnson 1980), albeit in a modified form, thus accounting for metaphor in thought. Wilson (2009) suggests that some metaphors originate in language (as previously assumed by Relevance Theory) and others originate in thought (as previously assumed within Cognitive Linguistics). The model proposed here can account for both. Unlike Tendahl, it assumes a modular mental architecture (Sperber 1994), which ensures that the different levels of processing are kept apart. This is because each module handles only its own domain-specific input, here consisting of either propositional or imagistic-experiential representations. The propositional level, which remains the dominant processing route in utterance 3 understanding, as in Relevance Theory, receives some input from the imagistic-experiential level. This is mediated at a metarepresentational level, which turns the imagistic-experiential representations into propositional material to be processed at the inferential level in the understanding of literal expressions. In metaphor understanding, however, the literal meaning is not processed as meaning-constitutive content. As a result, the imagistic-experiential aspects of the literal meaning in question are not processed as propositional input. Rather, they are held at the metarepresentational level and experienced as strong impressions of the kind that only metaphors can communicate.
2011-10-18T12:39:57Z
2011-10-18T12:39:57Z
2010-10
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/145619
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1456182020-04-23T07:28:13Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Detection of facial expressions based on time dependent morphological features
Bozed, Kenz Amhmed
facial features recognition
facial expressions
human-computer interaction
face recognition
A thesis submetted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
Facial expression detection by a machine is a valuable topic for Human Computer Interaction and has been a study issue in the behavioural science for some time. Recently, significant progress has been achieved in machine analysis of facial expressions but there are still some interestes to study the area in order to extend its applications. This work investigates the theoretical concepts behind facial expressions and leads to the proposal of new algorithms in face detection and facial feature localisation, design and construction of a prototype system to test these algorithms. The overall goals and motivation of this work is to introduce vision based techniques able to detect and recognise the facial expressions. In this context, a facial expression prototype system is developed that accomplishes facial segmentation (i.e. face detection, facial features localisation), facial features extraction and features classification. To detect a face, a new simplified algorithm is developed to detect and locate its presence from the fackground by exploiting skin colour properties which are then used to distinguish between face and non-face regions. This allows facial parts to be extracted from a face using elliptical and box regions whose geometrical relationships are then utilised to determine the positions of the eyes and mouth through morphological operations. The mean and standard deviations of segmented facial parts are then computed and used as features for the face. For images belonging to the same class, thses features are applied to the K-mean algorithm to compute the controid point of each class expression. This is repeated for images in the same expression class. The Euclidean distance is computed between each feature point and its cluster centre in the same expression class. This determines how close a facial expression is to a particular class and can be used as observation vectors for a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) classifier. Thus, an HMM is built to evaluate an expression of a subject as belonging to one of the six expression classes, which are Joy, Anger, Surprise, Sadness, Fear and Disgust by an HMM using distance features. To evaluate the proposed classifier, experiments are conducted on new subjects using 100 video clips that contained a mixture of expressions. The average successful detection rate of 95.6% is measured from a total of 9142 frames contained in the video clips. The proposed prototype system processes facial features parts and presents improved results of facial expressions detection rather than using whole facial features as proposed by previous authors. This work has resulted in four contributions: the Ellipse Box Face Detection Algorithm (EBFDA), Facial Features Distance Algorithm (FFDA), Facial features extraction process, and Facial features classification. These were tested and verified using the prototype system.
2011-10-18T12:23:58Z
2011-10-18T12:23:58Z
2011-02
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/145618
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1456682020-04-23T07:28:14Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
The cross-cultural adjustment of EFL expatriate teachers in Taiwan
Liao, Wei-Ju
EFL
English language teaching
Taiwan
cross-cultural adjustment
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
This study investigates expatriate English teachers’ cross-cultural adjustment in Taiwan. Cross-cultural adjustment theories and the differences between Chinese and Western culture are reviewed. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected in order to develop the framework for the study. The process was examined across three facets of adjustment: general, working and interaction with host nation. The study was based on the framework of Black, Mendenhall and Oddou (1991) and develops an empirical cross-cultural adjustment model for native English- speaking expatriates who work in Taiwan as English teachers. The framework was successfully implemented by means of questionnaire and interview data and a literature review. The key findings of this study are: 1. Expatriate English teachers’ job satisfaction, age, previous crosscultural experience and their motivation for or purpose in coming to Taiwan are the key factors which affect their intention to stay in Taiwan. 2. Expatriate English teachers’ Mandarin or Taiwanese language ability has significant effects on their daily activities and social life outside work in terms of general adjustment. 3. Cross-cultural training for expatriate teachers could improve their living conditions in Taiwan in terms of general adjustment. 4. Expatriate teachers who possessed an undergraduate degree had more difficulties in their relationship with school management. 5. The total time expatriate teachers had spent living in Taiwan had some effect on their job satisfaction and adjustment in relation to interacting with the Taiwanese. Based on the empirical findings of this study, some recommendations for language education institutions and Westerners who are working or planning to work as English teachers in Taiwan are as follows: 1. Those who are planning to go to Taiwan to work as English teachers should receive some cross-cultural training and gain basic Mandarin or Taiwanese language skills before departure. An undergraduate degree is the basic qualification but an English teaching certificate or higher degree is strongly recommended. 2. English language education institutions should offer expatriate teachers cross-cultural training which includes basic local language skills, general information about living and working in Taiwan and the differences in the education system, teaching methodology and management style between Taiwanese and Western cultures. 3. When recruiting expatriate teachers, it is recommended that English language education institutions should avoid those who are including a trip to Taiwan as part of wider Asian travel and who are likely to stay in Taiwan for a relatively short time.
2011-10-18T12:32:15Z
2011-10-18T12:32:15Z
2010-12
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/145668
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/1456692020-04-23T07:29:45Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
University life event reporting and association with career decidedness, thoughtfulness and professionalism
Briggs, Steven G.
career development
student life events
student retention
L550 Careers Guidance
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
University students experience a range of life events whilst studying. Extensive research has established that university life events (events that are synonymous with studying) can be associated with student dropout from university. However, less is known about what university life events are experienced collectively by student ‘persisters’ (individuals who do not dropout). This study therefore sought to establish when persisters reported (and how they perceived) experiencing university life events. Between-group differences amongst students were considered. Life events have been attributed to personal change which can manifest in a number of ways, including change in career and professionalism. Understanding the associations between life events and career/professional development could serve to enhance the support that a university could provide to students in these areas. Consequently whether/when university life events were associated with students’ career thoughtfulness, decidedness and professionalism was addressed. An Interpretivist epistemological orientation was assumed and a comparative case study design was employed (involving three data collection phases). Phase one (pilot work) employed interviews and repertory grids to identify the range of events that student persisters might experience whilst studying at university; tentative between-group differences were considered. Based upon pilot work findings, three instruments were constructed, piloted and validated (phase two).These instruments addressed 1) university life event experiences; 2) career thoughtfulness and decidedness; and 3) professionalism status. Phase three (main study) involved administering the instruments quasi-longitudinally to students from two fundamentally different courses (‘professional’ (associated with a very well-defined career route and emphasis on specific professional development) and ‘generalist’ (associated with a more open-ended career route and less prescribed professional development)) at the start and end of the academic year. Result accuracy was checked through follow-up interviews with lecturers. III Trends were established between student groups in terms of what university life events were experienced and how these were perceived. Differences in reporting were found based on year group, course type and time of the academic year. Based on collective data, experiences most synonymous with specific stages of studying on a professional or generalist course were identified and are discussed. Different life events were found to be associated with enhanced or reduced career thoughtfulness, decidedness and professionalism throughout the academic year. Findings were considered holistically and an overview of how life events are associated with these areas was presented. Follow-up interviews overwhelmingly supported questionnaire findings. Explanations for findings and result applicability were considered. Suggestions for future work and recommendations are presented.
2011-10-18T12:50:29Z
2011-10-18T12:50:29Z
2011-09
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/145669
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2049512020-04-23T07:34:18Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
A grid enabled staging DBMS method for data Mapping, Matching & Loading
Ahmed, Ejaz
G540 Databases
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Bedfordshire
This thesis is concerned with the need to deal with data anomalies, inconsistencies and redundancies within the context of data integration in grids. A data Mapping, Matching and Loading (MML) process that is based on the Grid Staging Catalogue Service (MML-GSCATS) method is identified. In particular, the MML-GSCATS method consists of the development of two mathematical algorithms for the MML processes. Specifically it defines an intermediate data storage staging facility in order to process, upload and integrate data from various small to large size data repositories. With this in mind, it expands the integration notion of a database management system (DBMS) to include the MML-GSCATS method in traditional distributed and grid environments. The data mapping employed is in the form of value correspondences between source and target databases whilst data matching consolidates distinct catalogue schemas of federated databases to access information seamlessly. There is a need to deal with anomalies and inconsistencies in the grid, MML processes are applied using a healthcare case study with developed scenarios. These scenarios were used to test the MML-GSCATS method with the help of software prototyping toolkit. Testing has set benchmarks, performance, reliability and error detections (anomalies and redundancies). Cross-scenario data sets were formulated and results of scenarios were compared with benchmarking. These benchmarks help in comparing the MMLGSCATS methodology with traditional and current grid methods. Results from the testing and experiments demonstrate that the MML-GSCATS is a valid method for identifying data anomalies, inconsistencies and redundancies that are produced during loading. Testing results indicates the MML-GSCATS is better than traditional methods.
2012-01-26T09:54:10Z
2012-01-26T09:54:10Z
2011
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/204951
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2132892020-04-23T07:28:15Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
The acute effect of commonly used preparation strategies on short term high intensity motor capabilities
Fletcher, Iain M.
C600 Sports Science
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Publications
The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate modalities used as components of pre event/training preparation, to try to develop an optimal preparation strategy for sports performers. It concentrates on the stretch modalities commonly used by athletes as part of a warm-up designed to prepare them for subsequent performance. Past literature suggests that static stretching as part of a warm-up leads to a decrease in performance when compared to an active warm-up or a warm-up including dynamic stretches. Not surprisingly this has led to a movement away from static to dynamic stretches by many athletes. The presented publications were conducted to clarify a number of issues raised by past research studies. A lack of ecologically valid studies is apparent; the static stretch protocols used in most of the early research in this area has failed to explore what sports performers actually use as part of their training, while there was a lack of research examining the effect of dynamic stretches on performance. Of particular relevance is the lack of research looking at the mechanisms behind the changes in performance linked to warm-ups incorporating dynamic stretches. Therefore, this group of publications attempts to systematically examine the effects on performance of manipulating the stretch component of an active warm-up, while exploring the potential mechanisms linked to any changes in performance. The general findings of this series of papers provides evidence that static stretches, as part of an active warm-up, are linked to a decrease in the acute performance of a range of physical capabilities; including sprint, agility, jump and maximal force output. The mechanisms behind these performance changes are multifaceted, with decreases in core temperature and heart rate, decreases in musculotendinous unit stiffness and a decrease in muscular activity, when compared to a general active warm-up established. In contrast when a dynamic stretch replaces the static stretch component and is incorporated within a warm-up, performance is enhanced when compared to an active warm-up. The mechanisms behind this seem to be less temperature related and more closely linked to the neuro-muscular system. Greater muscular activity is linked to dynamic stretches, causing an increase in peak force and rate of force development, compared to an active warm-up protocol. This effect seems to be enhanced the faster and more specific the dynamic stretches are to the chosen performance measure, while combining static stretches with dynamic stretches as part of a preparation strategy still leads to decreases in performance compared to an active warm-up combined with dynamic stretches. In conclusion, to maximise acute maximal performance in sports specific motor skills, an active warm-up combined with specific dynamic stretches is recommended to sports performers and coaches.
2012-02-28T09:48:07Z
2012-02-28T09:48:07Z
2011-07
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/213289
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2183712020-04-23T07:28:19Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
An investigation into cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents
Bailey, Daniel Paul
University of Bedfordshire
C600 Sports Science
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
The principle aim of this work was to provide an insight into the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in children and adolescents and to examine the associations of body composition measures, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and physical activity with cardiometabolic risk. The combined association of adiposity and CRF on cardiometabolic risk in youths is also explored, as is the association of CRF with potentially modifiable variables, such as physical activity. This work has shown that, dependent on the definition employed, MetS may be present in 2.3% to 9.8% of children and adolescents in Bedfordshire, UK. When applying modified Adult Treatment Panel III definitions (Cook et al. 2003; de Ferranti et al. 2004), the condition was significantly more prevalent in overweight compared to non-overweight youths. Backward regression analyses identified that only body mass index (BMI) explained significant amounts of variance in clustered cardiometabolic risk, although being overweight according to internationally proposed cut points for BMI, waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio conferred participants to increased risk compared to their non-overweight counterparts. Clustered risk was also elevated in children and adolescents with low levels of CRF compared to those with high levels, whereas time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and vigorous physical activity (VPA) held no association. When stratified into groups according to level of fatness (BMI z-score) and CRF, those with high fatness/low CRF generally exhibited the most unfavourable cardiometabolic risk profiles. Cardiometabolic risk was higher in the high fatness/low CRF group compared to those with low fatness/low CRF and low fatness/high CRF when excluding WC from the score, and those with low fatness/low CRF when including WC in the score. Multiple regression and ANCOVA revealed that increased visceral fatness (indirectly measured using WC) was associated with reduced CRF, while increased time spent in VPA was associated with elevated CRF. These data suggest that BMI may be the best simple measure of obesity to employ when exploring adiposity-related cardiometabolic in children and adolescents. In addition, results from this iv investigation indicate that low CRF and overweight/obesity may have deleterious effects on the cardiometabolic health of children and adolescents and that interventions to reduce risk may target decreases in fatness and improvements in CRF and VPA as standard.
2012-04-13T08:57:37Z
2012-04-13T08:57:37Z
2012-02
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/218371
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2209332020-04-23T07:28:21Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Policy change and the street level policing of children and young people in a Home Counties police force
Mortimore, Judith Ann
M110 UK Legal Systems
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire for the Professional Doctorate in Youth Justice
New Labour‟s youth justice legislation and the "Every Child Matters" programme contained contradictory imperatives. This research examines how Police Officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) in a community policing setting operationalised those imperatives in order to reach decisions when dealing with children and young people. The review of literature focusses firstly on New Labour policy relating to children and young people, and secondly describes previous research into the practice of policing juveniles, the resilience of police culture and the key factors identified relating to police officer decision making. No recent British research in this area was located. Four overlapping hypotheses were identified, which were: officers will be more responsive to the "Every Child Matters" policy imperatives; officers will be more responsive to the criminal justice imperatives; managerialism will trump both sets of policy imperatives because it is in the officer‟s interests to respond to the demands of management; and both sets of policy imperatives and managerialism notwithstanding, officers will resort to "common sense" responses informed by their own lay criminologies, scales of values, police culture, and police "practice wisdom". These hypotheses were tested using quantitative and qualitative data from 198 self-reporting postal questionnaires and eight follow-up interviews. The research population comprised Police Officers and Police Community Support Officers engaged in Neighbourhood Policing. The research found that the majority of officers operated according to their own lay methodologies (hypothesis four) within the constraints of managerialism (hypothesis three), which led to officers and PCSOs taking actions which they did not always believe to be the most appropriate. Additionally, ambiguities in the legislation and lack of guidance led to the space for the exercise of officer discretion expanding when they were dealing with children and young people, whilst at the same time there was a lack of training on how they should best engage with this age group.
2012-04-27T12:27:50Z
2012-04-27T12:27:50Z
2011-03
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/220933
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2208932020-04-23T07:28:20Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
An investigation into the use of an Enterprise Resource Planning Framework by British Tennis.
Barr, Christopher Anthony
N222 Recreation/Leisure Management
A thesis submitted for the degree of
Doctor of Business Administration
at the University of Bedfordshire
The overall objective of this study is to establish the extent to which an ERP system could be used within the management of British Tennis. Whilst ERP systems are used extensively in commercial organisations, there is little research into the use of these systems in the management of sport by the National Governing Bodies and by the operational providers of sport facilities. This supports the specific finding in the Game Plan (National Strategy Unit, 2002), which identified that the management systems within sports administration need to be improved and that there is a general lack of research within this specific area. The research proposes an ERP framework which can be implemented to achieve a number of improvements in operations and to enable other opportunities such as targeted marketing. Porter’s Value Chain is used as a model to investigate the organisations involved in the provision of tennis, and this model brings together the two concepts of multi-organisational structures and ERP systems. This enables the selected modules of the ERP system to be mapped on the value chain, and a new value network to be created. This research uses a predominantly qualitative method which incorporates an iterative approach to the investigation, based on the model by Bryman. Iteration One uses a mixture of indepth and semi-structured interviews to establish and corroborate the themes identified as part of the literature review. Also there are additional areas of theory identified as part of the data collection process which are explored in more depth. The second iteration is then used to gather further information and information confirmatory to the first iteration. Findings demonstrate a mixture of governmental, commercial, profit-making and not-forprofit organisations that have no central system in use. The research proposes that a central ERP system, including a number of functional modules, could be implemented into this environment and that it would deliver benefits to all organisations, including cost reduction, managerial benefits, strategic benefits, improved IT infrastructure and organisational benefits.
2012-04-27T11:48:10Z
2012-04-27T11:48:10Z
2010-08
Thesis or dissertation
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/220893
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2208952020-05-13T02:14:34Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
A matter of confidence : an exploration of how magistrates' confidence in youth offending team service provision can make a difference to decision-making in the youth courts
Ivankovic, Lucy
M110 UK Legal Systems
youth justice
Youth Offending Teams
Professional doctorate in youth justice
The vast majority of children and young people appearing in criminal courts in England and Wales are sentenced through a youth court by lay magistrates. The magistrates court deals with 96% of all criminal cases in England and Wales and it is lay magistrates who decide on questions of fact, and sentence those convicted in 91% of these cases. Therefore, how Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) and magistrates work together is a matter of interest. This research explores the extent to which magistrates' confidence in the YOT's service provision can make a difference to the decisions made with regards to bail/remand, sentencing, enforcement and revocation on grounds of good progress. Furthermore, the research considers how YOTs might improve the confidence of magistrates in their service provision and makes recommendations for practice in this regard.
2012-04-27T12:20:39Z
2012-04-27T12:20:39Z
2011
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/220895
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2230112020-04-23T07:28:26Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Dialogical practices : diving into the poetic movement exploring ‘supervision’ and ‘therapy’
Vedeler, Anne Hedvig Helmer
creative writing
systemic practice
B940 Counselling
poetry
reflexivity
qualitative inquiry
systemic research
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctorate in Systemic Practice of the University of Bedfordshire
This thesis explores a dialogical approach – in relation to supervision, therapy and research. I have as supervisor inquired into my relationship with groups of supervisees who were training to become family therapists or systemic practitioners. Through my doctoral portfolio, I speak from within my practice and I show in some detail the micro processes in relational encounters which help dialogue to evolve. I also address grand narratives about what it means to be a human being, and show how perceiving a human being as dialogical has extensive and governing consequences for how we think about a person’s movements in the world, how we think about them as person, in relation to other people, and how we understand problems, and approach problem solving. My research has been a doing, an experiencing and a creation of knowing in a reflexive flow. My research philosophy, mode of approaching my practice as therapist and supervisor (and as a person in the world) has reflexively been created through my being in practice. I show how an embodied belief in fluidity and complexity, enables me as supervisor to contribute to a space in the context of supervision which welcomes the freedom of a kind of orientation which is open towards situated, emerging, novel and provisional understanding. By attending to here-and-now interactions, becoming answerable in the moment and by embracing intuition, ambiguity and relational compassion, we have been able to welcome risk-taking and improvisation. This mode of dialogical supervision demonstrates a willingness to spontaneously dive into the uniqueness of every new encounter and every new movement. I see this as the poetics of the dialogical meeting. I have experienced how this space has opened up quite unexpected aspects of the supervisees’ experiences and has served as an incitement for them to question different aspects of their relationship to life. This has reflexively created a certain spirit and atmosphere that has invited us all to be bolder in our sharing and exploration of our lives, practice and our ideas. This thesis makes a contribution concerning: how we can be with people in ways that opens up more understanding and creates a sense of belonging and liberation; challenging and transgressively exploring discursive boundaries which attempt to define and fix what research is, what therapy is, what supervision is, and welcomes the infinity of opportunities and possibilities life may offer us. Thus I suggest that it may become significant for the profession to review the usefulness and legitimacy of distinct categorization between therapy and supervision. Through my choice of genre I offer the reader a possibility to respond emotionally as well as intellectually to my writing. I believe the way I have chosen to re-present my research through a mix of genre and evocative texts not ‘frozen’ findings, permits and anticipates novel ways of going on in relation to research in a manner that I don’t believe have been described in this way before within the community of family therapy and systemic practice.
2012-05-10T10:19:26Z
2012-05-10T10:19:26Z
2011-09
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/223011
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2230002020-04-23T07:28:27Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Establishing the validity of the General English Proficiency Test Reading Component through a criticial evaluation on alignment with the Common European Framework of Reference
Wu, Rachel Yi-Fen
Q330 English as a second language
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of
the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
The present study aimed to establish an empirical framework for test validation and comparison of level-based test batteries and to identify parameters that are useful to explicitly describe different levels of reading proficiency examinations based on a critical evaluation of alignment of the examinations with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). The scope of the study is limited to CEFR B1 and B2 levels. This study applied Weir’s (2005) socio-cognitive validation framework to examine various aspects of the validity of different levels of the GEPT in terms of contextual parameters, cognitive processing skills, and test results. The CEFR and two levels of a CEFR-aligned multilevel test battery, PET and FCE developed by Cambridge ESOL, served as external referents for a review of the similarities and differences between GEPT reading tests targeting CEFR B1 and B2 levels. To establish ‘situational and interactional authenticities’ (Bachman and Palmer, 1996), this study not only applied automated tools and expert judgment to examine ‘the degree of correspondence of the characteristics of a given language test task to the features of a TLU [target language use] task’ (ibid., 23), but also carried out what O’Sullivan (2006: 183) called ‘an a posteriori empirical exploration of test performance’ to gather evidence of interactional authenticity. The findings support the construct validity of the GEPT in general, but show that its cognitive validity needs to be enhanced by incorporating tasks which test expeditious reading operations. As regards the CEFR-alignment, the findings also show that procedures the Manual (CoE, 2009) recommends for linking an examination to CEFR levels do not produce sufficient evidence to demonstrate equivalence between different examinations that target particular CEFR levels. The results indicate that the GEPT Intermediate level and PET, both of which target the B1 level, are equivalent, while the GEPT High-Intermediate level and FCE, which target the B2 level, are much different not only in terms of test results but also contextual features and cognitive processing operations.
2012-05-10T10:39:56Z
2012-05-10T10:39:56Z
2011-11
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/223000
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2230122020-04-23T07:37:55Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Writing (as) systemic practice
Simon, Gail
creative writing
systemic practice
reflexivity
qualitative inquiry
systemic research
W800 Imaginative Writing
Professional Doctorate in Systemic Practice
This doctoral portfolio is a collection of papers and pieces of creative writing arising out of therapeutic, supervisory and training conversations and in relation to a wide range of texts. I have wanted to find ways of writing ethically so as to avoid objectifying people and appropriating their words, their life stories. I find ways of writing in which the values and practices of a collaborative, dialogical and reflexive ways of being with people are echoed in the texts. I show how writing and reading are relational practices in that I speak with the participants in the texts as well as with the reader and also with other writers. To do this, I experiment with a variety of written forms and employ literary devices so as to speak from within a range of practice relationships, from within inner dialogue, with real and fictitious characters. Technically and ethically, I try to write in a way which not only captures the sound of talk but which also speaks with the reader who would be reading, and perhaps hearing these accounts of conversation. By sharing a rich level of detail from my polyvocal inner dialogue, I invite the reader into a unique and privileged alongside position as a participant-observer in my work. Inspirational research methodologies include: writing as a method of inquiry, reflexivity, autoethnography, performance ethnography and transgression interpreted by many areas of systemic theory and practice. To support this innovative work, I offer several theoretical and practical papers offering novel developments on systemic practice theory. I situate systemic practice as a research method and demonstrate many family resemblances between systemic inquiry and qualitative inquiry. I offer a reflexive model for systemic practice and practice research which I call Praction Research which regards therapy and research as political acts requiring an activist agenda. Linked to this I politicise ideas of reflexivity by introducing local and global reflexivity and create a political connection with a concept of theorethical choices in theory and ethics in practice research. I propose a new form of ethnography suited to systemic practice, Relational Ethnography in which I draw attention to reflexive relationships between writer and readers, between the voices of inner and outer dialogue in research texts.
2012-05-10T10:25:51Z
2012-05-10T10:25:51Z
2011
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/223012
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2235162020-04-23T07:28:29Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Transition, perspectives, and strategies: on the process of becoming a teacher in higher education
Austin, Trevor William
Cardiff University
X142 Training Teachers - Higher Education
teacher socialisation
late entrants
teacher identity
A thesis submitted to Cardiff University in partial
fulfilment of requirements of candidature for the
degree of Ed. D
For those who teach in higher education and draw on vocational rather than academic backgrounds, the processes of socialisation are complex, extended and highly conditioned by their ‘past’ professions. These professions are seen to provide both ‘resources’ and ‘dissonances’ in the transitions that constitute their progress towards becoming a teacher. Whilst a great deal has been written of these processes in older universities with high concentrations of academic staff whose careers are largely confined to higher education itself, relatively little is known of parallel processes in newer institutions that are highly connected to specific kinds of workplace. This study addresses the way in which the current literature has under-represented the experiences and perspectives of ‘late entrants’ to teaching in higher education who come to work in a university from a profession that is ‘outside’ of higher education itself. The study uses a case study approach based on a series of semistructured interviews to reveal and analyse the processes of socialisation for ten participants undertaking a programme of teacher training (PGCAP). It describes a certain kind of ‘insider’ research where closeness and rapport exist alongside asymmetries of power and forms of ‘guilty knowledge’. Narrative methods are used to analyse and represent the data from differing perspectives to reveal a range of engagements, commitments and experience. These are seen to shape the socialisation process through key ‘turning points’ promoting movement towards a teacher identity. The study draws on theoretical perspectives based on the work of Bernstein (2000) and Bandura (1997) in order to analyse core processes both situationally and from an individual perspective. The research raises key questions about the learning environments created for participants on this teacher training course and the wider discourses that influence such provision. It also challenges a growing assumption that the attempts by the state to control and improve teaching in higher education are incorporated into individual teaching practice.
2012-05-14T11:46:03Z
2012-05-14T11:46:03Z
2011
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/223516
en
Cardiff University
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2336302020-04-23T07:28:58Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Commitment in students training for caring professions: a focus on student nurses' experience of support
Clements, Andrew James
B700 Nursing
nursing education
student retention
student commitment
caring professions
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
This thesis reports a mixed-method investigation into the relationship between training experiences and commitment in students training for a caring profession such as nursing. There are recruitment and retention difficulties in healthcare care professions (Storey, Cheater, Ford and Leese, 2009) and on nursing courses (Waters, 2006). While extensive research has examined the retention of student nurses, little is known about the antecedents, experience and impact of work commitment in student nurses. The findings of such research have the potential to inform interventions and enhance support structures to improve retention in students training for the caring professions. This programme of research initially aimed to explore the experiences of students training for caring professions, with particular focus placed on nursing students, together with how these experiences relate to commitment. Lecturers and students participated in semi-structured interviews in study 1 and 2 respectively. Issues were identified relating to support, such as peer support and staff-student relationships during placement, as being important to understanding the development and maintenance of commitment in students. Quantitative work in study 3 demonstrated that affective commitment was positively related with wellbeing and help-seeking behaviours, and negatively with turnover intentions. Perceived support was positively related to satisfaction with experiences of training, affective commitment, and help-seeking behaviours. In a longitudinal study (study 4) affective commitment and work-related anxiety-contentment were found to decrease, and turnover intentions increase, between time 1 and time 2, before and after a work placement. Further, satisfaction with placement experiences appeared to causally influence affective commitment. However, study 4 provided only limited support to the findings of study 3, partly due to its limited sample. The findings of this programme of research suggest that placement experiences have important implications for the development and maintenance of student commitment to nursing. An intervention following placement could assist in re-establishing student commitment to nursing if required. It is argued more broadly that it would be of benefit for nursing educators to manage student commitment in order to enhance retention, wellbeing and satisfaction amongst students. These findings also have the potential to enhance insight into the nature and impact of commitment in students training for other caring professions.
2012-07-13T10:59:42Z
2012-07-13T10:59:42Z
2012-02
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/233630
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2336292020-05-11T01:59:18Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
The social and political construction of care: community care policy and the 'private' carer
Thompson, Diane
L590 Social Work not elsewhere classified
care in the community
Carers
informal care
A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Healthcare and Social Studies in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by the University of Luton
This thesis presents a retrospective critique of the social and political construction of 'informal care' within community care policy from the period of the late 1970s to the mid 1990s. The thesis considers the question of the degree of 'choice' available to informal carers to say 'no' to caring, or aspects of caring, within the reforms' positioning of informal care as the first line of support for adult dependants. The critique focuses on subjectivity, difference, agency and choice. A theoretical and methodological synthesis is developed between feminist post-structuralism, feminist critiques of mainstream social policy, and feminist theory and research, within which a qualitative in-depth interview study with informal carers is situated. The critique is then expanded through the development of a 'Q' Methodology study with a larger cohort of informal carers. The research identified gendered generational differences between the carers, and a 'burden' of care imposed as an outcome of consecutive governments' attempts to residualise welfare. The older carers' levels of agency and choice were severely curtailed. However, the younger female carers were more able to resist the drive of the community care reforms, their counter discourses being based on a new emergent notion of 'rights'. The direction of community care policy was found to be out of step with how the carers within this study perceived their responsibilities and 'obligations'. The thesis argues that whilst post-modernism may have constrained the capacity of governments and reconstituted our understanding of 'care', it has not done so to the extent that we are no longer prepared to make demands for 'care' from and by the state.
2012-07-13T10:59:18Z
2012-07-13T10:59:18Z
2000-09
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/233629
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2336282020-05-14T03:40:43Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
On the occurrence, ecology and behaviour of Onchidella celtica (Gastropoda, Onchidiacea) in the littoral of Cornwall
Tween, Trevor Charles
C350 Marine Zoology
Onchidella
gastropods
invertebrate biology
marine zoology
A thesis submitted to the Council for National Academic Awards in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Luton College of Higher Education
(Sponsoring Establishment)
Liverpool Polytechnic
(Collaborating Establishment)
Onchidella celtica is the only onchidiacean to occur in Britain; it is a littoral pulmonate gastropod of controversial taxonomic placement and an historica1 review of the group is therefore presented. The habitat, spatial dispersion, local distribution and geographical range of O.celtica are each described, with particular reference to Cornish shores. The nature of the substratum, exposure and the adverse affects of low temperatures are suggested as the principal parameters controlling the observed distributions, which are considered in detail. O.celtica lays capsular spawn and examination of these has enabled development times and hatching rates to be assessed. Juvenile growth rates have also been investigated to aid the interpretation of population age-structure in shore-line samples, and the dynamics and longevity of the population are discussed. Reproduction is shown to be inhibited by low temperatures. The various reproductive strategies of the onchidiaceans are discussed. Likely causes of mortality are considered, the likelihood of predation by intertidal carnivores is assessed and defensive strategies, including glandular secretions, rhythms of activity and cryptic habits, are shown to be important in evading predation. Various aspects of the behaviour of O.celtica are investigated quantitatively, including aggregation, crevice selection and foraging, and their importance as strategies in successfully exploiting the exposed littoral environment is discussed. A detailed investigation of homing behaviour shows this to be accomplished without obvious trail-following. and remote olfaction is suggested as the principal mechanism of homing. Ambient temperature has a marked effect on the frequency of individuals foraging, and the role of other environmental variables is considered. The feeding behaviour and diet of O.celtica are described, and the possibility of food selection is considered. A preliminary histochemical examination has elucidated the distribution of certain classes of enzymes in the gut of O.celtica.
2012-07-13T10:58:40Z
2012-07-13T10:58:40Z
1987-01
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/233628
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2336002020-04-23T07:28:52Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Cinema and new technologies: the development of digital video filmmaking in West Africa
Benagr, S.
W612 Producing Motion Pictures
film making
digital video
African cinerma
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
This research investigates the development of digital video filmmaking in West Africa using Ghana and Burkina Faso as case studies within the context of new technologies. The key research questions that guided the study were how do the economic, social and political contexts of video filmmaking affect the development of a digital video film industry in Ghana and Burkina Faso? and how have the perceptions of digital technologies (held by filmmakers and other stakeholders) impacted upon the development of digital video film making in West Africa? Using field interviews with stakeholders in the video film industry in Ghana and Burkina Faso, as well as with the West African diaspora community in the UK, document research, textual references, and personal observation, the research discusses the challenges of new digital and video technologies, and their implications for the development of the video film industry. The research establishes that video and digital technologies are offering many people the opportunity to make films. There is however, a plethora of new digital technologies that enable the work of video film producers, which require closer examination. The research suggests that the impact of the digital revolution has been limited, and a number of factors account for this. The study offers recommendations that might contribute to discussions on finding solutions to the development of a professional, regulatory and practical video filmmaking environment. This would lead to the formulation of policies that impact positively on filmmaking in the region, and consequently increase the capacity of local productions to compete on the international film scene.
2012-07-13T10:56:44Z
2012-07-13T10:56:44Z
2012-02
Thesis or dissertation
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/233600
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2344722020-04-23T07:28:54Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Keep the conversation going : a study of conversational spaces during family business succession
Kebbe, Lisen
N220 Institutional Management
family business
systemic practice
action research
succession planning
reflexivity
qualitative inquiry
systemic research
Professional doctorate
In systemic practice 2011
University of Bedfordshire
This practice doctorate study addresses the question of succession in family business, and whether it is possible to facilitate the succession process and enhance family relations by working in a systemic, conversational and dialogical way. The high percentage of successions in family businesses which fail and result in closed down businesses has led to extensive research and caused public debate in Sweden. This study contains of four sections. The first section gives an introduction to my felt need of developing the facilitation of the succession process in business families. It also contains a philosophical background to the systemic way of working and a presents my ontology, epistemology and methods for my study and its ethical considerations. The second section puts my study in a wider perspective of this study with a short presentation of the field of family business research; there are interviews with mainstream consultants that are elaborated on and lastly there is a gender perspective on family business consultations. The eight essays in the third section portray my action research into my facilitation of the succession process in the Bjärges family. The succession process began at the end of 2006 and lasted almost five years. Facilitation was performed during the first two and a half years and the last follow-up conversation was held in the beginning of 2011. The Bjärges essays are written in a generative and reflexive way by means of radical, social poetics thus allowing personal involvement in the text. Some of the essays study the succession process from the perspective of dialogical moments; a couple of them reflect on the succession process in a longer perspective and finally there are follow-up conversations with the family members. The fourth section deals with knowledge gained from working with this study, knowledge I have taken into my practice where I facilitate family members to make their own decisions. It also includes my reflections on theory and on differences in consultancy to family business. Accountants and legal advisors focus on what is best for business, while facilitators working in the dialogical way have family relations at heart. This work proposes a 3rd Way, a new way of facilitating and supporting business families by collaboration of different competences in multi-professional teams. Thus both business and family relations would be addressed.
2012-07-19T08:34:09Z
2012-07-19T08:34:09Z
2011
Thesis or dissertation
Kebbe, L. (2011) 'Keep the conversation going : a study of conversational spaces during family business succession'. PhD thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/234472
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2351712020-04-23T07:28:53Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Systemic thinking, lived redescription, and ironic leadership: creating and sustaining a company of innovative organisational consulting practices
Storch, Jacob
systemic practice
systemic research
reflexivity
qualitative inquiry
leadership
Submitted for the degree:
Professional Doctorate in Systemic Practice
This thesis is about the growth and sustainability of a systemic consultancy that for more than ten years has experienced continuous growth and development. It sets out to describe the kind of distinctive dialogical relational practices (Shotter, 2006, 2008) that enables the conditions for a continuous creation of novel and innovative practices which has been expressed into an ever growing and mutating practice both within the community but also in relation to clients. It is argued that it is the distinctive systemic way of being irreverent towards one's own practice; that is privileging curiosity over certainty (Cecchin, 1987), imagination over inference (Rorty, 1989, 1991a), that is perhaps the most specific difference between systemic theory-practitioners and other ways of consulting. Through cases these ideas are described from within the experiences of those participating offering unique expressions of how this difference is lived in a day-to-day conduct. The treatment of these episodes leads to the hypothesis that innovative practices become a 'way of being' in the world rather than a special feature applied on practice which means that it is not only something we do it is also how we see ourselves grow and develop as individuals as well as a community. How this is expressed into client relationships is explored through two cases of innovative consultancy. The thesis is also a self-reflexive portrait described through neo-pragmatic ideas as found in Rorty's (1980, 1989, 1991a, 1991b, 1999) writing. This project is providing a tension within the project of developing the thesis re-viewing my previous systemic vocabulary through the use of new words and metaphors, through which the reader is invited into an extension of the idea of 'irreverence' with Rorty's writing on irony and redescription. During the course of this project a portrait of the kind of leadership practice that facilitates a relationally dialogical way of being in an organisation is described, which serves as a kind of self portrait. The research methods applied is best captured by the notion of participant research (Lindlof, 1995. Wadel, 1991), which entails using a series of data such as interviews, on the spot observations, written material, post episode reflections and participant dialogues in relation to the different meanings an episode can have. All the data used is discussed and related to the theoretical project within the thesis.
2012-07-23T13:02:41Z
2012-07-23T13:02:41Z
2011
Thesis or dissertation
Storch, Jacob. (2011) 'Systemic thinking, lived redescription, and ironic leadership: creating and sustaining a company of innovative organisational consulting practices'. PhD thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/235171
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2418112020-05-12T03:12:37Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Hard synchronous real-time communication with the time-token MAC protocol
Wang, Jun
G420 Networks and Communications
G400 Computer Science
MAC protocol
real-time communication
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Bedfordshire
The timely delivery of inter-task real-time messages over a communication network is the key to successfully developing distributed real-time computer systems. These systems are rapidly developed and increasingly used in many areas such as automation industry. This work concentrates on the timed-token Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol, which is one of the most suitable candidates to support real-time communication due to its inherent timing property of bounded medium access time. The support of real-time communication with the timed-token MAC protocol has been studied using a rigorous mathematical analysis. Specifically, to guarantee the deadlines of synchronous messages (real-time messages defined in the timed-token MAC protocol), a novel and practical approach is developed for allocating synchronous bandwidth to a general message set with the minimum deadline (Dmin) larger than the Target Token Rotation Time (TTRT). Synchronous bandwidth is defined as the maximum time for which a node can transmit its synchronous messages every time it receives the token. It is a sensitive paramater in the control of synchronous message transmission and must be properly allocated to individual nodes to guarantee deadlines of real-time messages. Other issues related to the schedulability test, including the required buffer size and the Worst Case Achievable Utilisation (WCAU) of the proposed approach, are then discussed. Simulations and numerical examples demonstrate that this novel approach performs better than any previously published local synchronous bandwidth allocation (SBA) schemes, in terms of its ability to guarantee the real-time traffic. A proper selection of the TTRT, which can maximise the WCAU of the proposed SBA scheme, is addressed. The work presented in this thesis is compatible with any network standard where timed-token MAC protocol is employed and therefore can be applied by engineers building real-time systems using these standards.
2012-09-07T11:01:41Z
2012-09-07T11:01:41Z
2009-07
Thesis or dissertation
Wang, Jun (2009) 'Hard synchronous real-time communication with the time-token MAC protocol'. PhD thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/241811
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2417532020-04-23T07:29:02Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Exploring images of Indonesia as perceived by Indonesain tourism industry members and UK residents 'Pre-The Bali Bombings' and 'Post-The Bali Bombings'
Weiping
N840 International Tourism
tourism
Indonesia
crisis management
destination image
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in fulfilment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Destination image is an aspect of tourism that requires crisis management (CM) and marketing, because it is vulnerable to crises and media coverage. The literature review identified that potential terrorist attacks and political instability were particularly influential in changing travellers' intentions to visit and perceptions of different destinations. To date, there is no published academic research on the changing images of Indonesia as a result of the prolonged 1997 crises (pre the Bali bombings) and the 2002 and 2005 crises (post the Bali bombings). This study addresses this by examining Indonesia's images from the perspectives of the Indonesian tourist industry and UK residents. This study also addresses gaps identified in the following destination image research areas: image formation, image change and crisis management. The review of current literature revealed that there has been little shift towards a greater use of qualitative or mixed-methods approach for the study of destination image. This research uses a mixed-methods approach to address the limitations that the use of a single, purely quantitative or quantitative approach would impose. Results from the primary research reveal that the images of Indonesia, including the security image is more positive among visitors than non-visitors. The research results suggest that Bali has strong unique images and these have allowed its tourism to continue and survive pre- and post- the crisis period. Furthermore, the results revealed that Indonesia's image has become more complex since 1997, specific factors affected its image during crisis, the critical role of the media in the development of image and tourism demand and why certain crisis management strategies proposed in the tourism literature are not effective. This research contributes to the study of image dimensions, differences, change and formation factors and the use of mixed-methods within a crisis context. The research also contributes within the area of crisis management by suggesting modifications to the current crisis management framework, making it more adaptable in certain contexts and suggests the need for 'knowledge management' and a 'logical incrementalism' approach when developing the CM plan. The implication of the research findings is that mixed-methods approach is compatible and beneficial in destination image research with similar or complementary research objectives.
2012-09-07T09:53:59Z
2012-09-07T09:53:59Z
2010-01
Thesis or dissertation
Weiping (2010) 'Exploring images of Indonesia as perceived by Indonesain tourism industry members and UK residents 'Pre-The Bali Bombings' and 'Post-The Bali Bombings''. PhD thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/241753
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2417822020-05-12T03:12:54Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Community and individual identity of the Kashmiri community : a case study of Luton
Ali, Nasreen
L300 Sociology
ethnic minorities
ethnic minority populations
Kashmir
Kashmiri
identity
diaspora
A thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Luton
This thesis is the study of the relationship between individuals and communities in the context of racialised minorities in the United Kingdom. The research examines the ways in which individuals belonging to the Kashmiri community articulate and manifest 'Kashmyriat' in conditions of diaspora. Specifically, the research is an investigation of the core features of Kashmiri identity. These were selected as being identifications based on culture, religion and the territorial identification with the land of Kashmir, the nature of culture conflict between individuals and community and differences between generations of Kashmiris and the role of gender identity in 'Kashmyriat'. The central premise is that identity is constantly updated, multiple and redefined in relation to contextual changes through a process of enculturation. Results of the research suggest that culture, religion and territorial identification with the land of Kashmir are central core features of Kashmiri identity in Luton. The younger generation appear to be maintaining a distinct and separate identity based partly on shared culture, religion and terrirotial identification with the land of Kashmir with the older generation whilst they are redefining their identity in response to the contexts in which they have been born and brought up. Gender identities appear to be less significant as part of overall identity development. Theoretically the thesis is an exploration of identity and its relationship to cultural identity among migrants. In this thesis I rely on qualitative ethnographic work as well as the quantitative research methodology of Identity Structure Analysis (ISA) to try and draw a textured analysis of Kashmiri identity transformation in the wake of immigration to Luton. Using the notion of enculturation the thesis sets out to deepen and make this concept more academically rigorous. Enculturation is deployed as a means to understanding the process of identity transformation. Results of the research suggest that culture, religion and affiliation with the land of Kashmir. Whilst they share the first two with other South Asian ethnicised communities in the United Kingdom it appears that the territorial affiliation with the land of Kashmir which can be translated as political identity is currently their self-defined identity. This is marking the Kashmiris as a national community whose individuals and collectivities centre their identity on 'Kashmyriat'.
2012-09-07T11:01:13Z
2012-09-07T11:01:13Z
1999
Thesis or dissertation
Ali, Nasreen (1999) 'Community and individual identity of the Kashmiri community : a case study of Luton'. PhD Thesis. University of Luton.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/241782
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2417872020-05-12T03:05:06Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Evaluation of the response capability of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the impact of natural hazards
Dhanhani, Hamdan Al Ghasyah
United Arab Emirates
emergency planning
emergency response
disasters
disaster planning
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, LIRANS, Institute of Research in the Applied Natural Sciences in fulfilment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
The UAE is an Islamic state which has undergone dramatic urbanisation in the last 30 years. It is situated near the eastern margin of the Arabian tectonic plate, close to the seismically active collision zone between the Arabian and Eurasian plates, marked by the Zagros Mountain belt of Iran. In the UAE the population of Dibba in Fujairah has felt tremors as recently as November 26 2009 and an earthquake with a magnitude (M) of 5 occurred in Masafi, Fujairah, in March 2002. The most recent earthquake was M 4.3, and awareness of seismic hazard is increasing. In addition to earthquakes, rapid heavy rainfall in the arid environment of the UAE typically results in high level of discharge and flooding. Tropical storms have also struck the Indian Ocean coast of the UAE and have caused damage in coastal areas. The impact of natural hazard events in Fujairah since 1995 and the responses of the authorities and affected communities illustrates the issues faced by the country and is discussed in this thesis. The Federal Plan to face disasters in the UAE prepared by the Civil Defence sets out the role of the government structures in the UAE to manage disasters with particular reference to the Ministry of Interior, which is the responsible body. A survey of UAE ministries and the Civil Defence shows that in practice there is a lack of clarity between the roles of government bodies and there are many areas of confusion regarding jurisdiction and responsibility between the federal and individual emirate institutions. It was a concern that some supporting ministries were unaware of their role as set out in the overall plan. There is lack of evidence of an integrated approach and no testing of effectiveness of emergency procedures through simulation exercises. It is recognised that, not only are school children particularly vulnerable to natural disasters but also that education is an important mitigation tool through raising awareness of hazard exposure amongst the population. A survey of schools in Fujairah showed that there was little preparation for natural disasters and no framework to address this issue or to ensure the structural integrity of school buildings. The survey revealed that there is a willingness to learn among the school children and this was followed up by a pilot scheme to raise awareness. This is important as the survey also revealed that traditional views about losses are still common amongst parents, particularly in rural areas. The vulnerability of the communities to natural hazards is strongly influenced by social and cultural factors. A survey was undertaken of the population of the UAE to investigate their awareness of natural hazards, their perception of risk and how this might be mitigated. The survey revealed a low level awareness and what the role of government agencies would be in the event of a disaster. A majority considered that disasters were Acts of God, a punishment, and that the most effective way to mitigate risk was through religious observance. It is clear that even in a developed Islamic country an effective response to mitigate risk needs to recognise and address the cultural and religious contexts. Finally the thesis evaluates the response capability of the UAE to the impact of natural hazards. This analysis shows that though there is a Federal Plan for Disasters there is little specific focus on natural hazards. Ministries not directly involved with the Civil Defence were sometimes unclear regarding their roles. At an operational level there is lack of clarity regarding responsibilities and lines of authority between different bodies and between Federal and emirate structures. The Civil Defence was very much focussed on response with little effort devoted to reducing vulnerability through awareness-raising, hazard assessment and monitoring. These need to be addressed to minimise the risk from natural disasters.
2012-09-07T12:30:17Z
2012-09-07T12:30:17Z
2010-07
Thesis or dissertation
Dhanhani, Hamdan Al Ghasyah (2010) 'Evaluation of the response capability of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the impact of natural hazards'. PhD thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/241787
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2418592020-05-15T02:03:18Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
If it's in the game, it's in the game : an analysis of the football digital game and its players
Conway, Steven Craig
P304 Electronic Media studies
Football
computer games
media
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, Faculty of Creative Arts, Technologies & Science, in partial fulfilment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
The focus of this thesis is the representation of football, as sport and culture, within the medium of the digital game. Analysing its three sub-genres - the televisual, the extreme and the management genre. This dissertation outlines how each configures, incorporates, rejects or ignores certain conventions, values and practices connected to the socio-cultural system of the sport, and the wider sport-media complex in its representational and ludic system. Though the marketing literature surrounding these games often makes claims to their simulational quality, these products will be shown to present very particular, dissimilar and above all ideologically loaded versions of the sport they claim to impartially represent. In an evolution of Baudrillard's (1983) concept of the simulacrum, these digital games will be revealed as euphemisms for sport, as inoffensive representations of something that may in reality be considered to offensive, or too harsh for inclusion into a marketable product. Also central to this thesis is the increasingly trans-medial nature of sport consumption, as the post-modern consumer does not simply distinguish between the various media he or she consumes and the 'reality' of the mediated object; indeed it is the mediation of the sport that now constitutes the dominant interpretation of its conventions and values. To quote John Fiske, the media no longer supply 'secondary representations of reality; they affect and produce the reality they mediate' (1994, p.xv).
2012-09-07T14:00:35Z
2012-09-07T14:00:35Z
2010-09
Thesis or dissertation
Conway, Steven Craig (2010) 'If it's in the game, it's in the game : an analysis of the football digital game and its players'. PhD thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/241859
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2437702020-04-23T07:29:06Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Listening to the voice of children : systemic dialogue coaching : inviting participation and partnership in social work
Olsson, Ann-Margreth E.
systemic
dialogical
social work
dialogue
coaching
children
participatory action research
systemic practice
systemic research
Dissertation for Professional Doctorate
in Systemic Practice/Therapy degree
At KCCF, London, and Faculty Health and Social Sciences,
University of Bedfordshire, Luton, England
This is a study in and about systemic coaching in social work – systemic, and, as it unfolded, dialogical coaching, later named Dialogue Coaching (DC). Focus lies on what the conducted coaching brought forth, generated and created in the context of social work and for the members of the participating social welfare organisations. My specialities as coach became to inspire social workers to invite clients and especially children into partnership, making their voices heard, both in the written text and in the process of social investigations. The study was integral parts of commissions (and vice versa) of the County Administrative Board of Scania, Sweden, in my profession as systemic consultant and supervisor in Sweden. It was a study in how dialogical communication could improve how social workers, listening to the children’s invitation, could make children’s voices more heard in social investigations. In all, 55 social workers in seven municipalities participated in the dialogical participatory action research (DPAR) study, developing coaching and improving the dialogical interaction in social investigations. Focus moved from collecting data for decision-making, about what would be best for the child and other clients, to focusing on the changing process in relation to the participating clients, including children when they wanted to and could, co-creating new orientation on how to go on. The focus on communication and dialogue in the coaching changed and developed the participants’ approach in relation to clients and one another and others. In the emerging awareness of how we reciprocally and reflexively cocreate occurrences and outcomes, including who we become in relation to one another, the participating social workers’ awareness of the impact of their own contributions, and their own importance in relation to children and other clients, also improved. The expressions listening ears and listening questions were invented, capturing my, the coach’s, participation of placing myself completely 8 at the other participants’ disposal, completely accessible in the mutual responsiveness in the moment – being here and now in the present. The systemic methods and techniques were reflexively influenced and adapted from within the relational dynamic of joint actions in the dialogical interplay, metaphorically presented as peloton cycling in a voyage tour, becoming living tools in both the social workers’ practice and the coaching researcher’s practice, facilitating learning-by-doing with methods and approach connected to Appreciative Inquiry (AI). One of the living tools was reflecting teams emerging also into so called delta-reflecting teams with open narrating included.
2012-09-13T10:09:36Z
2012-09-13T10:09:36Z
2010
Thesis or dissertation
Olsson, Ann-Margreth E. (2010) 'Listening to the voice of children : systemic dialogue coaching : inviting participation and partnership in social work'. PhD Thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/243770
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2442632020-05-12T03:12:43Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
A systematic constructionist approach to the therapeutic relationship and emotion: practical theory for psychotherapy and consultation
Fredman, Glenda Robyn
therapeutic relationship
use of self
self-reflexivity
emotion
social constructionism
systemic psychotherapy
practical theory
C890 Psychology not elsewhere classified
systemic practice
Submitted to the University of Bedfordshire for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
This paper discusses how I have made an original contribution to the field of family therapy and systemic practice in relation to three themes: the therapeutic relationship; working with emotions in therapy, and self-reflexivity in practice. I track how these three themes have developed in the course of my research and clinical practice between 1983 and 2008 and then go on to show how I have developed these themes into an original 'practical theory' that has broader application to the field of family therapy and systemic consultation. I put forward eight publications, focusing on my two books, 'Death Talk: Conversations with Children and Families' (Fredman, 1997) and 'Transforming Emotion: Conversations in Counselling and Psychotherapy' (Fredman, 2004). I show how my original contributions to the field of family therapy theory and systemic practice take forward the following issues debated in the field in the past ten years: systemic therapy's theorising of the therapeutic relationship; -the use of cybernetics, psychoanalysis and social constructionism in systemic family therapy; -the relationship between modern and postmodern approaches in the field of family therapy; -the relationship between theory and practice.
2012-09-17T11:02:58Z
2012-09-17T11:02:58Z
2008-06
Thesis or dissertation
Fredman, Glenda Robyn (2008) 'A systematic constructionist approach to the therapeutic relationship and emotion: practical theory for psychotherapy and consultation'. PhD Thesis, University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/244263
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2533032020-05-13T02:16:40Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
The value of tourism degrees:
an investigation of the tourist industry’s views on tourism degrees and tourism graduates
Petrova, Petia
N800 Tourism, Transport and Travel
tourism
tourism education
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Bedfordshire
The rapid expansion of tourism degrees over the last 30 years has been fuelled by the expansion of Higher Education, the popularity of tourism as an area of study, and the attraction of tourism careers. However, the tourism industry has not always been involved in these developments, nor appreciative of tourism degrees. Tourism employers have suggested that tourism graduates do not meet their needs, and voiced concern about the relevance of tourism degrees. Yet, there has not been a comprehensive study which explores employers' perceptions of the value of tourism degrees. This thesis aims to address this by providing an in-depth exploration of how tourism employers perceive the value of tourism degrees. To achieve this aim, a mixed method approach was adopted. A qualitative approach to this study was employed in its first stage. The findings from this stage were used to inform the second quantitative stage. The results indicate that the perceived value of tourism degrees is based on both its employment relevance and academic status. From an employment perspective, the majority of jobs available to graduates are entry level jobs which do not require holding a degree. These jobs are often customer facing, with what employers term as 'personality' being considered a key requirement. Tourism degrees are not seen to contribute to graduates meeting this requirement. Rather, they are seen to contribute to gaining knowledge of the industry, which incidentally is low on the employers' list of requirements. The importance of relevant work experience where skills such as customer-service skills can be developed and demonstrated should thus not be overlooked. Work experience schemes based on cooperation between universities and the industry could also have a positive effect on graduates' employability not only by expanding their work experience, but also because such cooperation is often linked to a more positive view ofthe value of tourism degrees. Where jobs which do require holding a degree are concerned, employers indicated that tourism degrees do not provide an advantage. They associated tourism degrees with new universities, and perceive graduates from new universities to exhibit deficiencies in higher level graduate skills. This suggests that although the expansion of HE was designed to meet the needs of the economy, employers may not be convinced of its benefits. The results indicate that regardless of whether the tourism degrees provide good, sound academic base, if employers associate them with former polytechnics and lower academic standards they will still opt for graduates from elite institutions and more traditional degree subjects.
2012-11-26T10:42:24Z
2012-11-26T10:42:24Z
2008-09
Thesis or dissertation
Petrova, P. (2008) 'The value of tourism degrees:
an investigation of the tourist industry’s views on tourism degrees and tourism graduates'. PhD Thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/253303
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2538782020-05-13T02:16:52Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
The supplier-dealer relationship in the motor car industry in the UK : factors affecting the power of each side and the strategies adopted by them
Petit-Rafer, Marie-Raphaële
N530 Distribution
motor industry
suppliers
car dealers
A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Business, University of Luton, for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
The research programme aimed to identify and investigate the tactics and strategies adopted by the car manufacturers to manage and control their dealers in the distribution channel in the UK market, and consequently deduce their effects on the manufacturer-dealer power relationships. A literature review outlining the main sources of power possessed and employed by the manufacturer combined with the information collected from initial interviews with a panel of channel players enabled to identify the main tactics of control adopted by the manufacturers over the dealers in the car industry. The dealer agreement, the training programmes, the dealer assessment procedures, the communications systems and manufacturer's general support appeared to represent the prime tactics of control possessed and employed by the car manufacturers. The first three elements were investigated separately and qualitatively analysed following a quantitative approach. They unveiled the nature of the dealers' operations controlled by the manufacturers and the techniques implemented by them to exert that control. The repressive and coercive nature of these tactics of control emphasised an imbalance of power favouring the manufacturers, and confirmed their dominant position in the marketing channel. The last two tactics of control mentioned above did not lead to any specific studies. Nevertheless, they were explored in Chapter 8 and referred to throughout the thesis. A field survey carried out with a large sample of car dealers established their perceptions to manufacturers' controls. The survey empirically confirmed that the car manufacturers highly control and influence certain business areas by setting-up some constraints, restrictions, limitations and targets to achieve, and consequently the leadership of the manufacturers was demonstrated and verified. The strategies implemented by the manufacturers, whose tactics are deduced from, enabling them to control their dealer network were analysed. The study highlighted the main strategic decisions made by the suppliers and showed how they affect the power balance between the channel participants favouring the suppliers. A lack of consistency in manufacturers' strategic approach was detected and appeared to be detrimental to dealers' welfare. In order to improve manufacturer-dealer relationships and to create a greater equilibrium between the two parties, the adoption of a partnership approach was highly recommended. As a result, the whole study of the car distribution channel enabled the researcher to conclude that a franchise arrangement tends to give a manufacturer more power over an intermediary than a non-franchise trading relationship.
2012-11-29T13:34:55Z
2012-11-29T13:34:55Z
1996-10
Thesis or dissertation
Petit-Rafer, M.,(1996) 'The supplier-dealer relationship in the motor car industry in the UK : factors affecting the power of each side and the strategies adopted by them'. PhD Thesis. University of Luton.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/253878
en
University of Luton
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2651792020-04-23T07:29:18Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
A multi-positional and pragmatic reflexive approach
to organizational consultancy
Juhl, Andreas Granhof
N220 Institutional Management
systemic
leadership
organisational consultancy
pragmatism
reflexivity
positioning
language
systems
systemic practice
consulting
Submitted for the degree: Professional Doctorate in Systemic Practice
This thesis researches how the consultant can participate in the creation of successful processes in organizations using multiple theoretical and practical traditions and a pragmatic reflexivity. The research shows how the consultant can do this using a heuristic model developed in the thesis called the consultancy room consisting of three dimensions: distinctions of position, distinctions of system, and distinctions of time. The thesis shows 6 different and distinct positions that the consultant can use in practice: the OD, systemic, solution-focused, appreciative, narrative and strategic position. To show their practical usefulness multiple examples of developing teams are described. The research shows that positions are firstly to be understood as theories that the consultant knows from experience and literature and brings to the organization and secondly the research also shows how such positions are created and coordinated with the customer before and during the consultancy process. The thesis further shows how the consultant can work with multiple distinctions of system. Three prototypical distinctions of system are introduced: the individual, the group, and the organization as part of the consultancy room to help the consultant increase his orientational abilities in practice. And a further distinction between the conversational and the linguistic system is made to help the consultant reflect in and on practice. The conversational system addresses the design of the process by reflecting with the customer about who should talk to whom in order to develop the situation. The linguistic system addresses how the system in focus is being talked about. The thesis shows how the different positions look at and give different possibilities for action in relation to the different distinctions of system. Finally the thesis shows how the consultant can work with multiple distinctions of time. Three prototypical distinctions of time are introduced: the moment, the meeting, and the process as part of the consultancy room to help the consultant navigate in practice. Again the different positions give different ideas of how to act in the moment and how to design meetings and longer processes. The research is done using the researchers own practice as data. A pragmatic research method is created and based in particular on the work of John Dewey (Dewey 1916 1938, Brinkmann 2006) and Gregory Bateson (Bateson 1972 1984)looking at similarities and differences between multiple examples from the researchers practice.
2013-01-14T10:31:35Z
2013-01-14T10:31:35Z
2011
Thesis or dissertation
Juhl, A.G. (2011) 'A multi-positional and pragmatic reflexive approach to organizational consultancy'. Professional Doctorate in Systemic Practice Thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/265179
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2654522020-04-23T07:29:18Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
From vision to drawn metaphor : an artistic investigation into the relationship between eye-tracking and drawing
Baker, Catherine
W110 Drawing
drawing
eye movements
active vision
eye-tracking
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the University of Bedfordshire for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy through published works.
At its most essential drawing consists of the making of marks on a surface, however such an interpretation does not necessarily reflect the diverse practice of artists whose work seeks to challenge the conventions of drawing and establish new boundaries. This abstract documents a practice involving a new consideration for drawing which focuses on the active process of drawing as a physical and perceptual encounter. It proposes that eye movements and their associated cognitive processing can be considered as a drawing generating process. It does not seek to undermine the conventional three-way process of drawing involving eye, hand and brain but presents ideas which push against the established boundaries for drawing practice and has investigated new ways of making and new ways of considering the practice of drawing as a phenomenological contemplation. The proposition for drawing presented in this document, has been developed through a practice-led enquiry over the last eight years and involves using scientific methodologies found within the area of Active Vision. By examining artworks produced within the early part of the period of time defined within this thesis, emergent ideas relating to the act of making in-situ drawings and the recollection of such experiences brought about a series of questions regarding the process of generating a drawing. As the practice developed, using data obtained from different eye-tracking experiments, the author has explored the possibilities for drawing through using scientific methods of tracking the act of looking to investigate the relationship between the observer and the observer entity. Using the relationship between the drawn mark and visual responses to it as the basis for a practice-led period of research, this thesis presents the notion that by using technologies designed for other disciplines artists can explore the potential for drawing beyond the conventions cited above. Through the use of eye-tracking data the artist and author seeks to firmly establish the use of this scientific methodology within an artistic framework. It is a framework that responds to new ways of thinking about spatiality and the relations between sight and thought, taking into account the value of experience within the production of art; how the physical act itself becomes the manifestation of a process of drawing, understanding and knowledge of the world around us.
2013-01-15T11:30:45Z
2013-01-15T11:30:45Z
2012-02
Thesis or dissertation
Baker, C. (2012) 'From vision to drawn metaphor : an artistic investigation into the relationship between eye-tracking and drawing' PhD Thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/265452
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2659922020-05-08T04:07:20Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Multilevel regression modelling of melanoma incidence
Brown, Antony Clark
G340 Statistical Modelling
melanoma
cancer
statistical modelling
modelling
In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the subject of Mathematics and Computer Science.
This thesis is concerned with developing and implementing a method for modelling and projecting cancer incidence data. The burden of cancer is an increasing problem for society and therefore, the ability to analyse and predict trends in large scale populations is vital. These predictions based on incidence and mortality data collected by cancer registries, can be used for estimation of current and future rates, which is helpful for public health planning. A large body of work already exists on the use of various modelling strategies, methods and fitting techniques. A multilevel method of preparing the data is proposed, fitted to historical data using regression modelling, to predict future rates of incidence for a given population. The proposed model starts with a model for the total incidence of the population, with each successive level stratifying the data into progressively more specific groupings, based on age. Each grouping is partitioned into subgroups, and each subgroup is expressed as a proportion of the parent group. Models are fitted to each of the proportional age-groups, and a combination of these models produces a model that predicts incidence for a specific age. A simple, efficient implementation of the modelling procedure is described, including key algorithms and measures of performance. The method is applied to data from populations that have very different melanoma incidence (the USA and Australia). The proportional structure reveals that the proportional age trends present in both populations are remarkably similar, indicating that there are links between causative factors in both populations. The method is applied fully to data from a variety of populations, and compared with results from existing models. The method is shown to be able to produce results that are reliable and stable, and are generally significantly more accurate than those of other models.
2013-01-18T12:52:35Z
2013-01-18T12:52:35Z
2007-12
Thesis or dissertation
Brown, A.C. (2007) 'Multilevel regression modelling of melanoma incidence'. PhD Thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/265992
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2674932020-04-23T07:29:19Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
A partial validation of the contextual validity of
the Centre listening test in Japan
Yanagawa, Kozo
Q110 Applied Linguistics
language testing
English language assessment
English language testing
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the
requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Of the University of Bedfordshire
The purpose of this study was to validate the listening comprehension component of the Centre Test in Japan (henceforth, JNCTL) in relation to contextual parameters and cognitive processing. For the purpose of this study, a comprehensive framework of contextual parameters and a L2 listening processing model was established. This provided a solid theoretical framework for this study, whereby empirical evidence was elicited in relation to contextual parameters and cognitive processing. The elicitation was made through document analysis, focus group interviews, and a large-scale questionnaire administered to stakeholders including 110 high school English teachers and 391 third year students of high schools. The elicited data was subjected to descriptive, quantitative and qualitative analysis. The results of Preliminary studies identified ten possible key parameters to help the JNCTL achieve greater validity. They included the number of opportunities to listen to the input, a lack of hesitations, a lack of overlapping turns, a lack of multi-participant discussions, a lack of variety in the English accents used, a lack of L2 speakers, a lack of inference questions, a lack of non-linear texts, a lack of sandhi-variations, and a lack of natural speech rate. The results of the questionnaire revealed that sandhi-variation was the key parameter to help the current JNCTL achieve greater validity in a direction that would be accepted by the stakeholders, and it was further explored in Main Study in attempt to investigate the effect of sandhi-variation on listening comprehension test performance and the level of cognitive load imposed on the test takers. A series of experiments was conducted involving the manipulation of sandhi-variation. The results revealed that although no statistical difference was found in item difficulty estimates between the sandhi-variation and non-sandhi-variation versions, sandhi-variation may involve double effects on listening comprehension for the test takers. The positive effects could involve providing more prominent phonological difference between accented and unaccented words in connected speech which are produced by sandhi-variation, and this difference may reduce the cognitive load imposed on the test takers. The negative effects may involve increasing the cognitive load imposed on the test takers by obscuring sounds through elision or unclear pronunciation, and disturbing speech perception or word recognition. Recommendations are provided for improving the validity of the current JNCTL and for the development of listening comprehension tests more generally. Implications are also suggested for the teaching of listening at secondary schools in Japan. Lastly, the limitations of the study are outlined and suggestions for further research are proposed.
2013-01-29T12:08:04Z
2013-01-29T12:08:04Z
2012-07
Thesis or dissertation
Yanagawa, K. (2012). 'A partial validation of the contextual validity of
the Centre listening test in Japan'. PhD Thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/267493
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2686522020-04-23T07:34:25Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
λ-connectedness and its application to image segmentation, recognition and reconstruction
Chen, Li
G740 Computer Vision
image segmentation
image recognition
image reconstruction
image processing
three-dimensional seismic image processing
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Luton
Seismic layer segmentation, oil-gas boundary surfaces recognition, and 3D volume data reconstruction are three important tasks in three-dimensional seismic image processing. Geophysical and geological parameters and properties have been known to exhibit progressive changes in a layer. However, there are also times when sudden changes can occur between two layers. A-connectedness was proposed to describe such a phenomenon. Based on graph theory, A-connectedness describes the relationship among pixels in an image. It is proved that A-connectedness is an equivalence relation. That is, it can be used to partition an image into different classes and hence can be used to perform image segmentation. Using the random graph theory and A-connectivity of the image, the length of the path in a A-connected set can be estimated. In addition to this, the normal Aconnected subsets preserve every path that is A-connected in the subsets. An O(nlogn) time algorithm is designed for the normal A-connected segmentation. Techniques developed are used to find objects in 2D/3D seismic images. Finding the interface between two layers or finding the boundary surfaces of an oil-gas reserve is often asked. This is equivalent to finding out whether a A-connected set is an interface or surface. The problem that is raised is how to recognize a surface in digital spaces. A-connectedness is a natural and intuitive way for describing digital surfaces and digital manifolds. Fast algorithms are designed to recognize whether an arbitrary set is a digital surface. Furthermore, the classification theorem of simple surface points is deduced: there are only six classes of simple surface points in 3D digital spaces. Our definition has been proved to be equivalent to Morgenthaler-Rosenfeld's definition of digital surfaces in direct adjacency. Reconstruction of a surface and data volume is important to the seismic data processing. Given a set of guiding pixels, the problem of generating a A-connected (subset of image) surface is an inverted problem of A-connected segmentation. In order to simplify the fitting algorithm, gradual variation, an equivalent concept of A-connectedness, is used to preserve the continuity of the fitted surface. The key theorem, the necessary and sufficient condition for the gradually varied interpolation, has been mathematically proven. A random gradually varied surface fitting is designed, and other theoretical aspects are investigated. The concepts are used to successfully reconstruct 3D seismic real data volumes. This thesis proposes A-connectedness and its applications as applied to seismic data processing. It is used for other problems such as ionogram scaling and object tracking. It has the potential to become a general technique in image processing and computer vision applications. Concepts and knowledge from several areas in mathematics such as Set Theory, Fuzzy Set Theory, Graph Theory, Numerical Analysis, Topology, Discrete Geometry, Computational Complexity, and Algorithm Design and Analysis have been applied to the work of this thesis.
2013-02-07T10:08:27Z
2013-02-07T10:08:27Z
2001-07
Thesis or dissertation
Chen, Li. 'λ-connectedness and its application to image segmentation, recognition and reconstruction' (2001). PhD Thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/268652
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2704402020-04-23T07:29:32Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
A risk assessment and optimisation model for minimising network security risk and cost
Viduto, Valentina
G420 Networks and Communications
network security risk analysis
computer security
network security
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Network security risk analysis has received great attention within the scientific community, due to the current proliferation of network attacks and threats. Although, considerable effort has been placed on improving security best practices, insufficient effort has been expanded on seeking to understand the relationship between risk-related variables and objectives related to cost-effective network security decisions. This thesis seeks to improve the body of knowledge focusing on the trade-offs between financial costs and risk while analysing the impact an identified vulnerability may have on confidentiality, integrity and availability (CIA). Both security best practices and risk assessment methodologies have been extensively investigated to give a clear picture of the main limitations in the area of risk analysis. The work begins by analysing information visualisation techniques, which are used to build attack scenarios and identify additional threats and vulnerabilities. Special attention is paid to attack graphs, which have been used as a base to design a novel visualisation technique, referred to as an Onion Skin Layered Technique (OSLT), used to improve system knowledge as well as for threat identification. By analysing a list of threats and vulnerabilities during the first risk assessment stages, the work focuses on the development of a novel Risk Assessment and Optimisation Model (RAOM), which expands the knowledge of risk analysis by formulating a multi-objective optimisation problem, where objectives such as cost and risk are to be minimised. The optimisation routine is developed so as to accommodate conflicting objectives and to provide the human decision maker with an optimum solution set. The aim is to minimise the cost of security countermeasures without increasing the risk of a vulnerability being exploited by a threat and resulting in some impact on CIA. Due to the multi-objective nature of the problem a performance comparison between multi-objective Tabu Search (MOTS) Methods, Exhaustive Search and a multi-objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA) has been also carried out. Finally, extensive experimentation has been carried out with both artificial and real world problem data (taken from the case study) to show that the method is capable of delivering solutions for real world problem data sets.
2013-02-26T10:09:10Z
2013-02-26T10:09:10Z
2012-12
Thesis or dissertation
Viduto, V. (2012) 'A risk assessment and optimisation model for minimising network security risk and cost'. PhD thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/270440
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2712942020-04-23T07:29:29Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Determinants, measurement and promotion of physical activity in 10-14 year-old Bedfordshire children: a multidisciplinary approach
Denton, Sarah J.
C600 Sports Science
moderate-vigorous physical activity
physical activity
Health And Physical activity Promotion in Youth
fitness
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Regular moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is associated with significant physiological and psychological health benefits (Department of Health, DoH, 2004). However, many children are not undertaking recommended levels of physical activity (PA) (DoH, 2009). This research examined relationships between physiological health parameters, psychological determinants and PA levels in 10-14 year old schoolchildren (N = 249) and assessed the influence of three school-based PA interventions on these constructs in the context of the Health And Physical activity Promotion in Youth (HAPPY) study. Study 1 revealed that sedentary behaviours, moderate PA (MPA), vigorous PA (VPA) and MVPA levels were higher on weekdays than weekend days (p < .001). However, schoolchildren’s PA is often difficult to measure accurately. The self-report measure utilised in study 2 underestimated total MVPA versus accelerometry for both sexes on weekdays and girls on weekend days (p < .01). However, study 3 highlighted a lack of agreement between two RT3® triaxial accelerometer cut-offs for all activity categories. The importance of VPA for promoting health was highlighted in the updated PA guidelines (DoH, 2011). Study 4 reported that cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) was positively associated with VPA but not MPA (β = .27, p < .01) and inversely correlated with measures of body composition (% body fat; body mass index; waist circumference) (r = -.74, r = -.60, r = -.39, p < .001). Knowing the health benefits of regular MVPA and VPA, it is important to understand the determinants of PA intentions and behaviours to more effectively promote PA in less active children (studies 5 and 6). An exploratory analysis of the constructs in the Revised Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Modified Social Learning Theory for children predicted PA intentions (R2 = .38, F(5, 171) = 20.19, p < .001; R2 = .13, F(6, 147) = 3.4, p < .01, respectively) but the constructs in either model were unable to predict PA. Recognising the need to promote PA levels, study 7 investigated the effectiveness of three school-based interventions (vs. control) on outcome variables included in studies 1, and 4-6. The Health Education and Psychology Health Promotion conditions produced significant positive change scores between data collection 2 and 3 for CRF (vs. control) whereas the Youth-Led condition produced significant change scores between baseline and data collection 2 for generalised self-efficacy (vs. control). No significant change scores were reported for PA, the RTPB constructs or intentions. In conclusion, this research has emphasised the importance of employing a multidisciplinary approach to aid understanding of schoolchildren’s PA levels. Specific highlights include low weekend day PA as a possible future PA promotion target, although it is vital that accelerometry cut-points are standardised, and the relevance of VPA and body composition in predicting CRF. The psychological models identified some important determinants of PA intentions, but a prominent intention-behaviour gap and a need for more intensive interventions to promote PA levels was apparent.
2013-03-06T12:01:33Z
2013-03-06T12:01:33Z
2011
Thesis or dissertation
Denton, S.J. (2011) 'Determinants, measurement and promotion of physical activity in 10-14 year-old Bedfordshire children: a multidisciplinary approach'. PhD thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/271294
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2712952020-04-23T07:29:30Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Cognition and self-management in type 2 diabetes in the older person
Tomlin, Alexandra Elizabeth
B710 Community Nursing
Diabetes Mellitus
diabetes
elderly
type 2 diabetes
cognition
cognitive impairment
self management
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Cognition and Self-Management in Type 2 diabetes in the older person was studied using neuropsychological evaluation and self-management assessments. Type 2 diabetes is increasing in prevalence, erodes quality of life, and places significant burden on healthcare services. The condition is largely self-managed, requiring daily performance of a variety of tasks. Impaired cognition has been associated with Type 2 diabetes, particularly in those who have had diabetes for longer or are older. It is unknown whether such changes in cognition seen in Type 2 diabetes affect the ability to self-manage the condition; the few studies that have been conducted in this area have shown little consensus in focus, methodology, or results. This thesis aimed to investigate any links between cognitive impairment and diabetes self management skills in an older population with Type 2 diabetes, by determining assessment schedules for both selfmanagement and cognition in this population and searching for associations between the two. Literature review, questionnaire and focus group studies pointed towards four main components of diabetes selfmanagement; diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy, motivation, and diabetesspecific problem solving abilities. A theoretical framework emerged from this analysis; Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory provides a context for the interaction of environment, society and cognitions in health behaviours. A systematic review found several associations between self-management skills and abilities, and global and individual areas of cognition, including links between executive function and memory, and diabetes knowledge, insulin skills, adherence to medications, missed appointments, and decreased frequency of self-care activities. A further clinical study identified several associations including visual and working memory, and reaction times, with diabetes knowledge. Future studies with larger sample sizes might revisit these associations. Clinical implications include the need for routine cognitive assessment in an older population with Type 2 diabetes; interventions might include checking medication adherence, diabetes knowledge, and referral to support groups.
2013-03-06T12:12:59Z
2013-03-06T12:12:59Z
2011-12
Thesis or dissertation
Tomlin, A.E. (2011) 'Cognition and self-management in type 2 diabetes in the older person. PhD thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/271295
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2713122020-04-23T07:29:32Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Studies on the effect of chilling on sox genes and protein expression in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos
Desai, Kunjan
University of Bedfordshire
C410 Applied Genetics
zebrafish
Zebrafish
Danio rerio
sox genes
protein expression
chilling
A thesis is submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
In aquaculture, short term chilled storage has been used to transport brood stock fish embryos for genetic improvement programmes. It is therefore important to understand the effect of chilling on embryos at both developmental and molecular levels. In the present study, gene expression patterns in zebrafish embryos were studied before investigations were carried out on the effect of chilling on gene and protein expression in these embryos. The gene expression results obtained in different developmental stages using conventional PCR showed that, only sox genes were expressed throughout the tested developmental stages from 30% epiboly to 6 somites. Quantitative RT-PCR was then used to investigate sox gene expression patterns during chilling of 50% epiboly stage embryos at 0°C for up to 180 min and also after warming. Significant decreases in sox2 and sox3 expressions were observed when compared to those of controls following chilling whilst significant increases of expressions of the two genes were observed after warming in the embryos chilled for 30 and 60 min. Studies on the impact of cryoprotectant MeOH on sox genes and protein expression showed that 50% epiboly stage zebrafish embryos could tolerate chilling for up to 6 h with or without MeOH. It was observed that expression of all three sox genes were significantly decreased following chilling for 3 h at 0°C. However the degree of decrease was less pronounced in embryos chilled with different concentrations of MeOH. Significant increases in sox genes were observed in hatching stage embryos chilled with 1 M MeOH for 3h but subsequent sox2 and sox19a protein expression was not affected. The effect of long term chilling (18h) on sox gene and protein expression in 50% epiboly stage embryos was also investigated. Improved hatching rates (56% ± 5) were achieved when embryos were chilled with 1 M MeOH + 0.1 M sucrose. Results from gene expression studies showed a stable sox2 gene expression in 18 h chilled embryos in cryoprotectant mixture when compared to that of embryos chilled without cryoprotectant mixture. Similar patterns were observed when the expression of sox2 and sox3 protein was investigated. This is the first study carried out on the effect of chilling in early stage zebrafish embryos at the molecular level. The results obtained from the present study provided useful information on the molecular mechanisms of the effect of chilling on zebrafish embryos and will have important implications in designing chilled storage protocols for fish embryos.
2013-03-06T11:43:50Z
2013-03-06T11:43:50Z
2012
Thesis or dissertation
Desai, K. (2012) 'Studies on the effect of chilling on Sox genes and protein expression in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos'. PhD thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/271312
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2713982020-04-23T07:29:31Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
An investigation of the Morganroth hypothesis to establish if heart adaptation is exercise specific
Richards, Joanna C.
C600 Sports Science
Morganroth hypothesis
left ventricular (LV) adaptations
exercise
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
The investigation of exercise specific left ventricular (LV) adaptations to training have been predominantly cross sectional in design. The purpose of the current thesis was to investigate LV adaptations to short term (6-9 weeks) training to establish if any changes are exercise specific. A correlation study was used to investigate correlations between cardiac variables and MAXOV2(study 1). Cardiac variables were found to be the strongest predictors for absolute MAXOV2, MAXOV2BM and MAXOV2FFM in cyclists compared to the total sample or sedentary group, predicting 79% (p<0.01), 70% (p<0.01) and 77% (p<0.01) of the variance, respectively. Secondly, it was found that when MAXOV2 was scaled to body mass (BM) or fat free mass (FFM) cardiac variables predicted less of the variance than for absolute MAXOV2, for all groups. Study 2 investigated the hypothesis that there would be no evidence of LV hypertrophy when there was no increase in FFM. This was achieved by taking sedentary participants through a resistance training programme of 6 weeks duration to control for increases in skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Both resting systolic blood pressure (sBP; p = 0.01, d = 1.19) and diastolic blood pressure (dBP; p = 0.029, d = 0.88) were significantly reduced following the 6 weeks resistance training. One repetition maximum (1RM) bench press significantly increased (p = 0.00, d = -1.44) as did 1 RM parallel squat strength (p = 0.00, d = -1.86), with no associated increases in relative FFM (p = 0.45) or absolute LM (p = 0.87). There was no adaptation to LV morphology (p>0.05), however early diastolic function changed with a significant decrease in peak E wave (p = 0.00, d = 1.94). Study 3 compared differences in the time course of the initial adaptations to LV structure and function during 9 weeks of aerobic, resistance and combination exercise ii training, to establish whether LV adaptations are exercise specific. The resistance and combination groups demonstrated increases in relative wall thickness (p = 0.021, ηp2 = 0.408; p = 0.004, d = -1.06, respectively). PWd also significantly increased in the combination group (p = 0.032, ηp2 = 0.301); however there were no structural adaptations evident in the aerobic group (p > 0.05). In contrast, the aerobic group demonstrated functional adaptations with a decrease in A wave (p = 0.44, d = 0.87) as did the combination group (p = 0.002, ηp2 = 0.407). The results of the training studies showed limited support for the Morganroth Hypothesis as structural adaptations demonstrated LV remodelling of the myocardial tissue, with no increase in LV mass. Further to this, combination training appears to have an additive effect of LV adaptations of both aerobic and resistance training.
2013-03-07T09:49:13Z
2013-03-07T09:49:13Z
2012-11
Thesis or dissertation
Richards, J.C. (2012) 'An investigation of the Morganroth hypothesis to establish if heart adaptation is exercise specific'. PhD Thesis. University of Bedfordhire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/271398
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2756722020-05-12T03:05:25Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Football fandom: football fan identity and identification at Luton Town Football Club
Jones, Ian
L390 Sociology not elsewhere classified
fandom
football
football fans
social identity
A thesis submitted to Luton Business School, University of Luton, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
This study examines football fan identity and identification within the Nationwide football league in England. A preliminary examination of the literature concludes that research on fan identity with sports teams in general, focuses primarily upon the behavioural consequences of fan identification. More specific research on the football fan concentrates predominantly upon either the F.A. Premier League or the deviant fan. The research thus attempts to fill a void in knowledge by examining football fan identification of fans of less successful football teams, using a social identity theory framework. Employing a mixed-methods research design, and an embedded case study approach, the study investigates those factors that influence fan identification at Luton Town Football Club. Methods used were those of observation/participant observation, a large scale fan survey, and indepth semi-structured interviews with fans. As part of the fan survey, the sport spectator identification scale (Wann and Branscombe, 1993), revealed a fan population that was highly identified with Luton Town. Levels of fan identification were similar across age, gender, and length of support of the club. Subsequent survey and interview data allowed six themes related to this fan identification to emerge: these being the extent of fan identification; the antecedents of fan identification; the maintenance of fan identification; the effects of fan identification upon behaviour; the influence of the cultural identity within which fan identities are enacted; and the relationship between the fan and the football club. Analysis of these themes yields a model of football fan identification which can be adapted to fans of other football clubs, or fans within other contexts. It was concluded that whenever such identification provides positive social and psychological consequences for fans, levels of identification with the club remain high. For these fans, it is the process of identification with the club that is the most important component of fandom. By contrast, where the individual derives fewer benefits from fandom, identification remains low. For such less identified fans, other factors, such as the quality of facilities or team performance, become more meaningful. The findings from the study indicate that social identity theory is an appropriate framework with which to explore the concept of football fan identification.
2013-03-22T10:55:17Z
2013-03-22T10:55:17Z
1998-08
Thesis or dissertation
Jones, I. (1998) 'Football fandom: football fan identity and identification at Luton Town Football Club'. PhD thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/275672
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2792552020-05-08T04:05:13Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Investigating reading for academic purposes: sentence, text and multiple texts
Unaldi, Aylin
X370 Academic studies in Education (across phases)
reading
linguistics
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Bedfordshire
This study examines the nature of reading in academic environments and suggests ways for a more appropriate assessment of it. Research studies show that reading in academic settings is a complex knowledge management process in which information is selected, combined and organised from not a single, isolated text but from multiple information sources. This study initially gathered evidence from students studying at a British university on their perceived and observed reading purposes and processes in three studies; a large scale questionnaire, longitudinal reading diary study and finally individual interviews in order both to establish whether the prominent reading skills used by them were as put forth in the studies on academic reading, and to examine in detail the actual cognitive processes (reading operations) used in reading for academic purposes. The study draws on the reading theories that explain reading comprehension and focuses specifically on different levels of careful reading such as sentence, text and multiple texts in order to explicate that increasingly more complex cognitive processes explain higher levels of reading comprehension. Building on the findings from the three initial studies, it is suggested that reading tests of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) should involve not only local level comprehension questions but also reading tasks at text and multiple texts levels. For this aim, taking the Khalifa and Weir (2009) framework as the basis, cognitive processes extracted from the theories defining each level of reading, and contextual features extracted through the analysis of university course books were combined to form the test specifications for each level of careful reading and sample tests assessing careful reading at sentence, text and intertextuallevels were designed. Statistical findings confirmed the differential nature of the three levels of careful reading; however, the expected difficulty continuum could not be observed among the tests. Possible reasons underlying this are discussed, suggestions on reading tasks that might operationalise text level reading more efficiently and intertextual level reading more extensively are made and additional components of intertextual reading are offered for the Khalifa and Weir (2009) reading framework. The implications of the findings for the teaching and assessment of English for Academic Purposes are also discussed.
2013-04-08T09:15:19Z
2013-04-08T09:15:19Z
2010-12
Thesis or dissertation
Unaldi, A. (2010) 'Investigating reading for academic purposes: sentence, text and multiple texts'. PhD Thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/279255
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2794522020-05-12T03:02:51Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
The effect of sociocultural and linguistic factors on the language use of parents in trilingual families in England and Germany
Braun, Andreas
Q140 Sociolinguistics
trilingualism
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Trilingualism is a relatively new research field, which has often been studied within the framework established for bilingualism. Although there are overlaps, researchers have consistently pointed out that the dynamics in trilingualism pose greater variations than in bilingualism with an effect on language maintenance. However, the precise nature of this process is still unclear. The aim of this thesis is to examine and describe trilingual families' language practices, with a view to adding to the understanding of the sociocultural and linguistic factors that influence parents whether or not to use their native languages with their children. This study, based on a multi-step survey, was conducted in three phases. First an exploratory pilot study was carried out by interviewing five parents of trilingual families, which helped to develop the interview schedule. The second phase focused on semistructured interviews of parents in 35 trilingual families living in England, before moving to Germany to conduct the third phase by interviewing the parents of a further 35 families. The participants were encouraged to comment on their own language and cultural practices with their children at home and in the wider community. It was found that influences on parents' language choices with their children were multifactorial. Trilingual families in which each parent spoke one different native language other than the community language were highly motivated in England (77%) and Germany (82%) to pass on their native languages and the associated cultural values to their children. This was partly related to the effectiveness of the OPOl (One Parent One language) and the support from grandparents. In contrast, parents who spoke two or more native languages tended to use only one of them with their children partly because the OPOl was impractical or the beginning of school made it harder to use their additional native languages. Finally, multilingual schools in Germany were usually chosen for English only, even if it was not a native language for the parents. Thus, the research findings underscore the complexity of the relationship between linguistic and sociocultural factors that influence trilingual families' language practices.
2013-04-09T08:03:47Z
2013-04-09T08:03:47Z
2006-09
Thesis or dissertation
Braun, A. (2006) 'The effect of sociocultural and linguistic factors on the language use of parents in trilingual families in England and Germany'. PhD thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/279452
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2798492020-04-23T07:29:41Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
The emerging representation of 'Brand Poland' within the European Union
Nowińska, Małgorzata
L241 European Union Politics
Poland
European Union
destination image
destination branding
branding
tourism
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Bedfordshire
This research study investigates the emerging representation of the brand Poland in the context of implementation of destination branding to the practice of country promotion. The main emphasis is put on the role of meaningful practices undertaken by international and domestic tourism managers and policy makers in constructing and reconstructing the representation of Poland in the broad context of the country‟s EU membership. The researcher does this by studying the examples of national and destination branding practices as well as the levels of understanding and appreciation of destination and national branding among people working in key organisations responsible for tourism and destination promotion both on the Polish domestic level and the level of relevant EU institutions. As national and destination branding is a relatively new phenomenon, specific focus is put on the critical analysis of the perceptions held about it among high ranking officials. The researcher pays particular attention to the power held by tourism in mediating identities of nations and destinations and the role that place branding plays or could play in this equation. The researcher focuses her study on two distinct but nevertheless connected locations: Brussels as a power and knowledge hub of the European Union and Warsaw as the power and knowledge hub of Poland. For reasons of methodological fit this interpretative study relies upon qualitative methods conducted via an emergent research design. Therefore the study is not driven by an up-front hypothesis, but is conducted via qualitative research bricoleurship approach. The research study concludes that although destination and national branding is universally familiar to the experts in the field of tourism and promotion, power holders and decision makers are lagging behind in understanding, appreciation and implementation of these new tools. This is particularly reflected in the case of Poland where first attempts at devising and implementing a national branding strategy were made but failed to be implemented due to budgetary and decision-making constraints at the level of power-holders. A striking conclusion is that in the case of Poland, the main causes of this lack of implementation of a national branding strategy are the very values and virtues that such a strategy might seem to promote. Nevertheless, the researcher observes a growing understanding and appreciation of the long-term benefits of a well designed and implemented branding strategy and its potentially great impact on tourism among the relevant decision-makers both in Brussels and in Poland.
2013-04-11T08:35:40Z
2013-04-11T08:35:40Z
2012-04
Thesis or dissertation
Nowinska, M. (2012) 'The emerging representation of 'Brand Poland' within the European Union', PhD Thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/279849
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2800532020-04-23T07:29:41Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Post disaster tourism development of Phi Phi Island: political economy and interpretations of sustainability
Taylor, Faye
N840 International Tourism
tourism
Thailand
Phi Phi Island
progressive tourism studies
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
This research takes an interdisciplinary approach and includes aspects of applied geography, applied management, political economy, development studies, sociology and anthropology, in line with the tradition of progressive tourism studies. It seeks to resolve academic concern about the limited insight within existing bodies of knowledge into how sustainability and sustainable tourism development are conceptualised at a grassroots level by inhabitants and other stakeholders of tourism destinations (Redclift, 1987; Liu, 2003; Swarbrooke, 1999; Mowforth and Munt, 1998; Maida, 2007) and furthermore how these conceptualisations are shaped through expressions of political economy in a post-crisis context. The research aimed to evaluate how political economy and interpretations of sustainability affected post-disaster tourism redevelopment using the case study of Phi Phi Island in Thailand, which was devastated by the tsunami of December 2004. An interpretive philosophy informed the research design, in which primary data was gathered using an inductive mixed methodology. Methods included online research, comprising the design and operation of a tailored website to overcome geographical and access limitations; and offline methods such as visual techniques to monitor change and confirm opinions offered by participants of the research; in-depth face-to-face interviews with hand-picked stakeholders of Phi Phi's development; open-ended questionnaires with tourists; and extended answer Thai script questionnaires in order to overcome language barriers and present the 'Thai voice'. The primary data was gathered from April 2006-December 2011 including a period working at [information removed for anonymity purposes] University in Phuket (June-December 2006). Twenty-five themes emerged from the data, the most significant being the social impacts of tourism, environmental impacts of tourism, power relationships and future desires. It was found that the factor with the greatest influence over Phi Phi's development is the desire to develop the economy through tourism, and the philosophy underpinning the development is largely economic. The tsunami did not cause any significant reassessment of the tourism development trajectory, but served to uncover a range of conflicts and unlawful activity, resulting from powerful stakeholders pursuing their own interests and desired outcomes, in order to suit their own needs rather than those of the community as a whole. In terms of how sustainability is conceptualised by different stakeholder groups, it was found that the meanings attributed to sustainability in this context differ greatly to meanings elaborated within western ideological debates. Stakeholders' conceptualisations of sustainability were mapped against key debates within literature. How meanings differed between stakeholder groups was also examined and a definition for sustainable tourism development on Phi Phi was compiled encompassing a broad range of interests. The thesis provides a rare opportunity to see which political, economic and cultural factors shape the planning of tourism development and whether actual practice mirrors the principles of sustainability. For islanders, present needs are yet to be met and education was recommended to increase islanders' understanding of impacts and sustainability, as well as their skills and knowledge base to enable them to compete intellectually with the ruling elite and reduce dependence upon landowners and the mainland. Numerous authors have highlighted a relative lack of academic attention directly addressing the influence of political economy on achieving sustainability in post-disaster reconstruction (Klein, 2008; Hystad and Keller, 2008; Olsen, 2000; Bommer, 1985; Beirman, 2003; Faulkner, 2001; Glaesser, 2003; Ritchie, 2004). This work therefore extends existing academic debates and studies in a number of areas. In existing academic debates concerning the political economy of post-disaster reconstruction there is a trend towards 'disaster capitalism' (Klein, 2005: 3) or 'smash and grab capitalism' (Harvey, 2007: 32) and 'attempts to accumulate by dispossession' (Saltman, 2007a: 57). However, this did not occur on Phi Phi. Despite claims of a 'clean slate' being offered by the tsunami in developmental terms (Pleumarom, 2004; UNDP, 2005; Dodds, 2011; Ko, 2005; Nwankwo and Richardson, 1994; Argenti, 1976; Rice, 2005; Altman, 2005; Brix, 2007; Ghobarah et al., 2006; Dodds et al., 2010), this research provides evidence and explanation of why this did not and would never exist on Phi Phi, a finding that may be applied to other destinations in a post-disaster context. In response to Blaikie et al.'s (2004) concerns that vulnerability is often reconstructed following a disaster and may create the conditions for a future disaster, this work has extended discussions of disaster vulnerability through an adapted application of Turner et al.'s (2003) Vulnerability Framework. This meets Calgaro and Lloyd's (2008) recommendation that further longitudinal research is required in other tsunami-affected locations. This research refines their work to identify a detailed framework of vulnerability factors intertwined with factors of political economy, presenting a post-disaster situation that remains highly vulnerable and non-conducive to sustainability. This is in response to Hystad and Keller's (2008) recognition that there is a lack of long-term studies, which not only show how disaster has shifted the nature of the destination and tourism product, but also identify successful strategic processes and actions in disaster response. The strategic response has been analysed through an adapted Strategic Disaster Management Framework (Ritchie, 2004) to identify the shortcomings of the disaster response to comprehend how such a disaster has influenced tourism development and planning on the island, showing that this was a mirror opposite to how a disaster should be handled according to the literature (Ritchie, 2004; Adger et al., 2005; Miller et al., 2006; Olsen, 2000; Coppola, 2007; Faulkner, 2001; Baldini et al., 2012). The researcher draws on the notion of 'strategic drift' (Johnson, 1998: 179) and 'boiled frog syndrome' (Richardson, Nwankwo and Richardson, 1994: 10) to explain how host attitudes to tourism may increase vulnerability. Both these contributions can assist in identifying destination vulnerability and limitations in disaster response and recovery. Unlike the work of Dodds (2010) and Dodds et al. (2011), the aim was not to assess the practice and attainment of sustainability on Phi Phi; rather, it was to elaborate interpretations and conceptualisations of sustainability. An examination of development philosophy established how specific factors of political economy and relationships of a hegemonic nature influence the development trajectory of both Phi Phi and Thailand. Despite governmental rhetoric influenced by a strong 'sufficiency economy' hegemony led by King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the observations of dependency theorists provide a better fit for the experiences on Phi Phi and present significant challenges for the pursuit of sustainability. The thesis posits that an effective response to the disaster and pursuit of sustainability are undermined by the political economy of the destination.
2013-04-11T09:06:41Z
2013-04-11T09:06:41Z
2012-09
Thesis or dissertation
Taylor, F. (2012) 'Post disaster tourism development of Phi Phi Island: political economy and interpretations of sustainability'. PhD Thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/280053
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2800522020-04-23T07:29:42Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
China as an imaginal realm: a study of the representational framing of a nation in tourism
Hou, Chunxiao
N840 International Tourism
China
tourism
bricoleurship
social constructivism
A thesis submitted to for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Bedfordshire
Over recent decades, China has opened up to the wider world in a myriad of ways. By 2020 – a decade hence – it will be transformed from its scarcely-visited-1980s self, to become the most visited nation on earth. It is therefore important to gauge how China is being represented through the immensely-powerful signifying practices of tourism. Predicated on the view that reciprocal understanding between China (or ‘the East’) has never been high with ‘the West’, this critico-interpretive study explores how China is symbolized / projected via the meditative agency of tourism – that is, by a collaborative projective Leviathan, which predominantly authorizes via longstanding eurocentric visions. Industrially-scripted representations of tourism are inspected regarding their normalizing (Foucauldian) capacity to naturalise certain visions of China’s inheritances and drawcards whilst unrecognizing / denying others. Underpinned by the multiple-truth-cognisance of social constructivism (especially that of Lincoln and Cuba), this emergent study is based upon Kincheloean bricoleurship. Initially seeking to crystallize found representational repertoires of / about ‘China’ by the use of multiple methods, it becomes – following difficulties in finding decision-takers who were both China-aware and active in such acts of signification (who could be both interviewed and work-shadowed) – an inquiry rescaffolded as a multiple-data-set exploration of worldmaking discursivity. The investigation makes critical use of Nyiri’s recent examination of the Chinese government’s ortholalia (i.e., its cultural authority) in regulating what China is and how it should be staged / performed / projected, and of various newspress articles on the late soft power articulation of both the nation’s forty-centuries of ‘brilliant history’ and its ‘sudden modern vitality’. The inquiry progresses by condemning the general and ubiquitous inadequacy of the twin fields of Tourism Management / Tourism Studies to school either practitioners or researchers as Confucian-style organic intellectuals, able to comprehend the international economic foundations of tourism, yet also appreciate its deep cultural, political, and psychic rhizomata. It culminates in the development of an ‘organic intellectual’ research agenda (after Venn), signposted to direct immediate but longrun inspection of these Foucauldian / Confucian acts of the ongoing (?) normalized or compossible (cogenerative) worlding of China.
2013-04-11T08:46:15Z
2013-04-11T08:46:15Z
2010-06
Thesis or dissertation
Hou, C. (2010) 'China as an imaginal realm: a study of the representational framing of a nation in tourism'. PhD Thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/280052
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2824522020-04-23T07:37:10Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Who uses NHS Direct? factors that impact on the uptake of telephone based healthcare
Cook, Erica Jane
B990 Subjects Allied to Medicine not elsewhere classified
NHS Direct
telephone based healthcare
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the University of Bedfordshire
This research aimed to investigate the socio-demographic characteristics alongside the psycho-social factors that impact on the uptake of telephone based healthcare using a socio-cognitive approach. The first study analysed four ‘one month’ periods of national NHS Direct call data (July 2010, October 2010, January 2011 and April 2011) for all 0845 4647 calls in England. Expected and actual usage of NHS Direct was determined for each ethnic group of the population and compared using Chi-square analysis. Results confirmed that White British used NHS Direct more than expected, alongside Mixed (Caribbean/African) and Asian Pakistani groups, with lower representation found for Asian Indian\Bangladeshi, Black African\Caribbean, alongside Chinese ethnic groups. No gender differences were noted. Calls were then analysed for age, gender and deprivation (IMD health, income, employment & education) using negative binominal regression. Results suggest that deprivation increases call rates for adult calls but reduced in calls about children (<15 years). This study also highlights that NHS Direct call rates (all ages combined) are highest in areas with deprivation levels at, or just above, the national average, which remains consistent when accounting for employment, income and education deprivation. The second study, adopted a qualitative approach to explore the psycho-social factors that impact on the uptake of telephone based healthcare. Focus groups were conducted with low user groups (Manchester (N=3) and Mendip (N=4)), alongside high service users (N=2) and service providers (N=2). Five themes emerged: attitudes, structural and perceived barriers, knowledge and awareness of NHS Direct alongside improving access. Findings highlight a preference for instant face-to-face reassurance in low user groups, whereby low users appear to have lower perceived confidence in self-management of symptoms and engaging with telephone based health services. In conclusion the findings suggest there is variation in usage of NHS Direct, influenced by ethnicity, gender, age and deprivation. This research has explored some of the barriers, and has provided a theoretical framework that can be applied to understand uptake of telephone based healthcare. This research can help enable the development of future promotional campaigns that can target particular sections of the population to encourage use of telephone based healthcare services.
2013-04-18T09:46:50Z
2013-04-18T09:46:50Z
2013-01
Thesis or dissertation
Cook, E.J. (2013) 'Who uses NHS Direct? factors that impact on the uptake of telephone based healthcare'. PhD Thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/282452
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2859442020-04-23T07:29:47Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
School governors from business and industry: an analysis of their purposes and functions in the governance and management of schools
Punter, Anne Lucy
N224 Management and Organisation of Education
school governors
school governance
education governance
A thesis submitted to the Luton Business School, University of Luton, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
The theme of this thesis is the involvement of employees from business/industry in the governance of state schools in England and Wales. Following a conceptual analysis and the identification of imprecision in the relevant legislation, the research was designed in two phases. The Phase 1 survey examined the extent of that involvement in 1994 and built up a profile of employee-governors, including their personal and company characteristics. A questionnaire was used to gather descriptive and enumerative data from the school governors employed by twelve national companies, with further qualitative data amassed through some open questions on the questionnaire a,!d from semi-structured interviews of company managers. From 1995 to 1997, Phase 2 assessed the purposes, functions and skills of governors from this sector, through a quasi-experimental design which gathered pre-test and post-test data from thirty-five co-opted business/industrial governors, their headteachers and their chairs of governors. A Likert-type scaling instrument and focus group discussions were used. The main findings from the 1994 survey were that there were few governors from business and industry and even fewer were in governance to represent that sector of the community; most were parent governors. These governors and their company managers felt, however, that there were appreciable benefits to be gained from company employees being school governors. Phase 2 showed that the sample of specifically co-opted business/industrial governors adopted the distinctive purposes of objectivity and non-executive judgement, and brought generic management skills to governance through their company experience at a strategic level. These skills were especially appreciated in inner city schools. The research was the first study of governors from across business and industry and advanced the first model of practice related to purpose for governors from this sector of the community. Aspects of this model have been used to inform the Labour Government's policy for recruiting business/industrial governors for inner city schools.
2013-04-30T12:26:11Z
2013-04-30T12:26:11Z
2000-03
Thesis or dissertation
Punter, A.L. (2000) 'School governors from business and industry: an analysis of their purposes and functions in the governance and management of schools'. PhD Thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/285944
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2873992020-05-11T01:54:45Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
An assessment of the strategies guiding the role of the end-user in consumer durable new product development
Denney, Fiona Claire
N510 Market Research
new product development
consumer involvement
design testing
A thesis submitted to the University of Luton, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
This study examines the strategies that guide the role of end-users in new product development (NPD) in UK consumer durable firms. NPD success factor literature identifies the involvement of the end-user and a focus on their needs as important contributors to product success. The predominantly scientific and industrial focus of these studies means that there is, however, little information on how companies in consumer markets involve users to achieve successful products. This study fills a gap by examining the role of product users in the development of successful consumer durable products in UK firms. The products were identified through the use of a success scale developed from Griffin and Page 1993, 1996, and the award of the Millennium Product marque. An inductive approach utilising both quantitative and qualitative methods was employed and the study identified discrete groups of users involved for specific purposes in the product development process. Two strategies were identified as guiding userinvolvement: in the Expediency strategy, employees or 'internal users' were involved for rapid testing of designs where speed-to-market was considered to be a key competitive factor. The Risk Reduction strategy involved both external and internal users when products were more complex and a focus on product quality and getting it 'right first time' were important. It was also found that the firms either developed products based on their own interpretation of the users' needs, 'consumer-driven', or driven by retailers' demands and suggestions, 'retailer-driven'. Following further testing with all sixty-five products, it was concluded that the perceived complexity of the product determined which strategy was chosen, and the level of market orientation in the firm established the driver. This thesis extends the NPD success-factor literature by establishing that the involvement of users is a contributor to successful consumer durable product development. It also identifies 'internal users' as a previously unrecognised group of users and relates the use of different groups of users to two distinct strategies. The Risk Reduction and Expediency strategies also extend the 'first-mover advantage' literature by concluding that products developed with the Risk Reduction Strategy were more successful than those that used an Expediency Strategy. Although these products were not usually first-to-market they benefited from being of superior quality.
2013-05-02T09:07:38Z
2013-05-02T09:07:38Z
2004-05
Thesis or dissertation
Denney, F.C. (2004) 'An assessment of the strategies guiding the role of the end-user in consumer durable new product development'. PhD Thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/287399
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2873812020-05-30T01:57:43Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Cross-cultural adaptation and academic performance: overseas Chinese students on an international foundation course at a British university
Xiong, Zhao Ning
X342 Academic studies in Higher Education
higher education
international students
cross-cultural adjustment
cross-cultural adaptation
A thesis submitted to the University of Luton, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
The aim of the present research study was to examine the cross-cultural adaptation experiences of overseas Chinese students studying on an International Foundation Course (hereafter IFC) at Luton University, in an attempt to: 1) gain a better understanding of the sociocultural adjustment difficulties and psychological adjustment problems experienced by the Chinese students and their perceived importance in adapting to sociocultural events in the new environment; 2) to examine factors that are related to the students' sociocultural adjustment, psychological adjustment and academic performance; 3) to explore the strategies used by the students for handling obstacles; 4) to integrate research perspectives from different fields (e.g. cultural adaptation, international education), and to re-assess current theoretical models in the light of this. To gain new insights into the dynamic and multi-dimensional nature of cross-cultural adaptation, this two-phase, sequential mixed method study was designed firstly to obtain quantitative results from a sample of the IFe Chinese students and then to follow up a few of the students and their teachers to explore those results in greater depth. In the first phase, a total of 126 of the students participated in the cross-cultural adaptation survey. In the second phase, twenty of the respondents of the earlier survey and seven of the IFC teachers were invited for a semi-structured in-depth interview. Results of the survey indicated that the IFC respondents regarded themselves as having "slight to moderate difficulty" in coping with the new culture, more specifically, interactions with people of other nationalities were perceived as more difficult than the academic demands, which in turn were seen as more difficult than daily life demands. With regard to psychological adjustment, most of the IFC students did not have clinical depression symptoms. Psychological adjustment was found to affect academic performance (measured by GPA). An examination of the students' GPA showed that more than half of the students had a GPA in the 'bare pass' category and half of the respondents had negative perceptions of the university, many of whom regarded the university to be worse than they expected. Results of the in-depth interviews from the students and teachers corroborated and added some further insights to the findings of the survey. After discussing the empirical findings in relation to the relevant theories and research studies, a number of recommendations are offered respectively for international students, for staff working with international students and for university authorities.
2013-05-02T09:07:21Z
2013-05-02T09:07:21Z
2005-02
Thesis or dissertation
Xiong, Z.N. (2005) 'Cross-cultural adaptation and academic performance: overseas Chinese students on an international foundation course at a British university'. PhD Thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/287381
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2911332020-04-23T07:29:50Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
A comparative study of beekeeping as an intervention with troubled young people
Tierney, Patrick
L560 Probation/After Care
beekeeping
youth justice
young offenders
outdoor experiential education
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Professional Doctorate in Youth Justice
“Although they make up only 11 per cent of the population above the age of criminal responsibility (in England and Wales), in 2009, people in this age group were responsible for 17 per cent of all proven offending” (NAO, 2010:5). Sadly, 56 per cent of these young people are likely to re-offend within one year (NAO, 2010). These trends are not unique; they are common to many countries worldwide (e.g. De Gusti et al, 2009). Arguably then, current government strategies that aim to reduce recidivism including custodial sentences, are not working (Clarke, 2011). However, terms such as ‘criminal offence’ and the age criteria for criminal responsibility vary widely in their definitions between and within countries. Furthermore, reasons why young people re-offend emerge from complex and multi-dimensional needs and risk factors, which themselves vary over time. Attempts at correlations and comparisons are therefore inevitably contentious. Interventions perceived as most effective at reducing recidivism focus on multi-systemic approaches to changing behaviours (e.g. DfES, 2006). This research and its findings, contributes towards a better understanding of these multi-dimensional factors. This report presents outcomes from a mixed-methods, ethnographic, comparative research project in relation to a four-day intensive outdoor experiential education programme. For the purposes of this report, the programme is called ‘Bee Inspired’ and is specifically for young people defined as ‘at risk’ of offending or re-offending. Bee Inspired is unique because it involves the participants’ immersion in learning the practical skills of beekeeping. The research was based in three countries: the Azores islands (Portuguese-governed), Prince Edward Island, Canada and England, United Kingdom. During the programme, the participants were observed closely and their behaviour, experiences and comments recorded. Additional data were collected through written questionnaires and focus group sessions during and at the completion of the programme. The outcomes are presented using a method of written ‘vignettes’. This gives voices to the participants, whose perspectives, within research data, are often absent. This report provides evidence of their positive experiences of cognitive, social and emotional development during the Bee Inspired programme; these being intrinsically linked to the programme’s objectives and the researcher’s theoretical and ontological perspectives. The findings were triangulated; qualitative and quantitative data support previous educational research and produces some new insights. The research tracked the progress of the participants twelve and eighteen months after the completion of the Bee Inspired programme. Out of 45 participants, only three participants re-offended within eighteen months; well below average and expected norms as defined in similar research. In addition to the low re-offending rates, many participants continued their beekeeping practices which in itself may contribute to the perceived success of the programme. In conclusion, although small-scale and limited in terms of scope and generalizability, this research illuminates the experiences of young people ‘at risk’ involved in experiential education. The complex and multi-dimensional nature of these experiences relate to individuals’ diverse needs. Further research into experiential education programmes is therefore required, in particular, investigations into why factors specific to beekeeping could provide a way of reducing recidivism amongst some young people at risk.
2013-05-15T10:37:42Z
2013-05-15T10:37:42Z
2012-10
Thesis or dissertation
Tierney, P. (2012) 'A comparative study of beekeeping as an intervention with troubled young people'. PhD Thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/291133
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2911342020-04-23T07:29:49Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Adult attachment and relationship quality in parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Yahya, Fatahyah
ADHD
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
C880 Social Psychology
attachment
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Of the University of Bedfordshire
This study aimed to explore the influence of adult attachment on relationship quality in parents of children with ADHD. A mixed methods design was used to address the research objectives. Study One (quantitative) explored the different pressures that having a child with ADHD places on parents with different attachment styles, and how the parents differ in their way of responding to such pressures based on their attachment styles. Two hundred and fifty four participants were employed: 101 parents of children with ADHD, and 153 parents of children without ADHD. Four established questionnaires were used: Connors Parental rating Scale (CPRS), Communication Pattern Questionnaire (CPQ), Experience in Close Relationship (ECR), and Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). The results showed that parents of children with ADHD reported greater marital conflict and worse dyadic adjustment than parents of children without ADHD. Moreover, behavioural problems in children with ADHD correlated negatively with interpersonal relationship in the parental couple. Finally, attachment style moderated the impact of ADHD symptoms on interpersonal problems in the couple. On the other hand, Study Two (qualitative) explored parents’ experiences of how the disorganised behaviour of children with ADHD or the normal naughtiness of children without ADHD had an impact on the relationship. The differences between parents with children with and without ADHD with regard to their attachment styles were also studied. Forty eight participants extracted from the Study One were participated in this Study Two. The results through the thematic analyses indicated that parents of children with ADHD experienced the stress related to their children’s condition which was negatively affected their couple relationship. Not only that, the parents with different attachment styles experienced differently in both group. In considering both studies, the qualitative themes may explain how attachment insecurity moderates the impact of having a child with ADHD on relationship variables. The theme may be particularly important, as it may have a negative influence on the interpersonal communication of the parents with insecurity attachment. It is proposed that this research can make a contribution towards relevant intervention programs to facilitate support for parents of children with ADHD.
2013-05-15T10:47:23Z
2013-05-15T10:47:23Z
2012-07
Thesis or dissertation
Yahya, F. (2012) 'Adult attachment and relationship quality in parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder'. PhD Thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/291134
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2911182020-05-14T03:35:21Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Exploring the extent and determinants of accounting information disclosure in interim reports: an empirical study of UK listed companies
Mangena, Musa
N422 Financial Reporting
accounting
accounting information
interim reports
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Luton
The focus of this research is the disclosure of accounting information in interim reports. The main objective of the research is to assess disclosure of accounting information in interim reports of UK companies listed on the LSE and to investigate whether variations in interim disclosure can be explained by corporate attributes that differentiate companies. The secondary objective is to examine perceptions of investment analysts regarding the importance of information items disclosed in interim reports for investment decision-making. Employing a disclosure-index framework, a list of 113 information items that are and could be disclosed was compiled and a mail questionnaire forwarded to investment analysts to determine the importance of the items. A cross-sectional disclosure model was developed to examine the relationship between interim disclosure and companyspecific and corporate governance attributes. The primary findings show that (1) investment analysts perceive information disclosed in interim reports as important for their investment decision-making and that there exists agreement between what companies disclose and what investment analysts perceive as importance items of disclosure, and (2) there are variations in the extent of interim disclosure and that both company-specific and corporate governance variables help explain these variations. The findings indicate that the extent of interim disclosure is positively related to company size, listing status, external auditor involvement, acquisition transactions, payment of an interim dividend, techMARK listing, and substantial institutional investors. The results also show that interim disclosure is negatively related to liquidity ratio, CEO age and shareholding of audit committee members. This research contributes to the disclosure literature in a number of ways. First it examines variables previously associated with annual disclosures as possible explanatory factors of differences in interim disclosure. Second, it investigates the influence of corporate governance variables on interim disclosure, an area that has been neglected in previous studies. Furthermore, the research introduces two new variables (external auditor involvement and shareholding of audit committee members), which have not been examined in prior disclosure studies. These findings have implications for the development of interim reporting and for corporate governance policy formulation.
2013-05-15T11:14:31Z
2013-05-15T11:14:31Z
2004-07
Thesis or dissertation
Mangena, M. (2004) '
Exploring the extent and determinants of accounting information disclosure in interim reports: an empirical study of UK listed companies
'. PhD Thesis. University of Bedfordshire.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/291118
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
oai:uobrep.openrepository.com:10547/2924782020-05-12T03:06:07Zcom_10547_129915col_10547_129931
Voiced and non-voiced consumer responses to primary dissatisfaction: a uni-dimensional and multi-dimensional study
Boote, Jonathan
N562 Corporate Image
customer satisfaction
complaints
consumer satisfaction
It is proposed by scholars of consumer complaining behaviour that dissatisfaction occurs at two levels: (1) the primary level resulting from product or service failure; and (2) the secondary level resulting from an unsuccessful attempt at complaint resolution with the company held responsible. This thesis provides an integrated analysis of the triggers of voiced and non-voiced consumer responses to the level of primary dissatisfaction. A deductively derived two-factor taxonomy of consumer responses to dissatisfaction was developed out of the extant literature, to identify those responses to dissatisfaction analogous with both primary and secondary dissatisfaction. Based on this taxonomy, a deductively derived typology of consumer responses to primary dissatisfaction, together with two truncated alternatives, was also proposed. The proposed typologies facilitated two levels of analysis: (1) the unidimensional level relating to whether or not the dissatisfaction was voiced to the company held responsible; and (2) the multi-dimensional level of response style engaged in. At each level of analysis, the contribution to total explained variance of six trigger sets was assessed: pre-dissatisfaction situation, post-dissatisfaction situation, company/consumer relationship, marketplace/consumer relationship, psychographics and demographics. The validity of both the proposed two-factor taxonomy and the three typologies was examined through a cross-sectional survey of 1000 dissatisfied consumers across eight product and service categories. Findings supported the deductive basis of the taxonomy, where it was found that whilst exit behaviours and private negative word-of-mouth are analogous with the level of primary dissatisfaction, the incidence of public negative word-of-mouth, third party action and grudge holding was significantly greater among consumers experiencing secondary dissatisfaction. These findings also supported the deductive basis of the proposed typologies of responses to primary dissatisfaction, by empirically identifying those responses analogous with this level of dissatisfaction. At the unidimensional level of analysis, the trigger sets explained 54% ofthe variance between a voiced and a non-voiced instance of primary dissatisfaction. At the multidimensional level of the response style, 63% of variance was explained between response styles in the truncated typology with the most practical use for suppliers. On the basis of these findings, recommendations are made to practitioners on how to encourage supplier-friendly consumer response styles following primary dissatisfaction, and to discourage less friendly styles. The empirically supported truncated typology -distinguishing between passive, private responses, telling, and telling + private responses -represents an important strategic tool for suppliers to monitor and benchmark responses to primary dissatisfaction among their customer base.
2013-05-21T10:38:44Z
2013-05-21T10:38:44Z
2003
Thesis or dissertation
Boote, J. (2003) 'Voiced and non-voiced consumer responses to primary dissatisfaction: a uni-dimensional and multi-dimensional study'. PhD Thesis. University of Luton.
http://hdl.handle.net/10547/292478
en
University of Bedfordshire
University of Bedfordshire
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