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The circular economy concept is becoming more important against a backdrop of increased population growth and prosperity, ultimately resulting in the growth of the unsustainable use of the Earth's resources, with much of this ending up as waste with little or no value. The building sector through its provision of homes, schools, hospitals and places of work is by far the greatest consumer of resources and producer of waste when compared to other sectors. Whilst the sector has successfully achieved high recycling rates, most of this waste is downcycled where the value, quality and functionality are lower than the original product; moreover, the resources, that the sector uses are largely from primary sources and material costs are rising. Whereas sustainable buildings have been receiving growing attention in the last decade, there has been less focus on the circular economy. Policymakers and industry are starting to recognise these concerns by the development of various circular economy strategies, action plans and roadmaps; however, progress is slow. Circular economy in the building sector means that buildings should be designed to create minimal waste by being long-lasting, allowing them to be easily repaired and refurbished, and to be deconstructed at end of life, so the products and materials within can be reused or recycled, maintaining their value, where possible. Whilst there are an increasing number of circular economy academic and practitioner studies published, its implementation is still in its infancy and research is fragmented. Specific sector frameworks are needed to assist in implementing circular economy and whilst a few have been developed in the building sector, they largely focus on one or a few circular economy aspects and on one or a few stages of a building or supply chain stakeholders, even though the various benefits of encompassing all these aspects are evident. Hence, this research sought to fill this gap with an aim to examine the concept of circular economy within the context of the UK building sector. It also explored how a circular economy can be implemented for a building project, covering the whole lifecycle. This was achieved through the development of an industry reviewed framework. The research was based on a mixed method design employing a variety of data collection techniques which complemented and built on each other. From a literature review, the existing circular economy theories, principles and approaches and their current and potential applicability in the building sector were investigated, as well as barriers and enablers. These findings were developed further by investigating how these applied in practice, with a snapshot undertaken for the UK building sector based on an industry questionnaire, resulting in 110 responses, together with 4 focus groups at an industry event, with 97 attendees. This provided much quantitative data on the current state of play and the perspectives of key stakeholders, together with the relative importance of the barriers and enablers and insightful qualitative data on the trends and relationships. An in-depth investigation was undertaken to establish how circular economy approaches in the building sector could be adopted through the development of critical success factors (CSFs). This was undertaken through a supply chain workshop with 25 representatives who identified and clustered CSFs, resulting in the identification of eight thematic CSFs. To enable a greater understanding of how these could be implemented at a building project level, semi-structured interviews were held with 13 participants, representing the typical parts of a supply chain. This was complemented with a pre-interview questionnaire, in which the interviewees ranked the CSFs for priority, timescale and ease for implementation, which formed the basis for discussion. This resulted in the identification of 56 CSF subfactors. Also examined was the potential of applying circular economy principles to building types and lifecycle stages, and the level of stakeholder influence. This data culminated in the development of a circular economy framework with multiple levels encompassing the sectoral barriers and enablers and their inter-relationship, and at a building project level, the CSFs and subfactors, cross-linked to the enablers. An industry review was undertaken on the framework through a questionnaire and focus group. Data was obtained at this focus group for which project lifecycle stages each CSF subfactors should be implemented and which stakeholders should be involved, and who should lead. This research has provided the novel contribution of how circular economy aspects can be applied in the building sector, from firstly a sector perspective and secondly a project perspective. This includes the categorisation and relationship of sectoral barriers and enablers, which translate into detailed CSFs and subfactors at a project level, to be implemented across a project's lifecycle, for all aspects of material circularity, involving the key parts of a project supply chain. This framework can be used as a platform for the sector to move towards a more circular built environment.

Lack of clarity and uniformity of the impact of GSCM implementation on performance and the competitiveness of the firm compromises attempts by manufacturing managers to optimise GSCM implementation. Although manufacturing practitioners have adopted green supply chain management implementation over the last three decades, there are concerns about whether these practices are being implemented because they lead to competitiveness and superior performance or by certain driving forces. Investigating the impact of green supply chain implementation on the competitiveness of the firm and achieving superior performance presents a relatively unexplored frontier in supply chain management. This research aims at investigating the key green supply chain management practices being implemented by manufacturing firms, e.g., green purchasing, eco-design, green marketing, investment recovery, customer cooperation, and reverse logistics. To achieve these objectives, the research questions were addressed by analysing firm-informed data from 375 UK manufacturing companies. To confirm the validity, reliability and fit of the data collected, a rigorous statistical analysis was employed. In order to test the hypotheses linking the four research frameworks, structural equation modelling (SEM) was adopted. The results from the empirical analysis indicated that both internal and external enablers successfully influence manufacturers to adopt and implement GSCM practices. In addition, the findings on the relationship between individual GSCM practices and the triple bottom line came with mixed results. That is, for instance, customer cooperation did not show positive relationship with social, environmental, and economic performance. This thesis contributes to GSCM knowledge by recognising that management commitment, information and knowledge sharing successfully influence manufacturers to adopt and implement GSCM practices. The research findings also showed that customer pressure successfully influence manufacturing firms to implement GSCM practices especially when the customers are conscious about the environmental impact of the product they buy. These findings provide useful insight to manufacturers to identify which green initiatives result in maximum performance and competitive advantage. The significance of this recommendation is that, not all GSCM practices result in improved performance and competitive advantage. These findings clearly set out the outcome of GSCM implementation on performance, since individual green practices were linked with individual performance outcomes. For example, green purchasing was found to have positive correlation with social, economic, and environmental performances. In contrast to customer cooperation, eco design was found to have positive relationship with social, economic, and environmental performances in this study. Lastly, these results provide significant information to the manufacturer regarding which green initiatives require more efforts to be implemented in order to ensure positive outcomes. One key recommendation of this thesis is that environmental collaboration with customers' needs to be strengthened to improve performance, because the empirical results showed negative relationship between customer cooperation and performance outcomes. The reason for this closer collaboration is that suggestion by customers towards environmental protection could help manufacturers plan their production strategies including product packaging and delivery. On managerial level, this study has shown that collaboration between inter and intra firm players through information and knowledge sharing is crucial in enhancing GSCM implementation. For policy makers, this study has confirmed that not only stringent regulations promote green implementation, but also provision of incentives to firms could significantly serve as a motivational factor for GSCM adoption.

Compassion and compassionate care are identified as essential elements in nursing. They enhance quality care, wellbeing, and the overall quality of patients' lives. However, incidents of substandard care have highlighted inherent tensions between competing professional and organisational demands in a rapidly changing workplace. This research investigated nurses' views of the promoters and inhibitors of provision and maintenance of compassionate care. Participants were third year student nurses and qualified nurses in a large inner-city Trust hospital. An integrative literature review revealed three overarching themes that impact on nurses' ability to provide and maintain compassionate care. Sumner's (2008a) Moral Construct of Caring in Nursing as Communicative Action Theory (MCCNCAT) was applied as the theoretical framework. Q methodology supported the investigation of subjectivity within an interpretive design. 54 statements were developed from the literature review and focus group participation, representing the breadth of debate on compassion and compassionate care. Participants (n=30) rank-ordered these statements onto a quasi-normal distribution grid (the Q sort). They provided post Q sort data via Report Sheets and semi-structured interviews; thematic analysis was used to explore interview data. Completed Q sorts were analysed using correlation and by-person factor analysis, resulting in two distinct factors. Some participants shared commonalities across factors and did not contribute to the construction of the factor estimates. Remaining participants (n=18) included student nurses (n=10) and qualified nurses (n=8). Compassionate care was found to be complex, interconnected, and multifaceted. There was consensus from student nurses and qualified nurses in the three overarching themes: • Personal/relational - Improved patient outcomes impact positively on patients and motivate nurses to provide compassionate care. Satisfaction gained from providing compassionate care creates a virtuous circle, enhancing wellbeing, personal motivation, professional commitment, and job performance. It supports collegial relationships and positive patient outcomes. • Organisational - Organisations must promote compassionate care, supporting nurses and providing necessary resources. Managers, leaders, mentors, and colleagues should demonstrate compassion towards patients and staff. Developing and supporting a culture of compassion can counter factors that inhibit compassionate care. Nurses should be encouraged to develop self-compassion, which promotes their own wellbeing. • Educational - Nurses' clinical experiences should be connected to teaching and learning. This means replacing inappropriate didactic, classroom-based education with approaches that are experiential and creative, using strengthened links with practice, so that learning is relevant to the reality of clinical practice. These findings were incorporated in an explanatory diagram, underpinned by MCCNCAT (Sumner 2008a) which makes visible the dynamics involved and strategies that build and sustain compassionate care.

Over the last decade, the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) has proliferated to manage the increasing complexity of construction projects. Project managers face challenges while managing stakeholders on BIM-implemented projects because the BIM concept is still relatively new to many stakeholders. The implementation of BIM brought new and complex activities to the already complex process of project management, which led to radical change in the working practices of project stakeholders and generated risk for diverse areas. In this study, the challenges, techniques, enablers and benefits of managing stakeholders within BIM-implemented projects were investigated. This exploratory study adopts a qualitative approach with an interpretative stance at its core, which is an appropriate approach to adopt when the variables and theory base are not known. Pilot study was conducted to test the research instrument. A total of 23 semi-structured interviews were conducted in the UK, via purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The data gathered was analysed using content analysis and the NVivo 11 Pro software. The findings include a persisting low understanding of the BIM concept in project team, especially the client. The users' resistance to change, and disintegration of BIM and traditional teams leads to unanticipated issues. Holding face-to-face meetings with client at the onset of a project for discussing BIM process and arranging frequent meetings of BIM users among themselves are the key techniques of mitigating issues proactively. Furthermore, organisations should create a sharing and learning environment to encourage and facilitate adoption of BIM. The effective management of stakeholders leads to generating good quality information, avoiding unanticipated issues and assists in understanding the result clearly. A descriptive framework was developed and validated. This framework provides requirements that needs to be integrated during stakeholder management in BIM projects. Every construction project has a unique set of stakeholders. Therefore, project managers should conduct a BIM assessment of all key stakeholders and develop a bespoke stakeholder management plan based on that. BIM has a huge potential to manage stakeholders effectively on construction projects. Even the roles that are not directly/indirectly related to BIM can benefit from increased and better communication and collaboration. Communication, collaboration, stakeholder engagement, trust, common goals, technology and people are at the core of managing stakeholders within BIM projects. Top management should proactively support stakeholder management plan because the lack of knowledge and understanding of BIM among project participants on an ongoing project may lead to conflicts. Larger organisations should help smaller organisations on BIM-implemented projects because smaller organisations usually do not have enough budget to train their staff. To date, researchers have focused on implementation of BIM and stakeholder management aimed at the micro level with little attention to the effect of new digital ways of working with stakeholder. This research provides a richer understanding and awareness of the enablers and techniques, which organisations have to focus on while making strategies in order to face minimum resistance from stakeholders. The study is unique in a way that it considers BIM from a management perspective, especially the stakeholder management. The previous studies have identified challenges of BIM in isolation. The enablers, techniques and benefits pertaining stakeholder management were identified and prioritised in the context of BIM. Furthermore, this study has established new ways which managers can adopt to manage stakeholders in addition to technical approaches.

The aim of this research is to develop a framework to implement lean thinking in healthcare supply chain management (HSCM). The framework comprises four implementation phases namely; preparation state, assessment of the current state in terms of lean, developing the desired future state in terms of lean and steady (sustainable) state of new actions taken. The developed framework covers the lean enablers, factors and the barriers that may hinder the lean implementation. The final edition of the framework was validated by three hospitals in Saudi Arabia. In addition, the developed framework includes model to assess leanness maturity of the HSCM. The HSCM leanness assessment model was developed by using multi-grade fuzzy approach. This approach consists of three levels; enablers, criteria and attributes. By using such approach, the HSCM leanness index was calculated and practices for further improvement were identified. Five enablers that are important for implementing lean principles in HSCM were identified. The enablers are medical management responsibility, healthcare supply chain processes management, medical human resource, consumer relationship and supplier relationship. Nine lean barriers that are obstacle lean implementation include: existence of physicians' preferences, unpredictable patient demand, Inadequate knowledge and lack of understanding lean concept , identify type of waste through HSCM processes (delivering value to the patient), hospital culture and resistance to change, lack of hospital support, commitment and disbelief in lean , scarcity of qualified human resources and lack of training , assessment of the required level of leanness and lack of effective communication and information sharing. Prioritization and proposed solutions to overcome these barriers were provided. HSCM leanness assessment model was developed based on three levels: enablers, criteria, and attributes. Mixed methods has been used as research methodology. The research has started with extensive literature review related to supply chain management and lean with focus on healthcare context. Next, the qualitative method was used during field study by using semi-structured and structured interview to capture the knowledge from experts (data collection). The proposed framework enables decision-makers at healthcare providers to implement lean principles in supply chain management through a step by step process. Implementation of the framework will contribute significantly to improving the supply chain's overall performance, quality of work, reducing cost and eliminating wastes and on-time delivery.

This research aimed to explore what therapists perceive are the enablers and barriers which can arise when working with transgender clients. Some research studies have previously been carried out exploring the client’s experiences of the therapeutic process, with a large proportion finding the counselling profession to be wanting. However, there is a dearth of literature exploring the reasons behind this from a clinical perspective, including potential ways of addressing the issues raised. This qualitative study explored the perspectives of five experienced clinicians, from varying backgrounds who work therapeutically with transgender clients. The participants recognised that while there is positive work occurring within the field, there remains room for growth and improvement across all services including medical, social, psychological and legal. Due to the role and impact of individuation, personal beliefs and experiences, background and therapeutic approach, a Thematic Analysis as carried out on the data gathered from semi-structured interviews. The resulting themes highlighted the role of self-disclosure, training, the theoretical approach utilised and the use of language were all considered to be key elements; which can have a significant impact on the therapeutic relationship and subsequent outcomes. These themes were considered with reference to the implications both as an enabling and barrier on therapeutic outcomes and for Counselling Psychology practice.

The aim of this study is to develop and validate a framework for large organisations in the Arab Gulf Region, especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in order to improve employee engagement and thus improve business performance. This research is completed in three phases. First, a detailed literature review summarises what is known about employee engagement and national culture in the GCC region. Second, an industrial field study then asks experienced leaders in the region to comment on the key enablers and inhibitors of employee engagement to better understand the region-specific factors affecting employee engagement, and their relationship to local culture. The results of the industrial field study suggest a number of changes are required to customise the employee engagement literature beyond the extant literature to meet the needs of employees in the GCC region, including actions such as engaging leaders developing a personal relationship with their employees. These changes are brought together to create a revised framework for employee engagement in large organisations in the GCC. In the third phase of the research, these results are tested in two validation studies. The first is a survey with a large sample of employees in the region confirming that these revised enablers of employee engagement predict feelings of employee engagement, and perceptions of performance. The second is an industrial field experiment in which a treatment group reported feeling greater levels of engagement after changes were implemented by a company. This research finds support for a framework of employee engagement that is both consistent with existing literature confirming the importance of key enablers such as providing opportunities for employees to learn and grow, but also additions to the literature with more region-specific ideas such as accommodating Islamic practicalities. This research contributes to the literature on employee engagement in documenting differences in different regions, specifically in this case the GCC region. This is also the first study to link specific aspects of national culture (e.g., power distance) to employee engagement, as well as to specify the distinctions between the enablers, behaviours, and feelings of employee engagement.

The aim of this research project is to develop an innovative framework to implement lean principles in Product-Service System (PSS) with the capability of assessing the leanness level of the services offering process. The framework comprises three implementation phases namely: assessment of the current state, developing a future state, and stabilising the new way of operations. Additionally, the framework covers the enablers, factors, and appropriate lean tools required for the successful implementation of lean practices in Product-Service System (PSS), as well as, the challenges that may obstacle the implementation process. The proposed framework has integrated an assessment model that provides a quantifiable measure of the leanness level of Product-Service System (PSS). Five main enablers and thirty three factors emerging from these main enablers deemed to be critical for the successful implementation of lean practices in Product-Service System (PSS). Moreover, a series of eight inhibitors appeared to block the implementation process. The Product-Service System leanness assessment model was developed upon three main levels, namely: enablers, criteria, and attributes. The first level contains five enablers. These enablers are supplier relationship, management leanness, workforce leanness, process excellence, and customer relationship. In the second level there are twenty one criteria such as: supplier delivery, culture of management and process optimisation. Finally, the third level consists of seventy three attributes. By using multi-grade fuzzy approach the PSS leanness index was computed and areas for further improvement were identified. A combination of research methodology approaches has been employed in this research. Firstly, an extensive literature review related to lean and PSS was conducted. Secondly, the qualitative approach and the case study were selected as an appropriate methodology for this research, using semi-structured and structured interview techniques to gather the required data from experts who are involved in lean projects in their companies. Finally, validation of the results was carried out using real life industrial case studies and experts judgment. Case studies demonstrate that the framework provides guidelines for manufacturing companies that aim to implement lean principles in Product-Service System (PSS). The framework enables manufacturing companies to better satisfy their customers’ needs through responding quickly to their changing demands; to improve the service offering process through reducing the creation of wastes and non-value added activities; and to improve competitiveness through increasing customers’ value. Additionally, the PSS leanness index is useful for improving the service offering process. The index provides manufacturing companies with a real insight into the leanness level of their service offering, as well as, it provides managers with a quantifiable measure of how lean their PSS is. The index identifies the gap between the current state and the future state and this helps in determining areas for further improvement.

The construction industry is characterised by a number of problems in crucial fields such as health, safety and logistics. Since these problems affect the progress of construction projects, the construction industry has attempted to introduce the use of innovative information and communication technologies on the construction site. Specific technologies which find applicability on the construction site are wireless sensors, and especially radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology. RFID tagging is a technology capable of tracking items. The technology has been applied on the construction site for various applications, such as asset tracking. There are many problems related to health, safety and logistics on the construction site which could be resolved using RFID technology. In the health and safety field, the problems which exist are the monitoring of dangerous areas on the construction site, such as large excavation areas, the collisions between workers and vehicles, between vehicles and equipment and between vehicles, the detection of hazardous substances on the construction site when the construction work has been completed and the collection of hazard notifications from specific areas of the construction site as feedback for the prevention of future accidents. In the logistics field, the tracking of a material during its delivery on the construction site, its transportation to specific subcontractors and its future utilisation as well as the monitoring of the rate of use of materials on the construction site, the checking of the sequence of steel members and the monitoring of the temperature of porous materials are issues which can be realised using RFID technology. In order to facilitate the use of RFID technology for the specific health, safety and logistics problems, a system has been developed. The operation of this system is based on the combined use of hardware and software elements. The hardware elements of the developed system are a wireless local area network, RFID readers and tags. Its software elements are a software development kit based on which, a number of graphical user interfaces have been created for the interaction of the users with the REID tags, and Notepad files which store data collected from REID tags through the graphical user interfaces. Each of the graphical user interfaces is designed in such a way so that it corresponds to the requirements of the health, safety or logistics situation in which it is used. The proposed system has been tested on a simulated construction site by a group of experts and a number of findings have been produced. Specifically, the testing of the proposed system showed that RFID technology can connect the different stages which characterise the construction supply chain. In addition, it showed the capability of the technology to be integrated with construction processes. The testing of the system also revealed the barriers and the enablers to the use of RFID technology in the construction industry. An example of such a barrier is the unwillingness of the people of the construction industry to quit traditional techniques in favour of a new technology. Enablers which enhance the use of RFID technology in the construction industry are the lack of complexity which characterises the operation of RFID tagging and the relatively low cost of RFID tags. In general, RFID technology is an innovative sensor technology which can help the construction industry through its asset tracking ability. However, further research should be done on the improvement of RFID technology on specific characteristics, such as its inability to provide location coordinates and the resilience of the electromagnetic signal emitted by the RFID reader when there are metallic objects around the reader.

Superintendent longevity contributes to organizational success, while superintendent turnover creates academic instability and organizational dysfunction. Yet superintendent longevity continues to be a worrisome issue in education. The current turnover rate of superintendencies ranges from 14% to 20% annually, and superintendent tenure in districts with the highest percentage of low-income students is 3.5 years shorter than in districts with the lowest poverty levels. The concern becomes urgent when considering the direct correlation between superintendent longevity and district effectiveness. In contrast, frequent superintendent turnover has been linked to unsustainable district improvement efforts and less overall growth. Adding to the concern is the demographic imbalance between superintendents and the students they serve, with the low representation of people of color in superintendencies remaining problematic. Superintendents today are expected to function as agents of change who address head-on the increased state and federal accountability pressures, and who strive to level the field and yield excellent and equitable educational outcomes for all students. These transformative outcomes require innovative solutions, continuity of vision, and systemic reform resulting from sustained and focused leadership. This study sought to document how long-tenured superintendents of color in Texas perceived the enablers and inhibitors to their longevity and the strategies they deployed to remain in the role. By adopting a qualitative research design to examine the perspectives of 12 long-tenured superintendents of color regarding their lived experiences in the superintendency, the study aimed to represent and uplift the voices and experiences of those typically underrepresented in research. The findings revealed three enabling factors of superintendent longevity for which it is possible to articulate a subset of strategies deployed by participants to sustain their longevity in the role. The three enablers identified were 1) purpose-driven leadership, 2) a healthy relationship with the school board, and 3) establishing trust as a leader. Finally, the study provides recommendations to current and aspiring superintendents, school boards, and superintendent preparation programs in the hope it can enhance the design of more efficacious supports to help retain superintendents and provide concrete strategies to sustain their longevity in the superintendency.

How does the university meet the diverse needs of students with hidden disability? In this qualitative case study, an exploration has been undertaken to capture the experiences of university students with hidden disability and the academic staff who support them. Semi structured, face to face interviews were used to engage with eight university students who self-identify as disabled or having a hidden disability. Eight university academic staff who all work with students with hidden disability were also involved in this study. All of the student and academic participants had the opportunity to share their experiences of the university’s teaching and learning environments, both inside and outside of the classroom. The data was examined through an interpretivist lens and analysed thematically. The interviews revealed that students felt most supported when they are taught by staff with whom they were able to establish trusting relationships. Students also reported that flexibility regarding assessments and attendance were important to their academic success. Academic staff members stated that they felt underqualified and under resourced to effectively support students with disability in their classrooms. Staff relied on informal networks created by the teaching team and external formal services to provide direction and strategies to support students with hidden disability. Additional research is required to gain further insights into the diverse academic experiences of students with hidden disability as this is a heterogeneous group. Streamlined formal supports are recommended to meet the needs of the growing number of students with disability and additional professional development opportunities exploring universal design for learning need to be offered to all university staff in order for inclusive teaching practices to be implemented in the classroom and across the university at large.

Dairy farming in New Zealand is a major contributor to the economy but is also a source of environmental degradation. Farmers perceive that the public perception of the dairy industry is negative, and that consumers in New Zealand are changing their consumption patterns to favour less meat and dairy products. There are also additional issues that may elicit stress for dairy farmers. Examples include high debt levels, increasing environmental regulation, and mental wellbeing. This study investigated dairy farmers’ decision-making when considering whether to change practices or production systems in response to external stresses. The study set out to identify which practices or production systems dairy farmers choose to adopt or have adopted, and why, but also to synthesize these with theory to show the main processes involved in dairy farmers’ decision-making. An exploratory, mixed-methods approach was employed to address the objectives. The overall production systems under investigation were conventional, biological (including regenerative), and organic (including biodynamic). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 conventional and 15 agroecological participants (seven organic and eight biological) in the first phase of the study. Based on the qualitative results from the interviews, a quantitative survey in the form of a web questionnaire was distributed nationally and answered by 173 respondents. The Protection Motivation Theory was used as a starting point to develop a conceptual framework, which guided the methodological approach. Factors that were identified through literature review as important for farmer decision-making were also added to the conceptual framework. Analysis of the qualitative and quantitative data suggests a model governed by three overall processes that explain dairy farmers’ decision-making in response to their subjective perception of: (1) stress on the farm system, (2) relative advantage, and (3) self-efficacy. These processes are moderated by intra- and interpersonal factors such as beliefs, social connectedness, and values. Finally, facilitating conditions, actual social norms, and actual behavioural control moderate behaviour. The entire model is influenced by the socio-physical context in which the decision takes place. Despite data recruitment limitations, the quantitative data also suggest that 24% of currently conventional respondents were interested in adopting an agroecological production system in the future. Significant reasons for choosing these systems were lower environmental impact, preferred by consumers, and improves public perception. Similar reasons were also offered by conventional respondents for their choice of variations to their production system, such as lowering inputs or intensity, supplying value-add products or diversifying income streams. There appears to be a general move towards adopting lower-input systems that improve profit and wellbeing rather than increasing production. The interest in adopting biological and non-certified organic systems indicates a perceived relative advantage that is not dependent on an external monetary incentive. To support the autonomy of farmers when choosing practices or production systems that suit them best, authorities are encouraged to acknowledge and research all available options and support local networks and peer-to-peer learning.

Women have traditionally been underrepresented across many areas of sport. Whilst inroads have been made in recent years with increased participation rates, greater media representation, and the professionalisation of many elite women’s sports, one area which has continued to flounder—especially within male dominated sports—is female leadership representation. Whilst research to date has identified numerous gendered barriers which perpetuate the dominance of men in positions of power in sport, little attention has been paid to the enabling factors when women—through natural progression—reach leadership roles. Through an intersectional critical feminist lens, this thesis identifies the gendered enablers for nine females who hold leadership positions within non-professional cricket clubs in the Melbourne metropolitan area. A multilevel analysis of interviews and observations, utilising the theories of Pierre Bourdieu and Raewyn Connell, identifies four core themes. The findings will reveal that no one theme enables these female leaders, rather all four work in concert. Additionally, the interplay between each of the women and the enablers alters from one woman to another, and from one field to another. The implications drawn from this research point to a need to adopt new research approaches in the female leadership underrepresentation in sport space going forward.

Viticulture is often a monocultural, production-based cropping system that results in a loss of biodiversity, ecosystem services and resiliency within the agricultural system. Green infrastructure (GI) provides an opportunity for viticulturists to gain ecosystem services and increase biodiversity within their farming systems to reduce the impacts of this monocultural system. However, despite many studies on green infrastructure and the ecosystem services GI can provide, there is a lack of literature on the enablers and barriers for the implementation of green infrastructure in vineyards. This research project aims to address this gap with four main research questions; What green infrastructure is planted in vineyards and vineyard/wineries and where is it located? What private and public ecosystem services and disservices does the green infrastructure provide? What are the enablers and barriers for planting green infrastructure in vineyards? And finally, how might the amount of green infrastructure, and its associated services be increased in wine grape vineyards and vineyard/wineries? Nineteen vineyard owners and vineyard managers were interviewed from the Waipara Valley, New Zealand. These interviews used a semi-structured interviewing technique to explore research questions. During interviews cover crops, shelterbelts, nature conservation and insectary habitats were the most common green infrastructure components identified by participants. The ecosystem services that growers associated with each of these components varied in detail with production orientated services being the most frequently mentioned. This study finds that recognition of ecosystem services, access to knowledge regarding implementation, management benefits and consequences to farm practice, level of commitment to greening and access to funding are the core enablers and barriers for implementing green infrastructure in wine-grape vineyards. These enablers and barriers have implications for those aiming to initiate greening projects within viticultural communities such as certification schemes, government organisations and large corporates.

Community-based exercise programs are an integral aspect of systematic health promotion and disease prevention efforts. Access to community-based wellness programs have been shown to be valuable for enhancing the adoption and maintenance of physical activity (PA) and exercise among individuals with, or at risk for chronic disease. In this regard, cancer survivors consistently cite interest and perceived value in exercise and wellness programming and desire to engage in community-based wellness programs. Reports also reveal cancer survivors frequently experience both cancer and treatment-related barriers (fatigue, pain, other disease symptoms) and traditional barriers (lack of time, lack of access to facilities and/or appropriate fitness instructors, insufficient exercise/wellness knowledge, lack of motivation) as significant factors that impeded their interest and desire to resume regular physical activity and exercise participation. Although cancer patients and survivors perceived physical activity and exercise barriers have been consistently investigated, a comprehensive understanding of health and fitness professionals’ perceptions of the barriers and enablers to offering programming that can meet the needs of this population has yet to be systematically explored. Qualitatively evaluating health and fitness professionals’ perceptions of the barriers, enablers, benefits, and challenges of offering exercise programming for cancer survivors is critical to developing effective collaborations with key leaders and stakeholders necessary to successfully establish increased access to community-based exercise and wellness programming for cancer survivors. Objective: The primary objective of the proposed study is to investigate a more in-depth understanding of health and fitness professionals’ perceptions of barriers and enablers to offering exercise programs for cancer survivors as part of the wellness programming available at their fitness/community centers in the Columbus metro area. Methods: A mixed-method qualitative case study approach was used via a preliminary web-based survey and a follow-up semi-structured interview. A total of 82 community-based fitness or health specialist that held a position such as an instructor, manager, specialist or coordinator, at a community center, private gym, or commercial gym facility in the Columbus area were contacted about the web-based survey. A total of 7 subjects volunteered to participate in a follow-up semi-structured interview based on their consent to participate in the further interview as indicated on the initial survey. Results: 12 survey responses were completed online, 7 of 12 (58.3%) of the individuals completed the semi structured interviews. The mean duration of the interviews was 48 minutes. Content analysis revealed 3 domains with 11 underlying themes. Program Barriers (1a) Education/Awareness; 2a) Physician Referral; 3a) Cost, and 4a) Care Along the Cancer Continuum). Program Enablers (1b) Champion Advocacy, 2b) Sponsor/Funding, 3b) Personnel, and 4b) Propositional Solutions)Program Perceptions (1c) Social Support, 2c) Gym Atmosphere, and 3c) Cancer Specific Modifications).Conclusion: Findings from the semi-structured interview yielded novel results that could have important implications for developing effective, more widely accessible exercise programs that could advance progress towards achieving a viable clinic to community model of as part of continuing supportive cancer care in the Columbus metro area. This represents an important first step in developing a clinic-to-community translation model of exercise-based supportive cancer and further research in this area will aid in providing a more comprehensive understanding of how best to achieve this critical advance in continuous cancer care.

The overall purpose of this research is to study the factors that account for the success and failure of employee involvement initiatives with respect to unionised faculty in higher education institutions. Typically, research in High Involvement Work Systems (HIWS) has focused on manufacturing and nonacademic, nonunion service industries. The study sought to fill in the gap in the research on the prevalence of, and requirements for, successful implementation of employee involvement initiatives in unionised, higher education, academic environments. Unlike many existing studies on HIWS that have mainly focused on examining the central research question from either a management or a union perspective, this study examines the faculty perspective with a view to better understanding the factors that promote and constrain faculty’s involvement in their jobs and in the broader organisation. The results could provide key input into policy decisions and into the design of practical interventions that could serve to promote the adoption of HIWS in higher education institutions. Accordingly, the central research question is “What are the factors that account for the success and failure of employee involvement initiatives with respect to faculty in unionised organisations in higher education?” The study was conducted in a large community college in Toronto, Canada, among unionised faculty across a broad range of disciplines.For the purposes of this study, a synthesised employee involvement construct was developed from existing models and theories.This construct was the basis for the design of the initial interviews that formed the basis of the qualitative study portion of this research project as well as for the quantitative survey portion that followed up on the results of the initial interviews.In the qualitative study, a semi-structured interview questionnaire was developed and used to interview 22 faculty members across 6 major departments of the college who were selected by a purposive sampling technique.Data from the interviews were analysed using themes and content analysis and the results were then used to design a survey to explore in more depth the key themes that were identified.The survey comprised 54 questions divided into 8 sections. These questions served to provide a comprehensive understanding of participants’ attitudes using a 5-point Likert scale.The data wereanalysed using SPSS, and descriptive statistics, frequencies, and visual charts were produced to analyse each variable within the sample. From a theory perspective, the results of the study support the current knowledge on the factors that promote and constrain employee involvement generally across a variety of organisations in keeping with current models of involvement, but also extend the literature by identifying additional factors that apply to white-collar, unionised, higher education institutions.These factors include the need for more intrinsic rather than extrinsic rewards, the need for managers to use supportive rather than directive approaches to management, and the importance of using small team-based work groups for information-sharing and problem-solving. Key factors constraining faculty involvement include the existence of a collective agreement that limits faculty autonomy and top-down decision-making and communication channels used by management. This study also has implications for practice regarding creating a high-involvement culture for faculty in higher education institutions. Key among these are ensuring that recruitment and selection procedures identify managers who have the requisite skills and personalities required for supportive management and training managers in the application of these management techniques. Developmental opportunities for faculty in higher education pursuits would serve to provide them with intrinsic rewards. In addition, such opportunitiess would fulfil the objectives of higher education institutions in upgrading the credentials and skills of their faculty to meet government requirements and the competitive challenges facing these organisations. Training for managers, faculty, and union stewards in change management processes is another key requirement for the successful implementation of employee involvement initiatives in the higher education environment.

Researchers use open innovation to address novel outward practices and assess the sophistication of inward processes. This thesis first discusses the notion of innovation and then reviews the open innovation literature and reveals that little attention has been paid to the practical aspect of open innovation practices. The thesis examines the specific case of open innovation in a collaborative business initiative, ElNet, located within the higher education sector to illustrate the barriers and enablers to open innovation. The study’s objective is to understand open innovation practices from a relational perspective, explaining (1) why and how businesses engage in open innovation and (2) how barriers and enablers interrelate. Data were interpreted through iterative thematic and narrative analysis and theorized using sociomateriality concepts. This lens focused particularly on the material practices that are socially enacted in implementing open innovation. This analysis explores the way that the interrelations between enablers and barriers to open innovation are illuminated through sociomaterial practices. This study focuses on the dynamics of these development paths by focusing on four episodes which elaborate how the case study members engaged in an open innovation project. The application of sociomateriality to show how the material and social realms are entangled and how sociomaterial dynamics are enacted through practices is relevant to an exploration of open innovation practices. Thus, the sociomateriality focus of this analysis provides an important contribution to the literature and creates opportunities for potential improvements in practice.

New-world countries are often characterized by large areas of sprawling post-war suburban development. The streets of these suburbs are often criticized for being unattractive transport corridors that prioritize cars at the cost of the pedestrian environment and ecological health of their neighbourhoods. Green infrastructure (LID) street retrofits, as well as grey infrastructure-dominated traffic calming schemes have been used as partial solutions to the adverse effects of post-war street design. There is, however, a lack of implementation of these measures, along with some confusion as to what is defined as green and grey infrastructure at the street scale. The level to which these schemes are integrated with one another is also unclear. This paper is based on an international English-language systematic review of academic peer-reviewed literature of built infrastructure elements within residential street settings. The review reports on a body of evidence-based literature, discussing the definitions of green and grey infrastructure at the street scale; along with the barriers and enablers to the implementation of green and grey infrastructure, and the level to which the two are integrated. Barriers and enablers to the successful design and implementation of green and grey infrastructure in residential streets are also investigated. The physical components of the various infrastructure elements were used to categorize them in order to clearly define the terms green and grey infrastructure within streets. Evidence suggests that there are two ways in which integration of green and grey infrastructure occurs, however only a third of the papers report on green and grey infrastructure integration. Results also show that cost, spatial constraints and resident perception are the most common barriers to the implementation of green and grey infrastructure retrofits in residential streets. Ways to utilize the known barriers and enablers, along with design considerations, are discussed. The findings presented in this thesis are aimed to provide academics and practitioners with an important series of considerations to help influence the design of street retrofits that achieve a multiple number of social and ecological benefits within a residential setting; in order to help address the adverse social and ecological effects of urbanization and unsustainable post-war development patterns.

Substantial step-wise advances and efficient work processes geared towards leveraging the modularization strategy to an optimal extent are needed in industry in order to maximize its potential benefit for capital projects because the industry suffers from low levels of application of the strategy. Due to this, this research focused on what changes to the traditional work processes within the industry as a whole and on individual projects are required. The ideas presented in this thesis seek to guide individual professionals and engineering organizations to create an optimal environment in which broader and more effective use of modularization can occur.