Doctoral

Infant Places, Spaces and Objects: Exploring the Physical in Learning Environments for Infants Under Two

Helen Lynch (Thesis) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 02:10:35 PST

While the relationship between play and development is well documented, there is less known about the influence of the physical environment in that process. The purpose of this qualitative study is to describe play interactions of infants under two with the home physical environment. The aim is to explore and identify ways in which infants develop and learn through engaging with objects and spaces of everyday life in the home. A qualitative ethnographic approach was employed to gather data on five infants, two new-borns and three one-year olds, and their families over twelve months. Data was generated through video, interview and observations of the infants engaging in play with typical objects, in their natural home environments. Families were visited monthly to capture change in infant-environment transactions over time. Analysis focused on infant-environment transactions during play events in typical daily routines, guided by a grounded theory analytical approach. The study identifies that infant play is multidimensional, and combines and includes play not just with objects and people, but with space. Findings relate to the following aspects: play in relation to the physical environment of the home as observed through engaging with body space, near space, middle space and home space; the nature of change in play over time as it relates to affordances of the physical environment, and parental reasoning in families that shapes play interactions. Emerging findings relate to considering play as transactional processes that have an influence on development, and argues for an amended perspective on the home as a ‘just-right’ environment. This study describes how five Irish families support play in home environments and informs an understanding of influences on play development from a physicalsociocultural perspective. Suggestions are made in relation to how this study can inform the development of home-based play environments as a result.

Enhancing Listening and Spoken Skills in Spanish Connected Speech for Anglophones

Elena Paz Vizcaya (Thesis) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 04:18:28 PST

Native speech is directed towards native listeners, not designed for comprehension and analysis by language learners. Speed of delivery, or economy of effort, produces a speech signal to which the native listener can assign the correct words. There are no discrete words in the speech signal itself therefore there is often a linguistic barrier in dealing with the local spoken language.
The creation, development and application of the Dynamic Spanish Speech Corpus (DSSC) facilitated an empirically-based appreciation of speaking speed and prosody as obstacles to intelligibility for learners of Spanish. “Duologues”, natural, relaxed dialogues recorded in such a manner that each interlocutor’s performance can be studied in isolation, thus avoiding problems normally caused by cross-talk and back-channelling, made possible the identification of the key phonetic features of informal native-native dialogue, and ultimately, the creation of high quality assets/ research data based on natural (unscripted) dialogues recorded at industry audio standards.
These assets were used in this study, which involved documenting productive and receptive intelligibility problems when L2 users are exposed to the Spanish speech of native speakers. The aim was to observe where intelligibility problems occur and to determine the reasons for this, based on effects of the first language of the subjects, and other criteria, such as number of years learning/using Spanish, previous exposure to spoken Spanish and gender. This was achieved by playing recorded extracts/ snippets from the DSSC to which a time-scaling tool was applied.

Internal Communication in Ireland Before and During the Economic Recession from the Perspective of Communication Practice, Technology, and Ethics

Laoise O'Murchú — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 08:34:28 PDT

Internal communication in Ireland from the ‘celtic tiger’ era through to the economic
recession from the perspective of: communication practice, technology and ethics.
This thesis examines the practice of internal communication in Irish public and
private sector organisations during 2007/8 and 2010. This period spans the end of
Ireland’s ‘celtic tiger’ economy and the development of a major recession. All the
case study organisations have been affected by the credit crunch and are experiencing
economic, financial and ethical challenges.
The practices of internal communication in Ireland has evaded in depth academic
examination in communications literature. Therefore, the contribution to knowledge
in this work is the clarification of the internal communication practices in Ireland and
also the illumination of the changes in internal communication practices during this
turbulent economic period. It provides insights into how internal communication
practices deal with changes in organisational structure and employee engagement.

The Construction of Locative Situations: the Production of Agency in Locative Media Art Practice

Conor McGarrigle (Thesis) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 04:44:18 PDT

This thesis is a practice led enquiry into Locative Media (LM) which argues that this emergent art practice has played an influential role in the shaping of locative technologies in their progression from new to everyday technologies. The research traces LM to its origins at the Karosta workshops, reviews the stated objectives of early practitioners and the ambitions of early projects, establishing it as a coherent art movement located within established traditions of technological art and of situated art practice. Based on a prescient analysis of the potential for ubiquitous networked location-awareness, LM developed an ambitious program aimed at repositioning emergent locative technologies as tools which enhance and augment space rather than surveil and control. Drawing on Krzysztof Ziarek's treatment of avant-garde art and technology in "The Force of Art", theories of technology drawn from Science and Technology Studies (STS) and software studies, the thesis builds an argument for the agency of Locative Media. LM is positioned as an interface layer which in connecting the user to the underlying functionality of locative technologies offers alternative interpretations, introduces new usage modes, and ultimately shifts the understanding and meaning of the technology. Building on the Situationist concept of the constructed situation, with reference to an ongoing body of practice, an experimental practice-based framework for LM art is advanced which accounts for its agency and, it is proposed, preserves this agency in a rapidly developing field.

The Discursive Construction of Irish Early Childhood Education and Care Policy: a Critical Discourse Analysis

Rachel Kiersey (Thesis) — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 07:44:26 PDT

Conceptual distinctions between care and early childhood education have influenced and reinforced the construction of knowledge about the early childhood education and care (ECEC) policy area. Discursive constructions in policy texts permeate wider society and become embodied in the broad social domain as “truths”, establishing the status quo about how social issues are perceived. Close scrutiny of the knowledge constructed about key concepts within Irish ECEC policy texts between 1998 and 2008 can shed some light on the ideological perspectives shaping the truths about ECEC in Irish society. This research used a critical discourse analysis (CDA) methodology to investigate policy texts; involving the undertaking of a thorough linguistic textual analysis, while also considering the wider political and social context of these texts. Using the CDA method this thesis aimed to understand the conceptual construction of ECEC policy, focusing in on how children’s rights are both constructed and obstructed within the truths known about ECEC and how this impacts on a rights based construction of policy. Recent ECEC policy in Ireland has developed in a reactive fashion, paying lip service to the rights of children while more often serving the needs of others. Findings show that the key knowledge constructions within Irish ECEC policy shape early education as subordinate to childcare; thus within this notion of childcare, the provision of places is more urgent than reconceptualising the ECEC sector. The concept of parental choice, and meeting parent’s needs and rights, influences policy more so than the rights or needs of children; children are predominantly constructed as in need of early education as preparation for formal schooling. The concept of rights is subordinated to that of needs; targeting has been the favoured policy action as opposed to the provision of universal services. While language of rights, universality and more joined-up policy approaches have permeated the linguistic construction of policy texts, there has been no significant shift within understandings of ECEC or children’s rights in the wider policy realm. Without a shift in the conceptual understanding of ECEC policy, a children’s rights focus will remain underdeveloped.

An Exploration of RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) in Companies and Organisations in Ireland Valorisation, Return on Investment, and Emerging Trends

Katherine Collins (Thesis) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:36:25 PST

This thesis explored the topic of recognition of prior learning (RPL) in companies and organisations in Ireland against a backdrop of global, European, and national policy initiatives on the recognition of all forms of formal, non-formal and informal learning. The immediate context was coloured by shifts in employment, in labour markets, and in education and training policies because of increasing economic difficulties globally, and the greater levels of attention being paid to the role of education and training in the economic and social development of a country. The primary research question for the thesis was: Is there a return on investment from the recognition of prior learning (RPL) to companies and organisations that use RPL in their learning and development strategies? Return on investment in this research was conceived as achievement of impact at a societal, organisational, and individual level. The research approach was broadly social constructionist and interpretative. It took a multiperspective approach to explore past, current, and future perspectives of RPL in companies and organisations. There were three methodological strands of inquiry employed in the thesis. The first was an historical study to analyse previous RPL projects using a framework of valorisation. The second was a comparative analysis of RPL case studies in sixteen companies, professional bodies, training bodies, and community organisations. The third and final was a Delphi Future-Oriented Survey with experts in the areas of higher education, further education, workplace learning, vocational education, educational policy, and industry. The research findings indicated that initially RPL suffered from efforts to reconcile perceptions of ‘traditional’ learning as the sole route to achieve a qualification with the RPL route. In current practice RPL in companies and organisations is concerned with engaging with, rewarding and recognising the services of its employees. RPL is also considered a means to address continuing professional development needs without recourse to ‘training’. Finally, RPL is a means to link national, sectoral, and organisational training and qualifications systems to validate and professionalise company training and provide the potential for occupational mobility. From a policy perspective return on investment from RPL is concerned with labour mobility, social inclusion, improved individual career prospects, employee morale, and alternate pathways to qualifications. In practice labour mobility and social inclusion were not high on company or organisational agendas. This thesis finds that drives for economic competitiveness and up-skilling of the labour force in conjunction with economic difficulties have prioritised accredited employee development initiatives which are tied to national and sectoral qualifications frameworks. RPL development in companies and organisations is linked to these drives particularly as a means of employee engagement within the context of continuing professional development (CPD) rather than the annual evaluation process. It is therefore suggested, on the basis of the research findings, that companies and organisations should consider re-conceptualising CPD using RPL to achieve employee engagement.

Inside the Black Box an Exploration of the Impact of Action and Activity in the Inner Spheres of Policy Making on Early Childhood Education and Care Policy

Siobhan Bradley (Thesis) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:42:56 PST

While ECEC policy decisions usually reflect the predominant ideological stance of those actors involved, they also represent the outcome of a battle over values and objectives as vested interests within the inner spheres of policy making debate, contest and negotiate the nature of the problem and prescribe solutions to remedy it. Despite the integral importance of these processes, few studies explore how action and activity in these less visible arenas impact on policy design and outcome. By shifting the focus of policy analysis from the reified product of policy decisions to the behind the scenes processes of policy production, this research adds an extra layer of depth and understanding to the complexities and intricacies that shape ECEC policy. Using a methodical mapping exercise, this research identified the inner-elite of key policy actors engaged in the less visible arenas of policy making and explored their experiences and perspectives of ECEC policy development. Informed by theories of the policy making process and social constructions, the research adopts an interpretative approach and considers how behind the scenes complexities, contestations and struggles catalyse and constrain ECEC policy decisions. This study’s findings shed light on the many hidden and tacit dimensions of policy making and support a more nuanced understanding of the challenges involved in influencing and enhancing ECEC policy design and outcomes. Cumulatively this research study’s findings highlight: how a legislative and policy failure to extricate children conceptually from parents and family constrains policy actors’ conceptualisations of childhood and ECEC within a prohibitively narrow space; how a reliance on exogenous catalysts (rarely related to children) to initiate policy action relegates children to the periphery as competing policy agendas are prioritised; how political anxiety and ‘government distancing’ constrain commitment to children and intensify bargaining and negotiation among adult actors’ whose competing agendas create an austere barrier to positioning the child at the core of policy making; and how a resistance to resolve conflict through debate on ‘what we as a nation want for our children’ hinders a consensual and strategic policy embrace of the multi-dimensional components of ECEC.

Broadcasting Multiculturalism: Migrant Representation and Participation in Irish Radio

Kathleen Moylan (Thesis) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:33:45 PDT

In the cultural context of recent inward migration to Ireland, this research focuses on migrant representation on Irish radio. Employing diverse approaches drawn from cultural studies and public sphere theory, this study examines radio programmes produced by and about new Irish migrant communities, and the ways in which 'diversity' is framed and managed by national and EU broadcast policy. This work incorporates analyses of programme content and broadcast policy in relation to Irish national public service broadcasting (Radio Telefis Eireann) and Dublin community radio.

Teachers and Language Learning in Primary Schools: the Acquisition of Additional Languages in the Early Years

Anna Dillon (Thesis) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 04:26:46 PDT

This study set out to explore teachers’ attitudes towards home language maintenance among children acquiring English and Irish as additional languages in the early years of primary school and to explore the experiences of mainstream teachers who are working with these children. The study includes a consideration of the pedagogical issues involved in teaching young English and Irish language learners and an examination of the support that the whole school community provides for the teachers and the children. Data were gathered using a mixed methods approach, bearing in mind the rights of children to use their home languages and learn additional languages in an age-appropriate manner and the complex linguistic ecologies that form part of the environment of these children. Phase I of the research involved four focus group interviews carried out with teachers of Junior and Senior Infant classes. This served to inform parts of Phase II of the research, a nationwide postal questionnaire administered to teachers of Junior Infants. It was found that teachers do have positive attitudes towards the maintenance of home languages among these newcomer children, and that while attitudes inform practice, practical application of home language inclusion was rare. It was also found that while documents exist to support teachers in this endeavour, they are most often not consulted due to lack of training and lack of awareness. Classroom observation which focussed on teacher interaction with three newcomer children in one Junior Infant classroom was carried out during Phase III. This observation highlighted not only a variety of strategies for interactional scaffolding appropriate to facilitating newcomer children in the mainstream classroom but also the importance of environmental scaffolding. Positive results regarding children’s English and Irish language skills were found during all phases of the research. Overall the study has shown many positive aspects of an education system that advocates for children speaking home languages other than English in the early years of primary school. However, this system requires a more consistent approach to support and training for the mainstream class teacher who is ultimately responsible for implementing policies and practices at the micro level.

Combining Mobile Technologies For Accurate, Open Source, Privacy Sensitive, Zero Cost, Location Determination

Seamus Rooney (Thesis) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 03:36:00 PDT

Determining the location of an object or individual using a mobile device (e.g. cell phone) is an important aspect of modern information gathering. Various solutions have been proposed which all have their strengths and weaknesses. To date, no solution has been devised for a mobile device that will work effectively in multiple environments and without assistance from network-provider connections1. To address this, it is argued that the current state of the art can be advanced using a hybrid approach that combines a number of sensor technologies to provide a more reliable, and accurate mobile location determination that functions in multiple environments (indoors and outdoors). This thesis examines in detail current relevant available technology, calculation techniques for location determination, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and other noteworthy location determination research. It then introduces our solution of a hybrid positioning system that is an open-source, provider-network independent, privacy sensitive, zero-cost and accurate software component. First the overall system design is described and then individual modules are described in detail. It describes in full an algorithm that intelligently combines signals from various technologies, applies weights to these signals and also leverages past signal readings to enhance current calculations. Next, the evaluation section is introduced which discusses how and why the test bed was chosen and deployed. It then discusses individual test results and finally the overall tests are analysed, discussed and summarised. Finally, the conclusions are prepared in detail, the three initial questions raised in the introduction are answered and discussed and the contributions to the body of knowledge are reaffirmed. Future work finishes the thesis and looks at several research paths that can be pursued from this research.

Public Policymaking in Ireland: the Case of the Indigenous Interactive Media Industry, 1994-2004

Colm Murphy (Thesis) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:39:03 PDT

Ireland’s economic rollercoaster, going from one of western Europe’s poorest countries to one of its wealthiest during the late 1990s and early 2000s, to being bailed-out in 2010 by the EU and IMF, has attracted much international attention. But beneath this story of bust to boom to bust lies an interesting case study of how a small peripheral state attempted to develop an indigenous internationally competitive sector. This study argues that over the
period the state refined its ‘strategic future grabbing’ policymaking process. This flexible, fast reacting, non-bureaucratic policymaking system was informed by the small agile state’s American-leaning intelligence gathering network and input from private sector consultants. This research had unprecedented access to the state’s enterprise policymaking
documentation. This access fed into the principal research method - a case study of the Irish state’s policymaking process aimed at developing its indigenous interactive media industry between 1994 and 2004. The majority of indigenous interactive media companies failed. However, those that survived were successful enough to ensure that by the end of this period, Dublin, its capital, had become one of the world’s largest producers for export of interactive educational media produced by indigenous companies. The interaction of the indigenous interactive media industry with the policymaking process is also examined. This policymaking process is placed in the context of previous Irish policymaking towards indigenous enterprise development.

A Study of Accomodation of Prosodic and Temporal Features in Spoken Dialogues in View of Speech Technology Applications

Spyridon Kousidis (Thesis) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 01:24:31 PDT

Inter-speaker accommodation is a well-known property of human speech and human interaction in general. Broadly it refers to the behavioural patterns of two (or more) interactants and the effect of the (verbal and non-verbal) behaviour of each to that of the other(s). Implementation of this
behavior in spoken dialogue systems is desirable as an improvement on the naturalness of humanmachine interaction. However, traditional qualitative descriptions of accommodation phenomena do not provide sufficient information for such an implementation. Therefore, a quantitative
description of inter-speaker accommodation is required. This thesis proposes a methodology of monitoring accommodation during a human or humancomputer dialogue, which utilizes a moving average filter over sequential frames for each speaker. These frames are time-aligned across the speakers, hence the name Time Aligned Moving Average (TAMA). Analysis of spontaneous human dialogue recordings by means of the TAMA methodology reveals ubiquitous accommodation of prosodic features (pitch, intensity and speech rate) across interlocutors, and allows for statistical (time series) modeling of the behaviour, in a way which is meaningful for implementation in spoken dialogue system (SDS) environments.
In addition, a novel dialogue representation is proposed that provides an additional point of view to that of TAMA in monitoring accommodation of temporal features (inter-speaker pause length and overlap frequency). This representation is a percentage turn distribution of individual speaker
contributions in a dialogue frame which circumvents strict attribution of speaker-turns, by considering both interlocutors as synchronously active. Both TAMA and turn distribution metrics indicate that correlation of average pause length and overlap frequency between speakers can be attributed to accommodation (a debated issue), and point to possible improvements in SDS “turntaking” behaviour. Although the findings of the prosodic and temporal analyses can directly inform SDS implementations, further work is required in order to describe inter-speaker accommodation sufficiently, as well as to develop an adequate testing platform for evaluating the magnitude of
perceived improvement in human-machine interaction. Therefore, this thesis constitutes a first step towards a convincingly useful implementation of accommodation in spoken dialogue systems.

What Critical Success Factors are Necessary and Sufficient for Provision of Development Care for Each Young Person in Irish Residential Care and Youth Care?

Gay Graham (Thesis) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 08:44:53 PST

This study seeks to better understand the organisational factors that impact on provision of
frontline residential care in Ireland. An historical overview of Irish residential youth care
clarifies factors which shaped it by contriving to establish a system of residential youth care
which catered for large numbers of children in institutions run by Catholic religious orders.
A social risk model of care prevailed in Ireland, focused on the segregation and control of
children by enforcement of a regimented, sectarian regime. Despite the fact that the Irish
Child Care Act 1991 which currently regulates residential child and youth care mandates
youth care services to provide developmental care for residents (s18.3), this study
recognises that remnants of a former model can outlive the model itself. Current
understanding of developmental child and youth care acknowledges interconnectedness
between systems in the ecological environment of the developing child. This study
therefore seeks better understanding of how decisions taken at the exo or broader
organisational level of residential youth care services impact the lived experience of the
young person in residential care. The study is guided by a constructivist perspective. Its
relativist ontology, subjectivist epistemology and hermeneutic methodology guided the
selection of research respondents from first-line residential care managers and their line
managers (referred to in the study as directors of frontline services). Purposive sampling
which used a nomination technique yielded 17 respondents from eight different residential
services across the four regions of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The narrative
accounts of all respondents, gained from use of semi-structured interviews, yielded rich
data on their experience of providing care for young residents. HyperResearch (a computer
aided software package for qualitative analysis) aided coding and content analysis of all
narratives. Critical success factors, a ‘new managerialist’ construct, was used as a
framework for organisation and presentation of the data. Five critical success factors of
Irish residential child and youth care emerged and are presented as being central to the
active achievement of developmental care for all young people in Irish residential care. Six
out of the eight participating residential services were found to be providing developmental
care for their young residents. The two services deemed not to be providing developmental
care were structured as rigid bureaucratic organisations which were micro managed by
senior administrative managers who prioritised the goals of the service over the needs of
individual young people. The six services providing developmental care were structured as
either simple structures (Mintzberg 1983) most commonly found in smaller voluntary
services, or self-contained task structures (Galbraith 1977) within the broader HSE
structure. Both of these organisational design structures provided the necessary protection
for the frontline residential service from bureaucratic decisions taken at the broader
organisational level. These services succeeded in providing developmental care through
their directors who had both authority and domain expertise, effectively monitoring the
commitment of frontline staff to on-going prioritisation of needs-led care for young residents.

Perception and Acquisition of Natural Authentic English Speech for Chinese Learners Using DIT's Speech Technologies

Yi Wang (Thesis) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 06:24:35 PDT

Given that Chinese language learners are greatly influenced by their mother-tongue, which is a tone language rather than an intonation language, learning and coping with authentic English speech seems more difficult than for learners of other languages. The focus of the current research is, on the basis of analysis of the nature of spoken English and spoken Chinese, to help Chinese learners derive benefit from ICT technologies developed by the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT). The thesis concentrates on investigating the application of speech technologies in bridging the gap between students’ internalised, idealised formulations and natural, authentic English speech. Part of the testing carried out by the present author demonstrates the acceptability of a slow-down algorithm in facilitating Chinese learners of English in re-producing formulaic language. This algorithm is useful because it can slow down audio files to any desired speed between 100% and 40% without distortion, so as to allow language learners to pay attention to the real, rapid flow of ‘messy’ speech and follow the intonation patterns contained in them. The rationale for and the application of natural, dialogic native-to-native English speech to language learning is also explored. The Chinese language learners involved in this study are exposed to authentic, native speech patterns by providing them access to real, informal dialogue in various contexts. In the course of this analysis, the influence of speed of delivery and pitch range on the categorisation of formulaic language is also investigated. The study investigates the potential of the speech tools available to the present author as an effective EFL learning facility, especially for speakers of tone languages, and their role in helping language learners achieve confluent interaction in an English L1 environment.

Authenticity and the Use of Multimedia at Cultural Tourist Attractions

M. C. Krosbacher (Thesis) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 08:17:24 PDT

Within the area of cultural attractions new developments in modern technologies have brought changes as to how culture and heritage are presented and interpreted. This has evoked debates whether such sites can still be regarded as authentic. While researchers have investigated these issues on a theoretical basis, the perception and experience of authenticity as well as the use of modern interpretative tools have been treated separately and still lack empirical investigation. Therefore, this study explores the perceptions and experiences of authenticity at cultural attractions where modern technologies are applied. The central research questions are: (1) How can the key concepts of authenticity, multimedia and experience of cultural attractions be brought into an integrated measurable model? (2) What are the determinants of an authentic attraction and an authentic experience? (3) What is the role of multimedia in the visitor experience of a cultural attraction? In order to provide answers to these research questions a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods was applied. In the first stage, focus-group discussions, expert interviews as well as a small scale quantitative study at “Ceol” – The Traditional Irish Music Centre were conducted. Based on these findings and a thorough literature review a Structural Equation Model was developed. This model incorporates visitor satisfaction, site specific attributes (including multimedia and perception of authenticity) and experiential aspects (i.e. experienced object-, personal-, and social authenticity). The model was tested using data from different sites in two different cities. These included The Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, a modern-type attraction in which multimedia constitutes an integral element of the experience, and the Sisi Museum in Vienna, an old established museum where audio-guides are offered. II The findings revealed that object- and personal authenticity proved to be important concepts. However, the role of experienced social authenticity needs further investigation. The results also show that technology does not undermine the authenticity of a site - many visitors prefer to experience an attraction without such tools and in addition the use of an audio-guide did not lead to a higher satisfaction with the site. The suggested model can be regarded as a promising basis for further modelling the visitor experience at cultural attractions.

A Study of Current Practice of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and an Examination of the Relationship Between CSR and Financial Performance Using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM)

Lorraine Sweeney (Thesis) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 06:00:15 PDT

There has been a significant increase in interest in CSR in recent years (Gulyas, 2009; McGehee et al, 2009) and it is regarded as an important topic for research (Burton and Goldsby, 2009). Not only has this topic received academic attention but it is becoming a mainstream issue for many organisations (Renneboog et al, 2008; Nijof and Brujin, 2008). However, it has been noted that research on CSR in SMEs is quite scant (Burton and Goldsby, 2008; Cilberti et al, 2008). A second area of literature that remains unresolved is the relationship between CSR and financial performance (Park and Lee, 2009). Lastly, there also remains a lack understanding concerning CSR in Ireland (O‟Dwyer et al, 2005). After a thorough analysis of the literature in the area, semi structured interviews were carried out with a small sample of large firms and SMEs operating in Ireland, spanning a variety of industries. A survey was then developed and administered via internet and post; the analysis of which contributes toward filling these research gaps. In determining an operational meaning of CSR and uncovering the nature, type and extent of CSR of firms operating in Ireland, the research differentiates between large firms and SMEs. Thus this research contributes to the much needed insight into CSR in SMEs (Perrini and Minoja, 2008). While the majority of small firms believe they should pay attention to their social and environmental responsibilities, the main barrier to undertaking CSR experienced by SMEs is time, followed by cost and lack of human resources. This is in line with literature (Jenkins, 2006; Roberts et al, 2006). The perception that CSR is not related to the firms activities or that it is not a concern to SMEs are not considered major barriers by SME respondents. Described as the holy grail of CSR (Jorgensen and Knudsen, 2005) the relationship between CSR and financial performance represents the most questioned area of CSR (Angelidis et al, 2008). While a lot of research points in favor of a mild positive relationship (Orlizky et al, 2003), this connection has not been fully established (Neville et al, 2005; Prado-Lorenzo et al, 2008; Park and Lee, 2009) and the mechanisms through which financial performance is enhanced by CSR is not well understood ( Doh et al, 2009). This research uses a more detailed method of analysis than that which has been previously used to assess the relationship between CSR and financial performance, thus goes some way toward answering the call for a more fine grained approach to measuring this relationship (Hillman and Keim, 2001). In line with previous studies (Hitchens et al, 2003) a moderate positive relationship was noted between CSR and financial performance when analyzed directly. However, it is through an analysis of the indirect relationships that insight is developed. CSR was found to have a strong positive relationship with social reputation, employee attraction, motivation and retention and consumer attraction and loyalty but a weaker relationship with other business benefits proposed to result from CSR, namely; access to capital and business reputation. This dissertation concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings as well as recommendations for further research in the area.

Framing the Nigerian Transnational Family: New Formations in Ireland

Anaele Diala Iroh — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 01:19:48 PDT

The Sonic Representation of Mathematical Data

Charlie Cullen (Thesis) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:21:25 PDT

Conveying data and information using non-speech audio is an ever growing field of research. Existing work has been performed investigating Sonification and its applications, and this research seeks to build upon these ideas while also suggesting new areas of potential. In this research, initial work focused on the Sonification of DNA and RNA nucleotide base sequences for analysis. A case study was undertaken into the potential of rhythmic parsing of such data sequences, with test results indicating that a more effective method of representing data in a Sonification was required. Sonification of complex data such as DNA and RNA was found to require more verbose methods than pitch to parameter mappings, and so investigation was made into musical pattern Sonification. Existing low level pattern design methods were next evaluated in an experiment concerning the use of musical patterns to represent data. This experiment suggested that while a musical pattern may be made distinct, it does not necessarily follow that it is memorable. This experiment also suggested that concurrent pattern representation was difficult to process, and so improved methods were required. Improvements to pattern design were made with the introduction of contour icons, which allow detectable and memorable musical patterns to be designed using simple shapes. Testing showed contour icons to be significantly more effective than low level patterns in a Sonification, and as such form the basis of the novel contribution of this thesis. Improvements in concurrent representation were considered by the use of harmonic combination, a method of defining intersections in a data set as harmonies of a single common musical pattern. Significant improvements were observed over non-harmonic concurrent representation, although limitations were observed due to constraints in the number of combinations available using a specific value. Harmonic combination has potential for futher development, and is a novel contribution of this thesis. The organisation and grouping of data in a Sonification using rhythmic parsing was also investigated. Rhythmic parsing uses rest notes within a musical framework to define sub-groupings in a data Sonification. Tests showed rhythmic parsing significantly improved the comparison of values and intersections between groups in a data Sonification, and is another novel contribution of this thesis.

The Potential Use of Slow-down Technology to Improve Pronounciation of English for International Communication

Bunny Richardson (Thesis) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:10:08 PST

The focus of this research is on oral communication between L1 (first language) and L2 (second language) English users - to determine whether an algorithm which slows down speech can increase the intelligibility of speech between interlocutors for EIC (English for International Communication). The slow-down facility is a CALL tool which slows down speech without tonal distortion. It allows English language learners more processing time to hear individual phonemes as produced in the stream of connected speech, to help them hear and produce phonemes more accurately and thus more intelligibly. The study involved five tests, all concerned with the intelligibility of English speech. The first test looked at L2:L2 English communication and levels of receptive intelligibility, while Tests 2 and 3 focused on testing the slow-down for receptive communication – to help L2 users to process speech by slowing it down and thus making the speech signal more accessible. Tests 4 and 5 changed focus, testing the slow-down speech tool as a means of enhancing the intelligibility of L2 speech production, namely individual phoneme production, as little research has been carried out in this area and phoneme discrimination can greatly increase the intelligibility of an L2 speaker’s pronunciation. Test 5, the main test, used a qualitative analysis of a pre- and post test and a number of questionnaires to assess subjects’ progress in developing intelligible English phoneme production across three groups: the Test Group, who used the slow-down speech tool, the Control Group, who undertook similar pronunciation training but without the application of the slow-down tool and the Non-Interference Group, who received no formal pronunciation training whatsoever. The study also ascertained and evaluated the effects of other variables on the learning process, such as length of time learning English, daily use of English, attitudes to accents, and so forth.

Surviving on Remand: a Study of how Young People Cope in Remand Custody in Ireland

Sinead Freeman (Thesis) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:11:33 PST

The fusion of young people to the prison setting has been described as a toxic combination. This is especially pertinent when applied to youth in remand custody. Previous research studies have identified young people on remand as a highly vulnerable prison population and custodial remand to be a particularly stressful prison experience. Despite this, little research to date has examined how young people cope while remanded in custody. This thesis addresses this gap by providing an insight into the issue of coping on remand through the voices of young people in custody in the Irish context. It is informed by an interactionist theoretical framework which proposes that human behaviour consists of interactions between individual and environmental factors. The thesis employs an exploratory research design and incorporates a multi-method approach consisting of an observation study in the Children Court and the use of semi-structured interviews and standardised instruments with 62 young people aged 16 to 21 detained in custody in three remand settings. The findings reveal a major contradiction in terms, between the non-punitive concept of remand and the actual experiences encountered in the Irish context. Youth on remand are a forgotten population who are exposed to a particularly punishing and stressful experience which restricts their coping actions. This results in a high level of coping difficulty not only during the remand period but also on release or transfer to sentenced custody. The detrimental impact of remand indicates that remand custody should only be used as a measure of last resort and for a minimum duration of time. The majority of young people on remand would be better served by the development of alternatives to custodial remand, in particular bail support and supervision schemes which allow them to remain in the community. The implementation of change to the current remand environment and regime is also vital for the small number who pose a threat to public safety and must be detained a measure of last resort. Central to this reform, is the recognition of young people on remand as a distinct prison population by policy-makers, service providers and researchers and the implementation of separate, tailored facilities and activities which effectively meet their coping needs and respect their fundamental right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.