The British government, the newspapers and the German problem 1937-1939

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Promoting Active Learning in Computer Science Using Microlabs

Computer science education continues to grow in importance as the technology industry becomes increasingly prevalent on a global scale. In order to remain competitive, computer science education must continue to increase both the quality and quantity of graduates. In efforts to achieve such ends, the Wags system has been designed and developed to be used in conjunction with the Microlab Learning Cycle, an educational process founded in constructivist learning theory. Through continual testing and refinement, the Microlab Learning Cycle and accompanying system have been able to produce measurable improvements in student understanding and retention of important computer science concepts, while providing an active-learning classroom environment that students enjoy and find valuable

Genomic synteny and comparison of recombination between Apis mellifera (the European honey bee) and Apis florea (the red dwarf honey bee)

In all sexually reproducing organisms meiotic recombination increases genetic diversity among offspring and creates new genomes through chromosomal reconfiguration. The rate at which recombination occurs varies among and within species. Recombination rates are exceptionally high in social insect species and the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) has the highest recombination rate known in multi-cellular eukaryotes. To explain this, three major, non-exclusive hypotheses have been proposed. High recombination may be the result of strong selection during domestication of the honey bee (1). Alternatively, it may benefit division of labor (2) or disease resistance (3) by increasing the genetic diversity among colony members. Therefore, I compared the genomic recombination rate in Apis mellifera to that of A. florea (the red dwarf honey bee). This species is undomesticated, has a relatively low degree of pathogen pressure and a complex division of labor. I screened 684 microsatellite markers from the A. mellifera genome for polymorphism in A. florea; 37 polymorphic markers were identified and genotyped in a mapping population of 96 A. florea drones. Pairwise recombinational distances were calculated using MapMaker3.0. I examined genomic synteny over two chromosomes, finding marker order conserved in both. Overall recombination distances are comparable between the species, though I found one interval of significantly higher recombinational distances in A. florea and no intervals of significantly lower distances. I conclude that the high recombination rate in A. mellifera is not a result of domestication and provide further support for the link between complex division of labor and high recombination rate

Does firm size matter? Evidence on the impact of the green innovation strategy on corporate financial performance in the automotive sector

In the past few years, there has been increasing awareness regarding the significance of the Green Innovation Strategy (GIS) in the academic and practical fields. Hence, it becomes important to determine the correlation between the GIS and the Corporate Financial Performance (CFP). This study attempted to determine the dynamic correlation between the GIS and the CFP, with regards to the firm size. For this purpose, this study has collected data for 163 international automotive firms, from the CSRHub database, for the period ranging between 2011 and 2017. Furthermore, we also used the dynamic panel data system, i.e., the Generalised Method of Moment (GMM) method, for estimating this relationship. The empirical results indicated that the GIS positively affected the CFP. Interestingly, we also uncovered that the firm size moderated the negative correlation between the GIS and the CFP. The small-sized firms showed higher green innovation investments return than the larger-sized firms, which indicated that these smaller firms were more prone to seek variation and visibility, for accessing better resources. Furthermore, due to the extensive scrutiny of the stakeholders, these small firms could generate higher profits. The implications for managers and the theories in this regard are then discussed

Integration of Non-market and Market Activities in Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions

Drawing on the resource dependence theory and the resource-based view, this paper investigates the interactions between market and nonmarket activities of firms in the context of the post-merger integration phase in cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As). Based on a cross-country survey of 111 M&A practitioners who were personally involved in cross-border M&As around the world, we test seven hypotheses on various market and nonmarket aspects of post-merger integration. We find a positive correlation between buffering strategies and adaptive capabilities in the nonmarket environment, and between bridging and adaptive capabilities in the market environment. However, we could not find any significant correlation between buffering and adaptive capabilities in the market environment, and bridging and adaptive capabilities in the nonmarket environment. We also find that adaptability in the nonmarket environment is positively correlated with adaptability in the market environment, and in turn adaptability in the market environment leads to positive organizational performance of a cross border M&A. These results provide further support for the value of the alignment between market and nonmarket activities and help to fill a gap in the literature on the market-nonmarket interactions in post-merger integration

Bridge or buffer: Two ideas of effective corporate governance and public engagement

© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This study identifies organizational factors that influence corporatate governance and formulation of public relations strategies for public enagement. This study explores intertwined relationships between public relations strategies and organizational factors. A total of 22 qualitative interviews were conducted with a diverse pool of communication consultants. Results show that the two public relations strategies, bridging and buffering, are frequently observed and linked with key factors such as size, organizational culture, environment specificity, and strategic orientation. Implications for future public relations and corporate governance research are discussed

Bridge or buffer: Two ideas of effective corporate governance and public engagement

© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This study identifies organizational factors that influence corporatate governance and formulation of public relations strategies for public enagement. This study explores intertwined relationships between public relations strategies and organizational factors. A total of 22 qualitative interviews were conducted with a diverse pool of communication consultants. Results show that the two public relations strategies, bridging and buffering, are frequently observed and linked with key factors such as size, organizational culture, environment specificity, and strategic orientation. Implications for future public relations and corporate governance research are discussed