Post-Construction Support and Sustainability in Community-Managed Rural Water Supply

Executive Summary This volume reports the main findings from a multi-country research project that was designed to develop a better understanding of how rural water supply systems are performing in developing countries. We began the research in 2004 to investigate how the provision of support to communities after the construction of a rural water supply project affected project performance in the medium term. We collected information from households, village water committees, focus groups of village residents, system operators, and key informants in 400 rural communities in Bolivia, Ghana, and Peru; in total, we discussed community water supply issues with approximately 10,000 individuals in these communities. To our surprise, we found the great majority of the village water systems were performing well. Our findings on the factors influencing their sustainability will, we hope, be of use to policy makers, investors, and managers in rural water supply

Helping Others: Looking at Culture, Language, and Time

As a social phenomena, giving and receiving help is a complex behavior. This paper will highlight the specific language used in context of providing social support, and how this language has changed over time, as well as the impact of age on the act of helping another individual. Other social factors such as different identity constructs, power, and motivation will also be covered in relation to how they govern prosocial behavior. A particular focus on the notion of filial piety and helping others in South Korea will also be given to provide a cross-cultural comparative to the American context. (Faculty Sponsor: Gaelyn Aguilar

Investigating Customer Feedback Channels in the Hotel Industry: the Case of Ho – Ghana

Knowing what delight customers and satisfying them is highly critical for success in today’s competitive business environment. In order to satisfy customers and to meet their expectations, hotels must be able to understand customers’ needs and wants. Customer feedback provides invaluable information for organizations to re-orient their products and services. This study explores customer feedback channels that are used by hotels in Ho, Ghana and examines customers’ perceptions on the effectiveness of the feedback channels. Also, customers’ preferred channels were examined. Structured questionnaires were administered to 300 hotel guests at random. Out of the 300 questionnaires distributed, 171 were completed and used in the final analyses. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 22. The results revealed that suggestion box was mostly used by the hotels and guests perceived this channel as most effective among all other feedback channels. Also, guests preferred to provide feedback on one-on-one contact. The study concludes that developing effective customer feedback channels would motivate gueststo tell the hotel management about their satisfaction or dissatisfaction on the hotel services and products. Guest contact staff should be well trained in handling customer feedback and to possess good communication skills

FACE THREAT, FACE SUPPORT, AND ADVICE EFFECTIVENESS FOLLOWING INFIDELITY

This study examined advice interactions following infidelity. Participants (N = 213) completed a survey concerning an instance on infidelity and a subsequent advice interaction. Injured party perceptions of advice interactions were measured by examining advice messages, perceived face threat, and perceived face support, in addition to perceived effectiveness of the advice message. Results from this study showed no significant differences in perceived face threat, perceived face support, or advice effectiveness between different advice messages. Results also indicated both positive and negative face threat as negative predictors of advice effectiveness. While negative face support was a positive predictor of advice effectiveness, positive face support was a negative predictor. When controlling for relational closeness, negative face support was the only significant predictor of advice effectiveness

Parental Influence on Curricular Decisions in Private Schools: Negotiating Parental Expectations

Parental input and participation on curricular decisions influence the educational process in private schools. Parental participation in the development and continual examination of the curriculum is essential to maintaining an educational environment that reflects the ideals and goals of all of the stakeholders. However, parents often have differing ideas from schools on what the curriculum should encompass. The problem facing private school leaders is how to negotiate the tensions resulting from conflicting parental expectations for the curriculum of the school. Literature is reviewed surrounding the main research question for this study: how do school leaders respond to the differences in expectations for curriculum between parents and private secondary schools? Areas of the literature reviewed include the purpose of education, the curriculum development process in schools and the role of educational leadership in the curriculum development process. The overall research design of this study is framed by a qualitative methodology that includes a multiple-site case study that aims to create a better understanding of the dynamics of parental influences on curriculum in private schools. Data from the Upper Schools of three private schools in a metropolitan area were collected over the period of one academic semester from a variety of sources, including interviews, observations and document analysis. The emerging themes were constructed around the current and past knowledge of informants within the context of the social interactions of the stakeholders in the three schools. Several significant findings resulted from this study, which provides a framework to understand how school leaders negotiate parental curriculum expectations. These findings include parental influence and expectations, the distinction between leadership with the curriculum versus the co-curriculum, and the factors influencing the negotiation of curriculum conflict. This inquiry is important because it creates a dialogue among the stakeholders who influence curriculum in private schools. The results of this study help school leaders understand the influences of parents on the curriculum of their schools and offer practical suggestions for private school leaders on how to negotiate the differences in expectations for curriculum between parents and private secondary schools

Gifts to School Library Media Centers in Iowa

This study examines the donation and solicitation of gifts to school library media centers in Iowa. A questionnaire was used to collect data concerning numbers and types of donations, their sources, their disposal, reasons for their exclusion from collections, their perceived benefits, and whether a statement concerning gifts was included in the selection policy of the school library media center. Numbers of donations were found to be small. Fewer than five gifts per year were received by 66.l percent of the respondents. Gifts were usually materials donated by those closest to the daily operation of the school, particularly students, staff, and parents. Most of the gifts of materials (81.21 percent) were added to the collection. About two-thirds of the fifty-nine respondents indicated that they had used methods of soliciting gifts. Respondents indicated that gifts supplemented the budget, stimulated interest in the program, and provided useful materials. More than half of the selection policies included a statement concerning gifts, acknowledging potential public relations problems involving gifts although no such public relations problems were mentioned by the respondents

Attitudes and Practices Concerning Effective Philanthropy: Survey Report

Presents findings from a survey of 1,192 grantmaking foundations. Examines approaches to communications, grantmaking and review processes, investments, self-assessments of effectiveness, collaboration and professional involvement, and staff development

Changing Donor-NGO relations thorough Viable Alternatives to Conventional Grantmaking

The purpose of this research is to explore ways in which non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can become more sustainable in light of a crucial challenge facing them today: that of financial instability. In the charitable sector in the U.S, NGOs, especially small-scale NGOs, have struggled with securing daily operating revenue rather than revenue for long-term program operations, in spite of the continuing needs of their beneficiaries (Janus, 2018; Le, 2017; Meehan & Jonker, 2017). Fundraising has come to involve relationships between NGOs and institutional donors such as foundations, government agencies and corporations. Competition among NGOs and rampant power asymmetry between donors and grantees has come to define grantmaking in the neoliberal era (Gilmore, 2016; Janus, 2018; Le, 2017; Meehan & Jonker, 2017; Parks, 2008). Although revenue streams have been diversified through sound alternatives to conventional grantmaking, grant funding nonetheless remains a regular source of funds (Janus, 2018; Le, 2017; Meehan & Jonker, 2017). The objective of this research is to examine the challenges that both NGOs and institutional donors are confronting, and to think about how to establish best practices for both NGOs and donors to enable viable alternatives to conventional grantmaking as well as sustainable donor-NGO relations. Secondary data and literature from leading academics, as well as interviews with NGOs, foundations, social ventures, and academics have led me to conclude that the ideal relationship between institutional donors and NGOs should be co-creation, and ideally mutually beneficial collaborations, rather than typical competitive models (RSF Social Finance, “Shared Gifting,” n.d.). I argue that transformative change in the donor-NGO relationship is possible through three approaches: 1) a paradigm shift from competition to systemic thinking to handle limited resources, 2) grantees’ need-based grantmaking practices, and 3) the right regulations and policies to close loopholes in grantmaking. In the end, all sectors should recognize their responsibility to play their roles for the public good of their communities (Eisenberg, 2004). This means that it is important that both NGOs’ and their institutional donors’ priorities do not experience mission creep nor focus on sustainability, but, rather, fulfill their missions in a prompt manner (Gilmore, 2016; Walker, 2017). When NGOs are able to determine the best way to pursue their missions on their own terms (Burton & Barnes, 2017; Le, 2017), and institutional donors, in turn, provide the best support for them with tax-exempt money, donor-NGO relations could become unprecedentedly powerful for the charitable sector and social cohesion