Principals' understandings of aspects of the law impacting on the administration of Catholic schools: Aome implications for leadership

This study explored the interface between the leadership of Catholic schools and the legal framework of the social/cultural context of Australian Society. Specifically, the study investigated the legal issues impacting on Catholic schools, principals' understandings of these legal issues and the sources used in gaining these understandings. The congruency between these understandings and the current interpretations of areas of the law were also examined, along with the influence legal issues have on principals; in particular, their perceptions of how these legal issues relate to carrying out their leadership roles aligned with the characteristics and ethos of the Catholic school. In this overall context, the influence of a number of variables such as school complexity, location, and primary and secondary school environments was also examined. The study commenced with an examination of the development of Catholic schools within the Australian social/cultural context, an exploration of leadership as it relates to Catholic schools and a survey of the literature indicating the scope and nature of the legal matters impacting on schools within the Australian legal framework. To gather data relevant to the purposes of the study, a Survey Questionnaire was constructed and distributed to principals of all systemic Catholic schools administered by the Brisbane Catholic Education Centre. The quantitative and qualitative data provided via this instrument was supplemented and corroborated by information gathered through discussions, observations, and reference to documentation and records. The findings of the study confirmed that Catholic schools were involved with a wide range of legal issues, involvement being more pronounced in some areas than others, and like all legal issues within the Australian social/cultural context, those impacting on schools were subject to regular renewal and development.;In relation to the latter, participants identified emerging areas of the law which were starting to have an impact on their schools. Principals' overall understandings of current interpretations of legal issues were not of a high standard. However, some understandings, particularly relating to statue law were more accurate than understandings of common law issues. Principals used a wide range of sources to gain legal understandings, and interactions with fellow principals and personnel within the Brisbane Catholic Education System who supported and supervised principals, featured prominently. However, access for principals to designated legal practitioners for advice on legal matters was a need revealed. Involvement of principals in formal and less formal professional learning experiences relating to legal matters was limited, and participation did not have a significant influence on developing more accurate understandings of legal issues. Nevertheless, the need for continued personal and professional learning with regard to legal issues was highlighted by this study, especially considering the continued renewal and development of the law, and the stress created by the lack of legal understandings. The findings indicated legal matters were having a large impact on Catholic schools; 90% of participants experienced stress associated with legal matters, and 70% saw this as an increasing phenomena. While a number of variables inter-relate to form a cumulative effect contributing to stress, participants ranked the most prominent source of stress as lack of legal knowledge. The impact of legal matters was not confined to addressing legal matters per se, but a constant threat of legalism overshadowing principals in their leadership roles. Overall, there was a high compatibility between the ethos of the Catholic school and the resolutions reached, and the process used in coming to a resolution of legal matters.;However, participants were more confident in their perceptions of a high compatibility with the resolutions reached than with the processes used.No one variable examined, had an overall significant influence on the understandings, involvement and impact of legal issues on the leadership of Catholic schools. However, a number of significant relationships were identified with particular aspects of the study. Surprisingly, the study did not reveal a significant relationship between the length of time spent as a principal in a Catholic school and the accuracy of understandings of legal issues impacting on schools. It was suggested that the development of principals' understandings of legal issues could be closely related to the continued personal and professional learning and growth of leaders within Catholic schools, particularly within School Leadership Teams. Suggestions to support this growth and learning were offered as part of the overall development of leadership within Catholic schools

Detonating the Media: Raising the Profile of Mine Action

In January 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, travelled to Angola with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). She did not travel alone. Around ninety international journalists and TV crews accompanied her. It is unlikely that Angola’s sleepy second city of Huambo saw similar numbers of press until September 2019, when her son, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, walked in her footsteps. The two visits, separated by twenty-two years, produced arguably the greatest amount of media attention ever achieved by humanitarian mine action (HMA). Comparable with the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) conference in December 1997, such exposure is considered an unambiguous good. But how can mine clearance organizations and others harness this publicity to benefit HMA? How do you keep mine action in the public eye when such high-profile visits are over? And what issues do HMA organizations need to bear in mind when they seek public awareness for their work

History of the Great Northern Paper Company in the 1970s and 1980s

A draft of a book on the history of the Great Northern Paper Company during the 1970s and 1980s written by long-time Public Affairs Manager, Paul K. McCann. This draft is nearly identical to a version later published as Timber! : The Fall of Maine\u27s Paper Giant, printed by the Ellsworth American, c1994. Chapter Table of Contents: i. In the Beginning: Biggest Mill in World; Lonely Farm On Penobscot the “Perfect Site” ii. While GNN Grew and Prospered, Not so GNP; It Was All Down Hill After Years of Stagnation iii. After 70 Years, Modernization Means a Long, Long, Long Learning Curve iv. Diversification with the Pinkham Acquisition; Kraft and Waferboard Mills Proposals fail v. Energy Crisis of 1973; Closing the Mills? Next? Conservation? Coal? Wood? Hydro? vi. Great Northern’s Two Million Acres; Challenge of Protecting the Resource vii. Woodlands: A Company Within a Company; From River Drives to Intensive Management viii. The Spruce Budworm: Out of the Problem Came a New Era of Forest Management ix. GNP Became Center of National Attention; Indians “Frightened” Great Northern Nekoosa x. A Sales Strategy for the Millinocket Mill; Prolonging the Life of the Old Paper Machines xi. “Friendly Strike” Shatters Traditions; Things Were Never the Same Again xii. Of Many Things: Ospreys turn Bombers; The Strike that Wasn’t A Strike xiii. Big A: It Was an Uphill Battle; A Setback Fatal for the Company xiv. Finally, Modernization Wins GNN Funds; Millions for the East Millinocket Mill xv. 1400 Jobs to Go with a Goal of Smaller More Efficient, More Competitive Company xvi. After Years of Studies, Millinocket Project Wins GNN Approval With a German Partner xvii. Final Chapter in the Company History? Georgia Pacific Acquires GN

Nitrogen-Linked Diphosphine Ligands with Ethers Attached to Nitrogen for Chromium-Catalyzed Ethylene Tri- and Tetramerizations

A series of bis(diphenylphosphino)amine ligands with a donor group attached to the nitrogen linker have been prepared. Metalation of these ligands with chromium trichloride provides precursors to highly active, relatively stable, and selective catalysts for trimerization and tetramerization of ethylene. It has been demonstrated in oligomerization reactions performed at 1 and 4 atm of ethylene that these new systems increase total productivity by enhancing catalyst stability, as compared with those lacking a donor group on the diphosphine ligand. Furthermore, the use of chlorobenzene solvent (rather than toluene) significantly improves productivity, stability, and selectitvity. The product distributions and minor byproducts provide information relevant to mechanistic issues surrounding these types of reactions

Canadian Consumers’ Purchasing Behavior of Omega-3 Products

The development of innovative functional food products is a major trend in today’s food industry. The growth of this industry is driven by increased consumer awareness of their own health deficiencies, increased understanding of the possible health benefits of functional foods, development in formulation technologies, a positive regulatory environment, and changing consumer demographics and lifestyles. While there has been a proliferation of omega-3 products such as milk, eggs, yogurt, and margarine in the Canadian food market, very little is known about consumers of these products. We use ACNielsen Homescanâ„¢ data combined with survey data to develop profiles of omega-3 consumers in Canada. The focus of the study is on consumers of four products: omega-3 milk, omega-3 yogurt, omega-3 margarine, and omega-3 eggs. We investigate whether there are significant differences between consumers and non-consumers of omega-3 products based on their age, income, education, and household composition. We also investigate whether a household’s use of Canada’s Food Guide and the Nutrition Facts table and consideration of the health benefits of food influences the decision to purchase omega-3 products. The results from the ordered probit model estimation show that the aging Canadian population is a major driver of omega-3 purchases. Also, the presence of children in the home increases the purchasing frequency of omega-3 yogurt and omega-3 margarine, and reading the Nutrition Facts table and considering the health benefits of food are important factors that affect omega-3 product purchases.Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Canadian Consumer Attitudes and Purchasing Behaviour of Omega-3 Products

The development of innovative functional food products is a major trend in today's food industry. The growth of this industry is driven by increased consumer awareness of their own health deficiencies, increased understanding of the possible health benefits of functional foods, development in formulation technologies, a positive regulatory environment and changing consumer demographics and lifestyles. While there has been a proliferation of omega-3 products such as milk, eggs, yogurt, and margarine in the Canadian food market, very little is known about consumers of omega-3 products. In our study we use ACNielsen HomescanTM data combined with ACNielsen Panel TrackTM survey data to develop profiles of omega-3 consumers in Canada. The focus of the study is on consumers of four products: omega-3 milk, omega-3 yogurt, omega-3 margarine and omega-3 eggs. We investigate whether there are significant differences between consumers and non-consumers of omega-3 products based on their age, income, education, and household composition. We also investigate whether a household's knowledge of the Canadian food guide, knowledge of nutrition labels, and consideration of health benefits influences the decision to purchase omega-3 products. The results from the ordered probit model estimation show that an aging (baby boomer) population is the most frequent purchaser of omega-3 products, the presence of children in the home increases the purchasing frequency of omega-3 yogurt and omega-3 margarine, and reading the Nutrition Facts panel and health benefits are important factors that affect the purchase of omega-3 products.omega-3 fatty acids, nutritional labelling, health benefits, ordered probit model, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, C81, D12, I19, Q19,

Restricted cell elongation in Arabidopsis hypocotyls is associated with a reduced average pectin esterification level

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cell elongation is mainly limited by the extensibility of the cell wall. Dicotyledonous primary (growing) cell walls contain cellulose, xyloglucan, pectin and proteins, but little is known about how each polymer class contributes to the cell wall mechanical properties that control extensibility.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We present evidence that the degree of pectin methyl-esterification (DE%) limits cell growth, and that a minimum level of about 60% DE is required for normal cell elongation in <it>Arabidopsis </it>hypocotyls. When the average DE% falls below this level, as in two gibberellic acid (GA) mutants <it>ga1-3 </it>and <it>gai</it>, and plants expressing pectin methyl-esterase (<it>PME1</it>) from <it>Aspergillus aculeatus</it>, then hypocotyl elongation is reduced.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Low average levels of pectin DE% are associated with reduced cell elongation, implicating PMEs, the enzymes that regulate DE%, in the cell elongation process and in responses to GA. At high average DE% other components of the cell wall limit GA-induced growth.</p

“Are Irish SMEs satisfied with their logos?”

Alan Alexander Milne once said, “Things that make me different are the things that make me.” (A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh – Piglet). Every person is different; this is what makes us uniquely identifiable. Likewise, visual stimuli like logos are all very different and they can create differentiation amongst the extensive visual noise poured upon us every day. Aligning logos with an organisation’s values not only contributes to the differentiation of its visual perception but it makes them unique and identifiable to their stakeholders. This is informed by research which has found that when organisations align their logos to their core values, then the organisation’s perception among its customers or others improves (Siegert and Hangartner, 2017). The aim of this study is to understand whether small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ireland are satisfied with their logos. While different research has highlighted the benefits that organisations derive from logos, many SMEs fail to capture the attention and perception of their customers with their logos (e.g., Mahmood et al. 2018). In fact, as SMEs develop their logos, it is found that there can be misunderstanding between designers and SMEs in the development process, particularly in logos embodying or incorporating the organisation’s core values and in delivering a brand appearance that best reflects the organisation. In the Irish economy, SMEs employ about 68% of the entire workforce and account for approximately 50.3% of economic turnover (CSO, 2012). Logos can play a vital role in enhancing the brand reputation of Irish SMEs in global markets, the development of meaningful logos that resonate with consumers can be greatly significant for organisations (Abimbola, 2001). This research focuses on Irish SMEs as a test case, in order to evaluate the overall satisfaction SMEs have with their logos and looks at their strategic significance in international markets. This work is an exploratory study that involved both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies in understanding what lies behind the reported difficulties that SMEs experience in achieving a logo that achieves strategic benefits. The quantitative approach involved the utilisation of an anonymous online survey that was sent to over 1000 marketing managers or SME owners that had recently had a logo redesigned in the last 24 months with a 22% response rate of completed surveys. The qualitative approach incorporated the use of semi-structured questions with qualified experts. A small set of SMEs who had recently undergone logo development in the last 24 months and used expert designers were the source for this data. For purposes of reliability, the interviewees were identified through a combination of purposive and convenience sampling strategies, with the sample size determined using the principle of data saturation. Therefore, the study had a solid representation of all the participants whose responses increased the validity and reliability of the research findings (Bryman and Bell, 2015). Based on this, the following research question is proposed: Are SMEs satisfied that their logos are enabling strategic success? A related, secondary questions is also addressed, which is: Is there a structured logo development process used by SMEs in Ireland in the creation of a logo and does it make a difference if it is used or not? As will be presented below, these questions are based on the assessment that logos in the wider research literature can greatly benefit an organisation by helping them achieve strategic success. The importance of logos can differentiate a successful and less successful organisation; having a logo that fits within a larger strategy and that fulfils strategic objectives is critical for SMEs. Addressing these questions helps to better understand differences between less successful and potentially more successful logos as SMEs determine how logos fit within their strategic objectives. From the research findings 100% the interviewees were in agreement that it is essential to undertake market research activities and use a design process in the development of their logos. This helps in understanding and knowing what designers can deliver for purposes of a giving the organisation a competitive advantage. A general result achieved is that the research found that SMEs had a poor understanding of design processes used in logo development, as it was often left to the design professionals as to what would be delivered and how. Finally, owing to the diversity of opinions regarding what constitutes a satisfactory logo in regards to satisfying strategic benefits, this research proposed the use of a case-based approach and proposes a Delphi study to be used in future research to enhance the development of theoretical concepts around what organisations can pursue in developing more strategically beneficial logos that increase competitiveness (Okoli & Pawlowski, 2004). A key conclusion achieved in this work is that there is evidence that SME owners in Ireland are not fully aware of the benefits of logos that could potentially shape and address strategic interests. Furthermore, this affects criteria used in measuring a satisfactory logo, that is one that address strategic interests, as revealed by SMEs, which increases vulnerability to creating ineffective logo