An Uncertain Destination: On the Development of Conflict Management Systems in U.S. Corporations

[Excerpt] Our survey and field research have led us to some tentative conclusions that do not conform to the conventional wisdom of our field. From its inception, ADR has been controversial. On the one hand, ADR has been embraced by a coterie of champions who have always believed that its advantages over litigation were so obvious and compelling it would only be a matter of time before ADR was adopted universally. These champions have also been missionaries, proselytizing their faith in all quarters and making numerous converts. Like all true believers, ADR champions cannot understand why others have not yet gotten the faith. On the other hand, there has always been a group of ADR opponents who believe ADR undercuts our system of justice and must be resisted. ADR champions believe in the inevitability of ADR, while ADR opponents believe the movement to ADR can be stopped and even reversed. On balance, we believe in ADR\u27s merits and share many of its champions\u27 convictions. Our research — which is based on the analytical model we present in this paper — suggests, however, that there is nothing inevitable about the ultimate triumph of ADR

The self-assembly of metallosupramolecular architectures

This thesis describes the design, synthesis and characterization of metallosupramolecular cleft and box-shaped molecules. These compounds are generated via the self-assembly of building block compounds; metallated thioether complexes and aronatic N-donor ligands. Chapter Two describes the synthesis and characterization of the building block compounds. Cyclometallation of the thioether ligand 1,3-bis(phenylthio-methyl)benzene (PhS\sb2) with (Pd(CH\sb3CN)\sb4) (BF\sb4\rbrack\sb2 produced the species (Pd(PhS\sb2)(CH\sb3CN)) (BF\sb4). By varying the S-R group, a family of compounds were synthesized each possessing different physical properties. The metallated ligands exhibited inversion of sulfur and this was studied via variable temperature \sp1H NMR spectroscopy. As well, several ligands of the form 1,2,4,5-tetrakis-(phenylthiomethyl)benzene (PhS\sb4) were synthesized. These ligands underwent the cyclometallation reaction twice, forming the doubly palladated compound (Pd\sb2(PhS\sb4)(CH\sb3CN)\sb2\rbrack (BF\sb4\rbrack\sb2, In an attempt to produce a trigonal bipyramidal Pd(II) complex with 1,10-phenanthroline, an uncommon square pyramidal geometry was produced. These building block compounds were characterized through the use of \sp{13}C\{\sp1H$\}$ and \sp1H NMR spectroscopy as well as X-ray crystallography. Chapter Three describes the synthesis of molecular clefts and boxes from the building block compounds developed in Chapter Two. When mixed in a ratio of 2:1, (Pd(PhS\sb2)(CH\sb3CN)) (BF\sb4):4,7-phenanthroline, the molecular cleft ((Pd(PhS\sb2))\sb2(4,7-phen)) (BF\sb4\rbrack\sb2 (Ph-Cleft) can be isolated in quantitative yields. This was found to be the case with the n-butyl version of the ligand as well. The self-assembly of a molecular box was achieved by the addition of (Pd\sb2(PhS\sb4)(CH\sb3CN)\sb2) (BF\sb4\rbrack\sb2 to 4,7-phenanthroline in a 1:1 ratio. The sole product of this reaction is the molecular box, a cyclic complex containing three wall units, (Pd\sb2(PhS\sb4)) (BF\sb4\rbrack\sb2 and three corner pieces; 4,7-phenanthroline. Similar results were obtained utilizing the (Pd\sb2(BuS\sb4)(CH\sb3CN)\sb2) (BF\sb4\rbrack\sb2 compound with 4,7-phenanthroline. These supramolecular species were characterized by \sp1H NMR and mass spectrometry as well as X-ray crystallography.Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1996 .H35. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 37-01, page: 0266. Adviser: Stephen Loeb. Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1996

A Descriptive Analysis of Skin Color Bias in Puerto Rico: Ecological Applications to Practice

Travel brochures to the island of Puerto Rico aptly profess the rich variation in skin color and other phenotypes among its people. Following acts of domination vis-a-vis the island\u27s cultural mores, invading colonizers evolved a social hierarchy to discourage any notions of merit attributable to racial diversity. According to the data herewith, the presumption of a relationship between skin color and selected values for skin color ideals is plausible. Social work practitionersa re then challenged to decipher the maze of racial traditions as pertains to discrimination. Doing so will enable an environment for knowledge based purely upon merit in order to resurrect indigenous knowledge about the biases of otherwise victim population

Biracial Sensitive Practice: Expanding Social Services to an Invisible Population

Although literature acknowledges the existence of a biracial population, there has been minimal discussion of the differences indicative of biracial clients and how these differences impact provision of services. Too frequently, race criterion has been utilized to categorize biracial clients resulting in an all but invisible population. A biracial individual may then assume a multiplicity of identities including African-, Asian-, Latino- and Native-American, when negotiating with macro institutions including social services. As an alternative to racial paradigms, identity across the lifespan is suggested as a more comprehensive model for biracial clients. In the aftermath said clients will be rendered visible by identity models that prevail less on the basis of race and more on the basis of experience extended across the lifespan

Occupational Aspiration Among African-Americans: A Case For Affirmative Action

The recent attack upon Affirmative Action in the workplace demands that merit be the sole criterion of employment. Policies designed to eliminate discriminatory practices are in themselves discriminatory and suggest minorities are inferior. Such suggestions are archaic and simplistic. Each assumes that the workplace operates in a social vacuum when in fact a complex system of cultural norms precedes the influence of merit. For African-Americans color is a predcedent of merit. The present study was undertaken to determine the implications of color in the workplace by analyzing it vis a vis occupational aspiration. Using a sample of African- American college students, it was found that these students aspired to more prestigious occupations correlated with light skin. The apparent pervasiveness of this phenomenon requires it be addressed as an issue for social work and policy formulation

Evidence-Based Practice as Social Work Technology

Contemporary scholars who are critical of social work insist that its status is one of a semi-profession. Their assumption is contingent primarily upon an assumed lack of rigor and technological expertise. Social Work will be regarded as a legitimate profession if it adopts Evidence Based Practice. It entails the application of a series of scientific research procedures that are dictated by scientific evidence. By adopting EBP critics will be less able to challenge Social Work’s professional status

The Feminization of Social Welfare: Implications of Cultural Tradition vis-à-vis Male Victims of Domestic Violence

As pertains to feminization of social welfare, the inability to acknowledge male victims of domestic violence is attributed less to personal preference and more to cultural traditions of the Western patriarch. Yet, according to scholarly literature, men in the U.S. are equally as likely to be the victims of domestic violence by women as are women by men. Solutions to cultural tradition aimed at eliminating male victims of domestic violence must necessarily begin with acknowledgement of the characteristic warning signs and symptoms. Moving beyond the feminization of social welfare as pertains to domestic violence can be accomplished by the recognition that cultural tradition should not be the sole determinant of services. An effective tool is application of more objective policy models which better locate the role of culture in the perception and attention to all victims in need

Automated Test Environment for a Real-Time Control System

An automated environment with hardware-in-the-loop has been developed by Rocketdyne Huntsville for test of a real-time control system. The target system of application is the man-rated real-time system which controls the Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME). The primary use of the environment is software verification and validation, but it is also useful for evaluation and analysis of SSME avionics hardware and mathematical engine models. It provides a test bed for the integration of software and hardware. The principles and skills upon which it operates may be applied to other target systems, such as those requiring hardware-in-the-loop simulation and control system development. Potential applications are in problem domains demanding highly reliable software systems requiring testing to formal requirements and verifying successful transition to/from off-nominal system states

Implementing the use of Deliberative Practice on Teaching Endotracheal Intubation To First Year Medical Students

Purpose: Deliberate practice is defined as a learning theory that values a learner’s holistic ability to learn a task while integrating improvements in targeted skills. The theory states that in order to achieve maximal efficiency, a learner needs time for self-reflection and instantaneous feedback to make improvements before engaging in the next task. Here, we created an Intubation Training Module to study the effectiveness of deliberate practice on teaching endotracheal intubation to first year medical students. Methods: A two-part intubation workshop was created to investigate the effectiveness of deliberate practice and to compare intubation competency between the number of intubation cycles assigned. In Part 1, subjects (n=6) were given a lesson on airway intubation by an attending emergency medicine physician. An Airway Checklist was used as a guide. Deliberate practice and feedback was provided to students in real-time. The number of intubation cycles completed by each student varied: 1x, 5x, and 7x. Part 2 of the workshop occurred a week after where students were asked to recall the Airway Checklist steps to assess their retention rate. Performance and retention rates of the 3 groups were compared. Results and Conclusions: A survey was provided after the initial workshop to collect qualitative feedback; the initial endotracheal intubation workshop was well received by medical students and student mean satisfaction was 9.5 (0 being completely unsatisfied, 10 being extremely pleased). An ANOVA test was conducted among the 3 groups to compare retention rate; using the Airway Checklist, the number of checkboxes for each subject was calculated to assess retention rate (p-value = 0.664). Statistical significance could not be determined; future work will include increased sample size and higher intubation cycles for comparison