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This dissertation focuses on stakeholder relationships and an organization’s commitment to communities, and ultimately, corporate social responsibility. The relationship between corporations and the community stakeholder is being investigated for a number of reasons. First, the concept of corporate social responsibility suggests an organization has responsibilities beyond increasing operating profit and satisfying stockholders to addressing issues of society as a whole. Are organizations responsible to communities and society? If so, how and with whom do organizations attempt to address societal needs and issues? Second, stakeholder theorists suggest an organization’s social responsibility is achieved, in part, by paying attention to all stakeholders of the organization, stakeholders including the community. Using a narrative approach as a guide, this study addresses the question of whether organizations consider the community a stakeholder. In most cases, as the iv reader will see, the answer is yes. Yet, knowing organizations do consider the

A series of research monographs exploring key issues in current literature and summarising the latest developments in the fields of creativity and learning. A survey of the literature reporting on the history, theory and practice of school change. Professor Thomson offers a serious and robust review of change theory which should be of use to all practitioners and educators with ambitions to effect structural and systemic change. She considers the reasons why people engage in school change and the main processes describing how such change occurs. She questions assumptions about the purpose of change as well as getting us to think about how we evaluate change and demonstrate its permanence.

I would like to thank all those who believed in myself and this project, helping turn a research dream into reality. My Committee Chair and friend, Dr. Renita Coleman, committee members Drs. Richard Nelson and Gene Sands, Professor Jay Perkins--I thank you all for your wonderful academic guidance and support. To the public relations community across Southeast Louisiana and the entire globe, without you this would not be possible. Last, to you “Citizens of

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Etat de la question

In the process of modernization, western societies became more individualistic. Ever since there have been claims that this development will create an unlivable society. Humans would need a Gemeinschaft and would wither in Gesellschaft. This classic idea lives in present day 'communitarism' and inspires pleas for the strengthening of moral bonds and preserving the welfare state. This paper reports an empirical test of the claim that quality-of-life is poor in individualized society. It compares 43 nations in the early 1990's. Individualization is measured by three aspects: 1) moral appreciation of individualism, 2) opportunity to choose, and 3) capability to choose. Next overall individualization is measured by means of an expert-estimate. Quality-oflife in nations is measured by the citizen's subjective appreciation of life as assessed in representative surveys. The data show a clear positive relationship, the more individualized the nation, the more citizens enjoy their life. This suggests that the benefits of individualization are greater than its costs. Inspection of the scattergrams shows a linear relationship. There is no pattern of diminishing returns. This indicates that individualization has not yet passed its optimum. The relationship appears to be contingent to level of education and economic prosperity. Positive correlations appear only among the most knowledgeable and prosperous nations. This suggests that the misgivings about individualization apply more to the past than to the future.