Browsing by Subject "diversity"
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Item Buying into the Business Case: A Bona Fide Group Study of Dialectical Tensions in Employee Network Groups(2010-10-12) Baker, Jane StuartObjectives for managing diversity in organizations include reducing lawsuits, responding to changing employee demographics, enhancing image, attracting and retaining a variety of talent, reaching new customer bases, and improving group effectiveness. Diversity management also emphasizes strategies to help retain and promote minority members once they have been hired. One of these ways is through employee network groups. This research adopts a case approach to describing and comparing a Black and a Hispanic employee network group at a United States affiliate of the Fortune Global 100 energy corporation, Summit International. This study applies bona fide group theory and dialectics to examine the complex intergroup relationships that employee network groups have in their organizations. The study offers three key contributions to communication theory. In connection with dialectics, bona fide group theory helped to reveal the multiple units from which group tensions emerge and the complex decisions that group members must make in managing them. The application of bona fide group theory also revealed an unexpected finding: that the network groups were engaged in concertive control with each other through interdependence with the organizational context. The bona fide group theory uncovered these processes because it revealed the norms and expectations that groups formed based on the corporate values regarding diversity.Item Comparison of avian species diversity and densities on non-mined and reclaimed surface-mined land in east-central Texas(Texas A&M University, 2006-10-30) Wenzel, Dawn NicoleSurface mining often changes the native landscape and vegetation of an area. Reclamation is used to counter this change, with the goal of restoring the land to its original pre-mined state. The process of reclamation creates early successional-stage lands, such as grasslands, shrublands, and wetlands, attracting new plant and animal species to the area. I compared avian species density (number of individuals/ha), diversity (H'), and richness (number of species/ha) on reclaimed and non-mined lands at TXU's Big Brown Mine in Fairfield, Texas. I also compared my results to those of a previous study conducted 25 years earlier. Avian counts were conducted using a fixedradius point-count method on 240 points placed in four different vegetation types and in four land-age groups (time since being reclaimed). Vegetation was measured both locally, and at a landscape level. Overall bird species density did not exhibit a clear relationship on non-mined versus reclaimed land. Overall bird species diversity was greater on non-mined lands, whereas overall species richness was greater on reclaimed lands. My results demonstrated a lower mean/point bird density and higher mean/point bird diversity than were found 25 years earlier. Different nesting guilds occurred on the reclaimed lands than occurred on the non-mined lands. Results suggested different species were attracted to the several successional stages of reclaimed lands over the nonmined lands, which consisted of climax vegetation. The different successional stages of reclaimed lands increased overall diversity and richness of the landscape as a whole. Five bird species of conservation concern were observed in the study, all of which occurred on reclaimed land. Four of the five species primarily occurred on reclaimed lands. Future land management should include conserving different successional-stage lands to increase overall biotic diversity and richness of mined land, preserving reclaimed habitat for species of concern, and educating future private landowners on the importance of maintaining vegetative and bird species diversity.Item From the inside looking in: Tradition and diversity at Texas A&M University(2009-05-15) Caulfield, Emily LynnThis study explores how the unique history, culture, and traditions of Texas A&M University shape students? perceptions and understandings of diversity and diversity programs. I examine these issues through participant observation of Texas A&M?s football traditions and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with members of the student body. In response to increased media scrutiny, public pressure, and scholastic competition, the current administration has embraced a number of aggressive initiatives to increase diversity among members of the student body. The collision between decades of tradition and the administration?s vision for the future has given rise to tension between members of the student body and the administration, which I argue is due, at least in part, to the culture that began developing at Texas A&M during the middle of the twentieth century as students began reacting to the prospect of change. I conclude that this historical and cultural context continues to impact modern campus life through students? dedication to tradition. In addition, I suggest that current students tend to assign different meanings and values to the concepts of both tradition and diversity than either faculty members or administrators do, creating tensions that have not been comprehensively examined or understood within the context of the Texas A&M community. Based on these findings, I suggest that proponents of diversity can improve the diversity project at Texas A&M University by giving students more responsibility for diversity programs, emphasizing the process (rather than the results) of diversification, attempting to eradicate all forms of intolerance and injustice on campus, and insisting on a policy of mutual respect.Item Macrofaunal community structure on the gulf of mexico continental slope: the role of disturbance and habitat heterogeneity at local and regional scales(Texas A&M University, 2007-09-17) Ammons, Archie WoodThe ecological forces that drive community structure of deep-sea benthic communities are poorly understood, yet such communities rival in biological complexity those of coral reefs or rainforests. Using components of the recently concluded DGoMB project, local and regional-scale structure of benthic macrofaunal communities were examined at thirty two locations throughout the continental slope of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Controlling factors associated with sediment disturbance, food supply, and faunal competition between functional ecological groups were evaluated for correlative and relational patterns. A higher order taxonomic sufficiency approach was used to calculate both alpha and beta diversity. The results of this study indicate that macrofaunal communities are very patchy, having wide variations in abundance at within-site, adjacent-site, and across-basin scales, yet all sample areas possess a large richness of higher taxa. Declining abundance was noted with increasing water depth and reduced particulate organic carbon levels. Upper-slope submarine canyons possess some of the highest abundances. Less mobile macrofauna, such as poriferans, bivalves, and scaphopods, dominate slope communities above the 500 meter contour. Sediments exhibiting intense megafaunal bioturbation inhibit abundances of sedentary macrofaunal taxa, but such mixing is positively associated with increased abundances of polychaetes and ambulatory crustaceans, including peracarids, harpacticoids, and ostracods. Prominent sediment mixing was noted at most sites, including portions of the Sigsbee Abyssal Plain. The western Gulf of Mexico was less biologically active than the eastern Gulf of Mexico, which possesses two extensive submarine canyons that appear to act as regional nutrient traps. I conclude that the physiographic complexity of the northern Gulf of Mexico continental slope influences macrofaunal community structure. Biological disturbance, in the form of sediment mixing, is widespread throughout most slope depths, and the benthic environment is food-limited. It appears that disequilibrium-type ecological processes predominate in this area, supporting similar findings by previous studies in other regions of the ocean, usually at far smaller scales and none representative at the basin-level. Use of higher order taxonomy in lieu of genus or species-level faunal identifications for diversity measurements was inadequate for detecting spatial patterns or environmental responses.Item Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of high lysine maize(Texas A&M University, 2006-04-12) Bhatnagar, SandeepQuality Protein Maize (QPM) with the mutant gene opaque-2 (o2), has higher lysine and tryptophan content and hard endosperm which is less susceptible to mechanical and biological damage. Three experiments were conducted to characterize the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of high lysine maize. In the first experiment two separate diallels including 7 white and 9 yellow QPM inbreds were evaluated in five southern USA environments to estimate the general (GCA) and specific combining abilities (SCA) for grain yield and to identify potential heterotic relationships among them. QPM hybrids yielded less than commercial checks. GCA effects across environments were non-significant for grain yield but highly significant for secondary traits. Best yielding hybrids resulted from crosses among inbreds from different programs (CIMMYT, Mexico; University of Natal, South Africa and TAMU, USA). In the second experiment testcrosses between QPM inbreds and Tx804, were evaluated for agronomic performance, aflatoxin resistance and quality. QPM inbreds in testcrosses have similar flowering dates, plant height, ear height and test weights but lower grain yield than normal checks. Population 69 inbreds and their testcrosses were least susceptible to aflatoxin. Aflatoxin in testcrosses was positively correlated with endosperm texture (0.67) and kernel integrity (0.60) but negatively correlated with grain yield (-0.30) and silking date (-0.50). Tryptophan content was negatively correlated with endosperm modification. Amino acid levels of inbred lines were significantly correlated with those of hybrids, but with low predictive value. In the third experiment 92 high lysine maize inbreds with different origins [Stiff Stalk, Non Stiff Stalk, Pop 69, temperate (Tx802, Tx804, Tx806, B97, B104) and exotic subtropical lines (CML161, Do940y and Ko326y)] were haplotyped on a cM scale utilizing 43 mapped SSR markers to characterize genetic diversity on chromosome 7, estimate linkage disequilibrium around opaque-2 locus and determine the parental contribution in some inbreds. Dendrograms of genetic similarity showed clusters in agreement with the different origin of inbreds. A total of 200 alleles were detected with an average of 4.7 alleles/locus. Significant linkage disequilibrium was detected around opaque-2 locus. Parental contributions of haplotypes showed segments of chromosome 7 exclusively contributed by one or the other parent.Item Pterocarpus officinalis Dominated Wetlands and Dependent Fauna(2013-08-05) Toledo Rodriguez, FrancesPterocarpus officinalis dominated forests are a rare ecosystem, found only in fifteen locations in Puerto Rico, all of which are adjacent to the coast and at risk from sea level rise, as well as nutrient pollution, upstream hydrological modifications, and deforestation. All forests of this type that were located further inland were destroyed by agricultural development during the early decades of the 1900?s, in particular to grow sugarcane. Prior to this study, there was little information on the diversity of organisms that live in these forests. The central objective of this proposal was to examine the diversity and species composition of three Pterocarpus forests in Puerto Rico located near Humacao, Patillas, and Dorado, and to compare and contrast diversity among the three forests, and identify possible differences caused by human impacts or natural factors. The data was collected through surveys and sampling at each location. Transect surveys, plots, pitfall traps, insect traps and audio recordings were carried out to identify organisms including birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles, insects, mollusks, invertebrates, plants and fungi. The Dorado Pterocarpus forest is the most rich and diverse in terms of organisms and has the highest amount of native and endemic species, while the Humacao Pterocarpus forest is the least rich and diverse. Yet conversely, the Dorado forest is the smallest forest, covering only 2.4 ha, while Humacao is the largest, with an area of 150 ha that comprises 63% of the total Pterocarpus coverage in Puerto Rico. The most obvious factor influencing richness and diversity among the forests is the adjacent land cover and history of the sites. Inflow and water sources may also be a factor that alters richness and diversity. This knowledge will assist in the appropriate management of this rare resource in the context of ongoing sea level rise, climate change, nutrient pollution, upstream hydrological modifications, and deforestation. Coastal managers need this information to manage and protect these valuable and rare ecosystems.Item Session 15A | Making Our Classrooms and Institutions More Open and Equitable(2021-03-12) Daly, UnaThis workshop will allow participants to evaluate their syllabi for inclusivity of non-traditional students, to explore the use of diverse images to enhance student engagement, and to understand how OER and Open Pedagogy support student voices and deeper learning.Item The role of piscivores in a species-rich tropical river(Texas A&M University, 2004-11-15) Layman, Craig AnthonyMuch of the world's species diversity is located in tropical and sub-tropical ecosystems, and a better understanding of the ecology of these systems is necessary to stem biodiversity loss and assess community- and ecosystem-level responses to anthropogenic impacts. In this dissertation, I endeavored to broaden our understanding of complex ecosystems through research conducted on the Cinaruco River, a floodplain river in Venezuela, with specific emphasis on how a human-induced perturbation, commercial netting activity, may affect food web structure and function. I employed two approaches in this work: (1) comparative analyses based on descriptive food web characteristics, and (2) experimental manipulations within important food web modules. Methodologies included monthly sampling of fish assemblages using a variety of techniques, large-scale field experiments, extensive stomach content and stable isotope analyses. Two themes unite the information presented: (1) substantial spatial and temporal variability in food web structure, and (2) how body-size can be used to generalize species-interactions across this complexity. Spatial variability occurred at various scales, from among small fish assemblages on seemingly homogeneous sand banks, to differences among landscape scale units (e.g. between lagoons and main river channel). Seasonal variability was apparent in predation patterns, with relative prey availability and body size primarily resulting in decreasing prey sizes with falling water levels. Body size was also related to functional outcomes of species interactions, for example, a size-based response of prey fishes to large-bodied piscivore exclusion. This pattern was further substantiated at the landscape-scale, as differences in assemblage structure among netted and un-netted lagoons were largely size-based. Trophic position of fish and body size was not found to be related, likely due to the diversity of prey available to consumers, and may signify that commercial netting activity will not decrease food chain lengths. In sum, by describing human impacts within a food web context, I endeavor to provide predictive power regarding a specific human-induced environmental problem, yet still allowing for generality that will broaden the theoretical foundations and applications of food web ecology.Item Top Management Team Personal Wealth, Within-Team Diversity and the Implications for Firm-Level Risk Taking(2012-07-16) Campbell, JoannaThe manager's personal wealth is one of the central building blocks of agency theory, which considers wealth to be an especially important source of individual utility. The managers' financial position, or the portion of their financial well-being that is not dependent on the firm, is also introduced in the original formulation of upper echelons theory. However, despite the importance of executive personal wealth to both theories, it is rarely mentioned, and even more scarcely studied. My research builds on and extends agency and upper echelons theories by focusing on executive personal wealth, defined here as the portion of executive net worth that is not attached to current employment at the firm (i.e., not contingent on current or future earnings). As such, this research provides an initial answer to the following research question: how does the average personal wealth of the top management team as well as within-team differences in wealth influence firm strategic choices with respect to risk? Specifically, I argue that external wealth alters how managers view firm decisions regarding risk; thus, I hypothesize that average top management team (TMT) wealth is negatively related to firm unrelated diversification, positively related to R&D investments, and positively related to firm risk. Next, I propose that two types of within-group diversity ? TMT wealth diversity and TMT pay dispersion ? attenuate the effect of average TMT wealth on these firm outcomes. I test my hypotheses on a panel dataset of over 700 firms/TMTs from the S&P1500 over 2002?2008 using panel tobit and fixed effect models, and conduct multiple robustness checks. Empirical results strongly and consistently support the hypothesized main effects of wealth. However, the results regarding the moderating effect of within-group diversity are weak, as the majority of the moderation hypotheses are not supported. The main conclusion is that wealthier TMTs are less risk averse with respect to firm strategic decisions, which manifests in greater R&D spending, lower unrelated diversification, and higher overall firm risk. Theoretical and empirical implications as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.Item Urban influence on diversity of avifauna in the Edwards Plateau of Texas: effect of property sizes on rural landscape structure(Texas A&M University, 2007-09-17) Gonzalez Afanador, EdithThe urban Influence on diversity of avifauna in the Edwards Plateau ecoregion and surrounding area was studied using spatial analysis. Indices and metrics of urban influence, ownership property sizes, landscape structure, and avian diversity were calculated for 31 North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) transects, 12 located within the Edwards Plateau ecoregion and 18 in contiguous ecoregions. Spatial correlations were calculated between each pair of these indices. The spatial analysis identified an emergent property at the landscape level: A ??????threshold of habitat fragmentation?????? at an ownership property size of 500 acres, which is reached when urban influence increases to an intermediate level. Highly significant spatial correlations among variables showed that property sizes lower than 500 acres produce habitat fragmentation represented by a decrease in mean patch size (MN) and proximity among habitat patches (Index PROX). Consequently, avian ????-diversity (richness) decreases because both MN and Index PROX are landscape metrics related to availability of suitable habitat for avian populations. The spatial analysis also made possible the prioritization of ecological subregions of the Edwards Plateau for conservation or restoration with respect to the threshold of habitat fragmentation and avian ???? and ????-diversity. Balcones Canyon Lands showed a high percentage of land covered by farms smaller than 500 acres (64%), an ownership property average size above the threshold of fragmentation (1440 acres) and the highest avian ????- diversity; so, management policies should focus on habitat conservation. In contrast, Lampasas Cut Plains showed the highest percentage of land covered by farms smaller than 500 acres (71%), and ownership property average size was very close to the threshold of fragmentation (625 acres); there, urban bird species are dominant and avian ????-diversity is low because of the loss of native bird species. Management in this ecoregion should focus on habitat restoration. Finally, the Live Oak-Mesquite Savannah subregion showed the highest average ownership property size (7305 acres), and the highest values of patch richness and ????-diversity. Management in this ecoregion should focus on conservation of land mosaic diversity to assure native avian species turnover.Item Using a theory of planned behavior approach to assess principals' Professional intentions to promote diversity awareness beyond the level recommended by their district(2009-05-15) Landeck, Edith SuzanneThe increasing population diversity in the United States and in public schools signifies a need for principals to promote diversity awareness as mandated by principal standards. A means to quantify and measure the principals? diversity intentions empirically is required. This study researched the possibility that the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991) could provide a theoretical basis for an operation measurement model. The instrument for the study was an electronic survey administered via e-mail to a random sample of 151 principals. This instrument incorporated the Professional Beliefs About Diversity Scale (Pohan & Aguilar, 2001) with the operationalized General Principal?s Diversity Model and the Professional Diversity Intentions sub-models. Three research questions guided the study: 1) Can a theory of planned behavior approach be used to assess school principals? professional intentions to promote diversity awareness? 2) What are the intentions of Texas principals to promote diversity awareness in general and among the five diversity dimensions of disabilities, gender, language, racial/ethnic, and social class in their campus community? and 3) Do these intentions differ among five demographic characteristics of race/ethnicity, gender, age, degree, and campus type? Findings of the study were: 1. The results of this study provided the scientific validation that the TPB approach can be used to assess public school principals? professional intentions to promote diversity awareness. 2. At present, Texas principals? intentions are only slightly more positive than the neutral midpoint, a 3.38 average score out of a possible 5.00 regarding intention to promote diversity awareness. Frequency analysis of the submodels indicated positive intentions for Gender (58 cases or 38.41 percent); Race/Ethnicity (78 cases or 51.66 percent); Social Class (79 cases or 52.32 percent); and Disabilities and Language each had 89 cases (58.95 percent). 3. Principals? intent to implement diversity decreases with age and higher academic degree held. 4. Hispanic principals are more likely than African American or White principals to promote diversity awareness. This study concluded that a Theory of Planned Behavior approach as operationalized in this study may be used to assess school principals? professional intentions to promote diversity beyond the level recommended by their district.