title: The Algebraic Properties of if-then-else with Commutative Three-Valued Tests

authors: Su, Roger Chi-Wei

subjects: if-then-else

abstract: This thesis studies an algebraic model of computable programs and the if-then-else operation. The programs here are considered deterministic, but not assumed to be always halting, so they are modelled by a semigroup of partial functions, with several extra operations in addition to the original binary operation of the semigroup.
The if-then-else operation involves not only programs, but logical tests too. Hence, it calls for a separate algebra of tests. Evaluating a test often requires running another program, so the tests are also possibly non halting. When tests do not always halt, the results of conjunctions (logical ‘and’) and disjunctions (logical ‘or’) can differ, depending on whether sequential or parallel evaluation is applied. The parallel evaluation is what this thesis adopts.
The overall ‘program algebra’ consists of two sorts, one of programs and the other of tests. Each sort has its own operations, and there are hybrid operations such as if-then-else which involve both sorts. This thesis establishes the axioms of all these operations by building an embedding from the abstract program algebra into a concrete one. At the end is a discussion on the algebra of tests without the programs, where the differences between the two evaluation paradigms are explored in detail.

text: The Algebraic Properties of if-then-else with Commutative Three-Valued Tests This thesis studies an algebraic model of computable programs and the if-then-else operation. The programs here are considered deterministic, but not assumed to be always halting, so they are modelled by a semigroup of partial functions, with several extra operations in addition to the original binary operation of the semigroup.
The if-then-else operation involves not only programs, but logical tests too. Hence, it calls for a separate algebra of tests. Evaluating a test often requires running another program, so the tests are also possibly non halting. When tests do not always halt, the results of conjunctions (logical ‘and’) and disjunctions (logical ‘or’) can differ, depending on whether sequential or parallel evaluation is applied. The parallel evaluation is what this thesis adopts.
The overall ‘program algebra’ consists of two sorts, one of programs and the other of tests. Each sort has its own operations, and there are hybrid operations such as if-then-else which involve both sorts. This thesis establishes the axioms of all these operations by building an embedding from the abstract program algebra into a concrete one. At the end is a discussion on the algebra of tests without the programs, where the differences between the two evaluation paradigms are explored in detail.

year: 2018

title: Drivers of guest loyalty in the hotel industry in New Zealand: The role of staff loyalty, service quality, guest satisfaction and commitment, and the influence of loyalty programmes

authors: Elebiary, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan

subjects: Staff loyalty

abstract: This study focused on investigating the drivers of guest loyalty in the hotel industry. Specifically, the study further explored the role of staff loyalty, service quality, guest satisfaction and commitment, and the influence of loyalty programmes. The research methodology used both qualitative and quantitative methods in a two-step process comprising focus groups and self-administered surveys. Data collected from the focus groups were analyzed using CATPAC. The survey was developed from the information collected from the focus groups and a review of the literature. Data collected from the survey were analyzed using both regression and structural equation modeling. A model of guest loyalty drivers (GLDM) was proposed and validated in the study. The study contributes to the present body of knowledge in hospitality management theory as it investigated the drivers of guest loyalty. Results from the survey showed that loyalty programmes have a significant impact on guest loyalty more than staff loyalty and staff interaction, but guest satisfaction and guest affective commitment had more significant impact on guest loyalty than loyalty programmes. This study suggests some implications for hotel managers to consider before introducing or developing a loyalty programme. For example, the research shows that there are some gender differences in relation to loyalty programmes. Male guests look for better service, special treatment and collecting points, while female guests look mainly for price incentives and experiencing a unique stay. These findings indicate that hotel managers need to consider the use of different loyalty schemes for different guests. The model proposed in the study (GLDM) provided a new insight for academics and practitioners. Although, it was evident from the study that staff loyalty, staff interaction (as a dimension of service quality), guest satisfaction and commitment, and loyalty programmes are directly linked to and are capable of predicting guest loyalty in the hotel industry as drivers for guest loyalty. The study also indicates that hotel managers should not overlook staff attitude in preference to loyalty programmes; in the sense that, hotels should focus on developing interpersonal relationships between staff and guests. This study demonstrates that hotels should allocate more resources to relational marketing at both the beginning and throughout the relational exchange. The new model is of considerable interest to both academics and practioners alike; as it gives a new dimension to the interelationship between service, staff, satisfaction and guest loyalty, and lends itself to further research which will help gain a greater understanding of this interrelationship.

text: Drivers of guest loyalty in the hotel industry in New Zealand: The role of staff loyalty, service quality, guest satisfaction and commitment, and the influence of loyalty programmes This study focused on investigating the drivers of guest loyalty in the hotel industry. Specifically, the study further explored the role of staff loyalty, service quality, guest satisfaction and commitment, and the influence of loyalty programmes. The research methodology used both qualitative and quantitative methods in a two-step process comprising focus groups and self-administered surveys. Data collected from the focus groups were analyzed using CATPAC. The survey was developed from the information collected from the focus groups and a review of the literature. Data collected from the survey were analyzed using both regression and structural equation modeling. A model of guest loyalty drivers (GLDM) was proposed and validated in the study. The study contributes to the present body of knowledge in hospitality management theory as it investigated the drivers of guest loyalty. Results from the survey showed that loyalty programmes have a significant impact on guest loyalty more than staff loyalty and staff interaction, but guest satisfaction and guest affective commitment had more significant impact on guest loyalty than loyalty programmes. This study suggests some implications for hotel managers to consider before introducing or developing a loyalty programme. For example, the research shows that there are some gender differences in relation to loyalty programmes. Male guests look for better service, special treatment and collecting points, while female guests look mainly for price incentives and experiencing a unique stay. These findings indicate that hotel managers need to consider the use of different loyalty schemes for different guests. The model proposed in the study (GLDM) provided a new insight for academics and practitioners. Although, it was evident from the study that staff loyalty, staff interaction (as a dimension of service quality), guest satisfaction and commitment, and loyalty programmes are directly linked to and are capable of predicting guest loyalty in the hotel industry as drivers for guest loyalty. The study also indicates that hotel managers should not overlook staff attitude in preference to loyalty programmes; in the sense that, hotels should focus on developing interpersonal relationships between staff and guests. This study demonstrates that hotels should allocate more resources to relational marketing at both the beginning and throughout the relational exchange. The new model is of considerable interest to both academics and practioners alike; as it gives a new dimension to the interelationship between service, staff, satisfaction and guest loyalty, and lends itself to further research which will help gain a greater understanding of this interrelationship.

year: 2012

title: Stop playing up! A critical ethnography of health, physical education and (sub)urban schooling

authors: Fitzpatrick, Katie

subjects: Health

abstract: This thesis explores the place of health and physical education in the lives of Otara youth in New Zealand. Situated in the southern suburbs of New Zealand’s largest city, Otara, South Auckland is known for its cultural diversity, as well as for poverty and crime. It is home to large numbers of indigenous Maori and migrant Pasifika (Pacific Island) youth. Based on a year-long critical ethnography of a multiethnic high school, this thesis explores how these young people engage with and respond to the school subjects of health and physical education. It also discusses broader issues in their lives, including the social geographies within which they reside, and how they understand their bodies, sexuality, health, gender and physicalities. The subjects of health and physical education are compulsory in most schools internationally – in New Zealand they are directly linked in curriculum policy documents and in school practice – but share a somewhat uneasy relationship and differing historical positions. Considered low status in schools, these subjects are also conflated with narrow body and health norms, possibly problematic for young women, and/or are wedded to the social and cultural world of sport. Curriculum policy documents established in the last ten years offer the possibility of critical and social approaches to these subjects, but examples of critical practice remain rare. Health and physical education are thus compulsory, contentious, contradictory and complex subjects within contemporary schooling. Critical ethnographies of schooling are relatively scarce compared with conventional ethnographic accounts, but critical ethnographies of health and physical education (PE) are almost unheard of. The use of such a methodology in this study enabled an indepth account of Otara youth in the subjects of health and PE at school. It also provided a platform for storied accounts of how one teacher, Dan, enacted a critical and culturally connected pedagogy of health and PE with the young people in his classes. This thesis explores the complex potential for health and PE as key sites of learning for Pasifika and Maori youth. It examines health and PE as subjects that are both politically fraught and spaces of hope.

text: Stop playing up! A critical ethnography of health, physical education and (sub)urban schooling This thesis explores the place of health and physical education in the lives of Otara youth in New Zealand. Situated in the southern suburbs of New Zealand’s largest city, Otara, South Auckland is known for its cultural diversity, as well as for poverty and crime. It is home to large numbers of indigenous Maori and migrant Pasifika (Pacific Island) youth. Based on a year-long critical ethnography of a multiethnic high school, this thesis explores how these young people engage with and respond to the school subjects of health and physical education. It also discusses broader issues in their lives, including the social geographies within which they reside, and how they understand their bodies, sexuality, health, gender and physicalities. The subjects of health and physical education are compulsory in most schools internationally – in New Zealand they are directly linked in curriculum policy documents and in school practice – but share a somewhat uneasy relationship and differing historical positions. Considered low status in schools, these subjects are also conflated with narrow body and health norms, possibly problematic for young women, and/or are wedded to the social and cultural world of sport. Curriculum policy documents established in the last ten years offer the possibility of critical and social approaches to these subjects, but examples of critical practice remain rare. Health and physical education are thus compulsory, contentious, contradictory and complex subjects within contemporary schooling. Critical ethnographies of schooling are relatively scarce compared with conventional ethnographic accounts, but critical ethnographies of health and physical education (PE) are almost unheard of. The use of such a methodology in this study enabled an indepth account of Otara youth in the subjects of health and PE at school. It also provided a platform for storied accounts of how one teacher, Dan, enacted a critical and culturally connected pedagogy of health and PE with the young people in his classes. This thesis explores the complex potential for health and PE as key sites of learning for Pasifika and Maori youth. It examines health and PE as subjects that are both politically fraught and spaces of hope.

year: 2010