VIURRSpace
The Libraries of Royal Roads University and Vancouver Island University collaboratively offer VIURRSpace to digitally preserve and showcase selected scholarly and creative works of the universities, together with special collections that represent the unique character of the region.
Recent Submissions
Item Durational variability of spontaneous and read speech: Comparison between English and Japanese(Acoustical Society of America, 2025-10-21)The present work examines the cross-linguistic effects of speech style and phonetic reduction. Specifically, we focus on the durational variability of vowels and consonants in spontaneous and read speech in English and Japanese. Data were extracted from spoken corpora of English and Japanese and other read speech data for the two languages. The duration of the segments was extracted then for each segment in the dataset to explore differences in durational variability between the two languages and the two speech styles. Differences were found between spontaneous and read speech in English in both vocalic and consonantal measures. In contrast, the Japanese showed less variability, particularly in vocalic elements, with only the consonantal measure showing a difference. The results are discussed in terms of the interplay between speech style and phonetic reduction, suggesting both language-specific and language-independent patterns of reduction.Item Implementing a multi-campus model in the K-12 education system: a guide for leaders(Electronic version published by Vancouver Island University, 2025)Although multi-campus education has been embraced by post-secondary institutions for years, a multi-campus model in the K-12 system has been considerably less researched. This project gives an overview of the considerations and challenges involved in implementing a multi-campus model in the K-12 education system. The literature review highlights the importance of school culture and the unique challenges with developing a cohesive school culture in a multi-campus model. Also discussed are the potential impacts on staff and students during this unique transition. The aim of this project is to create a research-backed resource for school districts and administrators who are considering implementing a multi-campus model in their school community. This includes offering recommendations for supporting staff with the transition in an informed and proactive way.Item Strengthening Regional Tourism in Colwood, BC: An Examination of Effective Strategies for Leisure Attractions.(2025)This thesis focused on how to strengthen regional tourism in Colwood, B.C., through effective strategies for leisure attractions. The objectives of the study were to determine how community stakeholders and local businesses have been involved in the development of the Royal Bay-Latoria South Parks Plan, and to examine how effectively the plan has been implemented to attract tourists and identify the tangible outcomes achieved. The study applied a concurrent triangulation design. The study participants comprise stakeholders and expert informants:Llocal and International one-time tourists at Hatley Castle, local and International tourists at the Esquimalt Lagoon, visitors to the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre, park users, residents, and community leaders. The study adopted purposive sampling to choose 7 participants for the qualitative research and selected 50 participants for the survey. The study used descriptive statistics to analyze data collected from the survey and conducted a thematic analysis of the data obtained from interviews. Findings indicated that broader community stakeholders were somewhat involved, albeit still at a moderate level, in the Royal Bay-Latoria South Parks Plan, whereas local business enterprises were only considered moderately involved. While the availability of consultation tools, including public hearings, committee procedures, and online platforms, was a defining feature of stakeholder involvement in Colwood's Royal Bay-Latoria South Parks Plan, the actual level of engagement remained uneven and limited. The study also revealed mixed perceptions regarding the effectiveness of the Parks Plan in attracting tourists to Colwood. The study recommended that Colwood could improve stakeholder involvement by going beyond formal consultation to encourage genuine collaboration and ensure that stakeholder input is clearly included in the decision-making process. It should also improve its outreach and communication methods to make sure stakeholders are aware of current tourism plans and developments in a consistent and easily accessible manner.Item A Systems Approach to Ocean Plastics Governance in Ghana(2026)There is conclusive evidence that unmanaged and mismanaged plastic waste continues to accumulate in the environment throughout the world, including in the ocean. While it is often feasible to clean up plastic waste polluting the terrestrial environment, removing it from the ocean remains a technical, financial, and practical challenge, making it intractable for many developing countries, particularly in Africa. In the case of Ghana, the annual projection of between 92,000 Mt and 260,000 Mt of mismanaged plastic waste leaking into the ocean for 2020 is expected to rise to more than 350,000 Mt by 2025.This present study employed a qualitative methodology, underpinned by a systems thinking approach, to examine ocean plastics from a governance perspective in Ghana. The findings reveal that ocean plastic pollution is an emerging problem in Ghana with limited national attention. It also reveals low visibility for the problem of ocean plastics in national policies, legislation, and actions. This study recommends the establishment of a Centralized Interagency Council (CIC). CIC will oversee and elevate ocean plastics as a national priority through a governance framework rooted in systems thinking and aimed at supporting an integrated and sustainable ocean plastic interventions in Ghana. Keywords: Environmental sustainability, Ghana, Governance, Ocean plastics, Plastic waste management, Systems thinkingItem Mid-Level Leadership as a Lever for Human Flourishing in a Canadian Educational Institution(2025)Despite decades of leadership evolution, problems related to human flourishing have not been adequately addressed by traditional approaches. Neoliberal and hierarchical frameworks have led to policies and practices that substantially transformed organizations, while at the same time limiting efforts to respond to such challenges. Mid-level leaders remain underexamined in leadership research, leaving a gap for understanding their influence on these complex challenges. The purpose of this study was to collaborate with a team of mid-level leaders in a Canadian post-secondary institution to explore their influence on critical issues related to human flourishing. Through critical action research grounded in social constructionism, participants explored dominant systems, values, and practices, utilizing reflection, dialogue, and shared meaning-making processes. Core participants included mid-level leaders (directors, managers, coordinator, supervisor), each of whom was fully engaged in the four cycles of the action research process. Data collection included dialogue sessions, semi-structured interviews, and reflexive journals. Five supplemental division members also participated in one semi-structured interview. Key findings are organized around five interwoven themes: (a) achieving human flourishing through disruption of dominant, historical leadership norms, values and practices; (b) relational leadership as a transformative practice; (c) navigating power and agency in mid-level leadership; (d) reflexivity and the emotional weight of leadership, and (e) critique to construction: reimagining leadership. These findings affirm all five core tenets of critical leadership theory and extend them in important ways. Findings operationalize critical leadership praxis in mid-level leadership contexts and expand concepts of leadership to include embodied and emotional labour. The study positions human flourishing as a legitimate and necessary leadership goal, advances critical leadership studies from critique toward praxis, and highlights mid-level leaders as critical agents of change for human flourishing. Keywords: critical leadership, human flourishing, mid-level leaders, relational leadership, embodied reflexivity and emotional labour, disruption for transformative change
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