http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/23 2026-05-31T23:40:07Z http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33342 Title: Invisible minorities: A co-design framework to improve social care services for older immigrant people in the UK Authors: Balezdrova, Nevena Abstract: Participatory design practice has existed since the 1970s in various forms. Diving into a trend that has picked up traction in recent years, this study aims to explore the guiding principles of ‘co’ terms and the applicability of co-design in public service development. This is done by observing the context of social care service development in the UK and specifically looking at the experience of social care services for older immigrant people, an often overlooked and marginalised group. Research shows that conventional care for older immigrant people across the UK remains inaccessible. Cultural and system barriers impact self-confidence and personal agency. Often evading dealing with the state, this user group rely heavily on word of mouth and informal family care. Through a review of literature and expert interviews, the study aims to shed light on the service experience of non-native peoples and uncover some of the service and system challenges that impact their lives. As explored through the review of literature, findings show an overall lack of co-design practice in social care service development within local government. These concepts have been further discussed in research and investigated through expert interviews that were conducted during the earlier stages of this study. A comparative case study approach explores other global public service systems to help form an understanding of the way social care service systems are structured, provision for older immigrant people and the relationship between different stakeholders. The larger part of the research aims to build an understanding of how co-design principles can impact the social care service development in the UK as a way of tackling representation and social isolation, considering how co-design can help enhance social care services for older immigrant people and meaningfully engage people into the wider community. The study examines how co-design can help strengthen the citizen-state relationship and cultivate community engagement. The empirical outcomes of this research have been translated into a co-design framework and guidelines for the use in a local government setting. The framework aims to work on four main principles: understanding people, building trust, creating local partnerships, ensuring on-going feedback and monitoring. The co-design framework builds on previous work that has highlighted the need for research that supports vulnerable groups in engaging with the co-design process in the public sector, by identifying the differences with existing user involvement processes. Description: This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University London 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33267 Title: E-procurement and supply chain performance in emerging economies: A study of manufacturing sector in Ghana Authors: Gyabaah, Michael Abstract: Electronic procurement has become one of the leading methods for purchasing goods and services in today's competitive environment. Research indicates that e-procurement influences business outcomes, including the output of the supply chain. However, factors that affect the relationship between e-procurement and supply chain performance have not received significant attention in the procurement literature. Based on this the current research aimed at investigating the effects of e-procurement on supply chain performance, as well as the mediating role of supplier efficiency and quality of information. The study further tested the interaction effects of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and top management support on the link between e-procurement and supply chain performance. Structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from a sample of 439 employees from the manufacturing sector in Ghana. The study was guided by the Technology Acceptance Model theory. Structural equation modelling was used to test the direct effects, mediation and moderation effects of the intervening variables. The findings indicate that, statistically, e-procurement exerts positive and significant influence on supply chain performance and drives supplier efficiency and quality of information. However, the effect of supplier efficiency on supply chain performance proved otherwise. Quality of information exerts a significant positive effect on supply chain performance. Furthermore, supplier efficiency and quality of information were found to be significant mediators between e-procurement and supply chain performance. Regarding the moderating effects, the interaction effect of perceived ease of use is statistically significant on the link between e-procurement and supply chain performance, but perceived usefulness and top management support are statistically insignificant. Theoretically, the study deepens the understanding of the mediating and moderating mechanisms that influence the relationship between e-procurement and supply chain performance in the manufacturing sector in a developing economy. The study has valuable implications for industry players, particularly procurement and supply chain management professionals and policy makers seeking to improve procurement and enhance the performance of their supply chains. Description: This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University London 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33227 Title: Concert electric guitar composition: Techniques, challenges and creative possibilities Authors: La Spesa, Vincenzo Abstract: The growing presence of the electric guitar in contemporary art music highlights the need for a focused investigation into its compositional role. This thesis examines the instrument within what is here defined as the domain of the concert electric guitar, that is, the use of the electric guitar in notated, composer-led art music contexts. The thesis functions both as a musicological study and as a compositional resource. It is structured around a theoretical section, addressed to musicologists and composers, which analyses the development of the electric guitar in art music and the ambiguities between popular and concert practices from which the notion of the concert electric guitar emerges. A practical component, specifically directed at composers, complements this discussion. The latter includes annotated examples, original audio and video demonstrations, and a collection of nine studies and a fugue composed by the author, conceived as compositional case studies. Description: This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University London 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33226 Title: Mixed topics on geometry of varieties of Fano type Authors: Jiao, Dongchen Abstract: In this thesis, we investigate the deformation properties of Fano threefolds and the birational ge-ometry of foliations. First, we try to find compactification of several families of Fano threefolds. Then we give a description of the connections between foliated minimal models. Finally, we will discuss geometric properties of Fano foliations. This thesis contains results of (1), (26), (19) and some recent independent work. Description: This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University London 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z