Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Engineering workplace'
To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Engineering workplace.
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'Engineering workplace.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Poltavtchenko, Elena. "Engineering design reports in upper-division undergraduate engineering courses and in the workplace." Thesis, Northern Arizona University, 2013. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3562160.
Full textAbstract:
The workplace success of new engineering graduates is ultimately affected by their oral and written communication skills. However, engineering students' academic preparation for industry's needs in terms of written communication has been widely acknowledged as inadequate. The present study is intended to improve our understanding of a prominent engineering genre, the engineering design report (EDR), and provide support for students learning to write this genre. The goals of this study are to (a) conduct a corpus-based register comparison between student and professional EDRs and (b) provide a more detailed description of professional EDRs, by determining their rhetorical organization and identifying linguistic features associated with this organization.
This research is based on two EDR corpora (N of texts=262, with approximately 1,119,186 words), one with upper-division engineering students' EDRs and the other with professional engineers' EDRs. The study examines both non-linguistic and linguistic features of student and professional EDRs. First, non-linguistic characteristics of EDRs are examined using the EDR situational framework developed for the study. Then, corpus-based methodologies are used to analyze core grammatical features and features associated with grammatical complexity in both corpora. Finally, to determine conventional discourse structures of professional EDRs, the study draws on the English for Specific Purposes tradition of genre analysis and then uses register analysis to investigate linguistic features associated with particular rhetorical structures.
The register analyses revealed complex patterns of linguistic variation, frequently influenced by the registers' situational characteristics. The results of these analyses indicate that two EDR registers fill different positions on the spoken-to-written continuum, with reports produced in the workplace being closer to professional written registers and student reports using more speech-like features. The genre analysis of professional EDRs uncovered the highly variable nature of this genre. Despite considerable variation in EDR rhetorical organization, 12 common moves were identified that cluster in specific ways to form EDR organizational units and rely on particular sets of linguistic features. A streamlined template of the EDR genre is introduced as are linguistic features associated with its organization. Study results may have pedagogical implications for teaching features of professional EDRs to students.
2
Higgins, John Lawrence, and Sharen Elizabeth Dechard. "Study of the productivity enhancement initiative, engineering the workplace." Thesis, Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/10945/21564.
Full text
3
Seth, Aileen. "Workplace learning through structured interactions." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12128.
Full textAbstract:
Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-114).
Individuals need to keep learning to stay employable and compete in today’s job market, and organisations need to keep learning in order to maintain a competitive advantage in the economy. The workplace is thus being recognised as a legitimate environment for learning new skills and knowledge, through participation in everyday work activities. This recognition has led to numerous studies that connect learning and the workplace, giving rise concepts such as ‘the learning organisation’, ‘organisational learning’, ‘workplace learning’ and ‘informal learning’. All of which have created confusion, uncertainty and complexity in understanding how learning takes place. In order to understand how individuals learn in the workplace, and thus understand how organisations can enhance such learning, this study investigates individuals’ perceptions of their workplace as a learning environment and their experiences of learning through participation in work activities.
4
Kotze, Sharon Jean. "Social diversity in an engineering workplace: a conflict resolution perspective." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1638.
Full textAbstract:
The global working environment has altered dramatically over the last decade, with the workforce now consisting of a diverse assortment of individuals. South Africa, in particular, has had to face major challenges as it adapts to the newly conceived "Rainbow Nation". It has also had to make amends for inequalities bred by the past discrimination and the segregation of Apartheid. Prior to this, businesses in general, were inward-looking in that they did not have to comply with or conform to the changing trends found in the international arena. Suddenly, issues such as Black Economic Empowerment, Affirmative Action, gender, age, faith and preferred sexual orientation have had to be accommodated as the new Employment Equity Act of 1998 was promulgated. Each individual coming into the workplace has his or her own cosmological, ontological and epistemological view, and although this facilitates a positive contribution by individuals with regard to varying ideas, skills, talents and expertise, more often than not, the reality is that the differences that exist within a staff complement often result in conflict. Furthermore, South Africa exhibits deep-rooted, social conflict as a result of the oppression of the apartheid years. Unemployment, poverty, poor education and service deliveries are far from being satisfactorily addressed. Therefore, it is assumed that unmet/frustrated basic human needs, as defined in Abraham Maslow‘s "Hierarchy of Needs", play a role in causing conflict both in the workplace and in society. It was felt that basic human needs, as articulated, had not been researched as a cause of workplace conflict and this research will explore the part that frustrated human needs may play in organisational conflict, alongside diversity conflicts.
5
Flink, Kurt. "International APU (Workplace training)." Thesis, Malmö högskola, Lärarutbildningen (LUT), 2008. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-30070.
Full textAbstract:
SAMMANFATTNINGSyftet med denna undersökning var att försöka hitta de eventuella positiva effekter som kunde tänkas uppstå vid genomförande av arbetsplatsförlagd utbildning internationellt (utlands APU) för att i en förlängning kunna använda det som ett pedagogiskt hjälpmedel för de elever som studerar på Allhamra gymnasieskolas industriprogram. Materialet till undersökningen grundar sig på rapporter från Utbildningsdepartementet och intervjuer från elever på Allhamra gymnasieskolas industriprogram.Metoden som valdes var kvalitativa intervjuer med halvstrukturerad intervjuform och ett fenomenografisk beskrivande perspektiv användes vid återgivande av informanternas svar där en hermeneutisk tolkning av intervjuerna gjordes. Det slutliga deltagarantalet uppgick till åtta personer. Resultatredovisningen och resultatsammanfattningen visar att informanter som har genomfört utlands APU har fått yrkesmässig utveckling därmed nya kunskaper, de har även förbättrat sina språkkunskaper och fått ett stärkt självförtroende Det framkom även idéer hur studiemotivationen kan förbättras.
6
Gewirtz, Christopher Aaron. "Twelve Tales of Engineering in the "Real World:" Narratives of Newcomers' Agency in Transitions to Engineering Work." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/104897.
Full textAbstract:
Reports that call for change in engineering education date back to the Mann report (1918), but more recent reports like "The Engineer of 2020" (NAE, 2004), and "Lean Engineering Education," (Flumerfelt et al., 2015) describe the need for engineers who are creative leaders, who have sustainability and ethics skills. Two narrative threads emerge from these reports: that engineering education does not adequately prepare engineers with the skills needed for industry, and that preparation for industry is imperative in order to address problems in society. However, these threads conflict with research from engineering education, science and technology studies, and higher education. There may not be a gap between school and work (Modestino, Shoag and Balance, 2016), and if there is one, it might be a socio-cultural gap that is unreasonable for universities to accept the full responsibility of narrowing. More problematic is that establishing "preparation-for-work" as the purpose for education threatens the goal of preparing students for life outside of work and does not necessarily prepare them to act towards benefit for society.
The goal of this study was to critique these narratives using narratives of newcomer engineers' lived experiences. I had two research questions: 1) Who are new engineers asked to be at work? 2) Who do new engineers choose to be in response? I answered these by constructing and analyzing narratives of 12 newcomer engineers, based on interviews collected as part of the Capstone to Work study (Paretti et al., 2021). Using the figured worlds framework of identity development (Holland et al., 1998), I investigated the structures of work, which constrained who newcomers could become, and newcomers' agency, which they used to improvise identities within those constraints.
The structures of engineering work that I examined required newcomers to acclimate to ongoing practices at their companies, which did not conform to newcomers' expectations of creative engineering work. Newcomers were objectified: their value and identity was often defined in terms of how much money they made for their company. They were alienated: their engineering problems were rarely defined in terms of their societal impact. The faced sexism: they were denied respectable identities based on gender. In response, some newcomers sought the identity of "asset" for their companies. Other newcomers sought new jobs that would give them opportunities for creativity, growth or societal benefit. And some newcomers worked to create opportunities at their jobs to be who they wanted: leaders, engineers working for environmental benefit, whole persons outside and inside of work.
The results of this study suggest limitations of preparation narratives: They do not account for objectification, alienation, and sexism that newcomers face. Engineers also may unfortunately be prepared with stereotypes that do not match the realities of engineering work. This study suggests that we need to educate engineers in a way that recognizes them as human and prepares them for these realities. It also shows us that socio-technical change requires change at the structural level and cannot be limited to changes in education.Doctor of Philosophy
Reports like "The Engineer of 2020", and "Lean Engineering Education," describe the need for engineers who are creative leaders, and who have sustainability and ethics skills. Engineering education researchers and practitioners use these preparation narratives to justify their funding to grant-awarding institutions, to develop research agendas, and to align their education efforts with these national calls. Two threads emerge from typical preparation narratives: that engineering education does not adequately prepare engineers with the skills needed for industry, and that preparation for industry is necessary for engineering to address societal problems. These, however, conflict with research from engineering education, science and technology studies, and higher education. If there is a gap between school and work, it might be a socio-cultural gap that is unreasonable for universities to accept the full responsibility of narrowing. More problematic is that establishing "preparation-for-work" as the primary purpose of education threatens the goal of preparing students for life outside of work and does not necessarily prepare them to act towards benefit for society. This study critiques these narratives by referring to newcomer engineers' lived experiences and identity development. I had two research questions: 1) Who are new engineers asked to be at work? 2) Who do new engineers choose to be in response? I answered these by constructing and analyzing narratives of 12 newcomer engineers, based on interviews collected as part of the Capstone to Work study. Using the figured worlds framework of identity development, I investigated the structures of work, which constrained who newcomers could become, and newcomers' agency in becoming different kinds of engineers within those constraints. Newcomers were generally required to acclimate to ongoing practices at their companies, which did not conform to their expectations of creative engineering work. Newcomers were objectified: their value and identity was often defined in terms of how much money they made for their company. They were alienated: their engineering problems were rarely defined in terms of their societal impact. The faced sexism: they were denied respectable identities based on gender. In response, some newcomers sought the identity of "asset" for their companies. Other newcomers sought new jobs that would give them opportunities for creativity, growth or societal benefit. And some newcomers worked to create opportunities at their jobs to be who they wanted. The results of this study suggest limitations of preparation narratives: they do not account for objectification, alienation, and sexism that newcomers face. Engineers also may unfortunately be prepared with stereotypes that do not match the realities of engineering work. Engineers should be educated in a way that recognizes them as human and prepares them for the realities of work. The study also confirms that efforts for socio-technical change cannot be limited to educational changes, because of structural constraints.
7
Collins, Robert. "Engineering graduate preparedness for the workplace employer assessments of outcome based education /." abstract and full text PDF (UNR users only), 2008. http://0-gateway.proquest.com.innopac.library.unr.edu/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3339098.
Full text
8
Crussell, Matthew. "Workplace Posture Assessment and Biofeedback with Kinect." DigitalCommons@CalPoly, 2017. https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1710.
Full textAbstract:
With the prevalence of computing, many workers today are confined to desk within an office. By sitting in these positions for long periods of time, workers are prone to develop one of many musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), such as carpal tunnel syndrome. In order to prevent MSDs in the long term, workers must employ good sitting habits. One promising method to ensure good workplace posture is through camera monitoring. To date, camera systems have been used in determining posture in a clean environment. However, an occluded and cluttered background, which is typical in an office setting, imposes a great challenge for a computer vision system to detect desired objects. In this thesis, we design and propose components that assess good posture using information gathered from a Microsoft Kinect camera. To do so, we generate a data set of posture captures to test and train, applying crowd-sourced voting to determine ratings for a subset of these captures. Leveraging this data set, we apply machine learning to develop a classification tool. Finally, we explore and compare the usage of depth information in conjunction with a traditional RGB sensor array and present novel implementations of a wrist locating method.
9
D'SOUZA, VINOD DONATUS. "WORKPLACE DESIGN AND EVALUATION GUIDE." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2001. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin994963607.
Full text
10
Rogers, Neal L. Umphress David A. "Discrete event role playing simulation of small team software engineering projects." Auburn, Ala., 2006. http://repo.lib.auburn.edu/2006%20Summer/Dissertations/ROGERS_NEAL_18.pdf.
Full text
11
Fitzpatrick, Erin Lillian. "Forming effective teams in a workplace environment." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/292015.
Full textAbstract:
Throughout much of the past century, manufacturing efficiencies were gained by constructing systems from independently designed and optimized tasks. Recent theories and practice have extolled the virtues of team-based practices that rely on human flexibility and empowerment to improve integrated system performance. The formation of teams requires consideration of innate tendencies and interpersonal skills as well as technical skills. In this project we develop and test mathematical models for formation of effective human teams. Team membership is selected to ensure sufficient breadth and depth of technical skills. In addition, measures of worker conative tendencies are used along with empirical results on desirable team mix to form maximally effective teams.
12
Elliott, Patrick Alan. "An analysis of the Naval Supply Systems Command's Engineering the Workplace (EWP) project." Thesis, Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10945/22892.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the current Naval Supply Systems Command stock point productivity enhancement project known as Engineering the Workplace (EWP). It was found that EWP produce significant efficiencies in physical distribution work methods, employee performance, and material organization and flow. It was also found that EWP is an effective tool for training employees in efficient work methods, monitoring employee performance on a continuing basis, and providing managers with a quantitative decision making control mechanism that is based on objective performance measurement indices. The major conclusion is that EWP is an appropriate methodology to use in other functional areas of a stock point. An aggressively managed application of EWP throughout other segments of the NAVSUP community may significantly improve productivity. Keywords: Performance(Human), Naval procurement, Materials handling, Work measurement, Theses. (SDW)
13
Ribeiro, Marisa Ferreira. "An evaluation of skills development in a sample of metal and engineering firms in Gauteng." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11541.
Full textAbstract:
Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 121-127).
The metal and engineering industry is one of the most significant contributors to South Africa’s manufacturing employment and economic performance. In recent times though debate regarding the industry has centered on reported critical skills shortages, alluding to decreased employment and performance. Studies confirmed that skills shortages at artisan, technical, engineering and management levels existed with artisans representing the most critical skills shortage in the industry. This study evaluates the nature and extent of skills development taking place in a sample of metal and engineering firms located in the industry’s most significant province, Gauteng. Research was conducted through interviews with skills development representatives from a non-randomly selected sample of firms belonging to three categories in the metals beneficiation value chain, namely: raw material processing firms; intermediate product producing firms and finished product producing firms.
14
Lesina, Debiasi Lukas. "Illuminating preference : rethinking colored lighting in workplace environments." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2020. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/130183.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Architecture, September, 2020Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, September, 2020
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF of thesis. "February 2020." Confirmed by MIT Registrar Office, graduation date is September 2020.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 69-71).
Comfort in workspace lighting is hard to define. In recent years "smart hardware" has enabled personalized control in lighting. Provided interfaces, however are often forcibly tying the ephemeral nature of light and personal preference into a simplified interface. In this thesis, three new paradigms are proposed, emphasizing on personalization through sensing and matching preferred light to a given workplace task. Firstly a study attempts to find correlations between semiotic meaning and task on different media trying to establish pipeline for interaction. In a second example, the experience itself becomes the most essential part and is thus framed around the question, to whether sufficient knowledge of preference can be matched to nearby workplaces through methods oflearning. Thirdly in a personalized lighting setup, a microcontroller, equipped with a camera, uses image recognition algorithms tracking movement and pose of people in the room adjusting lighting condition to suit a given task. In summary, this thesis poses the question: how can personalized lighting rethought, to better allow for tasks in workplace environments?
by Lukas Lesina Debiasi.
S.M.
S.M.
S.M. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Architecture
S.M. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
15
Gutiérrez, Rodríguez Julia, and Salto-Weis María Morales. "Design of a cozy and ergonomic workplace." Thesis, Högskolan i Skövde, Institutionen för ingenjörsvetenskap, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:his:diva-13951.
Full textAbstract:
The aim of this project is to develop an armchair for work, in collaboration with the furniture company Jooy. A background study was first performed to define the mission statement and to set the requirements. The background study includes a market research to know who the customers and the potential clients can be, a study of the Scandinavian design style and gathering data from customers to define the users’ needs. After the background study, potential users were delivered a questionnaire to clarify the objectives. The next step has been to set the specifications. At this point, the idea generation stage was carried out using creative and rational design methods, such as the Morphological Chart, until the final concept was chosen. Using the specifications and creative methods such as Brain drawing, different possible solutions were generated. When the product was defined, a study in materials and ergonomics was performed. In addition, a prototype was built to test by users at University of Skövde. Finally, 3D CAD model was implemented in PTC Creo Parametric. The design process followed is inspired by the front-end concept development process. During the development of the project the collaboration with the company has been crucial in order to learn about materials, ergonomics and how to make a prototype. Also feedback from the supervisor and the company has been continuously considered to improve the project.
16
Wong, Wai-keung. "Project management of building services engineering in Hong Kong /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 2001. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B25950071.
Full text
17
Jacob, Ashish, and Sangappagowda Shayan Masavalli. "Design and Development of a Home Workplace." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Maskinkonstruktion, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-179098.
Full textAbstract:
The report is about the dissertation on the design and development of a home workplace. The main objective of this dissertation is to develop a design solution based on sketches and CAD models for manufacturing the home workplace. To achieve these goals, a pre-study in terms of research is carried out, followed by brainstorming. The problems which are investigated during this dissertation are related to product compatibility, height adjustment mechanisms, selection of suitable components for the whole product. Based on the requirements and constraints set by the company customer Gottessons, a concept development process is carried out, in which and sketches of the concepts are developed and discussed. The system-level design followed by a detailed assembly design of the concepts is developed to understand the working and mechanisms involved. Later the scaled-downed demonstration models of the concepts are built to gain practical experience in converting a sketch into an actual product. Also, excluding all the design constraints provided by the company, a separate set of concepts of the home workplace are developed to overcome some of the disadvantages in previous concepts. As the product is designed for a home context, the concepts developed are compact, safe, affordable, ergonomic and multipurpose. Based on the study and research, the dimensions and specifications of the home workplace are estimated.
18
Leonhardt, Mark Daniel. "Replacing Workplace Leadership with Political Expediency." TopSCHOLAR®, 2010. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/147.
Full textAbstract:
The study examines the adherence to principled leadership styles by persons in position of authority and develops a method to determine the extent to which those people deviate from principled leadership practices for purpose of political expediency. Two fortune 500 companies, three smaller local companies and select Western Kentucky University faculty were surveyed using the MACH V Attitude Inventory for determining Machiavellian tendencies via an online survey site. An examination and evaluation of survey results yielded a surpirsingly consistent neutral score, but no indication of Machiavellian tendencies within the respondent group.
19
Ngwenya, Sandile Goodwill. "A study to determine the factors to improve group and team effectiveness in Transnet Engineering." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020626.
Full textAbstract:
Teams have increasingly become the means for completing tasks in many organisations, and organisations have turned to teams as a better way to use employee talents. Many South African companies have established work teams to solve both complex and minor problems, and some companies’ performance has increased due to the implementation of work teams. The fact that organisations are using teams does not necessarily mean they are always effective, there are many factors that contribute to team effectiveness in an organisation, and these factors need to be identified and managed properly so that the team can remain effective and produce the results that are expected. Management of most companies is unaware of the factors that contribute to group and team effectiveness, and most teams are ineffective because of the lack of focus on the factors that improve group and team effectiveness. This is the reason or objective why this study was conducted at Transnet Engineering, to identify the factors that are critical to improving team effectiveness. The researcher conducted a literature review in order to determine the factors that improve group and team effectiveness. Some of the factors deal with organisational culture, motivation (monetary and non-monetary motivation), diversity in teams, size of teams, formulation of teams, team leadership, team goals, team structures, team member training, trust in teams, etc. An empirical study with the use of a questionnaire was also conducted to determine the perceptions that supervisors, superintendents, foremen and managers have at Transnet Engineering with regards to factors that improve group and team effectiveness. The research instrument was grouped into five categories; organisational context, individual context, team context, management support and team effectiveness. More than 50 percent of the respondents agreed with the organisational and individual context factors that were tested, around 75 percent of the respondents agreed with team context factors that were tested, almost 60 percent of respondents agreed with management support factors, and more than 60 percent of respondents indicated that their teams are effective. Although there is general agreement between most factors identified in the literature study and the empirical study, the following will need more focus: Offering of team resources Leadership support from executive committee members (EXCO) Proper reward and recognition systems Conducting research to identify employee satisfaction levels Team development Diversity management Talent management Team size
20
Walsh, Derek. "How can workplace learning help to reposition Ireland's engineering industry towards a high skills route?" Thesis, University of Leicester, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/4801.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis set out to determine whether learning that takes place in the workplace can help significantly in the attempt to create a high skilled engineering workforce in Ireland. The rationale for the research was linked with certain stakeholder views which, suggest that the engineering industry must reposition itself higher up the value chain. Government aspirations of creating a knowledge based high skills economy and the promotion of lifelong learning were other influencing factors. A central tenet of the analytical framework on which the study was based is that learning and working are interdependent. Moreover learning is just as much a social and participatory process as it is a form of acquisition. Engineering companies in Ireland are classified as either traditional or modern. The expectation at the outset was to find that modern companies would provide a more conducive environment for deep learning to occur. The research was based on four case study companies representing both of these classifications in order to build a more complete of what exists in reality. Policy debate in Ireland on high level skills, lifelong learning and knowledge creation revolves mainly around greater participation levels in third level education and acquiring formal qualifications. The author was of the opinion at the outset that this type of one sided approach ignores a critical element in the skill and knowledge formation process. Evidence is presented which shows that engineering workers develop significant skill levels through the normal work routines and by interacting with work colleagues. The divide within the industry in relation to modern and traditional companies was shown to be insignificant as far as attitudes to learning and the need for skills are concerned. Certain skills which are regarded as being essential for high value added forms of manufacture were shown to be best acquired in the workplace. By focusing exclusively on formal off-the-job training and education as a means of measuring skills and knowledge levels, we will never really know what skill levels and expertise exist within the industry. More importantly the research showed that engineering employees regard the workplace as a site where certain types of skills and knowledge can only be acquired. Workplace learning must be regarded as an integral part of the engineering skill formation process and should be afforded formal recognition. The thesis is unique because it is industry specific and located in the Irish context. It is based on an analytical framework which relies on a synthesis of discrete findings from previous researchers. These interacting variables were combined as part of a mixed methodology in a way that had not been done before and resulted in some new insights on the concept of workplace learning as part of an engineering skill formation process.
21
Åkerblom, Victor. "The Digital Workplace - Integrating Chaotic Knowledge Processes." Thesis, Malmö högskola, Fakulteten för teknik och samhälle (TS), 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-20741.
Full textAbstract:
Genom fallet QlikTech ger denna uppsats en aktuell inblick i hur kunskapshantering kan hanteras i en kunskapsintensiv kontext. Medarbetare har i dag möjligheter att samarbeta inom olika interaktiva digitala miljöer för att hitta och dela med sig av kunskap och erfarenheter. Denna uppsats fokuserar på att undersöka hur digitala Communitys uppkommer, växer fram och integreras för att uppnå global kunskapsdelning inom organisationer. Detta ses som en framgångsfaktor för att ta vara på kunskapsintensiva utvecklingsföretags kretivitet och innovationskraft.Genom ett tolkande tillvägagångssätt, analyseras åtta semistrukturerade kvalitativa intervjuer med medarbetare på QlikTech för att undersöka hur olika informationssystem används för att stödja olika kunskaps- och kollaborationsprocesser. Intervjuerna kompletteras med observationer and dokumentanalyser för att nå djupare insikter.Resultaten tyder på att användare använder system med fördefinierade strukturer för att dokumentera officiell kunskap, och system med framväxande strukturer för informell dialog och samarbete. Olika system kompletterar varandra, då kunskap förs över mellan system. Gräsrotsinitierande informationssystem kompenserar för glappet mellan officiella IT-implementationer och sociala kommunikationsbehov.Teknologi och praktik utvecklas hand-i-hand. Då diskussioner, idéer, perspektiv och kontext kan upprätthålls i emergent social software platforms, t.ex. Salesforce.com, kan komplext problemlösande underlättas i datorstött samarbete. Dessa plattformar minimerar glappet mellan den formella och sociala kommunikationen inom communities of practice, vilket ger förutsättningar för organisatorisk lärande.På QlikTech växer digitala communitys fram organiskt över tid. Organisationer använder data- och text mining och relaterade teknologier för att brygga fragmenterade communitys för att uppnå kapacitet att nå isolerade kunskapskällor genom sökning. Organisationer kan lägga till sociala lager över dessa fragmenterade back-end-system, designade för att bilda övergripande gränssnitt mot användare som underlättar samarbete och driver på innovation inom arbetsplatsen.This thesis provides contemporary insights how knowledge management can be approached by a knowledge-intensive organisation. Knowledge workers today have unprecedented means to collaborate in different spaces of knowledge sharing. By analysing the case of QlikTech, results indicate that knowledge management is an integral part of knowledge-intensive organisations.By adapting an interpretive approach, eight semi-structured qualitative interviews with employees at QlikTech are analysed to find out how different information systems support different knowledge and collaboration processes. The interviews are complemented by on-the-job observations and analysis of documents to reach deeper understanding.Results indicate that users use systems with predefined structures to document official knowledge, and systems with emergent structures for informal dialogue and collaboration. Different systems complement each other, as knowledge is transferred between systems. Grass root initiated information systems compensate for the gap between official technology implementations and the social communication needs.Technology and practice co-evolve. As discussions, ideas, perspectives and context can be sustained in emergent social software platforms, such as Salesforce.com, complex problem-solving can be enabled in computer-supported cooperative work. These platforms minimise the gap between the formal and social communication within communities of practice, which facilitates organisational learning.At QlikTech, digital communities emerge organically over time. Organisations can use data and text mining, natural language processing and information extraction technologies to bridge fragmented communities to gain the capabilities to access dispersed knowledge sources through search. Organisations can add a social layer of these fragmented back-end systems, designed for building cross-functional employee-facing communities that drive collaboration and accelerate innovation in the workplace.
22
Musa, Miguel Á. (Miguel Ángel). "Leader's attributes and how these affect the happiness in the workplace." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/105314.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2015.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 98-104).
The purpose of this thesis work is to explore what specific aspects or attributes of a leader (in a broad definition) contribute positively (or negatively) to the happiness of workers. In order to do so, happiness at work is defined based in constructs used in past researches such as well-being, affect, job satisfaction, engagement, job involvement, etc. These constructs were categorized in three levels of happiness. Firstly, the transient level, which measures short-term moods and emotions lived by the individual. Secondly, in a more long term, the person level measures duration or stability of happiness over time. Finally, the unit level measures happiness of teams, units or organizations. On the other hand, 34 attributes of a leader which are representative of a good leader were chosen from literature review. Afterwards, data was collected through an electronic survey that asked respondents to assess how each of the 34 attributes affected the constructs that compose each level of happiness. The results show that all 34 attributes affect the transient, person and unit level of happiness. However, respondents thought that for the transient level of happiness a leader affects more through attributes that are visible and flow from the leader to their followers, while in the person level attributes related to their personal character (more abstract) were balanced with the more visible ones. On the other hand, in the unit level, value-oriented attributes were thought to be important as well. In addition to this, factors such as gender, work experience, and the size of the unit can change the attributes that affect the most happiness at work of the group in its different levels. In conclusion, depending on the level of happiness and the type of people that compose a group, different attributes of a leader will be needed to increase the desired level of happiness.
by Miguel A. Musa.
S.M. in Engineering and Management
23
Asaeikheybari, Golnoush. "WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL RISK FACTOR IDENTIFICATION AND MONITORING SYSTEM USING WEARABLE SENSOR TECHNOLOGY." Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies / OhioLINK, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1596820612674035.
Full text
24
Bailey, Janet L. "Computer-Supported Collaborative Work and Its Application to Software Engineering in a Case Environment." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1997. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc279296/.
Full textAbstract:
This study investigated, in the context of a field-based case study, possibilities for formation of a synergistic union between CSCW and CASE tools. A major dimension of today's software challenge is in gearing up for large-scale system development necessitating large teams of systems engineers. The principal goal of this research was to advance the body of knowledge regarding the nature of collaborative technological support in the software development process. Specifically, the study was designed to evaluate the potential for using a CSCW tool as an effective front-end to a CASE tool in the furtherance of SDLC goals.
25
Eden, Grace. "The contextual evaluation framework : a prototype evaluation technique for e-Research." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2011. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:e816cf1a-3514-400c-9f2f-e022b56710d9.
Full textAbstract:
The contextual evaluation framework (CEF) is a requirements engineering technique that incorporates a particular sociological orientation, Ethnomethodology, in the development of a rigorous and systematic approach for requirements elicitation. This qualitative approach examines how well a system may be aligned with the endogenous organisation of work within a community of practice. Assessing how well a system supports the knowledge, skills and practices that already exist within a community is equally as important as developing solutions that will eventually reconfigure those practices, create new ones and extend modes of collaboration. The aim of this thesis is to address the absence of a systematic approach to quasi-naturalistic prototype evaluation which may be useful to a broader community such as requirements engineers, computer scientists and others not familiar with the details of sociological approaches. Such an aim is in line with the ways in which prototype evaluation approaches, particularly in HCI, have successfully been disseminated throughout the computer science research community - with the provision of guidelines. Likewise, the CEF is conceived of to be implemented in a similar manner. Its focus is on the analysis of a prototype’s relevance as a tool that is in some manner familiar to those who might use it. Specifically, professionals within a discipline share complex skills and knowledge where they learn to use similar tools, instruments and processes necessary for their work. Implicit in these social practices, practitioners gradually acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to become full members of a community of practice. In this way, the processes, objects and artefacts of practice come to possess specific meaning and significance. The CEF examines how this complex architecture of meaning is supported, constrained or transformed when using a prototype and makes possible an assessment of the ways in which participants interpret its usefulness and usability.
26
Kelley, Kevin D. "An ergonomic evaluation and analysis for identifying cumulative trauma exposures in the office workplace." Online version, 1999. http://www.uwstout.edu/lib/thesis/1999/1999kelley.pdf.
Full text
27
Rosenfield, Adam (Adam Isaac). "Driving change : how workplace benefits can nudge solo car commuters toward sustainable modes." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/117826.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2018.Thesis: S.M. in Transportation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2018.
This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged student-submitted from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 223-229).
This thesis investigates the role that employer benefits can play in encouraging commuters to use sustainable modes of transportation, motivated by the increasing cost of parking provision at urban workplaces and the broader potential for travel demand management strategies to mitigate traffic congestion and pollution. In this research, case studies are conducted at two urban employers in Greater Boston. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and at Partners HealthCare, employee transportation benefits were recently enhanced to encourage alternatives to driving. MIT, concerned about an upcoming reduction in parking supply, announced in 2016 that it would provide its more than ten thousand staff with a fully-subsidized local transit pass. In an agreement with the transit agency, MIT only pays for transit trips taken, thereby avoiding the expense of monthly passes for non-riders while providing universality of coverage. For drivers, MIT eliminated annual parking permits in favor of daily, pay-as-you-park pricing to encourage multi-modality. The net result was an eight percent reduction in parking demand in the first year, at a net cost to MIT of about $200 per employee. Transit agency revenue increased as ridership among MIT employees rose approximately ten percent. Partners HealthCare was motivated to reduce its employee parking demand in the midst of consolidating fourteen administrative worksites to a new facility in Somerville, MA, and faced cityƯimposed parking restrictions. Like MIT, it introduced daily parking pricing, but tied the rates to employee income as an equity measure. Unlike MIT, it did not offer a universal transit pass, but increased monthly pass subsidies. With the new facility located along the MBTA Orange Line, there was a marked increase in transit ridership among employees who used to work in the suburbs, and today parking demand is well below anticipated levels. The thesis supplements these case studies with a randomized controlled experiment on two thouƯsand MIT car commuters, investigating how behavioral 'nudges' can further encourage reductions in driving. While no statistically significant reductions in parking were observed during the experiment, the combination of token monetary rewards and informational nudges appeared most effective at shifting travel behavior. This research illustrates the potential for travel demand management strategies to influence commuter mode choice, but reinforces the importance of carefully considering implementation deƯtails such as cost salience and user experience. Long-term success appears dependent on building a constituency of support for such strategies among employer, commuter and government stakeholders.
by Adam Rosenfield.
M.C.P.
S.M. in Transportation
28
Keen, Julia. "Retention of women architectural engineers in industry." Diss., Manhattan, Kan. : Kansas State University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/3748.
Full text
29
Wong, Wai-keung, and 汪偉強. "Project management of building services engineering in Hong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2001. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31251742.
Full text
30
Bélanger, Jacques. "Job control and the institutionalisation of labour relations in the workplace : a study of two engineering firms in England." Thesis, University of Warwick, 1985. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/4035/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is based on observation and interviews carried out in two engineering firms in the West Midlands between October 1978 and May 1980. Besides presenting and analysing a core of empirical material, it seeks to develop a general argument concerning the material and social bases of control over labour in the workplace. In doing so, this research points out some of the ways to link two major trends in the literature: the institutional approach to the study of labour relations and the more recent studies of the labour process. During the 1970s, the two companies studied implemented a reform of labour relations which appears to be typical of developments which took place in engineering and, more generally, in the manufacturing sector of British industry over the decade following the publication of the Donovan Report. The problem under study is the impact of this institutionalisation of workplace labour relations on the control workers have over the utilisation of their labour power in the work process. The fieldwork showed that, behind similar organisational and institutional features, sharply different work relations had developed. The degree of control imposed by manual workers over issues such as assignment of labour, labour mobility, manning levels, job demarcations, immediate intensity and distribution of effort, was significantly higher in one of the two case studies. At Firm A, the institutional reform helped management to confine job control within narrow limits while, at Firm B, similar changes did not help management to reduce worker control over effort but rather contributed to stabilise it. In seeking to explain this social process, attention is given to management strategies and to the strength of workers' organisations. It is also argued that the nature and contours of the work process sets the material basis for control over labour utilisation, the pattern of control also being shaped by social relations in the workplace. The main implications of the research for theory and policy are discussed in the final chapter. It is suggested that although job control resisted changes in the structure of labour relations, in a context of economic recession, it might be more vulnerable to market pressures.
31
Paez, Omar. "Financial Assessment of Health and Safety Programs in the Workplace." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1383909213.
Full text
32
FRID, JOHANNA, and FRIDA NORDANÅS. "Creating a Values-Aligned Workplace : How to Work with Company Values in Growing Consulting Firms." Thesis, KTH, Skolan för industriell teknik och management (ITM), 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-229658.
Full text
33
Looft, John Maurice. "Adaptation and validation of an analytical localized muscle fatigue model for workplace tasks." Diss., University of Iowa, 2014. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/1482.
Full textAbstract:
Muscle fatigue is universally experienced in daily life, from recreational physical activity to the workplace. However, our ability to estimate fatigue is limited. Several attempts have been made to mathematically model the effects of fatigue, such as how long a muscle contraction may be sustained, known as `endurance time.' However, these simple models of endurance time are limited to static contractions when the body is not moving, but muscles are contracted. This research aims to advance a previously proposed analytical model of muscle fatigue to represent complex tasks such as with rest intervals and dynamic contractions. Multiple methodologies were employed to assemble data to examine the model prediction accuracy, including 1) compiling previously published data involving intermittent rest intervals (i.e., meta-analysis); 2) experimentally collecting data on intermittent fatigue for shoulder flexion as it is not well represented in the literature; and 3) experimentally collecting data on fatigue during a dynamic task for elbow flexion as dynamic tasks have been virtually ignored in fatigue literature. The results of these investigations indicate that a mathematical model of fatigue is reasonably accurate in predicting an average fatigue response across multiple subjects for both intermittent and dynamic tasks, but does not currently reflect the often wide variation in muscle fatigue development that is observed between individuals. Accordingly, this type of modeling approach may have value for general assessments of fatigue accumulation, but will need further development and modification to better represent individual characteristics.
34
Almquist, Isabelle, Ellen Lindblom, and Alfred Birging. "Workplace Electric Vehicle Solar Smart Charging based on Solar Irradiance Forecasting." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för teknikvetenskaper, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-323319.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to investigate different outcomes of the usage of photovoltaic (PV) power for electric vehicle (EV) charging adjacent to workplaces. In the investigated case, EV charging stations are assumed to be connected to photovoltaic systems as well as the electricity grid. The model used to simulate different scenarios is based on a goal of achieving constant power exchange with the grid by adjusting EV charging to a solar irradiance forecast. The model is implemented in MATLAB. This enables multiple simulations for varying input parameters. Data on solar irradiance are used to simulate the expected PV power generation. Data on driving distances are used to simulate hourly electricity demands of the EVs at the charging stations. A sensitivity analysis, based on PV irradiance that deviates from the forecast, is carried out. The results show what power the grid needs to have installed capacity for if no PV power system is installed. Furthermore, appropriate PV power installation sizes are suggested. The suggestions depend on whether the aim is to achieve 100 percent self-consumption of PV generated power or full PV power coverage of charging demands. For different scenarios, PV power installations appropriate for reducing peak powers on the grid are suggested. The sensitivity analysis highlights deviations caused by interference in solar irradiance.
35
Lutz, Benjamin David. "Into the Workplace: Exploring the Learning Experiences of Newcomer Engineers during the School-to-Work Transition." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/78276.
Full textAbstract:
Entering a new environment is challenging for everyone, including engineers. Despite national efforts to improve graduates' competencies, managers and other critical industry stakeholders consistently describe new hires as underprepared for practice. Nonetheless, as engineers move into their new organizations, they learn to participate in and contribute to their communities of practice. This period is the school-to-work transition, and the goal of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of the salient learning events that characterize individuals' trajectories from engineering student to engineering practitioner.
Using a multi-case approach, this study leverages weekly journals and semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of recent engineering graduates as they enter the workplace and learn to engage in professional practice. Journal entries probed newcomers' perceptions of challenges, accomplishments, and significant learning events during the first 12 weeks of their jobs. Interviews expanded on journal findings and elaborated on participants' experiences. Analysis entailed the development and application of two complementary workplace learning frameworks from Jacobs and Park (2009) and Chao et al. (1994) that describe both the setting and content of salient learning experiences. Cross-case analysis enabled exploration across participants to examine trends and patterns within participants' experiential trajectories.
Findings point to several contributions and implications. First, the codebooks developed in this study were contextualized and operationalized for engineering workplaces, and have been refined to enhance descriptive precision and clarity. Second, journals provided thick, rich descriptions of events in ways that hold promise for future exploratory studies as well as formative assessment. Finally, results indicated that newcomer engineers engage in a wide range of learning environments throughout the school-to-work transition and describe learning along myriad socialization dimensions. In particular, workplace learning takes place in unstructured environments through routine tasks and along both technical and sociocultural dimensions. Given this learning, both industry and academic professionals should consider these dimensions as they design experiences and assess learning across organizations. Newcomer learning is challenging, but if we can gain a better understanding of how and what happens during it, we can more effectively develop efforts to enhance the transition—and therefore, practice—for future generations of engineers.Ph. D.
36
WALLACE, SCOTT DOUGLAS. "APPLICATION OF AN INTEGRATIVE MODEL FOR ASSESSING THE COMPATIBILITY OF WORK FACTORS IN THE WORKPLACE." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2001. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin984571708.
Full text
37
Haegerstrand, Anna, and Emelia Knutsson. "The Attractive Workplace : Are the Site Offices Meeting the Employees´Needs?" Thesis, KTH, Fastigheter och byggande, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-254846.
Full textAbstract:
Previous research have shown a possible relationship between the indoor work environmentand the impact it has on the employees’ performance. Different factors can affect theperformance; physical parameters, such as ventilation and air quality, noise levels, thermalclimate, lighting and access to daylight, as well as the level of flexibility of the work, furnitureetc. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the quality of the indoor work environment at siteoffices within Company AB in Sweden. Further, how the physical and the psychologicalenvironment play an important role regarding the attractiveness of the workspace. The studywill only focus on four physical parameters affecting the physical functionality of an office; airquality, noise, temperature and lighting. The following research questions were asked: 1) Whatdifferent types of site offices can be identified in Sweden and what are the commonly usedoffice layouts? 2) How well does the actual indoor work environment at site offices align withthe restrictions by the Swedish Work Environment Authority? 3) How is the indoorenvironment of the site offices perceived by the people utilizing the workspace? 4) Which arethe most important parts to look at to improve the attractiveness of the site offices at CompanyAB? The study is both qualitative and quantitative including measurements, interviews,meetings, and a questionnaire as the main sources of information used to answer the researchquestions.According to the results, the two most commonly used site offices are construction trailers andrented premises. The visited offices had varied layouts since they are designed to fit the needsof the specific project organizations. Out of the four parameters, noise was the only one thatentirely fulfilled the requirements in the six site offices visited.The employees perceived the physical parameters in the site offices differently. The air qualitywas generally perceived to be sufficient in the office spaces but quite bad in the meeting rooms.Multiple employees thought noise was one of the most problematic parameters and it wasshown to possibly depend on work role or task. Employees expressed the need of a versatileoffice layout, with both open office areas and smaller secluded rooms combined, which couldincrease their concentration level and decrease disturbance. Another problematic parameterwas the temperature and generally, the need was to stabilize it throughout the year. Regardingthe lighting, many expressed the desire to be able to adjust it on their own.People perceive things differently which is why a more varied and flexible office might fulfillmore people’s needs. If these needs are fulfilled, it could improve not only the physical workenvironment but also the psychological work environment and therefore increase theattractiveness and job satisfaction of the employees.Tidigare forskning har visat en möjlig koppling mellan inomhusklimat och dess påverkan påden anställdas prestation. Olika faktorer kan påverka prestationen; fysiska parametrar; såsomventilation och luftkvalitet, ljudnivå, termiskt klimat, ljus och tillgång till dagsljus samt nivånav flexibilitet på jobbet, möbler och andra faktorer. Därför syftar denna studie till att undersökakvalitén av arbetsmiljön inomhus på platskontor hos Company AB i Sverige. Vidare, hur denfysiska och psykiska miljön spelar en stor roll gällande hur attraktiv en arbetsplats är. Dennastudie kommer bara fokusera på fyra fysiska parametrar som påverkar den fysiskafunktionaliteten av ett kontor; luftkvalitet, ljud, temperatur och ljus. Följande forskningsfrågorhar ställts: 1) Vilka olika typer av platskontor kan identifieras i Sverige och vilka olikautformningar används vanligast? 2) Hur väl uppfyller den faktiska inomhusmiljön påplatskontoren kraven från Arbetsmiljöverket? 3) Hur upplevs inomhusmiljön på platskontorenav människorna som jobbar i dem? 4) Vilka är de viktigaste aspekterna för att ökaattraktiviteten av platskontoren på Company AB? Studien är både kvalitativ och kvantitativoch inkluderar både mätningar, intervjuer, möten och en enkät som de främstainformationskällorna för att svara på forskningsfrågorna.Resultaten visar på att de vanligaste platskontoren är byggbodar och inhyrda lokaler. Debesökta kontoren hade olika uppbyggnad eftersom de var utformade för att passa de specifikaprojektorganisationerna. Utav de fyra parametrarna var ljudet det enda som uppfyllde kraven ide sex besökta platskontoren.De anställda upplevde de fysiska parametrarna på olika sätt. Luftkvaliteten upplevdes generelltsom tillräcklig bland kontorsplatserna men ganska dålig i mötesrummen. Flera anställda tyckteatt ljudet var en av de mest problematiska parametrarna och det visade sig möjligtvis bero påarbetsroll eller uppgift. De anställda uttryckte ett behov av en varierad utformning av kontorenmed en kombination av både öppna kontorslandskap och mindre avskilda rum vilket skullekunna öka koncentrationsförmågan och minska störande ljud. En annan problematiskparameter var temperaturen och generellt var behovet att få en mer stabil temperatur över året.Vad gäller ljussättningen så uttryckte många att de ville kunna reglera den själva.Människor upplever saker olika vilket gör att ett mer varierat och flexibelt kontor kan uppfyllafler människors behov. Om dessa behov uppfylls kan detta förbättra inte bara den fysiskaarbetsmiljön utan också den psykiska arbetsmiljön och kan därigenom öka attraktiviteten samtarbetsnöjdheten hos de anställda.
38
Fernández, Marco Gero. "A Framework for Agile Collaboration in Engineering." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/7630.
Full textAbstract:
Often, design problems are strongly coupled and their concurrent resolution by interacting (though decentralized) stakeholders is required. The ensuing interactions are characterized predominantly by degree of interdependence and level of cooperation. Since tradeoffs, made within and among sub-systems, inherently contribute to system level performance, bridging the associated gaps is crucial. With this in mind, effective collaboration, centered on continued communication, concise coordination, and non-biased achievement of system level objectives, is becoming increasingly important.
Thus far, research in distributed and decentralized decision-making has focused primarily on conflict resolution. Game theoretic protocols and negotiation tactics have been used extensively as a means of making the required tradeoffs, often in a manner that emphasizes the maximization of stakeholder payoff over system level performance. More importantly, virtually all of the currently instantiated mechanisms are based upon the a priori assumption of the existence of solutions that are acceptable to all interacting parties. No explicit consideration has been given thus far to ensuring the convergence of stakeholder design activities leading up to the coupled decision and the associated determination of values for uncoupled and coupled design parameters. Consequently, unnecessary and costly iteration is almost certain to result from mismatched and potentially irreconcilable objectives.
In this dissertation, an alternative coordination mechanism, centered on sharing key pieces of information throughout the process of determining a solution to a coupled system is presented. Specifically, the focus is on (1) establishing and assessing collaborative design spaces, (2) identifying and exploring regions of acceptable performance, and (3) preserving stakeholder dominion over design sub-system resolution throughout the duration of a given design process. The fundamental goal is to establish a consistent framework for agile collaboration that more accurately represents the mechanics underlying product development and supports interacting stakeholders in achieving their respective objectives in light of system level priorities. This aim is accomplished via improved resource management and design space exploration, augmented awareness of system level implications emanating from sub-system decisions, and increased modularity of decentralized design processes. Stakeholder synergy in design processes is enhanced via stakeholder focalization, based on the systematic communication of decision-critical information content.
39
Roux, Daniel Francois. "Approaches, expectations and perceptions of different generations regarding culture and leadership in the engineering department at Sishen mine." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/15056.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2008.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: People's life experiences and backgrounds shape who they are - whether they are young or old, male or female, and across all races, ethnicities and religions. Today's workplace environment represents the largest diversity of generations of any time in history, and with this diversity comes new challenges. These challenges are directly due to the different generations and associated gaps based on different approaches, expectations and perceptions regarding culture and leadership in the workplace. There are generally four different generations employed in today's workplace: Traditionalists (Builders), Baby Boomers (Yuppies), Generation X (Yiffies), and Generation Y (Millennials). According to generation theory, Traditionalists were born between 1930 and 1949, Baby Boomers between 1950 and 1969, Generation X between 1970 and 1989, and Generation Yafter 1990. Although there are very few Traditionalists in contemporary workplaces, there are still some left to consider. More important than understanding the Traditionalists, though, is the need for a better understanding of the fast-growing group of Generation Y employees who are entering the workforce. At Sishen Iron Ore Mine (Sishen) there are also four generations employed, each with different approaches, expectations, perceptions, attitudes, loyalties, frames of reference, views of authority, job strengths, work ethics, relationships, work/life balances and other beliefs. The question that arises is whether the management team of the Engineering Department at Sishen can be more effective and productive through an improved and in-depth understanding of each generation's approaches, expectations and perceptions regarding culture and leadership. The purpose of this research study is to analyse the specific correlation of the different workforce generations in the Engineering Department with the general theoretical knowledge available about each generation by focusing more specifically on approaches, expectations and perceptions. The study also includes some recent research information regarding Generation Y and the related opportunities, challenges and effective ways of managing this generation. By focusing on the research results within the multigenerational workforce and the generation gaps, the possible solutions for managing conflict can improve through a better understanding of each generation. Each generation's typical characteristics are discussed in detail by means of a thorough literature study, with the overall aim of enhancing both team and organisational success. The employees and permanent contractors at the Engineering Department number approximately 1 945. The randomly selected participants in the generations survey were from the pool of permanent employees, excluding the contractors. The information was collected by means of a short questionnaire representing the typical characteristics of each generation. A sample of 250 participants from eight different sections within the department was asked to complete the questionnaire, but unfortunately a response rate of only 34% (85 questionnaires) was recorded. The research showed that the typical characteristics of the Traditionalists and Baby Boomers could be used to represent almost the entire Engineering Department. It also revealed specific influences in the working and social environment, leadership styles, and the mine's culture that affect the different generations regarding their approaches, expectations and perceptions. The report concludes with an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the study, as well as a few key findings and a summary, conclusion, and recommendations.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Alle mense word gevorm deur lewensondervindings en agtergrond wat bepaal wie hulle is - ongeag of hulle oud of jonk, manlik of vroulik is, asook oor alle rasse, etniese groepe en geloofsoortuigings heen. Hedendaagse werksomgewings word gekenmerk deur die grootste generasiediversiteit van alle tye, wat nuwe uitdagings meebring. Die uitdagings is die direkte gevolg van die verskillende generasies en gepaardgaande gapings gebaseer op verskillende benaderings, verwagtinge en persepsies aangaande kultuur en leierskap in die werksplek. Daar is tans oor die algemeen vier verskillende generasies in diens in werksplekke, naamlik Tradisionaliste, Baby Boomers, Generasie X en Generasie Y. Volgens generasieteorie is Tradisionaliste persone gebore tussen 1930 en 1949, terwyl Baby Boomers tussen 1950 en 1969, Generasie X tussen 1970 en 1989 en Generasie Y na 1990 gebore is. Hoewel daar min Tradisionaliste in die werksplek oor is, is daar nog enkeles wat in ag geneem moet word. Van groter belang is egter die behoefte om die vinnig groeiende Generasie Y wat nou tot die werksmag toetree, beter te verstaan. By Sishen Ysterertsmyn (Sishen) is daar ook vier verskillende generasies in diens, elk met verskillende benaderings, verwagtinge, persepsies, houdings, lojaliteite, verwysingsraamwerke, menings oor gesag, werksverwante sterkpunte, werk-etiek, verhoudings, lewensbalanse asook ander oortuigings. Die vraag wat ontstaan, is of die bestuurspan van die Ingenieurswese Departement by Sishenmyn meer effektief en produktief kan wees deur hul kennis en begrip van elke generasie se benaderings, verwagtinge en persepsies ten opsigte van kultuur en leierskap te verbeter. Die doel van die studie is om te ontleed of daar 'n spesifieke ooreenstemming is tussen die verskillende generasies by die Ingenieurswese Departement en die algemene teoretiese inligting beskikbaar oor elke generasie deur meer spesifiek op benaderings, verwagtinge en persepsies te fokus. Die studie sluit ook onlangse navorsingsinligting aangaande Generasie Y in, met die gepaardgaande geleenthede, uitdagings en effektiewe maniere om die generasie te bestuur. Deur te fokus op die navorsingsresultate binne die multigenerasie-werksmag en die ooreenstemmende gapings, kan daar moontlik oplossings ontstaan om te help met konflikbestuur wat op 'n beter begrip van die generasies gegrond is. Elke generasie se tipiese eienskappe word in diepte bespreek deur middel van 'n deeglike literatuurstudie, met die oorhoofse doel om span- sowel as organisasiesukses te verhoog. Die totale aantal werknemers, insluitend permanente kontrakteurs, van die Ingenieurswese Departement is ongeveer 1 945. Die deelnemers aan die generasieopname is lukraak gekies, maar die kontrakteurs is uitgesluit. Die inligting is ingesamel met behulp van 'n kort vraelys wat die tipiese eienskappe van elke generasie verteenwoordig. Uit 'n steekproef van 250 deelnemers uit agt verskillende seksies binne die departement wat gevra is om die vraelys te voltooi, is 'n betreklik swak responskoers van 34% (85 vraelyste) behaal. Die navorsing het bevind dat die tipiese eienskappe van die Tradisionaliste en Baby Boomers tans gebruik kan word om feitlik die hele department te verteenwoordig. Dit toon verder ook dat daar spesifieke invloede in die werks- en sosiale omgewing, leierskapstyle en die myn se kultuur is wat die verskillende generasies se denkpatrone rondom benaderings, verwagtinge en persepsies vorm. Die navorsingsverslag word afgesluit met 'n bepaling van die sterk- en swakpunte van die studie, 'n paar kernbevindings en 'n opsomming, gevolgtrekking en aanbevelings.
40
Shawcross, Judith Karen. "Manufacturing excellent engineers." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2018. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/279677.
Full textAbstract:
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have been criticised by employers, government and graduates themselves, for not adequately developing required work skills. An example of practice that does develop student skills is a short industrial placement (SIP) where students are expected to solve a real problem in a company, in two weeks, working with one other student. This practice occurs in a one year Masters programme at Cambridge University Engineering Department. This work studies the SIP practice to understand why it is effective and determine lessons that could contribute to solving the wider skills problem. A five year research timeframe, coupled with an annually run programme, enabled a multi-stage study using an Engaged Scholarship methodology. The first-stage was an exploratory study that investigated the initial development of SIP skills, using simulated experiences, in a taught HE based module. Skills development was found to be a complex multi-component process. A theoretical skills development framework was constructed from literature and compared with practice. It was determined that five simulated SIP experiences provided the student with sufficient skills to undertake a SIP in practice and, the most significant problem was that SIP skills were not well defined. The second-stage focussed on defining skills. Skills were found to be context specific and defining skills required both the associated task and its context to be known. With tasks found to be both essential to defining skills and effective in describing what graduates do in practice, a SIP task framework was constructed which was tested on 80 different SIPs in one academic year. The resulting framework comprised twelve problem-solving process-stages, that in total contained 64 different tasks, and five generic task domains. These generic domains were investigated in the third-stage of this research. These were found to be more extensive and complex than anticipated resulting in a reconfiguration of the SIP framework, the generation of SIP specific domain descriptions and partial completion of task frameworks to describe each domain. This research has generated a plausible skills development theory for HEIs, and task frameworks to describe a SIP. Further work has been identified to refine the task frameworks and to continue work on the proposed skills development theory.
41
Morrow, Jeffrey A. "Tracking consensus in product development teams /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/10694.
Full text
42
Almgren, Rikard, and Amin Harirchian. "Viability of Virtual Reality techniques in identifying environmental stressors on female employees in an IT workplace." Thesis, Malmö universitet, Fakulteten för teknik och samhälle (TS), 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-20611.
Full textAbstract:
Dagens IT-område är tungt mansdominerad trots att det arbetas med att introducera fler kvinnor till fältet och det arbetas för att behålla dessa kvinnliga anställda [2, 3, 5]. Denna forskning visar hur Virtual Reality (VR) tekniker kan användas som verktyg för att identifiera en av de faktorer som kan vara orsaken till att kvinnor lämnar, nämligen de fysiska miljöstressorerna som påverkar kvinnliga anställda inom IT-branschen. Målet med denna studie var att utvärdera genomförbarheten av ett VR-baserat tillvägagångssätt för att testa faktorer som miljöstressorer. Studien försöker också introducera mer information om VR-baserad testning och observation och vilka fördelar det kan medföra samt ge information till IT-baserade företag där fysiska miljöstressorer kan orsaka missnöje på arbetsplatsen bland kvinnliga anställda. Studien gjordes i fyra steg, en litteraturstudie för att samla in information om situationen för kvinnliga medarbetare samt aktuell forskning inom VR, ett design and creation steg för att skapa en prototyp för att identifiera stressorer på en arbetsplats, en pilotstudie för att bekräfta designbeslut och allmän testbarhet och slutligen ett fallstudie-experiment av kvinnliga anställda på ett IT-konsultföretag för att samla in data och utvärdera VR-lösningen som ett verktyg för att identifiera och utvärdera stressorer på kvinnliga anställda. Uppgifterna från experimentet samlades in genom inspelning av användarinteraktioner med den virtuella miljön och via enkäter. Två enkäter användes, en före VR-upplevelsen och en efter. Detta gjordes för att ta reda på hur VR-upplevelsen påverkat deltagarna och om de kunde identifiera olika stressorer. Resultaten av studien visar att alla fem av de utvärderade miljöstressorerna kunde identifieras med hjälp av VR-lösningen och att man kan potentiellt hitta sätt att minska stress som kvinnliga anställda upplever. Detta genom att tillämpa det som har hittats med en studie som denna studie. Lösningen kan också potentiellt anpassas för att vara tillämplig på andra områden än IT.The Information Technology field of today is heavily male-dominated despite work to introduce more women to the field and work to retain these female employees [2, 3, 5]. This research shows how Virtual Reality (VR) techniques can be used as a tool to identify one of the factors that could be the cause of women leaving, namely the physical environmental stressors that affect female employees who work in IT industries. The goal of this study was to evaluate the viability of a VR based approach to testing real-life factors such as environmental stressors. The study also tries to introduce more information about VR based testing and observation and what advantages it may bring as well as provide information to IT-based companies on which physical environmental stressors could cause workplace dissatisfaction among their female employees. The study was done in four steps, a literature review to gather information about the situation for female employees and the current research in the field VR, a design and creation step to generate a prototype to gauge the viability of a VR based approach to identifying stressors in a workplace, a pilot study to confirm design decisions and general viability of testing and finally a case study experiment of female employees from one IT consultancy company to collect data and evaluate the VR solution as a tool for identifying and evaluating stressors on female employees. The data from the experiment was collected by recording the user interactions with the virtual environment and by questionnaires. Two questionnaires were used, one before the VR experience and one after. This was done in order to find out how the VR experience influenced the participants and whether they were able to identify various stressors. The results of the study show that all five of the evaluated environmental stressors could be identified using the VR solution and that one could potentially find ways of reducing stress experienced by female employees by applying what was learned using a solution such as this one. The solution could also potentially be further modified to be applicable to other fields than IT.
43
EL-SAYED, MOHAMED A. "ADVANCING THE WORK COMPATIBILITY MODEL THROUGH THE ANALOGY WITH COMPRESSOR/TURBINE MODELS." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1186979872.
Full text
44
Turner, Susan. "Towards computer supported cooperative design." Thesis, n.p, 1999. http://library7.open.ac.uk/abstracts/page.php?thesisid=72.
Full text
45
Baskaran, Laksana, and Emelie Jin. "From Conversation to Action : Perceptions and Practices of Allyship in aSwedish Workplace Context." Thesis, KTH, Skolan för industriell teknik och management (ITM), 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-296342.
Full textAbstract:
Motivated by laws and regulations, moral grounds or the potential business advantages a more diverse workforce might bring, Diversity Management has become an ubiquitous part of organizational practices. Still, minorities are regularly exposed to social and structural discrimination at their workplaces. Allyship mayplay a vital role in changing this. The purpose of this thesis is to explore how allyship is perceived and practiced in a Swedish organization whose members have undergone training in allyship. In short, workplace allyship is the support and advocacy for the inclusion, belonging and career development of a socially disadvantaged or marginalized group. While more and more companies are including allyship into their Diversity Management practices, organizational research is yet to catch up. In addition, there is a very limited body of literature, independent of research field, which surveys allyship outside an American or native English-speaking context. Thus, claims that allyship is cross-cultural are so far founded in theory rather than empirical evidence. Constructed from a single case study of a Swedish subsidiary of an American company, this thesis presents an empirical model of the perceptions and practices of workplace allyship encompassing its motivators and demotivators, resulting behaviours, and challenges concerning its implementation. The model is based on interviews with both non-managers and managers but focuses its attention on disadvantaged group members and managers - two important perspectives that hitherto have received very limited attention in allyship research. The findings suggest that the way allyship is perceived and practiced is directly affected by both organizational enablers and barriers and the context of allyship. It is found that local endeavours must be made to contextualize centralized initiatives to a larger extent. In particular, educational efforts need to be more explicit about both the essence of and interrelation between allyship and systemic discrimination, since such connotations seem to be lost in translation when brought outside its original American historical, cultural and social context. If these are not made clear, there might be a risk that what is perceived as allyship helps preserve the very inequitable systems it conceptually is intended to disrupt. This insight motivates further research on the actual effects of workplace allyship.Mångfaldsarbete (eng: diversity management) har tagit allt större plats i organisatoriska sammanhang och dess metoder. Arbetet har varit motiverat av lagar och förordningar, moraliska anledningar eller för att en diversifierad arbetsstyrka har potentialen att medföra stor affärsnytta. Trots denna satsning utsätts minoriteter för social och strukturell diskriminering på sina arbetsplatser. Allierade (eng: allies) kan ha en framträdande roll för förändra detta. Det huvudsakliga syftet med denna rapport är att utforska hur ‘allyship’ uppfattas och utövas på en svensk organisation, där dess anställda har fått genomgå en utbildning om ‘allyship’. ‘Allyship’ kan kort definieras som förespråkandet av både den sociala- och karriärsrelaterade inkluderingen av en social missgynnad eller marginaliserad grupp. Samtidigt som allt fler företag och organisationer arbetar med just ‘allyship’ så har inte forskningen inom organisationsteorier kommit ikapp. Det är väldigt begränsat med litteratur kring detta ämne som grundar sig utanför USA, eller ett huvudsakligen engelsktalande land. Det påstående som återfinns inom forskningslitteraturen, att ‘allyship’ är tvärkulturellt är därmed främst baserat på teori med få empiriska bevisningar. Utifrån en fallstudie på ett svenskt filial av ett amerikanskt bolag, presenterar denna uppsats en empirisk modell för ‘allyship’ på arbetsplatsen (eng: workplace allyship). Modellen innefattar faktorer som motiverar respektive avskräcker, resulterande insatser och de utmaningar som uppstår när ‘allyship’ ska implementeras. Denna modell är baserad på genomförda intervjuer med både chefer och anställda. Fokuset har lagts på missgynnade gruppmedlemmar (eng: disadvantaged group members) och chefer. Detta är då dessa perspektiv har hittills fått begränsad plats i forskningen om ‘allyship’. Resultaten talar för att sättet ‘allyship’ uppfattas och utövas på beror starkt av organisatoriska möjliggörare och barriärer, samt den kontexten som finns. Detta innebär att det krävs lokala ansträngningar på filialen för att kontextualisera centraliserade initiativ i större utsträckning. Särskilt viktigt är det att utbildningarna och liknande insatser om ‘allyship’ blir tydligare eftersom dess innebörd förefaller sig försvinna när konceptet tas ur det amerikanska sammanhang det härstammar ifrån. Om betydelsen inte klargörs finns det en risk att uppfattningen om ‘allyship’ bidrar till att bibehålla den systematiska diskrimineringen konceptet finns till för att bekämpa. Denna insikt ligger som grund till vidare forskning om ‘allyship’ på arbetsplatsen.
46
Edwards, W. Keith. "Coordination infrastructure in collaborative systems." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/32963.
Full text
47
GOYAL, DEVENDRA. "EVALUATING WORK-FACTOR CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2001. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin990816550.
Full text
48
Dryselius, Alexander, and Joel Pettersson. "Motivation in the Remote Workplace : Understanding the Threats and Opportunities to Motivation During Enforced Remote Work." Thesis, KTH, Industriell ekonomi och organisation (Inst.), 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-290792.
Full textAbstract:
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, organizations across the world have been forced to move operations into the homes of its employees. This shift has dramatically changed the individual workplace contexts that employees are subject to, raising questions about which effects this will have on employee motivation. As levels of motivation relates to both productivity and well-being of individuals, it is critical that organizations know how motivation can be facilitated in a remote working (or “teleworking”) context so as to safekeep the productivity and well-being of their employees. Through semi-structured interviews, this study gathers the opinions and experiences of employees from five different companies in knowledge intensive sectors. Analysing this material we constructed seven recurring themes that were related to motivation. Viewing these themes through a theoretical framework based on previous studies of remote working, the Job Demands-Resources Model, and Self-Determination Theory we conclude that teleworking affects motivation in the areas of lacking social interaction, the level of informational transparency in the organization, challenges to work-life balance, a responsibility shift between managers and employees, troubles reaching out for support, digital meetings, and perceptions of learning. We conclude the study by providing managers and employees with lists of practical guidelines that can help them facilitate motivation in the teleworking context.I kölvattnet av Covid-19-pandemin har organisationer över hela världen tvingats flytta verksamheten till de anställdas hem. Denna förändring har dramatiskt förändrat individernas egna arbetsplatskontexter. Detta väcker frågor om vilka effekter detta kommer att få på anställdas motivation. Eftersom motivation är relaterat till produktivitet såväl som välbefinnande hos individer är det avgörande att organisationer vet hur motivation kan underlättas i ett fjärranslutet (eller"distansarbetande") sammanhang för att skydda sina anställdas produktivitet och välbefinnande. Genom semistrukturerade intervjuer samlar denna studie in åsikter och erfarenheter från anställda från fem olika företag inom kunskapsintensiva sektorer. Genom att analysera detta material konstruerade vi sju återkommande teman som var relaterade till motivation. När vi tittar på dessa teman genom en teoretisk ram baserad på tidigare studier av distansarbete, Job Demands-Resources-modellen och Self-Determination-teorin drar vi slutsatsen att distansarbete påverkar motivation inom områdena medbristande social interaktion, nivån av transparens inom organisationen, utmaningar i balansen mellan arbete och privatliv, en ansvarsförskjutning mellan chefer och anställda, svårigheter att be om hjälp för att lösa problem, digitala möten och upplevelsen av lärande. Vi avslutar studien med att ge chefer och anställda en lista med praktiska riktlinjer som kan hjälpa dem att facilitera motivation i distansarbete.
49
Baudin, Samuel, and Marcus Fredriksson. "Industrial look and feel – The combination of aesthetics and performance in production, a case study." Thesis, Mälardalens högskola, Akademin för innovation, design och teknik, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-39605.
Full textAbstract:
The increasing globalization of the market has rendered the competitive situation for companies worldwide more fierce than ever with order winners becoming order qualifiers and the demand continues to rise. Especially, the situation has become more complex for SME´s that are suppliers to large global companies. To ensure themselves that the suppliers are conforming to the high standards set by the large companies. In mediating the quality of the production as well as having a well-performing production, practitioners are using the term industrial look and feel to encapsulate a production that both deliver and looks the part. However, this term is loosely used, and a clear definition of it is missing, hence creating problems when the term industrial look and feel is used in production line design. In this study, the authors aim to investigate the possibilities of providing a clear definition of the term industrial look and feel and what it involves. Further, the authors want to investigate what are the important aspects to consider when designing a production line considering industrial look and feel. The study was directed by these three research questions: * How can Industrial Look and Feel be defined? * How does Industrial Look and Feel contribute to increased performance of a production line? * What is important to consider when designing a production line considering industrial look and feel in an HMLV environment? To answer the research questions a case study has been conducted at a company producing the robust data communication equipment and a literature review was conducted with the aim of understanding the concepts included in the term industrial look and feel. The study resulted in a definition of industrial look and feel, how industrial look and feel may contribute the production performance and important aspect to consider and include in the design of a production line considering industrial look and feel. Taking the newly defined concept of industrial look and feel into consideration, a concept assembly line was developed at the case study company.
50
Halton, Maurice. "L.Gardner and Sons Limited : The History of a British Industrial Firm. A study with Special Reference to Markets, Workplace Industrial Relations, and Manufacturing Engineering Technology, 1955-1986." Thesis, University of Bolton, 2010. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.511279.
Full text