Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'In-house services (Business) Evaluation'

Business-IT alignment has been a top research topic for three decades now and consistently ranks high on CIO priorities and concerns. In spite of its seeming advantages, sustainable business-IT alignment remains elusive in practice. This can be attributed to the language and knowledge gaps which impede mutual understanding between business and IT stakeholders. It can also be attributed to the limitations imposed by approaching alignment solely from a strategic perspective. This thesis argues for an ontology-based framework that bridges the language and knowledge gaps through closer interaction between business and IT stakeholders throughout the software development and project management lifecycles, especially at the requirements engineering stage. Attempts at achieving sustainable business-IT alignment predominantly focus on strategic alignment and have not been successful for various reasons. Firstly, driving down alignment initiatives to the operational and tactical levels is challenging. Secondly, it is difficult to operationalize the metrics used for evaluating alignment maturity at strategic levels. These limitations are less pronounced at the functional levels of an organization. It is at these levels that business strategies are executed and interaction between business and IT personnel is most frequent. The interaction between business and IT stakeholders in the execution of IT projects presents an opportunity that can be leveraged to drive alignment maturity. The proposed framework is discussed in terms of its underpinning hypotheses, workflows, tool design and implementation, its use with a third party framework and tool. Antecedents to operational and tactical alignment such as quality, reuse, communication, learning, and shared understanding, are proposed as a practical means of achieving sustainable alignment maturity. The framework is applied to real world, business-critical projects in a top global financial services organization and validated using descriptive statistical analysis and structural equation modelling techniques. Contributions made through the study are highlighted. This includes the Alignment Forces Model which unifies the proposed framework and its support tool within software development and project management lifecycles. The Alignment Forces model and how it can be applied in practice is presented. Results of the quantitative data analyses indicate support for the arguments for the framework towards improving business-IT alignment, however with some limitations. Results also indicate support for the hypotheses for the antecedents to sustainable alignment maturity at lower organizational levels put forward. Finally, suggestions on furthering the study, addressing its limitations, and refining the framework and tool are articulated.

Le principe d'élasticité est d'assurer que juste les ressources nécessaires sont provisionnées pour préserver le bon fonctionnement des services Cloud. La propriété d'élasticité permet d'éviter la sous-utilisation et la sur-utilisation des ressources. La propriété d'élasticité a attiré beaucoup d'attention ces dernières années comme une tâche pivot qui permet d'assurer un bon compromis entre les QdS désirées et les coûts opérationnels des AbSs. Toutefois, le contrôle d'élasticité des AbSs et la définition des stratégies d'élasticité non-triviales sont encore des tâches difficiles à réaliser. Une stratégie d'élasticité est utilisée pour gérer l'élasticité en décidant des trois éléments essentiels: 'quand', 'où' et 'comment' utiliser les mécanismes d'élasticité (par exemple, les opérations de duplication/consolidation de services) qui permettent d'assurer les objectifs de QdS avec une consommation optimisée des ressources. La complexité de définition de stratégies d'élasticité augmente avec les métriques de QdS considérées. La difficulté de cette tâche est de plus accentuée avec l'absence d'un langage unifiée pour exprimer ces stratégies. Notre travail de thèse vise à remédier aux limites des approches existantes pour la gestion des stratégies d'élasticité. Il consiste à développer un langage pour décrire différents types des stratégies d'élasticité d'une façon unifiée. Nous définissons un modèle formel qui cadre l'ensemble de métriques à considérer, définit les opérations d'élasticité à appliquer et spécifie les lois d'émission de requêtes. Ce modèle servira aussi pour appliquer et valider les stratégies spécifiées. Nous travaillons en plus sur l'alignement des contrats de qualités de services (Service Level Agreement) avec les stratégies d'élasticité
Elasticity is the ability of a system to be adjustable to workload change by allocating and releasing as many resources as needed while ensuring the agreed QoS. It has played a pivotal role in many research works for ensuring QoS. Therefore, Elasticity management is witnessing a lot of attention from IT community as a pivotal issue for finding the right tradeoffs between QoS levels and operational costs by working on developing novel methods and mechanisms. However, controlling business process elasticity and defining non-trivial elasticity strategies are challenging issues. Elasticity strategies are policies that are used to manage elasticity by deciding when, where and how to use elasticity mechanisms (e.g, adding or removing resources). Many strategies can be defined to ensure applications elasticity. The abundance of possible strategies requires their evaluation and validation in order to guarantee their effectiveness before using them in real Cloud environments. Our thesis work aims to overcome the limitations of the existing approaches for elasticity strategies management. It consists in developing a configurable Domain-Specific language to describe different types of elasticity strategies in a unified way. We define a formal model that captures a set of QoS metrics and defines elasticity operations. This model will also be used to define and verify elasticity strategies. We will also work on the alignment of Service Level Agreements with the elasticity strategies

Le Cloud Computing est de plus en plus utilisé pour le déploiement et l'exécution des applications métiers et plus particulièrement des applications à base de services (AbSs). L'élasticité à différents niveaux est l'une des propriétés fournies par le Cloud. Son principe est de garantir la fourniture des ressources nécessaires et suffisantes pour la continuité de l'exécution optimale des services Cloud. La fourniture des ressources doit considérer la variation de la demande pour éviter la sous-utilisation et la surutilisation de ces dernières. Il est évident que la fourniture d'infrastructures et/ou de plateformes élastiques n'est pas suffisante pour assurer l'élasticité des applications métiers déployées. En effet, il est aussi nécessaire de considérer l'élasticité au niveau des applications. Ceci permet l'adaptation dynamique des applications déployées selon la variation des demandes. Par conséquent, les applications métiers doivent être fournies avec des mécanismes d'élasticité permettant leur adaptation tout en assurant les propriétés fonctionnelles et non-fonctionnelles désirées. Dans nos travaux, nous nous sommes intéressés à la fourniture d'une approche holistique pour la modélisation, l'évaluation et la mise en oeuvre des mécanismes d'élasticité des AbSs dans le Cloud. En premier lieu, nous avons proposé un modèle formel pour l'élasticité des AbSs. Pour cela, nous avons modélisé les AbSs en utilisant les réseaux de Petri et défini deux opérations d'élasticité (la duplication et la consolidation). En outre, nous avons proposé de coupler ces deux opérations avec un contrôleur d'élasticité. Pour assurer l'élasticité des AbSs, le contrôleur analyse l'exécution des AbSs et prend des décisions sur les opérations d'élasticité (duplication/consolidation). Après la définition de notre modèle pour l'élasticité des AbSs, nous nous sommes intéressés à l'évaluation de l'élasticité avant de l'implémenter dans des environnements Cloud réels. Pour cela, nous avons proposé d'utiliser notre contrôleur d'élasticité comme un Framework pour la validation et l'évaluation de l'élasticité en utilisant des techniques de vérification et de simulation. Enfin, nous avons mis en oeuvre l'élasticité des AbSs dans des environnements Cloud réels. Pour cela, nous avons proposé deux approches. La première approche encapsule les AbSs non-élastiques dans des micro-conteneurs, étendus avec nos mécanismes d'élasticité, avant de les déployer sur des infrastructures Cloud. La seconde approche intègre notre contrôleur d'élasticité dans une infrastructure autonomique afin de permettre l'ajout dynamique des fonctionnalités d'élasticité aux AbSs déployées sur des plateformes Cloud
Cloud computing is being increasingly used for deploying and executing business processes and particularly Service-based Business Processes (SBPs). Among other properties, Cloud environments provide elasticity at different scopes. The principle of elasticity is to ensure the provisioning of necessary and sufficient resources such that a Cloud service continues running smoothly even when the number or quantity of its utilization scales up or down, thereby avoiding under-utilization and over-utilization of resources. It is obvious that provisioning of elastic infrastructures and/or platforms is not sufficient to provide elasticity of deployed business processes. In fact, it is also necessary to consider the elasticity at the application scope. This allows the adaptation of deployed applications during their execution according to demands variation. Therefore, business processes should be provided with elasticity mechanisms allowing their adaptation to the workload changes while ensuring the desired functional and non-functional properties. In our work, we were interested in providing a holistic approach for modeling, evaluating and provisioning of elastic SBPs in the Cloud. We started by proposing a formal model for SBPs elasticity. To do this, we modeled SBPs using Petri nets and defined two elasticity operations (duplication / consolidation). In addition, we proposed to intertwine these elasticity operations with an elasticity controller that monitors SBPs execution, analyzes monitoring information and executes the appropriate elasticity operation (duplication/consolidation) in order to enforce the elasticity of SBPs. After facing the challenge of defining a model and mechanisms for SBPs elasticity, we were interested in the evaluation of elasticity before implementing it in real environments. To this end, we proposed to use our elasticity controller as a framework for the validation and evaluation of elasticity using verification and simulation techniques. Finally, we were interested in the provisioning of elasticity mechanisms for SBPs in real Cloud environments. For this aim, we proposed two approaches. The first approach packages non-elastic SBPs in micro-containers, extended with our elasticity mechanisms, before deploying them in Cloud infrastructures. The second approach integrates our elasticity controller in an autonomic infrastructure to dynamically add elasticity facilities to SBPs deployed on Cloud platforms

The market for digital TV is developing and some industry actors focus on interactive TV. Interactive content and services that previously only were able to use through a standard PC are now available to use through the TV set. To distribute the services to the TV a so called set top box with broadband connection needs to be used. Such a box can be described as a unit where a standard PC and a digital TV receptor are integrated.

This thesis aims to investigate the market for electronic payment solutions with a focus on payment for interactive content and services in digital TV. The presumptive services are many which lead to a relative complex analysis of how they should be paid for. What kind of service is it really to be paid for?

In order to conduct an appropriate analysis this thesis contains an identification of five different service-/content types. The grouping we have conducted is in so called On Demand services, Voice over IP, Shopping, Interactive TV and web services. In order to be able to conduct a relevant assessment of how the distributed services should be paid for the understanding of the market situation is utterly important. Therefore the thesis contains a pre study of the different market actors that can be related to a set top box and interactive TV.

The study of eight different actors on the Swedish market provides an overview of content providers’ as well as payment companies’ view on how interactive content and services should be paid for. The result from the thesis is a recommendation on how an electronic payment solution should be designed and important aspects to think of. One of the key outcomes is that different services needs different types of payment solutions which implies that you should first decide on what type of services that are to be provided before a decision is made on the payment solution.

A byproduct from the thesis is the analysis model that facilitates analysis of services as well as payment solutions and - methods related to electronic payments and interactive media.

Europe aims for a transition towards less greenhouse gas emission and dependency on fossil fuels. The integration of intermittent renewable energy sources, as wind or solar power, can be facilitated by, among others, temporally decoupling demand and supply of electricity. If technologies for electrical energy storage are profitable, wide implementation could support the transition. Therefore, this study assesses the revenues and costs of long-term storage technologies and evaluates the possibility to stack several services provided by a storage unit to fully utilise it. Key market characteristics influential on storage potential are outlined and used to classify and compare the demand for storage in European markets. Considering them market clusters are formed comprising of countries with similar electricity market and from these two contrasting archetypal countries are chosen for further evaluation, Sweden and Germany. Storage technologies, as pumped hydro or compressed air, are delineated by essential technical specifications and used to determine the compatibility of them to corresponding services. A process for combining multiple services for a single storage unit is designed and employed to develop five cases. The results show that providing multiple services device can improve the profitability of the designed business cases by generating multiple revenue streams and increase the value to the electricity system. The stacking also minimises the storage’s idle time. Furthermore, the results demonstrate the influence of the key characteristics on the economic viability of the electrical energy storage in European markets.
Europa eftersträvar en övergång från att släppa ut mindre växthusgaser och minska eroendet av fossila bränslen. Att implementera förnybara energikällor, som vindkraft ller solenergi, kan underlättas genom att bland annat genom att tillfälligt rikoppla efterfrågan och leveransen av el. Om tekniken för energilagring är lönsam, an genomförande därför stödjas. Denna studie beskriver därför både intäkter ch kostnader för långsiktiga lagringstekniker och utvärderar även möjligheten att mplementera flera tjänster som tillhandahålls av en lagringsenhet till att kunna tnyttja denna till fullo. Marknaden av lagring kännetecknas redan ha potentiella förutsättningar och att den an användas för att klassificera och jämföra efterfrågan för lagring på de europeiska arknaderna. En marknadsanalys har valts att genomförts av länder med likartad lmarknad och de två länder som har välts ut för en vidare utvärdering är Sverige ch Tyskland. Lagringsteknik som vattenkraft som pumpas eller tryckluft, beskrivs ärmare med tekniska förutsättningar och används för att beskriva kompatibiliteten v tekniken och tjänsterna. Ett förfarande för att leverera flera tjänster från en enda innesenhet är utformad och används för att utveckla fem beskrivande fall. Resultatet visar att tillhandahålla flera tjänster från en enda lagringsenhet förbättrar önsamheten för affärsidéer genom att generera flera intäktsströmmar och ökar ärdet till elsystemet. Stapling minimerar också lagring är ledig tid. Dessutom visar esultatet om hur de viktigaste egenskaperna påverkas av de ekonomiska affärsmodellerna.

The objective of the study was to develop a framework for the implementation of a Business Information Management System in order to increase the efficiency of the knowledge management strategy in the ultimate quest to deliver administrative support to public schools at the Gauteng Department of Education within the Sedibeng East District Office geographical area. A literature investigation was done on the concepts of e–Government, eplatforms, information technology and enablers to determine if Government models are working effectively and efficiently. Based on the findings of the literature study, a questionnaire was designed and used to measure the efficiency of the knowledge management strategy in the base of administrative support to public schools. Government to Government models are the ability to interact and support services through the availability of e–platforms in the ultimate support, and sharing of knowledge through effective knowledge management. Knowledge in an organisation alternates between tacit and explicit knowledge as it goes from an idea to explicit knowledge that can be shared throughout the whole organisation and in the process gives the necessary administrative support to public schools and learners. Proper managed and implemented systems are important for the management of knowledge in an organisation. Knowledge management is a never–ending cycle that starts at discovering knowledge and goes through generating knowledge, evaluating knowledge, sharing the newly found knowledge to leveraging the knowledge. This cycle forms the heart of a knowledge management model like the different education e–platforms that is available. It was concluded that the knowledge in an organisation can be managed with the help of one standardized e–platform model throughout the entire Education Department. Knowledge in an organisation is a very important resource and ought to be strategically managed. The knowledge management strategy starts by determining what knowledge is needed and what is available in the organisation. The chosen standardized model will form the central part of a successful knowledge management strategy. The test for the success of a knowledge management strategy is determined with a knowledge audit. The state of the knowledge management strategy at Gauteng Department of Education, Sedibeng East District Office was assessed by employing convenience survey questionnaires to extract the data. Sedibeng East District Office and therefore the Department of Education, still have a long way to go in order to optimise the management of knowledge. The key area of concern is a lack of a written knowledge management strategy and policy which results in informal e–platform usage and therefore different ways of managing knowledge. A large portion of the indecisiveness seen in the analysis of the questionnaires could be attributed to the lack of a formal knowledge management strategy. It was further concluded that a knowledge gap assessment is the start of the knowledge management strategy and will give direction to the strategy. The culture at Sedibeng East District Office was not tested to determine if the staff will be supportive of a knowledge management strategy. However, the survey indicated that much needed administrative support to public schools needs to be formalized in order to optimize the services and standards of support. A practical knowledge management framework is proposed in order to assist the Department in the implementation of a knowledge management strategy and bridging the gaps found after analysing the questionnaires.
Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

The corporate governance best practice code (Code) of the New Zealand Exchange (NZX) came into effect on October 29, 2003. However, so far there is no systematic study of compliance with and impact of NZX Code on the performance of NZX companies. This study attempts to provide some answers to the perceived knowledge gap. The NZX Code recommends certain governance mechanisms to enhance corporate performance. The mechanisms analysed in this study are the percentage of independent directors, duality, presence of board subcommittees (audit, remuneration, and nomination), and the performance evaluation of board and individual directors. This thesis examines the possible relationship between recommended governance structures and the performance of NZX companies for the years 2003 (pre-Code) and 2007 (post Code), using data from the same 89 companies for each year. Although the number of companies adopting the NZX structures has increased, the rate of full compliance of the Code remains disappointingly low, rising from 5.6% in 2003 to just 22.5% in 2007. Probably due to the small sample size relative to the number of independent variables, and the problem of co-linearity, the multiple linear regression results do not seem to be conclusive and may be unreliable as the basis to form any formal statistical inference. However, treating the 89 companies as the whole population (89 out of 90), and using a simpler and more descriptive statistical tool to analyse the impact of individual independent variables on firm performance, the 2007 results show a consistent pattern of a positive relationship between Code compliance and firm performance, assuming all other factors being constant. This positive relationship is further reinforced by dividing the population into the various industry groupings as classified by the NZX, which also results in a consistent pattern of companies which comply fully with the Code structures financially outperforming companies that only partially comply with the Code during 2007. Surprisingly, listed companies adhering to the Chairman/CEO dual role do not seem to have impacted negatively on firm performance, contrary to agency theory expectation.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005.
Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xiii, 181 p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 121-130). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

According to the Financial Sector (FS) Charter, in August 2002, at the NEDLAC Financial Sector Summit, "the financial sector committed itself to the development of a Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) charter. It made this commitment, noting that: "Despite significant progress since the establishment of a democratic government in 1994, South African society remains characterised by racially based income and social services inequalities. This is not only unjust, but inhibits the country's ability to achieve its full economic potential. BEE is a mechanism aimed at addressing inequalities and mobilising the energies of all South Africans. It will contribute towards sustained economic growth, development and social transformation in South Africa. Inequalities also manifest themselves in the country's financial sector. A positive and proactive response from the sector through the implementation of BEE will further unlock the sector's potential, promote its global competitiveness, and enhance its world class status". Parties of the Financial Sector Charter agreed on the seven pillars below: 1) Human resource management - provide resources to develop skills of black people with the aim of increasing black participation in all levels of management in the sector. 2) Procurement policies - implement a targeted procurement strategy to enhance BEE. 3) Enterprise development - improve the level of support provided to BEE companies in all sectors of the economy. This would be achieved through skills transfer, administration and technical support. 4) Access to financial services - provide affordable financial services to the previously disadvantaged groups and making sure financial services are accessible to these groups. 5) Empowerment financing - work closely with government and government financial institutions to increase resources for empowerment financing. 6) Ownership in the financial sector - 25% of shares in each party of the FS Charter should be owned by black people by 2010. 7) Corporate social investrnent (CSI) - Each financial institution will have to spend 0.5% of their after-tax profit on corporate social investment projects. The projects should be targeted at black groups with a strong focus on transformation. The research evaluates the applicability of Lewin's Force Field Analysis (a change management model) in the implementation of the Financial Sector Charter at Standard Bank of South Africa. It attempts to achieve this by looking at how the Financial Sector Charter is being implemented at Standard Bank. The research looks at three main areas: 1) The "context" of the research problem, by seeking to understand Standard Bank's understanding of the FS Charter, the importance of implementing the FS Charter by the bank, the progress made thus far in the FS Charter implementation and comparison to the BEE scorecards of the other three main bank. 2) The "process", i.e. how the FS Charter is implemented in the bank, the driving and restraining forces of successful implementation of the FS Charter and the lessons learnt. 3) The "outcome" , i.e. benefits of implementing the FS Charter and what could be done to ensure that change management processes are successfully implemented. Personal interviews were used to discover other valuable information which was not available on the bank's published documents, and other related sources such as the Financial Sector Charter document. The sample size for the study was ten Standard Bank employees from different areas of the bank who are either senior managers or directors, in the bank. Internal publications available on the Standard Bank intranet such as the bank's employment equity plans, and the bank's sustainability reports from 2004 to 2011 (Standard Bank, 2004-2011) were analysed for the purpose of the study. The researcher also analysed public documents such as the bank's annual financial reports, bank's equity reports and internal publications on related topics of the research question. Lewin's Forces Field Analysis (FFA) points out that in any environment where change is required; there are both driving and restraining forces that influence the implementation of a change programme. The FFA is a valuable change management tool at trying to transform the behaviour of an individual, and this will lead to transformation of groups and, ultimately the organisation. It also helps to establish the balance between the driving and restraining forces of the change programme. Lewin's (1951) theory put forward the idea that change occurs in three stages: the first stage of change is unfreezing; the second stage is moving and lastly, the third stage is refreezing. In the unfreezing stage, the bank's change management initiatives would need to be directed at giving the individuals a desire and motivation to be ready and open about a planned change initiative. This could be achieved by clearly communicating why change is important, benefits of change and the compelling reasons for change. In moving, the bank would need to give support and confidence to the people affected by change in order to start accepting and buying-in to new perspectives, which enable them to realise that change will improve the current situation. In the refreezing stage, the bank would need to ensure that new patterns of behaviour are reinforced. This will ensure that the changes are applied in everyday business, and this helps create a sense of stability, where those affected by change feel comfortable and confident with the new approach of doing things. The research concludes that managers should recognise the sensitivity around transformation, and should always try to ensure that change management initiatives directed at transformation are unifying, fair and transparent. This should be done to avoid a situation where an employee (or prospective employees) and other stakeholders feel under-appreciated or overlooked because of their gender or race. This demands a carefully crafted and implemented change management programme, whose results will not only unify the bank's employees, but also create a competitive edge for the bank. Lewin's Force Field Analysis (FFA) model is a change management tool that could be used to produce such results.

Thesis (MBA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2017
The research is focused on outsourcing versus in-house staff in the case of the University of Limpopo. Since the outsourcing path was adopted in 2002, no formal study was instituted by UL to ascertain whether the decision had positive effects on the university’s financial status and former employees’ welfare. One of the impediments that posed a real threat to the UL’s outsourcing agenda was the lack of a guiding document to adequately direct the negotiation process. Lack of feedback and lack of a vibrant communication plan as the main variables that triggered a climate of mistrust between the PCS and stakeholders were identified. This study seeks to determine which option, namely outsourcing versus in-house staff complement will be the most advantageous to UL. The idea taken by the UL in 2002 to outsource what was perceived as non-core operations was an idea that was never easy to implement and ultimately failed to achieve its originally intended purpose. This study opted for the qualitative method because it relied on the views of UL’s former employees who were directly affected by the university’s 2002 outsourcing arrangement. The population of this study consisted of one hundred and fifty (150) people comprising of UL’s in-house employees in the UL. The process of selecting the participants was based on the purposive sampling method. The sample size for this study was 38 of the outsourced operational support staff From the results obtained from the study, a conclusion was drawn that the outsourcing arrangement did not provide any significant benefit to any of the affected parties. The recommendations on measures to improve the effectiveness of UL’s outsourcing arrangement were made and described in detail in chapter five of this study. Recommendations for further studies were also made in chapter five as being inevitable because there is no research that is complete in itself

Business transactions (a.k.a., business conversations) are series of message exchanges that occur between software applications coordinating to achieve a business objective. Web service has been proven to be a promising technology in supporting business transactions. Business transaction can either be long-running or short-lived. A transaction whether in a database or web service paradigm consists of an “all-or-nothing” property. A transaction could either succeed or fail. Web Service Atomic Transactions (WS-AT) is a specification that currently supports Two-Phase Commit (2PC) protocol in a short-lived transaction. WS-AT is developed by OASIS–a standards development organization. However, not all business process scenarios require a 2PC, in that case, just a One-Phase Commit (1PC) would be sufficient. But unfortunately, WS-AT currently does not support 1PC optimization. The ideal scenario where 1PC can be used instead of 2PC is when there is only a single participant. Short-lived transactions involving only one participant can commit without requiring initial “prepare” phase. Thus, there is no overhead to check whether the participant is prepared to either commit or rollback. This research focuses on designing a mechanism that can add 1PC support in WS-AT. The technical implementation of this mechanism is developed by using JBoss Transaction API. As a part of this thesis, 1PC mechanism for a single participant scenario was implemented. This mechanism optimizes the web service transaction process in terms of overhead and performance in terms of execution time. The technical implementation solution for 1PC mechanism was evaluated using three different business process scenarios in a controlled experiment as a presence or absence test. Evaluation results show that 1PC mechanism has a lower mean for execution time and performed significantly better than 2PC mechanism. Based on the contributions made by this thesis, we recommend OASIS to consider including 1PC mechanism as a part of the WS-AT specification.

In this thesis the Third-Party Logistics (3PL) partnership between the Japanese trading company Gadelius and the European logistics provider Mahé is investigated. This was done as a case study, mainly taking place on location at Gadelius’ headquarter in Tokyo.

The purpose has been to identify and evaluate the fulfilment of initial objectives, both with respect to agreed on terms and expectations of each party, analyze the reasons behind result and provide recommendations for the future.

In terms of what is strictly defined and agreed on in the contract the partnership is principally fulfilled, but this setup is not good in terms of how full 3PL-effects could be achieved.

The not so strictly defined parts of the contract stating that Mahé should work proactively are however not fulfilled to the same degree. This is connected to the lack of a dedicated Mahé representative being integrated into the OtD-team at Gadelius.

Because of this Gadelius’, to begin with very high, expectations on effects have become unrealistic, which has contributed to bad sentiments against Mahé and their capabilities. This has further been enhanced by Key Performance Indicators that don’t fully match the essential objectives with the partnership.

To change the situation two possible ways for the future are presented. If Gadelius’ focus is on indirect cost reductions an expanded partnership should be chosen, while a focus on direct cost reductions and a need for an easier change implementation call for a more limited partnership. For both alternatives new ways for measuring performance are suggested.

Project evaluation is concerned with indicators setting and performance tracking along the life of a project. It plays an essential role to the success of any project and therefore demands special attention. At the heart of this process lies a system of criteria one has to take into account when performing the evaluation. Our thesis considers this problem in a particular context, namely New Service Development (NSD) projects. The topic is of our interest because innovation (hence NSD) has become an inherent aspect of service industry while the research dedicated to NSD project evaluation is rather limited. Our thesis aims at understanding the purposes, the process of evaluating NSD projects and pointing out specific criteria included during the evaluation of NSD projects. As a result, the research question pursuing is: ‘What are key Evaluation Criteria for New Service Development projects?’ From the literature review on project evaluation and new service development, our study reveals a list of eight important criteria of evaluation. This consists of three financial criteria: (1) profitability, (2) production cost, (3) return on investment; and five non-financial criteria: (4) strategic fit, (5) marketing criteria, (6) corporate social responsibilities, (7) information quality, and (8) facilitating factors. From empirical perspective, qualitative approach is applied to collect data through three case studies and a series of semi-structured interviews with seventeen respondents in Albania, Italy, Sweden and Vietnam, from companies offering various types of service. The case studies build comprehensive understanding on the process of new service development, of project evaluation for NSD whereas interviews check the transferability of the three cases and identify evaluation criteria employed in practice. The empirical results were analyzed in comparison with the arguments found from literature. Regarding the research question, the study found that the set of evaluation criteria collected from empirical study fits with the list of eight criteria proposed by literature. Among this set, two main criteria ‘strategic fit’ (4) and ‘customer satisfaction’ which is apart of ‘marketing criteria’ (5) are recommended as ‘must’ for the evaluation process on any type of NSD project. Findings of this research contribute to the existing knowledge provided by both academic and practitioners regarding both project management field and new service development area, by suggesting a set of key criteria that should be used as guidance in order to succeed with evaluation of NSD projects.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2007.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the face of increasing competition, Business Schools increasingly have to evaluate the quality of the service that they offer to current and prospective students. The most significant factor affecting an organisation's performance is the quality of its products and services in relation to the products and services of competitors. Measurement of service quality is a function of customer satisfaction, which in tum is based on a perception of how the service conforms to prior expectations thereof. A widely accepted method of quality assurance used in industry is ISO 9000 certification. For academic institutions the de facto method of providing confidence in the quality of the education they offer is through academic accreditation. The University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) is unclear - in the light of its academic accreditations - of the benefits to be derived from implementing ISO standardisation within the organisation. The iso 9000 series is a set of quality standards, of which ISO 900 I: 2000 is one, which is primarily concerned with the quality management process. It deals with what the organisation does to enhance customer satisfaction by meeting customer and applicable regulatory requirements, and to continually improve the organisations performance in this regard. It is important to note that compliance with ISO standards is not intended to guarantee the quality of a product or service, it is however intended to provide confidence in the processes which produced or delivered the product or service. In evaluating the applicability of ISO 9000 in the service industry, it is concluded that there is little difference from how its standards and guidelines apply in manufacturing to how they apply in service industries. The USB is found to have implemented an extensive quality management system in order to attain various academic accreditations, most notably EQUIS accreditation. Thus from an academic perspective there would be little to gain from USB implementing ISO 9001: 2000, even though the standard is perfectly suited for academic environments. Where advantages would most likely be realised is in the peripheral business and support functions of the USB.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die aangesig van toenemende mededinging moet bestuurskole gereeld die kwaliteit van diens wat hulle aan huidige en voomemende studente bied, evalueer. Die mees veelseggende faktor in 'n organisasie se prestasie is hoe die kwaliteit van sy produkte en dienste vergelyk met die van sy mededingers. Die meet van die kwaliteit diens wat 'n organisasie lewer is 'n funksie van die tevredestelling van kliente, wat op sy beurt weer gebaseer is op insig tot die wyse waarop die diens ooreenstem met die oorspronklike verwagtinge daarvan. ISO 9000 sertifikasie word algemeen aanvaar in industrie as 'n betroubare maatstaf waarteen kwalitieit gemeet word. Vir akademiese instellings is die de facto metode om vertroue te wek in die kwaliteit van die opleiding wat hulle aanbied, deur middel van akademiese akkreditasie. Vir die Universiteit van Stellenbosch Bestuurskool (USB) is dit in die lig van hulle akademiese akkreditasie onduidelik wat die voordele verbonde aan die implementering van ISO standaardisering binne die organisasie sou wees. Die reeks ISO 9000 is 'n stel kwaliteitstandaarde, waarvan ISO 900 I: 2000 een is, en is hoofsaaklik gemoeid met die proses van kwaliteitsbestuur. Dit bemoei hom met die stappe wat 'n organisasie neem om klientebevrediging te bevorder deur die bereiking van die vereistes van beide sy kliente en die toepasbare voorskrifte. Dit is belangrik om daarop te let dat 'n onderworpenheid aan ISO standaarde geensins die bedoeling het om die kwaliteit van 'n produk of diens te waarborg nie - die oogmerk is egter om vertroue te wek in die prosesse wat die produk of diens veroorsaak of gelewer het. Deur die toepasbaarheid van ISO 9000 in die diensbedryfte evalueer, is dit vasgestel dat daar inderdaad min verskil is tussen die wyse waarop hierdie standaarde en riglyne van toepassing is in die vervaardigingsektor en hoe dit toegepas word in diensbedrywe. Dit is vasgestel dat USB 'n verreikende kwaliteitsbestuursisteem in werking het om verskeie akademiese akkreditasies te bekom, veral die EQUIS akkreditasie. Die gevolgtrekking is dat daar vanuit 'n akademiese oogpunt min rede is vir USB om ISO 900 I: 2000 te implementeer, selfs al is hierdie standaard goed van toepassing op 'n akademiese omgewing. Waar dit tot sy beste voordeel toegepas kan word, is in die omliggende sake- en ondersteuningsfunksies van USB.

"This thesis investigates the influence of company and executive characteristics on strategic alliance formation (decision to form alliances, alliance type selection and choice of alliance partners) and performance evaluation of alliances, in the Australian tourism industry sector of travel. The significance of forming strategic alliances as a way of achieving 'harambe' is emphasised throughout this thesis. 'Harambe' is a ki-Swahili term meaning "to pull together, or to work together or to pull the same rope together at the same time" in harmony. The idea here is that companies pool their resources together through strategic alliances to be able to achieve their strategic goals and objectives. The research focuses on three travel sub-sectors - travel agencies, tour operators and wholesalers and how these sub-sectors relate with those of transport and accommodation." -
Doctor of Philosophy

"This thesis investigates the influence of company and executive characteristics on strategic alliance formation (decision to form alliances, alliance type selection and choice of alliance partners) and performance evaluation of alliances, in the Australian tourism industry sector of travel. The significance of forming strategic alliances as a way of achieving 'harambe' is emphasised throughout this thesis. 'Harambe' is a ki-Swahili term meaning "to pull together, or to work together or to pull the same rope together at the same time" in harmony. The idea here is that companies pool their resources together through strategic alliances to be able to achieve their strategic goals and objectives. The research focuses on three travel sub-sectors - travel agencies, tour operators and wholesalers and how these sub-sectors relate with those of transport and accommodation." -
Doctor of Philosophy

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The convergence of the Internet, wireless technologies, and mobile devices has led to the development of a new paradigm of transacting, namely, mobile commerce. Because banking activities are easily digitised and automated, banks have seized the mobile transacting opportunity and have developed cellphone banking applications that allow more flexibility for bank clients than internet banking in terms of anywhere, anytime banking. For banks, considering the benefits associated with multi-channel customers, the ideal situation would be that bank clients using internet banking also adopt and continue to use cellphone banking in the future. Therefore, to assist marketing managers with the development of marketing strategies to enhance the concurrent use of internet and cellphone banking, this study investigates the influence of internet banking cognitive evaluations on the perceived usefulness and the perceived ease of use of cellphone banking in the formation of the intention to use and the continuance of use intention of cellphone banking. A literature review revealed that two consumer behaviour theories can guide crosschannel cognitive evaluations between the internet banking and cellphone banking channel namely, expectation-transfer theory and status quo bias theory. In the context of this study, expectation-transfer theory can explain cross-channel evaluative synergies from the internet banking channel to the cellphone banking channel, as well as dissynergies; whilst status quo bias underpins only evaluative dissynergies. These theories point to internet banking beliefs that could influence the perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of cellphone banking. Based on the literature review, a conceptual model was developed of the formation of intention to use and the continuance of use intention of cellphone banking in an internet banking context. To assess the validity of the model empirically, data were collected from 678 users of only internet banking and 491 users of both internet and cellphone banking. The data collected in the empirical phase of the study were analysed using the structural equations modelling (SEM) software program AMOS 20.0. The results revealed that the perceived convenience and time saving of internet banking positively influence the perceived usefulness of cellphone banking for the users of both internet and cellphone banking. On the other hand, only the perceived convenience of internet banking influenced the cellphone banking usefulness perceptions of the users of only internet banking. Furthermore, internet banking trust and risk perceptions only influenced the cellphone banking usefulness perceptions of the users of only internet banking. Expectation-transfer in both cohorts was also confirmed between the ease of use perceptions of internet banking and the perceived ease of use of cellphone banking. The results also confirmed that internet banking facilitating conditions negatively influence the perceived usefulness of cellphone banking (evidence of status quo bias). The theoretical contribution of the study is apparent at three different levels. Firstly, the conceptual model of cross-channel cognitive evaluations extends the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with beliefs of a related technology as the determinants of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Secondly, the study provides more insights into how cross-channel cognitive evaluations influence the formation of intention to use and the continuance of use intention of cellphone banking. And lastly, the study identifies additional sources of expectation-transfer and status-quo bias in the multichannel marketing context. The study provides valuable insights into internet – cellphone banking multi-channel consumer behaviour that should be considered by managers in the development of cellphone banking marketing strategies. To facilitate the conversion from internet banking to the concurrent usage of internet and cellphone banking, managers of cellphone banking services must ensure that the internet banking service is reliable and risk free. Equally important, cellphone banking must be marketed as a complementary channel to internet banking. In other words, the usefulness of cellphone banking must be emphasised in situations when the bank client is not near a computer to do internet banking or when he/she does not have the time or money to use a computer for internet banking. And lastly, to enhance the adoption of cellphone banking marketing communications must emphasise the similarities between internet and cellphone banking so that expectation-transfer between the two channels can influence behavioural intentions to adopt cellphone banking. Based on the results of the study, several recommendations can be made to enhance the continuance of use of cellphone banking. Firstly, marketing communications must remind the concurrent users of internet and cellphone banking of why they are using cellphone banking. The most important reason to remind them of is the usefulness of cellphone banking in situations where there is a lack of internet banking facilitating conditions. Marketing managers should also take note that cellphone banking users do not draw on internet banking trust and risk perceptions to form perceptions of the usefulness of cellphone banking. It may be that they only consider trust and risk perceptions directly related to cellphone banking. This conclusion emphasises the importance of cellphone banking trust and risk perceptions in cellphone banking continuance of use behaviour. Finally, the study quantified the influence of internet banking cognitive evaluations on the formation of intention to use and the continuance of use intention of cellphone banking. Considering this result, the study provides valuable information for marketing managers of cellphone services. The methodology employed can also guide future studies exploring cross-channel evaluations in a multi-channel marketing context.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die sameloop van maklike toegang tot die Internet, die ontwikkeling van draadlose tegnologieë en die beskikbaarheid van mobiele toestelle het gelei tot ʼn nuwe transaksieparadigma, naamlik mobiele handel. Aangesien bankaktiwiteite maklik digitiseer en outomatiseer, het banke die mobiele verrigtingsgeleentheid aangegryp en selfoonbankaanwendings ontwikkel wat vir bankkliënte meer buigsaamheid as internetbankdienste inhou wat ‘enige plek, enige tyd’ bankwese betref. Gegewe die voordele van multikanaal gebruik, is die ideaal vir banke dat kliënte wat internetbankdienste gebruik, ook selfoonbankdienste aanvaar en in die toekoms bly gebruik. Met die oog daarop om bemarkingsbestuurders by te staan in die ontwikkeling van bemarkingstrategieë om die gelyktydige gebruik van internet- en selfoonbankdienste te bevorder, ondersoek hierdie studie die invloed van kognitiewe evaluerings oor internetbankwese op die waargenome nuttigheid en waargenome maklike gebruik van selfoonbankdienste in die vorming van die gebruiksvoorneme en voortgesette gebruiksvoorneme ten opsigte van selfoonbankdienste. ʼn Literatuuroorsig het getoon dat twee verbruikersgedragsteorieë kruiskanaal kognitiewe evaluerings tussen die internetbankkanaal en selfoonbankkanaal kan voorlig, naamlik, Verwagtingsoordragteorie (“Expectation-transfer Theory”) en Status Quo Vooroordeel Teorie (“Status Quo Bias Theory”). In die konteks van hierdie studie kan Verwagtingsoordragteorie kruiskanaalevalueringsinergieë en dissinergieë van die internetbankkanaal na die selfoonbankkanaal toe verduidelik, terwyl Status Quo Vooroordeel Teorie slegs evaluerende dissinergieë stut. Hierdie teorieë belig internetbankoortuigings wat die waargenome nuttigheid en waargenome maklike gebruik van selfoonbankdienste kan beïnvloed. ʼn Konseptuele model van die vorming van die gebruiksvoorneme en voortgesette gebruiksvoorneme van selfoonbankdienste in ʼn internetbankkonteks is op grond van die literatuuroorsig ontwikkel. Met die oog daarop om die geldigheid van die model empiries te bepaal, is data van 678 gebruikers van slegs internet bankdienste en 491 gebruikers van internet sowel as selfoonbankdienste ingesamel. Die data wat tydens die empiriese fase van die studie ingesamel is, is met behulp van die strukturele vergelykingsmodelleringsagtewareprogram (“structural equations modelling” (SEM)) AMOS 20.0 analiseer. Volgens die resultate het die waargenome gerieflikheid en tydbesparing van internetbankwese die waargenome nuttigheid van selfoonbankdienste positief beïnvloed by gebruikers van beide internet en selfoonbankdienste. Hierteenoor het slegs die waargenome gerieflikheid van internetbankdienste die selfoonbankdiensnuttigheidswaarnemings van gebruikers van slegs internetbankdienste beïnvloed. Verder het internetbankdiensvertroue en risikowaarnemings slegs die selfoonbankdiensnuttigheid van die gebruikers van slegs internetbankdienste beïnvloed. Verwagtingsoordrag in beide kohorte is ook bevestig tussen die maklike gebruik persepsies van internetbankdienste en die waargenome maklike gebruik van selfoonbankdienste. Die resultate bevestig ook dat internetbankfasiliteringsomstandighede die waargenome nuttigheid van selfoonbankdienste negatief beïnvloed (manifestering van status quo vooroordeel). Die teoretiese bydrae van die studie blyk op drie vlakke. Eerstens brei die konseptuele model van kruiskanaal kognitiewe evaluerings die Tegnologie Aanvaardingsmodel (“Technology Acceptance Model” (TAM)) uit ten opsigte van oortuigings oor ʼn verwante tegnologie as die bepalers van waargenome nuttigheid en waargenome maklike gebruik. Die studie bied tweedens ook insigte in hoe kruiskanaal kognitiewe evaluerings die vorming van gebruiksvoorneme en voortgesette gebruiksvoorneme van selfoonbankdienste beïnvloed. Die studie identifiseer laastens ook addisionele verwagtingsoordrag- en status quo vooroordeel bronne in die multikanaalbemarkingskonteks. Die studie bied waardevolle insig oor internet – selfoonbankmultikanaal-verbruikersgedrag wat bestuurders in die ontwikkeling van selfoonbank-diensbemarkingstrategieë moet oorweeg. Om die oorskakeling van internetbankdienste na die gelyktydige gebruik van internet en selfoonbankdienste te fasiliteer, moet bestuurders van selfoonbankdienste verseker dat internetbankdienste betroubaar en risikovry is. Wat net so belangrik is, is dat selfoonbankwese as ʼn komplementêre kanaal tot internet bankwese bemark moet word. Die nuttigheid van selfoonbankwese moet, met ander woorde, beklemtoon word in situasies waar die kliënt nie naby ʼn rekenaar is vir internetbankgebruik nie of wanneer hy/sy nie die geld of tyd het om ʼn rekenaar vir internetbankdienste te gebruik nie. Laastens, om die aanvaarding van selfoonbankwese te versterk, moet bemarkingskommunikasiemateriaal die ooreenkomste tussen internet en selfoonbankwese op so ʼn wyse beklemtoon dat verwagtingsoordrag tussen die twee kanale gedragsvoornemens om selfoonbankdienste te aanvaar, beïnvloed. Verskeie aanbevelings spruit voort uit die resultate oor hoe die voortgesette gebruik van selfoonbankdienste verhoog kan word. Eerstens moet bemarkingskommunikasieboodskappe die gelyktydige gebruikers van internet en selfoonbankwese herinner waarom hulle selfoonbankdienste gebruik. Die belangrikste rede in hierdie verband is die nuttigheid van selfoonbankwese in situasies waar internetbankfasiliteringsomstandighede afwesig is. Bemarkingsbestuurders moet ook in ag neem dat selfoonbankgebruikers nie op internetbankvertroue en risikowaarnemings steun om persepsies oor die nuttigheid van selfoonbankwese te vorm nie. Hulle oorweeg waarskynlik net vertroue en risikopersepsies wat direk met selfoonbankdienste verband hou. Hierdie gevolgtrekking beklemtoon die belangrikheid van vertroue in selfoonbankdienste en riskowaarnemings in voortgesette selfoonbankgebruikgedrag. Laastens, die studie kwantifiseer die invloed van kognitiewe evaluering oor internetbankwese in die vorming van selfoonbankwese gebruiksvoorneme en voortgesette gebruiksvoorneme. Veral in die lig van hierdie resultaat bied die studie waardevolle inligting vir selfoonbankdiensbemarkingsbestuurders. Die metodes wat gebruik is, kan ook verdere studies waarin kruiskanaalevaluerings in ʼn multikanaal-bemarkingskonteks ondersoek word, rig.

The digital revolution has led to a drastic transformation of electronics manufacturing industries globally. A growing number of companies are continually investing in digital technologies to remain competitive. Artificial Intelligence (AI), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Big data, Robotics, etc. and smart devices have been widely adopted to improve efficiency, connectivity, and productivity of businesses. To cope with increased competition and customer demands, electronics manufacturing companies have broadened their interest in service innovation. However, companies pursuing a servitization strategy often lack an established framework i.e. method and tools to design new services. Besides, research indicates that existing frameworks with the potential to support this development are not contextualized to the electronics manufacturing industry. This design study, therefore, evaluates and proposes how the Integrative PSS approach can be adapted to suit the electronics manufacturing context to support services. The findings suggest that some models used in this approach were found to be unfavorable in the development of services. In such cases, the study contributes by providing suggestions on what models to adapt and how in the integrative PSS approach to support electronic manufacturing companies in their servitization process. The artifact is an exaptation since a known solution is extended to solve a problem in a new context and of the type instantiation.

Background: AA Logistics Sweden is having logistic efficiency problems, and at this point they do not have performance measurement in terms of KPI´s. Due to constant development and demand on their products, there have not been enough resources available to perform these measurements.

Purpose: Our purpose is, on the basis of service level and turnover speed, to measure efficiency in terms of KPI’s at AA. It is also to design record sheets that can assist AA to increase the efficiency over time.

Methodology: Interviews with managers and employees, in order to have a solid foundation for what to look for and analyse in the ERP system. The empirical material that was received was analysed on the basis of different theories.

Result, conclusions: We have developed values for each KPI and also suggested SMART goals that in the long run will contribute to increasing the logistic efficiency.

Volunteerism is positively associated with various benefits to university students. Perhaps for this reason, some educational institutions are paying students to participate in volunteerism. Conversely, the cognitive evaluation theory suggests that monetary rewards may undermine intrinsic motivation and decrease the likelihood of future participation in volunteerism. However, there has been little empirical research done regarding this issue. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of monetary rewards on university students' intrinsic motivation to participate in a volunteerism activity. While the findings indicated a subtle trend supporting the cognitive evaluation theory, an analysis of the data demonstrated no statistical significance, thus suggesting that further research is needed in order to understand the application of the cognitive evaluation theory to volunteerism.

In the manufacturing equipment industry, sensors integrated in manufacturing equipment is a prerequisite for higher levels of servitization, such as maintenance and product support services, as the sensors can provide data of equipment usage. In this study, a framework called Evaluation of readiness of servitization has been developed, where manufacturing equipment companies can evaluate whether they benefit from developing new solutions with a higher level of servitization. In the evaluation of servitization, a company in the manufacturing equipment industry should consider the following three factors; Value proposition’s fulfilment of customer needs, Market acceptance of value proposition and Internal capabilities to develop and deliver the solution. This study shows that all three factors must be considered for a justified evaluation. The study is based on a single case study on the manufacturing equipment company Atlas Copco Industrial Technique, and a literature review on servitization in the manufacturing industry. This study shows that uncertainty about customer needs and market acceptance of the new value proposition that servitization entails, constitute obstacles to develop new solutions with a higher level of servitization. Thereby, it is of great importance to a manufacturing equipment company to assess readiness both internally and externally when evaluating if they benefit from developing new solutions with a higher level of servitization.
Inom tillverkningsindustrin är sensorer i verktyg en möjliggörare för att utveckla tjänster, såsom underhålls- och produktsupporttjänster, då sensorerna kan tillhandahålla data om verktygens användning. I denna studie har ett ramverk benämnt Utvärdering av beredskap för tjänstefiering utvecklats. Med hjälp av ramverket kan tillverkande företag utvärdera om de profiterar av att utveckla nya lösningar med högre servicegrad. Vid utvärdering av tjänstefiering bör ett företag inom tillverkningsindustrin beakta följande tre faktorer; Värdeerbjudandets uppfyllande av kundbehov, Marknadens acceptans av värdeerbjudandet och Intern förmåga att utveckla och leverera lösningen. Denna studie visar att samtliga faktorer måste beaktas för en motiverad utvärdering. Denna studie är baserad på en litteraturstudie om tjänstefiering inom tillverkningsindustrin och en fallstudie om tillverkningsföretaget Atlas Copco Industriteknik. Studien visar att bristande kunskap om kundbehov och marknadens acceptans av det nya värdeerbjudande som tjänstefiering innebär utgör hinder för företag inom tillverkningsindustrin för att kunna utveckla värdeerbjudande med högre servicenivå. Studien visar även att det av stor betydelse för tillverkningsföretag att bedöma beredskap både internt och externt vid utvärdering av beredskap för tjänstefiering.

The present thesis explores the potential role and implications of technology in elderly care from the users’ perspective. This exploration is undertaken in terms of five empirical studies of a telehealth project and a meta-analysis of their contributions. An important insight emerging from this work is the need to rethink the human subject as a body, rather than as a mere mind using technology. The thesis draws on phenomenology to reconceptualize the user of technology, and on this basis, to theorize about the potential role and implications of technology in care. It concludes that, in combination with humans that integrate technology with their other sensory and emotional capacities, technology can produce affect. The findings indicate that technology can contribute to senior citizens feeling safe, cared for and thereby less isolated. The findings further demonstrate that, because of the perceptual capacity gained from technology, the care workers become aware of new health problems that urgently call for their sensory and emotional responsiveness.

On this ground, the thesis challenges the determinist view that technology threatens the essentially ‘human’ aspect; rather, it concludes that feeling and other bodily resources are fundamental in the use of technology. Indeed, technology activates such ‘human’ capabilities.

Hence, technology plays a role as a complement for rather than as a replacement of care workers. It increases their work burden by informing them about new needs. This may improve care quality but at an increased cost, which is relevant from a practical perspective. At a more general level, the thesis challenges the dualist legacies in mainstream management research that have sought to divorce mind form body, nature from culture and reason from emotion. It can therefore contribute to broader theoretical developments and fuel existing debates beyond the care setting.

Technical, vocational education and training (TVET) in Kenya has undergone major changes since colonialists introduced it at the beginning of the twentieth century. Since then, TVET has evolved in the areas of science, technology and innovation to provide skills that will propel the country to middle-level industrialised status by the year 2030. However, current training and development (T&D) processes in Kenya have been criticised for being rigid and irrelevant to industry, creating a mismatch of skills produced by the training institutions and those demanded by the industry; it is upon this criticism that this research is built. The focus of this thesis is to analyse key stakeholders‘ perceptions of TVET in the micro and small enterprises (MSE) in the motor vehicle service and repair industry (MVRSI). In Kenya vocational education and training (VET) is referred to as technical, vocational education and training—TVET. In this thesis a practical T&D framework is developed for use to analyse the stakeholders‘ perceptions. A generic organisational T&D model was examined as was the literature dealing with TVET sub-systems in Kenya and elsewhere. The organisational T&D model was then expanded to include relevant training areas and activities. Data were collected in two cities and four roadside towns. Interviews were held with 19 micro and small enterprises (MSE) employers and 57 of their employees, eight TVET trainers and four senior education officers. Four focus group discussions with final year trainees were held, and observations were made at the MSE and the training institutions. Content analysis was used to analyse data. Findings obtained indicated that TVET plays a vital role in furnishing its learners with skills that are required in the MVRSI. However, while the T&D program has very well crafted training objectives, it is beset by numerous challenges. The program has restricted methods of data gathering resulting in a system that has neither been able to compile an industrial skills inventory nor a skills-gap analysis that would inform training providers. Most training institutions are located in urban centres, curriculum implementation is generally theoretical, trainers are inadequately prepared and receive low salaries, training suffers from multiple and uncoordinated management, and the trainees view it as a last training option. In addition, examination results, enrolment and practical tests were identified as the primary methods used for monitoring and evaluation. Informal training providers lacked training implementation, monitoring and evaluation structures. Transfer of skills from training institutions to the workplace is inhibited by insufficient supervisor support, poor working conditions and inadequate tools and equipment. The T&D framework that was developed was found to be useful on several fronts. Firstly, the views of multiple stakeholders present diverse perspectives that provide unique and comprehensive insights into how different segments of society measure the same training. Secondly, methodological contributions have been made in terms of the research design, which used multiple data collection methods. Thirdly, the T&D framework was developed and then used to analyse the perceptions of the stakeholders, thereby answering the research questions. Since this framework was found to be sufficient for analysing the stakeholders‘ perceptions, it was found to be appropriate for designing a more responsive T&D program for the MVRSI. In addition, this study has made several practical implications.

This thesis aims to evaluate the implementation of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) based on a case organization; the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH-RC). The study is an exploratory investigation. Understanding BSC perspectives is important for academic comprehension and is crucial for successful implementation. BSC at KFSH-RC includes five main perspectives: Quality of Care; Medical Care; Employees; Financial; and Education and Research (learning and growth). The thesis tackles two main anecdotal, practice-based arguments: BSC helps achieve business strategy, and the implementation of BSC has often fallen short of the assertions made about its potential for impact. A case study with a triangulation approach is justified and pursued. This study contributes to the literature in different ways. The application of the BSC has received limited attention in healthcare organisations in general, and in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in particular, and may be one of the first to explore such issues, across management and professional groups, to research BSC in the healthcare organisation in the KSA. It distinguishes between the understanding of financial and non-financial perspectives; and the researcher has developed a conceptual framework, which reflects the main elements of BSC implementation. Quantitative data analysis from the case study indicates that staff members at the KFSH possess only a shallow understanding of various BSC perspectives. The study revealed a consistent lack of understanding of BSC by the department employees, due to their lack of interest. The results show that performance measures following the implementation of BSC created no significant improvement. It also confirms that even some senior managers face difficulties understanding BSC perspectives. The qualitative-based findings indicate that the level of understanding of BSC for clinical services is not significantly different from that for non-clinical services; staff members of the KFSH resist the implementation of BSC in the early stages; and there is ¿autocratic¿ leadership style at the KFSH inhibited the flow of information. The power distance and autocratic leadership style, in combination with an inadequate launch of BSC, fail to follow the implementation steps recommended by both Kaplan and Norton (2001a) and Kotter (1996). These organisational dynamics, it will be argued, are understated in the original BSC methodology, a view consistent with the findings of Woodley (2006) and may be especially so in environments with strong professional norms such as hospitals. The implications for the study and practice of non-profit organisations wishing to adopt methodology developed initially in a commercial context, is considered.
Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Khalid Al-Angari (Saudi Arabia)

This thesis aims to evaluate the implementation of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) based on a case organization; the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH-RC). The study is an exploratory investigation. Understanding BSC perspectives is important for academic comprehension and is crucial for successful implementation. BSC at KFSH-RC includes five main perspectives: Quality of Care; Medical Care; Employees; Financial; and Education and Research (learning and growth). The thesis tackles two main anecdotal, practice-based arguments: BSC helps achieve business strategy, and the implementation of BSC has often fallen short of the assertions made about its potential for impact. A case study with a triangulation approach is justified and pursued. This study contributes to the literature in different ways. The application of the BSC has received limited attention in healthcare organisations in general, and in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in particular, and may be one of the first to explore such issues, across management and professional groups, to research BSC in the healthcare organisation in the KSA. It distinguishes between the understanding of financial and non-financial perspectives; and the researcher has developed a conceptual framework, which reflects the main elements of BSC implementation. Quantitative data analysis from the case study indicates that staff members at the KFSH possess only a shallow understanding of various BSC perspectives. The study revealed a consistent lack of understanding of BSC by the department employees, due to their lack of interest. The results show that performance measures following the implementation of BSC created no significant improvement. It also confirms that even some senior managers face difficulties understanding BSC perspectives. The qualitative-based findings indicate that the level of understanding of BSC for clinical services is not significantly different from that for non-clinical services; staff members of the KFSH resist the implementation of BSC in the early stages; and there is 'autocratic' leadership style at the KFSH inhibited the flow of information. The power distance and autocratic leadership style, in combination with an inadequate launch of BSC, fail to follow the implementation steps recommended by both Kaplan and Norton (2001a) and Kotter (1996). These organisational dynamics, it will be argued, are understated in the original BSC methodology, a view consistent with the findings of Woodley (2006) and may be especially so in environments with strong professional norms such as hospitals. The implications for the study and practice of non-profit organisations wishing to adopt methodology developed initially in a commercial context, is considered.

Globalisation has increased competition; hence organisations are required to look within, at their capabilities to create a competitive advantage. The purpose of the study is to firstly investigate the association between ambidexterity and firm performance in the banking sector, and secondly, to investigate the association between ambidextrous capabilities in this sector and their strategic orientation in respect of Miles and Snow’s (1978) typology. This research will take on the form of a quantitative study, which will proceed in the form of a sample survey questionnaire. The target population refers to the banking organisations that make up the financial services sector in South Africa. Results of the study confirmed that the greater the ambidextrous capability (structural and contextual combined) present in the banking sector, the greater the performance. Further, the greater the structural ambidexterity is in this sector, the greater the performance. However the latter showed a weak correlation. It was concluded that innovation is greater in prospectors than defenders. It was further shown that the prospector-combined ambidexterity combination yields the greatest performance when compared to any other combination of strategy and capability. Copyright
Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010.
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
unrestricted

碩士
國立臺中科技大學
流通管理系碩士班
104
With the burgeoning development of technology and the Internet, there are more and more user-generated contents that are worth analyzing. Among massive data, the ratio of the unstructured information has been increasing. Instead of taking the often-used quantitative research, this study focused on the issues on customer complaints in logistics and adopted the unstructured text mining analysis to probe deeply in order to better understand the affecting evaluation factors for customer complaints. By means of uncovering unknown and underlying truth on information for customer opinions, the managers can evaluate the customer complaint more effectively and proceed with the following handling process accordingly. This research used the case study to discover customer complaints in logistics. Via the text mining analysis, a set of processes and analyzing technique is built for customer complaints based on sentimental analysis. Sentimental analysis lexicon developed by National Taiwan University is chosen to tag emotion on customer complaints. The calculating rules for sentiment analysis is made and auxiliary rating system is used to calculate sentimental analysis. In addition, the expert appraising data is acquired to appropriately analyze the sentimental analysis and expert appraisals. The research result will offer logistics firms not only an important view on decision-making but also the suggestion for the input of resources based on customer perspectives. The result is the foundation for further academic research and it is beneficial to the development of the customer relationship management.

ABSTRACT: This report is written in two parts. The first part of the report outlines the initial project proposal to conduct an internal formative and process evaluation to test the effectiveness of Psychological Services Business Plan and identify any changes or modifications that may be needed to enhance the probability or the service achieving their goals by end of 2017. Using the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI) Framework and program logic, outcomes and outputs are identified and tested through impact measures. The second part of the report outlines the finding of the evaluation on the identified impact measures. Overall, the results indicate good progress towards the program outcomes and strategic goal, indicating utility of some of the changes made. A process review was also undertaken to evaluate how well the Business Plan was implemented and communicated to key stakeholders. The results are discussed in term of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for achieving the desired change.
RESUMO: Este relatório foi escrito em duas partes. Na primeira parte descreve-se a proposta inicial do projeto, mais concretamente a realização de uma avaliação interna formativa e de processo, com o objectivo de avaliar a efectividade de um programa de prestação de cuidados implementado em diversos serviços de saúde mental australianos. Esta proposta incluiu também a identificação de alterações potencialmente necessárias para aumentar a probabilidade de os serviços alcançarem os seus objetivos até ao final de 2017. A identificação da lógica processual, assim como a avaliação dos resultados e dos ‘outputs’ dos serviços, foi efectuada através de metodologia desenvolvida pela NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation (Australia). Na segunda parte do relatório, descrevem-se os resultados desta avaliação a nível dos principais indicadores de impacto. Globalmente, os resultados indicaram uma boa efectividade no atingimento dos objectivos estratégicos do programa, sugerindo a utilidade de algumas das mudanças efectuadas. Descreve-se igualmente a análise de processo sobre a efectividade da implementação e da comunicação aos principais intervenientes directos. Os resultados são discutidos em função dos seus pontos fortes, fracos, oportunidades e ameaças para alcançar a mudança desejada.

Companies seeking competitive advantage in the highly competitive fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry can no longer differentiate themselves from competitors on products and pricing alone. Customer service and the perceived value that customers gain from suppliers is key in staying ahead. The FMCG industry in South Africa (SA) does not place much emphasis on evaluating customer service. This study is an evaluation of the outbound logistics customer service of Unilever Home and Personal Care (UHPC), a multinational FMCG company in SA. The study focuses on attributes of customer service that major retail customers with distribution centres {DC's) consider important and evaluates logistics customer service against key competitors. A survey of three major retail customers' of UHPC was conducted in the major regions of SA. Thirty self-administered questionnaires were sent out to staff at Shoprite, Clicks and Spar DC's across SA. Staff targeted were those associated with inbound logistics and included people as senior as DC Managers to Receiving Controllers. As these are specialised job functions, the sample size comprised of only 30 respondents. A total of 24 responses were analysed to determine the attributes of customer service which UHPC customers consider important and also to determine the perceived performance of UHPC against other competitors. The results revealed that DC customer consider order accuracy, timeliness of delivery, order quality, product availability, order fulfilment, personnel contact, cooperation of supplier, alerts on transportation delays, relationship with supplier and service level agreements to be the ten most important attributes of logistics customer service. The different customer groups did not rank the attributes in the same way. Shoprite and Clicks perceive UHPC's logistics customer service to perform from good to excellent on all 32 attributes whilst Spar felt that UHPC under-performed on 8 attributes. UHPC was highly rated amongst key competitors in the local FMCG industry and outperformed competitors on 28 attributes of logistics customer service. The following areas of improvement were identified for UHPC: order discrepancy handling after delivery, quality/durability of packaging, personal contact knowledge and ability and helpfulness in solving problems and supplier innovation in improving delivery. Recommendations for improvement in UHPC's logistics customer service were made based on the results and the literature review which included repeating the survey at least quarterly on attributes needing improvement so as not having to wait for at least 3 years for another competitor benchmarking survey.
Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

The accounting higher education sector is becoming increasing competitive, with institutions jostling for position in the eyes of prospective students. Without adequate attention to the quality of education provided, little headway will be possible, and the institution will have to settle for second, or even third, place in the student's mind. Institutions cannot rely on past successes to attract top students, and a new approach is needed. This research presents a possible answer to the quality problem faced at the University of Kwazulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg campus) in the School of Accounting. It involves the use of SERVQUAL to measure students' satisfaction levels with the quality of service and education received. The approach involves gathering students' perceptions, analyzing them, and making suggestions about the correct path to follow in a bid to enhance the institution's standing in the accounting community.
Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

At the dawn of democracy in South Africa, there were still an estimated 12 million people without adequate water supply services and nearly 21 million people without adequate sanitation services (Strategic Framework for Water Services, 2003). Since then South Africa has made great strides in reducing this gross inequality in water services provision. In response to this evident challenge, the South African Government has developed various key pieces of Local Government legislation which aim to address water services. To speed up water services provision, a number of service delivery strategies and agents were explored. The Mvula Trust is one such agent that was established in 1993 with the sole mandate of supporting the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) to develop affordable and sustainable water services in both rural and peri-urban parts of South Africa. After the establishment of Local Government in year 2000, the Mvula Trust had to enter into a new contract with this tier of government for the continuation of their primary constitutional mandate for water services delivery. In order to respond to the new operational requirement put on it and to align itself with the Local Government mandate, Mvula Trust embarked on the process of crafting its new strategy that would strengthen its ability to support the water services delivery role of Local Government. Hence the main objective of this research study was to conduct a rigorous evaluation of Mvula's Strategic Business Plan (SBP) developed in 2003 by subjecting it to contemporary strategic planning processes. The study also looks at the extent to which the crafted five-year strategy has supported three northern KwaZulu-Natal District Municipalities of Uthungulu, Umkhanyakude and Zululand to deliver water services to their respective communities. A qualitative approach was employed to gather data about the situation under investigation. The first step was to gather secondary data from documents developed by both Mvula and the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. The second step entailed collecting data from officials of Uthungulu, Umkhanyakude and Zululand District Municipalities using the questionnaire. The total number of questionnaires administered for the purpose of this study was thirty (30). For data analysis, all twenty-five (25) returned questionnaires were captured and coded using the software called Microsoft Access and subsequently imported into an analytical tool called stata. The main results from literature review and analyses indicate that Mvula's crafted strategy is not providing the organization with the competitive edge since it was not developed in line with contemporary strategic planning processes. Secondly, the existing strategy is not delivering on services requirements of municipalities. The services articulated by municipalities are mainly Institutional and Social Development (ISD) and quality sanitation development, in which roles Mvula can serve as a Project Agent (PA) instead of an Implementing Agent (IA). Finally, Mvula has not succeeded in supporting the water services delivery role of Northern KwaZulu-Natal District Municipalities. These findings imply that Mvula should embark on a rigorous strategic review. It should develop both a vision statement and a new mission statement which will respectively serve as a roadmap of the organization's future as well as a description of the organization's present capabilities, customer focus, activities and business make-up. Mvula should broadly consult with existing and prospective clients to better understand their support services needs. It is recommended that Mvula define its specific niche within the water services sector. Thus, the resulting strategy should adequately support local government towards meeting the 2014 deadline set for the eradication of water services backlog in their jurisdictional areas.
Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

Despite considerable research that has focused on the attributes associated with evaluating and selecting advertising agencies, and an emerging body of literature emphasizing customer loyalty and retention, advertising agency-client investigations have often analysed these attributes in isolation. This created the need for models that represent the interrelated effects that engender retention and loyalty, especially for services, whereby evaluative as well as relational factors can influence buyer responses. Addressing this gap, this research developed and described the construct of buyer consideration sets to gain a better understanding of business relationships. This is with specific reference to advertising agency replacement considerations in the South African environment. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a more complete, integrated view of customer retention and its determinants. A heuristic model was developed with consideration of theories that originate from the transactional cost theory, social exchange theory and economic and relational contract theories. This model was empirically tested using a mixed method approach. Data obtained from 116 respondents were subjected to factor and correlation analysis to explore the dimensionality of the retention construct. An important contribution of this study is the use of multi-item scales to measure and test retention. This research supports that retention is multidimensional and highlights the limitations of research that measure single factors related to retention. What started as a complex set of relationships has been defensibly and systematically simplified into a parsimonious model. This model postulates that retention is the result of a good working relationship between an advertiser and agency; service satisfaction; respect and support; clear terms of engagement; and conflict resolution. This work also offers insight into the nuances of each of these antecedents and offer new reliable scales for measurement of the items. In management practice, this model will provide advertisers with insights with regards to procurement decisions and supplier management. It can also provide valuable insight to agencies with regard to customer retention management. Findings of this study may also be extended to other high value professional service industries.
Business Management and Entrepreneurship
D. Com. (Business Management)

The integration of economics and moral philosophy, which provides a new approach to evaluation and analysis of economic activities, is increasing within the literature. It is argued in this thesis that valuation and analysis in health economics and health programs (normative health economics) should be based on these recent advances. However, an appropriate integration of moral philosophy in the area of health economics has not yet been done. The objectives of this thesis are to modify the existing economic theory of health analysis by integrating the issues and principles of moral philosophy and develop some operational mathematical models to show how the proposed framework for integration of moral philosophy in the area of health economics can be applied to health economics and policy evaluation.

Information, communication and broadcasting convergence is changing the business landscape in South Africa, as organisations adopt new converged information, communication technology (ICT) products and services to satisfy the needs of customers. Simultaneously, major changes are taking place in the South African telecommunications business environment creating new marketing opportunities and threats for Telkom SA, the only fixed line telecommunication operator in South Africa. Some of the findings of the study are • the commodization of the fixed line telecommunication network • political and regulatory changes are reshaping the telecommunications landscape by allowing the entry of new competitors • new technological innovations in Information Communication Technology (ICT) and mobile communication is driving change • social and economic change is fueling the speed of environmental change poor economic climate is quickening the competitive pace amongst South African businesses forcing them to attain efficiencies and effectiveness for survival • organisations worldwide are competing for limited resources and markets and turning to ICT to achieve their objectives • customer needs are changing - demanding better and innovative communication products and services - providing opportunities to competitors • the Internet is reshaping traditional business models as businesses are seeking to establish competitive advantages through the Internet • the migration of the Internet to the mobile telephony sector These changes are creating new marketing opportunities and threats for South African fixed line telecommunication operators and are threatening the survival of fixed line telecommunication operators worldwide and in South Africa. Information Technology, broadcasting and telecommunication technology convergence, has created many new ICT products and services opportunities that telecommunication competitors are offering existing customers of the fixed line operators network indicating lethargy from their side. In order for the fixed line operators to survive they must apply innovation and revise their strategic planning models.
Business Management
DCOM (Business Management)

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the full Degree of Master of Technology: Nursing, Durban University of Technology, 2011.
South Africa is currently at the epicentre of the AIDS epidemic with 5.6 million people living with HIV disease. The province of KwaZulu-Natal has the biggest burden with an antenatal HIV prevalence of 39.5% in 2010. It is estimated that 24.5% of South Africa‟s working age population is HIV positive. Most infected people living with HIV in Africa are between ages 15 and 50 years which is the peak working age. AIDS now causes more deaths and suffering among the 18-44 year age group than any other disease. Organisations clearly present as one of the most effective and significant settings in which to respond to the epidemic. The effective management of HIV and AIDS within organisations is critical in order to reduce the negative consequences of the epidemic on the economy. HIV and AIDS Management Systems (HAMS) within organisations have been implemented for approximately twenty years but they have been largely ineffective, mainly due to poor uptake of services. Therefore, there is a need for HAMS practice to be evaluated in relation to current best practice standards to ensure quality management, continual improvement and successful uptake of services. This qualitative study evaluated one organisation‟s HAMS in relation to SANS 16001 and described employees‟ experiences of HAMS in this setting. The theoretical framework underpinning this study is the Deming cycle which is a well known quality management system methodology. From the results of the study it was apparent that the organisation was aligned with most of SANS 16001 general requirements for HAMS. Employees experienced the intended benefits of prevention, treatment and support from the organisation‟s HAMS.

Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree in Masters of Technology: Nursing, Durban University of Technology, 2012.
In South Africa, HIV and AIDS workplace programmes have been implemented for more than two decades without any audited and certifiable standards. In 2007, the South African National Standard launched South African National Standard (SANS 16001) 16001 to assist, encourage and support companies to implement minimum standards for HAMS. Companies are now expected to use this standard to improve HIV and AIDS Management System. It therefore, becomes imperative for companies to establish workplace HAMS in line with the set standard. To determine to what extent the company‟s HAMS has been aligned to the SANS 16001, an evaluation of the current management system in relation to the new SANS 16001 system is needed. Aim of the study The aim of the study was to evaluate the implementation of the HIV and AIDS Management System in a Richards Bay Company. Methodology A single case study using a quantitative research design was used to evaluate HAMS in a Richards Bay Company. The sample consisted of all consenting participants who were selected from key position holders in accordance with the requirements of SANS 16001: 2007 and the general workers. These key position holders were comprised of senior managers, middle managers and those employees who play an important role in implementing HAMS. Two different sets of questionnaires were used to collect data. One questionnaire was used to collect data from the managers because they were key role players in HAMS. The second questionnaire was used to collect data from the general workforce. The data from the questionnaire was captured and subsequently analysed using the version 9 of SPSS. Results There was evidence that the company was committed to continuous improvement regarding HIV and AIDS management as indicated by both key position holders and the general workforce.

Text in English
This study sought to evaluate the implementation of an HIV and AIDS workplace policy at Sappi-Ngodwana mill. Employing process evaluation, and adopting a qualitative approach, the study evaluated the intervention process, the perceptions of the policy implementers, the strengths and weaknesses of the policy implementation, and suggests possible strategies for addressing the challenges. A systems approach was the theoretical point of departure and guiding framework of the research study. Research data was gathered through in-depth interviews with key informants and theory-driven and data-driven inductive reasoning was adopted in analysing the data. The general findings were that although the Sappi-Ngodwana mill implements a comprehensive HIV and AIDS programme that are in line with national and international benchmarks, there were challenges identified. Recommendations are that the company redesign the HIV and AIDS policy implementation plan with a specific focus on improving the peer educators` system.
Sociology
M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Technology: Public Management, Durban University of Technology, 2017.
The world over, countries are burdened with existing and emerging diseases and while that affected all nations, sub-Saharan Africa carried the heaviest portion. This filtered to Zimbabwe where a myriad of health challenges are faced. Unavailability of medicines coupled with poor inventory management of these medicines has been prevalent. Insufficient financial resources and increasing cost of healthcare costs is one of the pressing matters. It is also important to note that these challenges are occurring at a time when government is realising the crucial role of procurement in addressing health challenges. Due to the extent, depth, breadth and nature of the health challenges and their criticality in establishing sustainable and affordable health system in Zimbabwe, a case study approach has been adopted where data from questionnaires, interviews, documents and observations were corroborated and triangulated in an effort to bring to the surface deep-seated procurement matters and how they are related to the challenges provided. Thus, in terms of the research findings, it was first revealed that the procurement legislative frameworks and processes are fragmented and not in one place resulting in multiple accountabilities. It was further shown that the framework is inappropriate in a healthcare set-up where issues of speed and flexibility in addressing requirements are paramount. It was also shown that procurement planning being a critical aspect is regrettably and detrimentally missing in procurements. In addition, the selection criteria as set out in the regulations and practiced by individual state health facilities indicated over-reliance on price and that being the case, key aspects such as quality and supply-lead time are missed and yet are very necessary in terms of evaluation among other factors. In the findings, the peripheral role of procurement staff with clinicians being also at the epicentre of purchasing decisions was presented. Perhaps related to that was the inadequacy of procurement skills and competences from the procurement personnel. Last on the findings, financing and the frequency of disbursement was unmatched with hospital requirements and thus resulting in unavailability of adequate medicines and equipment.
D

The existence of security breaches in most spheres of modern society has caused loss of property and life. Some of these losses are so big that they eventually cripple organisations they affect. There is a need for private security within the South African context. Private security is executed through various security strategies. In most cases, companies operate with both contract and in-house security personnel on site. Regardless of the strategy adopted, companies continue to experience a variety of security risks. Therefore, swift transformation is needed in the security industry. To achieve this, appropriate security strategies will be necessary to overcome security risks. This study was directed by its aim and objectives. The aim was to evaluate contract and in-house security strategies in order to recommend the appropriate strategy to be used in security programmes. This aim was achieved through the sum of its outlined objectives. The first research objective was to establish the advantages and disadvantages of contract and in-house security. The second objective was to examine the effectiveness of contract and in-house security strategies, and the third to recommend appropriate security strategies to be used in security programmes. This study evaluated contract and in-house security in a registered security company located in Johannesburg, South Africa. A qualitative inquiry was implemented, and a case study approach was used to conduct the research study. The research study combines both literature and empirical research to reach its findings and make its recommendations. While there are 500 employees in the company, the sample was made up of 38 participants. A non-probability sampling method was adopted, and a purposive sampling method was used to select the participants. Furthermore, a face-to-face semi-structured interview schedule that included probing questions was used to collect data. The participants were targeted based on their knowledge and experience in issues surrounding management, policy, and security strategies. The sample consisted of 10 employees in the management category, 13 human resources employees and 15 security employees. The findings of this study were wide, but specific to the context in which it was researched. The advantages and disadvantages of contract and in-house security were comprehensively explored and narrated. This was done through a review of the literature and the raw data obtained from the research participants. The study determined the effectiveness of the two security strategies within the milieu of the case study under study. Furthermore, the study determined that there is no conclusive answer with regards to the most appropriate security strategy to be used. This chosen strategy is dependent on the specific security requirements. Once these requirements have been outlined, the specific strategy can be chosen, namely: contract security, in-house security or a hybrid approach. Recommendations are surplus to the findings of the study. The findings of a research study often go beyond the aim and objectives it set out to achieve. This study produced findings wider than the context of its predetermined aim and objectives and that are relevant to role players within the security industry.
Ukuba khona kwezenzo zokuphula amahlelo wezokuphepha emikhakheni eminengi yomphakathi wesimodeni sekubangele ukulahleka kwepahla nepilo. Ezinye zezehlakalo zalokhu kulahleka kwepahla ngendlela kukukhulu ngakho kuze kubulala neenhlangano ezithintekako. Kunesidingo sehlelo lezokuphepha langasese ngaphakathi kobujamo beSewula Afrika. Ihlelo lezokuphepha langasese/langeqadi Ihlelo lezokuphepha langeqadi lisetjenziswa ngamano ahlukeneko. Esikhathini esinengi, iinkampani zisebenza ngabasebenzi besivumelwano sesikhatjhana (contract) nabasebenzi bezokuphepha abahlaliswe esikhungweni esisodwa. Ngaphandle kokuqala amano amukelweko, iinkampani ziragela phambili nokuhlangabezana neengozi zokuphepha ezahlukahlukeneko. Yeke-ke, ihlelo elirhabileko lamatjhuguluko liyadingeka ebubulweni lezokuphepha. Ukuphumelela kilokhu, kuzokufuneka amano wezokuphepha afaneleko ukuze kuqedwe iingozi kezokuphepha. Leli rhubhululo belirholwa phambili mnqopho neenhloso zalo. Umnqopho kwakukuhlola ikontraga kanye namano wezokuphepha okwenziwa esikhungwini esisodwa ukuze kunconywe amano afaneleko okufanele asetjenziswemkumaphrogremu wezokuphepha. Lo mnqopho wafikelelwa ngeenhloso zoke zeminqopho zawo eyendlaliweko. Irhubhululo lokuthoma kwakukuhloma amathuba amahle kanye namathuba amambi wehlelo lezokuphepha eliyikontraga nelingaphakathi kwesikhungo. Umnqopho wesibili kwakukuhlolisisa ukusebenza kuhle kwamano wekontraga namano wezokuphepha ezisesikhungwini, kanti umnqopho wesithathu kuncoma amano afaneleko wezokuphepha ukobana asetjenziswe kumaphrogremu wezokuphepha. Leli rhubhululo lihlole ihlelo lezokuphepha lesivumelwano/sekontraga nelesikhungo kukhamphani yezokuphepha etlolisiweko enzinze eJohannesburg, eSewula Afrika. Iphenyisiso elidzimelele kukhwalithi lisetjenzisiwe ukwenza isifundo serhubhululo. Isifundo serhubhululo sihlanganisa yomibili imitlolo yobukghwari kanye nerhubhululo eliphathekako ukufikelela kulwazi belenze iincomo zalo. Njengombana kunabasebenzi abama-500 kukhamphani, isampuli yenziwa ngabadlalindima abama-38. Indlela yezampula i-non-probability sampling yalandelwa, kanti kusetjenziswe indlela yesampuli enehloso i-purposive sampling isetjenziselwe ukukhetha abadlalindima. Ngaphezu kwalokho, itjhejuli yehlolombono equntwe phakathi yokuqalana ubuso nobuso efaka imibuzo ephenyako isetjenziswe ukubuthelela idatha. Abadlalindima bebakhethwa ngokuqala ilwazi labo kanye nelwazi elimalungana neendaba zokuphatha, umthethomgomo kanye namano wezokuphepha. Isampuli beyinabasebenzi abali-10 esigabeni sezokuphatha, 13 yabasebenzi bomnyango wezokuqatjhwa kwabasebenzi kanye nabasebenzi abali-15 bezokuphepha. Ilwazi elitholakeleko laleli rhubhululo belinabile, kodwana linqophe ikakhulukazi ebujameni lapho irhubhululo lenziwa khona. Ubuhle nobumbi bamahlelo wezokuphepha wekontraga newesikhungwini ahlolisiswe begodu acocwa ngendlela enabileko. Lokhu kwenziwe ngokubuyekezwa komtlolo wobukghwari kanye nedatha ehlaza etholakele kubadlalindima berhubhululo. Irhubhululo liveze ukusebenza kuhle kwamano amabili wezokuphepha ngaphakathi kobujamo (milieu) besibonelorhubhululo (case study) ngaphasi kwesifundo serhubhululo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, irhubhululo liveze ukuthi akunapendulo yinye esiphetho malungana namano afaneleko wezokuphepha okufanele asetjenziswe. La mano akhethiweko adzimelele phezu kweemfuneko ezithileko zokuphepha. Ngemva kobana iimfuneko lezi sezendlaliwe, amano athileko angakhethwa, wona ngilawa: ihlelo lezokuphepha lekontraga, ihlelo lezokuphepha langendleni nanyana indlela ehlanganisiweko.
U vha hone ha matavhi a tsireledzo kha masia manzhi a tshitshavha tsha zwino ho vhanga ndozwo kha ndaka na matshilo. Dzinwe dza ndozwo idzi ndi khulwanesa dzine dza fhedzisela dzi tshi khou hotefhadza zwiimiswa zwine zwa khou zwi thithisa. Hu na thodea ya tsireledzo ya phuraivethe kha nyimele ya Afrika Tshipembe. Tsireledzo ya phuraivethe dzi shumiswa kha zwitirathedzhi zwa tsireledzo zwo fhambanaho. Kha nyimele nnzhi, khamphani dzi shuma na vhuvhili ha vhashumi vha khonthiraka na vha tshiimiswa kha vhupo. Zwi si na ndavha na tshitirathedzhi tshine tsha khou shumiswa, khamphani dzi bvela phanda na u tshenzhela khohakhombo dza tsireledzo dzo fhambanaho. Nga zwenezwo, hu khou todea tshanduko nga u tavhanya kha ndowetshumo ya tsireledzo. U swikelela izwi, zwitirathedzhi zwo teaho zwa tsireledzo zwi do vha zwa ndeme u kunda khohakhombo dza tsireledzo. Tsedzuluso iyi i do sedza kha ndivho na zwipikwa zwayo. Ndivho ho vha u ela zwitirathedzhi zwa tsireledzo ya khonthiraka na ya tshiimiswa u itela u themendela zwitirathedzhi zwo teaho u shumiswa kha mbekanyamushumo dza tsireledzo. Ndivho yo swikelelwa nga kha tshivhalo tsha zwipikwa zwo bviselwaho khagala. Tshipikwa tsha u thoma tsha thodisiso ho vha u bveledza vhudi na vhuvhi ha tsireledzo ya khonthiraka na ya tshiimiswa. Tshipikwa tsha vhuvhili ho vha u tola u shuma ha zwitirathedzhi zwa tsireledzo ya khontiraka na ya tshiimiswa, na tsha vhuraru u themendela zwitirathedzhi zwo teaho zwa tsireledzo zwine zwa do shumiswa kha mbekanyamushumo dza tsireledzo. Tsedzuluso yo tola tsireledzo ya khontiraka na ya tshiimiswa kha khamphani ya tsireledzo yo nwaliswaho ine ya wanala Johannesburg, Afrika Tshipembe. Ho shumiswa maitele a khwaḽithathivi, na maitele a thodisiso o shumiswa u ita ngudo dza thodisiso. Ngudo ya thodisiso yo tanganyisa manwalwa na zwithu zwi re khagala u swikelela mawanwa ayo na u ita themendelo dzayo. Musi hu na vhashumi vha 500 kha khamphani, tsumbonanguludzwa dzo bveledzwa nga vhadzheneleli vha 38. Ho shumiswa kuitele kwa tsumbonanguludzwa dza vhadzheneleli vhane vha si fhiwe zwikhala zwine zwa edana, na u shumisa kuitele kwa tsumbonanguludzwa ho sedzwa vhukoni kha vhadzheneleli. U isa phanda, kha u kuvhanganya data ho shumiswa inthaviwu ya u tou livhana zwifhatuwo ya mbudziso dzo tou u dzudzanywaho ine ya katela na u vhudzisa mbudziso. Vhadzheneleli vho tiwa ho sedzwa ndivho na tshenzhemo zwavho, kha mafhungo ane a kwama ndangulo, mbekanyamaitele, na zwitirathedzhi zwa tsireledzo. Tsumbonanguludzwa dzo vhumbwa nga vhashumi vha 10 kha khethekanyo ya ndangulo, 13 u bva kha vhashumi vha zwiko zwa vhashumi na vhashumi vha tsireledzo vha 15. Mawanwa a ngudo heyi o tandavhuwa, fhedzi o dodombedza nyimele ye ha itwa thodisiso khayo. Vhudi na vhuvhi ha tsireledzo ya khonthiraka na ya tshiimiswa zwo wanulusa na u talutshedzwa nga vhudalo. Hezwi zwo itwa nga kha u sedzwa hafhu ha manwalwa na data i songo vanganyiwaho ye ya waniwa u bva kha vhadzheneleli vha vhatodisisi. Thodisiso yo ta u shuma ha zwitirathedzhi zwa tsireledzo zwivhili fhethu ha ngudo nga fhasi ha ngudo. U ya phanda, ngudo yo ta uri a hu na phindulo yo khwathisedzwaho zwi tshi da kha tsireledzo yo teaho nga maanda ine ya fanela u shumiswa. Tshitirathedzhi tsho nangiwaho tsho ditika nga thodea dza tsireledzo dzo tiwaho. Musi thodea idzi dzo no bviselwa khagala, tshitirathedzhi tsho tiwaho tshi nga nangiwa, tshine tsha vha: tsireledzo ya khonthiraka, tsireledzo ya tshiimiswa, kana maitele o tanganelaho. Themendelo ndi zwo salaho kha mawanwa a ngudo. Mawanwa a thodisiso dza ngudo tshifhinga tshothe a fhira ndivho na zwipikwa zwo vhewaho u zwi swikelelwa. Ngudo heyi yo bveledza mawanwa o tandavhuwaho u fhira nyimele ya ndivho na zwipikwa zwo tiwaho u thoma o teaho kha vhashelamulenzhe kha ndowetshumo ya tsireledzo.
Security Risk Management
M. Tech. (Security Management)