Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Institutional change process'

Open access (OA) to scholarly publishing is encouraged and enabled by new technologies such as the Internet, the World Wide Web, their standards and protocols, and search engines. Institutional repositories (IR) as the most recent technological incarnations of OA enable researchers and their institutions to make accessible the outputs of research. While many OA repositories are being implemented, researchers are surprisingly slow in adopting them. While activists promote OA as emanating from the ideals of scholarship, others revile OA as undermining of scholarly publishing's economic base and therefore undermining quality control and peer review. Change is occurring but there are contested views and actions. This research seeks to increase understanding of the issues by addressing the research questions: "How and why is open access reassembling scholarly publishing?" and "What role does introducing an open access institutional repository to researchers play in this reassembly?" This thesis contributes to answering these questions by investigating two IR implementations and the research communities they serve. The research was conducted as an Actor-Network Theory (ANT) field study, where the actors were followed and their relations and controversies explored in action as their landscape was being contested. The research found that central to our understanding of the reassembling of scholarly publishing is the agency emerging from the sociomaterial relations of the OA vision, IR technology and researchers. Being congruent with the aims of scholarship, and also being flexible and mutable, the OA vision enrols researchers to enact it through OA IR, thus transforming scholarly communications. This is counteracted by publishers aligned with the academic reward network within traditional publishing networks. In this delicate choreography the OA IR, its developers, researchers, university administrators and policy makers are merging as critical actors with their more or less congruent vision of OA enacted in their network. The comparative ANT account of the two IR life stories shows how such enactment depends on the degree to which different OA visions could converge, enrol and mobilise other actors, in particular institutional actors, such as a mandate, in transforming researchers' publishing behaviour. This thesis contributes to a novel and in-depth understanding of OA and IR and their roles in reassembling scholarly publishing. It also contributes to the use of ANT in information systems research by advancing a sociomaterial ontology which recognises the intertwining of human and material agency.

The domain of scholarly publishing is undergoing rapid change. Change has been instigated and produced by the Internet and open access systems â such as disciplinary and institutional repositories and open access journals. However traditional scholarly publishing is strengthening its hold over prestigious journals thus resisting change. How then does the change come about? An attempt at answering this question led us to examine an institutional repository initiative in a University. As we identified and followed the actors (researchers, research papers, reward systems, institutional repository technology, library staff, RQF, etc.) we saw the emergence of new publishing practices and the forces preserving the old ones. By adopting Actor Network Theory (ANT) we came to understand the materiality, relationality and ambiguity of processes of reassembling scholarly publishing. This paper presents preliminary results and thereby informs a wider debate and shaping of open access and scholarly publishing.

Contents: - Monetary Stabilization and Budgetary Reforms - Restructuring the Tax System - Privatization - The Open Gap: Transfers - Social Reform: Acceptance and Feasibility - Some Public Choice Remarks

The environmental governance of multinational corporations in developing countries is relatively understudied. Much of the existing work on the greening of industry focuses on one scale of governance (international, national or local), without adequately accounting for the socio-spatial complexities, either external or internal to the firm, which influence the take up and implementation of corporate environmentalism at the site level. My thesis explores how and why corporate environmentalism has evolved in three South African fuel oil refineries (two in Durban and one in Cape Town) between 1994 and 2006. Institutional and organisational theory, with insights from the literature on spatialities of corporate greening, informs this study. An analytical framework of multinational corporation complexity and organisational field dynamics is established to explore the process of institutional and organisational change. At the macro or organisational field level, actors compete to construct meanings of legitimate corporate environmental practice. Organisational fields are shaped by the interaction between institutional actors, institutional logics and governance structures. At the micro level, firm legitimation strategies and characteristics may explain how corporate greening differs. The research findings are triangulated using key informant interviews, document analysis and social network analysis. Punctuated by key events, bifurcated processes of institutional and organisational change are documented. In Durban changing normative and cognitive institutions drove the evolution of regulation: above all, an internationally networked civil society exercised discursive power by demanding environmental justice and corporate accountability from the private and public sectors. In Cape Town the organisational field remained fragmented as community-driven discursive strategies did not achieve significant governance outcomes and institutional and organisational change evolved more slowly. The company with the most significant home country and parent company pressure, Shell/Sapref, made the most gains in repairing its legitimacy and improving its environmental performance. In sum, corporate environmentalism in post-apartheid South Africa has been contested and constructed by processes of scalar and place-based politics.

This study sought to explore the pressures and reconciliations of the Technological Change associated with social media adoption at both an internal and external level through the theoretical lens of Institutional Theory. It employed a qualitative approach, utilising semi-structured interviews to gather data from various human actors internal and external to the organisation. The research process consisted of interviews with social media managers and consultants through the United Kingdom (UK), Republic of Ireland (RI) and the United States of America (USA) over a 25-month period. Findings highlighted that Institutional pressures are significant at four levels: External stakeholder, Platform, Internal stakeholder and Independent forces. This study revealed that reconciliation of Technological Change pressures can be refined into four distinctive strategies, which are both implicit or explicit in nature: non isomorphic behaviour, utilise internal capabilities, strategies and utilise external resources. Among the theoretical contributions of this thesis, is the extension of the understanding of mimetic isomorphism, as the same pressures that constrain Technological Change can assist with the reconciliation of pressures. Further, it highlights that a cohort of Institutional Entrepreneurs can work together to achieve Technological Change. It confirms the rate of innovation is not only a critical concern once the technology has been adopted but it is also a concern in the pre adoption phase. The theoretical framework developed offers a significant contribution to the existing literature highlighting that Technological Change is an ongoing process and a layer of institutional pressures must be navigated through appropriate reconciliation techniques to achieve change.

This thesis analyses the causal pathway through which the National Pension Scheme (NPS) in South Korea has been transformed. The scheme that was introduced in 1988 experienced two major reforms in 1998 and 2007, and they took place even before full pensioners who met minimum years of pension contributions existed. The aim of this thesis is to illuminate the way in which the two reforms unfolded, by investigating whether existing theories of welfare states can have explanatory power. Founded on historical institutionalism emphasising the dynamic interplay between institutions and actors, the research employs a process tracing method to unpack the causal mechanism of the NPS reforms. Given that current scholars discuss its methodological aspects mainly, this thesis attempts to put process tracing in practice. The thesis formulates the causal mechanism from Kim and Choi’s theory (2014) that pays attention to the role of welfare bureaucrats in the reform process, while examining the validity of other theoretical approaches too. Based on internal documents and elite interviews with those involved directly in the NPS reforms, the findings suggest that the welfare bureaucrats did play a primary role in reforming the scheme in a parametric way. Several welfare state theories are also tested to address the issue of equifinality. The findings indicate that Kim and Choi’s theory is highly likely to be the sole approach encompassing “both” reforms, while the 2007 reform requires further research for the validity of alternative theories such as policy transfer via international organisations and the impact of neoliberalism. Consequently, profound differences existed in pension politics between the pre-reforms and the period of the reforms. Through the case study, the research also reveals the strengths and weaknesses of process tracing as well as its application to political research, and makes suggestions for further research.

No atual ambiente corporativo, a implementação de mudanças organizacionais tornou-se um fato freqüente. Nesse processo de mudanças, o discurso organizacional presente nos textos produzidos pela alta administração, que constituem o discurso formal, acaba expressando pensamentos nem sempre aceitos sem questionamentos por todos os gestores da organização, dificultando o processo de mudança. A presença de discursos menos coerentes ou de discursos que competem com o discurso organizacional pode dificultar ou mesmo comprometer a eficácia do processo de mudança. Esta tese defende que, na ocorrência de um processo de mudança da Contabilidade Gerencial numa organização, o discurso influencia os níveis de institucionalização de novos conceitos que se desejam implementados. Para realizar o estudo a respeito dessa influência, utilizou-se de uma abordagem da Teoria Institucional, sob o enfoque da Velha Economia Institucional, usando-se como arcabouço teórico o modelo proposto por Burns e Scapens (2000), com ênfase nos estágios de codificação e institucionalização, bem como o modelo discursivo de institucionalização proposto por Phillips et al. (2004). O método de pesquisa aplicado foi o estudo de caso único, realizado na Caixa Econômica Federal, uma instituição financeira pública de grande porte que realiza simultaneamente atividades de natureza social (como uma agência governamental de fomento e administração exclusiva de fundos) e de natureza econômica (como um banco comercial que compete com outras instituições no mercado financeiro), a qual passou recentemente por um processo de mudanças profundas em sua Contabilidade Gerencial. Por meio da análise documental, seguida da realização de entrevistas com gestores da administração central e da análise do discurso, foi possível detectar a coexistência de dois discursos na organização: discurso social e discurso econômico. Posteriormente, foram aplicados questionários aos gestores das agências e gestores de produtos, usuários do Sistema de Contabilidade Gerencial, obtendo-se 4.259 respostas, no intuito de se verificar a ocorrência de associações entre os discursos e os níveis de institucionalização dos novos conceitos implementados na mudança. Os dados coletados foram objeto dos seguintes tratamentos estatísticos: estatística descritiva, Análise da Variância (ANOVA), Análise de Homogeneidade (Homals) e Análise de Correspondência (ANACOR). Verificou-se que há uma associação positiva entre a concordância com os conceitos de Contabilidade Gerencial e a concordância com o discurso econômico. Os indivíduos classificados como mais aderentes ao discurso econômico encontram-se associados positivamente entre um nível de institucionalização forte e médio, enquanto os indivíduos classificados como aderentes ao discurso social apresentaram associação positiva com o nível de institucionalização fraco. Dessa forma, os resultados sugerem que há influência do discurso no processo de institucionalização de conceitos de Contabilidade Gerencial, corroborando as proposições de Phillips et al. (2004), de que uma maior coerência entre discursos e conceitos presentes em textos tende a produzir instituições mais fortes e a existência de competição, entre dois discursos, pode dificultar um processo de mudança conceitual. À luz desses resultados, infere-se que o discurso, quando inserido em um processo de mudança conceitual, deva ser estruturado de acordo com as características e com o repertório de crenças de seu público-alvo, o que poderá provocar uma união coerente entre o exercício da linguagem e a prática operacional, possibilitando a transformação do campo institucional para o campo de ação de forma eficaz.
Within the current corporative environment, the implementation of organizational changes has been frequent. In this process of changes, the organizational discourse, found in the formal texts produced by the high administration, eventually expresses thoughts not always accepted before being firstly questioned by the other managers and that may cause difficulties for the changing process. The presence of less coherent discourses or discourses that challenge the organizational discourse may hinder or even affect the efficacy of changes. This thesis advocates that during a changing process within the Managerial Accounting of an organization, the discourse influences the levels for institutionalizing new concepts. This study of such influence was carried out by means of the Institutional Theory under the focus of the Old Institutional Economy, having as its theoretical framework the model proposed by Burns & Scapens (2000), emphasizing the stages of codification and institutionalization, as well as the discourse model of institutionalization proposed by Phillips et al. (2004). The research method consisted of a single case study related to Caixa Econômica Federal, a large public financial institution which performs social activities (as a governmental agency for funding and exclusive administration of funds) and economical activities (as a commercial bank which competes with other institutions in the financial market), which has recently undergone a process of deep changes in its Managerial Accounting. Through an analysis of documents, followed by interviews with central administration managers and discourse analysis, the co-existence of two discourses in the organization could be detected: social discourse and economical discourse. Later, questionnaires were applied to the managers of the bank branches and the managers of products, and to the users of the Managerial Accounting System in order to verify associations between the discourses and the levels of institutionalization of the new concepts. Out of the questionnaires, 4,259 answers were obtained. The data were submitted to the following statistical treatments: descriptive analysis, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Analysis of Homogeneity (Homals) and Analysis of Correspondence (ANACOR). It could be verified that there is a positive association between the concordance with the concepts of Managerial Accounting and a concordance with the economical discourse. The individuals classified as most adherent to the economical discourse are those positively associated with and between a strong or average level of institutionalization. On the other hand, those individuals adherent to the social discourse have a positive association with the weak level of institutionalization. Thus, the results suggest that the discourse influences the process for institutionalizing concepts of Managerial Accounting and corroborate the propositions of Phillips et al (2004) for a greater coherence between discourses, that concepts within texts may lead to stronger institutions, and that the existence of competition between two discourses may hinder the process of conceptual change. In face of these results one may say that the discourse, whenever placed in a process of conceptual change, must be structured according to the characteristics and beliefs of the target public, which may cause a coherent union between the exercise of the language and the operational practice and allow for an efficient transformation of the institutional site into a field of action.

In this study a population of 60 family owned businesses acquired in 1971 are analysed over a period of 15 years. The firms are followed historically for four years before and ten years after the merger. The aim is to identify dominating processes and behaviour in different variables during the period 1967-81. This will be done through the following: - on an aggregated level, identify and analyse characteristic processes and patterns by the acquired businesses before and after the acquisition - on an aggregated level compare the pre- and post-merger performances - on an individual business level illustrate, validate and theoretically interpret results and conclusions. Primarily this study has not a theoretical but an empirical point of departure. A working paradigm is that the "confrontation" between the firms 1 "external environment and internal resources" results in dynamics having an impact on the firms. The processes are classified in taxonomies/typologies, in an attempt to answer what has happened. Interpreting the forces behind the development is the attempt to answer why it has happened. The empirical data was collected through three different surveys resulting in quantitative and qualitative observations combined in different perspectives in a multimethological approach. The first is economic data (sales, financial ratios etc) gathered from the firms' external account statements. However, several firms were found to have gone bankrupt, closed down etc. This initiated a second, follow-up study, which had a longitudinal "geography of enterprise" approach and was implemented through a telephone inquiry. The third collection is a case-study of five firms from the population carried out by discussions with representatives of the merging companies. The merged businesses turned out to be extremes compared to branch characteristics respectively. Refinements of the patterns made it possible to construct a three-dimensional typology showing four principal processes. Ten years after the merger there followed five principal spatial and institutional changes. Closures, removals from community and amalgamation with group companies, reduction to production units only, the joining of premises with group companies in the same community and relatively "indépendant" affiliations. One third of the population have been closed down or removed. One half do not exist as "indépendant units". Only one third have escaped larger infringement. Thirty businesses have once more been acquired. Some more than once. When comparing the pre- and post-merger performances, a convergence phenomenon was identified. Oscillating and deviating pre-merger trends later converged towards standard variable values and equilibrium, searching for an optimum group course. The different changes and restructuring activities conducted after the acquisitions, can be summarized in three principal post-merger processes: - liquidation and adjustment of output capacity to market demand. - reorientation through new product and market combinations. - growth and development through "multiplying by splitting" and emancipation of expansion potential.

Diss. Umeå : Univ., 1986

digitalisering@umu

År 2014 blev komponentavskrivning ett krav för alla bolag som följer K3-regelverket och har materiella anläggningstillgångar med komponenter av betydande värde. K3 är ett principbaserat regelverk vilket innebär att företagen behöver göra sin egen tolkning för hur det ska tillämpas. Den nya redovisningsförändringen innebär att organisationerna måste anpassa deras nuvarande regler och rutiner efter det nya regelverket.Syftet med denna uppsats är att skapa ökad förståelse för förändringsprocessen vid införande av en ny redovisningsstandard och att bidra med större medvetenhet kring dess komplexitet. För att uppnå syftet så användes i studien en kvalitativ metod där det genomfördes sex semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Intervjuerna genomfördes med kommunala fastighetsbolag i Västra Götalands län som alla nyligen infört komponentavskrivning. Den insamlande empirin analyserades sedan med en egenkonstruerad analysmodell med utgångspunkt från tidiga institutionella ekonomin. Genom analysen av den insamlade empirin skapades en ökad förståelse för hur interna regler och rutiner utvecklats i och med införandet av komponentavskrivning.Studien visar att utvecklingen av interna regler och rutiner är en lång process när det saknas vägledning. Motstånd på grund av osäkerhet är en stor bidragande faktor till fördröjningen av införandet. Organisationen behöver vid införandet av en ny redovisningsstandard göra en egen bedömning av vad regeln innebär och hur de ska tillämpa den. Vidare framkom i studien att externa och interna faktorer har stor påverkan på formandet av den interna regeln.
In 2014 component depreciation became a requirement for all who follow the K3 regulatory and have tangible assets with components of significant value. K3 is a principles-based regulatory, which means that companies need to make their own interpretation of how it should be applied. The new accounting change means that organizations must adapt their current rules and routines for the new regulations.The purpose of this paper is to increase understanding of the process of change with the introduction of a new accounting standard and to bring greater awareness of its complexity. To achieve the purpose of the study a qualitative method were used and six semi-structured interviews were conducted. The interviews were conducted with municipal property companies in Västra Götaland county who all recently introduced component depreciation. The collected empirical data were then analyzed with a self-constructed analysis model based of the old institutional economics. Through the analysis of the collected empirical data a greater understanding were created of how internal rules and routines evolved with the introduction of component depreciation.The study shows that the development of internal rules and routines is a long process in the absence of guidance. Resistance due to uncertainty is a major contributing factor to the delay of the introduction. At the introduction of a new accounting standard the organization need to make their own assessment of what the rule means and how to apply it. It also emerged in the study that external and internal factors have great influence on the formation of the internal rule.

Notre travail de recherche porte sur l’analyse de l’impact transformationnel de l’e-gouvernement dans deux ministères au Liban. Des carences bibliographiques liées à cette thématique sont constatées dans la littérature sur l’e-gouvernement, notamment dans le contexte de pays en développement. En outre, l’impact transformationnel de l’e-gouvernement, peu exploré empiriquement, suscite des débats continus entre vision optimiste et pessimiste de ce phénomène. Cela invite à mobiliser une perspective holistique pour mieux cerner la complexité de l’e-gouvernement et pour approfondir la compréhension des changements associés. Nous avons cherché à examiner l’évolution des trajectoires de changement, impulsées par ces démarches, au sein des ministères des Finances publiques et de la Santé publique au Liban sur une période historique (1992-2010), emblématique pour la modernisation du secteur public libanais par les SI. Nous avons élaboré un cadre conceptuel original qui couple la théorie néo-institutionnelle et le courant théorique de la transformation organisationnelle par les SI et qui a permis une lecture intégrale du changement qui se déploie aux niveaux macro, méso et micro dans les deux ministères. Nos résultats révèlent des trajectoires de changement différentes. Dans le même contexte institutionnel, les démarches d’e-gouvernement déployées au sein des deux ministères impulsent, dans un cas, une trajectoire de changement profond et un impact transformationnel réel, alors que dans l’autre, elles engendrent une trajectoire de changement superficiel et un impact transformationnel limité. Ces deux trajectoires de changement mettent en évidence un enchevêtrement de facteurs internes et externes, ayant une influence sur l’impact transformationnel des démarches d’e-gouvernement
Our research focuses on analyzing the transformational impact of e-government at two ministries in Lebanon.The literature on e-government, particularly in the context of developing countries, is limited. Furthermore, the transformational impact of e-government has not been empirically explored, giving rise to ongoing debates between optimistic and pessimistic views of the phenomenon. This calls for the mobilization of a holistic perspective to better capture the complexity of e-government and to deepen the understanding of the changes it could trigger.We sought to examine the evolution of change trajectories, driven by e-government initiatives, within the ministry of Finance and the ministry of Public Health in Lebanon over the 1992-2010 period, which is emblematic of the modernization of the Lebanese public sector through IS.We have developed a conceptual framework that combines the neo-institutional theory with the IT-enabled organizational transformation theoretical perspective, which enabled an integral reading of the change unfolding at macro, meso and micro levels at the two ministries.Our results show different trajectories of change. Within the same institutional context, the e-government initiatives deployed at the two ministries, drive, in one case, a trajectory of profound change and a real transformational impact, while in the other, they generate a trajectory of superficial change and a limited transformational impact. These two trajectories of change highlight a tangle of internal and external factors which largely affect the transformational impact of e-government

Doutoramento em Estudos em Ensino Superior
Esta dissertação compara as mudança governamentais e políticas nos sistemas de ensino superior (ES) português e finlandês, que emergem de pressões externas similares. Exemplos destas pressões externas são o processo de Bolonha e as manifestações legislativas mais recentes da Nova Gestão Pública (NGP), nomeadamente o novo regime jurídico das instituições de ensino superior (IES) portuguesas (RJIES) e finlandesas (Novo Acto Universitário), visando alterar não só as estruturas de governação institucional, como também as práticas de tomada de decisão. O estudo fornece uma descrição histórica e cultural abrangente dos sistemas de ES português e finlandês, a fim de dar a conhecer a forma como os governos destes países e as suas IES reagem a movimentos de mudança similares. Embora Portugal e Finlândia difiram significativamente em termos geográficos, históricos, culturais e económicos, ambos os países empreenderam recentemente reformas legislativas semelhantes nos seus sistemas de ES, tornando esta comparação relevante no âmbito das políticas de ES. Além disso, apesar de divergirem na sua natureza, carácter, objectivos e nível de aplicação, estas políticas foram implementadas simultaneamente, com o objectivo de melhorar a eficiência e qualidade do desempenho institucional, bem como a visibilidade e competição nacional. Argumenta-se que a crescente internacionalização do ES, a política de soft law da União Europeia (UE) bem como a ideologia managerialista – também disseminada por relatórios e discursos de organizações internacionais como a Organização para a Cooperação e Desenvolvimento Económico (OCDE) e a UE oferecem explicações para semelhanças em contextos nacionais. No entanto, as especificidades históricas e culturais, e as características estruturais destes sistemas político-administrativos explicam as diferenças nos processos de implementação de políticas e, consequentemente, nos resultados obtidos a nível nacional. Juntamente com uma vasta análise documental, o estudo é baseado na análise qualitativa estratégica e é suportado empiricamente por 61 entrevistas semiestruturadas a actores-chave, a nível sistémico e institucional, em ambos os países, e em ambos os tipos de instituições de ES realizadas durante os anos de 2011e 2012. Estes actores foram escolhidos devido às suas funções e grau de envolvimento no objecto de estudo: as últimas reformas de governação das IES impulsionadas pela Yliopistolaki 558/2009, pela Lei 62/2007 e pelo processo de Bolonha. Assim, os resultados aqui apresentados espelham as vozes dos praticantes que se envolveram nessas reformas, tanto ao nível do sistema quanto ao nível institucional. Resumidamente, é possível observar que, frequentemente, a aplicação da legislação nacional em IES é alcançada através de processos top-down (principalmente no caso Português) e um misto de estratégias bottom-up e top-down (mais na Finlândia). Estas estratégias visam alterar a estrutura organizacional das instituições, os órgãos de governação, os processos de tomada de decisão e as condições de trabalho dos profissionais académicos. O estudo revela que actores dentro do mesmo grupo de funções tendem a ter opiniões semelhantes em Portugal e na Finlândia, o que significa que independentemente da nacionalidade, as percepções convergem de acordo com os papéis dos entrevistados.
This research compares governmental and political changes in Portuguese and Finnish higher education (HE) systems, emerging from similar external pressures. Examples of these external pressures are the Bologna process and the recent legislative expressions of New Public Management (NPM), including the new legal framework for Portuguese (RJIES) and Finnish (New University Act) higher education institutions (HEIs) which aims at changing not only institutional governance structures but also institutions’ management and decision-making practices. The study provides a comprehensive historical and cultural description of the Portuguese and Finnish HE systems in order to build a framework for the advancement of knowledge on how Finnish and Portuguese governments and their HEIs react towards similar movements of change. Although Portugal and Finland differ significantly in their geography, history, culture, and economic status, both countries undertook similar HE legislative reforms, making the comparison focused and relevant for the study field of HE policy. Moreover, albeit different in character, goals and enforcement level, the policies were implemented concurrently, and both intend to improve efficiency and quality of institutional performance and to enhance national visibility and competition. It is argued that the incremental internationalisation of HE, the European Union (EU) soft law, as well as the NPM ideology – also disseminated by reviews and discourses of international organisations like the Organisation for Cooperation and Economic Development (OECD) and the EU offer an explanation for similarities in national contexts. Nevertheless, historical and cultural specifics and structural characteristics of political-administrative systems are considered explanatory factors for differences in policy implementation processes and therefore in national outcomes. Together with document analysis, the study is based on qualitative analysis and finds empirical evidence on 61 semi-structured interviews to key actors of system and institutional levels in both countries and in both types of HEIs conducted during the years 2011 and 2012. These actors were chosen due to their roles and degree of involvement in the study object: the latest institutional governance reforms driven by the Yliopistolaki 558/2009 and the Law 62/2007. Thus, the findings presented here rely much on the voices of the practioners who engaged in these reforms, both at the system and institutional levels. Briefly, it is possible to observe that frequently, the application of national legislation in HEIs is achieved through top-down processes (mainly in the Portuguese case) and a mix between top-down and bottom-up strategies (more in Finland). These strategies aim at changing institutions’ organisational structure, their governance bodies, decision-making processes and professionals working conditions. This study shows that the same group of actors tend to have similar opinions both in Portugal and in Finland, which means that regardless nationality, perceptions converge according interviewees’ roles.

Mestrado em Desenvolvimento e Cooperação Internacional
O desenvolvimento deve ser interpretado como um processo de transformação institucional, que envolve uma articulação entre as diversas instituições sociais (economia, política, cultura e história) e organizações (actores sociais), ou seja, estamos perante um sistema complexo, o que exclui uma abordagem do tipo atomizado. Assim, nos casos em que os Estados não apresentam uma homogeneidade política e geográfica, estando distantes das populações, um desenvolvimento integrado do tipo "dialogante" pode apresentar bons resultados. Este tipo de "Desenvolvimento Dialogante" deverá garantir a robustez das instituições locais (emanadas da cultura) integradas num contexto de Estado nacional, cujas instituições centrais também deverão ser reforçadas. A forma de garantir uma apropriação do Estado pela burocracia é a de garantir que as preferências, geradas endogenamente, são materializas através de um esquema político de democracia participativa. Por fim, deverá estar sempre presente que o Homem é o centro do desenvolvimento, pelo que os direitos consagrados pela Declaração dos Direitos Humanos deverão estar sempre presentes como o meio e o fim deste processo. A Nova Economia Institucional fornece enquadramento teórico utilizado
Development is a process of institutional change involving the whole social institutions (economics, politics, culture and history) and organizations (social players) that can be interpreted as a complex system, which excludes any type of atomised approach. For weak States, that are politically and regionally heterogeneous, the "dialoguing" type of development process can lead to good results. Local institutions (informal) resulting from local culture should be enhanced but always within a context of enhancing also the central formal institutions (the State). A way of avoid rent seeking kind of procedures is, assuring endogenous preferences, though politicai mechanisms of participatory democracy. Last, but not least, development should always be focused on Man so that the human rights granted on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights should be the used as the best proxy for development both in term of means and end. The theoretical framework used is the New Institutional Economics.
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The occupational structure of advanced economies has undergone significant changes over the past decades. On the demand side, technological change intensified and has been considered the main driver behind these transformations, with competing predictions concerning its impact on society. On the supply side, a very substantial educational expansion took place worldwide, allowing to cope with technological progress, boosting productivity and growth. The interaction between the two creates reasons for optimism through the upgrading of occupational structure, and pessimism due to the “hollowing out” of susceptible to automation middle-skilled jobs and the growth in low-skilled jobs. Furthermore, the imperfect match between demand and supply resulted in an increasing phenomenon of qualification mismatch and overeducation, questioning whether having higher education results in having a better job. However, the magnitude of these processes appears to vary across countries, with more promising upgrading trends in some countries and polarization in others. This suggests that a more detailed assessment of the role of demand, supply factors, and institutional characteristics might be important for drawing conclusions and developing policy remedies to address the challenges posed by rapid technological advancements. In this dissertation, I analyse how the occupational structure has changed in 29 European countries over the past 15 years, investigating whether the technological change has been skill-biased or routine-biased and how these changes in occupational structure affected the risk of overeducation for individuals with different levels of education. I do so by analysing different sources of data and primarily the European Labour Force Survey (EU LFS). In the first part of the thesis, I provide a comparative assessment of changes in occupational structure based on different dimensions of job quality and task content of occupations. This assessment is followed by a multivariate regression analysis analyzing whether the cross-country dynamics of occupational change are explained by the different labor market institutions. In the second part of the thesis, I focus on the relationship between occupational structure and overeducation. I analyse how the incidence of overeducation varied across occupations and task-based occupational groups from a cross-country perspective. Finally, using a mixed-effects linear probability model, I explore how occupational change affects the risks of overeducation for different educational groups. The findings suggest that changes in occupational structure can be simultaneously described as skill- and routine-biased, because the latter successfully explains the decline in the middle that the former does not account for. Routinization does not appear to preclude upgrading, and polarization is determined by the position of routine-intense occupations in the country-specific wage structure, explaining cross-country variation of occupational patterns. Stronger upgrading is noticeable in the countries with higher investments in R&D, education, training, and adult training. Stricter employment protection legislation for regular contracts and collective dismissals mitigates the “hollowing out” in the middle, while the impact of the minimum wage on employment in low-skilled jobs appears to be limited. The evidence further suggests that upgrading of occupational structure and upskilling were accompanied by a rising incidence of overeducation, particularly in the period 2003-2010. Although it slightly declined in the period 2011-2018, a higher incidence of overeducation persisted among the tertiary-educated workers, especially in lower-skilled mildly-routine service occupations with a high degree of interactive tasks. Furthermore, while the risk of overeducation slightly declined for medium-skilled, it has not only persisted but increased for tertiary educated. These results point to a substitution effect, supporting a positional value of education for the labor queue: tertiary skilled workers substitute those medium-skilled, and the medium-skilled substitute the lower-skilled in mildly-routine intense occupations. Since these occupations are difficult to automate and are predicted to expand, the problem of overeducation is likely to persist in the next decades.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2002.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT:Reform is one of the most controversial elements in higher education and has therefore attracted much attention from within the academic community and from outside. The present higher education scene is characterised by demands for transformation and change, not only in South Africa but in Africa and the developed countries as well. The pressures and demands for change come from outside the field of higher education as well as from within. Some countries have been involved in the process of change and transformation for a period of over thirty years, while others have just embarked on the route or still have to start the change process. The post-apartheid era has marked an era of profound change for South African higher education institutions with concomitant legislation to ensure the change process. If effective and successful transformation of higher education institutions and systems can take place in South Africa with new models of transformation and the effective integration of cultures and openness to change at all institutional levels, these models could be instructive not only to Africa but also to the rest of the world and to academic life universally. However, the demands for change worldwide indicates not only towards new legislation but also towards flexible approaches and new forms of institutional structures and leadership to accommodate the significant, rapid and fundamental changes taking place in higher education and the realisation that institutions of the future will be different from those of the past and the present. In this study the influence of organisational models are used to establish a conceptual framework towards the development of learning organisations. The study reflects on how these new types of organisations will influence higher education institutions as organisations. It also considers what will be expected of higher education institutions to become learning organisations. Learning organisations have special qualities and higher education institutions or teaching institutions do not automatically qualify as learning organisations. The promise of the new millennium provides the higher educationcommunity with the opportunity to take stock of their position and to find out if they possess the necessary skills and have the enabling structures to accommodate a new world. Becoming a learning organisation involves more than a paradigm shift for higher education institutions. It requires a revolution, a quantum leap towards individual recognition and growth, leadership development and empowerment and institutional learning. The Academic 'Process Leadership' Super structure provides the space, structure and process for higher education organisations to re-organise and re-create itself to fit the demands of a new world. An analysis of leadership, leadership development and institutional change in higher education institutions brought to the fore that these institutions have not been effective in providing programmes that develop leaders because they simply do not know what is necessary for effective leadership development. Institutions do not have an in-depth understanding of leadership and they have not enculturated leadership development as a core aspect and activity in higher education institutions. There is grave concern regarding the development of 'soft' people skills. The qualitative research investigation into the process of change towards learning organisations in higher education institutions indicate that there are profound problems in the areas of leadership, leadership development, people management and satisfaction, knowledge management and learning dynamics. These areas form the core aspects within the new structures, that of learning organisations. The insights gained from the process analysis of five higher education institutions indicate that the implementation of the academic leadership model as described in the study will provide individual leaders with the necessary leadership skills to fulfill their roles in the recreated empowered institutions. This process of leadership development, as indicated in the study, could enable institutions to become learning organisations.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:Die huidige konteks van hoer onderwys dui daarop dat verandering een van die belangrikste, maar ook mees kontroversiele aspekte aangaande die studieveld is. Die hoeronderwysomgewing asook hoeronderwysinstellings verkeer onder geweldige druk van beide binne en buite die akademiese gemeenskap om te verander. 'n Analise van die huidige stand van sake en konteks van hoeronderwysinstellings dui daarop dat verandering nie net in Suid-Afrika 'n faktor is en baie aandag geniet nie, maar dat Afrika sowel as die ontwikkelde lande ook onder geweldige druk verkeer om te transformeer. Sommige lande is al vir meer as dertig jaar betrokke by die proses van verandering. Dit wil egter voorkom dat sommige van die ander lande Of nog glad nie begin het nie 6f pas begin het met die proses van verandering en transformasie. Die tydperk na 1994 en die oorgang na 'n nuwe demokratiese regenng m Suid- Afrika was ook die begin van dramatiese verandering in die Suid-Afrikaanse hoeronderwysomgewing. Die kwessie van verandering is nie net in sekere nasionale beleidsdokumente aangespreek nie, maar ook in meegaande wetgewing. Indien Suid-Afrikaanse hoeronderwysinstellings in staat sou wees om nuwe modelle te kan akkommodeer en te kan verwesenlik terwyl hulle besig is met die transformasieen veranderingsproses, kan hierdie modelle van nut en van waarde wees, nie net vir Afrika nie, maar ook vir die ontwikkelde wereld en die internasionale hoeronderwysgemeenskap. Nuwe strukture en modelle kan ongelukkig nie net deur wetgewing daargestel word nie. Instellings sal toeganklik moet wees vir moontlike nuwe vorms van leierskap, leierskapsontwikkeling en die konsep van veranderde strukture om sodoende te kan aanpas by die eise van 'n voortdurend veranderende wereld en die geweldige impak wat verandering op hoeronderwysinstellings het. Hoeronderwysinstellings sal moet besef dat instansies wat op die toekoms gerig word nie kan vashou aan ou uitgediendemodelle nie. Toekomsgerigte modelle verskil van die huidige vorms, sowel as die van die verlede. Die invloed van organisasiemodelle op hoeronderwysinstellings verskaf konseptuele verwysingsraamwerke vir die ontwikkeling van nuwe begrippe en konsepte. Die konsepte help om rigting aan te dui en te bepaal wat van instansies verwag word om sodoende te kan verander na lerende organisasies. Dit is belangrik om kennis te neem dat lerende organisasies spesifieke eienskappe het en dat hoeronderwysinstellings nie sonder meer gereken en geklassifiseer kan word as lerende organisasies nie. Hierdie nuwe vorm van organisasiestruktuur sal 'n fundamentele invloed he op institusionele prosesse asook op die manier waarop instellings in die toekoms bedryf sal word. In die nuwe millennium sal hierdie paradigmaskuif die geleentheid aan hoeronderwysinstellings voorsien om nie net revolusioner te verander nie maar ook om 'n kwantumsprong te maak na die belangrike mens- en leervaardighede. Hierdie vaardighede is nie net noodsaaklik vir die ontwikkeling om 'n lerende organisasie te word nie, dit maak ook die kern uit van hierdie nuwe organlsaSles. Die proses van akademiese leierskap en leierskapsontwikkeling, soos wat voorgestel word in die model van die Akademiese Leierskapsproses Superstruktuur sal aan instellings die geleentheid bied om die noodsaaklike leierskapsvaardighede te ontwikkel. Dit sal ook die kreatiewe en innoverende omgewing skep wat dit vir hierdie soort organisasie strukture moontlik sal maak om nuut te kan ontwikkel en sodoende in staat sal stel om te kan herorganiseer binne 'n konteks van groter aanpasbaarheid. Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie en navorsingsanalise ten opsigte van leierskap, leierskapsontwikkeling en die proses van verandering en transformasie het aangedui dat hoeronderwysinstellings in Suid-Afrika nie effektief ontwikkel ten einde lerende organisasies te word nie. Die ondersoek dui daarop dat instellings nie die onderliggende elemente van die begrip "leierskap" verstaan nie. Leierskap en leierskapsontwikkeling maak tans nie deel uit van die huidige institusionele kultuur nie.

Aquest treball de recerca -i també el seu investigadora- es posiciona des d’una mirada feminista que dialoga amb la sociologia i la ciència política, per explicar i interpretar el paper i posició de l’Estat davant de les desigualtats de gènere. A partir de la revisió teòrica s’identifica com a tema d’interès i pregunta central d’aquesta investigació els nusos i condicionants de l’ procés d’institucionalització de gènere a l’Estat de Xile, en el marc de les alternances presidencials succeïdes entre 2006 i 2016. En efecte, el procés d’institucionalització de gènere, en el marc d’aquestes alternances presidencials, constitueix un fenomen d’estudi central per entendre el desenvolupament de la política de gènere a Xile. Per tant, la institucionalització de gènere emergeix com un concepte analític central que, en aquesta investigació, ha estat abordat de manera progressiva, és a dir, en una lògica d’acoblament entre les aproximacions teòrics generals i les discussions teòriques específiques, en connexió amb les dades empírics. En termes teòrics, la problemàtica s’aborda des de dos aproximacions. En primer lloc, una mirada més estructural, de tal manera d’explicar la relació entre l’Estat, la noció de règims de gènere i els processos en què es produeixen, reprodueixen i transformen les desigualtats de gènere. En un nivell més proper a l’ fenomen d’estudi, s’exposen les perspectives teòriques a partir de les quals aquesta investigació s’ha proposat analitzar el procés d’institucionalització de gènere a l’Estat. S’entén, per tant, que l’Estat constitueix un actor central de el procés, ja que, no només exerceix la seva acció sobre una realitat configurada per relacions de gènere, sinó també en el marc d’unes determines pràctiques de producció de benestar i assignació de recursos, que es canalitzen institucionalment. El disseny metodològic aplicat correspon a una investigació de tipus qualitatiu, centrada en l’anàlisi de l’ discurs, a l’objecte d’estudiar de quina manera els marcs discursius, les estratègies polítiques i les maneres d’interacció, en tant pràctiques socials, condicionen el procés d’institucionalització de gènere a Xile. El treball d’obtenció de dades es va desenvolupar en fases successives a través de dos mètodes: l’ús de documents i l’entrevista individual temàtica. La investigació representa una aportació per tal com posa en relació les maneres d’interacció dels actors i les estratègies polítiques amb els discursos polítics institucionals i, en particular, amb les agendes governamentals en matèria d’igualtat i equitat de gènere. En estreta relació, una altra de les aportacions empíriques de la tesi és l’anàlisi de la institucionalització de gènere a l’Estat sota el prisma dels enfocaments neoinstitucionales, abordat en tant procés polític-institucional i en tant pràctica social, afegint la noció de canvi institucional i conflicte de poder com aspectes inevitables de el procés.
Este trabajo de investigación -y también su investigadora- se posiciona desde una mirada feminista que dialoga con la sociología y la ciencia política, para explicar e interpretar el papel y posición del Estado frente a las desigualdades de género. A partir de la revisión teórica se identifica como tema de interés y pregunta central de esta investigación los nudos y condicionantes del proceso de institucionalización de género en el Estado de Chile, en el marco de las alternancias presidenciales sucedidas entre 2006 y 2016. En efecto, el proceso de institucionalización de género, en el marco de estas alternancias presidenciales, constituye un fenómeno de estudio central para entender el desarrollo de la política de género en Chile. Por consiguiente, la institucionalización de género emerge como un concepto analítico central que, en esta investigación, ha sido abordado de manera progresiva, es decir, en una lógica de acoplamiento entre las aproximaciones teóricos generales y las discusiones teóricas específicas, en conexión con los datos empíricos. En términos teóricos, la problemática se aborda desde dos aproximaciones. En primer lugar, una mirada más estructural, de tal manera de explicar la relación entre el Estado, la noción de regímenes de género y los procesos en los que se producen, reproducen y transforman las desigualdades de género. En un nivel más cercano al fenómeno de estudio, se exponen las perspectivas teóricas a partir de las cuales esta investigación se ha propuesto analizar el proceso de institucionalización de género en el Estado. Se entiende, por tanto, que el Estado constituye un actor central del proceso, toda vez que, no solo ejerce su acción sobre una realidad configurada por relaciones de género, sino también en el marco de unas determinas prácticas de producción de bienestar y asignación de recursos, que se canalizan institucionalmente. El diseño metodológico aplicado corresponde a una investigación de tipo cualitativo, centrada en el análisis del discurso, al objeto de estudiar de qué manera los marcos discursivos, las estrategias políticas y los modos de interacción, en tanto prácticas sociales, condicionan el proceso de institucionalización de género en Chile. El trabajo de obtención de datos se desarrolló en fases sucesivas a través de dos métodos: el uso de documentos y la entrevista individual temática. La investigación representa un aporte toda vez que pone en relación los modos de interacción de los actores y las estrategias políticas con los discursos políticos institucionales y, en particular, con las agendas gubernamentales en materia de igualdad y equidad de género. En estrecha relación, otra de las aportaciones empíricas de la tesis es el análisis de la institucionalización de género en el Estado bajo el prisma de los enfoques neoinstitucionales, abordado en tanto proceso político-institucional y en tanto práctica social, agregando la noción de cambio institucional y conflicto de poder como aspectos inevitables del proceso.
This research work - and its researcher - is positioned from a feminist perspective that dialogues with sociology and political science, to explain and interpret the role and position of the State in the face of gender inequalities. From the theoretical review, the nodes, and conditions of the process of institutionalization of gender in the State of Chile are identified as a topic of interest and central question of this research, within the framework of the presidential alternations that occurred between 2006 and 2016. Indeed, the process of institutionalization of gender, within the framework of these presidential alternations, constitutes a phenomenon of central study to understand the development of gender policy in Chile. Consequently, the institutionalization of gender emerges as a central analytical concept that, in this research, has been approached progressively, that is, in a logic of coupling between general theoretical guidelines and specific theoretical discussions, in connection with the data. empirical. In theoretical terms, the problem is approached from two approaches. First, a more structural look, in such a way as to explain the relationship between the State, the notion of gender regimes and the processes in which gender inequalities are produced, reproduced, and transformed. At a level closer to the phenomenon of study, the theoretical perspectives are exposed from which this research has proposed to analyze the process of institutionalization of gender in the State. It is understood, therefore, that the State constitutes a central actor in the process, since not only does it exercise it action on a reality configured by gender relations, but also within the framework of certain practices of production of well-being and allocation of resources, which are channeled institutionally. The applied methodological design corresponds to a qualitative research, focused on discourse analysis, to study how discursive frameworks, political strategies and modes of interaction, as social practices, condition the institutionalization process of gender in Chile. The data collection work was developed in successive phases through two methods: the use of documents and the thematic individual interview. The research represents a contribution since it relates the modes of interaction of the actors and political strategies with institutional political discourses and with government agendas on gender equality and equity. Closely related, another of the empirical departments of the thesis is the analysis of the institutionalization of gender in the State under the prism of neo-institutional approaches, approached as both a political-institutional process and as a social practice, adding the notion of institutional change and power conflict as unavoidable aspects of the process.
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Programa de Doctorat en Estudis de Gènere: Cultura, Societats i Polítiques

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Pode-se dizer que as empresas petroquímicas brasileiras, após o processo de privatização e abertura comercial da década de 90, passaram a conviver em um ambiente competitivo que desencadeou mudanças institucionais nas organizações, fazendo-se necessário que essas empresas adotassem novas estratégias e agissem de forma pró-ativa em relação a essas mudanças. As empresas deste setor passaram a buscar novas formas de enfrentar a concorrência internacional. Como as escalas de produção das petroquímicas brasileiras são inferiores às escalas dos concorrentes estrangeiros, prejudicando a competição através da estratégia de custo, uma das formas para garantir a competitividade do setor é a busca da diferenciação de produtos, o que evidencia a importância da inovação para estas empresas sobreviverem no mercado O presente estudo buscou analisar como o setor petroquímico, especificamente o Pólo Petroquímico do Sul, se adaptou a essas mudanças institucionais e verificar como se processam a geração, a implementação e a di
It is possible to say that Brazilian petrochemical companies, after the privatization process and market opening to foreign products, conducted by the Brazilian government during the ninety’s, found themselves in a fierce competitive scenario, that carried them into significant institutional changes. Petrochemical companies became encouraged to look for a way of staying alive in such international competition. Sinceproduction capacities of Brazilian petrochemical plants are lower than foreign competitions, making difficult competition based on cost strategies, upgrades in products become primordial to competitiveness. This fact indicates how important is the innovation process in the companies to keep them surviving in the new market. The present study tried to analyze how the Petrochemical Industry Economy, specially the South Petrochemical Pole, could fit into the necessary institutional changes, and to verify how the companies of this Industrial Complex proceed with generation, implementation and diffusion

Esta tese estabelece uma abordagem evolucionária de sistemas de relações de trabalho (SRT- e), a qual consiste em propor uma ferramenta analítica que possibilite estudar as mudanças em sistemas de relações de trabalho ao longo do tempo como um processo evolutivo movido pelos avanços tecnológicos. Para esse intuito, o modelo de SRT desenvolvido por John Dunlop foi tomado como base, sendo modificado para compatibilizá-lo com as contribuições da Teoria Evolucionária. A alteração foi feita no sentido de tornar endógena ao modelo as fontes de geração de variedade no SRT desenvolvido por Dunlop, através de uma maior centralidade da firma, como aquela que desenvolve e introduz novas tecnologias na economia para obter vantagem competitiva em seu processo de concorrência no mercado, e da alteração na concepção do contexto do sistema de relações de trabalho. Desse modo, a mudança proposta permite que o nexo entre tecnologias físicas, rotinas organizacionais (tecnologia social), formas de regulação das relações de trabalho constantes nas regras (tecnologia social) e a teia de regras do SRT-e (instituições) seja estabelecido, consistindo no uso da “ponte” entre tecnologias e instituições, conforme sugerida por Richard Nelson. Com base na ferramenta de análise de SRT-e, o esforço teórico da tese foi, também, o de identificar como ocorre o alinhamento entre as inovações tecnológicas de um novo paradigma tecno- econômico e as instituições das relações de trabalho. Para tanto, foi explorada a ideia da “ponte” proposta por Richard Nelson, identificando do ponto de vista teórico, como ocorre a compatibilização entre as tecnologias e as instituições das relações de trabalho, que se constitui em um dos principais alinhamentos ao pleno estabelecimento de um novo paradigma tecno-econômico, ao permitir a efetividade de exploração do potencial de desenvolvimento econômico de um dado país. A proposta da tese está centrada em quatro áreas de pesquisa: relações de trabalho, teoria institucional, organização industrial e economia da tecnologia. Nessas áreas, o embasamento teórico é dado pelos campos de Industrial Relations e pela Economia Evolucionária: Neoschumpeteriana e Neoinstitucionalista. Em relação ao primeiro, é feita uma descrição desse campo de estudo e a apresentação do modelo de análise de relações de trabalho de John T. Dunlop, tal como proposto originalmente na sua obra Industrial Relations Systems, publicada em 1958. Indicam-se as suas propriedades e também as suas limitações para tratar com a mudança em relações de trabalho em sentido evolutivo. É sobre esse modelo que se aplica os construtos teóricos daquelas outras duas correntes que compõem a Teoria Evolucionária para torná-lo, então, um Sistema de Relações de Trabalho evolutivo (SRT-e). O esforço teórico consiste em modificar o modelo de SRT dunlopiano para assimilar e adaptar os princípios da teoria da evolução de Darwin. Os princípios darwinianos de uma abordagem evolucionária são a ocorrência endógena ao modelo de: variedade, seleção e herança. Da Teoria Neoschumpeteriana se toma emprestado a concepção de concorrência schumpeteriana, da tecnologia como um determinante básico da dinâmica da economia capitalista, da firma como a instituição que introduz as novidades tecnológicas no sistema, bem como o conceito de paradigma tecno-econômico, para explicar como os avanços tecnológicos modificam o SRT-e. A Teoria Neoinstitucionalista contribui com o conceito de instituição, na sua influência na vida econômica e para dar efetividade às inovações que são lançadas na economia. É feita, então, uma junção de conceitos dessas duas correntes de modo a mostrar como é feita a co-evolução entre as tecnologias e as instituições das relações de trabalho.
This thesis provides an evolutionary industrial relations systems approach (SRT-e), which consists in proposing an analytical tool that allows to study the changes in industrial relations systems over time as an evolutionary process driven by technological advances. For this purpose, the SRT model developed by John Dunlop was taken as a base and modified to bring them into line with the contribution of the Evolutionary Theory. The change occurs towards making endogenous to the model the sources that generates variety in the SRT developed by Dunlop, through greater centrality of the firm, as the one that develops and introduces new technologies into the economy to gain competitive advantage in the process of market competition, and by changing the conception of the context of the industrial relations system. Therefore, the proposed change allows that the link between physical technologies, organizational routines (social technology), forms of regulation of labor relations contained in the rules (social technology) and the web of rules of the SRT (institutions) is established, consisting in the use of the "bridge" between technologies and institutions suggested by Richard Nelson. Based on the analysis tool of SRT-e, the theoretical effort of the thesis was also aimed to identify how the alignment between technological innovations of a new techno- economic paradigm, and labor relations institutions occurs. It was explored the idea of the “bridge”, as suggested by Richard Nelson, identifying from a theoretical point of view, how the match between technologies and the institutions of industrial relations occurs, which is one of the main alignments necessary to the full establishment of a new techno-economic paradigm, allowing to the full deployment of the economic development potential of a given country to be achieved. The thesis proposal is centered on four areas of research: industrial relations, institutional theory, industrial organization theory, and technological economy. In these areas, the theoretical basis comes from the fields of Industrial Relations and Evolutionary Theory: Neoschumpeterian and Neo-institutionalist theories. Regarding to the first one, it is made a description of this field of study and a presentation of the model of analysis of IRS, as originally proposed by John T. Dunlop in his book Industrial Relations Systems, published in 1958. It will be indicated its proprieties and limitations in dealing with change in an evolutionary sense. It is on this model that will be applied the theoretical constructs from the other two stream of economic thought (Neoschumpeterian and Neo- institutionalist) to make it, then, an evolutionary industrial relations systems (SRT-e). The theoretical effort consists in modifying the dunlopian SRT model to assimilate and to adapt the principles of Darwin's theory of evolution. The darwinian principles of an evolutionary approach are the occurrence of variety, selection and inheritance as being endogenous to the model. From Neoschumpeterian Theory, it borrows the concept of Schumpeterian competition, and technology as a basic determinant of the dynamics of the capitalist economy, and the firm as the institution that introduces technological innovations in the system. Another relevant concept used from that theory is the techno-economic paradigm, which is used to explain how the technological advances modify the SRT-e. The Neo-Institutionalist Theory contributes with the concept of institution, its influence on the economic life, and the way that it gave effectiveness to the innovations that are introduced into the economy. Then, it will be make a junction of concepts of these two currents of economic thoughts so as to show that there is a co-evolution between technologies and the institutions of industrial relations.

Koo, Wai Sze.
"November 2009."
Advisers: Wing Kwong Tsang; Kwan Choi Thomas Tse.
Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 72-05, Section: A, page: .
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves i-ix).
Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web.
Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web.
Abstract also in Chinese; appendix 3 includes Chinese characters.

A mudança constante da sociedade pressupõe uma transformação das e nas escolas, que devem aproveitar e encarar a mudança como uma oportunidade (Lima, 1998). É necessário que as escolas preparem as crianças com novas competências para novos trabalhos e eduquem cidadãos de e para o mundo (Winthrop et al., 2018), promovendo o seu bem-estar, o que pode contribuir para a criação de sociedades socialmente mais coesas, para a promoção da saúde mental e, acima de tudo, para potenciar a aprendizagem (Seligman, 2011). Por outro lado, são requeridos novos modos de gestão e inovação nas escolas, designadamente envolvendo todos os membros num processo de aprendizagem e desenvolvimento incorporado nas práticas diárias, tornando-se uma “organização de aprendizagem” (Chiavenato, 2004) ou “organização que aprende” (Bolívar, 2003), privilegiando a autoavaliação enquanto estratégia para a melhoria da escola (Hargreaves, A. & Fink, D., 2007). A presente investigação decorreu em duas escolas do 1.º ciclo do ensino básico e pretendeu perceber de que forma o foco no bem-estar do aluno pode promover a melhoria da escola e do processo educativo e, consequentemente, das aprendizagens dos alunos, sendo implementada através do método do estudo de caso e recorrendo a metodologias qualitativas e compreensivas. Os resultados obtidos apontam para a possibilidade destas melhorias poderem acontecer através de um quadro de avaliação flexível (neste caso, baseado no Modelo do Bem-Estar na Escola, de Konu, A. e Rimpelä, M., 2002), co-construído pelos próprios envolvidos (através da metodologia SPIRAL), com base num perfil do aluno com bemestar também definido pelos atores da comunidade educativa, tornando-se assim uma avaliação que toma em consideração o que é realmente importante para os utilizadores de cada escola, ou seja, para aquela comunidade educativa. No caso das escolas estudadas, de acordo com os resultados obtidos, o que mais contribui para o bemestar dos seus alunos é à relação com os outros, principalmente com os pares, o clima de escola e a parte lúdica - o brincar. Como percebido na presente investigação, a melhoria na gestão escolar pode ser concretizada com base num quadro de referência consensualizado e apropriado pelos próprios atores, adaptado às necessidades, expetativas e desejos de toda a comunidade escolar, visando não apenas o sucesso académico mas também o bem-estar do aluno, dois fatores que se relacionam e potenciam.

The focus of this study is on South Africa's transition to democracy. It is argued in this thesis, that an analysis of the transition to democracy in South Africa and the transformation of the con ict that prevailed in this divided society could generate new avenues for theorising about transitions to democracy in divided societies amidst con ict. The aim with this thesis is to contribute towards a more comprehensive understanding of the complex nature of the process of transition to democracy, and the relevant theory involved, particularly with regard to transitions in divided societies. One consequence of the deep divisions within South African society has been the increase in violence, which followed liberalisation. The transition to democracy in South Africa, as a result, was characterised by continuing and escalating violence. In South Africa, the authoritarian regime deteriorated mainly because of internal factors, but external factors also played an important role. The analysis of the transition has been guided by the hypothesis that the democratisation of South Africa was accomplished through a compromise that was negotiated between the major political actors and which re ected the intra-, as well as the inter-dynamics in the domains of, state - political society - civil society. Thus, the main theme of this thesis is, that in the analysis of the dynamics of the tran- sition to democracy in South Africa, a basic framework in which the domains of, state - political society - civil society, are the domains where structural variables (such as culture, economic development, class structures, increased education and the international environ- ment) and behavioural variables (such as major political actors, elite factions, organisations from civil society) interact. Thus, in the diachronic analysis of South Africa's transition, an interactive approach, that seeks to relate structural constraints to the shaping of contingent choice, is followed. At the same time, the institutional substitution of a new democratic political dispensation is examined. In conclusion, democracies are complex phenomena, and they are caused by many di er- ent forces and synthesizing the relevant theoretical approaches to political change provides a more cogent and comprehensive explanation of democratic transition in South Africa.
(D. Litt. et Phil. (International Politics))

The focus of this study is on South Africa's transition to democracy. It is argued in this thesis, that an analysis of the transition to democracy in South Africa and the transformation of the con ict that prevailed in this divided society could generate new avenues for theorising about transitions to democracy in divided societies amidst con ict. The aim with this thesis is to contribute towards a more comprehensive understanding of the complex nature of the process of transition to democracy, and the relevant theory involved, particularly with regard to transitions in divided societies. One consequence of the deep divisions within South African society has been the increase in violence, which followed liberalisation. The transition to democracy in South Africa, as a result, was characterised by continuing and escalating violence. In South Africa, the authoritarian regime deteriorated mainly because of internal factors, but external factors also played an important role. The analysis of the transition has been guided by the hypothesis that the democratisation of South Africa was accomplished through a compromise that was negotiated between the major political actors and which re ected the intra-, as well as the inter-dynamics in the domains of, state - political society - civil society. Thus, the main theme of this thesis is, that in the analysis of the dynamics of the tran- sition to democracy in South Africa, a basic framework in which the domains of, state - political society - civil society, are the domains where structural variables (such as culture, economic development, class structures, increased education and the international environ- ment) and behavioural variables (such as major political actors, elite factions, organisations from civil society) interact. Thus, in the diachronic analysis of South Africa's transition, an interactive approach, that seeks to relate structural constraints to the shaping of contingent choice, is followed. At the same time, the institutional substitution of a new democratic political dispensation is examined. In conclusion, democracies are complex phenomena, and they are caused by many di er- ent forces and synthesizing the relevant theoretical approaches to political change provides a more cogent and comprehensive explanation of democratic transition in South Africa.
(D. Litt. et Phil. (International Politics))

碩士
國立屏東科技大學
企業管理系所
97
After the Act of Military Education has been put into operation, the military academies have to face more complicated environment than before. They have to meet both of the educational missions of the Ministry of National Defense, and the policies of the Ministry of Education. Furthermore, they need to cope with different managerial objectives that contradict to each other, such as streamlining in the administrative efficiency, maximization of the educational quality, and optimization of the resource allocation. Therefore, establishing a bi-management system is extremely crucial for military academies or colleges in the coming future. This research aims to introduce Stage Model of Organizational Change so as to explain the importance of Organizational Changes in military academies. Meanwhile, it locates the managerial main points in academies through the discussion on Matrix Organization applied the military academy management. The reason why taking this model is that military organizations are more appropriate to be viewed by Stage Model of Organizational Change, which means that the organization can transform its structure within limited time. It differs from “step by step” Organizational Changes. The Air Force Institute of Technology is the subject of this study. After conducting several deep interviews with personnel concerned, it is found that military academies truly adopt various organizational structures according to the environmental complexity. For instance, the subject adopts functional organizational structure when facing efficiency issues, changes into Divisional Organization when facing effect issues, and develops to Matrix Organization when facing two pressures at the same time. This study has three conclusions. First, Organizational Design means that a manager should, when facing different situations, choose a specific organizational structure while Organizational Change emphasizes the dynamic process of organization redesign and transform. In other word, Organizational Design is a static concept but Organizational Change is dynamic. Second, Organizational Change is not a subjective concept but an adaption after facing pressure from both the outer and inner of the organization, rearranging the resources to improve the environment. Last, when the pressure forces the organization to make effort for assigned mission from both sides, with timely response to the needs of customers and efficient production, Matrix Organization is a feasible organizational structure.

碩士
國立成功大學
政治經濟學研究所
95
In the early time, because the major part of special education in Taiwan was managed privately and most of them were philanthropy, the speed of its development was very slow. Shortly after, as a result of the regular education developing, we started to devote to promote the special education, and promoted the equal opportunity in education. Looking over the special educational reform policy in Taiwan, it is echoing the developing tendency of the entire international special education : mainstreaming, the least restrictive environment, integrative education, inclusive education. The present study adopted the document analysis and the historical analysis, by way of the analytic approach of the historical institutionalism, tracing the historical change of the educational placement institution for schoolchildren with disabilities in Taiwan. Through the several specific stages of the path, observing the beginning, the development of it, and appraising its influence, in order to understand why and how it transformed the present form. And through the understanding of its historical change, in order to investigate the relationship among these phenomena. After analyzing, this study discovered that during the development of historical change, the types of the educational placement gradually evolved from the early sole choice to the present multiplex choice and the educational placement institution for schoolchildren with disabilities in Taiwan is along with the past path and further self- strengthening, and it forms the institutional rule nowadays.

One of the tools used during re-engineering of an environment is the process model as modelling tool. The identification of process models within an institution is a difficult and tedious task. A problem is that often process model structures is identified for one specific project and not stored for future reuse. The ideal for institutions is to reuse process model structures within the institution. This study focused on the generic structures within the higher education application domain where the hypothesis for this study was that a generic educational process model structure for higher education institutions can be established; a process management flow procedure can be used to manage the flow within an educational process model; and that aneducational process model can be stored and reused in re-engineering efforts. The study was divided into three research questions, where the first focused on the identification of generic process model structures, the second on the usability of the process model structures within a re-engineering effort, and the last on the preservation of a process model structure. For the first research question, the identification of process model structures, three institutions were used for data collection. It was necessary to develop a requirements elicitation procedure for data collection. The structure derived was confirmed at a fourth institution. For the second research question, which focuses on the usability of process model structures, an ordinal measurement was defined to measure the usefulness of the process model structures in a reengineering effort. A re-engineering procedure was developed for re-engineering the application domain, called the process management flow procedure, and used for a re-engineering effort at one institution. Lastly, for the third research question the preservation of the process model structures, the abstraction of the process model structure was investigated as well as the feasibility of implementing the process model structures physically using existing repository software. The conclusion after the investigation of the three research questions was that the hypothesis was confirmed that there is indeed a set of process model structures within the higher education institution that are generic, preservable and reusable in a re-engineering effort.
Computing
Ph. D. (Computer Science)

Tourism is globally rated as the World's biggest industry by gross domestic product. In South Africa it is hoped that the tourism industry will show growth that will positively affect the economy of the country. In particular, as tourism is noted as a labour intensive industry, it is expected that growth in this sector will create many jobs. In order to support this growth this study examines the need for tourism tertiary education and in particular how the use of soft systems methodologies is able to guide the management team of a tertiary institution as it re-examines the responses of the institution to influences that surround tertiary tourism education. The problem of tertiary tourism education proves to be particularly complex and unstructured in that it requires the coordination of many traditional disciplines that are each able to contribute elements to the study of tourism. Stemming from conventional scientific method a tradition of isolationism has evolved whereby individual elements of the tourism system operate independently with little interaction with other elements. Systems thinking recognises the interdependence and interrelatedness of all the elements in a system not least human elements. Although traditionally excluded from study, the subjective values and beliefs of people are actively solicited by systems thinkers who propose that only by embracing these beliefs, in a value full inquiry, is it possible to establish a self learning and self modifying education system suited to the changing demands of a turbulent industry such as tourism. The primary purpose of this work is to use systems thinking to build and implement a framework for improvement by restructuring tourism education in a large tertiary institution. The research intends to plot the course of change and organisational learning as the tertiary institution endeavours to re-align itself to the ever changing requirements of its customers. The dissertation does not seek, nor does it find, a neat packaged solution to the messy problem of tertiary tourism education in KwaZulu-Natal. This is not in the nature of soft systems thinking, which is about inquiry and better ways of seeing, and not primarily about proving or disproving hypotheses.
Thesis (M.Com.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1999.

The aim of this thesis is description of the EU legal process during and after Brexit. The thesis includes description of functioning of European Union institutions. Also, there is a description of the legislative process, a description of the course of the referendum on Brexit and a summary of the impacts, especially the economic ones. One of main themes of the practical part is the analysis of changes that will occur in institutions after the departure of Great Britain - what will be the new composition and what specific changes will happen here. In the practical part, the research question was set: How will the failure of the British mandate influence the course of voting in the EU Council? For finding answer on the research question, was made an analysis of legal acts which was approved by the ordinary legislative procedure 2014-2018. There is a special focus on the UK position during the vote analysis. The analysis is based on data that comes from the EU portal, which allows access to EU law - Eur-lex.europa.com. Data was collected and divided by reference years and by the country's position.

Tese de doutoramento (Programa Doutoral em Contabilidade)
Os Hospitais Universitários Federais, representados em todo o território nacional, têm grande importância no sistema de saúde do Brasil ao exercerem assistência, ensino, pesquisa e extensão. O objetivo geral desta tese é analisar as dinâmicas institucionais desses hospitais brasileiros e as implicações na contabilidade, decorrentes do Programa Nacional de Reestruturação dos Hospitais Universitários Federais (REHUF) e da criação da Empresa Brasileira de Serviços Hospitalares (EBSERH), com vistas a explorar os motivos, atores e processos que condicionaram e condicionam a atuação dessas entidades públicas. A EBSERH é uma empresa pública que foi criada com o objetivo de gerir os hospitais universitários com a implantação do aplicativo de gestão para hospitais universitários. Este estudo qualitativo adota uma abordagem interpretativa e utiliza a Teoria Institucional (particularmente a Nova Sociologia Institucional) para relatar os resultados de um estudo de caso em profundidade realizado em Hospitais Universitários Federais. Além da análise documental, os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas. Esta pesquisa contribui para a literatura sobre a mudança de gestão no sistema de saúde, através do estudo da implementação de um sistema integrado nos Hospitais Universitários Públicos do Brasil. Os resultados da investigação mostram que o processo de mudança foi implementado de cima para baixo, com pouca transparência e muitas informações contraditórias, pressões da empresa e do Governo, resistência antes e durante o processo por parte dos servidores e outros atores sociais, o que gerou atrasos na implementação. A resistência, entretanto, não foi suficiente para sustar o processo. A legislação, bem como as recomendações do Tribunal de Contas da União, exerceu pressões institucionalizadoras nos hospitais universitários federais; algumas, no entanto, tiveram utilização cerimonial, ocorrendo loose coupling. Além disso, verificou-se que a gestão exercida nos hospitais aderentes não só traduz uma busca do governo por legitimidade, como também de eficiência no controle de recursos públicos. Os resultados revelam que os avanços na contabilidade dos hospitais aderentes foram bastante relevantes, e a informação contábil dessas unidades, embora incompleta, é utilizada como uma forma de legitimação. Por fim, a investigação mostrou que algumas regras e normas foram instituídas no âmbito da contabilidade e institucionalizadas nos hospitais aderentes. Com a implantação do aplicativo de gestão para hospitais universitários, as práticas existentes foram descontinuadas, ocorrendo desinstitucionalização.
The Federal University Hospitals have great importance in the Brazilian health system due to its role in assistance, teaching, research and extension. The main objective of this thesis is to analyze the institutional dynamics of these Brazilian hospitals and the implications in accounting that arise from the adoption of the National Program of Restructuring of Federal University Hospitals and the creation of the Brazilian Company of Hospital Services (Empresa Brasileira de Serviços Hospitalares-EBSERH), exploring the reasons, actors and processes that have been shaping the performance of these public entities. The objective of the EBSERH is the management of university hospitals’ with the implementation of management application for university hospitals. This qualitative study follows an interpretative approach and uses Institutional Theory (particularly the New Institutional Sociology) to inform the findings of an in-depth case study developed within Federal University Hospitals. Adding to the documental analysis data was collected through semi-structured interviews. This research contributes to the literature on the management change on the health system, through the study of the implementation of an integrated system in the Brazilian Public University Hospitals. The results show that a top down strategy has been adopted in the change process; that the process lacked transparency and had contradictory information; that the Brazilian Company of Hospital Services and the Government exerted pressures that lead Universities to join Brazilian Company of Hospital Services and; that the servers, and other social actors, resisted the process and delayed its implementation. Resistance, however, was not enough to stop the process. Legislation, and recommendations of the Court Union Accounts exerted institutionalizing pressures on the federal university hospitals. Though, some of the laws had a ceremonial use leading to loose coupling. In addition, it was verified that the management carried out in the adherent hospitals not only reflects the government's search for legitimacy, but also the search of efficiency in the control of public resources. The results also reveal that the changes in the accounting system of the adherent hospitals were very relevant, and that the accounting information of these units, although incomplete, is used as a form of legitimization. Finally, the research has shown that some rules and standards have been instituted in accounting and institutionalized in adherent hospitals. With the implementation of the management application for university hospitals, the current practices were discontinued, and deinstitutionalization occurred.

Obszarem badawczym dysertacji jest polityka zagraniczna Singapuru. W rozprawie podjęta jest próba odpowiedzi na pytanie jaki model adaptacji przyjął Singapur w odniesieniu do swojej aktywności w polityce zagranicznej w regionie Azji i Pacyfiku? Celem pracy jest weryfikacja hipotezy próbującej wykazać, że Singapur przyjął model adaptacji kreatywnej w polityce zagranicznej w regionie Azji i Pacyfiku. Oznacza to, że państwo to stara się dostosowywać do zmian zachodzących w środowisku międzynarodowym oraz jednocześnie wpływać na jego kształt, co pozwala mu zachować jego podstawowe struktury państwowe, realizować cele polityczne i chronić interesy narodowe. Model adaptacji kreatywnej odnosi się do polityki zagranicznej i struktur współpracy regionalnej, w które zaangażowany jest Singapur. Do badania polityki zagranicznej Singapuru zastosowana będzie perspektywa adaptacji. James N. Rosenau, który zainicjował badania adaptacji polityki zagranicznej, definiował ją jako działanie mające na celu zachowanie i ochronę struktur społecznych i cech państwa stanowiących o jego istocie. Adaptacja polityczna jest więc jedną z użytecznych koncepcji badawczych pomagających zrozumieć politykę zagraniczną państwa. Jest ona szczególnie przydatna w zrozumieniu procesów zachodzących w polityce zagranicznej państwa singapurskiego. Dysertacja podzielona jest na pięć rozdziałów: 1) analityczna użyteczność kategorii adaptacji w badaniu polityki zagranicznej; 2) wewnętrzny kontekst polityki zagranicznej Singapuru; 3) adaptacja w polityce Singapuru wobec Stowarzyszenia Narodów Azji Południowo-Wschodniej; 4) adaptacja w polityce Singapuru wobec potęg obecnych w regionie Azji i Pacyfiku: Chin i Stanów Zjednoczonych; oraz 5) adaptacja w polityce Singapuru wobec instytucji regionalnych, dyplomacji ekonomicznej, obronnej i potęg regionalnych. Celem pierwszego rozdziału jest zaprezentowanie treści, krytyki oraz użyteczności analitycznej adaptacji w badaniu polityki zagranicznej państwa. Rozdział ten składa się z kilku części, począwszy od pojęcia adaptacji w naukach społecznych, poprzez założenia adaptacji przedstawione przez Jamesa Rosenau’a, krytykę i ewolucję tej koncepcji, a także jej miejsce w odniesieniu do teorii stosunków międzynarodowych. Rozdział kończy próba określenia użyteczności adaptacji w badaniu polityki zagranicznej. Celem rozdziału drugiego jest przedstawienie wewnętrznego kontekstu, celów i założeń polityki zagranicznej, jak również i interesów narodowych Singapuru, z uwzględnieniem specyfiki formułowania polityki przez państwo małe. Szczególną uwagę zwraca się na sytuację wewnętrzną państwa, gdyż to w tym środowisku podejmuje się decyzje, które następnie mają zasięg zewnętrzny. Uwzględniono więc czynniki polityczne, administracyjne, ekonomiczne, a także kulturowe. Kolejne trzy rozdziały mają charakter empiryczny. Ich celem jest przedstawienie procesów adaptacji oraz ocena stopnia i formy adaptacji w odniesieniu do: w rozdziale trzecim Stowarzyszenia Narodów Azji Południowo-Wschodniej (ASEAN); w rozdziale czwartym wobec najważniejszych potęg obecnych w regionie Azji i Pacyfiku, a więc Stanów Zjednoczonych i Chin; w rozdziale piątym wobec innych instytucji regionalnych, w obszarze dyplomacji obronnej i ekonomicznej, a także innych potęg obecnych w regionie: Indii, Japonia, Australii i Korei Południowej.
Research area of the dissertation is the foreign policy of Singapore. The work presents an attempt to answer the question – what is the adaptation model of Singapore in its foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific region? The aim of the work is to verify the argument that Singapore has implemented the creative model of adaptation in its foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific region. As it follows, Singapore seeks to adapt to the changes taking place in the international environment, while changing its shape, what helps Singapore to maintain its basic national structures, achieving the political goals and protect national interests. Creative model of adaptation refers to the foreign policy and regional structure of cooperation, in which Singapore is engaged. Concept of political adaptation is the theoretical framework applied in this study. James N. Rosenau, a scholar who initiated the studies on foreign policy adaptation, defined it as activities aiming at protection of national structures and state features critical to state’s existence. Adaptation is therefore useful in the foreign policy analysis, especially in Singaporean case. Dissertation is divided into five chapters 1) analytical usefulness of adaptation in the analysis of foreign policy; 2) internal context of Singapore’s foreign policy; 3) adaptation in the Singapore’s foreign policy towards Association of Southeast Asian Nations; 4) adaptation in the foreign policy of Singapore towards the great powers: the United States and China, and 5) adaptation in the foreign policy of Singapore towards regional institutions, in the area of defence and economic diplomacy and regional powers: India, Japan, Australia and South Korea. The aim of the first chapter is to present and describe the content, criticism and usefulness of the political adaptation in the foreign policy analysis. Chapter consists of few parts: definitions of adaptation, Rosenau’s works, criticism and development of the concept, as well as its place in the theories of international relations. The chapter ends with assessment of adaptation as a useful tool in foreign policy analysis. The aim of the second chapter is to present and analyze internal context of policy-making process, foreign policy goals and national interests, with a reference to a small-country foreign policy making. Attention is drawn to internal situation of a country as it is a the environment that shapes the decision-making process. Included are political, administrative, economic and cultural determinants. Next three chapters are empirical. Their aim is to analyze the adaptation processes and determine the model of adaptation in the foreign policy towards: in the third chapter – ASEAN; fourth chapter – great powers the United States and China; fifth chapter – regional institutions ASEM and APEC, in the area of defence and economic diplomacy and towards regional powers: India, Japan, Australia and South Korea.