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Crafford, Anne. "Identity in organisations : a methodological study." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/97031.
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Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examined organisational identity from a substantive and methodological point of view. With the burgeoning interest in the organisational identity construct, there have been a multitude of perspectives and meanings associated with the term. These perspectives formed the basis of three juxtapositions used to evaluate the nature of knowledge generated by various research designs used to study organisational identity. These designs included survey design, content analysis, case study design, ethnography, narrative analysis and discourse analysis. I concluded that the choice for a particular research design does constrain or make possible the generation of different types of knowledge regarding OI. The effect of design type has long been suspected and argued for, and this study provides further substantiation for this view. The choice of research design is not a neutral one but plays an integral role in the nature of the knowledge generated, and should be taken seriously as part of the research process. Also from a methodological perspective, the aim was to explore whether an Internet-based, open-ended qualitative survey could provide a suitable description of organisational identity, and whether it would be possible to develop identity narratives from these responses. Data was gathered in a South African based multi-national engineering firm, the result of a recent merger of two engineering firms. Based on the responses to the survey, I was able to develop descriptive narratives of each of (what had been termed) the heritage organisations, each narrative comprising a series of inter-related identity statements capturing various facets of organisation identity. Three broad narratives for each heritage organisation dealt with the nature of the organisation and its position in the market, the importance of the profession and clients, and the value of people in the organisation. Given the pervasive nature of technology, and that work in many corporate and professional settings is conducted via the internet, an internet-based qualitative survey allows information regarding organisational identity to be gathered fairly easily. The research undertaken in this study thus adds to the body of knowledge surrounding the use of a web-based qualitative survey in accessing organisational identity, and suggests that this form of data gathering in the organisation can be successful, provided that participants are computer literate and have access to the Internet. The organisations in question were chosen as merger partners due to their similarity, and using the descriptive narratives developed from the survey, I was able to examine the question of distinctiveness in similar organisations, which has not yet been addressed. Despite the similarities, the identity of both organisations was arguably distinct, and this could be traced to two factors. The first was an element of social actor, in this case the size of the organisation, which coupled with other factors influenced organisation identity in very specific ways. Secondly, distinctiveness arose from the construction of meaning around specific elements of the social actor by members of the organisations. Thus, much like personal identity, organisational identity is associated with similarity and difference (Buckingham 2008).
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: g Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om the konsep van organisasie-identiteit te ondersoek vanuit ‘n substantiewe en metodologiese hoek. Die groeiende belangstelling in die konstruk van organisasieidentiteit, gee aanleiding daartoe dat meervuldige perspektiewe en betekenisse aan die term gegee word. Hierdie verskillende perspektiewe vorm die basis van drie naasmekaarstellings wat gebruik word om die aard van kennis, wat geskep word deur verskillende navorsingsontwerpe in die studie van organisasie-identiteit, behoorlik te bestudeer. Hierdie navorsingsontwerpe sluit in opnamestudies, inhoudsanalise, gevallestudies, etnografiese studies, teksontledings en diskoers analise. Ek het tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die keuse van ‘n bepaalde navorsingsontwerp weliswaar beperkend of fasiliterend van aard kan wees in die skep van verskillende kennisbasisse rondom organisasie-identiteit. Die impak van die tipe navorsingsontwerp word lankal reeds vermoed, en hierdie studie lewer verdere ondersteuning vir hierdie standpunt. Die keuse van ‘n navorsingsontwerp is nie neutraal nie maar speel ‘n integrale rol in die aard van die kennis wat geskep word en behoort aandag te geniet in the navorsingsproses. Vanuit ‘n metodologiese perspektief was die doelwit ook om te bepaal of ‘n internet-gebaseerde, oopeinde kwalitatiewe opname, ‘n toepaslike beskrywing en begrip van organisasie-identiteit kan lewer en of dit moontlik sou wees om identiteits-ontledings vanuit hierdie response te genereer. Data opnames is gedoen in ‘n Suid-Afrika-gebaseerde internasionale ingenieurskonsultasiefirma, wat bestaan uit twee saamgesmelte firmas. Die response uit die opname het my toegelaat om beskrywende narratiewe van beide die oorspronklike organisasies te ontwikkel. Elk van hierdie bestaan uit ‘n reeks van interafhanklike stellings oor identiteit wat die verskeie fasette van organisasie-identiteit verwoord. Daar was drie narratiewe vir elkeen van die oorspronklike organisasies en hierdie het gefokus op die aard en markposisionering van die organisasie, die belangrikheid van die professie en kliente en die waarde van mense binne die organisasie. Gegewe die deurtastende aard van tegnologie in veral korporatiewe en professionele omstandighede, sal ‘n internet-gebaseerde kwalitatiewe opname die verkryging van inligting rondom organisasie identiteit vergemaklik. Die navorsing onderneem in hierdie studie dra dus by tot ons begrip van die toepassing van internet-gebaseerde kwalitatiewe opnames in die taksering van organisasie identiteit. Dit dui aan dat hierdie vorm van data-insameling in ‘n organisasie sukesvol kan wees indien die respondente rekenaarvaardig is en toegang tot die internet het. Die organisasies wat in die studie gebruik is, het tot ‘n groot mate saamgesmelt aan die hand van hulle soortgelyke aard en waardes. Deur die beskrywende narratiewe te gebruik wat uit die opname ontwikkel is, kon ek die vraagstuk van onderskeidenheid in soortgelyke organisasies ondersoek, wat tot op daardie stadium nie gedoen was nie. Ongeag die ooreenkomste, is bevind dat die identiteit van beide die organisasies wel merkbaar verskil en dat dit toegeskryf kan word aan twee faktore. Die eerste hiervan is geeien as ‘n sosiale agent, in hierdie geval die grootte van die organisasie, wat tesame met ander faktore die organisasie-identiteit op spesifieke manier beinvloed het. Die tweede faktor onstaan uit die konstruksie van betekenis rondom spesifieke elemente van die sosiale agent deur lede van die organisasies. Dit is dus duidelik dat organisasie-identiteit, soos persoonlike identiteit, geassosieer word met ooreenkomste en verskille (Buckingham 2008)
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Aliba, Beatrice. "Knowledge management in research organisations : a knowledge audit." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14703.
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Includes bibliographical references (leaves 120-125).This dissertation focuses on a knowledge audit that was conducted in a research organisation (PLAAS) at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa. A knowledge and information audit provides a framework that examines the ways in which an organisation handles and leverages its knowledge and information assets. The audit examines ways an organisation creates, generates, disseminates, stores and shares its knowledge and information resources. In the process, the gaps, sinks, and duplications are revealed; providing useful information that can support decision making and knowledge management initiatives to enhance organisational productivity and effectiveness. This relates specifically to developing relevant information and knowledge strategies, to understanding an organisation's knowledge and information needs and aligning these with the right tools that will facilitate efficiency in an organisation's core engagements. This knowledge and information audit was exploratory in nature and sought to understand the current information and knowledge environment of the organisation. It was anticipated that the results would augment and feed into the current reflections of the organisation on how to leverage its knowledge and information assets and improve efficiency and remain competitive in the market place. The audit was carried out at PLAAS, a research unit that produces considerable research output based on the empirical studies that the staff conducts. The organisation, in addition, is actively involved in forums that debate and engage with various players in the land and agrarian sector in South Africa. These engagements are at a level where they influence policy matters related to land and agrarian matters in the new South Africa. This audit sought to examine what information and knowledge supports core engagements of the staff, what information and knowledge they use, where they find it and in the process establish the gaps, and challenges staff face as they carry out their core research duties. The audit adopted a qualitative approach to research, where interviews were the primary source of data collection. An interview guide was developed to facilitate the data collection and twelve (12) interviews were conducted. The themes, recurring items, and unique views that emerged guided the analysis. Recommendations to improve the current knowledge and information environment took the form of a 'Road Map for Knowledge Management' that the organisation can adopt to enhance the current operating system. The knowledge and information audit showed that the organisation is very knowledge-oriented and extensively engaged in knowledge work even though this is not explicitly referred to as 'Knowledge Management'. Many shortcomings were identified with regard to the knowledge and information system that is currently in place and these specifically relate to: the organisational structure, organisational memory, organisational technology infrastructure, infrastructure, knowledge sharing activities, and the organisational culture. The results suggested that the organisation needs to strengthen aspects in these areas in order to remain efficient and support the staff in their daily work activities. The outcomes further suggest that knowledge audit methodologies (as an area of knowledge management) need to develop and be standardized and that more research needs to be conducted in this field of knowledge management.
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Gall, Peter. "Creating new instruments to advance research into virtual organisations." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2008. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/193.
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This study reviews the literature in relation to virtual strategic alignment models and strategies. From this the researcher develops a framework to test two new strategic alignment instruments designed to measure the espoused preparedness of organisations to operate virtually and the readiness of an organisation to collaborate virtually. These instruments are designed to assist organisations in recognising and exploiting their degree of virtuality and can support organisations in developing new organisational forms that fully leverage the value of their ICT assests. Prior research has attempted to address strategic alignment issues either internally, externally or holistically. A new approach was necessary.
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Hendricks, Kelly Cecile. "Expanding the understanding of positive organisational practices in positively deviant organisations: An online desk research review." University of the Western Cape, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/6941.
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Magister Commercii (Industrial Psychology) - MCom(IPS)Positive organisational practices are actions performed by employees within the workplace that enhance worker and organisational wellness. In identifying positively deviant organisations, specific positive practices within the organisation were studied as an online desk research. This study is based on a backdrop of a study by Cameron et al. (2011) where the authors theorise about certain positive practices, but do not stipulate actual practices. In understanding what these positive practices look like, the study used the interpretive paradigm. Through qualitative inquiry, thematic analysis was used to expand the understanding of manifest positive practices in organisations. The researcher used two significant ways of gathering the data, both through the internet; looking up "top" and "happiest" companies to work for as well as looking at the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) Network online resources and Michigan Ross School of Business online page. All of the data gathered (150 pieces) was from secondary internet / online sources. The results generated 13 themes, of which five stood out as most salient: social interactions at work, inclusivity of all differences, mindfulness, transparent/open communication and creativity/innovation. The study concludes by identifying similarities between Cameron et al. (2011) and the study results, and proposes a link between 11 of the themes. Furthermore, the results suggest that seven of the study’s practices coincide with one particular practice from Cameron et al. (2011): ‘inspiring’ others in the workplace. The significance of the study includes the expanded understanding of positive organisational (manifest) practices that take place in positively deviant organisations. By comparing and contrasting these practices with the Cameron et al. (2011) positive practices, similarities were found. Recommendations for future research are offered.
2020-08-31
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Lehaney, Brian. "Simulation modelling in administration-by-consensus organisations." Thesis, Brunel University, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.286696.
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Burnett, S. "Organisational and systems factors impacting on patient safety in acute care organisations : lessons from four multi-site research studies." Thesis, University of Westminster, 2016. https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/9ywzv/organisational-and-systems-factors-impacting-on-patient-safety-in-acute-care-organisations-lessons-from-four-multi-site-research-studies.
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Background Patient safety is concerned with preventable harm in healthcare, a subject that became a focus for study in the UK in the late 1990s. How to improve patient safety, presented both a practical and a research challenge in the early 2000s, leading to the eleven publications presented in this thesis. Research question The overarching research question was: What are the key organisational and systems factors that impact on patient safety, and how can these best be researched? Methods Research was conducted in over 40 acute care organisations in the UK and Europe between 2006 and 2013. The approaches included surveys, interviews, documentary analysis and non-participant observation. Two studies were longitudinal. Results The findings reveal the nature and extent of poor systems reliability and its effect on patient safety; the factors underpinning cases of patient harm; the cultural issues impacting on safety and quality; and the importance of a common language for quality and safety across an organisation. Across the publications, nine key organisational and systems factors emerged as important for patient safety improvement. These include leadership stability; data infrastructure; measurement capability; standardisation of clinical systems; and creating an open and fair collective culture where poor safety is challenged. Conclusions and contribution to knowledge The research presented in the publications has provided a more complete understanding of the organisation and systems factors underpinning safer healthcare. Lessons are drawn to inform methods for future research, including: how to define success in patient safety improvement studies; how to take into account external influences during longitudinal studies; and how to confirm meaning in multi-language research. Finally, recommendations for future research include assessing the support required to maintain a patient safety focus during periods of major change or austerity; the skills needed by healthcare leaders; and the implications of poor data infrastructure.
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Baguma, Sylvester D. "Knowledge retention in national agricultural research organisations : the case of Uganda." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2016. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/23152.
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Organisation knowledge attrition continues to gain attention due to the increasing mobility of organisational employees. Employees leave organisations due to retirement, resignation in search for better employment opportunities, termination of employment contracts, indisposition, unofficially leaving employment, and death. When they leave organisations, they take with them tacit knowledge. Attrition of tacit knowledge leads to loss of intellectual assets and erosion of organisational memory which negatively affect learning and innovation. The knowledge can be subject matter expertise, organisational memory of why certain decisions were made, experience of past research and development projects and the social network in terms of from whom they sought out for answers or collaborated with in executing their tasks. Knowledge attrition is common in many organisations in different sectors. The literature does not show any framework that addresses knowledge attrition right from the time an employee is recruited into an organisation to when he or she leaves it. The purpose of this study was to develop an integrated knowledge retention framework for minimising organisational knowledge attrition. This was achieved by investigating how loss of organisational tacit knowledge can be minimised. The research adopted a single case study design with a concurrent parallel mixed methods research strategy informed by pragmatic philosophical assumptions. It was conducted in Uganda in a large national agricultural research organisation. Data was collected from 36 focus group discussions involving 161 participants, review of organisational documents, 35 interviews, 205 online surveys and a validation workshop by 16 top managers. The main contribution of this research is the novel framework for knowledge retention that comprehensively addresses knowledge attrition from an organisation. The framework comprises two categories of components. The first is the organisational behavioural components comprising knowledge sharing, capturing and documenting knowledge, and knowledge exploitation. This category constitutes the core components of the knowledge retention strategy. The second category is the organisational environmental components. It comprises creating organisational learning environment, having knowledge-oriented governance and leadership, providing necessary capacities and conditions, and providing strategic guidance - planning for knowledge retention. Environmental components have moderating effects on the behavioural components. In addition, it has contributed to the theoretical existing body of knowledge from the framework that was developed. This complements the reviewed literature which uncovered three conceptual categorisations of the knowledge retention strategies based on the timing of capturing knowledge from an individual. The three categories are: Reactive (short-term), Containment (medium-term) and Preventive (long-term) knowledge retention strategies. Although the concept of knowledge retention is not new, this research has contributed to the existing body of literature. Additionally, the study provides a deeper understanding of knowledge retention and opens new research areas. Perhaps this is the first study of its kind in the agricultural sector specifically focussing on agricultural research.
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Jotisakulratana, Maleeya. "Intellectual capital and the performance of researchers in public research organisations." Thesis, Imperial College London, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.538678.
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Mumuni, Eliasu. "Developing a framework for transdisciplinary communication in multifaceted agricultural research organisations." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2018. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/49066/.
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Agriculture represents a class or expression of complexity which researchers need to look at because of its immense contribution to rural development and poverty reduction. Scientists and researchers per their disciplinary training and specialisations differ in wider perspectives and methodologies. In addition to the compartment functioning processes of organisations, fluid interaction and collaboration of actors are further limited. This study examines how actors in Crops for the Future (CFF) interacted formally and informally as a complex agricultural research organisation to address the transdisciplinary communication challenges it faces. Using ethnographic methods with participant observation, interviews and official document reviews, the study revealed that, the structuring of CFF into themes and programmes was intended to network and work in their areas of disciplines. The study revealed that internal policies of CFF such as the research value chain (RVC), the doctoral support programmes (DTP) and flagship projects aim to improve research collaboration and as a research strategy, tend to support working together effectively. However, it further revealed that, though actors collaborate and network across different knowledge communities, elements of personal interest and power appear to play a significant role in that drive. Raising questions of communication and reporting process, revealed a mixed form of vertical and horizontal hierarchies, supported by a project and functional structures of management in CFF. The informal practices of actors in CFF (social networking, friendship, interactions etc.) tend to strongly support and enhance the formal structures and policies (programmes, themes, reporting and management structure etc.).
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Clark, Tom. "Doing qualitative research with people and organisations : how do researchers understand and negotiate their research relationships?" Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2008. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/934/.
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Using the child and family research arena as a base, and by generating and analysing empirical data according to the grounded theory methodology proposed by Glaser and Strauss (1967), this thesis adopts an empirical approach to the study of the research relationship. More specifically, it explores how researchers (n=13) understand the research process and, in particular, how they negotiate the process of doing research with people and organisations. Four key social actors are identified and discussed. These are: the researchers, the funding agencies, the gate-keepers, and the research groups. Whilst, the issues involved with the post-data collection stages of research are not presented here, the issues associated with the pre-data-collection phases and data-collection phases of research are articulated. Within the pre-data collection phases of research, the process of research generation and how the interests of researchers converge with funding agencies are examined and discussed. Similarly, the roles of gate-keeping groups, who straddle the pre-data collection and data collection phases of research, are also explored and the supporting mechanisms of these relationships highlighted. Finally, the thesis explores the nature of researchers' relationships with research groups by distinguishing between categorical, collective, and formal, research groups. The mechanisms that support and challenge engagement with these groups are identified and the ethical devices that researchers use to negotiate and manage these relationships are also explored.
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Gross, S. "Predictors of sales performance in B2B hybrid organisations : an action research inquiry." Thesis, University of Liverpool, 2016. http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3003481/.
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This action research thesis is about the predictors of sales performance within organisations, which are shifting from a manufacturer of goods towards a hybrid company, supplementing their goods offerings with services, or a pure service company. The objectives of this research have been to identify the key criteria that characterise successful sales organisations or salespeople within these types of companies and what differences exist between the sales approaches and salespeople’s behaviour. This research has further aimed to explore how people in sales organisations are recruited and developed within the context of such a change initiative. The latter aim is particularly important, since this study was conducted as an action research inquiry within the context of an interim management provider, who help their clients on these topics through external support. The author has adopted pragmatism as a theoretical position to reach a better understanding of the scope of the problems. This has generated actionable knowledge relevant for sales organisations transitioning from a goods-dominant business towards a hybrid or service-dominant business. A literature review has been conducted to get a better understanding of the drivers and forces beyond servitization and sales within a business-to-business (B2B) context. The first research action cycle was based on the problem definition and initial literature review. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were then applied as elements of the action research process. Qualitative research was a part of cycle one and quantitative research methods were applied in cycle two. Based on the existing literature and the interviews that were conducted, the role of technical and product knowledge, as well as customer and industry knowledge was investigated. Additionally, the relevance of adapting sales approaches to varying customer demands, the role of internal collaboration as a moderating factor for sales success and the role of sales control systems, with a particular focus on reward systems, were a part of further research within cycle two. Sixteen hypotheses were developed and tested by means of an electronic survey. This survey thus identified the differences between sales organisations with an industrial background (goods-dominant) and those with a background in IT and telecommunications (hybrid or service-dominant). In regard to most of the hypotheses presented here, this study found no evidence of significant differences between Industrial and IT sales organisations. As factors that significantly influence the performance of sales organisations within hybrid and servicedominant businesses, this study has identified reward systems and, in particular, the extent to which organisations use incentive compensation as a means for motivation, as well as the extent to which salespeople are rewarded for their results. Moreover, qualitative and quantitative research provided several interesting insights for sales organisations coping with change driven by servitization. As conducted within the scope of this thesis, an action research project aims at improving a problem faced by an organisation. The assumptions made to address the underlying problem and a potential resolution did – during cycle one – not turn out as suitable, so that the initial problem could not be addressed as initially planned. Instead of personality traits, differences between Industrial and IT sales organisations were identified based on knowledge, behaviour and control. This did also address the problem and improve the situation, even if it was not initially intended in this way.
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Wagner, Andre. "The impact of an organisational capacity assessment on non-profit organisations in South Africa." University of the Western Cape, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/7706.
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Magister Economicae - MEconThe research study investigated the potential impact that organisational capacity assessments can have on the long-term sustainability of non-profit organisations (NPOs). The researcher employed longitudinal research design as the main instrument in the collection of data. Data was collected from four local non-profit organisations in the Cullinan and Bronkhorstspruit areas of South Africa. These organisations were evaluated by means of a questionnaire, which was developed by the researcher. NPOs can only play a pivotal role in community and social services if management, leadership, governance and other elements of organisational capacity are well developed and continuously strengthened. This is critical for attracting local and international donors who provide crucial running costs and relieve national, provincial and local government departments of the financial burden. Currently, the South African government supports NPOs in South Africa. The legislative and registration aspects of NPOs are regulated by the NPO Act (Act 71 of 1997) and the Income Tax Act (Act 58 of 1962). The State of South African Registered NPOs Report 2010/2011 indicated a growth of the number of registrations to have increased by 8.3%. However, in the same financial year a total number of 468 NPOs were deregistered; 98% of these lost their registration due to non-compliance of regulatory requirements. According to the State of South African Registered NPOs Report (2016) the total number of applications received for the financial year was 16 726 (53.7%), however 4 421 (46%) did not meet the requirements of sections 12-13 of the NPO Act, an issue that would definitely affect the existence of non-compliant institutions.
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Beesley, Lisa, and n/a. "Relationships among Knowledge Creation, Diffusion and Utilisation in the CRC Process." Griffith University. School of Marketing and Management, 2003. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20040901.125713.
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Tourism has come to be recognised as a major contributor to national economies. In a knowledge-based economy (that emphasises the benefits of industry/government and academic research), a strong research base must underpin management of a tourist destination if it is to realise its full potential. The establishment of collaborative networks between industry, academia, and government in the strategic planning and management of cities and towns is becoming increasingly popular. However, the way in which the processes underlying these settings facilitate or inhibit eventual outcomes is poorly understood. If knowledge is to drive innovation and economic growth optimally, it is important not just to develop an understanding of the processes underlying the creation, diffusion and utilisation of knowledge in cooperative research settings, but also the relationships among them. Accordingly, the aim of this investigation is to examine the relationships among knowledge creation, diffusion and utilisation occurring in the Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program, specifically, the Gold Coast Visioning Project, with a view to identifying the most efficient means for formulating and disseminating research designed for industry and/or government application. Knowledge is defined as information that is imbued with meaning or relevance. However, this definition says little of the ways that individuals, groups and organisations acquire knowledge. While cognitive psychologists have produced several theories suggesting the structure and mechanisms of individual cognitive processes underlying the acquisition and use of knowledge, social scientists have sought to describe and explain the process by investigating the influence of social factors. Recent contributions to group learning have examined group composition, group size, familiarity among group members, and communication processes in an attempt to understand the ways in which groups acquire knowledge. Research shows that knowledge utilisation in organisations results from the interdependent influences of organisational processes and the control opportunities and control problems that arise through organisational structure. These frameworks provide accounts of how knowledge is utilised within an organisation, but not of how organisations learn. Recent research suggests that organisations learn through knowledge networks where organisational focus moves from the consideration and protection of boundaries to the management of (and care for) relationships. Therefore, organisations contain static (rules, norms and procedures) and dynamic (social relationships) elements that mutually influence the degree to which organisations learn. A synthesis of the available literature resulted in the development of a series of models that served not only to inform, but also be informed by the analysis of this investigation. A single case study, namely the Gold Coast Visioning Project, was used to examine the ways in which knowledge was created, disseminated and utilised in a CRC setting. This ethnographic investigation considered the process of knowledge creation through to utilisation at individual, group, organisational, and inter-organisational levels, while simultaneously examining the interrelated influences of social, cognitive, affective and communication factors. Throughout the project, data were collected through stakeholder interviews, various documents and participant observation of stakeholder meetings and workshops. Data were analysed using a grounded theory approach and methods of thick description. The results show that researchers and industry stakeholders bring different frames of reference, different expectations, and different knowledge bases to the exercise. This inhibited communication, and gave the appearance of dissension when, in fact, what was being sought was a common frame for understanding and communication. Additionally, the gap between industry and researcher worldviews generated the sense that industry was resisting or failing to understand what the research was seeking to achieve. Consequently, in order to manage the relationship, research plans and findings were communicated to industry in a teacher-to-student fashion, which fostered single-loop learning, and reduced industry stakeholders' sense of ownership in the process and findings. During the project, industry stakeholders frequently sought to have research come pre-packaged with "meaning", but researchers lacked the contextual knowledge necessary to specify the relevance of their research. The results also show that research findings need to be integrated and diffused to industry over time, and specific applications need to be formulated (and reformulated) in response to particular and changing needs of industry. As a result of this investigation, a model of 'best practice' has been developed with detailed recommendations for the design, implementation, and reporting of CRC-sponsored research to optimise its utility for end-users of such research. From a theoretical perspective, the findings of this study challenge the ways that current theories account for the ways in which knowledge is acquired and utilised since the results show that knowledge is constructed both socially and emotionally. Any investigation that seeks to understand how knowledge is acquired and utilised must consider social and affective influences. To ignore the role of emotion and values in the process of knowledge acquisition is to ignore a key component of an individual's reasoning capacity.
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Marulanda-Carter, Laura. "Email stress and its management in public sector organisations." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2013. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/14196.
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Email stress: what are its causes? how is it measured? can it be solved? The literature review revealed that, despite the term being well used and recognised, discussions surrounding the root cause of email stress had reached little consensus and the concept was not well understood. By its very nature, email stress theory had fallen victim to the academic debate between psychological vs. physiological interpretations of stress which, as a result of either choice, limited more progressive research. Likewise an array of email management strategies had been identified however, whilst some generated quick successes, they appeared to suffer longevity issues and were not maintained a few months after implementation in the workplace. The purpose of this research was to determine whether email communication causes employees psychological and physiological stress and investigate the impact of email management strategies in the workplace. A pragmatic philosophy placed the research problem as central and valued the differences between paradigms to promote a mixed-method approach to research. The decision to pair both case studies and action research methods ensured a framework for presenting results and an actionable solution was achieved. In direct response to the research aims an original email stress measuring methodology was devised that combined various data collection tools to measure and investigate email stress. This research design was applied and evaluated 'email free time' and email filing. Results of the study showed an increased stress response to occur during email use, i.e. caused employees' increased blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol and perceived stress, and a number of adverse effects such as managing staff via email, social detachment, blame and cover-your-back culture were identified. Findings revealed 'email free time' was not a desirable strategy to manage email stress and related stressors, whereas email filing was found more beneficial to workers well-being. Consolidation of the data gathered from the literature review and research findings were used to develop an initial conceptualisation of email stress in the form of two models, i.e. explanatory and action. A focus group was conducted to validate the proposed models and a further investigation at the ? was carried out to critique the use of an email training intervention. The results showed some improvements to employees' behaviour after the training, e.g. improved writing style, email checked on fewer occasions each day and fewer sufferers of email addiction. The initial models devised, alongside the latter findings, were synthesised to create a single integrative multidimensional model of email stress and management strategies. The model made an original contribution to knowledge in terms of theory, i.e. to conceptualise email stress, and practice, i.e. to offer practical solutions to the email worker.
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Aguilar-Zambrano, José Javier. "Common technical interests definition through a collaborative identification between SMEs and research organisations." Strasbourg, 2009. http://www.theses.fr/2009STRA6089.
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Buckler, William James. "Using learning processes to develop innovation and improvement within organisations : action research as a vehicle for managing individual and organisational capability." Thesis, Nottingham Trent University, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.391002.
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Truscott, Keith. "Research problem: What are the differences between Wadjela and Nyungar criteria when assessing organisational effectiveness of non-government human service organisations?" Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2000. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1368.
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Wadjela and Nyungar experts (of managerial, administrative, service staff), from the same South-West city location in Western Australia were randomly chosen from the non-government human service field for separate workshops and asked the question “what makes a non-government human service organisation effective?" The purpose was to compare the group consensus answer between the two separate workshop groups. The Nyungars are the Indigenous people in the South-West of Western Australia and the Wadjelas are the Non-Indigenous people living in the same area. The results listed five criteria, in order of priority that made non-government human service organisations effective. For the Wadjela community these were: I. A clear and shared vision of its task 2. Clear organisational structure which promotes strategic thinking and practice 3. Experienced and dedicated staff 4. Clear and client-based focus and strategies 5, Clarity of and relevant mission or goals. For the Nyungar community the results were: 1. A vision shared of Aboriginal culture and values 2. Appropriate management and finance incorporating Aboriginal culture and values 3. Recognition and identification of need 4. Diverse representation on Committee 5. Community involvement. Analysis and discussion of the findings were attempted from an Australian Indigenous perspective of people, place and parable. The conclusion is that the difference between Wadjela and Nyungar criteria in assessing organisational effectiveness in non-government organisations is that the former utilise a mechanical efficiency model and the latter a commitment to the whole community model. These differences were seen to be a contest between two world-views, that of a continuity of pragmatic relationships versus that of continuity of stewardship relationships.
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Ugonna, C. U. "Strategic project management concept for executing research and development projects in public research organisations in Nigeria : an empirical study." Thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, 2016. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/4491/.
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As observed from the reviewed literature, the execution of research and development (R and D) projects in Nigeria is challenged by many social, political and economic factors interacting in complex and dynamic ways. This interaction is reflected in the history of science and technology in Nigeria, its culture, legal systems, institutional frameworks and social capital. The economic and social development of Nigeria is critically dependent upon the ability to establish a competitive, productive and efficient industrial sector built on a strong technology base. This implies that her natural resources must be developed and utilised as inputs to industrial production and as direct products to improve the life of the population. Public research organisations (PROs) are considered to be critical to the survival of industries and to the achievement of self-reliance through the use of locally available raw materials. This thesis explores the application of strategic project management (SPM) practices in the execution of R and D projects in PROs in Nigeria. The research employed a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative research in order to capture the experiences of project management practitioners with SPM practices in PROs in Nigeria. Although areas of variations in practice were identified, the major findings highlighted that there was a gap in the practical implementation of SPM. The findings also revealed key determinants associated with the implementation of SPM and the factors that affected its application in PROs in Nigeria. The research findings were further synthesised into a framework, capturing ten key dimensions that must be taken into account in the execution of research and development projects. The determinants include having a project-based organisational structure, top management involvement in the project execution, strategic project leadership style, the appointment of a project team, the project team's competence, project alignment with organisational strategy, project prioritisation and selection, maximising R and D strategy, the project management process, and the SPM process. The framework validation was a follow-up discussion, which was conducted with project management practitioners in the selected research organisations in Nigeria. Reflecting on their experiences in the management of R and D projects, the participants acknowledged that the proposed SPM framework and its ten key variables were fundamental to the effective execution of R and D projects in PROs in Nigeria. It was concluded that the use of such a framework would highlight areas that needed to be addressed in order to achieve effective execution of R and D projects in these organisations.
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Svartengren, Anders, and Marie Karlsson. "Hur man blåser liv i en slumrande organisation : En studie om organisationsutveckling och hälsopromotivt arbete." Thesis, Växjö University, School of Education, 2007. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:vxu:diva-1465.
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This is an essay about health promotion and organisation development. The problem concerning all health issues that can be tied to work related illnesses has long been a problem in Sweden. For example did this problem alone cost the Swedish government 25 million crones a day between the years 2000-2001. This is a major issue and there is lots of money to save in this area. This is why we wanted to research how to promote health by changing the structure of the selected company. One model that has been given more approval is the flat team based organisations where the workers themselves get to take vital decisions concerning for example their own workstation and work hours. There are no bosses telling them what to do. The teams that the workers are placed in have all the control over their station and the thought is that the teams are going to work as a business in the company itself. With this in mind we would like to shed some light on which conditions team based organisations have for pursuing health-promoting work. This leads us directly in on our problem based questions at this matter.
· How can a team-based organisation be described and understood from a healtpromoting perspective?
· Which terms are important in a team-based organisation to develop a health promoting work climate?
A part of the result of this study shows that to provide a good work climate in a team based organisation you have to have a leader that dare to let go a hand over the responsibility to his co-workers. His role has changed from a leading boss to a guide that works as a sounding board. Because of more people being involved in the whole process the communication is a vital part in making the new organisation work. As well as communication, learning new things is also a part in making the personnel more involved in the company. With knowing comes insight that brings a more meaningful feeling to the minds of the workers. So to make this short, learning, communication, understanding, a guiding leader and a sense of meaning is some of the most vital things to have in mind when creating a more inspiring environment for your co-workers.
Mellan år 2000 och 2001 hade staten sjukfrånvarorelaterade kostnader på cirka 25 miljoner kronor per dag (personlig kommunikation med forskaren Gunnar Aronsson från Arbetslivsinstitutet). Av detta kan det förstås att sjukfrånvaron är ett stort problem för såväl staten som företagen runt om i Sverige. Massor med pengar finns att spara, frågan är bara hur man ska gå tillväga. Ett sätt att få bukt med problemen har varit att företagen har börjat se över sina organisationsuppbyggnader och hur de kan utformas för att skapa friskare arbetsplatser. Bland annat har teambaserade organisationer blivit allt vanligare där integrering av medarbetarna i verksamheten är en central del. Tanken är att ta vara på medarbetarnas kunskaper och göra dem delaktiga och ansvarstagande. (Hanson, 2004, s. 25,229-230)
Med bakgrund av detta är syftet med denna uppsats att utveckla kunskap om den teambaserade organisationens förutsättningar att bedriva ett hälsopromotivt arbete. Detta gör vi genom att studera ett företag som både har etablerat en teambaserad organisation och utvecklat ett hälsopromotivt arbetssätt. Vi har använt oss av en kvalitativ intervjustudie där sex av medarbetarna på företaget har intervjuats. Dock är syftet även att ta det hela ytterligare ett steg genom att inte endast se på saken utifrån det valda företagets perspektiv, utan även med hjälp av lämplig litteratur på området se mer generellt på vad en teambaserad organisation betyder för ett hälsopromotivt arbetsklimat. Därmed lyder våra frågeställningar som följer:
§ Hur kan en teambaserad organisation beskrivas och förstås utifrån ett hälsopromotivt perspektiv?
§ Vilka villkor är väsentliga inom en teambaserad organisation för att utveckla ett hälsopromotivt arbetsklimat?
Resultatet av undersökningen visar att det är betydande för ett hälsopromotivt arbetsklimat i teamorganisationer att ha en ledare som vågar släppa ansvar och befogenheter till sina medarbetare och som mer fungerar som en stöttepelare och vägledare än en som talar om vad som ska göras. Vidare har kommunikation visat sig vara betydelsefullt för att medarbetarna i teamen ska förstå och lära känna varandra och kunna samarbeta på ett bra sätt, vilket gör att det blir roligare och lättare att gå till jobbet. Att satsa på kompetensutveckling är ett tredje villkor för att utveckla ett hälsopromotivt arbetsklimat. Att hela tiden lära sig nya saker stimulerar människan och skapar ett engagemang och en ökad förståelse för hur saker och ting hänger samman på arbetsplatsen. Har man denna förståelse blir det lättare att hantera situationer som uppstår, vilket i sin tur leder till att en meningsfullhet för den aktuella saken kan kännas.
I arbetet har vi även lyft fram relationen mellan effektivitet och humanitet. Det är nämligen så att teambaserade organisationer inte endast har kommit till för att främja medarbetarnas hälsa. Det har även varit en metod för att öka effektiviteten på företagen. I och med att man tar vara på människans kunskaper och låter dem vara kreativa och ansvarstagande tror man att det är ett vinnande koncept både för medarbetarna själva och för företaget. Dock har det visat sig att det många gånger istället har lett till utbrändhet på grund av otydlighet och minskad fritid. (Hanson, 2004 s. 23-26) Men efter att ha genomfört denna studie där ett företag som har lyckats med sitt hälsopromotiva arbete har studerats har vi funnit att det viktigaste är att sätta människan i centrum. Hon måste komma före vinstintressen. Genom att se och prata med alla medarbetarna kan både ledaren och arbetskamrater upptäcka om något inte står rätt till med någon. Det är också viktigt att ledningen har en öppenhet mot sina anställda och informerar och kommunicerar ut hur företaget ligger till och så vidare. Det leder till en trygghet för de anställda.
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Belapuna, Rowina. "Understanding financial management capabilities with community-based organisations in Papua New Guinea." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2021. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/211385/1/Rowina_Belapuna_Thesis.pdf.
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This thesis focuses on strengthening financial management of community-based organisations (CBOs) in Papua New Guinea. Through the use of qualitative, arts-based, and participatory action research methodologies, the findings indicated that CBOs harnessed social capital and community relations to successfully implement their work. However, their relational engagements and needs were often not adequately captured in financial and organisational plans, leading to tensions between CBOs and donors. The findings contribute to literature on CBOs, capacity building and development partnerships by highlighting that strengthening financial management requires reciprocal understanding, sharing of power and responsibility and building mutual accountability between CBOs and donors.
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Van, Wyk Marié. "Setting a research agenda for job insecurity in South African organisations / Marié van Wyk." Thesis, North-West University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/1245.
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In the current South African context, job insecurity has become a phenomenon to be
reckoned with. Although research on this phenomenon is still scarce, a growing interest in the
perceived experience of job insecurity and its different underlying constructs is obvious from
the increase of job insecurity research. A comprehensive summary of previous research
studies and relevant outcomes is therefore relevant. Up to now, South African studies on job
insecurity have accepted the assumptions and context of international research studies on job
insecurity. It is now time to investigate the influence of the South Afncan context on this
phenomenon and to include this background in future studies.
The main objective of this study was to review, investigate, compare, evaluate and interpret
existing research, conducted internationally and nationally, in order to set a research agenda
through proposing a theoretical model for job insecurity in South Afncan organisations. The
model will primarily serve as an academic tool to new research scholars to identify new
research problems, existing sources of information, relevant measuring instruments, and
contextual variables that may be of interest. The model will also be applicable as a
management tool to understand and deal with job insecurity in South Ahcan organisations.
A qualitative, descriptive research design was followed to perform content analysis and an
extensive literature review. Results of the qualitative content analysis were enhanced with
semi-structured interviews with managers from different organisations (N = 24).
Results indicated gaps between international and South African research studies as well as
the gaps indicated between theory and practice. This was indicated by a comparison between
the South African research results and the results from the semi-structured interviews with
selected managers. These results were integrated into a proposed model for job insecurity in
order to serve as a guideline for future research. It also serves as a tool for managers to be
aware of the presence of job insecurity, and to enable them to improve their management
intervention.
Conclusions and limitations of the study were discussed and recommendations for
organisations and for future research were made.Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.
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Wolson, Rosemary A. "The evolving policy landscape for technology transfer from public research organisations in South Africa." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/3845.
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Lord, Kay Elizabeth, University of Western Sydney, and Faculty of Social Inquiry. "The personal growth and career development of organisational change agents : a narrative study of the careers of experienced practitioners in an Australian setting." THESIS_FSI_SEL_Lord_K.xml, 2000. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/317.
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This study was initiated by the need to develop change agent skills in a group of consultants from a large government organisation facing major challenge from a competitive market. In order to develop a program, a group of mature and experienced change agents, with around 20 years experience in a variety of different organisations in each case, was asked, through the medium of an unstructured interview, to tell the story of their own growth and development. A model of 12 factors was developed, based on recent studies of leadership, the researcher's own career experience and an analysis of a well known practitioner's biography. This model was used to analyse the content of the interview material. The study found that there were a small number of factors which distinguished the development of this group from that of leaders who had been the subject of earlier studies. These were, firstly, the primary influence of the mother as role model. for both men and women. Secondly, the influence of early confrontations with established systems of power being employed in abusive ways, which developed a commitment to preserve the freedom of individuals to participate in decisions which affect their lives. Finally, a belief in the critical part ethics, integrity and the continual practice of learning for self-awareness, plays in maintaining a sustainable career as a change agent. The conclusions for a program of development for change agents are, firstly, that prospective participants should self assess their personal experiences from childhood, their attitudes to learning and the maintenance of an integrated self as an essential for mediating between stakeholder groups. Secondly, the influence of practical experience far outweighs that of schooling or academic studies. Thirdly, change agents employ what Bateson describes as type III learning, more than any particular theoretical approach, when designing organisational interventions. The study concludes that further research into the nature of the attachment bonds formed by change agents in childhood is needed to better understand the psychological dynamics which support excellent and sustainable practice.Master of Science (Hons)
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Tydén, Thomas. "Knowledge interplay : user-oriented research dissemination through Synthesis Pedagogics /." Stockholm : Almqvist och Wiksell, 1993. http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb35610039b.
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Doody, Sarah-jane P. "High-involvement work systems : their effect on employee turnover and organisational performance in New Zealand organisations." Diss., Lincoln University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/271.
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Organisations can create a competitive advantage through the way they design their human resource systems. High involvement work systems are considered to be a way to increase organisational performance and decrease employee turnover. However, the components involved are difficult and complex to define, and the synergy amongst the different components hard to evaluate. The literature suggests that the research is not uniform in its approach, and most research does not clearly define the variables involved or agree on the expected results of such systems. This research looks at high involvement work systems in the New Zealand organisational context, and relating these systems to employee turnover and organisational performance. The results of the study suggest that there does not appear to be a relationship between high involvement work systems, and employee turnover and organisational performance; but high involvement systems may contribute to increased labour productivity in New Zealand organisations.
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Keevers, Lynne Maree. "Practising social justice: Community organisations, what matters and what counts." Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Sydney, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5822.
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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)This thesis investigates the situated knowing-in-practice of locally-based community organisations, and studies how this practice knowledge is translated and contested in inter-organisational relations in the community services field of practices. Despite participation in government-led consultation processes, community organisations express frustration that the resulting policies and plans inadequately take account of the contributions from their practice knowledge. The funding of locally-based community organisations is gradually diminishing in real terms and in the competitive tendering environment, large nationally-based organisations often attract the new funding sources. The concern of locally-based community organisations is that the apparent lack of understanding of their distinctive practice knowing is threatening their capacity to improve the well-being of local people and their communities. In this study, I work with practitioners, service participants and management committee members to present an account of their knowing-in-practice, its character and conditions of efficacy; and then investigate what happens when this local practice knowledge is translated into results-based accountability (RBA) planning with diverse organisations and institutions. This thesis analyses three points of observation: knowing in a community of practitioners; knowing in a community organisation and knowing in the community services field of practices. In choosing these points of observation, the inquiry explores some of the relations and intra-actions from the single organisation to the institutional at a time when state government bureaucracy has mandated that community organisations implement RBA to articulate outcomes that can be measured by performance indicators. A feminist, performative, relational practice-based approach employs participatory action research to achieve an enabling research experience for the participants. It aims to intervene strategically to enhance recognition of the distinctive contributions of community organisations’ practice knowledge. This thesis reconfigures understandings of the roles, contributions and accountabilities of locally-based community organisations. Observations of situated practices together with the accounts of workers and service participants demonstrate how community organisations facilitate service participants’ struggles over social justice. A new topology for rethinking social justice as processual and practice-based is developed. It demonstrates how these struggles are a dynamic complex of iteratively-enfolded practices of respect and recognition, redistribution and distributive justice, representation and participation, belonging and inclusion. The focus on the practising of social justice in this thesis offers an alternative to the neo-liberal discourse that positions community organisations as sub-contractors accountable to government for delivering measurable outputs, outcomes and efficiencies in specified service provision contracts. The study shows how knowing-in-practice in locally-based community organisations contests the representational conception of knowledge inextricably entangled with accountability and performance measurement apparatus such as RBA. Further, it suggests that practitioner and service participant contributions are marginalised and diminished in RBA through the privileging of knowledge that takes an ‘expert’, quantifiable and calculative form. Thus crucially, harnessing local practice knowing requires re-imagining and enacting knowledge spaces that assemble and take seriously all relevant stakeholder perspectives, diverse knowledges and methods.
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Langabeer, James R. "The diffusion of operators research in management decision making : An analysis of U.S. Healthcare organisations." Thesis, Lancaster University, 2009. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.536044.
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Ermida, Valdir. "Decision-making and strategic planning in a public research organisation : the case of Fiocruz." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2017. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/decisionmaking-and-strategic-planning-in-a-public-research-organisation-the-case-of-fiocruz(4612a9c1-a176-47d5-8540-b1448023a912).html.
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This study was drawn to investigate an unusual form of "industrial democracy", in Fiocruz, the Brazilian public research organisation in the health field, linked to the Ministry of Health. It is a single case study research making use of two contrasting cases: Embrapa and Pasteur Institute. The former is the Brazilian public research organisation in the agriculture field, similar to Fiocruz in space; and the latter is the French public research organisation for health, similar to Fiocruz in the field. The investigation works with the triangulation of methods approach, combining the analysis of quantitative and qualitative methods aiming at an in-depth analysis of the decision-making and the strategic planning processes of these research-led organisations. For this purpose, two exclusive tools were created and applied to their management boards and key actors. The first tool, an online questionnaire, was applied to the management boards; the second tool, a face-to-face interview, was made with the key actors. The findings were examined considering the literature, whose results supported the analysis of the context of each organisation and their strategic plans. This "second triangulation" revealed an original approach to industrial democracy by Fiocruz, based on a concept postulated by Arouca, which underpinned the creation of SUS, the Brazilian National Unified Health System: "Democracy is health". It represents a paradigm shift in the way the health concept is addressed, by adding a political dimension to it, which includes the citizenship, the free self-determination, the capacity of mastering the future. This unique approach to industrial democracy underpins the decision-making and the strategic planning of Fiocruz, revealing that it is, in fact, a new type of public research organisation; thus, questioning the validity of the existing framework concerning such entities.
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Zedenius, Ida, Josefin Lindblom, and Johanna Bertilsson. "City Branding: A research on the collaboration between two organisations and their branding process of Jönköping." Thesis, Internationella Handelshögskolan, Högskolan i Jönköping, IHH, Företagsekonomi, 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-23874.
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Background City branding is an emerging practice that is executed by an increasing number of cities all around the world. The concept is used to transform a location into a destination by applying different strategies. Jönköping is a growing city in terms of size, revenue and population. Two organisations, Destination Jönköping and Jönköping City AB, are constantly working with city branding in Jönköping to improve its city image. Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify and investigate the collaboration between Destination Jönköping and Jönköping City AB and if a partnership exists. Another part of the purpose is to recognise the main elements that have been used in order to achieve the same goal, which is to generate growth. Furthermore, an investigation will be performed of how significant these specific elements have been and still are for Jönköping’s branding process. Method In order to achieve the purpose of the thesis, primary as well as secondary data have been collected. Interviews, a case study and existing literature have provided a well-established foundation for the analysis and conclusion. ConclusionThe authors found that the two organisations often help each other with different projects, however, they do not have a declared partnership. A partnership would be beneficial for both organisations regarding greater resources, larger networks and possibilities to reach wider target groups. The most important elements are Elmia and Jönköping University, which attract individuals to Jönköping. This results in an increase in the city’s growth.
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Henriksen, Eva. "Understanding in Healthcare Organisations- a prerequisite for development." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala University, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, 2002. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-3072.
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This study proposes that poor understanding of the structures, processes and outcomes of organisations seriously hampers collaboration between professional groups in care organisations. Three care settings were investigated: follow-up of patients with heart disease, an intensive care unit and care services for older people.
The overall aim was to investigate how people understand structures, processes and outcomes in care organisations. The participants were patients, patient representatives, healthcare professionals, managers and politicians.
A qualitative approach was used. Thematic analysis and grounded theory were employed in analysing the data.
Despite considerable efforts, no major changes took place over a 7-year period as to how cardiac follow-up services were understood. The system of cardiac follow-up services was found fragmented in its organisation and in the way individuals understood it. The results indicate that care professionals, patients and leaders have dissimilar understandings. The data suggest that care is organised from a professional-centred perspective rather than from a holistic worldview of the patients’ total context. Leaders in intensive care perceive their organisation as a learning organisation. However, in daily work healthcare tends to function to what can be described as a mass production approach to care. This state of conflict caused confusion and chaos among the leaders. The municipal elderly care services and the county council’s geriatric organisation had difficulties in co-ordination. Older people were perceived as passive recipients of healthcare, rather than as consumers whose well being and outcome were a reflection to the quality of the service.
The study concludes that despite the major changes that have taken place in the Swedish health and elderly care organisations over the past years, healthcare professionals’ understanding of their work has gone largely unchanged. Their understanding of care structures and processes did not change despite outside pressures. Lack of understanding of what others understand hampers development with the result that care organisations risk stagnation.
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Meesapawong, Pawadee. "Managing innovation in public research and development organisations using a combined Delphi and Analytic Hierarchy Process approach." Thesis, Cardiff University, 2013. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/52597/.
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Fostering the nation‘s innovation is the key role of public research and development (R&D). However, executive staffs of public R&D organisations worldwide are continuously faced with the challenge of planning innovation orientation to attain their vision. There is a need for developing the innovation model in the context of public R&D. Furthermore, these challenges are exacerbated by continuous changes in citizens‘ social aspirations and industries‘ expectations in a turbulent economic climate of any developing economy. The main objective of this research is to provide a methodological framework which assists in structuring an innovation management model taking all dimensions of public R&D into account. To accomplish the main objective, the research involves the following theoretical and empirical studies: (a) using the Delphi method in refining influencing factors on innovation management in public R&D gathered from a literature review; (b) using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to propose a management model which hierarchically arranges the refined factors involving multiple dimensions of public R&D ; (c) applying the proposed innovation management model for devising an adapted orientation for future innovation in a case study; (d) providing an illustrative model for generic deploying the research findings to other socio-organisational contexts. As innovation development in R&D organisations is influenced by national contexts within which the R&D is operated; Delphi experts are selected from various national research centres of a particular county, i.e. Thailand. In addition, the AHP application is performed in a Thai case study for in-depth exploration of a particular phenomenon. The AHP findings assist in formulating a proper orientation for organisational innovation plans compared to methods used at present based on intuition. In addition, the hierarchy model and its factors could form a valuable resource for better planning a cohesive innovation orientation in the selected country. Moreover, the proposed methodological framework (involving a combined Delphi and AHP) is adaptable to users from other countries and contexts. It has the potential to assist in delivering effective innovation management their organisation.
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Benson, Angela Maria. "An emerging niche in sustainable tourism : the dynamics between organisations and volunteers in the Research Tourism Sector." Thesis, Southampton Solent University, 2007. http://ssudl.solent.ac.uk/574/.
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Concern for the degradation of the environment has seen the emergence of a small but steadily increasing number of UK organisations. These organisations bring together paying volunteers and research projects to support sustainable development, which has given rise to an emerging niche within the sustainable tourism framework - Research Tourism. The study evaluates the dynamics between the organisations (Research Tourism Sector) and its customers (Research Volunteers). Independent studies were conducted of both the organisations and the volunteers. Seventy six interviews with research volunteers were undertaken and a survey was used for the organisations in the research tourism sector. The survey of organisations used a SPACE Analysis distributed to fifteen companies, of which nine were returned. The findings of the study on research volunteer's captures the socio-demographic profile that indicates sixty percent of the research volunteers are British, mainly single and are either currently studying or had previously studies at university. It continues by identifying a volunteer typology indicating three different types of volunteers and finally, a conceptual framework (research tourism systems model) which displays the components of travel in the sector. At the same time the analysis of the business environment suggests that the SPACE factors are not strong enough to depress profits and, therefore, the balance sheets should be healthy. The financial analysis suggests that this is not always the case. Organisations recognise that relying on volunteers' contributions could make them vulnerable and a growing number of alternatives are identified. It is argued that the sector has the potential to delivery the sustainable development agenda in terms of capacity building, policy advice and knowledge management the extent to which individual organisations deliver these concepts varies. Consequently, the 'sustainable difference' that the organisations in the research volunteer sector requires more consistent implication and therefore greater levels of monitoring. Evaluation of the dynamics between the organisations and colunteers identifies eight interrelated items. The framework of a spider's web demonstrates that when one dynamic is exposed, reverberations across all eight are inevitable. A connection between the eight dynamics and the volunteer typology indicate an even greater complexity. Further, when the strategic implications of the volunteer typologies were examined, it was found that the two discrete segments, Sepcific Research Volunteers and Corporate Research Volunteers, are not any more lucrative than the General Research Volunteer. The specialisation of these segments has largely come about through monopolisation of a particular funding source rather than the derivation of unique product offering. The thesis argues that a symbiotic relationship exists between the organisations and volunteers, in that volunteers contribute money that normally might not be spent on sustainability. However, this funding source is contingent on meeting a variety of non profit based criteria. This study is a contribution to the literature on volunteer tourism and further research directions are identified.
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Piekarz, M. J. "Tourism in an unstable and complex world? Searching for relevant a political risk paradigm and model for tourism organisations." Thesis, Department of Applied Sciences, Security and Resilience, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1826/4018.
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This work has a single aim, focusing on developing a political risk model relevant for
tourism organisations, which are operating in an increasingly complex and turbulent
international environment. It pays particular attention to the language of risk (how risks
are articulated and described), the culture of risk (how risks are viewed), and the risk
process (how they are analysed and assessed).
The work critically evaluates a variety of methods that can be utilised to scan, analyse
and assess political hazards and risks. It finds that many of the existing methods of
political and country risk assessment are limited and not sufficiently contextualised to the
needs of the tourism industry. Whilst many models can have an attractive façade of using
positivistic methods to calculate political risks, in practice these are fraught with
problems. The study also highlights a more complex relationship between tourism and
political instability, whereby tourism can be characterised as much by its robustness, as
its sensitivity.
A model is developed which primarily adapts a systems theory approach, whereby a
language, culture and practical process is developed through which the analysis of
various factors and indicators can take place. The approach adopted has a number of
stages, which vary in the amount of data necessary for the analysis and assessment of
political risks. The model begins by utilising existing travel advice databases, moving
onto an analysis of the frequency of past events, then to the nature of the political system
itself, finishing with an analysis and assessment of more complex input factors and
indicators which relate to notions of causation. One of the more provocative features of
the model is the argument that it is more than possible to make an assessment of the risks
that the political environment can pose to a tourism organisation, without necessarily
understanding theories of causation.
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Kulcur, Rakibe. "Environmental injustice? : an analysis of gender in environmental non-governmental organisations (ENGOs) in the United Kingdom and Turkey." Thesis, Brunel University, 2012. http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/7680.
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In this thesis I investigate gender in environmental non-governmental organisations (ENGOs) in the United Kingdom (UK) and Turkey. ENGOs play an increasingly important role as lobbyists on environmental policy making at national and international scales. There is large literature dealing with gender inequalities in governing bodies, and in organisations. However, gender structures of ENGOs and their implications for campaigns have been under-researched. I therefore examined the structure and composition of ENGOs in the UK and Turkey, how far they include women in decision-making process and the implications for their campaigns. To this end, I undertook cross-national comparative research applying feminist research methodology to explore differences and similarities and underlying factors for gender inequalities in organisational settings in two different societies. The research methods included 38 interviews and one focus group interview in 9 ENGOs in the UK and 40 interviews in 10 ENGOs in Turkey. These were conducted mainly with senior managers, but also with junior managers and staff. Furthermore, I placed myself as a volunteer and researcher in two ENGOs, one in the UK and one in Turkey in order to observe the organisational practices directly and to enable triangulation of data. In addition, I collected secondary data from annual reports, staff charts, publications and websites of the organisations to collect data on gender compositions as well as campaigns of the ENGOs. In order to explore and provide sufficient explanation for the under-representation of female senior managers and gender inequalities in ENGOs settings, theoretical approaches were looked into in order to find the most appropriate feminist theories that explain the gendered nature of ENGOs. I found that while the ENGO sectors in both countries are dominated by female employees, white, middle class men are in charge of the decision-making in the ENGOs. Moreover, in the ENGOs I found that there seemed to be resistance to integrate gender related perspectives when deciding environmental campaigns. Since there is no research on ENGOs that makes gender blindness visible, this thesis is an attempt to fill that gap. I argue that neglecting gender relations in environmental decision-making and campaigns reinforces the current gendered practices and imbalances in ENGOs that fail to integrate women’s perspectives in environmental policies.
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Lind, Thomas. "Inertia in Sociotechnical Systems : On IT-related Change Processes in Organisations." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala universitet, Avdelningen för visuell information och interaktion, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-326799.
Full textAbstract:
The introduction of new information technology (IT) in an organisation is one way of changing the conditions for how tasks and work processes can be designed and performed, as well as how people in the organisation interact with each other. Today, many Swedish workers rely completely on IT to be able to perform their jobs, while experiencing a combination of continuous and intermittent IT-related changes that affect this ability. The introduction of new or updated IT systems in an organisation is an example of what is referred to as an IT-related change process in this thesis. Because IT has become such an integral part of modern organisations, many change processes in organisations are simultaneously enabled and constrained by the IT systems involved in a change process. In this thesis, I introduce the concept of inertia in sociotechnical systems to analyse IT-related change processes in organisations, and how achieving the goals of these processes is complicated by organisational, social, and physical aspects in addition to technology. The context of this thesis is the Swedish public sector domains of health-care and higher education, and the result of research studies and experiences from four action research projects in these settings. The contribution of this thesis adds to the contributions of the included papers through the definition of inertia in sociotechnical systems and its subsequent application. The thesis shows that the concept of inertia in sociotechnical systems can be used to understand IT-related change processes as changes to the characteristics of a sociotechnical system, and, in the context of organisations, how these processes affect and are affected by an organisation’s characteristics. This is illustrated in the thesis through the application of the concept on examples of IT-related change processes from the included papers and research projects. In addition, the thesis shows that the use of vision seminar methods can benefit Swedish organisations, since new IT is often introduced without clearly defined, expressed, understood, and accepted goals.
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Piekarz, Mark J. "Tourism in an unstable and complex world? : searching for a relevant political risk paradigm and model for tourism organisations." Thesis, Cranfield University, 2008. http://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/4018.
Full textAbstract:
This work has a single aim, focusing on developing a political risk model relevant for tourism organisations, which are operating in an increasingly complex and turbulent international environment. It pays particular attention to the language of risk (how risks are articulated and described), the culture of risk (how risks are viewed), and the risk process (how they are analysed and assessed). The work critically evaluates a variety of methods that can be utilised to scan, analyse and assess political hazards and risks. It finds that many of the existing methods of political and country risk assessment are limited and not sufficiently contextualised to the needs of the tourism industry. Whilst many models can have an attractive façade of using positivistic methods to calculate political risks, in practice these are fraught with problems. The study also highlights a more complex relationship between tourism and political instability, whereby tourism can be characterised as much by its robustness, as its sensitivity. A model is developed which primarily adapts a systems theory approach, whereby a language, culture and practical process is developed through which the analysis of various factors and indicators can take place. The approach adopted has a number of stages, which vary in the amount of data necessary for the analysis and assessment of political risks. The model begins by utilising existing travel advice databases, moving onto an analysis of the frequency of past events, then to the nature of the political system itself, finishing with an analysis and assessment of more complex input factors and indicators which relate to notions of causation. One of the more provocative features of the model is the argument that it is more than possible to make an assessment of the risks that the political environment can pose to a tourism organisation, without necessarily understanding theories of causation.
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Cajander, Åsa. "Usability – Who Cares? : The Introduction of User-Centred Systems Design in Organisations." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala universitet, Avdelningen för människa-datorinteraktion, 2010. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-122387.
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This thesis analyses the difficulties encountered in the promotion of usability, especially in relation to occupation health issues, when developing IT systems in a public authority. It examines what happens when User-Centred Systems Design (UCSD) approaches are introduced to organisations with in-house systems development for their employees. It studies how stakeholder values affect the outcomes in terms of usability, occupational health, and institutional acceptance. Moreover, new methods are examined and evaluated as potential tools for assisting the adoption of UCSD. These methods are for example Field studies for system developers, Usability coaching for stakeholders and Management views of usability. A stated aim is to influence systems development in practice. Hence an action research paradigm has been employed, carrying out research and change in real life settings, gathering and analysing data using qualitative techniques. This thesis is based on a constructivist perspective, where theories in the areas of learning and organisational change have been used in order to better understand the research questions. The research demonstrates that most people are enthusiastic to, and interested in, UCSD with a focus on the computerised work environment. Many of the stakeholder groups, such as managers, users, project managers and system developers, changed their construct of identity as well as practice when UCSD was introduced. However, this research shows that there are several values that affect systems development and hinder usability work. These include for example value of rationality and objectivity, and differing values and perspectives underpinning descriptions and discourse on work and systems development. Values such as automation, efficiency, and customer satisfaction shape the development of new technology, and ultimately the tasks, work practices integrated in IT systems. Moreover, the results demonstrate that even though many consider usability as important, few take active responsibility for it, as the title of this thesis suggests.
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Ramrattan, Mark. "Developing web-based information systems for emergent organisations through the theory of deferred action : insights from higher education action research." Thesis, Brunel University, 2010. http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/5187.
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This investigation follows a philosophically interpretive approach on how the web developer developed Web-based Information Systems (WBIS) in a continuously changing higher education organisation. The investigation focused on emergence within the organisation and the resultant problems this gives the web developer in developing WBIS. The web developer used an action research methodology to investigate the emergent higher education organisation and its need for web-based aesthetics & internet speed. This approach was designed by the action researcher to assist both the web developer and manager in developing WBIS within emergent organisations. It is also designed to address a number of major constraining factors placed on the web developer. These included: time constraint, web-based aesthetics, internet speed, emergent aspects, methodology issues and accommodating planned organisational change. The interpretation of these constraining factors gained through the theory of deferred action enabled the action researcher to understand, interpret and create associations to explain the WBIS development process. The web developer had to defer the design process at several points because of unexpected events occurring in the organisation and take deferred action. As a result the Kadar Matrix was created and used by the web developer to manage the constraining factors. The Kadar Matrix has extended the theory of deferred action (ToDA) by implementing its constructs in the analytical tool, Kadar Matrix, for WBIS development. This is a modification of theory for practice. The research further identified that deferred action is necessary for the web developer in emergent organisations.
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Silva, Leiser. "Power and politics in the adoption of information systems by organisations : the case of a research centre in Latin America." Thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London), 1997. http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/273/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis applies contributions from the social sciences to the study of power to examine how and why organisations adopt information systems. Its main concern is the set of events, actions and factors that induce an information system to become routinised in the organisational life; that is how information systems become institutionalised. I argue that the actions and events that lead to the adoption and subsequent institutionalisation of an information system are politically motivated and facilitated by power relations because information systems are chiefly instruments used by organisational actors to achieve their goals. To develop the argument I have adapted and interpreted a model rooted in social and organisational sciences. This model is used as a theoretical framework for the collection and analysis of data of two case studies. the first case centres on the collapse of the London Ambulance Service in 1992. The second and major case study focuses on a research centre in Latin America. This case study accounts for the adoption and institutionalisation of three information systems in that organisation. The application of the theoretical framework constitute a contribution in researching power and politics of information systems because it illustrates how to link data to the theory. This thesis also contributes to the theory of power and information systems because the findings of the two case studies allowed us to make inferences that complement the original theoretical model. Furthermore, those findings are propositions that information systems practitioners might convert into useful principles in assessing the political base and power relationships of the organisation for which they work. The thesis concludes by asserting that the adoption and institutionalisation of an information system necessarily imply the exercise of power of those organisation actors that own or propose the system.
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Campbell, Kasandra M. "Customer satisfaction measurement for services organisations using a perception-minus-expectation paradigm and the implications for management and future research." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 1996. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/36295/1/36295_Campbell_1996.pdf.
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The services industry has become one of the largest studied academic areas in marketing since the early 1980s. It is widely accepted that the emergence of interest in services marketing has been one just as prolific as consumer behaviour which began in the 1960s.
The question of whether the marketing and management of services was different from the marketing and management of goods did not generate overwhelming debate until
Berry's (see Berry, Leonard L. (1980), "Services Marketing is Different", Business, 30 (May-June), 24-29) article and from here, the services arena has grown to being one of the most strategic disciplines in marketing today. Many authors in the 1970s began to conceptualise this noticeable difference between goods and services (see Raymond P. Fisk, Stephen W. Brown, and Mary Jo Bitner, Tracking the Evolution of Services Marketing Literature, J oumal of Retailing, Spring
1993, Vol 69, Number 1) but it wasn't until the 1980s that service marketing itself had its
own specialised disciplines. Three prolific authors in this area include A. Parasuraman, Valarie. A. Zeithaml, and Leonard L. Berry, who were one of the first groups of academic researchers to conceptualise consumer (dis )satisfaction measurement in the services
marketing arena. The present study continues the investigation into satisfaction measurement by offering
an extension to their widely accepted Service Quality Model. The new model aims to provide management with a tool which: measures the organisations' client's expectations and perceptions; measures the gap between what the client expects and what their client
perceives the quality of service; and measures the overall performance of an organisation
in the service quality areas of reliability, assurance, responsiveness, tangibles, and empathy.
The five research questions presented include:
• Can customer satisfaction be measured by calculating the gap between what the customer expects and what the customer perceives of service quality dimensions?
• Does measuring expectations and perceptions provide information to management?
• Can strategic information be gained by targeting the expectation part of the PZB SERVQUAL questionnaire to a particular organisation rather than the industry as a
whole?
• Is the modified PZB model valid in a retail setting?
• Is the PZB model applicable in all service industries?
The results indicate that it is in fact possible to calculate a customer satisfaction gap
between what the customer perceives and what the customer expects of certain service quality dimensions. Also presented is the fact that management can obtain important information about a customer's expectation and perception level, and that the new model's expectation measurement provides additional gaps, over and above the original Service Quality Model. Other implications examined are the validity of the proposed
model in a retail setting and the applicability of the original Service Quality Model to all service industries. The study aims to present an important contribution to the literature on consumer (dis )satisfaction in the services arena by extending the work of the
Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry Service Quality Model.
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El-Haddad, Pierre. "Developing Cooperation among NGOs : exploratory research in Lebanon." Thesis, Lyon, 2020. http://www.theses.fr/2020LYSE3029.
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Cette recherche explore la coopération entre les organisations non-gouvernementales opérant au Liban. Dans un contexte de besoins sociétaux croissants et diminution de ressources disponibles, les ONGs sont appelées à coopérer ensemble pour améliorer leur impact et l’efficacité d’utilisation de leurs ressources. La méthodologie adoptée est celle d’une recherche intervention socio-économique pour étudier la coopération et sa relation avec l'amélioration des performances. Les résultats suggèrent que les dysfonctionnements intra-organisationnels sont des antécédents des dysfonctionnements de coopération et qu'une coopération réussie améliore les performances organisationnellesThis research investigates cooperation among non-governmental organizations operating in Lebanon. Against a background of mounting societal requirements and diminishing resources, NGOs are called upon to cooperate together to improve their resource efficiency and their impact. The methodology adopted is the socio-economic intervention research to study cooperation and it relation to improved performance. Findings suggest that intra-organizational dysfunctions are antecedents of cooperation dysfunctions, and that a successful cooperation improves organizational performance
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Melin, Ulf, Pradip K. Sarkar, and Leslie W. Young. "Looking through the Clouds : A Tale of Two Universities." Linköpings universitet, VITS - Laboratoriet för verksamhetsinriktad systemutveckling, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-81079.
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Cloud computing has become a popular buzzword and a trend in the IT industry. With characteristic features of scalable computing resources on-demand, and accessibility on a pay-per-use basis, it has been promoted as the harbinger of good tidings to its subscribers, such as the minimization of in-house IT infrastructures, substantial cost savings, and diminished administrative hurdles, thereby appearing as an appealing outsourcing proposition for non-IT enterprises, such as universities. This paper presents a comparative case study of two universities, one in Australia (UniOz) and one in Sweden (UniSwed). The two universities illustrate examples of how contemporary organisations interpret cloud computing, of drivers behind moving services into the cloud, and of prevailing concerns. Similarities pertaining to drivers for cloud computing are identified at the two cases (seeking scalable computing resources, and the re-allocation of IT resources to focus on core enterprise operations, with an aim to trim costs). This is identified in spite of differences in the culture of respective IT departments. Differences were also identified in terms of student vs. staff driven sourcing of services (email), and early vs. late adoption. The case study also illustrates interesting patterns in terms of the organisational implications of cloud services over time that calls for longitudinal studies. The implication of this paper is three-fold; two cases are consistent with outsourcing theories, they point to a transformation of the status quo, rather than an erosion of the role and influence of the internal IT department, and also reveals gaps in outsourcing theories and a possible future research direction in strengthening the relevant theoretical framework.
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Stanley, Tracy. "Work environments, creative behaviours, and employee engagement." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2016. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/101547/4/Tracy_Stanley_Thesis.pdf.
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While research regarding the work environments of successful organisations reports separate outcomes of creative behaviours and highly engaged employees, little research has been carried out to simultaneously investigate both notions. This research uses a qualitative field study to investigate the creative behaviours and employee engagement of employees in five types of work contexts within a large project-based organisation. Findings highlight the importance of the challenge of problem solving as positive influence on creative behaviours and employee engagement. Implications for theory and practice include a stronger focus on job design, and manager actions in facilitating both creative behaviours and employee engagement.
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Muir, Rachel. "Rethinking conflict resolution research in post-war Bosnia and Hercegovina : a genealogical and ontological exploration." Thesis, University of Bradford, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/15000.
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This thesis explores how research is implicated in the constitution of post-war environments, and gives an account of being and becoming a researcher in post-war Bosnia. My main contention is that when peace and conflict researchers conduct research in post-war contexts, their presence, practices, and the consequential production of knowledge and representations, have political effects. I argue that the implications of this have not been fully explained, acknowledged, or problematised within Conflict Resolution, which tends to rely on research approaches and assumptions taken from ‘normal’ science. This thesis suggests how reflexivity and alternatives methodologies, including visual research might be used to represent the emotional, sensory, and often intangible elements of post-war realities. It enacts an engagement in the politics of research and uses reflexive writing and visual methods to draw attention to the importance of the relational aspects of research in postwar environments. Visual journeys are also used to argue that visual methods can provide a way of revisiting the epistemological and ontological assumptions about lived experiences and realities in post-war settings. The thesis is based upon one year of ethnographic fieldwork undertaken in Bosnia, and is also informed by eighteen months of volunteer work with a Bosnian Community Centre in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.
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Caie, Linda Jayne Nelson. "When all roads lead to Rome: expatriate adjustment in a United Nations Organisation : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Organisational Psychology at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand." Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1065.
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Studies of expatriate adjustment have traditionally focused on corporate expatriate assignments where foreign employees are often the only expatriate, or one of a handful in a host organisation. Multicultural not-for-profit organisations such as United Nations organisations have largely been ignored. It was hypothesised that classic predictors of expatriate adjustment – Spousal Adjustment, Culture Novelty and Acculturation Style, and novel variables of Economic Adjustment and Stage in Assignment would predict Expatriate Adjustment and subsequent Cognitions to Withdraw prematurely from the assignment. 181 expatriates representing 38 countries from all economic levels completed an online survey investigating their experiences on assignment to a United Nations Organisation in Rome, Italy. Black & Stephens (1989) classic scales of Expatriate Adjustment, Spousal Adjustment, Culture Novelty and Cognitions to Withdraw were employed along with Acculturation Style, Economic Adjustment and Stage in Assignment measures designed for this study. Qualitative data was also collected around expatriates’ cognitions to withdraw from their assignment and reasons to stay in order to gain a richer understanding of the expatriate experience. The best predictors of Expatriate Adjustment and subsequent Cognitions to Withdraw for United Nations expatriate employees in Rome were classic predictor Culture Novelty and novel predictors Economic Adjustment and Stage in Assignment. Structural Equation Modelling indicated the best fitting model of Expatriate Adjustment and subsequent Cognitions to Withdraw demonstrated moderate fit (!2 = 1045.19, df = 486, p =.000, TLI = .80, CFI = .82, RMSEA = .08) with Culture Novelty predicting General and Interaction Adjustment; Economic Adjustment predicting General Adjustment; and Adjustment Stage predicting General, Interaction and Work Adjustment. General Adjustment was the only significant predictor of Cognitions to Withdraw. Qualitative analysis suggested that the classic adjustment measures used did not adequately capture the experiences of these expatriates and that caution should be taken in generalising the literature to not-for-profit populations. Furthermore the outcomes of this study suggest that the inclusion of novel variables of Economic Adjustment and Stage in Assignment as predictors of expatriate adjustment could be warranted for future research. Sample size and adequacy of measures both limited the extent to which analysis could be conducted and results generalised. More research into the expatriate experience in the not-for-profit sector is desperately needed.
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Becirovic, Dzanela, and Heléne Meisinger. "Backcasting som verktyg för att bedöma miljöpåverkan av en organisations upphandling : en fallstudie på Linköpings Universitet." Thesis, Linköping University, Department of Water and Environmental Studies, 2008. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-12298.
Full textAbstract:
Företags och andra organisationers konsumtion av produkter och tjänster bidrar till miljöpåverkan i alla dess faser. Det är enklare för ett producerande företag att identifiera sina mest kritiska upphandlingsområden, till skillnad från organisationer som huvudsakligen upphandlar varor och tjänster. Med upphandling avses i det här fallet en organisations inköp av varor och tjänster. Upphandlingen av varor och tjänster bidrar till indirekt miljöpåverkan och den upphandlande organisationen har ofta svårt att påverka produktions- och slutfas av varor och tjänster.
Syftet med studien är att utveckla ett arbetssätt för att kunna bedöma en icke-producerande organisations miljöpåverkan av dess upphandling av varor och tjänster. Detta arbetssätt kommer att testas och utföras som en fallstudiestudie på Linköpings Universitet (LiU), där syftet är att identifiera kritiska upphandlingsområden.
Denna fallstudie bygger på en tidigare studie på LiU där miljöpåverkan har bedömts i produktionsfasen med hjälp av miljöexpanderad inputoutputanalys (MIOA). Denna metod inkluderar inte en varas eller tjänsts miljöpåverkan i användnings- och slutfasen. För att få en helhetsbild kommer backcastingmetoden att användas som ett ramverk. Backcasting som är en visionär scenariemetod kommer att kompletteras med MIOA, ett livscykelperspektiv och en värderingsmetod.
Slutsatserna av fallstudien är att datorer och tillbehör samt konsulttjänster är de mest kritiska upphandlingsområden ur ett miljöperspektiv. Dessa två upphandlingsområden har sin största miljöpåverkan i användningsfasen.
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Tampoe, Frederick Mahendra Kumar. "Motivating knowledge workers : a research study into the motivational needs of qualified scientific and technical staff in organisations in the United Kingdom." Thesis, Henley Business School, 1992. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.315426.
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Smith, Rachele Judith. "Effective diversity management : questionnaire and action research studies exploring theoretical and practical models for improving diversity management and its outcomes within organisations." Thesis, Kingston University, 2012. http://eprints.kingston.ac.uk/24839/.
Full textAbstract:
Within a complex global marketplace, achieving cultural diversity within organisations, and managing it effectively, is a challenge. Despite high capital expenditure on diversity management initiatives, research shows programmes have been ineffective in yielding significant positive outcomes. This raises two questions. The first is: ‘Why do organisations continue to invest in diversity management if it is not effective?’ The second is: ‘Why are diversity management practices not effective?’ Answers to both questions are sought, and improvements which can be made and sustained are explored. It is written for professionals with responsibility for diversity management. They include board members, human resource professionals, equality, diversity and inclusion practitioners, and corporate responsibility professionals. They have been charged with overseeing diversity management, and require greater knowledge and strategic savvy in order to meet their objectives. The main question of this thesis is: ‘How can diversity management effectiveness be improved within a complex global marketplace?’ Three studies critically explore the relationship between the quality of institutional management culture and the effectiveness of the diversity management practices. The first, a questionnaire study, explores the causal relationship between a variety of independent variables and their effect on diversity management. The second and third are exploratory and descriptive action research case studies, examining the effects of a democratic and participative system of institutional governance on the effectiveness of diversity management. This thesis contributes to diversity management literature by highlighting, and suggesting how to overcome institutional ethoi which run counter to the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion, thus creating barriers reducing the effectiveness of diversity management initiatives. This knowledge will enable researchers and practitioners to understand more fully institutional root causes impeding development, and how to challenge them effectively. It will also assist in developing effective diversity strategies outside of the Anglo-American context within which this HRM practice began.
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Wildschut, Lauren Patricia. "Theory-based evaluation, logic modelling and the experience of SA non-governmental organisations." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/86604.
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Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examined the origins and development of theory-based evaluation (TBE) and the logic models associated with this approach. This was done in order to better understand the roots and evolution of these models which are currently used by donor agencies both nationally and internationally. It was found that logic models, which are used for both project management and evaluation, had their origins in a range of domains including management, education and curriculum design from as early as 1909. Early evaluators from the education, training and health sectors as well as contextual factors such as the professionalization of evaluation and an ever- increasing demand for accountability contributed significantly to the development of both TBE and its associated models. A systematic review of a large sample of logic models and logical frameworks was conducted in order to bring some order and clarity to the plethora of models facing stakeholders in the field of evaluation. It was discovered that four key types of logic models and two key types of logframes face developers and users of models but that the "branding" of donors of their particular demand for accountability, obscures this fact. In order to understand the experience of South African Non-Governmental Organisations when engaging with donors and their demands for accountability a survey was carried out of those organisations which were utilising a specialised form of planning tool. The findings of this study show that South African donors, like their international counterparts, mainly use the models associated with TBE to obtain standardised and focused evidence of results from projects albeit with a distinct scepticism about the actual necessity of some of the donor requirements. Most Non-Governmental Organisations view the donor requirements, such as the logic model and logical framework, as necessary in the funding relationship despite indicating that they find the models inflexible. The study not only makes a contribution to an under-researched area in programme evaluation, it also provides insights into an under-researched area of the South African Non-Governmental sector.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie was om 'n in-diepte begrip van die ontwikkeling van logika modelle ("logic models") en logika raamwerke ("logical framework") te ontwikkel ten einde die ervarings van Suid-Afrikaans nie-regeringsorganisasies met donateurs beter te begryp. In besonder was die doel om vas te stel hoe sodanige organisasies die vereistes rondom projekbeplanning, monitering, evaluasie en rapportering ervaar. Die studie het gevind dat die oorspronge van hierdie modelle, wat beide vir projekbestuur en evaluasie gebruik word, te vinde is in verskeie areas insluit bestuur, opvoedkunde and kurrikulumontwerp. Die eerste generasie evalueerders in opvoedkunde, opleiding en gesondheid sowel as kontekstuele faktore soos die professionalisering van evaluasie en die immer-toenemende vereistes van rekenpligtigheid het alles beduidend bygedra tot die ontwikkeling van logika modelle. 'n Sistematiese oorsig en ontleding van 'n beduidende steekproef van logika modelle en raamwerke is uitgevoer ten einde meer helderheid en sistematiek te kry in 'n domein waar daar uiteenlopende benaderings en modelle is. Daar is gevind dat vier sleuteltipes logika modelle en twee sleuteltipes logika raamwerke deur die meeste organisasies gebruik word maar dat verskillende befondsingsagentskappe en organisasies hul eie betekenis en inhoud aan hul logika modelle gee. Ten einde die ervarings van Suid-Afrikaanse nie-regerings organisasies te begryp is 'n opname uitgestuur aan alle organisasies wat hierdie raamwerke gebruik. Die resultate van die opname wys dat Suid-Afrikaanse befondsagentskappe, soos hulle internasionele vennote, veral modelle gebruik wat geasosieer is met teorie-gebaseerde evaluasie ten einde gestandaardiseerde en gefokusde getuienis van projektesultate te genereer. Die meerderheid Suid-Afrikaanse nie-regeringsorganisasies aanvaar die vereistes van donateurs alhoewel hierdie "aanvaarding" gepaardgaan met 'n duidelike skeptisisme oor die absolute noodsaaklikheid van somige van hierdie vereistes. Die meerderheid organisasies beskou donateur vereistes, veral wat betref die logika model en die logika raamwerk, as noodsaaklik binne die konteks van die befondsingsverhouding ten spyte van persepsies dat sodanige modelle some uiters rigied kan wees. Die studies maak 'n bydrae, nie alleen in area in programevaluasie waar daar weinig navorsing is nie, maar dit bied ook insig in die gedrag en persepsies van die Suid-Afrikaanse nie-regeringsektor wat programevaluasie praktyke betref.
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Jansson, Anna, and Anna Hansson. "Exploring Trust and Commitment in Inter-firm Relationships when Outsourcing R&D : A Qualitative Study of Pharmaceutical Firms and Clinical Research Organizations." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Företagsekonomiska institutionen, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-202423.
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The Swedish pharmaceutical industry is going through structural changes due to the increased cost of drug development. This has led pharmaceutical firms to outsource clinical trials to Clinical Research Organisations (CRO). This thesis explores the inter-firm relationships between pharmaceutical firms and CROs in the Stockholm area, with focus on the development of trust and commitment. The empirical material gathered from nine qualitative interviews with representatives from both parties suggests that trust and commitment are both important factors. Trust is based on competence and reputation whilst commitment is developed through communication. Commitment is highly valued by the companies that wished to develop long-term relationships. The results also point to challenges in the area mainly regarding patient recruitment that due to the high competition amongst the CROs can lead to opportunism when they are overly optimistic of what they can deliver. This is an issue that needs to be addressed as it affects the whole industry.