Dissertations / Theses: 'Teams in the workplace – Case studies'

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Barnes, Deborah M. (Deborah Manning). "Information Use Environment of Self-managed Teams : A Case Study." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1996. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc277880/.

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This research investigated how self-managed teams get the information they need to perform their job tasks. Two important factors prompted this study: the growing importance of self-managed teams in the workplace and the impact of the information system on team performance.

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Mhlongo, Xolani Penuel. "An investigation of the factors that account for the effective implementation of team-based work organisation: case studies of firms in metal fabrication sector in the Western Cape." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2006. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_4885_1182747463.

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The use of one form or another of team based work organization (TBWO) management policies and practices by firms with the aim of improving organizational performance and employee morale is well documented in popular literature. Empirical research has however found that the implementation of TBWO management policies and practices such as TB training, TB incentive schemes, participation in decision making, work teams etc. had minimal influence on the performance of firms (Locke and Schweiger, 1979).
This research investigated the factors, which account for the effective implementation of TBWO management policies and practices with specific emphasis on three firms in the metal fabrications sector. The reason behind the choice of the three firms in the metal fabrication sector in the Western Cape was that these sites offered a rare opportunity to study the process of the implementation of TBWO. It was a rare opportunity because not many firms have embarked on implementing TBWO in South Africa. It was envisaged that the lessons that emerged from this study would be invaluable for firms that intended implementing workplace change. The level of analysis was the shop floor level at the firms as research has shown that this is the level that plays a critical role in the effectiveness of the TB management policies and practices implemented by the firms.

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Borys, David. "The effectiveness of team-based approaches to improving health and safety : case studies from Australian industry in the 1990's." Thesis, The Author [Mt. Helen. Vic.] :, 1997. http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/43110.

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"Using case studies from Australian industry, the aim of this research project is to study team members' and their customers perceptions of the effectiveness of team approaches to inmproving health and safety, and to identify the organisational and team factors that may enhance effectiveness."
Master of Applied Science

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Clark, Edward William. "Die effek van personeelplasing op dienslewering in die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens : Area Oos-Metropool : Kaapstad." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/53370.

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Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The General Elections of 27 April 1994 lead the country to a new democracy which caused changes in the political-, social- and constitutional domain in South Africa. This brought about new winds of change in the Public Sector too. The South African Police Service (SAPS) is also identified as a component of the Public Sector and this lead to an investigation of service delivery standards which are rendered to local communities by the SAPS. The hypothesis is that personal placement in the SAPS can have an effect on the organisation's service delivery standards. Various concepts were investigated and defined. Methodological considerations and research methods were applied as guidelines to the underlying principles, for possible answers to the research problem. A theoretical base was established as foundation of a practical investigation. Recruitment, selection and personnel placement are discussed with various references to current legislation includes aspects such as affirmative action and the implications it could have on service delivery. A final practical investigation included the distribution of questionnaires to police members and members of the public in the policing areas under discussion. The answers were processed where upon recommendations were made for the improvement of service delivery in the SAPS. Research was completed in the East Metropole, Cape Town to establish what effect personal placement could have on service delivery in the South African Police Service. The specific policing area (referring to the Area East Metropole) is used as a practical case study as if appears that currently personal placement within the SAPS could be implemented more effectively in order to enhance service delivery to all communities in the East Metropole. Due to personal shortages within the SAPS, these communities encounter problems such as increases in crime on a daily basis. The research process was encouraged by problems experienced by members of the SAPS and the public. Although the research outcome cannot be ruled as a success or failure, it was an attempt to focus on the effect that crime have on the lives of members of the SAPS and communities within the Area East Metropole.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Algemene Verkiesing op 27 April 1994 het die land gelei na 'n nuwe demokrasie wat tot 'n totale verandering op die politieke-, sosiale- en konstitusionele terrein in Suid-Afrika gevolg het. Dit het die geleentheid geskep vir veelvuldige veranderinge in die Openbare Sektor. Hieronder is die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens (SAPD) ook geïdentifiseer en dit het gelei tot 'n ondersoek in die dienslewering standaarde wat die SAPD aan plaaslike gemeenskappe verskaf. Die hipotese is dat personeelplasing in die SAPD 'n effek kan hê op die organisasie se dienslewering standaard. Verskeie konsepte is ondersoek en gedefinieer. Metodologiese oorwegings en navorsingsmetodes is as riglyne toegepas om 'n moontlike antwoord te vind op die navorsingsprobleem. 'n Teoretiese basis is geskep as fondasie vir 'n praktiese ondersoek. Werwing, keuring en personeelplasing word bespreek met verskeie verwysing na huidige wetgewing op aspekte soos regstellende aksie en die impak wat dit op dienslewering kan hê. 'n Finale praktiese ondersoek het die verspreiding van vraelyste onder polisiebeamptes en lede van plaaslike gemeenskappe in die polisiërings area onder bespreking, ingesluit. Die antwoorde is verwerk, waarna aanbevelings gemaak is tot die verbetering van dienslewering in die SAPO. Navorsing is voltooi in die Area Oos-Metropool, Kaapstad om te bepaal watter effek personeelplasing op dienslewering in die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens kon hê. Hierdie spesifieke polisiëringsgebied (verwysend na die Area Oos-Metropool) word as 'n praktiese gevalle studie aangewend aangesien dit wil voorkom dat personeelplasing in die SAPD tans meer effektief geïmplementeer kan word ten einde dienslewering te verbeter aan alle gemeenskappe in die Oos-Metropool. As gevolg van personeel tekorte binne die SAPD ondervind hierdie gemeenskappe 'n toename in misdaad op 'n daaglikse basis. Die navorsingsproses is aangemoedig deur probleme wat deur lede van die SAPD en publiek ondervind word. Alhoewel die navorsingsuitkoms nie as 'n sukses of mislukking uitgeskakel kan word nie, was dit 'n poging om te fokus op die effek wat misdaad op die lewens van die lede van die SAPD en gemeenskappe in die Area Oos-Metropool het.

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Pitt, Christine Ann, and n/a. "An exploration of groupware as an enabling technology for the learning organisation." University of Canberra. Information Sciences & Engineering, 2003. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060427.100120.

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The Australian business environment has been changing at an ever-increasing pace since the mid-1980s. Technological, economic and social changes have altered the working environment. There have been constant technological advances with information technology influencing most categories of work. Organisations in public and private sectors have ongoing expectations of increased productivity, increased quality of processes and swifter responsiveness to clients. Team roles have changed. Team members are multi-skilled and work is designed to emphasise the whole task. The Karpin Industry Task Force described a vision for an Australian business environment that would, by 2014, be one with a flexible, skilled and motivated workforce, world class managers, a customer comes first mentality, and an internationally competitive perspective. These characteristics are congruent with those of learning organisations. The aim of this study is to evaluate the suitability of groupware as the supporting infrastructure for a learning organisation. To do this, the study assesses the use of technology to support personal and team learning in a learning organisation, studies the impact of groupware on learning within workgroups, determines the extent to which communication and learning styles influence its effectiveness, and identifies ways in which groupware can be used to capture the information used to support knowledge management in an organisation. Two case studies are used to undertake this assessment. Three distinct yet related frameworks underpin this study. The first is that of Groupware and the related research frameworks of Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) and Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL). The second is the Learning Organisation and its supporting disciplines. The final framework is that of learning and the action-oriented learning processes. Each is examined and the interrelatedness of the frameworks is explored. The journey to produce this written material has been one of twists and turns, blind alleys and blinding revelations, observation and reflection. My choice of techniques has been eclectic, reflecting the breadth of theoretical material covered.

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D'hont, Laura. "Les relations affinitaires au travail : caractérisation, développement et conséquences." Thesis, Paris Sciences et Lettres (ComUE), 2016. http://www.theses.fr/2016PSLED063.

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L’objectif de cette thèse est d’éclairer un phénomène invisible mais prégnant dans les organisations : les relations affinitaires au travail. Articulant les approches en psychosociologie et en philosophie avec une littérature plus récente propre aux sciences de gestion portant sur les réseaux et les workplace friendships, la thèse permet de mieux comprendre les relations affinitaires dans leur caractérisation, leur développement et leurs conséquences en contexte de travail. Basée sur deux niveaux d’analyse, individuel et groupal, la méthodologie se déploie autour de récits de vie et de quatre études de cas d’équipes de travail aux caractéristiques organisationnelles contrastées. Quatre types de relations affinitaires au travail sont ainsi identifiés : les « amis », les « collègues amis », les « amitiés stratégiques » et les « collègues ennemis ». Leur formation est non seulement influencée par des facteurs individuels et inter individuels, mais aussi par la structure et la culture organisationnelles. Leurs conséquences contrastées portent sur le bien-être et la motivation au travail, les relations de collaboration et le fonctionnement des équipes. Cette thèse montre que les relations affinitaires s’avèrent structurantes pour le fonctionnement d’une organisation à fort potentiel de collaboration
The purpose of this dissertation is to understand an invisible but significant phenomenon in organizations: friendship ties at work. The conceptual framework combines philosophy and psychosocial studies with network approach and workplace friendship perspectives from the management literature. It highlights the characterization, development and consequences of friendship ties at work. Through individual and group-level analysis, the methodology is based on life stories and multiple case studies of work teams. Four types of workplace friendships are identified: « personal friends », « work friends », « strategic friends » and « work enemies ». Their development is influenced by individual and inter individual factors as well as organizational structure and culture. Friendship ties have also consequences on well-being, motivation, collaboration and functioning of teams at work. The findings underline that workplace friendships are more structuring for the functioning of organizations based on strong potential of collaboration

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Jacobs, Corneluis Theodorus. "The impact of strength-based leadership on high-performance work teams : a Volkswagen case study." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012.

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In the modern day organisation where the emphasis is largely on teams rather than individuals, it is of critical importance to have teams who can be regarded as high-performing. High performing teams will ensure that companies can achieve more with less in terms of resources required. However the creation of a high performing team remains a consistent challenge due to innate human behaviour and traits. One of the keys that could assist in the creation of a high-performing work team is a strength-based leadership approach. The study compromised of firstly, the philosophy of strength-based leadership and the underpinnings of this philosophy. Secondly, the author also looked at the high-performance team model, attributes associated with this model and the various theories of how a high-performing team can be created. Thirdly an empirical study was conducted using a selected management team within a major automotive manufacturer that was already following the strength-based leadership approach. The empirical study aimed to establish to what degree this leadership philosophy is being followed as well as gauging the current level of team performance. Finally the empirical findings were correlated with the theoretical back ground established, and recommendations were made. Overall the team studied can be regarded as a high-performing work team, partially due to their approach in following the strength-based leadership approach. Individual team members are very aware of their own strengths as well as those of their fellow team members. The manager also seeks to continually utilize the individual strengths of his team. The team also has a very positive attitude and subsequently team motivation and performance is very high. However conflict resolution is currently a potential barrier to further performance enhancement.

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McHale, Carrie L. (Carrie Lynn). "The Effects of a Performance Improvement Strategy in a Work Team Setting: a Case Study." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1994. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc501257/.

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A popular approach to operating organizations in the 1990s is the implementation of work teams. The current literature offers little information on the use of performance management techniques in work team settings. This case study examined the effects of employing a performance improvement strategy on employee performance in a work team environment comprised of part-time graduate students. The performance improvement strategy included composing job descriptions, job aids (e.g., work organization charts), task request logs and posting weekly and monthly performance feedback. Improvements were observed in some aspects of team performance. Some of the improvement was due to task clarification and improved scheduling produced by the antecedent interventions. Performance feedback had little effect on measured performance but seemed to facilitate discussion and problem-solving.

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Love, Mary Sue. "The case for the work group : the work group context as an antecedent of organizational citizenship behavior /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 2001. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p3012998.

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Van, Aken Eileen Morton. "A multiple case study on the information system to support self-managing teams /." This resource online, 1991. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-10242009-020331/.

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Van, Aken Eileen M. "A multiple case study on the information system to support self-managing teams." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/45315.

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There is a management revolution in American industry, where many organizations are Switching from the old “control” paradigm to the new paradigm in “high involvement organizations.” Assumptions of the involvement paradigm are employees can make important contributions and are capable of making decisions about their jobs given the right training and information. One characteristic of high involvement organizations is self-managing teams. Self-managing teams have received an increasing amount of attention and research recently in the management literature. Frequently researched areas are the role of the supervisor and outcomes (group and organizational performance) of self-managing teams. One area which has not been well documented is the information teams need to execute the additional responsibilities and decisions they have in a team environment. The purpose of this study is to fill this gap in the literature. This study used the case study method to study how five organizations share information with self-managing teams. The organizations vary in the type of industry (manufacturing and service), the scope of the self-managing team effort (new design, or “greenfield”, and redesign sites), the presence of a union, and in size. Data collection for the case studies included interviews with managers, supervisors, and team members, as well as organizational documentation, and observations. One of the outputs of this research study was detailed case descriptions of each organization. Another output of this study is a list of “design features” for information systems to support self-managing teams. These design features are characteristics of information shared with teams and represent what has worked well for the set of organizations studied.
Master of Science

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Zhang, Dan. "Culture, workplace stress, and coping : a study of overseas Chinese." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape7/PQDD_0001/NQ39012.pdf.

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Vadhavkar, Sanjeev Sureshchandra. "Team interaction space effectiveness for globally dispersed teams : theory and case studies." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/28235.

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Thesis (Sc. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2001.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 261-275).
Groups of geographically and/or organizationally dispersed members are increasingly being assembled to accomplish a wide range of organizational tasks using a combination of telecommunication and information technologies. The emergence of such technologically savvy globally dispersed teams has also heralded a complex and largely uninvestigated area of interaction practices of such team members. By enabling team interactions via non-traditional media, information technologies have actually expanded and transformed the conventional team interaction space. This merger of physical space with digital space has created a new kind of team interaction spaces, one where organizational, technological and spatial dimensions play significant roles. This research assesses the impact of team interaction space on perceived team performance using qualitative and quantitative research techniques. To collect qualitative data, interviews were conducted with 82' members from globally dispersed teams from three Global 500 companies. 45 audio, video and face-to-face team interactions between these team members were observed and analyzed. A survey on team interaction space was administered to the team members to substantiate the research hypotheses with quantitative data. Triangulating the qualitative and quantitative data, the research discovered significant correlation between the effectiveness of the team interaction space and perceived team performance. Factor, path and qualitative analysis demonstrated that organization protocols, communication technologies and spatial setup positively affect interaction space effectiveness. To explain the impact better, statistical evidence indicates that the impact of technology needs to be considered in multiple dimensions: ability, capability, reliability, accessibility and support. The research introduced team interaction space as a mediating variable to explain the role of technology, organizational processes and spatial setup on perceived team performance. The research also developed a team interaction space framework.
by Sanjeev Vadhavkar.
Sc.D.

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Franklin, Kim Roth. "English in the Workplace: Case Study of a Pilot Program." PDXScholar, 1995. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/5018.

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This study is participant observational research focused on a description of an United States Department of Education grant-funded English in the Workplace pilot program. The survey of the literature shows that there is an increasing need to provide educational opportunities for workers who, for various reasons, are not currently being served by traditional education providers. The study presented here describes a pilot program and asks "How is an English in the Workplace program developed and implemented? What do those characteristics of workplace education programs, as identified in the literature, 'look like' once such a program has been implemented?" The researcher collected data from on-site observation of the classes and staff meetings, interviews, and program final reports and records. The elements that characterize this particular pilot program are common to those described or proscribed in the literature on workplace education. These elements include needs assessment, the physical setting, the participants, the instructional schedule and materials, as well as final evaluation. This study suggests that employers, by working together with educators, strive to meet the educational needs of employees, specifically, English language instruction, by providing and supporting English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction in the workplace. This study recommends that (1) workplace ESL instructors balance employer and employee needs by considering what the employer and the employees consider the program's purpose to be, (2) instructors supplement a general life-skills curriculum with workplace materials, (3) instructors be trained how to implement an English in the Workplace program, (4) instructors meet with the employees, management, supervisors, and trainers on a regular basis to assess whether the program is meeting the goals of everyone involved in the program. This study adds to the understanding of workplace education programs by specifically describing the characteristics of a particular English in the Workplace pilot program. However, additional research is needed to better understand the effects of workplace education, not just characteristics. The researcher concludes that future research is needed that examines the potential impact of workplace education programs.

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Petersson, Mary, and Anna Spängs. "Semco & Freys : A multiple-case study of workplace democracy." Thesis, Södertörn University College, School of Business Studies, 2006. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-790.

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This case study aims to find out what characterizes the Brazilian company Semco and the Swedish company Freys hotels as private owned democratic companies, and whether the mechanisms used to apply and carry on the democratic process are sufficient or not to truly make the workplaces democratic. The way this study is conducted, is by analyzing the definition of workplace democracy and its managerial approaches. To be able to map and study the democratic process in the companies, the authors chose to analyze the parts of the organization that sustain democracy. These parts are structure, information/communication process, individuals and decision-making.

The theories applied, are theoretical thoughts and definitions of the managerial approaches (empowerment and participation) used to introduce democracy at the workplace. In addition a political framework for analyzing democracy is used. Five previous studies were also highlighted in the theory chapter, in order to reinforce the authors’ choice of theories and give a broaden understanding of the subject studied in this essay. For analysis, seven hypotheses characterizing a democratic company and the use of workplace democracy were tested. The analysis was carried out using collected primary and secondary data from books, articles, interviews and inquiries with employees from Semco and Freys Hotels. Another interview was conducted with Professor Carl Von Otter at the National Institute for Working Life, who explained the meaning of a democratic corporation.

The results show that the hypotheses can be used to describe workplace democracy. However, the managerial approaches are not sufficient to make a company democratic since

they can be used in order to restrain employee participation. Participation and involvement should be the basic idea that comes with employment. Another conclusion from the study is that the application and success of workplace democracy depends on the national context.

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Salhani, Daniel Philip. "The social construction of interprofessional teams in human service organizations, two case studies." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp04/nq21901.pdf.

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Bailey, Janet L. "Computer-Supported Collaborative Work and Its Application to Software Engineering in a Case Environment." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1997. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc279296/.

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This study investigated, in the context of a field-based case study, possibilities for formation of a synergistic union between CSCW and CASE tools. A major dimension of today's software challenge is in gearing up for large-scale system development necessitating large teams of systems engineers. The principal goal of this research was to advance the body of knowledge regarding the nature of collaborative technological support in the software development process. Specifically, the study was designed to evaluate the potential for using a CSCW tool as an effective front-end to a CASE tool in the furtherance of SDLC goals.

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Khettabi, Ahmed. "Workplace industrial relations in Algeria : a case study of oil and chemical industries." Thesis, Keele University, 1990. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.306140.

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Madero, Claudia. "Managing Multicultural Teams in Generation Global : a case study on MobileIron." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Företagsekonomiska institutionen, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-414829.

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To cope with increasing demands and competition in the ever-growing global market, organizations have been increasing the use and formation of multicultural teams (MCTs). Though advantageous in numerous aspects, MCT literature lays significant focus on the struggles in managing communication and cohesion in these teams. Journalists and organizational psychologists propose an emergent generation of individuals who are eager and accustomed to working with people worldwide. This Generation Global is composed of individuals who possess a global mindset and cultural intelligence, allowing them to navigate multicultural environments successfully. This paper conducts a qualitative case study on an MCT in the global cybersecurity company, MobileIron, to observe whether the main challenges found in previous literature prevail in MCTs composed of Generation Global individuals. The results demonstrate that cross-cultural communication is a less significant issue and strains in team cohesion are nonexistent in these teams due to the collective cultural intelligence and global identity within the team.
For att hantera den alltmer vaxande globala marknaden har det blivit alltmer vanligt för organisationer att bilda mångkulturella teams, MCTs. Även om kulturell mångfald är till storsta del fördelaktig så påvisar MCT litteraturen att de mest förekommande utmaningarna är kommunikation och sammanhållning. Journalister och organisationspsykologer menar dock att det finns en ny framväxande generation av individer som är erfarna att samarbeta med människor ifrån hela världen. Den benämns den globala generationen, GG, och består av individer som har en global identitet och kulturell intelligens, vilket möjliggör dem att hantera mångkulturella miljöer. Denna uppsats utför en kvalitativ studie på ett MCT i det globala cybersäkerhetsföretaget, MobileIron. Syften är att undersöka om de utmaningar som hittats tidigare även uppkommer i MCTs som består av GG individer. Resultaten visar att tvärkulturell kommunikation är en mindre betydelsefull fråga och att spänningar i sammanhållning inte finns i dessa team. Detta på grund av den kollektiva kulturella intelligensen och globala identiteten i teamet.

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Halford, Roger. "Trade union workplace organisation and activity in local government : a metropolitan district case study." Thesis, University of Warwick, 1992. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.307126.

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Salaterä, Emmi, and Sofie Brandt. "Fruitful Solutions for Challenges in Distant Teams : -A Case Study." Thesis, Umeå University, Umeå School of Business, 2009. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-25580.

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We are currently in an ongoing internationalisation period, demanding organizations to coordinate activities spanning geographically through time and traditional boundaries. Co-workers begin to work more frequently geographically dispersed from each other creating new challenges for leaders and organisations all over the world. The distance requires groups to use technology to cooperate, bringing both advantages and disadvantages. These changes demand organizations to go from traditional team formations to virtual. This leads us to our topic of research, investigating Marina Systems' experience with the previously stated work setting.What problems can be found at Marina Systems regarding their dispersed work setting and how can they be solved?The purpose of our research was to find the challenges and possibilities that Marina Systems perceive, as well as contributing with sustainable solutions for managing their distant teams. We conducted a qualitative case study with interviews. Different theories used in this case study regarded geographically dispersed teams, virtual teams, hybrid teams and distant leadership.The results found in the interviews showed that Marina Systems had some ofthe challenges and problems found in the theory chapter. They can become more successful in their planned expansion if they start considering their employees as members of a hybrid team and start adapting their leadership behavior to what such groups need. Areas of communication and a lacking reward system were some of the opportunities for improvement.

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Cheng, Yan-wing, and 鄭恩榮. "Change management of teachers in their workplace: a case study in the learning organization perspective." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1996. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31958540.

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Bassett, Sasha Mae. "Inequality, Position, and Perception| Understanding and Addressing Workplace Harassment in Oregon's Construction Trades." Thesis, Portland State University, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10143612.

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Does our status impact the way we interpret change? This study proposes that one's level of power within their workplace, as granted by their role within the organization, shapes the way in which people interpret adjustments to the norms of that organization. Drawing on qualitative focus groups with forty-four members of Oregon's construction trades, this study examines the relationship between participants' position within the industry’s structure and their opinions about the changing jobsite norms brought on by recent waves of diversification in the workforce. Findings suggest that within Oregon’s construction trades, hierarchical distribution of power via industry position serves to stratify and reorganize the attitudes and responses of participants. This is done through situating knowledge; different positions hold differential understandings of which issues generate harassment, present barriers to progress, and serve as potential solutions to the issue. Results show that participants who occupy positions of power within the trades tend to frame harassment as an interpersonal problem, which can be solved by interpersonal solutions. Thus, participants in positions of power saw change as an incremental process that was constantly happening. Conversely, participants who were not in positions of power within the trades tended to frame harassment as an institutional problem that required industry-wide changes to be fully addressed. As a result, participants with less power in the trades framed change as generational for the industry; something that could only be achieved after the current workforce. Ultimately, this study highlights the tension between interpersonal and institutional strategies for organizational change.

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Cassidy, Joan E. "An analytic case study of the facilitation process used by individuals functioning as facilitators in the quality improvement process in the Internal Revenue Service." Diss., Virginia Tech, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/39933.

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Joyce, Simon Charles. "Revisiting shop stewards and workplace bargaining : opportunities, resources and dynamics in two case studies." Thesis, University of Hertfordshire, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/2299/17223.

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Recent accounts of workplace union representation have emphasised the exclusion of shop stewards from management decision-making processes, and have posited a shift in shop steward activity away from dealing with collective issues through bargaining, towards dealing with individual issues through casework, as part of the wider decline of union influence. This thesis challenges those accounts by showing that they utilise a problematic conceptual framework and rest upon questionable empirical foundations. An alternative framework is proposed which incorporates a clearly conceptualised definition of bargaining - something missing from previous accounts - and which develops and synthesises conceptual elements from Marxist-influenced sociologies of work, bargaining theory, and industrial relations scholarship. It is shown that efforts to influence management decision making and to restrict managerial prerogatives continue to figure prominently in shop steward activity, even though the reduction of union influence is undeniable and formal arrangements for union-management relations have been recast. Moreover, these efforts are often to some extent successful. This analysis is supported by considerable evidence from two detailed workplace studies, including an innovative use of diaries, which contribute important new insights into the activity of contemporary shop stewards. This thesis argues that the persistence of shop steward bargaining is best understood in relation to underlying dynamics of conflict and exploitation within the employment relationship under capitalism. Bargaining processes are explored in terms of changing patterns of bargaining opportunities and bargaining resources, which are linked to changing management practices. While the form and location of bargaining processes have changed, the prevalence of issues around the effort bargain and frontier of control demonstrate the continuing influence of the dynamics of workplace relations on patterns of shop steward activity. While further research is required, the theoretical and conceptual framework developed in this thesis suggests that similar processes are likely to be found elsewhere.

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Rowland, Elizabeth Fraser. "Teacher Study Groups: A Case Study." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1993. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc277909/.

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The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the operation and impact of teacher study groups at one school site throughout a school year. The study was exploratory in nature. The research questions focused on the major factors in the school's external and internal context that impacted the study groups, the typical behaviors and interactions of the study group participants, and the impact of the study groups on the participants, the curriculum, and instruction.

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Shahzad, Salome Sally. "Individual thermal control in the workplace : cellular vs open plan offices : Norwegian and British case studies." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/9730.

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This research is based on the challenge in the field of thermal comfort between the steady state and adaptive comfort theories. It challenges the concept of standard ‘comfort zone’ and investigates the application of ‘adaptive opportunity’ in the workplace. The research question is: ‘Does thermal control improve user satisfaction in cellular and open plan offices? Norwegian vs. British practices’. Currently, centrally controlled thermal systems are replacing individual thermal control in the workplace (Bordass et al., 1993, Roaf et al., 2004) and modern open plan offices are replacing traditional cellular plan offices in Scandinavia (Axéll and Warnander, 2005). However, users complaint about the lack of individual thermal control (Van der Voordt, 2003), which is predicted as an important asset to the workplace in the future (Leaman and Bordass, 2005). This research seeks users’ opinion on improving their satisfaction, comfort and health in two environments with high and low levels of thermal control, respectively the Norwegian and British workplace contexts. Two air conditioned Norwegian cellular plan offices which provide every user with control over a window, blinds, door and the ability to adjust the temperature are compared against two naturally and mechanically ventilated British open plan offices with limited thermal control over the windows and blinds for occupants seated around the perimeter of the building. Complimentary quantitative and qualitative methodologies are applied, with a particular emphasis on grounded theory, on which basis the research plan is formulated through a process of pilot studies. Occupants’ perception of their thermal environment within the building is recorded through a questionnaire and empirical building performance through thermal measurements. These traditional techniques are further reinforced with semi-structured interviews to investigate thermal control. A visual recording technique is introduced to analyse the collected information qualitatively regarding the context and meaning. The ASHRAE Standard 55-2010 and its basis do not apply to the case study buildings in this research. This thesis suggests that thermal comfort is dynamic rather than fixed. Occupants are more likely to prefer different thermal settings at different times, which is in contrast with providing a steady thermal condition according to the standard ‘comfort zone’. Furthermore, the occupants of the Norwegian cellular plan offices in this research report up to 30% higher satisfaction, comfort and health levels compared to the British open plan offices, suggesting the impact of the availability of individual thermal control. This research suggests that rather than providing a uniform thermal condition according to the standard ‘comfort zone’, office buildings are recommended to provide a degree of flexibility to allow users to find their own comfort by adjusting their thermal environment according to their immediate requirements.

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Cullity, Marguerite Mary. "A case study of employees' motivation to participate in a workplace language and literacy program." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1998. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1735.

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The reasons why non-English speaking background (NESB) shopfloor employees participate in workplace language and literacy classes and the factors that affect their motivation to participate are relative unknowns. This study investigates NESB shopfloor employees' motivation to participate in a Communication Skills Development Program (CSDP) course and the factors that affected their motivation. An inductive analysis of findings revealed that all of the employees participated in one of the CSDP courses for a variety of pre-determined life-specific reasons. These reasons are represented by three main categories of goals (i.e., 'Self-improvement through language and literacy development', 'Work', 'Outside work'). Of these goals, all of the employees reported 'Self-improvement through language and literacy development' as the underlying reason why they participated in one of the CSDP courses. Further, each employee reported a language/literacy practice that is peculiar to all of his/her goals and most sub-goals. An extended analysis of the employees' motivation to participate identified the employees as being 'transactional-', 'vocational-', 'fellowship-', 'social camaraderie-' and/or 'self-satisfaction- oriented' learners. Findings also revealed that a variety of 'personal', 'course-related' and 'context-related' factors either positively or adversely affected the employees' motivation to participate. A qualitative case study design was implemented. Data was collected through interviews, observations, field notes and the review of artifacts. Data was inductively analysed by classifying patterns of relationships into categories that represent the employees' motivation to participate and factors that affected their motivation. ii This study's findings have implications for theory and practice. At a theoretical level, these findings add to the existing theoretical understanding of why English as second language adults participate in workplace language and literacy classes and the factors that affect their motivation. At a practice level, these findings illustrate the need for Food Products management and program teachers to have an understanding of the reasons 'why' NESB shopfloor employees participate in workplace language and literacy classes and the factors that affect their motivation. For with such an understanding, first, Food Products management will be able to implement organisational practices that positively affect the employees' motivation to participate in future CSDP classes. Second, teachers will be able to assist the employees to set realistic goals, and design and implement course content that assists the employees to attain these goals.. For it is when employees attain their goals that they will form and hold positive perceptions of the course in which they participate.

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Tsai, Jui-min. "Team teaching and teachers' professional learning case studies of collaboration between foreign and Taiwanese English teachers in Taiwanese elementary schools /." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1186669636.

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Britton, Peter J. "Coming to grips with teambuilding: A curriculum leader's interpretation of a teambuilding process in a Queensland independent school." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2000. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/36624/1/36624_Digitised%20Thesis.pdf.

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Henderson and Hawthorne (1995, p. 86) claim that "collaboration and deliberation among teachers, parents, students, principals and other interested parties is a necessary part of curriculum design, development and evaluation". The importance of effective team work as part of successful curriculum development is also highlighted in Revision of the Common and Agreed National Goals for Schooling in Australia, and Shaping the Future: A report of the review of the Queensland School Curriculum (Wiltshire, McMeniman and Tolhurst, 1992) - two documents shaping Australia's and Queensland's curriculums. Implicit in these documents, and indeed in many curriculum documents, is the assumption that educational leaders know how to be collegial, collaborative, consultative, effective team facilitators and members. This thesis challenged that assumption. The case study that follows interprets how one curriculum leader, an Assistant Principal in a Queensland independent school, led a team in an endeavour to understand teams and teambuilding. In this study the Assistant Principal is the researcher, author of the thesis, and the team's facilitator. Literature on the development of effective teams is plentiful and includes Francis and Young (1979); Orsburn et al. (1990); Woodcock and Francis (1980); Montebello (1994); Mears (1994) and Wellins, Byham and Wilson (1991). It highlights important issues such as teambuilding blocks, stages of team development and team leadership. However, the literature deals with the teambuilding blocks and stages of team development separately. What's missing is a discussion on integrating teambuilding blocks and stages of team development into a teambuilding process. In Chapter 2 the researcher theorises that stages of team development and teambuilding blocks need to work in partnership to create an effective team, and that some teambuilding blocks could have greater importance in some stages of team development. Further, the development of some teambuilding blocks needs to occur during all stages of team development. Consequently, effective team leaders could concentrate on developing particular teambuilding blocks at different stages of team development: depending on the nature of the task and stage of team development. Initially, the study aimed to answer the following research questions: 1. What could be learnt from implementing a teambuilding process that integrated stages of team development and team building blocks? (a) Were stages of team development evident in the teambuilding process? If so, what are the characteristics of the stages? (b) What happened to each teambuilding block as the team progressed through stages of team development? (c) Did the integrated teambuilding process build an effective team? If so, what effective team characteristics became evident? 2. What did the team facilitator think about the teambuilding process? 3. What lessons could be learnt by the curriculum leader about teams and teambuilding when a teams approach is adopted to develop curriculum in a Queensland independent school? During the course of the study the curriculum leader was confronted with six unexpected dilemmas. The dilemmas were unexpected, because initially, the study's focus was solely on the teambuilding process; however, because the study team worked in a natural setting the curriculum leader was confronted with other issues that related to the team and the integrated teambuilding process beyond the "boundaries" of the team. The dilemmas are included in the study because the curriculum leader found them challenging and on reflection an important part of coming to grips with teams and teambuilding in a Queensland independent school. Consequently, an additional research question was added to the study. What dilemmas did the curriculum leader experience when a teams approach is adopted to develop curriculum in a Queensland independent school? Note: For the purposes of the study, the additional research question becomes the third research question, and the third research question above becomes the fourth question (See Figure 2.4). The study ended up having a dual purpose: (i) to interpret the teambuilding process used to design an enrichment program in a Queensland independent school when the teambuilding process is based on integrating teambuilding blocks and stages of team development; and (ii) to interpret the dilemmas the curriculum leader experienced when a teams approach was adopted to develop curriculum in the school. The study was based primarily on the ontological, epistemological and methodological principles associated with the post-positivist research paradigm. However it was necessary to include an aspect of the methodological principles associated with the positivist research paradigm. This approach supplied the '"best fit" for the study. The "best fit" was determined by criteria that emerged from the research questions and the purpose of the study. The research method was instrumental case study. Criteria were also established to assist in identifying the data collection instruments. Three research instruments were chosen for the study - observation, interview and questionnaire. Observations recorded members' reactions and the researcher's personal reflections as the team facilitator on the teambuilding process. Volunteer participants were interviewed at the end of the process; and after each team meeting they had the opportunity to complete a confidential questionnaire that tracked stages of team development and teambuilding blocks. Issues of credibility, transferability, dependability, confirmability, reliability and research ethics were taken into consideration in designing and implementing the study. The study assumed that there are stages of team development. This assumption was based on an overwhelming amount of literature that supported this point of view. Secondly, the researcher chose Francis and Young's four-stage model of team development as a basis for the study. However, he and the participants were not limited by it. This aspect of the study relates to the methodological principles associated with the positivist paradigm. A team development model was needed because the researcher was not in a position to be an external observer to the teambuilding process. He was an Assistant Principal, charged with the responsibility of leading a team to develop curriculum. He was not in a position to leave team development and task completion to chance. A task had to be achieved, and team members needed to be led effectively. Therefore, the Assistant Principal needed to know something about teams and teambuilding. The data showed that the study team underwent change. Observational evidence affirmed that change took place. During the first few meetings the team displayed characteristics similar to the Stages 1 and 2 characteristics identified by of Francis and Young's (1979). Evidence from the questionnaire suggested that the team progressed through four stages of team development. By meeting 13 the team consistently displayed characteristics similar to those Stage 4 characteristics identified by Francis and Young's (1979). As a result of the study, there were some notable achievements. Firstly, team members indicated that they benefited from the study because they were active participants in a study that focused on teams and teambuilding, and their newly acquired skills were transferable to other work situations both inside and outside the classroom. Secondly, the researcher benefited because the study provided him with information and skills to better understand teams and teambuilding. Thirdly, the academic literature on teams has been supplemented. This study integrated stages of team development and building blocks of effective teams into a teambuilding process, applied it and then interpreted the outcomes in a school setting. Fourthly, the study has the potential to be useful to leaders in other schools considering improving their team skills so that they have a greater opportunity to successfully develop curriculum. Finally, the school now has an Enrichment program designed to cater for all students and, specifically, gifted and talented students. These significant achievements are comprehensively documented in the following chapters. One of the most significant aspects of the study is its practical utility within researcher's area of professional practice. The study presents an emergent theory articulated by a list of lessons learnt as a result of studying a team and teambuilding process in a Queensland independent school. The study concludes by identifying its shortcomings and areas for further research.

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Bohrer, Kathleen. "Effect of Small Group Incentives on Sales Productivity in Two Retail Shops: A Case Study." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1994. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc501246/.

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To meet global competition many companies have reorganized work process systems, eliminated management levels, formed employee work groups and implemented variable compensation systems. This study investigated the effect of group incentives on individual sales performance in two specialty shops located in a large metropolitan hotel. Two questions were addressed: What effect would adding a group bonus plan have on individual employee's sales performance who had previously received hourly wages in one shop; and, what effect would changing an individual incentive plan to a group plan have on the individual employee's sales performance in the other shop. In one shop 5 of 7 employees' productivity increased: in the other, 1 of 3 subjects' productivity increased. Contingencies in both shops are analyzed and suggestions offered for future research.

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Lum, Kwok-choi, and 林國才. "Social work practice in the workplace: case studies of four factory social work projects in Hong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1989. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31248445.

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Gunawardena, Asela. "A case study on the training issues related to leaders of self-managing teams in a redesign plant." Thesis, This resource online, 1993. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-12172008-063737/.

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Andaya, Arleigh. "Influence of Culture and Communication Practices in Team Functioning : Case Studies on Japanese and Philippine Financial Project Teams." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Handelshögskolan vid Umeå universitet, 2010. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-31125.

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This research paper was aimed at analysing the influence of culture and communication practices in team functioning. The scope of the study was limited to the project teams in the financial sector in Japan and the Philippines. The study was a qualitative research through the application of case studies whilst the primary data were gathered from semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study revealed that the project teams were collectivist with a noticeable degree of power distance, bestowment of status through ascription and the strong need for harmony in the project team environment. The communication practices were also affected by the hierarchical, relational, societal and regulatory dictates and expectations. However, there were some differences noted in Japanese and Philippine project teams as the latter exhibited more flexibility towards hierarchical relationship where position was not seen as hindrance in developing convivial and professional relationships. In so doing, culture and communication practices influenced team functioning in the aforementioned research context. Finally, the results of the study will allow project members, leaders and other key stakeholders in understanding the influence of culture and communication practices to team functioning in a more in-depth manner. This will lead to better policies and practices in helping them realise their goals and objectives.

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Virgona, Crina. "Seeking convergence : workplace identity in the conflicting discourses of the industrial training environment of the 90s : a case study approach." Monash University, Faculty of Education, 2002. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/7863.

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Jarrett, Michael. "The Psychodynamics of Top Teams and the Impact on Strategic Organisational Learning: Three Case Studies in the Public Sector." Thesis, Cranfield University, 1998. http://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/4589.

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The growing literature on organisational change, organisational learning and the role of the top team prompted the question: what is the relationship between top teams and organisational leaming? It seemed that role of the top team was important to attain successful change and ultimately learning. Yet how this was achieved seemed to be poorly understood in the literature. Thus, the thesis focused attention on the dynamics of the top team, its organisational context and the state of the external environment to gain a clearer understanding of these relationships. In order to deepen that understanding, the thesis took a systemic and psychoanalytical approach and a clinical research methodology, which provided a different perspective and seemed to be more suited to this type of inquiry on organisational dynamics. The 'findings' from the three, in-depth, public sector case studies suggested that while the dynamics of the top team could impact negatively on the group task, its impact on strategic organisational learning was less significant. The main conclusion drawn from the study was that strategic organisational learning was impaired not so much by the top team's dynamics, but by organisational and systemic defensive routines. The source of these recursive pattems was threefold: psychodynamic ego and social defenses among top team members, within the top team's group and within the dynamics of the Board A poor 'holding environment' so that these organisational dynamics were not sufficiently contained and thus each strategic subsystem was less 'task' focused an underbounded strategic apex that reinforced the dysfunctional dynamics already in play The implication from these public sector, case studies was that while the external environment and the dynamics of the top team were not insignificant, it was the poor quality and instability of the internal organisational context that inhibited learning. The role of the Board or elected officials was particularly significant in contributing to this outcome.

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Dick, Siyolo. "Enhancing the organisational culture at Spar Eastern Cape: a case study." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020804.

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SPAR Eastern Cape is a special organisation. It is an extraordinary place to work and have fun at. The organisation celebrated its twentieth “birthday” in 2013. Operating in a very difficult sector, this business has done extremely well in establishing itself as one of the leading businesses in the Eastern Cape. The success of this incredible business is driven by employees from all levels. With an extreme conviction in the apothegm that “none of us is as smart as all of us”, the organisation is built around high performance teams through a unique culture called: Amafela Ndawonye (referred to as Amafela hereafter). “Amafela” has been in operation at SPAR Eastern Cape since the organisation’s inauguration in 1993. Organisational cultures are dynamic. Organisational cultures shift, incrementally and constantly, in response to external and internal changes. Trying to assess an organisational culture is therefore complicated by the reality that one is trying to hit a moving target. However, a possibility exists that culture enhancement can be managed as a continuous process rather than big shifts (often in response to a crisis). A stable destination with regards to organisational culture should never be reached. The culture of an organisation should always be learning and developing. This prompted the researcher to ask the question, as an organisation responds to internal and external changes; can it lose its relevancy in the process? The primary objective of this research is to determine whether the commitment to the culture of “Amafela” and relevancy thereof at SPAR Eastern Cape is declining. The first step in achieving this objective was an in-depth theoretical study. The second step, and in order to achieve this objective, was an empirical survey conducted to canvas the opinions of (N= 149) respondents at SPAR Eastern Cape. The main findings of this research conducted at SPAR Eastern Cape can be summarised as follows: The organisational culture was assessed according to how respondents interpret the organisation’s existing organisational culture, and thus underlining areas in need of enhancement. In general the outcome of the survey exhibited that a large number of employees at SPAR Eastern Cape denoted that the culture of “Amafela” is still strong and is still relevant in the organisation. In this research, good to excellent levels of consistency for all eleven factors of “Amafela” were achieved. The items are therefore parallel in the test. Organisational leaders will influence the function of the people within the organisation. Moreover, leadership will set the present and future course of the company. This research articulates a correlation between leadership and “Amafela” factors. The eleven dimensions of the “Amafela” factors ranked according from favourable to less favourable. Customer focus emerged as the factor which most respondents agreed and strongly agreed with. It can be concluded then, that the culture of “Amafela Ndawonye” at SPAR Eastern Cape has the full support of the employees and is still relevant in the organization.

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Mfengu, Andiswa Yolanda. "Analysis of the approaches of senior management teams towards adoption of next generation library management systems: case study of Cape Library Consortium Institutions." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13734.

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Sophistication of technology has resulted in libraries having to manage print, digital and electronic resources. Managing all resource types and formats with traditional integrated library systems is ineffective as the systems were designed for physical resources. Next generation library management systems are expected to change this by integrating all library resources and providing access through a single platform, reducing the number of transaction the user has to perform. Additionally libraries will save large proportions of their budgets on hardware and software, as the systems are accessed through a web browser this will be an added benefit for libraries as the cost of acquiring electronic resources is continuously increasing. Next generation library management systems are not yet implemented in academic libraries in the Western Cape Province. To investigate the reasons for this, the author employed a qualitative case study approach in which a minimum of two members of the Executive Management of each of the four Cape Library Consortium institutions were interviewed. Data collected was analysed using NVivo analysis software, responses being analysed within the institution and compared across the other institutions.

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Kutilek, Janis G. (Janis Gayle). "Community College Collaboration with Business and Industry in Providing Workplace Literacy Programs: a Modified Case Study of Five Corporate Programs in a Metropolitan Area." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1992. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278617/.

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The purpose of this study was to provide both businesses and institutions of higher education with a descriptive analysis of the programs of five companies that have utilized community colleges in their basic skills programs. The five companies represented included Texas Instruments Defense Systems Corporation and SGS-Thomson Microelectronics (electronics companies), Abbott Laboratories (a pharmaceutical company), J & E Die Casting (a small die casting firm), and Company X, a semiconductor company that requested anonymity. The community colleges included were Richland College, Brookhaven College, and North Lake College. Modified case studies were used to obtain data collected through individual interviews with representatives from the community colleges and the companies. The syntheses of documentaries provided details of how the five community college-directed workplace literacy programs met, or failed to meet, their literacy challenges. Descriptions of the curriculum and structure of each program were also included. Numerous factors contributed to the success or demise of the programs studied. Elements that served as powerful assets when adequately supported were detrimental when neglected. Factors common to all of the programs were financial support, management philosophical support, confidentiality, adequate testing instruments, class schedule flexibility, instructor capability, physical classroom facilities, and work-related documentation integrated into the curriculum. The findings of this study support previous research concerning successful and detrimental factors found in workplace literacy programs.

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Lyon, Gail. "Case Studies of the Structure, Dynamics, and Outcomes of Interdisciplinary Team Organization in Oregon Middle Schools." PDXScholar, 1994. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/1183.

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Middle school literature advocates interdisciplinary team organization as a structure that enhances student learning and teacher satisfaction. In an interdisciplinary team, teachers responsible for different content areas collaboratively plan the instructional program for a shared group of students. Yet, fewer than fifty percent of the nation's middle schools use an interdisciplinary team structure, and research indicates that teams are fragile and temporary. Few studies were found that described interdisciplinary team organization at the team or individual teacher level. The purpose of this case study is to describe the structure, dynamics, and outcomes of interdisciplinary teams of teachers in middle schools. The collection, analysis, and evaluation of data focused on four areas: (a) team structure including goals, roles, and leadership; (b) team dynamics ("teamness"), including collaboration, cohesion, and communication; (C) teacher affective outcomes of satisfaction, efficacy, and stress; and (d) teacher behavioral outcomes of curriculum and instruction and counseling and discipline. The researcher collected data from five sources of evidence including documents, structured interviews, key informant interviews, direct observation, and questionnaires. Two middle schools that were implementing interdisciplinary team organization for the first year were selected for the study. Their differences in demographics, teaming structure, and district/school history allowed for a basis of comparison and contrast. The data were organized and presented in four case studies of interdisciplinary teams and two cross-case analyses, providing a descriptive account of the experiences of teachers involved in an interdisciplinary team structure. The results of the study indicated that: Structural variables affected team planning. The level of teacher collaboration on teams was a developmental process. Teachers derived professional benefits and personal satisfaction from teaming and experienced a reduction of stress. Barriers of time and training impeded team effectiveness in the area of developing and implementing interdisciplinary curriculum. Further research on effective team practices is warranted, particularly on the effects of group process training and the developmental nature of team collaboration. In addition, further research is recommended on the effects of an interdisciplinary team structure on student learning outcomes and on teachers' day-to-day instructional practices in the classroom.

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Chan, Tak-wing, and 陳德穎. "Professional development through collaborative teaching: a case study in a secondary school." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2003. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B27728985.

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Nwuche, Christine Adaobi. "The relevance of technology in the organisation of work in a third world workplace : a case study of the Port Harcourt refinery, Nigeria." Thesis, Brunel University, 1993. http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/5314.

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The organisation of work is seen here as concerning the ways in which various elements in work such as skills, tasks and structures of relationship are planned and managed. The technological artefact used in work is recognized as a relevant resource in the work organisation phenomenon. This is particularly so in a developing country like Nigeria where technology is looked upon as a harbinger of modernization along western lines. Hence, the study rejects the relegation of technology and the corresponding elevation of social factors to a determinist height by Gallie, Bijker and Pinch, and others. It agrees that technology is a social construct but argues that when a technological artefact becomes existent, it is capable of influencing its environment. Its construction or design would have been unnecessary if this was not the case. On the other hand, deviating from Ellul and post - industrial society theorists generally, the study argues that technological relevance does not mean its determinacy. It recognizes that it would be wrong to discount the social origins of technology as well as the import of social choice. Therefore, the study draws on the interactive model posited by Hughes, Law, Latour and others which rejects any form of determinism, whether 'social' or 'technological'. However, unlike some proponents of the model (for example, Latour) the study presumes the possibility of assessing the influence of these 'actants'. Hence, it sees a crude oil refining plant as distinctly able to turn out refined petroleum products, not textiles; and able to influence certain aspects of work organisation. Overall, the study is congruent with the interactive model in arguing that the social and the technological are in %alliance', neither being the sole determinant of the way work is organised. This remains the order of things even in *developing' Nigeria where imported technology is yearned for and revered.

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Leitzmann, Ursula D. "An intercultural teambuilding training program designed for a corporate multicultural team in the U.S. and Germany." Scholarly Commons, 2004. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/589.

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This thesis project described the development, design, delivery, evaluation, and discussion of a series of four intercultural team building pilot workshops appropriate for multicultural teams in the context of international corporations. The target audience of the workshops was an Information Technology (IT) team of a Fortune 500 company in the United States. The team consisted for the most part of U.S. Americans and Germans based in either Boston, MA, or Frankfurt, Germany. The overall objective of the workshops was to help raise awareness and gain understanding about cultural variables that affect the performance of a multicultural team. The desired outcome of the training program was to help participants gain transcultural competence. This was to be achieved by providing them with a set of tools that would help them to communicate and interact more effectively, and as a result, more successfully, with their team colleagues across cultural borders. Due to the composition of the team, I placed particular emphasis on the communication and interaction patterns of the U.S. American and German cultures. The first two pilot workshops were delivered in Boston and the target audience was the Boston-based part of the team. Thus, the workshop was delivered in the English language. The third and the fourth workshop were delivered in Frankfurt, Germany and the target audience was the Frankfurt-based part of the team. Thus, the workshop was delivered in the German language. Given these circumstances, I not only translated the workshop contents into the German language but also made culture-appropriate adaptations to the German context. The results of the evaluations showed that the workshops were well received and fulfilled the need of the team for intercultural training. Thus, the overall objective of the workshop, to help team members understand cultural variables that influence their performance as an intercultural team, was successfully met. However, in order to utilize and enhance these newly learned skills that comprise transcultural competence, additional training is required in which a common culture strategy and a plan to integrate the different processes and structures would be developed.

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Davy, Jonathan Patrick. "The impact of a one-hour self-selected nap opportunity on physiological and performance variables during a simulated night shift." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005201.

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Napping has been explored extensively as a means of counteracting the negative effects associated with shift work. A significant amount of this research has focused on the implementation of scheduled naps, with few studies considering flexible nap schemes. The current study therefore aimed to assess the effects of a flexible nap opportunity on the physiological, cognitive, performance, neurophysiological and subjective responses of a group of non shift workers over the course of a three-day simulated night shift regime. Additional foci were the effects of the nap condition on the extent of the circadian adaptation of the subjects to the irregular work schedule and the circadian-related influences associated with being awake during the night. 36 subjects – 18 males and 18 females – were recruited to participate in the current study. The data collection spanned twelve days, during which four, three-day long shift cycles were set up: three night shift cycles and one day shift cycle. During each night shift cycle, three separate experimental conditions were staggered, namely the nap condition, the no nap condition and a booster break condition (a collaborative study that completed the setup). The day shift served as a further comparison. Each cycle comprised of 12 subjects, which meant there were four subjects per condition during each cycle. The shifts were 8 hours in duration, with the no nap group following a standard break schedule evinced in industry. The three breaks taken during the shifts amounted to a total time of 1 hour. The nap group was afforded a 1 hour flexible nap opportunity between 00h00 and 03h00 with no other breaks. Therefore, both conditions had the same amount of work time. During the shifts, subjects performed two simple, low arousal tasks (beading and packing) and completed a test battery roughly every two hours which was comprised of physiological, performance, neurophysiological and subjective measures. It was found that the inclusion of the nap opportunity significantly improved output performance and response time during a low precision, modified Fitts tapping task over the course of three night shifts, relative to no napping. Physiologically, napping resulted in higher heart rate frequency measures by the end of the shifts, which were also accompanied by significant reductions in subjective sleepiness ratings during all iii the night shifts. The nap group’s responses in this case, did not differ significantly from those of the day shift. Both simple reaction time and memory performances improved as a result of the nap inclusion, but only during the third night shift. The majority of the measures included in the research also depicted the effects of the circadian rhythm, which was indicative of the pronounced effect that this natural biological down regulation has on performance during the night. Napping reduced the severity of these effects during beading performance and measures of subjective sleepiness. With regard to habituation, the nap opportunity also resulted in positive changes in the responses of beading performance, high precision response time, simple reaction time and both subjective sleepiness measures, relative to no napping. Sleep diary responses indicated that although sleep length and quality during the day were significantly reduced for both night-time conditions, recovery sleep (length and quality) for the nap group did not differ significantly from the no nap group. The findings of this research indicate that the inclusion of a flexible napping opportunity during the night shift had positive effects on some physiological, performance and subjective responses, and that this intervention is as beneficial as scheduled napping. Specifically, napping resulted in a significantly higher output during the beading task, relative to the no nap group despite the duration of work time being the same. As such the introduction of a flexible, self-selected nap opportunity is a practical, effective and individual-specific means of alleviating the negative effects of shift work, while improving certain performance parameters. Therefore, industries should consider its inclusion in their fatigue management programs. However, contextspecific considerations must be made, with regard work scheduling, individual differences and task demands when implementing such an intervention. This will ensure that its introduction will be well received and in time, lessen the health and work-related decrements associated with shift work.

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Gititu, Diana Wambui. "An analysis of perceived and operationalised team effectiveness in community-based organisations within the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan area: a case study." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/908.

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Literature on effectiveness indicates the interest of researchers in the role that teams play within organisations. The conclusion is that different variables affect team performance effectiveness. A further analysis of literature on team effectiveness enabled the researcher to develop a matrix of assessment of team effectiveness from these variables to serve as a benchmark. In addition to this, a matrix consisting of perceived variables of team effectiveness was constructed from the outcome of in-depth interviews and focus group sessions with the members of management committees of community-based organisations (CBOs) based within Port Elizabeth townships. These matrixes were used by the researcher to assess the operationalisation of these variables within the CBO management committees. The research indicates that management committees either did not operationalise these variables within their teams or did not do so to their fullest capacity. The overall outcome of these assessments indicates the areas that require attention, and provides opportunity for group practitioners to assist CBO management committees to enhance their effectiveness as teams. It is suggested that group practitioners together with members of CBO management committees, embark as a task team project to develop a strategy to refine the perceived variables guided by those emphasised by experts within this field, to strategise a clear path towards enhanced team effectiveness.

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Casasola, Kitzia, Linn Olsson, and Marie Solberg. ""Add as Friend" : A Case Study on Facebook and its Effects on Social Capital in the Workplace." Thesis, Jönköping University, JIBS, Business Administration, 2010. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-12808.

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Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to, through a case study on a consumer electronics retailer in Jönköping, provide an empirical analysis of the link between the use of Facebook and social capital within the workplace.

Background: The existing research on how employees’ Facebook usage affects social capital in the work place is far from extensive. Moreover, previous research focuses on large international organizations with their own internal social network site, and how this usage affects the organization’s social capital as an entity. Therefore, the authors of this thesis identified a need to examine only a single unit’s social capital within an organization and its link to the employees’ Facebook usage.

Method: In order to answer the purpose of this thesis, a case study was performed on a consumer electronics retailer in Jönköping, Sweden. A mixed method, sequential explanatory design was applied in this thesis by; quantitative data collection in the form of questionnaires and then qualitative data collection in the form of semi-structured interviews. The questionnaires provided an overall insight to the situation at Electronicum, but also a guideline on where to focus when collecting the qualitative data. Eight employees were interviewed.

Conclusion: The results indicate that Facebook affected the social capital mainly through its ability to quickly spread information and attitudes, but also to a large extent by its ability to extend social interaction, both offline and online. Trust was affected through Facebook’s ability to create bridging and bonding activities between employees. Moreover, the social capital components of shared norms and citizenship were influenced by Facebook. However, the most distinct link was between Facebook and knowledge sharing. There was a link between the use of Facebook and the increase in off-work activities which indirectly influenced the social capital at the work premises.

Syfte: Syftet med den här uppsatsen är att genom en fallstudie på en elektronikkedjas butik i Jönköping, beskriva länken mellan användning av Facebook och det sociala kapitalet på arbetsplatsen.

Bakgrund: Den forskning som gjorts på effekterna av Facebookanvändning på arbetsplatsers sociala kapital är långt ifrån omfattande. Tidigare forskning har fokuserat på stora internationella organisationer med interna sociala nätverk websidor, och hur de anställdas användning av dessa har påverkat organisationen som helhet. Härmed identifierade författarna ett behov av att undersöka hur anställdas Facebookanvändning påverkar socialt kapital hos en enhet inom en sådan organisation.

Metod: För att kunna uppfylla syftet med den här uppsatsen gjordes en fallstudie på en elektronikkedjas butik i Jönköping, Sverige. En blandad förklarande sekventiell metod design användes genom kvantitativ datainsamling i form av enkäter och sedan kvalitativ data insamling i form av semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Enkäterna fungerade som en generell översikt av situationen på Electronicum men även som en riktlinje var fokus skulle placeras under den kvalitativa data insamlingen. Åtta anställda från butiken intervjuades.

Slutsats: Resultaten visar att Facebook påverkade det sociala kapitalet huvudsakligen genom sin förmåga att snabbt sprida information och attityder och även till stor del genom Facebooks förmåga att utöka kontakten mellan anställda, offline som online. Facebook har en inverkan på en arbetsplats tillit genom dess förmåga att skapa överbryggande och sammanbindande aktiviteter. Även det sociala kapitalets komponenter ”delade normer” och anställdas känsla av ”medborgarskap” påverkades av Facebook. Länken mellan kunskapsutbyte och Facebook var dock tydligast. Det fanns en länk mellan Facebook användande och offline umgänge utanför jobbet vilket indirekt hade ett inflytande på arbetsplatsens sociala kapital.

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Blackwood, Jo Lambert. "Culture of empowerment in a restructured school." Diss., Virginia Tech, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/40150.

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Kraemer, Sharan. "The whistleblower in the workplace: The influence of the personal characteristics of individuals who have blown the whistle in one Australian context." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2008. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/229.

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Whistleblowing is not a new phenomenon but recent technological advances, which make corrupt behaviour difficult to hide, have exposed whistleblowingg as a burgeoning problem on several levels: international, national and local. Whistleblowing presents problems not only for the organisation which must deal with the offender, contain any damage to its reputation and manage the problems that enabled the corrupt behaviour in the first place; but it presents problems for the whistleblower. While ultimately an organisation may benefit from a whistleblower's action, the whistle blower's journey is rarely without sacrifices. Individual whistleblowers must call upon personal strengths to report misconduct despite probable adverse consequences. To explore an aspect of contemporary whistle blowing, this research relies on the theory of Organisational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB) which identifies five characteristics of whistleblowing behaviour: altruism, courtesy, sportsmanship, civic virtue and conscientiousness (Organ 1990, 1997). Van Dyne, Graham and Dienesch (1394) whose research tested OCB theory, argued that loyalty to the organisation was also an important characteristic. In a later study Paine and Organ (2000) concluded that in Australia. OCBs and loyalty to the organisation are negated by the Australian ethos of "mateship". These concepts are a springboard for the proposed research.

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黃錦娟 and Kam-kuen Doris Wong. "Team building in an established primary school in Hong Kong: an action research." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2001. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B30256835.

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O'Mera, Megan Colleen. "Implementing Successful Intranets: The Case Study of a Virtual MNC Team." University of Dayton / OhioLINK, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1429106812.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Teams in the workplace – Case studies'

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