Organisational effectiveness has always been researchers’ main concern and interest over a long period of the time. Also, organisational culture as the main contributor of organisational effectiveness and its impact has attracted many scholars in different disciplines including organisational studies. While there is an extensive body of literature on the relationship between organisational culture and organisational effectiveness, many of the previous studies in this field have explored the direct relationship between specific culture domains and specific effectiveness measures and researchers have paid inadequate attention to mediators and moderators of the link between organizational culture and effectiveness. In fact, there is an absence of a comprehensive conceptual model of the culture-effectiveness relationship in the literature that includes the impact of mediators such as leadership style or moderators such as national culture and organisational size. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating influence of leadership style and the moderating impact of national culture and organisational size on the culture-effectiveness relationship in private sector organisations in Iran. In order to achieve the research aim and objectives this study is preceded by a systematic review of the relevant literature that leads to the development of a comprehensive conceptual model. Data collected from different management levels of 40 private sector organisations in Iran by using a survey questionnaire with a design based on previous studies, and analysed using the statistical package for social sciences, SPSS V.18. A convenience sample of 1,000 respondents from various management levels of the organisations was established, in which 353 were returned on time to the researcher that create the response rate of 35.3 percent. This research in nature is quantitative, positivist and deductive and uses survey method by self-administered questionnaire because of its obvious advantages when it comes to versatility and speed. The results of this study show that there is a strong relationship between organisational culture, leadership style and organisational effectiveness and, in fact, leadership style is a partial mediator between all four organisational culture types and organisational effectiveness apart from the adhocracy culture type. Moreover, the findings of this study confirm the importance and major impact of national culture and organisational size as moderators on the relationship between organisational culture, leadership style and organisational effectiveness. This study makes several contributions one of which is the presentation of a comprehensive framework that that explains the importance and impact of leadership style as a mediator and national culture and organisational size as moderators on the culture-effectiveness relationship. Moreover, this study provides a novel contribution to the growing literature on the culture-effectiveness relationship in private sector organisations, particularly for developing countries such as Iran. Furthermore, the result of this study provides meaningful managerial implications and can be used as a guide for implementing organisational change including cultural or managerial styles to improve organisational effectiveness.

The concept of civil society has for so long been complex, elusive and debatable. Time and again it has increasingly dominated both political and academic discourses. For the last two decades, there has been proliferation of civil society organisations especially in developing world whereby the donor community regard them as a universal remedy for underdevelopment and authoritarianism. After failure of several development approaches to do away with poverty, underdevelopment and dictatorial regimes, civil society has been presented as the beacon of freedom, the fountain for the protection of civil rights and of resistance against state repression. It was also regarded as the mobilizing platform of society for the protection and projection of substantive interests, the compelling force for state moderation, the epitome of popular struggles and civil power as well as a centralforce in political and economic reforms. This report presents findings on a study of state-civil society relationship, the case of Uganda. The main objective of this study was to “describe and analyze the reality of civil society in Uganda in relation to the theoretical concept of civil society”, therein comprehending the functions, actors and relationship between state and civil society in Uganda. The study process consisted of a desk study of available documentation on civil society concept.  The main findings indicate that civil society organisations in Uganda are more active in the area of service delivery than policy advocacy. Therefore the bilateral function as service deliverers and policy advocates by civil society is far way from being a reality in Uganda. Findings also indicate that the state is less tolerant and uncomfortable with advocacy CSOs but largely cooperates with CSOs dealing in service delivery. The applicability of civil society concept in Uganda’s context is still far away from being achieved due to the fact that the political environment where civil society operates is constrained by the state. It was also revealed that donor funding is the cornerstone for civil society functioning in Uganda.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

The tension uncovered during this study is between two worlds: the very pragmatic and enormously challenging world of managing in a rapidly changing and highly competitive global market, and the scientific world of strategic management thinking and the concern that contemporary strategic management is unable to deal effectively with the modern dilemma of globalisation. This dilemma is as a result of change; before a current scenario can be solved, the next evolution of scenarios is upon the business community. In today's turbulent world, globalisation is sweeping away the market and industry structures that, historically, have defined competition. Swept away with them are the classic approaches to strategic management, nearly all of which mistakenly assume that a predictable path to the future can be paved from the experiences of the past. The solution: Strategy should be dynamic and should change constantly in order to contend with external turbulences. Organisations should brace themselves for a future of hyper-competition. They should respond to these rapid changes in the business environment by adopting a new approach to strategy, one that combines speed, openness, and flexibility. Organisations need: an ability to sense changes in their environment; an ability to understand the impact, of this change, on the whole; a willingness to adapt to change; and an ability to adapt. Experimenting with new strategies is also important. Constant testing, adaptation and building on what is found to be successful with customers is the way ahead, especially when one is trying to re-invent the value provided, or the way in which it is produced and delivered. The overall purpose of this experimental strategic learning and management process is to establish which strategic options or elements thereof are robust across the possible competitive scenarios, and use the healthiest elements to develop your strategic intent - your core strategic focus or theme.

Research report presented to the SBL, Unisa, Midrand. / This report proposes to make a contribution in the area of governance by critically analyzing the governance structure of SNV (The Netherlands Development Organization) in implementing projects. This study is motivated by the scarcity of published documentation on corporate and project governance practices specific to the African and particularly Kenyan context which organisations interested in pursuing good governance and managerial practices can use as a reference point.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

M.Comm. / Microfinance refers to the provision of financial services, in particular small loans in the context of South Africa, to poor people with very small businesses. Commercial banks have largely considered poor people in remote areas unbankable, because they lack collateral and have no credit histories. Microfinance institutions emerged as unconventional institutions with innovative techniques, mechanisms and instruments to advance financial services to this segmented part of the population. This has, however, not been without challenges. Microfinance institutions face a number of challenges such as lack of competent human capital, unfavourable regulatory environment, and insufficient financing. The study examines if these challenges are applicable in the South African context and whether financial and operational inefficiency has hindered microfinance institutions in South Africa from sustainably increasing their outreach through the provision of microcredit. It surveys two microfinance institutions, characterised as non-governmental organisations using the group lending methodology to offer microloans to the very poor. The results indicate that microfinance institutions are not on a sound fiscal footing, and large operating expenses have resulted in some form of inefficiency. This has, however, not hindered the microfinance institutions from reaching a greater number of borrowers. The witnessed increased outreach in number of clients reached is considered unsustainable given the existence of inefficiency and financial weakness. The results suggest a number of policy options on the side of government and the institutions concerned. Increasing the funding sources available to microfinance institutions should be considered by both government and private institutions. This policy would succeed if microfinance institutions work at reducing their operational costs and become both efficient and sustainable so as to be seen as viable investment options.

Dans le cadre de ce travail, nous avons synthétisé, isolé et caractérisé de nouvelles molécules amphiphiles dérivées d’acides nucléiques. Les modifications de ces structures ont été réalisées par voie chimique au moyen d’une réaction de chimie clic, la réaction de Huisgen. Les amphiphiles développés peuvent être classés dans deux catégories différentes : - Les amphiphiles de faible masse moléculaire qui dérivent de nucléosides et de glycosylnucléosides. Les propriétés d’auto organisation de ces composés ont été étudiées par différentes techniques, notamment de microscopie électronique et de diffraction des rayons X. La capacité de ces amphiphiles à former des gels a été évaluée dans différents solvants (eau et solvants organiques). Les propriétés de complexation des acides nucléiques de ces molécules ont également été mises en évidence. Les premiers résultats de transfection montrent que les glycosylnucléosides amphiphiles permettent l’internalisation des oligonucléotides à visée thérapeutique dans des cellules humaines de carcinome hépatocellulaire (Huh 7) en présence de sérum. - Les amphiphiles de masse moléculaire élevée qui dérivent d’oligonucléotides. La formation d’agrégats a été mise en évidence par différentes techniques telles que la microscopie électronique et la diffusion de la lumière. Les propriétés de reconnaissance associées à la séquence oligonucléotide ont été étudiées par des expériences de thermodénaturation. L’auto vectorisation de ces composés a pu être observée par microscopie d’épi-fluorescence et confocale. Cette auto vectorisation a également pu être quantifiée par cytométrie en flux sur une gamme variée de types cellulaires humains tels que les cellules épithéliales (Hela T4), les cellules gastriques (NCI) ou encore les cellules de carcinome hépatocellulaire (Huh-7). Ces travaux présentent également pour la première fois l’évaluation in cellulo d’oligonucléotides amphiphiles ciblant le virus de l’hépatite C. / *