The aim of this research was to explore empirically how firms create and implement strategic decisions (SD’s). The research was inspired by the need to understand further organizational process underpinning SD’s phenomenon and potentially contribute to the overall performance of firms. Previous research on SD’s has been focusing on the formal strategic planning approaches, which have been criticized for their highly prescriptive views of SD’s, separating creation from implementation, and focusing on the content and discrete elements rather than the holistic process. Despite all these studies, our understanding of the actual nature of the SD phenomenon from creation to implementation remains incomplete. Motivated by the need to look empirically and holistically at this very complex social phenomenon, this research problematizes the above aspects of SD’s literature and positions this research within a wider social and descriptive process based approach. The research employed qualitative and Analytic Induction (AI) methodologies, and addressed the above need in three projects. The objective of each project has evolved and lead to the emergence of the final findings, which suggest a possible answer to the overall research aim. The Scoping Study proposed a theoretical framework of successful SD’s implementation factors. Project 1 went further and investigated these factors empirically. Project 2 developed empirically the process of how people actually create and implement SD’s. In Project 3, this process was analysed through the theoretical lens of the sensemaking perspective and was applied by practitioners through an empirically tested diagnostic tool. This research has made a step towards a better understanding of SD’s in practice and contributed to the academic knowledge by proposing a different, yet viable descriptive process, which can improve the overall quality of the SD’s, and potentially lead to better performance.

L'immigration rend la population du Canada très diversifiée et le nombre d'immigrants est en constante augmentation. Parmi ces vagues d’immigrants qui arrivent tous les ans, il y a des aînés ayant vieilli dans leur pays d’origine avant d’immigrer au Canada. Ils sont soit parrainés, réfugiés ou immigrants économiques. Étant donné qu’ils ont immigré à un âge tardif, ils se trouvent confronter à plusieurs difficultés d’ordre socioéconomique et culturel. Ces difficultés rendent difficile leur intégration et adaptation dans toutes les sphères de leur société d’accueil. Les aînés de minorités visibles (AMV) sont plus exposés à ces énormes défis que les aînés québécois et les aînés venus d’autres pays de l’occident. Par ailleurs, les AMV, pour plusieurs raisons, sont obligés de quitter leur famille ou appartement pour aller vivre dans une résidence privée. Mais la résidence privée comme milieu de vie protégé n’est pas un endroit auquel les AMV sont habitués. Ils se trouvent donc confrontés à une nouvelle réalité qui peut compromettre leurs conditions de vie. Dans une approche écologique, le milieu de vie institutionnel protégé est l'un des facteurs de risque pouvant faciliter ou perturber la vie sociale et affective de toutes les personnes âgées. Pour les AMV en particulier, la perturbation peut être grande étant donné que les milieux de vie institutionnels sont une nouvelle réalité parce qu'ils ont vieilli dans leur pays d'origine avec l'intention de rester au sein de leur famille et recevoir l’aide et les soins de celle-ci. La tradition, dans la plupart de ces pays d'origine, veut que ce soit le devoir de la famille de s'occuper d'un parent âgé. Toutes ces difficultés rendent les AMV plus vulnérables et plus à risque de marginalisation que les aînés occidentaux. L’objectif de cette recherche est donc d’étudier comment les AMV perçoivent leurs conditions de vie. En effet, au Canada, peu de recherches ont porté sur le bien-être des aînés immigrants et plus particulièrement sur les AMV. Le but ultime de cette recherche est alors d’apporter des connaissances scientifiques sur une thématique peu documentée et aussi de permettre aux services publics et privés de prendre conscience des difficultés des AMV pouvant compromettre leurs conditions de vie. La prise de conscience sur les difficultés de ces aînés par les acteurs politiques, sociaux et privés pourra favoriser un meilleur soutien aux AMV et l’amélioration de leurs conditions de vie. Nous avons réalisé 9 entrevues semi-dirigées auprès d’aînés de minorités visibles âgés de 57 à 81ans qui habitent dans deux résidences privées à Montréal. Nous avons opéré deux séances d'observation dans ces résidences afin de voir comment les AMV disposent de leur espace, comment ils interagissent avec les autres résidents et comment ils participent aux activités de leur résidence. Nous avons également réalisé 4 entrevues semi-dirigées auprès d’informateursclés qui nous ont enrichis de leurs expériences avec les AMV. Chacune des entrevues a été enregistrée et a fait l'objet d'une transcription intégrale sous forme de verbatim. Une analyse qualitative a été ensuite réalisée à partir du contenu des entrevues sur la base des principaux thèmes qui ont émergé de celles-ci. En fonction des objectifs que nous fixons dans notre recherche, l'approche phénoménologique descriptive s'impose comme choix de méthode d'analyse pour mieux comprendre le sens que les AMV donnent à leur expérience de vie dans une résidence privée.

This dissertation examines the meaning of the symbol of liberation in public life within the new context of democracy in South Africa from a Black Theological perspective. It is broadly shaped by the following two main questions: <ul> (a) Is the symbol of “liberation” still the most appropriate one in designating the major goal of Black Theology in the present South African public life?</ul> <ul> (b) Is it possible to redefine “liberation” as a major goal of Black Theology in such a way that it would still be applicable in the present South African public life?</ul> To appropriate the meaning of the symbol of liberation and its possible redefinition, the architectonic content of the dissertation can be described as soteriological and ecclesiological. This means that in the first place, the soteriological architecture of liberation in shaping and mediating black experience and expectation provides an angle from which the classic tenets of Black Theology of liberation are illuminated and appropriated for our new context. In classic Black Theological understanding, salvation in Jesus Christ is evoked through the symbol of liberation. To liberate is to give life comprehensively in history, albeit not exclusively political, but comprehensive life as an affirmation of God’s own eschatological future beyond history. Liberation is still an appropriate, analectic root paradigm or organizing symbol that galvanizes the norms and principles of Black Theology for participation in public life. In second instance, the dissertation, alert to the unprecedented cultural consciousness since the 1990s, harnesses African ecclesio-political symbols of ikhaya and ubuhlanti to develop a Black Public Theology of liberation. This is executed in dialogue with the currency of the notions of reconstruction and development. The dissertation maintains that reconstruction and development in the main do not alter the essence of Black Theology of liberation, but provide its redefinition as a constructively impatient and insurgent discourse in a less-embittered mode in the present South African public life. The heuristic device of ubuhlanti (kraal) from which notions of amandla (power), ukudla (food), and inkundla (open assembly) are derived is employed to signify the reestablishment and anamnetic praxis of protological life-giving foundations upon which ipso facto publicity and democracy are founded from a Black Theological perspective. <p.The dissertation points to an alternative of a life-giving democracy, in essence a communication of efficacy, i.e. an instantiation of life in between the bonds of differentiated publics. It locates the instantiation of life in publicity in imvuselelo, a spirituality of solidarity in a politike koinonia of a subaltern culture in trenches of poverty, suffering and social death. Imvuselelo provides a well out of which Black Public Theology of liberation must drink for critical engagement with the state, economy, moral regeneration, HIV/AIDS, poverty, wealth, women and child abuse in public life. This architecture of Black Public Theology of liberation is in subaltern counter-publics which are the fireplace (iziko) of sanity, governance and harmony in circumstances of social death and the fragmentation of life by spheres that command beyond their “trusts,” “bonds,” and covenants in public life, khaya. / Thesis (PhD (Dogmatics and Christian Ethics))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Dogmatics and Christian Ethics / PhD / Unrestricted

Whereas conceptions of giftedness, assessment tools, and models espoused in contemporary psychology are all grounded in the West, there are different ways to look at giftedness. This study investigated Shona culture of Zimbabwe’s conceptions of giftedness with a view to generate theoretical ideas that inform gifted programming from an African cultural perspective. The study was conducted at two levels using different research designs: a) a cultural level seeking to highlight Shona culture’s implicit theories of giftedness and b) an individual level seeking to understand Shona artists’ talent attributions. At the first level, Shona culture’s implicit theories of giftedness were explored by a questionnaire completed by 16 Zimbabwean academics of Shona cultural background. Data were analyzed in thematic frames, using frequency tables to gauge a consensus of responses among the respondents. The second study adopted a grounded theory study approach to generate a mid-range theory of Shona stone sculptors’ talent attributions focusing on how they propel a field of art. Participants in the study were 20 top talented Shona stone sculptors (icons of creative works in Zimbabwe). The Shona model of giftedness that emerged is spiritual, participatory and community focused. The grounded theory generated in the study suggested a dynamic interactive process model (DIPM) which explains how artists’ talent attributions help to propel a field of art. The DIPM posits that creativity emerges from dynamic and interactive processes activated or reactivated (by some trigger stimulus) in interactions evoking one’s unique experiences, cultural consciousness and domain specific consciousness and realized through practice and experience. In the DIPM model, creative vision and inspiration in art evolve from the interplay of six major factors which are not necessarily discrete: a) inherent/inborn potential, b) cultural consciousness, c) individual’s unique experiences, d) activation/reactivation stimulus, e) domain specific consciousness, and f) practice and experience. The DIPM model is based on beliefs systems as the magic carpets by which the artists ascend into the unknown to unleash their creativity. The study suggests that belief systems could become an interesting focus for future studies to understand creativity. The study makes a case for diversity sensitivity in gifted programming. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions of the preschool teachers, working with the preschool bus, regarding challenges and children's interactions in different learning environments offered by mobile preschool. The metod used in this study is the qualitative semi-structured interviews with four preschool teachers. The theoretical ground used to perform the analyse in the study is represented by socio-cultural perspective and hermeneutic research effort.  The study shows that the interaction between children is the same in all environments but that the interaction between children and the environment might be different depending on the development and intrests of the preschool children. The survey shows that this interaction between children and the environment begins before the bus week and that the starting point in the interaction can be expressed by intrest, bus destinations and preschool topic. The survey shows that one challenge might be that the preschool children need to be able to adapt to more environments than they are used to. The survey even shows that such challenge can be even greater if there are children with special needs in the group. The preschool bus can be also a challenge in bad weather days since the children have to share space and material.

This thesis deals with application of the customer perspective from Balanced Scorecard and customer relationship management in the selected company Socialbakers a.s. First, this thesis studies theoretical basis of the chosen issue. The second part deals with practical use of customer perspective metrics. The current state of measurement and management in this area in Socialbakers a.s. is described and evaluated. Then knowledge gained from relevant literature is used to suggest improvements for this area.

This study examines the situation for generational conflict in terms of co-residence between the aging parents and their adult children in Korea. It investigates the history and problems of the intergenerational bond in Korean society and the Korean Church based on a hierarchical relationship. The study proposes a Christian approach about the intimate intergenerational relationship. In addition, it suggests the Church Round Table as a method for resolving the conflict. To develop this study, two kinds of methods, the first advocated by D Browning (1991) and the second by Rubin and Rubin (1995), are adopted. In traditional Korean society, the duty of family members to care for the elderly is a concept known as filial piety. It has been commonly assumed that elderly people are expected to depend on their children in their old age. However, during the past decades, Korea has experienced dramatic social restructuring. This rapid modernisation and industrialisation in Korea has deprived the elderly of many important family and social roles. Whereas the elderly, who had hardly prepared for their own well being, expect to live together under their children’s care, the adult children do not want to give full support to their parents, resulting in intergenerational conflict for family support. To create an intergenerational relationship with open dialogue, communicability is needed to resolve the conflict between the aging parents and the adult children, namely the communicability of the Church Round Table, as adapted from the story of King Arthur’s Round Table. The Church Round Table has three key issues: kenosis, equality, and reconciliation within all three participates: the aging parent, the adult child, and a pastor. In rule-governed interpersonal interaction by three issues, this thesis has developed by proposing the Church Round Table as place to resolve intergenerational conflict between them. To accomplish the claims, theoretical background and practical strategies are addressed in this study. / Thesis (PhD (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

This study is an investigation into the psychosocial themes present in the DSM-IV diagnosis of adolescents diagnosed with a comorbid Disruptive Behavior and Mood Disorder. These themes are viewed from a psychosocial theoretical perspective. The study focuses on answering four questions. Firstly, what are the psychosocial themes present in the diagnosis of adolescents diagnosed with a comorbid Disruptive Behavior and Mood Disorder? Secondly, how does these themes impact the adolescents psychosocial development? · Thirdly, what role does these themes play as causative factors of Disruptive Behavior and Mood Disorder symptoms in adolescence? · and lastly does these themes represent interactional processes reinforcing a reciprocal pattern of behavior and mood disorder symptoms? These questions are all viewed taking the psychosocial development of the adolescent into account. / Dissertation (MA (Clinical Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Psychology / unrestricted

The springboard perspective argues that emerging market multinational enterprises (EMNEs) can overcome their latecomer disadvantages via aggressive and risk-taking capability-upgrading measures in developed economies. However, extant research is mainly designed to study cross-sectional data sets rather than longitudinal process research. Therefore, the former contributes little to explaining the evolution of EMNEs’ springboard strategy in a consideration of firm-specific capability-upgrading. Building on these main tenets and echoing scholars’ appeal for further research into EMNE’s capability-upgrading and qualitative process perspective, this thesis opens the way for two new avenues of research in the springboard literature: the initial springboard assumption, the springboard advantages of specific host locations – most notably small and open developed economies, and the relationship between different ownership structures and springboard strategy. By default of process research these avenues have been poorly explored. In order to address these avenues and further uncover the evolutionary motivations and processes of springboard behavior, this study uses Chinese multinational enterprise (CMNE) cases to investigate how they achieve firm-specific capability-upgrading through a process perspective.While CMNE strategies in large European markets such as Germany, the UK, and France have received considerable attention, there is a lack of in-depth research on the locational advantages of most notably small and open economies such as Belgium, the Netherlands or Luxemburg. Given the demand for the extension of the aforementioned springboard perspective and the specificity of the research object and setting, I follow a grounded approach as part of inductive research. Grounded theorizing is especially plausible in research contexts calling for theoretical elucidation grounded in the practitioners’ own experiences. This theory can provide a more complete and convincing argument through creative interpretation and systematic rigor. In this study, our major sources of data are collected by interviews. On the basis of a grounded analysis, five aggregate dimensions emerged which relate to the process of CMNE’ capability-upgrading through overseas investment: (I) Capability-upgrading intent, (II) Initial learning challenge, (III) Learning mechanism, (IV) Subsidiary bound evolution, (V) Capability evolution. Furthermore, we developed a three-phase model of springboard capability-upgrading starting from i) headquarter managers’ initial intent, ii) Subsidiary learning challenge, and iii) consequent renegotiation with headquarter managers with regard to the subsidiary’s capability-upgrading role. This result shows that the subsidiary mandates of CMNEs have evolved along with different stages of internationalization.This study makes two main contributions to the springboard literature. First, it challenges assumptions of the springboard perspective through a process perspective. Second, this study contributes to qualitative process research and proposes a grounded model of CMNE evolutionary springboard process based on a three-stage typology. It suggests that CMNEs’ learning through subsidiaries in small and open economies has extended the scope of the springboard perspective through insights into the evolutionary process. / Doctorat en Sciences économiques et de gestion / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Time perspective refers to an individual’s cognitive orientation toward the past, present or future. Time perspective has been theorized to have implications for motivation, goal setting, and decision-making. This research examines the role of time perspective in determining whether individuals are primarily focused on short-term or long-term goals. Three studies were conducted to show that time perspective adjusts the incentive value of long-term goals and thus influences self-control. Study 1 is a pilot study confirming the expected correlations between time perspective, goal strength, and self-control. Study 2 extends Study 1 by examining additional dimensions of the future time perspective as well as testing indirect effects. Study 3 shows that manipulating time perspective produces changes in self-control as measured by a delay of gratification test. The results suggest that time perspective influences the content of individuals’ goals and thus self-control.