Thesis presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Business Science, Management) in the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, February 2017 / The business environment in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries is driven by forces that have changed the industry landscape. These forces demand a new approach in management systems that ensure organisational survival and growth. Traditional approaches based on performance strategies in dealing with business environmental changes are proving to be limited. For organisations to address these shifts, organisational fitness has assumed a new intensified prominence in both organisational and management circles. Organisational fitness is conseptualised as the ability of the organisation to alignment to its environment to learn, and to build on organisational capabilities. What is evident from both management and organisational fields is the dearth of literature on organisational fitness. This dearth of literature has been attributed to the fact that organisational fitness and organisational performance are used interchangeably by authors. What seems unclear in the emerging stream of research on organisational fitness is the nature of variables that predict and mediate the production of organisational fitness. Furthermore, a noticeable feature of the literature that deals with organisational fitness is that it is drawn from stable environments. No doubt, the nature and scope of organisational fitness conceptualised in a volatile socio-economic environment differs considerably from that which is conceptualised in relatively stable environments. Based on existing literature, this study investigated the relationship among organisational size, organisational learning, organisational structure (predictor variables), organisational capabilities, organisational levers (mediating variables) and organisational fitness (outcome variable). In order to establish these relationships, an empirical study was conducted using public firms that are listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange. A theoretical model portraying the relationships among the investigated constructs was developed and a number of propositions were formulated based on the theoretical model of the study. The study employed a survey research design using a quantitative research strategy. Data were collected from a non-probability and probability sample of 277 managers. A standardised measurement instrument consisting of all the variables under investigation was used and administered personally through officials of the human resources departments of the participating organisations. The hypothesised relationships were empirically tested using various statistical methods. Reliability analyses were conducted on all the measurement scales and adequate reliability was established. The content and structure of the measured constructs were investigated by means of exploratory factor analysis. To test the relationship among variables, structural equation modelling was used. The exploratory research through the literature review considered the theoretical and conceptual differences, and the relationship between organisational performance and organisational fitness. It was established that organisational fitness plays a preparatory role that enables organisations to perform. The relationship between organisational fitness and organisational performance is largely reciprocal, as organisational performance emits feedback that enables organisational learning and informs the fitness process in its strategic alignment and organisational capabilities building roles. An organisational performance-fitness model was developed to describe the relationship between the two constructs. The empirical research of this study established that predictor variables of organisational fitness from the existing literature (i.e., organisational size, organisational learning and organisational structure) do not predict organisational fitness in a volatile environment such as Zimbabwe. The mediating effects of organisational capabilities and organisational levers were also not confirmed by the research. The research confirmed a combined mediating effect of organisational capabilities and levers on the relationship between organisational structure and fitness. The research established interesting directions in the relationships between organisational size and organisational structure, organisational levers and organisational structure, organisational capabilities and organisational levers, organisational learning and organisational levers, and organisational capabilities and organisational fitness. The findings of the present study represent an incremental and meaningful contribution to the existing literature on organisational fitness, particularly in a volatile environment. The study also provides practical implications that could assist organisational managers to design organisational structures that will foster organisational learning and develop capabilities that will assist in the alignment of organisations to the operating environment in order to achieve fitness. The adoption of a hybrid organisational structure that is both mechanistic and organic in nature will enable organisations to handle the volatile environment in a way that will foster organisational learning and create much-needed organisational capabilities. The limitations of this research will trigger a scholarly interest in organisational fitness and will serve as a guideline for future research. / XL2018

This research sought to understand the knowledge management (KM) practices in use by networked southern non-profit organisations (NPOs), which directly or indirectly impact on their effectiveness. It explores the realm of NPOs, and the concepts of organisational effectiveness (OE) and KM, with the aim of identifying their interrelationships from a theoretical and practical perspective. The three organisations studied are the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), South Africa NGO Network (SANGONet) and Women’s Network (Women’sNet). Using a conceptually formulated research framework, data gathered was analysed to examine the KM concepts of people capacity, systems and procedures, information and knowledge flow and stakeholder relations within and across all three case studies and their use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) as an enabler. The research concludes with an integrated framework, an addition to the existing body of knowledge on KM theory with key elements for a KM system for effectiveness for networked southern NPOs.

I examined the relationship between teacher effectiveness as measured by the number of learn units students required to meet an objective and the number of competencies mastered within the categories of teacher repertoires composing the CABAS® rank. Twenty preschool teachers participated in the study. A statistical analysis was used to investigate the degree to which these variables negatively correlated with each other. The results showed that the more competencies teachers mastered, the fewer learn units students required to meet an objective. A second experiment was conducted as an experimental analysis of the correlations found in the descriptive analysis. An adapted alternating treatments design was used to analyze the relationship between the number of competencies teachers mastered and the number of learn units their student required to meet an objective. Four teachers and four teacher assistants participated in the study. The teachers and teacher assistants each taught two sight word objectives for a student with bidirectional naming and a student without bidirectional naming. The results did not show a functional relationship between the number of competencies mastered and a lower LUC (learn unit to criterion). Teachers with more competencies mastered did not present fewer learn units for their students to meet an objective when compared to teacher assistants who had fewer competencies mastered. Possible explanations for a lack of a functional relationship found in Experiment 2 are discussed.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1981. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Includes bibliographical references. / General systems theory provides a conceptual framework for the integration of knowledge from a wide variety of specialized fields. Systems theory serves to synthesize, reconcile, and integrate knowledge making it possible to unify analytical data into broader based theories. By examining various systematic relationships, attention can be focused upon the interrelatedness of organization theory and physical planning. The juxtaposition of these two disciplines within a systems context has particular application in the design of urban settlements in developing countries. The lack of organizational capability and the inability to influence the environment contributes to the continuing cycle of poverty of the urban poor. By structuring and integrating their activities, the poor would be better able to participate in the planning and the implementation of projects which affect their lives. The development of organizational systems can increase the capacity of individuals to change their relationship to the environment to one of greater influence and control. Further, the designs of physical layouts have potential for determining social systems which enhance the idea of interrelatedness. / by Joseph V. Morog. / M.Arch.

在互聯網上的主機(或節點)經常面對比如病毒和蠕蟲攻擊這一類能夠傳播的風險。儘管對這種風險的已經知曉，並且網絡/系統的安全非常重要，對於安全防護的投入依然很少，因此這種傳播式風險依然非常普遍。決定是否對安全保護進行投入是一個相互影響的過程:一個節點關於安全保護的投入會影響到其他節點所遭受的安全風險，因此也會影響它們關於安全保護投入的決定。我們的第一個目標是要了解“網絡外部性"和“節點異質性"如何影響安全投入。每個節點通過評估所受到的安全威脅和預期損失來做出決定。我們把它刻畫成一個貝葉斯博弈，在這個博弈裡面，每個節點只知道局部的信息，例如，自身有多少個鄰節點，和一些很少的全局信息，比如網絡中節點的度分佈。我們的第二個目標是研究一種叫做網絡保險的新的風險管理方式。我們探討競爭的網絡保險市場存在對於安全投入有什麼影響。通過分析，我們發現如果網絡保險提供商能夠觀察到節點的安全狀況，當節點所採取的保護措施質量不是很高時，網絡保險市場對於促進安全保護投入有積極的作用。我們還發現網絡保險對於度數高的節點的激勵程度更好。相反，如果網絡保險提供商不能觀察到節點的安全保護狀況，我們驗證了部分保險可以起到一個非負的激勵效用，雖然不是一種激勵，但是能夠提高節點的效用。 / Hosts (or nodes) in the Internet often face epidemic risks such as virus and worms attack. Despite the awareness of these risks and the importance of network/system security, investment in security protection is still scare, and hence epidemic risk is still prevalent. Deciding whether to invest in security protection is an interdependent process: security investment decision made by one node can affect the security risk of others, and therefore affect their decisions also. Our first goal is to understand how "network externality" and "nodes heterogeneity" may affect security adoption. Nodes make decisions on security investment by evaluating the epidemic risk and the expected loss. We characterize it as a Bayesian network game in which nodes only have the local information, e.g., the number of neighbors, and minimum common information, e.g., degree distribution of the network. Our second goal is to study a new form of risk management, called cyber-insurance. We investigate how the presence of competitive insurance market can affect the security adoption and show that if the insurance provider can observe the protection level of nodes, the insurance market is a positive incentive for security adoption if the protection quality is not very high. We also find that cyber-insurance is more likely to be a good incentive for nodes with higher degree. Conversely, if the insurance provider cannot observe the protection level of nodes, we verify that partial insurance can be a non-negative incentive, improving node’s utility though not being an incentive. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Yang, Zichao. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 59-65). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgement --- p.iv / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 2 --- Mathematical Models --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1 --- Epidemic Model --- p.6 / Chapter 2.2 --- InvestmentModel --- p.8 / Chapter 2.3 --- Bayesian Network Game --- p.11 / Chapter 3 --- Analysis for Strategic Security Adoption --- p.13 / Chapter 3.1 --- General Case --- p.13 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Estimating the Probability --- p.14 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Security Adoption. --- p.17 / Chapter 3.2 --- Analysis of Node Heterogeneity: Two Types Case --- p.25 / Chapter 4 --- Analysis for Cyber-insurance Market --- p.30 / Chapter 4.1 --- Supply of Insurance --- p.30 / Chapter 4.2 --- Cyber-insuranceWithoutMoral Hazard --- p.34 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Security Adoption with Cyber-insurance Market --- p.34 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Incentive Analysis --- p.37 / Chapter 4.3 --- Cyber-insurance withMoral Hazard --- p.41 / Chapter 5 --- Simulation & Numerical Results --- p.46 / Chapter 5.1 --- Validating Final Infection Probability --- p.46 / Chapter 5.2 --- Security Adoption with Externality Effect --- p.49 / Chapter 5.3 --- Influence of Cyber-insurance --- p.52 / Chapter 6 --- Related Work --- p.53 / Chapter 7 --- Conclusion --- p.57 / Bibliography --- p.59

Measurement and evaluation in the publicly funded arts sector is a contested area. On the one hand measurement is constantly demanded by funders to justify the value of art projects, on the other hand, there is a lack of consensus on how it should be done and whether effective evaluation is even possible in the arts. In this context, there is widespread resistance to practices of evaluation within the sector. Previous Cultural Policy research has focussed on what cultural value is, and whether it is desirable, or even possible, to measure value at all in the arts. In contrast, there is relatively little research into the experience of those at the heart of the measurement: the arts practitioners working in settings where evaluation is required and how evaluation regimes affect their practices. There is a similar lack of research into the role of the organisation as an intermediary within the interpretation of value and measurement. Using a longitudinal, ethnographic case study research, the thesis examines how artists and other workers in a cultural organization, respond to expectations of evaluation and shape their practices as a result of those expectations. The thesis adapts the institutional logics perspective frame, creating a sector specific frame to explore how logics of the family, state, corporation, community, religion, profession and market all operate within evaluation. Seen through this lens, the artists’ responses to evaluation are shown to be a response to intersecting and clashing logics. This approach gives a richer understanding of artists’ responses, and also offers a new frame for considering other challenges within the sector. Using this understanding, I develop an alternative approach to arts evaluation, based on evaluation as a practice, not an output, and taking into account the multiple logics in action and arising from artists’ own valuation practices.

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La presente tesis, tiene por objetivo: Determinar cómo la planificación administrativa se relaciona con la efectividad del área de Asesoría Jurídica del Club de Regatas “Lima”. La hipótesis general muestra al observar una relación positiva entre la variable planeamiento administrativo y su relación con la variable efectividad se comprueba de acuerdo al estudio que existe deficiencias en esta relación puesto que no existe un planeamiento administrativo This thesis aims to: Determine how administrative planning is relates to the effectiveness of the Legal Advice area of the Club de Regatas "Lima". The hypothesis general shows when observing a positive relationship between the variable administrative planning and its relation with the variable effectiveness is checked according to the study that there are deficiencies in this relationship since there is no administrative planning.

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