Thesis (Ph.D.) -- Australian National University, 2007.

Thesis (M.Comm. (Human resources management))-University of Pretoria, 2004. / Summaries in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (MTech (Business Information Systems))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. / In any business and in particular complex, merging businesses there is a need for effective communication with both internal and external stakeholders. This is often difficult when, in the process of a merger, communication departments of the different consolidating entities, each of which may have had its own processes, are required to function as one synergistic unit. Merger-related disruptions to business, and particularly communication processes, result in communication failure, causing delays, duplication, incoherent flow of communication and greater margins for business error. This becomes a further challenge without a thorough audit and re-evaluation of all the existing and prospective communication-related business process options. Optimal consolidated business processes need to be re-engineered and continuously improved within the new environment. This study aims to explore the importance of re-engineering communication processes during mergers to ensure a successful communication function supported by a robust business process. The analyses and recommendations further aim to strengthen the body of knowledge available to communication specialists operating within the context of severe organisational change, helping them to understand not only why it may be necessary to undertake an exercise of this nature, but also the challenges, issues and questions likely to arise. This study aims to answer the questions: i) What factors affect communication processes when companies merge? ii) How do communications processes need to be structured to be effective when companies merge? iii) Why do communications processes fail when businesses merge? Primary and secondary research is undertaken with a prominent financial services institution as a business case. Primary research includes face-to-face interviews and empirical research. The interviews took the form of one-on-one sessions with each of the interviewees using an interview guide of semi-structured questions. Secondary research was undertaken for a sound theoretical foundation. In terms of research philosophy, the ontology is subjective, while the epistemology is interpretivism. Responses are coded, summarised, categorised and prominent themes identified as a basis for making recommendations. Throughout this process, ethical practice was undertaken with respect to colleagues, participants, the environment, society and sponsors. This research also aims to move towards an understanding of the factors contributing to increased productivity, enhanced organisational effectiveness and heightened staff morale. It also works toward a resultant improvement in profit and perception due to better communication processes in a dynamic environment where communication to stakeholders is a critical factor in business success.

Electronic Business (e-Business) is recognised as being able to help organisations to achieve competitiveness benefits. In Libya, the uptake of e-business in the higher education sector has been relatively limited and ineffective. There is no guidance available to help Libyan universities to maximise their leverage by participating intelligently in e-business deployment. This research examines e-business deployment initiatives and provides insights and learning into how to successfully develop and implement these initiatives within universities in a developing country, specifically Libya. The aim of this research is to develop a robust framework to support an efficient e-business deployment focusing on the case of Libya. This is achieved by exploring selected completed and on-going successful initiatives and focusing on the barriers to, and the enablers of, these initiatives. As a result, the nature of successful e-business deployment is determined, and the e-business deployment requirements for universities in Libya are identified. A combination of research methodology approaches has been engaged in this research. Firstly, an extensive review of literature took place to summarise and create the arguments around the main e-business models and their related dimensions, contributing to the development of e-business deployment research. Secondly, a qualitative approach based on case studies, include an explanatory investigation in three cases, is selected as an appropriate methodology for this research. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews are conducted to gather data from selected universities. The results show that Process, People and Technology barriers are the main barriers facing e-business deployment in Libyan universities. The collected data was analysed and problems were identified; as a result, the elements for a holistic approach to manage e-business deployment emerged. Based on the findings, an e-business deployment model is developed to provide a holistic approach for universities to plan, perform and review their e-business levels, as well as uncovering the main barriers preventing these universities from expanding e-business development. Also, a model of the implementation process of e-business deployment is proposed. From a practical point of view, this research provides realistic implications for decision makers and officials within Libyan universities involved in the process of planning, developing and implementing e-business initiatives.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:24:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2013-02-25Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:08:55Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 almeida_ft_me_bauru.pdf: 743772 bytes, checksum: 62a34cf096170b2fbd8ae5900cc03ce7 (MD5) / Esta dissertação analisa a influência das tecnologias digitais da comunicação e das práticas de interatividade nos fluxos e processos da comunicação interna das organizações, partindo do pressuposto de que estes novos elementos demandam uma mudança na lógica como estes processos e fluxos estão organizados. Como fundamentação teórica, utiliza conceitos da comunicação organizacional, cultura organizacional, tecnologias da comunicação digital, sociedade da informação e estudos sobre o perfil da Geração Y. Realiza o estudo do caso da Unimed Regional Jaú, organização que adotou a intranet como ferramenta chave no seu sistema de comunicação interna / This paper analyzes the influence of digital communication technologies and interactivity practices on the flows and processes of internal communication in organizatins, assuming that these new elements require a change in the logic how these flows and processes are organized. As a theoretical framework, uses concepts of organizational communication, organizational culture, digital communication technologies, information society and studies on the profile of Generation Y. Performs case study of Unimed Regional Jau, organization that has adopted the intranet as a key tool in its internal communication system

A inteligência estratégica é reconhecida no campo da administração por reforçar a competitividade das organizações, e subsidiar a tomada de decisão a partir de um melhor entendimento de seu ambiente. Entretanto a sua potencialidade estratégica está vinculada com a forma como suas ações são desenvolvidas e organizadas, ou seja, sua integridade estrutural. Por outro lado, a cultura da informação, formada por valores, normas e atitudes, influencia a forma como a informação é tratada nas organizações e consequentemente os resultados do seu uso. Neste contexto, este trabalho buscou verificar a influência da relação existente entre o uso e da cultura da informação sobre a integridade estrutural (estrutura e organização) da inteligência estratégica. A pesquisa proposta foi de natureza descritiva e quantitativa com utilização do método de pesquisa survey e uso de técnicas estatísticas descritivas e inferências para análise de dados. A pesquisa foi realizada na rede de distribuidores da Randon Implementos. No total foram 239 respondentes entre proprietários, gerentes de vendas e vendedores que atuam na área comercial dos distribuidores e possuem contato com a área de Inteligência Estratégica da Randon. A análise fatorial resultou em oito fatores que explicam 63,957% da variabilidade, com valor KMO de 0,910 e teste de esfericidade de Bartlett com significância p<0,000. O resultado da correlação destes oito fatores sugere que há uma correlação significativa entre o caráter estratégico/estrutural da informação, a integridade do processo, a transparência das informações e as ferramentas, os quais apresentaram correlações moderadas à fortes. Já em relação à regressão estatística, os resultados apontaram que o caráter estratégico/estrutural da informação é explicado em 64,7% por três variáveis: integridade do processo, ferramentas/sistemas e transparência das informações. / Submitted by Ana Guimarães Pereira (agpereir@ucs.br) on 2016-02-23T13:04:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Claudia Prantz.pdf: 3486630 bytes, checksum: 23fa452baf67e668a57cdf360095a443 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-02-23T13:04:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Claudia Prantz.pdf: 3486630 bytes, checksum: 23fa452baf67e668a57cdf360095a443 (MD5) / Strategic Intelligence is recognized in the field of administration by the capability to enhance the competitiveness of organizations and to support decision making through a better comprehension of the environment. However its strategic potential is linked with how their actions are developed and organized, it means, its structural integrity. On the other hand, the information culture, formed by values, norms and attitudes, influences on how information is handled in organizations and consequently the results of its use. In this context, this study aimed to investigate the influence of the relationship between the use of information and culture on the structural integrity (structure and organization) of strategic intelligence. The proposed research has a descriptive and quantitative approach with use of survey technique as research method and used descriptive statistical techniques for data analysis. The final sample collected data from 239 owners, sales managers and sales people who work in the commercial area of distributors and who have contact with the Randon’s Strategic Intelligence. Factor analysis resulted in eight factors explaining 63.957% of the variability, with KMO value 0.910 and Bartlett's sphericity test with significance p <0.000. The result of these eight correlation factors suggest a significant correlation between the strategic nature/structural of information, process integrity and transparency of information, which showed moderate to strong correlations. Regarding the statistical regression, the results showed that the strategic nature/structural of information it’s explained in 64.7% by three variables: process integrity, tools/systems and transparency of information.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology Project Management in the Faculty of Business at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2014 / In past, the impact of communication on project quality did not receive considerable attention, perhaps since the inception of project management as the field of enquiry. This is in spite of the fact that the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) has nine knowledge areas, and amongst these elements, communication is regarded as an integral part of these aspects of project quality. While (in principle) communication is regarded as a core element of project quality, in practice, the four core elements, which are used to determine the success of the project are time, cost, scope, and quality. This study aims to investigate the effects of communication on project quality with reference to the Facilities Management Project at a the Life Assurance Company located in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. The services, which are offered by facility management companies differ across the spectrum of companies, but most of these services include build operations, maintenance, real estate, human and environmental factors , project management, space planning, basic management activities, finance, quality assessment, communication and general administrative support. The major question that the study seeks to address is to determine if stakeholder communication impacts on the quality of projects at all. The research used qualitative methodology research design to approach data collection and analysis, which was supported by survey questionnaires to analyse the effect of communication on Facility Management project quality. In this context, project quality is determined by the extent to which project outcomes meet the needs and expectations of project-end users. The researcher argues that these expectations must be communicated in order to improve the success of the project (i.e. project quality). With regard to the FMU project at the Life Assurance Company, the study revealed that stakeholder communication is crucial and hence it is a core essential element, which affects the quality of FMU projects. The study also revealed that in recent years, tenants have expressed their dissatisfaction about projects that are executed by the facility management division. The major problem for the tenant’s dissatisfaction appeared to stem from the lack of stakeholder communication during facility management projects. This dissatisfaction has led to tenants rating facility management projects quality as poor. In view of these challenges, the study thus concludes with an analysis of stakeholder communication at the life assurance company and its impact on the quality of facility management projects. The findings of the study suggest that communication amongst stakeholders is crucial and can affect the quality of projects. Even though tenants were the custodians of the facility management projects, they only received limited information during the project life cycle. In some instances, communication in the form of layout design, held desk and telephone, were identified as major communication channels that are used to facilitate communication. However, there was a lack of communication with respect to decision-making about the project across the project lifecycle and thus the study recommended that stakeholder communication should occur in all project phases.

Orientador: Maximiliano Martín Vicente / Banca: Tânia Márcia Cezar Hoff / Banca: Danilo Rothberg / Resumo: Esta dissertação analisa a influência das tecnologias digitais da comunicação e das práticas de interatividade nos fluxos e processos da comunicação interna das organizações, partindo do pressuposto de que estes novos elementos demandam uma mudança na lógica como estes processos e fluxos estão organizados. Como fundamentação teórica, utiliza conceitos da comunicação organizacional, cultura organizacional, tecnologias da comunicação digital, sociedade da informação e estudos sobre o perfil da Geração Y. Realiza o estudo do caso da Unimed Regional Jaú, organização que adotou a intranet como ferramenta chave no seu sistema de comunicação interna / Abstract: This paper analyzes the influence of digital communication technologies and interactivity practices on the flows and processes of internal communication in organizatins, assuming that these new elements require a change in the logic how these flows and processes are organized. As a theoretical framework, uses concepts of organizational communication, organizational culture, digital communication technologies, information society and studies on the profile of Generation Y. Performs case study of Unimed Regional Jau, organization that has adopted the intranet as a key tool in its internal communication system / Mestre

A inteligência estratégica é reconhecida no campo da administração por reforçar a competitividade das organizações, e subsidiar a tomada de decisão a partir de um melhor entendimento de seu ambiente. Entretanto a sua potencialidade estratégica está vinculada com a forma como suas ações são desenvolvidas e organizadas, ou seja, sua integridade estrutural. Por outro lado, a cultura da informação, formada por valores, normas e atitudes, influencia a forma como a informação é tratada nas organizações e consequentemente os resultados do seu uso. Neste contexto, este trabalho buscou verificar a influência da relação existente entre o uso e da cultura da informação sobre a integridade estrutural (estrutura e organização) da inteligência estratégica. A pesquisa proposta foi de natureza descritiva e quantitativa com utilização do método de pesquisa survey e uso de técnicas estatísticas descritivas e inferências para análise de dados. A pesquisa foi realizada na rede de distribuidores da Randon Implementos. No total foram 239 respondentes entre proprietários, gerentes de vendas e vendedores que atuam na área comercial dos distribuidores e possuem contato com a área de Inteligência Estratégica da Randon. A análise fatorial resultou em oito fatores que explicam 63,957% da variabilidade, com valor KMO de 0,910 e teste de esfericidade de Bartlett com significância p<0,000. O resultado da correlação destes oito fatores sugere que há uma correlação significativa entre o caráter estratégico/estrutural da informação, a integridade do processo, a transparência das informações e as ferramentas, os quais apresentaram correlações moderadas à fortes. Já em relação à regressão estatística, os resultados apontaram que o caráter estratégico/estrutural da informação é explicado em 64,7% por três variáveis: integridade do processo, ferramentas/sistemas e transparência das informações. / Strategic Intelligence is recognized in the field of administration by the capability to enhance the competitiveness of organizations and to support decision making through a better comprehension of the environment. However its strategic potential is linked with how their actions are developed and organized, it means, its structural integrity. On the other hand, the information culture, formed by values, norms and attitudes, influences on how information is handled in organizations and consequently the results of its use. In this context, this study aimed to investigate the influence of the relationship between the use of information and culture on the structural integrity (structure and organization) of strategic intelligence. The proposed research has a descriptive and quantitative approach with use of survey technique as research method and used descriptive statistical techniques for data analysis. The final sample collected data from 239 owners, sales managers and sales people who work in the commercial area of distributors and who have contact with the Randon’s Strategic Intelligence. Factor analysis resulted in eight factors explaining 63.957% of the variability, with KMO value 0.910 and Bartlett's sphericity test with significance p <0.000. The result of these eight correlation factors suggest a significant correlation between the strategic nature/structural of information, process integrity and transparency of information, which showed moderate to strong correlations. Regarding the statistical regression, the results showed that the strategic nature/structural of information it’s explained in 64.7% by three variables: process integrity, tools/systems and transparency of information.

Due to the increasing competitiveness between organisations to attract and retain internal and external stakeholders so as to increase organisational competitive advantage, it is vitally important to the long-term success thereof that the inherent importance of organisational communication, specifically internal communication, is taken into consideration within the context of a rapidly changing business environment. This is to make sure that an alignment exists between internal organisational core values and the external image the organisation portrays. Thus within the context of banking service organisations so as to ensure a successful internal organisational alignment strategy, which promotes employee satisfaction and participation, improvement needs to be made to internal communication strategies. Based on this, three key concepts are identified as pertinent; namely internal organisational communication, the corporate identity aspect of internal branding and the organisational culture aspect of organisational alignment. Thus, the overriding purpose is to determine what the role of internal branding as a tool for internal organisational alignment is amongst banking service organisations in South Africa that have undergone an amalgamation. The motivation for this research is the fact that numerous organisations do not realise the importance of internal communication and branding initiatives to the internal stakeholders’ satisfaction, service delivery quality and ultimate impact on the organisation’s profitability. Absa Bank is the subject for the one-shot case study as it recently implemented new internal branding initiatives so as to engage and align internal stakeholders with the core organisational values and culture, to improve the quality of service rendered, to retain external customers, and to impact positively on the bank’s profitability. Through the use of qualitative research methods, which are a one-shot case study utilising a documentation study and telephonic and e-mail interviews, the goal of the study is achieved. The theoretical chapters set the context by introducing and defining relevant key concepts, as well as presenting a theoretical discussion on these concepts. The case study on Absa Bank forms the basis of the integration of theoretical concepts and the practical application thereof. Finally, the research findings are discussed and further recommendations proposed. Based on the research, a key contribution is the conceptualisation of the term integrated organisational communication. Keywords: organisational communication, internal organisational communication, corporate identity, internal branding, organisational culture, organisational alignment. / Andrea Crystal