The &ldquo / German Question&rdquo / was on the agenda of the international community from the last quarter of the nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. Following the end of the World War II, due to the existence of a Soviet threat, the incorporation of West Germany into the liberal-democratic institutions of the western world was the principal issue to be dealt with. Following the reunification of Germany and the end of the bipolar international structure, the &ldquo / German Question&rdquo / was revisited. The German insistence on the early recognition of Croatia and Slovenia and German participation in the Kosovo War brought questions whether Germany has become more assertive and on the way to return to the power politics. This dissertation will analyze German foreign and security policy in the post-Cold War era in order to understand whether Germany has shifted from its civilian and multilateral orientation or has made small adjustments in its policies to adapt to the new international structure. In approaching the issue, the study attempts to link the theoretical and practical aspects under the guidance of a conceptual framework provided by realist, neorealist and constructivist approaches. Through contextualizing the coexistence of realist, neorealist and constructivist factors in German foreign and security policy, the dissertation argues that although Germany has made some small policy adjustments to adapt to the new international structure, German foreign and security policy has not shifted from its civilian and multilateral orientation.

Increasing the amount of food produced while simultaneously reducing the environmental impacts of agriculture is one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity. A promising approach through which this could be achieved is ‘sustainable intensification’. This thesis contributes to the exploration of sustainable intensification using two complementary modes of investigation. First through the development of a conceptual framework that analyzes agricultural systems through the lens of ecosystem services and the trade-offs associated with using external inputs (e.g. fertilizer, pesticides, fossil fuels) as substitutes for them. Then by quantifying the life cycle environmental impacts of a novel aquaculture technology developed as a means for minimizing local ecological impacts. These modes of investigation are linked by using the conceptual framework to analyze trade-offs associated with waste capture in the aquaculture system. This research provides a potentially valuable method for conceptualizing agricultural systems and contributes to the knowledge of the environmental trade-offs associated with aquaculture.

Currently, client and supplier firms are struggling with how they can make their information systems (IS) outsourcing engagements more valuable. This research points to the importance of successful practice and outcome in IS outsourcing for achieving engagements of value. To enhance the understanding of IS out­sourcing over time, a process perspective is applied. Further, this research is based on the contention that IS outsourcing is more likely to be successful if challenges are managed in a proactive manner and with a relationship perspective. Thus, understanding challenges in IS outsourcing requires a symmetric view on client and supplier. The thesis is based on two studies presented as three steps of research: development, validation and reconsideration of a conceptual framework. The licentiate study centred on the step of development whereas the present doctoral study has a focus on the steps of validation and reconsideration. The purpose of this study includes investigating how the management of successful practice and outcome in IS outsourcing can be enabled. To address the purpose, the IS outsourcing process is studied in a client–supplier relationship. This includes that different actor perspectives, including strategic, operative, and systems, are considered for a better understanding of the practice of IS outsourcing, the challenges, and how different actors convey successful IS outsourcing. The thesis contributes a framework for relational-oriented management of IS outsourcing, which provides the structure for understanding what needs to be managed in terms of key conditions, when and how in connection to actors, relationships, and process. Theoretical propositions, enhancing the understanding of the complexity of IS outsourcing as well as the number of challenges involved, are also presented. In brief, these propositions relate to the circumstance that IS outsourcing requires management on different levels and with different kinds of results in mind.

A Qualidade de Vida no Trabalho (QVT) é tema relevante para as pessoas e as instituições, tem sua origem no ambiente fabril, industrial e de manufatura A sua aplicabilidade em Instituições de Educação Superior (IES) necessita aprofundamento devido à incompatibilidade da simples transposição dessa temática para tal realidade. A partir desse cenário, esta tese tem como temática geral a apresentação de uma proposta de modelo conceitual de gestão da qualidade de vida no trabalho (G-QVT) em IES. A questão da presente tese é: Como estruturar e viabilizar a implementação da QVT em IES a partir de um modelo conceitual de G-QVT? Tem por objetivo geral elaborar um modelo conceitual de G-QVT em IES. O método desenvolvido utilizou o Design Science Research onde foi construído o modelo conceitual para a G-QVT e o Roadmap como proposta de implementação deste modelo. O campo empírico de investigação foi uma IES Comunitária do Sul do Brasil. Os Resultados se expressam em nove Macroelementos: Políticas, Estratégia, Processos, Liderança, Estrutura, Recursos, Cultura, Recompensas e Resultados. Estes apresentam-se associados aos determinantes da literatura e aos fatores críticos de gestão. Tais Macroelementos foram base para a construção de um Roadmap estratégico para a implementação do modelo conceitual de gestão proposto. As considerações finais apontam para a necessidade da definição de uma política institucional que suporte a estratégia e uma implementação do modelo proposto apoiada nos colaboradores da organização alinhada à cultura organizacional. / The Quality of Work Life (QWL) has its origin in the industrial, manufacturing and manufacturing environment. Its applicability in Higher Education Institutions (HEI) needs to be deepened due to the incompatibility of the simple transposition of this theme to such reality. This thesis has as general theme the presentation of a proposal of a model of management of QWL in HEI. The question of this thesis is: How to structure and make feasible the implementation of QWL in HEI from a conceptual framework of Quality of Work Life Management (QWL-M)? Its general objective is to elaborate a conceptual framework of QWL-M in HEI. The developed method used the Design Science Research where the framework for the management of the quality of work life was constructed and the Roadmap as proposal of implementation of this model. The empirical field of research was a Community HEI of Southern Brazil. The Results are expressed in nine macro elements: Policies, Strategy, Processes, Leadership, Structure, Resources, Culture, Rewards and Results. These are associated with the determinants of literature and with critical factors of management. Such macro elements were the basis for the construction of a strategic Roadmap for the implementation of the proposed conceptual framework. The final considerations point to the need to define an institutional policy that supports the strategy and an implementation of the conceptual framework supported by the employees of the organization aligned to the organizational culture.

En réponse à un besoin d’harmonisation comptable, le normalisateur international de la comptabilité publique (IPSASB) propose un référentiel normatif IPSAS avec l’objectif avoué de servir l’intérêt général. Son processus de normalisation repose sur un mécanisme de consultation (Due Process) ouvert à tous, mais les résultats des études engagées dans le secteur privé pour analyser des processus de consultation, similaires à celui de l’IPSASB, révèlent que ces dispositifs ne sont pas démocratiques. Cette recherche s’inscrit dans la continuité de ces études, n’ayant pas trouvé écho dans le secteur public, pour analyser le Due Process de l’IPSASB au regard des valeurs d’une démocratie participative. Pour ce faire, ce travail mobilise le cadre tridimensionnel du pouvoir de Lukes (1974[2005]), après avoir mis en évidence la pertinence de son utilisation, pour étudier un processus de consultation à l’échelle internationale. En ce sens, la participation des acteurs au projet d’élaboration du cadre conceptuel de l’IPSASB est analysée au moyen de l’analyse de contenu thématique. Ainsi, après l’identification des répondants et de leurs demandes de changement, l’étude compare les différentes versions du document du cadre conceptuel afin d’apprécier la sensibilité de l’IPSASB aux critiques et commentaires qui lui ont été adressés. L’étude montre qu’à l’image de tout dispositif participatif, les changements apportés à l’issue des consultations restent mineurs. Autrement dit, les modifications observées reflètent davantage une recherche de consensus s’inscrivant dans une stratégie d’évitement du conflit de la part du normalisateur, faisant du Due Process un mécanisme conservateur / The International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) engaged in the elaboration of set of accounting standards in response to the growing need for financial reporting harmonization. Although the standardization process serves the public interest by relying on a Due Process allowing the participation of all stakeholders interested many studies analyzing the same process in the private sector reveal that this standards development procedure is not democratic.This research ensures continuity to studies undertaken in the private accounting context and analyzes the IPSASB Due Process. After highlighting the relevance of the participatory democracy approach the study mobilizes the three-dimensional theory of Lukes' power (1974 [2005]) in order to understand the phases preceding the development of the public accounting conceptual framework. The participatory process analysis involves identifying respondents and their change requests using thematic content analysis method. The study compares then different versions of the conceptual framework document in order to appreciate the sensitivity of the IPSASB to the comments addressed by the participants. This study emphasizes that changes brought by the IPSASB in response to the commentaries received during the Due Process remain minor ones. The Due Process appears then as a conservative mechanism that permits conflict avoidance and a consensus building strategy

A Qualidade de Vida no Trabalho (QVT) é tema relevante para as pessoas e as instituições, tem sua origem no ambiente fabril, industrial e de manufatura A sua aplicabilidade em Instituições de Educação Superior (IES) necessita aprofundamento devido à incompatibilidade da simples transposição dessa temática para tal realidade. A partir desse cenário, esta tese tem como temática geral a apresentação de uma proposta de modelo conceitual de gestão da qualidade de vida no trabalho (G-QVT) em IES. A questão da presente tese é: Como estruturar e viabilizar a implementação da QVT em IES a partir de um modelo conceitual de G-QVT? Tem por objetivo geral elaborar um modelo conceitual de G-QVT em IES. O método desenvolvido utilizou o Design Science Research onde foi construído o modelo conceitual para a G-QVT e o Roadmap como proposta de implementação deste modelo. O campo empírico de investigação foi uma IES Comunitária do Sul do Brasil. Os Resultados se expressam em nove Macroelementos: Políticas, Estratégia, Processos, Liderança, Estrutura, Recursos, Cultura, Recompensas e Resultados. Estes apresentam-se associados aos determinantes da literatura e aos fatores críticos de gestão. Tais Macroelementos foram base para a construção de um Roadmap estratégico para a implementação do modelo conceitual de gestão proposto. As considerações finais apontam para a necessidade da definição de uma política institucional que suporte a estratégia e uma implementação do modelo proposto apoiada nos colaboradores da organização alinhada à cultura organizacional. / The Quality of Work Life (QWL) has its origin in the industrial, manufacturing and manufacturing environment. Its applicability in Higher Education Institutions (HEI) needs to be deepened due to the incompatibility of the simple transposition of this theme to such reality. This thesis has as general theme the presentation of a proposal of a model of management of QWL in HEI. The question of this thesis is: How to structure and make feasible the implementation of QWL in HEI from a conceptual framework of Quality of Work Life Management (QWL-M)? Its general objective is to elaborate a conceptual framework of QWL-M in HEI. The developed method used the Design Science Research where the framework for the management of the quality of work life was constructed and the Roadmap as proposal of implementation of this model. The empirical field of research was a Community HEI of Southern Brazil. The Results are expressed in nine macro elements: Policies, Strategy, Processes, Leadership, Structure, Resources, Culture, Rewards and Results. These are associated with the determinants of literature and with critical factors of management. Such macro elements were the basis for the construction of a strategic Roadmap for the implementation of the proposed conceptual framework. The final considerations point to the need to define an institutional policy that supports the strategy and an implementation of the conceptual framework supported by the employees of the organization aligned to the organizational culture.

Context: There has been a substantial growth of organizations adoptingAgile software development methodologies for various reasons. The requirementof improving the software processes with respect to traditional softwaredevelopment was clear and evident for different reasons. But the need forSoftware Process Improvements (SPI) in Agile context is unclear and thechallenges faced during the implementation of SPI in Agile software developmentare quite ambiguous. These two issues lie as a motivation for theobjectives of our study. Agile being a flexible way of software development,having a non-flexible framework is almost incompatible for implementingSPI in Agile software development. This acts as an inducement for buildingup our final objective. Objectives: The objectives of this research is to identify the need of Agile-SPI in software industry, challenges faced in implementing Agile-SPI atorganizational level and at team level and finally propose an approach forimplementing Agile-SPI based on improving practices. Methods: In order to achieve the objectives of our research, we initiallycarried out a survey, later cross verified and validated the data obtained inthe surveys through interviews. Literature review was performed to gainknowledge over the background and related work. Results: A total of 34 responses were obtained through survey. Theseresponses obtained through survey are further cross verified and validatedthrough 9 interviews. The data obtained through survey has been analyzedthrough descriptive statistics and the data obtained through interviews wasanalyzed using thematic coding. Conclusions: The need of Agile-SPI and the challenges faced by the organizationsand teams while implementing SPI in Agile software developmentwere identified. A total of 16 needs of Agile-SPI, 30 challenges faced byorganization and 37 challenges faced by team were drawn from survey andinterviews conducted. Finally, a conceptual framework has been proposedto implement SPI in Agile environment based on improving practices.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:38:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 RAFAEL SILVEIRA XAVIER.pdf: 6103968 bytes, checksum: 1d52ca1ae861fc2f471419697e81c42f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-09-16 / Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie / Currently, the natural sciences are taking advantage of information and computing concepts to investigate the structure of nature and the interrelationships among the various natural systems. Furthermore, scientists from various fields are arguing that nature performs computations and others argue that the basic structure of the physical world is based on informational and computational processes. Within this scenario, there is the Natural Computing, whose main premise is to assume that natural phenomena can be interpreted from a computational perspective and that these phenomena can be modeled computationally and applied in different scientific contexts. Although Natural Computing is committed with the computational interpretation of nature, there is no theoretical framework that leads to the explanation of natural systems from a computational perspective. In this context, this thesis proposes a Conceptual Framework that allows to computationally explain the structures and processes within natural systems. The Conceptual Framework is based on a set of concepts and macroconcepts and its formalization consists of two sets of tools: a conceptual map with its graphical view of macroconcepts and concepts and their relationships; and a set of UML diagrams to computationally modeling the structures, processes and subprocesses present in natural systems. Thus, the proposed Conceptual Framework brings an intuitive and visual way to understand the natural systems under a computational perspective and to guide the modeling of bioinspired algorithms. From the perspective of a bioinspired analysis of algorithms, modeling tools allow to view conceptual gaps in the algorithms. Finally, the proposed Conceptual Structure is used as a tool for the analysis and synthesis of bioinspired algorithms, more specifically to develop algorithms inspired by the behavior of bacteria. In this way, the proposed framework aims to build an analysis and synthesis tool to collaborate for the theoretical and interdisciplinary maturation of Natural Computing. / Atualmente, as ciências naturais estão se valendo de conceitos de informação e computação para investigar a estrutura da natureza e as inter-relações entre os diversos sistemas naturais. Além disso, cientistas de diversas áreas estão argumentando que a natureza realiza computações e outros defendem que a estrutura básica do mundo físico está fundamentada em processos informacionais e computacionais. Dentro deste cenário, existe a Computação Natural, cuja principal premissa é assumir que os fenômenos naturais podem ser interpretados sob uma perspectiva computacional e que esses fenômenos podem ser modelados computacionalmente e aplicados em diferentes contextos científicos. Embora a Computação Natural se comprometa com a interpretação computacional da natureza não existe um corpo teórico que permita explicar os sistemas naturais sob uma perspectiva computacional. Neste contexto, esta tese propõe uma Estrutura Conceitual, que explica computacionalmente as estruturas e processos presentes nos sistemas naturais. A Estrutura Conceitual é embasada em um conjunto de conceitos e macroconceitos e sua formalização consiste em dois conjuntos de ferramentas: um mapa conceitual que representa uma visualização gráfica dos macroconceitos e conceitos e suas relações; e um conjunto de diagramas UML para modelar computacionalmente as estruturas, processos e subprocessos presentes nos sistemas naturais. Desta forma, a Estrutura Conceitual proposta traz consigo uma forma intuitiva e visual de entender os sistemas naturais sob uma perspectiva computacional e de guiar a modelagem de algoritmos bioinspirados. Da perspectiva da análise de algoritmos bioinspirados, as ferramentas de modelagem permitem visualizar lacunas conceituais na engenharia dos algoritmos estudados. Por fim, a Estrutura Conceitual proposta é utilizada como ferramenta para o projeto e desenvolvimento (síntese) de algoritmos bioinspirados, mais especificamente para o desenvolvimento de algoritmos inspirados no comportamento das bactérias. Desta forma, a Estrutura Conceitual proposta visa a construção de um ferramental de análise e síntese que colabore para o amadurecimento teórico e interdisciplinar da Computação Natural.

The main objective of this diploma thesis is to familiarize the readers with the Conceptual Framework relating to the International Public Sector Accounting Standards IPSAS. Introduction is dedicated to the public sector, its basic characteristics and its nature in general. For easier understanding of the issue is further discussed about international financial reporting systems; IFRS and US GAAP is mentioned primarily. The greatest scope is left to the main topic, to the Conceptual Framework IPSAS. The thesis discusses the basic principles and requirements for financial reporting of public sector entities which are regulated by Conceptual Framework IPSAS. Attention is also focused on comparison with the accounting system in the Czech Republic for the purpose of analyzing the possibilities of its implementation in Czech accounting legislation.

Thesis (Ph.D. Commerce (Human Resource Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Workplace bullying is a complex and widespread phenomenon, which has become a challenge to understand as an organisational phenomenon because of its complexity and numerous labels and terms that are used interchangeably by researchers, media and the public, when describing the behaviour. The potential for bullying in the workplace is always present in situations where people continually interact. Currently, workplace bullying has become a phenomenon that has caused significant problems when ignored. This study endeavoured to explore workplace bullying from African indigenous perspective with no predominantly continuation of the work from Western countries and develop strategies and model of managing workplace bullying from an African perspective. This empirical study was conducted in Limpopo province and grounded theory was used as methodological strategy with twenty-one indigenous research participants selected through the use of snowball sampling. Furthermore, the constructivist worldview formed the basis of the study on workplace bullying accounts, which was generated through semi-structured interviews with the support of interview guide. Interviews were recorded using call phone recorder, transcribed, coded and analysed using Microsoft Excel and interpreted. Thus, six key themes emerged from this study to address shared themes from individual accounts of workplace bullying incidents, causes and consequences from indigenous, contextualised perspective. The findings of the study identified nine accounts of bullying behaviour. These are disrespect, rumours or bad-mouthing, name calling, threats, unfair treatment, yelling to cause public humiliation, infringement of rights, work overload and domineering. Furthermore, contracts of employment and demonstration of power was identified as causes and dynamics of bullying behaviour. The findings also showed that workplace bullying accounts resulted in high turnover rate, compromised employee well-being and performance. Most participants managed workplace bullying by “doing nothing”. The data also showed that age and gender play a significant role in the African contexts, taking into consideration shared cultural believes and customs. The study further provided a practical model for managing workplace bullying from an African perspective. Furthermore, the study proposes a need for workplace bullying legislation to further increase the severity of bullying behaviour. The study also highlights a need to incorporate indigenous knowledge when managing workplace bullying. Keywords: Workplace bullying; Indigenous knowledge; Western knowledge; Consequences; Conceptual framework; Culture