This study developed and tested a contingency model of group communication in Korean workgroups that posited that the communication effectiveness and group performance of workgroups is determined by the “fit” of communication practices with organization structure and group relational climate. A contingency model incorporates three variables: contingency variables, response variables, and performance variables. Based on a review of the literature on Korean organizations and groups, the model incorporated two contingency variables: organizational structure and group relational climate. Organizational structure was indexed by the level of centralization and formalizations in the organization. Group relational climate was indexed by the level of closeness and group conformity among members. The response variables, communication practices of Korean workgroups, was measured in terms of the frequency of formal and informal meetings held by the workgroups. Two types of performance were measured: communication effectiveness and performance level. The contingency model hypothesized that the level of communication effectiveness and group performance of a workgroup that engages in communication practices which fit the requirements of organizational structure and group relational climate will be higher than that of a group whose communication practices do not fit the requirements of organizational structure and group relational climate. It also hypothesized the communication effectiveness group performance would be lower in groups which faced conflicting contingencies than in groups that faced consistent contingencies. A survey of 409 members of 84 workgroups in 37 Korean organizations was conducted. Results of this study supported the predictions of the contingency model. In particular, centralization, formalization, and closeness were significant contingency variables. The hypothesis regarding conflicting contingency was not supported. Implications of the study regarding the contingency theory, group communication and group effectiveness, and the nature of Korean groups and organizations are discussed.

Purpose - The purpose of this thesis work is to explore how the fully implemented AEC affects cross-border trade in the ASEAN, and based on the findings determine how multinational companies should adapt their logistics strategy to the change. To achieve this purpose the following research questions will be answered: How will the AEC affect the distribution of goods in the ASEAN? How should a multinational company adapt their logistics strategy to the new conditions? Methodology - To explore the opportunities and threats regarding the fully implementation of AEC, the authors had to complete 4 phases including a pre-study, literature study, case study, and data analysis. The pre-study was about the basics of ASEAN. The Literature study was mainly about Logistics Management, Strategic Management, Contingency Theory, and AEC, and its aim was to find out the key factors affecting logistics strategy and how the AEC affects them. In order to locate what opportunities and threats that arise along the affected factors, a case study was conducted by studying a real-life example on a case company, through interviews and tariff tables. Additionally, data analysis was done throughout the thesis work by structured methods and a PEST analysis. Findings - Literature study showed that the affected factors where tariffs, NTBs, ROO, trade facilitation, customs integration, standards, and TBTs. After analysing how the affected factors will change the business environment by a PEST analysis, the authors found that the most crucial threat is increased competition and the greatest opportunity is in the ease of moving goods and the size of the market. Hence, for a multinational company, the best strategy in this case is a Strategic choice strategy, which is both proactive to the change and somewhat able to influence the business environment. The case study showed that in the current situation, the best economic logistics strategy is through Malaysia, no matter end destination. After the fully implemented AEC, the Free Trade Agreements for each country will be the deciding factor. Implications - This thesis is made in ASEAN for multinational companies who is considering in which ASEAN member country to use as an assembly point for the ASEAN market after the implementation of AEC. For these companies, this study can be a fundamental part of their decision. Research limitations - In this thesis, the affected factors known by literature has been considered when evaluating the consequences of a fully implemented AEC. The case study is including half of the ASEAN members and in a given order. In addition only the external business environment, and more specific the general environment, was taken into consideration. In further studies, a benchmark could be performed in order to find literature unknown factors, all ASEAN members should be included in various combinations of orders, and considering the whole business environment.

Agency theory proposes that the role of the board of directors is to control management (Fama & Jensen 1983). A structurally independent board, one with a high percentage of non-executive directors and a chairperson who is not the CEO, has been used as a proxy for the control role. Therefore, agency theory predicts a positive relationship between independent board structure and firm performance. These predictions have not been confirmed by meta-analytic reviews (Dalton, Daily, Ellstrand, & Johnson 1998; Rhoades, Rechner, & Sundaramurthy 2000). This thesis applies structural contingency theory to provide an alternative explanation for the relationship between board structure and firm performance. Structural contingency theory (Donaldson 2001) proposes that the relationship between an organization???s structure and its performance is moderated by contingencies. In this study the contingency is the salience of the board???s control role. I argue that structural independence of the board has a beneficial effect on performance only if it is in fit with control salience. For example, a firm with an independently structured board that gives high prominence to the control role will perform well. On the other hand, another firm with a less independently structured board that does not see its main role as controlling management will also prosper. Survey data were analyzed to measure the control salience for 98 Australian listed companies. Archival data provided measures of board structure and firm performance. Consistent with the meta-analytic reviews, there was no association between independent board structure and firm performance. There was some evidence that high control salience resulted in high performance, but this effect was evident chiefly when performance was measured by total shareholder returns. This may indicate that the share market was responding to the symbolism of high control salience. In contrast to the symbolic main effect of control salience, the fit between the control salience and the independent structure of the board caused increased return on equity. This reflects the board???s objective effect on profit when its structure is in fit with control salience.

Em resposta Ãs exigÃncias de um mercado cada vez mais competitivo, as empresas estÃo passando por processos de mudanÃas profundas como, por exemplo, novas tecnologias, nÃvel mais alto de qualidade, baixo custo, inovaÃÃes de produtos. Desses processos, em que se busca o aproveitamento e o domÃnio das oportunidades emergentes, depende a continuidade das organizaÃÃes. à nesse ambiente que as empresas buscam cada vez mais mÃtodos e tÃcnicas que possibilitem maximizar seu desempenho econÃmico. O presente estudo tem por objetivo analisar as funÃÃes da controladoria em empresas que se diferenciam pela formalizaÃÃo ou nÃo de uma unidade administrativa de controladoria em suas estruturas organizacionais. O estudo leva em conta a teoria da ContingÃncia, que preconiza que nÃo existem soluÃÃes Ãnicas para a resoluÃÃo de problemas organizacionais, pois a otimizaÃÃo da estrutura dependerà de fatores contingentes tais como a estratÃgia da organizaÃÃo, incerteza ambiental e tamanho, dentre outros. A pesquisa à de natureza descritiva e qualitativa, utilizando-se de pesquisas bibliogrÃficas e de campo, com a aplicaÃÃo de questionÃrio e roteiro de entrevista como instrumentos de coleta de dados primÃrios encaminhados aos gestores de quatro empresas, sendo duas com unidade administrativa controladoria em suas estruturas e duas empresas que nÃo possuem essa unidade formalmente estruturada. Trata-se, portanto, de um estudo de caso mÃltiplo. AlÃm da pesquisa de campo, fez-se uso de informaÃÃes coletadas em documentos das empesas. Para anÃlise dos dados aplicou-se a tÃcnica de anÃlise de conteÃdo, que compreende um conjunto de tÃcnicas de anÃlise das comunicaÃÃes visando obter, atravÃs de procedimentos sistemÃticos e objetivos de descriÃÃo do conteÃdo das mensagens, indicadores que permitam a inferÃncia de conhecimentos relativos a condiÃÃes de produÃÃo/recepÃÃo destas mensagens, no que se refere Ãs funÃÃes da controladoria e outros aspectos das empresas como, por exemplo, o perfil do profissional responsÃvel pelas funÃÃes da controladoria. Verificou-se que nas empresas pesquisadas hà a presenÃa das funÃÃes de controladoria, tanto nas empresas que possuem a Ãrea formalmente estruturada quanto nas empresas que nÃo apresentam a controladoria formalmente estruturada, confirmando-se o pressuposto da pesquisa. Levando em conta a teoria da contingÃncia, observou-se que o porte da empresa representa um nÃvel de complexidade organizacional que requer a realizaÃÃo de funÃÃes de controladoria de forma mais sistemÃtica a fim de que as metas da organizaÃÃo possam ser alcanÃadas. Percebeu-se que o termo artefato jà à conhecido e disseminado pelas organizaÃÃes, pois todas as empresas fazem uso de muitos dos artefatos mencionados na literatura, sendo o OrÃamento e o Planejamento tributÃrio os Ãnicos que sÃo utilizados por todas as empresas investigadas. Destaca-se nas quatro empresas pesquisadas, independente da existÃncia da unidade controladoria, que os gestores responsÃveis pelas funÃÃes da controladoria participam sempre das seguintes atribuiÃÃes: elaboraÃÃo de orÃamento e desenvolvimento de condiÃÃes para a realizaÃÃo da gestÃo econÃmica. Percebeu-se, portanto, que as empresas buscam adaptar-se as mudanÃas que ocorrem constantemente no ambiente externo, em que o grande desafio da controladoria ou da Ãrea que exerce suas funÃÃes à gerar informaÃÃes que atendam Ãs necessidades dos gestores para o processo de tomada de decisÃo, em especial alinhando-se com as necessidades de informaÃÃes requeridas pelos gestores no momento das decisÃes estratÃgicas