>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Access to water and water scarcity are the most critical impediments to sustainable development in municipal water provision. Good water and sanitation services are essential for health, economic development, and environmental protection. Recognizing the importance of access to a safe and adequate water supply, has become the core business of many cities. Among the major challenges facing local government regarding basic service provision in South Africa are acute problems of institutional capacity, maintenance of existing infrastructure, mismanagement of funds, high levels of corruption and a lack of public anticipation. There has been public outcry in South Africa about poor performance of municipalities in service delivery. Moreover, a good proportion of service delivery protests relate to municipalities‟ failure to carry out basic maintenance of existing infrastructure. The aim of this study was to assess water service delivery performance in the Municipalities of the City of Tshwane (CoT), City of Cape Town (CoCT) and EThekwini Metropolitan by comparing water service delivery for the three Water Service Authorities (WSAs). In this study the performance of Water Service Authorities is measured using the Regulatory Performance Measurement System (RPMS) using 11 regulatory Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). To find answers to research questions and objectives, the research was conducted through desktop research incorporating both quantitative and qualitative dimensions. Exploring the datasets and frequency tabulations were employed. For the analysis of the relative performance levels toward gaining access to water and sanitation services, the RPMS tool was used. The particular indicators of interest were the changes in performance levels in the provision of basic services for different segments based on RPMS. In line with our findings for Financial Performance Indicator (KPI 9) water supply in the WSAs is undertaken by local government that have the dual objectives of providing a social service while generating revenue to offset cost. Ironically, most of these WSAs do not recover their operating expenses from their own revenues, and remain dependent on state government for subsidies. The study concludes that the CoT is the best performer on the Financial Performance (KPI 9).The KPI requiring attention is Financial Performance (KPI 9) for the CoCT and EThekwini WSAs with indicators showing need for improvement. Compliance is encouraged for all WSAs on the Financial Performance Indicator (KPI 9) to ensure that their water business is sustainable. The study recommends that the relevant stakeholders and project proponents consider financial viability (sustainability) through the increase in value for money expenditure to grow and diversify revenue.

This work is based on knowledge of concept of clusters and of other cooperative organizations. The general objective of this work is to solve specific, narrowly defined problems of a particular cluster. The reason was to come up with a solution that will be applicable and useful in this particular cluster. And this solution may be useful also in other clusters, because clusters throughout Europe, have many common features. Problems were generated by the author, during talks with representatives of cluster Omnipack. So these problems are important and really relevant for this cluster. Next goal was to measure these issues in relation to basic criteria, like importance, and difficulty. This evaluation was the basis for selecting problems to solve. Other objective was to search for specific solutions using existing literature, examples from other clusters and output of own research of clusters. As main problem to solve was chosen problem called "performance measurement". Because no suitable solution was found in the literature or other resources, author had to create own solution. Problematic area of the problem "performance assessment" was described as follows: "Support from European Union subsidies is really crucial for many clusters in Czech Republic right now. But after the end of these subsidies, clusters will have to prove or demonstrate to its members that they are still useful. Then cluster members will be then willing to continue with financial supporting of their cluster." The problem was solved from the perspective of cluster members, and main areas of its concept are performance evaluation of cluster members from the perspective of a cluster member, benefits of the cluster as a whole for members of the cluster, the benefits of other members of the cluster for a particular member of the cluster and cluster management role for the use of these advantages from the perspective of cluster members. Solution of this problem is very detailed and extensive, and represents main author's scientific contribution. Important point of this approach is evaluating the performance of the cluster from the perspective of cluster members. This approach brings some new insights. Author proposed his own concept of looking at the actors and factors, influencing the performance of cluster members. Proposed concept of pairwise comparison of cluster members is also really innovative. It brings new opportunities in the detailed description and understanding the cluster by its members and management.

The positive impact of performance measurement and management (in connection with rewards) on motivation of workforce have been questioned in recent years and decades. The conceptual part of the thesis strives to identify whether the above mentioned criticisms of discussed systems is based on their inherent properties (characteristics) or on properties (characteristics) of their specific implementations. Extensive multidisciplinary literature review (especially from the fields of accounting, performance measurement, financial management, microeconomics, labor economics, behavioral economics and psychology) showed that the performance measurement and management systems (including linkages to remuneration) have the potential to positively impact motivation, work effort and performance of workforce. Refusing this potential, which often occurs especially in relation to remuneration, is based on specific applications, and it must be dismissed as simplistic. The literature review also helped identify the factors and characteristics of the discussed systems, which are crucial for their positive motivational effect, as well as properties that are usually undesirable in terms of motivation. Another significant outcome of the conceptually oriented part of the thesis is a model framework enabling detailed analysis of rewarding for performance. The thesis also describes and discusses the results of two empirical surveys, the first of which was focused on the analysis of performance measurement and management system and remuneration system, and the second survey was primarily focused on detailed analysis of the system of remuneration and motivation of workforce. Regarding performance measurement, as positive can be perceived the fact that strategic performance measurement systems of the balanced scorecard type are intensively used, including the search for causal links between measures and efforts to link these systems to the remuneration of workforce. It should be noted however, that the issue of interconnection of balanced scorecard systems with remuneration of workforce is by respondents considered to be one of the biggest problems of balanced scorecard implementation. Therefore is identified an area where further research is needed, particularly in the form of case-study based research. All respondents indicated the use of budgets to fulfill many functions (e.g. tool for financial management in terms of coordination and verification of planned business objectives and early risk detection, tool for setting of targets of the business as a whole, and tool for internal motivation and management) and it is possible to conclude that there is no abandonment of budgets (as sometimes implied by "beyond budgeting"). A surprising finding was little use of new performance measures, especially economic value added (as top financial measures were usually referred EBITDA and EBIT). The results of both surveys showed that respondents seek to implement quality systems of remuneration, but revealed were also some problematic features of these systems. Particularly important is the fact that rewards for long-term performance are relatively little used, which can lead to short-term oriented decision making of managers. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that rewards are usually awarded in the form of money; the use of equity-based rewards (e.g. shares) is very low. Furthermore, insufficient is also utilization of rewards in the form of work-life balance programs and utilization of rewards in the form of appreciation.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the practice of performance measurement systems (PMS) in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) operating in the service sector in Brunei Darussalam. A further aim was to find the drivers and barriers of PMS adoption for such companies. Quantitative and qualitative methods were applied in this research. Documentary data, questionnaires, and interviews were used to collect the data. 357 questionnaires were sent out to service SME and a total of 62 responses were received. 29 managers from four case study companies were interviewed and semi-structured questions were used during the interviews. The results from the questionnaires showed that 26 per cent of the sample practice advanced PMS, 16 per cent still use a traditional PMS and the rest use a balanced system. The results of the interviews showed two additional drivers and one additional barrier to those found in the literature review. Business process and external stakeholders were identified as the additional drivers of PMS adoption and the former was also identified as the additional factor that could block such adoption. The additional findings indicated that organizational strategy, appropriate management style and management experience and qualifications were the core factors that could either drive or block the adoption of PMS. The lack of a clear mission and vision influenced all the other blocking forces. At the same time, the existence of a clear policy, such as a mission and vision statement, influenced the other driving forces. Furthermore, exercising an appropriate management style which takes into account the current organizational culture of the company has a significant positive impact on the acceptance of performance measurement. The employment of a qualified and experienced management team that understands the concept of performance measurement is also valuable in ensuring that the design of the PMS is appropriate and the implementation successful. A practical framework based on the findings was created to overcome the key identified problems associated with PMS adoption. From these findings, the research results offer both useful and actionable implications for practitioners such as managers and external consultants involved in PMS, particularly in Brunei. Consideration was given to the breadth of the interviews and the use of other documentary data, as well as the limitations of the case study method employed in the research. This should ensure the findings will be useful for companies currently implementing PMS or those intending to in the future. Given the context of this research, the findings will predominantly be of use in developing countries.

This Master Thesis aims to provide an overview of performance measurement systems both business and team related and to analyse their application spectrum. Based on the theoretical analysis, a new framework was created, including all relevant factors to analyse team performance. Thus the research questions of whether performance is measurable and what factors influence performance were investigated. The team performance framework (TPF) and the results from its application are presented in the practical part. The TPF includes different factors influencing team performance, such as input factors, motivation, communication, and output factors. This academic research concludes that various factors influence performance but that simplistic theoretical models still cannot catch the whole complex picture of reality.

Since the 1990s, scholars have paid special attention to public management’s role in theory and research under the assumption that effective management is one of the primary means for achieving superior performance. To some extent, this was influenced by popular business writings of the 1980s as well as the reinventing literature of the 1990s. A number of case studies but limited quantitative research papers have been published showing that management matters in the performance of public organizations. My study examined whether or not management capacity increased organizational performance using quantitative techniques. The specific research problem analyzed was whether significant differences existed between high and average performing public housing agencies on select criteria identified in the Government Performance Project (GPP) management capacity model, and whether this model could predict outcome performance measures in a statistically significant manner, while controlling for exogenous influences. My model included two of four GPP management subsystems (human resources and information technology), integration and alignment of subsystems, and an overall managing for results framework. It also included environmental and client control variables that were hypothesized to affect performance independent of management action. Descriptive results of survey responses showed high performing agencies with better scores on most high performance dimensions of individual criteria, suggesting support for the model; however, quantitative analysis found limited statistically significant differences between high and average performers and limited predictive power of the model. My analysis led to the following major conclusions: past performance was the strongest predictor of present performance; high unionization hurt performance; and budget related criterion mattered more for high performance than other model factors. As to the specific research question, management capacity may be necessary but it is not sufficient to increase performance. The research suggested managers may benefit by implementing best practices identified through the GPP model. The usefulness of the model could be improved by adding direct service delivery to the model, which may also improve its predictive power. Finally, there are abundant tested concepts and tools designed to improve system performance that are available for practitioners designed to improve management subsystem support of direct service delivery.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019 / Performance measurement of supply chain in the healthcare environment has presented with a number of challenges, and studies exist to confirm this. These problems include rising costs, excessive demands, shortage of supply, and escalating level of customer dissatisfaction are the true reflection of supply chain issues faced by the hospitals. This study aims to find out an effective solution to measure supply chain performance within a hospital in Cape Town. The relation among trust, SCM/IT integration, firm’s performance, and knowledge exchange were investigated. A mixed research method (both qualitative and quantitative) was conducted involving five managers and 80 employees from the hospital. A number of interviews and a close-ended questionnaire were used for data collection. Content analysis was used for qualitative data and the descriptive results were generated through SPSS V25. Hospital and healthcare environment have been used interchangeable in this study. The research findings showed that trust levels between the hospital and its suppliers has no direct impact on supplier integration, but that its influence is interceded by knowledge exchange. Knowledge exchange plays an important role in influencing supply chain performance in the hospital. IT integration and knowledge exchange have a positive impact on hospital–supplier logistical integration between the hospital and its suppliers. In addition, knowledge sharing in supply chain may subsequently build strong relationships among SCM partners and may automatically influence hospital performance. This study recommended that the hospital should develop an approach that facilitates the dynamics of the hospital in order to manage the buyer-supplier relationship. Further research can be done on factors that contribute to buyer/supplier trust development in the healthcare environment.

Manufacturers have in recent years become more and more aware of the benefits of offering more comprehensive value propositions. As the economic climate changes, more manufacturers are trying to capture value further downstream in the value chain by providing services. The field of performance management has been extensively adopted in production and the benefits of performance measurement have been widely praised both in literature and in business. The literature on performance management has also extended into service management and how to manage service performance. But how can performance measurement and performance measurement systems be implemented when the line between products and services becomes more and more unclear? Over a twenty week period, the researchers have studied, analyzed, and observed the procedures at Scania CV’s maintenance development and delivery organization. The study was conducted on Scania’s premises in Södertälje, Sweden. Scania’s Preventative Maintenance Development group develops and sets the requirements for the preventative maintenance programs Scania offers to its customers. The group had a desire to track and measure what effects changes made in the maintenance program have on the customer’s life cycle profit. At Scania’s Preventative Maintenance Development group, there is a developed performance measurement system, MPI-model, consisting of maintenance performance indicators (MPIs). The current MPI-model, however, lacks practical applicability. The master thesis has aimed at investigating how the MPI-model could be implemented in the preventative maintenance development by researching what criteria are set in literature for performance measures, how existing resources can be employed, and how performance measurement systems can be used. Apart from conducting a case study, in order to investigate how performance measurement systems could be implemented, an extensive literature review was also conducted to provide the necessary theoretical knowledge. The result of the study was a proposed three-step model that clarifies the requirements for the implementation of a performance measurement system.

Due to the multifaceted nature of manufacturing performance measurement and measures, the nature and scope of the information flow between those who lead manufacturing organisations and those who evaluate the performance of these organisations are very critical. The objective of this study is to shed some light on the information flow between these two groups. To achieve this objective, data collected from a sample of Portuguese financial analysts and Portuguese manufacturing executives was analysed using multiple regression analysis, cluster analyses and gap analysis. Based on the results of this study, three levels of information availability in relation to organisational performance measures are identified. A framework designed to view these three informational levels in relation to the willingness of management to share performance information with concerned outsiders is proposed.

The utilization of financial and non-financial measures in the evaluation of manufacturing organizations' performance is studied for a sample of 79 Portuguese financial analysts. Cluster analysis and multiple regression analysis are used to study the extent of use, importance and availability of information for 63 financial and non- financial measures. The results derived from this study point to the increasing importance of non- financial measures in the evaluation of manufacturing performance. Organizational and managerial implications of the findings are discussed, and a framework for future research is presented.