With the increasing use of mobile technologies in modern organisations, managers are facing the dilemma of having to manage the performance of individuals who are removed from their direct sphere of control, while using performance management principles that have not necessarily been adapted to accommodate this. The study investigated, analysed and described the management and measurement of the performance of these virtual knowledge workers from the perspective of the manager, with the aim of proposing a new conceptual framework to assist managers in this task. In addition, the study identified the organisational context and individual contribution required to support such a framework. The study used a constructivist grounded theory framework, with the aim of building theory through an inductive approach rather than testing existing theory. An embedded, multiple-case study research design was used to execute the study, comprising five companies in the Information and Communications Technology and related sectors in South Africa. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected at the organisational, team and individual levels. In total, 39 interviews were qualitatively analysed using content analysis aided by ATLAS.ti. The 163 questionnaires were quantitatively analysed using descriptive statistical methods. Thereafter, within-case and cross-case analyses were performed to extract themes and to propose a conceptual framework for the enablement of the performance of virtual knowledge workers. The research uncovered four key findings. The first finding was that the concept of "virtual" in the term virtual worker is often misunderstood, and that the definition should be applied on a continuum of virtuality, leading to the concept of perceived and true virtuality. The second finding was that true virtuality influences how performance is perceived, and how deliverables and metrics contribute to perceived, actual and true performance. The third finding was that parameters affecting virtual performance include organisational, contextual, and customer factors, as well as the managerial approach itself. The manager needs to become the mediator for these parameters, thereby fulfilling the role of enabler of virtual performance. The fourth finding was that the visual or face-to-face element still remains important when managing the performance of virtual knowledge workers. The study makes a significant contribution on a theoretical level by extending existing theoretical models regarding virtual distance and the management of dispersed teams into a much more comprehensive model. This concentric performance enablement model for virtual knowledge workers shows how the manager acts as enabler for the true performance of the virtual knowledge workers. On a methodological level, the research demonstrates how an embedded, multiple-case study, executed on three levels of analysis, and based on a grounded theory approach, can be executed to develop theoretical insights into the complex phenomenon of enabling the performance of virtual knowledge workers; and lastly the study has also made a contribution on the level of practice, by giving managers a conceptual framework and practical recommendations on how to manage and enable the performance of virtual knowledge workers. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Human Resource Management / unrestricted

På grund av corona-pandemin har många företag behövt omvandla sin dagliga verksamhet tillen mer digitaliserad verksamhet för att öka den sociala distanseringen. Som ett resultat av dettaspelar digitala verktyg en betydande roll för organisationer att säkerställa att arbetstagarnauppnår sina önskade produktivitetsnivåer. Det finns tidigare forskning om företag somuppmuntrar sina anställda att arbeta hemifrån, men metoderna och resultaten brister i vissaaspekter som exempelvis varför och på vilket sätt en arbetare upplever förändringar i sinproduktivitet. För att undersöka upplevd produktivitet och bakomliggande faktorer kommer detgenomföras intervjuer med medarbetare från olika företag som blivit tvingade att arbetahemifrån. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka arbetstagarens upplevda produktivitet isamband med påtvingat distansarbete som ett resultat av COVID-19 pandemin, samt huraffordances utnyttjas och förändras. Dessutom syftar studien till att hitta utveckling- ochforskningsmöjligheter inom området på grund av den nya innebörden av distansarbete isamband med COVID-19 pandemin. Datan från de intervjuade arbetstagarna kommeranalyseras utifrån Research model to measure productivity of telecommuters, affordances ochsociomaterialitet. Studiens resultat visar att den upplevda produktiviteten är högre bland deintervjuade vid distansarbete, affordances har en påverkan på produktivitet, att det på distansuppstår en ökad dikotomi mellan över- och underordnade och att det i den sociomateriellapraktiken uppstår förändringar i övergången till distansarbete. / Due to the corona pandemic, many companies have had to transform their daily operations intoa more digitized business in order to increase social distancing. As a result, digital tools play asignificant role for organizations in ensuring that employees achieve their desired levels ofproductivity. There is previous research on companies that encourage their employees to workfrom home, but the methods and results are lacking in certain aspects such as why and in whatway a worker experiences changes in his productivity. To investigate perceived productivityand underlying factors, interviews will be conducted with employees from different companieswho have been forced to work from home. The purpose of this study is to examine theemployee's perceived productivity in connection with forced telework as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic, as well as how affordances are utilized and changed. In addition, thestudy aims to find development and research opportunities in the field due to the new meaningof teleworking in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. The data from the interviewedemployees will be analyzed on the basis of the Research model to measure productivity oftelecommuters, affordances and socio-materiality. The study concludes that the perceivedproductivity is higher among those interviewed for teleworking, affordances have an impacton productivity, that at a distance there is an extended dichotomy between superiors andsubordinates and that in sociomaterial practice there are changes in the transition to telework.

This study aims to investigate the implementation of a cloud-based IT system in a hotelbelonging to a Nordic hotel group from the employees' perspective. Furthermore, the studyaims to investigate the effects of implementing the cloud-based IT system at the hotel. Thestudy is based on a socio-material perspective and is carried out with a qualitative researchmethod and semi-structured interviews. The aim is to investigate how the employees at thehotel experience the implementation of the cloud-based IT system and how they perceive thatit affects and reshapes work routines and organizational structures at the hotel. The resultpresents the employees' experiences of the implementation process and identifies variousfactors that have affected the business, work routines and organization. The socio-materialapproach in the study sheds light on an interwoven interaction between technology andpeople, which according to respondents has increased operational efficiency and the guestexperience. The study provides valuable and deeper insights for hotel management and ITproject managers in the hotel industry who are planning IT strategies and future digitaltransformations. It also highlights the importance of including the socio-material perspectivewhen researching hotel organizations' digital development. / Denna studie syftar till att undersöka implementeringen av ett molnbaserat IT- system på etthotell som tillhör en nordisk hotellkoncern från medarbetarnas perspektiv. Vidare strävarstudien till att undersöka effekterna av implementering av det nya molnbaserade IT-systemetpå hotellet. Studien grundas på ett sociomateriellt perspektiv och genomförs med enkvalitativ forskningsmetod och semistrukturerade intervjuer. Syftet är att undersöka hurmedarbetarna på hotellet upplever implementeringen av det nya molnbaserade IT-systemetoch hur de uppfattar att den påverkar och omformar arbetsrutiner och organisatoriskastrukturer på hotellet. Resultatet presenterar medarbetarna upplevelser avimplementeringsprocessen och identifierar olika faktorer som påverkat verksamhetensarbetsrutiner och organisation. Den sociomateriella ansatsen i studien kastar ljus på ensammanvävande interaktion mellan teknik och människor, vilket enligt respondenterna harökat den operationella effektiviteten och gästupplevelsen. Studien ger värdefulla och djupareinsikter för hotellledningar och IT-projektledare inom hotellbranschen som planerarIT-strategier och framtida digitala transformationer. Den lyfter även vikten av att inkluderadet sociomateriella perspektivet vid forskning om hotellorganisationers digitala utveckling.

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L'objectif de cette thèse consiste à étudier le phénomène de succès du système ERP dans le contrôle de gestion à travers l'identification, l'analyse et la classification des principaux facteurs critiques de succès... / The aim of this thesis is to investigate the phenomenon of the ERP system success within management control context through identifying, analyzing and classifying the main critical success factors...

Submitted by Edvalter Becker Holz (edvalterholz@gmail.com) on 2018-04-19T10:47:42Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Going Cloud_a grounded theory of the transition of work from in-house computing to cloud computing.pdf: 7108554 bytes, checksum: beaade1f863333c52207eb25dd7917ec (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Debora Nunes Ferreira (debora.nunes@fgv.br) on 2018-04-20T17:03:31Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Going Cloud_a grounded theory of the transition of work from in-house computing to cloud computing.pdf: 7108554 bytes, checksum: beaade1f863333c52207eb25dd7917ec (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Isabele Garcia (isabele.garcia@fgv.br) on 2018-04-20T19:07:40Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Going Cloud_a grounded theory of the transition of work from in-house computing to cloud computing.pdf: 7108554 bytes, checksum: beaade1f863333c52207eb25dd7917ec (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-20T19:07:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Going Cloud_a grounded theory of the transition of work from in-house computing to cloud computing.pdf: 7108554 bytes, checksum: beaade1f863333c52207eb25dd7917ec (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-26 / This study pursues the following question: how does the transition of work from in-house computing to cloud computing happens? While seeking for answers, an empirical study was carried out over one year. Its research strategy and method is grounded theory, combined with ethnography as a means for gathering empirical material. The phenomenon analyzed was named going cloud, an expression that refers to the process of shifting the work from local computing to cloud computing. The phenomenon is described, explicated and exemplified from three categories, each one regarding one temporal stage: justifying (temporal stage 1: the implementation and communication of cloud computing results in rethinking how things get done); re-mediating (temporal stage 2: rethinking how things get done results in limiting what can be done in new ways); circumscribing (temporal stage 3: limiting what can be done in new ways results in routinely doing only the managerial work in new ways). The core find is that, at the end of the transition of work from in-house computing to cloud computing, only the managerial work becomes reorganized. The study offers two original contributions to the emerging literature on cloud computing: I) it introduces ‘going cloud’ as a new substantive domain; II) offers a grounded theory, which suggests how and why only the managerial work is reorganized while the organization goes cloud. The study also offers two original contributions to the well-established literature on technology and organizing: III) it advances the theoretical model of the imbrication of human and material agencies; IV) it advances the discussion about the adoption of agential or critical realism while studying sociomateriality. The conclusions indicate how to advance knowledge about the transition from local computing to cloud computing: I) studying how this transition can result in technical attributes performing tasks that do not require expert knowledge; II) studying how organizations and people are developing criteria for deciding what kind of information may or may not go to the cloud. The main implication is to develop longitudinal studies, in order to make comparisons between the work before and after the routine use of cloud computing. / Este estudo responde à seguinte questão: como acontece a transição do trabalho da computação local para a computação em nuvem? Ao buscar respostas, foi desenvolvido um estudo empírico com duração de um ano. A estratégia e método de pesquisa é a grounded theory, combinada com etnografia como meio de obtenção de material empírico. O fenômeno analisado foi nomeado going cloud, expressão que se refere ao processo de mudar o trabalho da computação local para a computação em nuvem. O fenômeno é descrito, explicado e exemplificado a partir de três categorias principais, cada uma relativa a um estágio temporal: justificando (estágio temporal 1: a implementação da computação em nuvem resulta em repensar como as coisas são feitas); remediando (estágio temporal 2: repensar como as coisas são feitas resulta em limitar o que pode ser feito de novas formas); circunscrevendo (estágio temporal 3: limitar o que pode ser feito de novas formas resulta em fazer apenas o trabalho gerencial de novas formas). O principal achado é que, ao final da transição, apenas o trabalho gerencial se torna reorganizado. O estudo oferece duas contribuições originais para a literatura emergente sobre computação em nuvem: I) introduz going cloud como um novo domínio substantivo; II) oferece uma grounded theory, a qual sugere como e por que apenas o trabalho gerencial é reorganizado enquanto a organização adota computação em nuvem. O estudo oferece também duas contribuições originais para a já estabelecida literatura sobre tecnologia e organizar: III) avança o modelo teórico sobre imbricação entre agências humana e material; IV) avança a discussão sobre adotar realismo agêntico ou crítico como posicionamento ontológico ao estudar sociomaterialidade. As conclusões indicam como avançar o conhecimento sobre a transição do trabalho da computação local para a computação em nuvem: I) estudando como esta transição pode resultar em atributos técnicos performando tarefas que não requerem conhecimento especialista; II) estudando como organizações e pessoas estão desenvolvendo critérios para decidir que tipo de informação pode ou não pode ir para a nuvem. A principal implicação é desenvolver estudos longitudinais, com o propósito de fazer comparações entre o trabalho antes e após o uso rotineiro da computação em nuvem.

Submitted by Maike Costa (maiksebas@gmail.com) on 2017-08-31T12:32:35Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 3015142 bytes, checksum: 2cd6188e8c1fea3a810fda4aa63a6a03 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Viviane Lima da Cunha (viviane@biblioteca.ufpb.br) on 2017-08-31T15:50:46Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 3015142 bytes, checksum: 2cd6188e8c1fea3a810fda4aa63a6a03 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Viviane Lima da Cunha (viviane@biblioteca.ufpb.br) on 2017-08-31T15:56:03Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 3015142 bytes, checksum: 2cd6188e8c1fea3a810fda4aa63a6a03 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-31T15:58:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 3015142 bytes, checksum: 2cd6188e8c1fea3a810fda4aa63a6a03 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-02-22 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Sustainability is a subject that has been continuously studied since the 1970s when it became a worldwide concern, not unlike Administration as a field of science has devoted equal attention to and focused on the thematic field of sustainability, especially in what concerns to study the impacts of organizational actions. This study focused on sustainability considerations in the hospitality sector. As a len of studies for the interpretation of the phenomenon it was used the approach of Practice-Based Studies (PBS), in particular the sociomateriality. The use of the sociomaterial approach is a manner of introducing new ways of seeing the phenomenon of sustainability through a more critical strand. Thus, studying sustainability through sociomateriality is to understand that it is not only formed by intentional human action but that the action of non-humans is also important for the realization of this practice. Thus, the general objective of this research was to understand how sustainability is given as a management practice in a hotel that declares itself sustainable in a brazilian Northeast capital city. The qualitative case study method was used to conduct the research using shadowing during the field observations and through interviews as well as informal conversations. As a way of analyzing the data, categories of analysis were established through the use of literature. Regarding the results, it is possible to affirm that sustainability is a sociomaterial practice and that it depends on the existence of nonhuman elements for its accomplishment. The categories of analysis were able to show that the sustainability that occurs in the hotel is very fragile, for which we make some recommendations for improvements regarding the possible practices. Still according to the results it is possible to affirm that sustainability is a non-prescriptive daily practice that emerges and perpetuates over time in a performative way. Finally, this research aimed to contribute to the advancement of management science in the theoretical and practical field of sustainability through real experiences. / A sustentabilidade é um tema que vem sendo estudado continuamente desde a década de 1970, quando se tornou uma preocupação em nível mundial, não diferente a Administração como campo da ciência tem dedicado igual atenção e se debruçado sobre o campo temático da sustentabilidade, principalmente no que se refere a estudar os impactos das ações organizacionais. Este estudo se dedicou a fazer reflexões a cerca da sustentabilidade no setor da hotelaria. Como lente de estudos para intepretação do fenômeno foi usada a abordagem dos Estudos Baseados em Práticas (EBP), de forma particular a sociomaterialidade. O uso da abordagem da sociomaterialidade é uma forma de se introduzir novas formas de enxergar o fenômeno da sustentabilidade por meio de uma vertente mais crítica. Dessa forma, estudar sustentabilidade por meio da sociomaterialidade é compreender que ela não é formada apenas pela ação humana intencionada, mas que a ação dos não humanos também é importante para a realização dessa prática. Assim, o objetivo geral dessa pesquisa foi compreender como se dá a sustentabilidade como prática de gestão em um hotel que se declara sustentável em uma capital do nordeste brasileiro. Para realização da pesquisa utilizou-se do método de estudo de casa qualitativo, com o uso do shadowing durante as observações de campo e por meio de entrevistas, além de conversas informais. Como forma de analisar os dados estabeleceu-se categorias de análise por meio do uso da literatura. No que se refere aos resultados é possível afirmar que a sustentabilidade é uma prática sociomaterial e que tem dependência da existência de elementos não humanos para a sua realização. As categorias de análise puderam evidenciar que a sustentabilidade que ocorre no hotel é bastante frágil, para isso faz-se algumas recomendações de melhorias no que diz respeitas as práticas possíveis. Ainda de acordo com os resultados é possível afirmar que a sustentabilidade é uma prática cotidiana não prescritiva, que surge e se perpetua ao longo do tempo de forma performativa. Por fim, essa pesquisa visou contribuir com o avanço da ciência da Administração, no que se refere ao campo teórico e prático da sustentabilidade por meio de constatações reais de experiências vividas.

[pt] Estudos recentes sugerem que os materiais ocupam um importante papel nas organizações que precisa ser mais bem compreendido (BOXENBAUM et al., 2018; NICOLINI; MENGIS; SWAN, 2011). Artefatos menos convencionais como LEGOS são empregados em empresas, na intenção de apoiar a organização em seu desenvolvimento e mudança. Esta pesquisa de cunho qualitativo, buscou entender como, na percepção dos facilitadores, os artefatos influenciam e medeiam as interações entre diversos atores, durante as oficinas de Lego Serious Play (LSP), para o alcance de objetivos preestabelecidos. Por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas e o próprio método LSP, 20 entrevistados foram envolvidos na coleta de dados. A análise de conteúdo e um framework para condução de pesquisas, com base em perspectivas sociomateriais (MOURA; BISPO, 2019), serviram de orientação para sua análise. Nessa pesquisa, buscou-se uma fundamentação teórica para promover uma aproximação entre os estudos sobre agência material e o Serious Play (SP) no campo das organizações, de modo a aumentar a compreensão sobre a influência dos artefatos nas práticas de SP realizadas nas empresas. Dessa maneira, observa-se que: (1) os artefatos podem influenciar e mediar as interações humanas estabelecidas em espaços reflexivos; (2) o play na abordagem SP pode ser concebido como um sistema heterogêneo de artefatos que interagem, se complementam e são mutualmente constitutivos; (3) o atingimento dos objetivos preestabelecidos nas oficinas de LSP depende de associações e relações sociais mediadas e influenciadas por esse sistema de artefatos. / [en] Recent research suggests that matters play an important role in organizations that needs to be better understood (BOXENBAUM et al., 2018; NICOLINI; MENGIS; SWAN, 2011). Unusual artifacts like LEGOS have been used in companies with the intention to support individuals and organizations in its development and change. A qualitative research, sought to understand from the facilitators perspective, how artifacts mediate and influence interactions between various actors during the Lego Serious Play(LSP) workshops, in order to achieve a work-related predefined objective. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted for a qualitative research that also adopted LSP as a method for data collection. Content analysis and a framework for a research, based on socio-material perspectives (MOURA; BISPO, 2019), served as guidance for its analysis. In this research, a theoretical basis was sought to promote an approximation between material agency and Serious Play (SP) studies in the field of organizations, in order to increase the understanding of the artifacts influence in SP practices carried out in companies. In this way, we contributed to demonstrate that: (1) artifacts can influence and mediate human interactions established in reflective spaces; (2) play in the SP approach can be conceived as a heterogeneous system of artifacts that interact, complement and are mutually constitutive; (3) the achievement of pre-established objectives in the LSP workshops depends on associations and social relations mediated and influenced by this artifact system.

AI är ett ämne vars framsteg i dagsläget diskuteras flitigt. En liten funktion av fenomenet AI utgörs av ansiktsigenkänning, något som även det på senaste tiden implementerats på fler områden i vårt samhälle. Då tekniken i sig är relativt ny är polismyndighetens användning av verktyget likaså. Denna studie ämnar att undersöka vilka risker och möjligheter användningen av ansiktsigenkänning i svenska brottsutredningar har. Studien bygger på semistrukturerade intervjuer med personer tillhörande de två särskilt intressanta yrkesgrupperna AI-forskare och poliser. Detta för att frambringa två olika perspektiv. I analysen av empirin knyts de framtagna konsekvenserna an med teorin sociomaterialitet. Studien presenterar ett antal risker och möjligheter som bekräftar redan identifierade konsekvenser i litteraturen. Risker och möjligheter som identifierades var relaterade till integritet, lagstiftning, bias i databaser, övertro och misstro, effektivisering, trygghetsskapande, noggrannhet och arbetsmiljö. Studien avslutas med förslag på framtida forskning. / AI is a technology which development is frequently discussed. A small part of the phenomena AI is constituted by facial recognition, a technology which is rapidly implemented in an increasing number of societal functions. Since facial recognition itself is relatively new, the utilization of it within the police authority is as well. This study intends to investigate which risks and possibilities the utilization of facial recognition has in Swedish criminal investigations. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with people divided into one of two different interesting groups: AI-scientists and employees at the Swedish police authority. This, with the intention to capture two different perspectives. In the analysis of the empirical data the identified consequences are linked to the theory sociomateriality. The study presents a number of risks and possibilities which confirm already identified consequences in literature. The risks and possibilities identified related to integrity, laws and regulations, bias in databases, over-reliance and disbelief, efficiency, security enhancing, accuracy and working environment. The study concludes with suggestions for future research.

This thesis examines the roles played by digital information and communication technologies in a Swedish public library’s three-year long renovation project. As a case study of technology-influenced collaboration in a cultural heritage institution, this study addresses a gap in digital humanities research on the practical details of sociotechnical collaboration, as well as a lack of documentation of an ongoing trend of renovations and rebuildings of Swedish public libraries.  A large number of internal materials produced at the library during the course of its renovations was studied, and semi-structured qualitative interviews with three of the cultural heritage workers involved were conducted. Reading these materials with an actor-network theory approach, an account was constructed of the renovation project and the usages therein of digital technologies, in order to examine these technologies as actors and their effects on the project. It was found that, throughout the project, information and communication technologies were used to think, plan, organize, discuss, and make decisions about the work, that limitations and affordances of these technologies shaped how they could be used, and that this thus had effects on the project. Digital technologies are shown to have been active and agential, and avenues for future research are suggested.