O Sistema Agroindustrial (SAG) das frutas é um dos mais importantes do Brasil. Ele envolve os segmentos frutas frescas, frutas secas, frutas congeladas, como também seus subprodutos: polpas, sucos, geleias, entre outros. Estima-se que a movimentação financeira na cadeia das frutas foi cerca de 5,8 bilhões de dólares anualmente com frutas frescas, atingindo um patamar de 12,2 bilhões de dólares, incluindo castanhas, nozes e produtos processados (IBRAF, 2010). No que tange à importância socioeconômica do setor, vale considerar o seu grande potencial empregador e de geração de renda. Atualmente a fruticultura brasileira oferece cinco milhões de postos de trabalho, ou seja, 2,8% dos brasileiros trabalham na fruticultura (IBRAF/IBGE, 2010). Contudo, no que se refere à exportação de frutas e derivados, se forem considerados os volumes exportados para a maioria das frutas, excluindo a laranja, quando analisado o coeficiente de exportação sobre a produção, raramente resultam valores acima de 3%. Assim, mesmo com números que parecem ser expressivos para algumas frutas, o país ainda é marginal no comércio mundial de frutas frescas, pois participa em apenas 0,5% do comércio internacional. São poucas as frutas cuja exportação é representativa em relação à produção. Diante desses entraves para a internacionalização do setor, o objetivo do estudo é propor um planejamento estratégico que possa ser aplicado na fruticultura brasileira, de modo a ampliar a competitividade do setor no mercado internacional. A pesquisa realizada tem caráter qualitativo exploratório, utilizando o método Gesis Gestão de sistemas agroindustriais. Para isso, foram realizadas entrevistas com base em um roteiro semiestruturado. A análise dos resultados foi feita por meio da análise de conteúdo das entrevistas, bem como pelo cruzamento dos resultados obtidos com a teoria estudada. Espera-se, como resultado da pesquisa, poder identificar as principais necessidades, barreiras e fatores críticos de sucesso pelos diferentes portes de empresas. / Agroindustrial System (SAG) of fruit is one of the most important in Brazil. The agribusiness system involves the segments of fruit, fresh fruit, dried fruit, frozen fruit as well as its by products: fruit pulps, juices, jams and others. It is estimated that the financial transactions in the chain of fruit was about 5.8 billion dollars annually on fresh fruits, reaching a level of 12.2 billion dollars including nuts, nuts and processed products (IBRAF, 2010). Regarding the socioeconomic importance of the sector, it is important to consider is the potential employer and income generation. Currently, the brazilian fruit offers five million jobs, or 2.8% of brazilians working in the fruit (IBRAF/IBGE, 2010). However as regards the export of fruit and their products, if we consider the export volumes for most fruits, excluding oranges, when analyzing the coefficient on export production, rarely result in values above 3%. Thus, even with numbers that seem to be significant for some fruit, the country is still marginal in world trade in fresh fruits, as participates in only 0.5% of international trade. There are few fruits whose export is representative in terms of production. Given these barriers to the internationalization of the sector, the objective of the study is to propose a strategic plan that can be applied in the Brazilian fruit trees in order to expand the sector\'s competitiveness in the international market. The survey is a qualitative exploratory, using the method Gesis Management of agribusiness systems. To this was based on interviews with a semi-structured. The analysis of the results was done by content analysis of interviews as well as by merging results from the theory studied. It is expected as a result of the research to identify the main needs, barriers and critical success factors for different sizes of companies.

Students who have been identified as gifted have the opportunity to participate in enrichment activities in many but not all school districts across the United States. Students from disadvantaged populations who are underrepresented in gifted programs fail to advance academically at the same rate as other students. The problem addressed in this study was the lack of an official gifted program in a high ethnic minority low-income school district in Illinois. The purpose of this study was to examine how leaders of school districts with demographics similar to the district lacking a gifted program create, implement, and sustain gifted programs. Using Senge's systems thinking theory as the conceptual framework, the research questions examined the creation, implementation process, and support needed to sustain the programs. A collective instrumental multicase study design was employed. Data collection included semistructured interviews with 7 school administrators from 2 districts using predetermined interview protocols. District financial documents and strategic plans were used as a secondary data source. Within-case and cross-case analysis was used to identify common themes, including vision-supported decision-making and planning to create gifted programs, team member collaboration to implement gifted programs, and values-driven leadership structures to sustain gifted programs. A white paper based on these themes was developed containing recommendations for school districts to incorporate shared vision, strategic planning, and innovative organizational structures. These recommendations may lead to more gifted students from disadvantaged populations reaching their academic potential, creating social change for students, families, and communities.

The intent of this exploratory case study was: (1)to compare a model of expected formal business plan content with the content of actual business plans developed within a single company, (2)to develop a modified model of formal business plan content which recognizes organizational influences on plan content, (3)to propose a method for evaluating business plans based on this modified model. The firm studied was Fast Delta Corporation, a "Fortune 500" multidivisional manufacturing company in a high technology industry. The business plan content analyzed in this study was produced through a planning system similar to those implemented by other multidivisional companies. In this study, planning by middle managers rather than top management was the primary focus. The study method was based on the analysis of formal plan content rather than direct observation or inquiry about the planning process. Study steps included: (1)test of goodness of fit between a simple model of expected business plan content and the actual content of business plans produced through the Fast Delta Corporation planning system. (2)analysis of deviations of the actual content from the expected content model. This analysis included comparison of actual formal plan content with non-content characteristics of the formal plans, with the content of business strategy case studies from other firms, and with the content of Fast Delta Corporation managers' responses to case studies in business strategy. The results of this study showed that Fast Delta Corporation formal business plan content was influenced by several factors. These included short-term corporate-wide concerns; shared assumptions among managers about the strengths and limitations of the study firm; and constraints on strategy which may be characteristic of other firms with similar structure, at a similar life cycle stage, or within the same industry. From these results a modified model of business plan content was developed which considered these influences. The validity of this model suggests that the plan analysis techniques used in this study were effective techniques for identifying the planning assumptions which underlie business plan content produced through a firm's formal business planning system. The results and conclusions of this study are significant for top management, middle management, corporate planning staff, and those doing research in strategic planning.

As the importance of R&D has been growing in economic growth, the accountability and effectiveness of R&D programs are highly emphasized. Especially, in times of economic downturn, the evaluation of performance in a firm is needed to justify R&D investment. In response, various attempts have been made to improve success rates of R&D projects, gain competitive advantage, and achieve a firm's growth in profitability. In particular, in industries where technological innovation is significant, strategic technology planning and R&D capabilities may be the lead ones in defining the dynamic capabilities of a firm. In addition, technology forecasting (TF) in technology planning is a crucial step to follow before developing technologies/products/processes in need. In this regard, researchers have an abiding interest in enhancing methods to forecast emerging technology, while practitioners have a considerable interest in selecting appropriate tools to apply in their field for better forecasting results. Nevertheless, so far it is not well documented how appropriately the current research responds to this need. Thus, a thorough review on TF techniques is conducted to help researchers and practitioners capture methodologies in a tangible way and identify the current trends in the TF arena. Moreover, there is still a lack of clear guidance as to where and how particular TF methods are useful in strategic planning based on technology characteristics as well as the nature of industry. The purpose of this study is to enrich the stream of research on TF activities in a firm for practitioners and researchers, a unique context where TF could lead to technological innovation. This research offers a classification of the approaches, and presents technological, industrial, methodological, and organizational aspects of TF methods that are inherent in TF activities. Furthermore, this study provides empirical evidences to support organizational and managerial implications regarding TF activities associated with technology planning in a firm. Research findings in regimes of technological change suggest insights on technological, organizational, and managerial processes within the firm. On the other hand, research on the effects on business performance of "best practices" of strategic planning, which enable firms to articulate their plans to develop, acquire, and deploy resources for accomplishing firms' financial growth, has so far ignored the roles of strategic technology planning associated with TF. In this regard, this study explores a set of indicators, discusses, and presents the findings from the literature in such a way that they become useful for researchers or managers who are in charge of measuring the R&D performance and business performance from innovation activity. Next, this research tested the hypothetical framework proposed not only to provide a current snapshot of how firms across industries implement best practices in strategic technology planning, but also to improve the effectiveness of strategic planning. The results present the positive linkages between TF, technology planning, and superior business performance. The findings in this research help policy makers, universities, research institutes/national labs, and companies to enhance their decision making process on technology development.

Thesis (M.A. (Business administration)) University of Limpopo, 2008 / This research report is based on an integrated approach to strategy implementation in the Limpopo Department of Roads and Transport. The purpose of this research was to investigate which factors are key in the implementation of strategies and how can they be integrated to achieve the stated goals of the Limpopo Department of Roads and Transport. This report included both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The major finding of the study was that there are four key drivers of strategy implementation. These key drivers are management and leadership, organizational culture, organizational structure and organizational processes/systems. The integration of these key drivers is essential for the implementation of strategy, leading to improved service delivery to various stakeholders. The report concludes that in order to approach strategy implementation in an integrated manner, the following should take place: (1) managers who are responsible for strategy implementation should also be involved in strategy formulation processes; (2) organizational culture should be changed to create a conducive environment for the managers to be motivated; (3) leadership and management should guide the vision and mission; (4) organizational processes/systems should be coordinated and integrated for efficiency and effectiveness

Thesis (MPA.) --University of Limpopo, 2013 / The importance of achieving governmental goals within the spheres of government is a valuable dimension of service delivery through which communities realise the fulfilment of promises made by government. The strategic management process is one of the tools to be used to achieve governmental goals. This study shows the importance of using strategic management process in achieving governmental goals: A case study of Limpopo Department of Agriculture. The problems and challenges identified during the process are highlighted for probing. There is a need for the department to acknowledge and recognise the strategic management function by fully utilising the process thereof in order to see its positive contribution to service delivery. The following areas were investigated by the researcher; demographics profile of therespondents; the challenges in the development, implementation and evaluation of strategy; the importance of proper management of strategy; the role of strategy in achieving governmental goals, the mechanisms of communicating departmental strategies. The collected data was categorised into themes and subthemes to accommodate proper analysis and interpretation. In conclusion the study gave recommendations on how strategic management processes can be improved through proper consultations both internally and externally, effective communication processes, and bottom-up approach as part of the consultation processes. It also indicated the importance of management team taking ownership of the strategic management processes. However, the recommendations given are not cast in stone towards improving strategic management process. The senior management team of Limpopo Department of Agriculture should consider recommendations in this study together with other solutions to improve service delivery to the citizens of Limpopo in the agricultural sector.

Thesis ( MPA.) --University of Limpopo, 2015 / The aim of the study is to evaluate the implementation of the strategic planning and management in Waterberg District municipalities and to identify any constraints that might be affecting the implementation of strategic planning and management which is the basis for poor service delivery, which in turn, causes service delivery protests by members of the public against municipalities, and in order to provide policy recommendations. Therefore, the approach to the research is qualitative because the study solicited for views and opinions of respondents, in this case, public officials, politicians and members of the public. The secondary data aspect included the reviewing of documents of different municipalities in terms of planning and their own management styles. The quantitative approach is also applied in this study to validate the municipal performance score cards which is a content analysis. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. The findings reflected the key issues with regard to the impact of the implementation of strategic planning and management in municipalities in the Waterberg district Limpopo Province. The study revealed appropriate opportunities for possible interventions to improve the implementation of strategic planning and management. The general conclusion as revealed by the study is that the municipal strategic plans are not successfully implemented and not properly managed. The audit opinions awarded to the municipalities bear reference to the matter. The study provided recommendations for municipalities to improve on the implementation of strategic planning and management. For instance, strategic plans need to be aligned with other municipal plans and the plans of other government spheres, namely, the provincial and national spheres of government; it is imperative that skilled personnel be appointed, the staff and councillors of a municipality must be trained and retained in order to ensure a high level of service provision; municipal capacity building should be a core element of a broader performance management strategy and all stakeholders of the municipalities should be capacitated and trained in terms of policy formulation so that they understand what is expected of them in terms of policy analysis, formulation and policy evaluation

This dissertation comprises three essays in experimental economics. The first investigates the extent of strategic behaviour in jury voting models. Existing experimental evidence in jury voting models shows subjects largely act in accordance with theoretical predictions, implying that they have the insight to condition their votes upon their own pivotality. The experiment presented here tests the extent of these abilities, finding that a large portion of subjects behave consistently with such insight in the face of several variations on the basic jury voting game, but largely fail to do so in another, perhaps due to the difficulty of extracting informational implications from counterintuitive strategies. The second investigates the extent to which hypothetical thinking - the ability to condition upon and extract information from hypothetical events - persists across different strategic environments. Two games of considerable interest in the experimental literature - jury voting games and common value auctions - each contain the feature that a sophisticated player can simplify the problem by conditioning upon a hypothetical event - pivotality and winning the auction, respectively - and extract from it information about the state of the world that might affect their own behaviour. This common element suggests that the capability that leads to sophisticated play in one should lead to the same in the other. This paper tests this connection through a within-subject experiment in which subjects each play both games. Little evidence is found that play in one relates to play in the other in any meaningful way. Finally, the third, co-authored with Evan Friedman, investigates the nature of errors relative to Nash equilibrium play in a family of two-by-two games. Using data on one- shot games, we study the mapping from the distribution of player j’s actions to the distribution of player i’s beliefs (over player j’s actions) and the mapping from player i’s payoffs (given beliefs) to the distribution over player i’s actions. In our laboratory experiment, subjects play a set of fully mixed 2 × 2 games without feedback and state their beliefs about which actions they expect their opponents to play. We find that (i) belief distributions tend to shift in the same direction as changes in opponents’ actions, (ii) beliefs are systematically biased–“conservative” for one player role and “extreme” for the other, (iii) rates of best response vary systematically across games, and (iv) systematic failures to maximize expected payoffs (given beliefs) are well explained by risk aversion. To better understand the belief formation process, we collect subject-level measures of strategic sophistication based on dominance solvable games. We find that (v) the player role itself has a strong effect on sophistication, (vi) sophistication measured in dominance solvable games strongly predicts behavior in fully mixed games, and (vii) belief elicitation significantly effects actions in a direction consistent with increasing sophistication.

This study reports research about innovation and change in the professional practice of the staff at the Library and Information Service (LIS) staff at Curtin University of Technology, Perth, in Western Australia. The historical context of the study is Australian higher education and university libraries in the early 1990s. It reports, examines and analyzes key events and activities of the LIS staff strategic planning process both as an educational innovation and a driver of change in professional practice. The investigation of educational innovation and change is the object of the study, specifically the application of strategic planning.Literature from the 30-year history of writing and research about educational innovation and change is reviewed in terms of its relevance to the study. In addition, selected literature about organizational theory and strategic planning in libraries is presented. From this literature emerged the particular innovation and change framework, which guide the research.A justification for the selection of the particular research approach is explained and data collection, organization and analysis are described. The study uses official LIS corporate records as its primary source of data, supplemented by published materials to assist in the explanation of the particular circumstances of the LIS case.The results of the data analysis are presented in terms of the key events and activities of the LIS case. From this analysis conclusions are drawn in relation to the research questions which underpin the study and in terms of the component parts of the innovation and change framework. In particular, conclusions relate to the key organizational factors shaping the response to innovation; the characteristics of the context of change; key organizational processes helping to ensure successful adoption; the articulation of a shared vision and ++ / processes to ensure a shared vision. In relation to the innovation and change framework the change process is viewed as adoption dominated; as a move towards a learning organization; through the characteristics of the context of change and through other factors influencing change.Flowing from the research findings, recommendations are made for professional practice and further research.As a case study that reports, examines and analyses the complex dimensions of organizational change, the study is rich in detail and provides a real-life example of organizational and educational change.

China has been changing from a centrally planned to a market economy. Its journey has not been a smooth one and is not likely to be easy in the years to come. One of its industry sectors, the chemical industry, which represents approximately 4.6% of its national GDP, is facing challenges in the changing market dynamics. The Chinese government has applied administrative actions rather than simply relying on the market to address these challenges. Fragmentation has been reduced by closing down inefficient chemical plants; merging various companies to form groups. It has also attempted to privatise government owned enterprises by corporatisation and marketisation. Corporatisation of government-owned enterprise refers to alteration of their ownership to create joint stock companies. Marketisation refers to listing those privatised enterprises on the stock market. The objective of this research was to find out whether taking these administrative actions is the best strategy for the Chinese government-owned chemical industry rather than making it more effective by building up state owned chemical enterprises? core competencies and core capabilities. The principal argument of this thesis is based on the resource-based view (RBV). / thesis (PhDBusinessand Management)--University of South Australia, 2004.