Background: Since quick change is one of the most distinguishing qualities of today's market, organizations must be able to cope with it and match markets by keeping up with new market trends and wants, as well as adapting to changes in market features. This can be achieved by pursuing both exploration and exploitation to ensure success in the short and long term. Since this is the case, it is vital that companies find the right balance between operation and innovation to be able to exploit present opportunities and explore future directions. Purpose: This research aims to study the role of ambidexterity in achieving the desired balance in different industries. Every organization is unique, and companies differ from each other in many ways such as; work system, organizational structure, work philosophy and size. This study discussed the issue of balancing innovation and operation, to evaluate the process of choosing the right ambidextrous approach to be followed by different organizations across different industries. Method: Multiple case study was used. Data collected had both primary and secondary sources where the primary sources were collected through semi-structured interviews and the secondary sources were archives and reports. Grounded analysis was used in the analysis process to conclude the theory. Conclusion: The research results showed that when organizations achieve ambidexterity by following one of the ambidexterity approaches, the choice of the right approach depends on certain factors on different levels that need to be considered, and the four tensions of ambidexterity differ from one approach to another. Hence, the tensions should be verified and handled in relevance to the followed ambidexterity approach.

<p style="text-align: justify;">U okviru disertacije je na osnovu teorijske i&nbsp;empirijske analize i kori&scaron;ćenjem podataka iz<br />eksploatacije, formiran model pouzdanosti&nbsp;koji će doprineti povećanju pouzdanosti i<br />sigurnosti funkcionisanja dizel motora u&nbsp;procesu eksploatacije.</p> / <p>Within this dissertation, on the basis of&nbsp;theoretical and empirical analysis and usage of<br />exploitation data, a reliability model was formed&nbsp;that will contribute to reliability increase and&nbsp;safety of diesel engine operation in the&nbsp;exploitation process.</p>

This research was designed to investigate cougar response to urbanization, habitat fragmentation, and exploitation from behavioral, demographic, and landscape perspectives. The source-sink model has been proposed as an alternative framework for the management of exploited cougar populations. I addressed the basic question of whether cougars conform behaviorally to the predictions of the source-sink model, and consequently, the applied question of whether the model could be used for the conservation of this species. To achieve this I evaluated three scale-specific questions using radio-telemetry and hunter-harvest data collected from 1996-2010. At the subpopulation scale, I tested the hypothesis that cougars are wildland obligates by measuring cougar response to a suite of anthropogenic land uses. At the meso scale I compared cougar dispersal patterns from two populations under different management. Lastly, at the statewide scale I examined the distribution of human-induced de facto refugia and ecological traps in relation to the species range within Utah. Cougars show a strong proclivity for wildland over rural or suburban habitats, but all cougars used anthropogenic landscapes to some degree, and appear capable of surviving in highly disturbed, human-impacted environments. Cougar dispersal was correlated with maternal estrus; once young animals emigrated, natural and anthropogenic barriers directed movement into habitats marked by frequent human-caused mortality, with females selecting areas of lower conspecific density relative to males. Anthropogenic cougar mortality was disproportionately distributed in accessible, high quality habitats within the core of the species statewide range. Conversely, ecological traps were primarily situated within marginal habitats in remote settings on the periphery of the range. The source-sink model predicts that subordinate animals from saturated populations disperse to habitat with the highest suitability. Cougars of both sexes display behaviors that largely conform to these predictions. Based on the patchy but predictable distribution of cougar exploitation, Utah may already have a quasi source-sink system, which could be formalized through management action. In general, cougars are adaptable, behaviorally plastic, generalist carnivores, and as such defy broad habitat generalizations. These investigations have implications for sustainable hunting and long-term conservation of cougars in the multiple-use landscapes of the Intermountain West.

Le phénomène grandissant de morcèlement des forêts boréales matures est une source de préoccupation importante pour l'industrie forestière du Québec en raison de l'augmentation des coûts d'approvisionnement qu'il induit. Effectivement, les déplacements de machinerie plus fréquents ainsi que l'augmentation du nombre de chemins à aménager impactent la rentabilité des opérations forestières en forêt morcelée. L'évolution de ce contexte impose la recherche de solutions, incluant l'adaptation des systèmes de récolte utilisés, qui n'ont que très peu été étudiées à ce jour. Le principal objectif de cette maîtrise est d'identifier des systèmes adaptés à la récolte de forêts morcelées, permettant d'amoindrir l'impact financier du morcellement sur l'approvisionnement. Toutes les alternatives possibles se doivent d'être considérées dans la réflexion menant à l'implantation de solutions en forêt. Une approche de sélection employant des analyses successives fut préconisée, de manière à sélectionner itérativement un sous-ensemble de solutions potentielles. Dans un premier temps, une revue exhaustive des systèmes de récolte permit d'en décrire plus de 1 000 différents. De ce nombre, vingt-huit furent retenus pour leur potentiel d'application en forêt morcelée. Ceux-ci furent comparés à l'aide d'un modèle d'évaluation multicritère impliquant des experts. Sept systèmes se démarquèrent des autres, mettant en évidence l'intérêt de considérer l'implantation de systèmes actuellement inexistants au Québec. Une simulation déterministe fut réalisée afin d'estimer les coûts des solutions potentielles et ainsi affiner l'identification de la meilleure alternative. Les résultats démontrent le potentiel du système de bois tronçonnés utilisant des camions auto-chargeurs à grue détachable en contexte de forêt morcelée. L'utilisation du porteur pour charger les camions est également une alternative intéressante, notamment pour la simplicité de son adaptation par rapport au système de bois tronçonnés classique. Il serait à présent intéressant de tester ces systèmes dans un contexte opérationnel contrôlé avant d'en proposer un déploiement à plus grande échelle. / Fragmentation in mature boreal forests is a growing concern for the forest industry of Quebec, due to the increase of wood procurement costs. The more frequent machine relocations and the increasing number of roads to build and maintain compromise the profitability of fragmented operations. This changing reality needs to be addressed, starting with re-evaluating the current operational systems used in fragmented forests, which have received little attention so far. The objective of this master's degree is to identify the most cost-effective harvest systems in fragmented forests. Doing so requires a methodology compatible with the evaluation of a very wide range of potential solutions that can be implemented in these forests. The elaborated approach is based on subsequent analysis gradually reducing the number of alternatives and precising the identification of the best subset. First, an in-depth review of harvest systems resulted in the description of over 1,000 distinct alternatives. Only twenty-eight were considered as conceivable alternatives in the studied context. A multi-criteria evaluation approach involving experts from the forest industry revealed the superiority of seven potential solutions. Lastly, a deterministic simulation model was developed to estimate the harvest costs associated with each system in case studies and narrow down the selection of the best alternative. The results demonstrate the potential of the cross-cut timber system using self-loading trucks with detachable cranes in a fragmented forest context. Of the seven systems, the cut-to-length systems using either removable crane self-loader trucks or forwarders to load trucks presented lower costs in fragmented forest stands. It would now be interesting to test these systems in a controlled operational context before considering large-scale implementation.

Organizations that can successfully develop both radical and incremental innovations positively impact sustained competitive advantage, dramatically improving their chances of survival and success in both dynamic and stable environments (Han et al. 2001; Tushman and O'Reilly 1996). Experimentation and radical innovation are mandatory knowledge assets for competitive play in emerging markets, but efficiency and incremental innovation are essential for mature markets (He and Wong 2004; Tushman and O'Reilly 1996). The attainment of dual focus between radical and incremental innovation is challenging and calls for organizational architectures of sometimes conflicting processes, structure, and culture (cf, Tushman and O'Reilly 1996; Wind and Mahajan 1997). While prior research has investigated the structural and cultural determinants (Duncan 1976; Gibson and Birkenshaw 2004), there is a significant lack of research addressing the third major element of business processes. Without winning business processes in place that influence both exploration and exploitation, a successful portfolio mix of radical and incremental product innovations that maximize customer value and benefits will not be fully realized, and firm performance will suffer. Through core business processes, marketing's role and influence is significant in increasing customer value creation in the resulting product innovations. By mapping the "inside-out" and "outside-in" processes of a market-driven organization (Day 1994) into the Srivastava et al. (1999) core business process framework, this dissertation develops and tests a model of business process influence on dual focus in innovation strategies in the context of the high technology manufacturing environment. Each of these processes is critical in generating maximum customer value and is an explicit input into strategic choices and decisions (Srivastava et al. 1999). Specifically, it is argued and proposed that the Product Development Management (PDM) process, comprised of the processes of market experimentation, technology monitoring, and technology competence, predominantly influences exploration while the Supply Chain Management (SCM) process, comprised of the processes of channel bonding and quality process management, predominantly influences exploitation. The Customer Relationship Management (CRM) process, encompassing the processes of lead user collaboration, competitor benchmarking, and current customer knowledge process, acts as a moderator to add dual focus to these extremes by interacting with PDM processes to enhance exploitation and with SCM processes to enhance exploration. Furthermore, it is proposed that firms successfully achieving a dual focus have greater firm performance than firms entrenched in either extreme. Hypotheses were tested with data collected from a nationwide sample of high technology manufacturers. The results largely supported the main effect hypotheses of the PDM processes and SCM processes on exploration and exploitation. Additionally, the hypothesis of a positive interaction between exploration and exploitation on firm performance was also supported, however no visible support was garnered for the moderating impacts of CRM processes on PDM and SCM processes as hypothesized. Post hoc analyses were performed, bringing additional insight into dual focus based on the successful implementation of opposing businesses processes. Specifically, dual focus firms were shown to have multiple processes in place that impact both types of innovation strategies and that these firms implement these processes to a greater extent than those firms operating in the more extreme positions. Academic and managerial implications are discussed, as well as study limitations and exciting future research directions.

In this qualitative research project, I examine the development of landscapes of care for, and by, identified trafficked people and its implications for rebuilding a sense of place and identity. Through in-depth interviews and ethnographic data, I argue that discourse, place and identity interact to form complex landscapes within both providers and clients/patients that emerge as distinct experiences of care or non-care experiences. Each analytical chapter examines a particular production of care: a merging of psycho-legal care, the interactions of formalized informal caring relationships, and the burden of external identification in the configuration of self-identity among identified trafficked people. Building on anthropological theories of care (Giordano 2014; Mulla 2014; Stevenson 2014; Mattingly 2010), these chapters build the argument that, in contrast to humanitarian human trafficking and trauma discourse that focuses on a specific kind of trafficking experience; the complex assemblage of trafficking experience and subsequent care should be considered within what I term “structural trafficking.” Becoming identified as trafficked is beneficial for receiving specific rights and services. However, this identity can also be detrimental for rebuilding a sense of self and place, because it assumes a fixed experience that translates to fixed care packages. I examine multiple landscapes of care to better understand potentials for care by expanding identity and coordinating existing and novel systems of care.

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

This research aims to investigate how socio-economic factors influence the vulnerability of women to engage in sexual services and potential trafficking in Gauteng, South Africa. This province is South Africa’s most prosperous one with an enormous flow of migrants and is therefore of interest to investigate. Moreover, it is certainly intriguing to examine more into South Africa's measures against human trafficking; additionally, it is interesting to investigate further here because of the signature by South Africa of the Palermo protocol and look further and deeper into if this signature has helped decrease the crime. This research seeks to untangle the complex web of factors contributing to vulnerability. By examining the socio-economic and potential other dimensions of human trafficking in South Africa, the aim is to gain a deeper understanding of how these factors interact, perpetuating a cycle of victimization and further raise crucial awareness of the subject. This research has adopted a abductive qualitative content-desk study to be most appropriate for the research and in order to do at least harm as possible to the victims by using already published documents and reports. Furthermore, theories and approaches such as Radical Feminist Theory, Rational Choice Theory, Human Rights-Based Approach and V-Dem Approach have been used in order to answer the objective as successfully as possible. The conclusion of this study points at the fact that women’s lower societal position, along with patriarchal influences, cultural practices and state corruption impact human trafficking and the vulnerability for women making them fall a victim of the crime. Recommendations that have been made in the paper are further studies on the subject and an idea of universal legislation regarding human trafficking, which could be similar to Agenda 2030 and finally some urgent measures in Gauteng.

Domestic workers, also known as house maids or handmaids, are a predominately female workforce that traditionally provides labor in upper-class households. With the increase of dual income families and the global expansion of the middle class, the demand for domestic workers increased, which facilitated the practice of importing lower-cost foreign domestic workers (FDWs) from developing areas. Hong Kong has the highest concentration of FDWs when compared to other metropolitan areas, such as Taiwan, Singapore, or New York. Since the trade began in the 1970s, qualitative research and journalistic investigations have reported that FDWs frequently encounter exploitation, including emotional, physical, and sexual abuse; being underpaid and overworked; and racial discrimination. With sparse quantitative research identifying risk factors that predict psychological well-being, this study hypothesized two models: (a) racial and ethnic microaggressions, job satisfaction, and family concern predict psychological distress and (b) resilience mediates the association in the first model. We surveyed 478 female FDWs in Hong Kong, and the results suggested that racial and ethnic microaggressions, job satisfaction, and family concerns were significant predictors of psychological distress, supporting the first hypothesis. The women demonstrated very high levels of psychological resilience; however, due to a ceiling effect in the measure of resilience, the data collected on resilience were unrelated to job satisfaction and family concerns. Thus, the second model was not supported, apparently due to a problem in the measurement of the construct of resilience in this sample of FWDs. Overall, FDWs’ working conditions and their level of resilience to those conditions did significantly influence their levels of psychological distress. These findings serve as pilot data for future quantitative research that investigates female FDWs’ employment experience.

In this thesis, I argue that a neo-Marxist critical theory perspective on self-driving cars shifts critical conversations from risks and benefits to concerns about the commodification of free time necessary for our human experience of autonomy. First, I outline that neo-Marxist perspective by charting the different types of power exercised by a capitalist in order to increase their surplus. I then analyze Karl Marx's conception of time in economic exchange to show that, under capitalism, power is exercised over labor through the commodification of workers' free time. I then introduced Michel Foucault's concept of biopower to transition to the commodification not only of labor but also of bodies. Then, I introduce contemporary German philosopher Byung-Chul Han's concept of psychopolitics as a neo-Marxist critique of the exercise of power over the psyche of individuals in order to increase their surplus. These philosophers' models shift commodification from labor to bodies to information. In the final section, I apply Han's contemporary critique of power dynamics to the case of self-driving cars (SDCs) to show that the technologies they represent may serve to perpetuate the negative implications of a constantly optimizing society: a continuation of commodification of the very conditions of labor. This analysis illuminates an overlooked possible negative implication of this emerging technology, as contemporary literature focuses heavily on the developer of the self-driving cars rather than the user and glosses over possible concerns of alienation of the workers' time itself. I argue that increases in "free time" proposed by the implementation of self-driving cars will inevitably be used for "auto"-exploitation, or, self-exploitation. This thesis will contribute to developing work on the effects self-driving cars have on their users, rather than emphasizing effects on society or our environments.