MPM / Oliver Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies / See the attached abstract below

Die Interaktion zwischen Kunden und Banken unterliegt einem Wandel. Im Zuge der Medienkonvergenz verschmelzen die Inhalte und Services einzelner Endgeräte (Smartphone, Tablet PCs, etc.) schliesslich in einem Endgerät. Die Konvergenz verändert die Kommunikation und Interaktion und bewirkt, dass der Bezug von Inhalten ständig, simultan und überall möglich ist. Der technologische Fortschritt sowie das veränderte Kundenverhalten tragen zu einem vermehrten Kanalwechsel bei. Die Unternehmen sind gefordert die online und offline Kanäle zu integrieren. Dies führt zu sogenannten „No-Line Systemen“, die sich durch eine maximale Konvergenz auszeichnen und eine hybride Kundeninteraktion ermöglichen. Motiviert durch die beschriebene Konvergenz fokussiert die vorliegende Arbeit die Ausgestaltung einer hybriden Kundeninteraktion am Beispiel der Bankindustrie. Die Arbeit identifiziert Auslöser, die zu einem Kanalwechsel führen, und leitet anhand dessen, basierend auf der Wissenschaft und Praxis, die Anforderungen an eine hybride Kundeninteraktion zur Unterstützung des Kanalwechsels ab. Die Auslöser und Anforderungen von Kanalwechseln ergeben die Entwurfsmuster zur Unterstützung von Kanalwechseln. Zur Darstellung möglicher Implikationen einer hybriden Kundeninteraktion untersucht die Arbeit eine praxisorientierte Tabletlösung aus dem Bereich Anlegen. Hierzu werden die Veränderungen einer Tablet-gestützten Kundeninteraktion im Beratungsprozess beschrieben. Zur Demonstration der Ergebnisse entwickelt die Arbeit einen Prototyp. Dieser veranschaulicht eine weitere mögliche Ausgestaltung sowie den Nutzen einer hybriden Kundeninteraktion.

Två företag inom verkstadsindustrin har önskemål att få hjälp med att ta fram ett stöddokument att använda i projektarbete där det idag generellt är fokus på prestanda och kostnadseffektivitet, ofta inom begränsade och snäva tidsramar. Arbetsmiljö som en faktor att ta med tidigt i projekten glöms lätt bort och uppfattas ibland som lite abstrakt och svårt att greppa av projektledare och övriga i projektgruppen. Syftet med examensarbetet är att fylla gapet mellan teori och praktisk verklighet vid utformning av nya eller förändrade arbetsplatser inom verkstadsindustrin. Målet är att ta fram en informativ checklista med stor tyngdpunkt på användbarhet som på ett självklart sätt kommer att användas i installations- och ombyggnadsprojekt. På längre sikt är målet att skapa ett naturligt samarbete mellan projektorganisation och produktionsorganisation samt företagshälsa. Checklistorna är utarbetade så att projektgruppen ska förstå problematiken om man inte tar hand om dessa arbetsmiljöfrågor. Inför varje frågeställning har litteratur granskats och en fördjupning inom ämnet för respektive faktor görs, erfarenheter från tidigare projekt samt vanliga problem i befintliga anläggningar har tagits om hand. Sammanvägningen av dessa erfarenheter och kunskap har sedan lett till ett antal kontrollfrågor med tillhörande råd. En enkätundersökning visade att det finns ett stort intresse för denna typ av rådgivande checklista och resultatet var övervägande positivt med några funderingar kring efterlevnad och vidare utveckling av dokumenten. De personer, intressenter, som deltagit i utvecklingen och utvärderingen av checklistorna menar att de är ett bra komplement till de dokument som används idag. Det finns goda förutsättningar att implementera en rådgivande checklista idag. Medvetenheten ökar bland personalen och få vill utsätta sig för ohälsa och olycksfall. Arbetet med checklistorna kommer fortsätta efter avslutat examensarbete i syfte att säkra efterlevnaden, utvecklingen samt känslan av ägandeskap. En viktig aspekt för att denna checklista ska hållas levande och utvecklas är att den förs in i företagens anskaffningsprocess och att efterlevnaden styrs därifrån. Sökord: arbetsmiljö, checklista, rådgivande, arbetsplats, lean, AFS. / Two companies in the manufacturing industry wishes to develop a supporting document to use in project work where there today is generally focused on performance and cost, often within limited and tight deadlines. Work environment as a factor to be considered early in the projects are easily forgotten and are sometimes perceived as a bit abstract and difficult to grasp by the project manager and other members of the project team. The aim of the degree project is to fill the gap between the theory and practical reality in the design of new or changed workplaces in the manufacturing industry. The goal of this thesis is to develop an informative checklist that will be obvious to use in the installation and renovation projects. In the longer term, the goal is to create a natural collaboration between the project and production organizations and also make the company health service more involved in these projects. The checklists are designed to bring the project team to understand the problem if we do not take care of working environmental issues. For each issue literature was reviewed, and a deeper knowledge for each factor was collected. Experiences from previous projects and common problems in existing facilities have also been taken care of. The balancing of these experiences and knowledge led to a number of questions with associated advice. A survey showed that there is a great interest for this kind of advisory checklist and the results were largely positive with some concerns about compliance and further development of the documents. The persons, stakeholders, who participated in the development and evaluation of the checklists says that they are a good complement to their documents they are using today. There are good opportunities to implement an advisory checklist today. Awareness is increasing among the staff and few wishes to expose themselves to illness and accidents. Work on the checklists will continue after completion of the degree project in order to ensure compliance, development and sense of ownership. An important aspect for this checklist to be kept alive and further developed is to implement it in the corporate acquisition process and that compliance will be controlled from there. Keywords: working environment, checklist, advisory, workplace, lean, AFS.

En el siguiente proyecto de negocio SOLUCORP, se plantea mostrar la viabilidad económica que ofrecería sus servicios de asesoría en gestión financiera y reinserción al sistema financiero, está dirigida a personas que están con mala calificación en el sistema financiero y quieren obtener una nueva oportunidad del departamento de Lima, inicialmente a las personas localizadas al sur de la ciudad de Lima. En el trayecto se han identificado las diferentes variables que hay en nuestros futuros clientes que desean reinsertarse al sistema financiero uno de ellos es la falta de educación financiera la cual los hace caer en deudas por ello surge nuestra propuesta de valor la cual es crear una empresa de Asesoramiento para la reinserción al sistema financiero y dando consejos en el manejo de las finanzas a nuestros clientes para que tomen buenas dediciones en el ámbito financiero. Donde la diferenciación con nuestros competidores es brindarle la asesoría de por vida después de haber tomado el servicio con nosotros. Asimismo, post liquidación de la deuda, nos encargaremos sin costo alguno que una entidad financiera le otorgue una tarjeta de crédito para que vuelva a generar un historial crediticio positivo. Y lo que SOLUCORP desea ser la empresa de asesoría y educación financiera líder en el sector, posicionándonos como la mejor alternativa para los clientes, logrando su fidelidad al brindar un servicio de calidad que contribuya con su desarrollo económico y una mejor salud financiera. / In the following SOLUCORP business project, it is proposed to show the economic viability that its advisory services in financial management and reintegration into the financial system would offer, it is aimed at people who were at INFOCORP and want to obtain a new opportunity from the department of Lima, initially to people located south of the city of Lima. Along the way, the different variables that exist in our future clients who wish to re-enter the financial system have been identified, one of them is the lack of financial education which makes them fall into debt, so our value proposition arises, which is to create a company. Advice for reintegration into the financial system and giving advice on managing finances to our clients so that they make good decisions in the financial field. Where the differentiation with our competitors is to provide you with advice for life after taking the service with us. Also, after debt settlement, we will arrange at no cost for a financial institution to grant you a credit card so that it can once again generate a positive credit history. And what SOLUCORP wants to be the leading financial education and advisory company in the sector, positioning ourselves as the best alternative for clients, achieving its loyalty by providing a quality service that contributes to its economic development and better financial health. / Trabajo de investigación

The thesis Expert Knowledge of the Political Parties Aimed at Mandatory Spendings from 2006 to present is focused on mechanisms of generating expertisis, which are disposed by particular political parties dealing with amount of the manadatory spendings. Thesis captures election terms characterized by Czech membership in The European Union connected with the obligation of the following Maastricht criteria, then the results of the worldwide economical crisis, that took shape also in czech economics. The teoretical part characterizes the budgeting policy with the accent on progression and structure of the mandatory spendings in particular election terms, deals with the organizational theory of political parties and with the policy advisory systems, that forms capacities in the decision-making process of the state budget. The objective of the empirical part is to find out how policy advisory systems effect the decision making process of budgeting by political parties (ODS, ČSSD, TOP 09 and ANO 2011). The research is realised by interviews with the Members of Parliament (members of the particular political parties). The results of the interviews are compared with the documents of political parties and macroeconomical indexes. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

Bakgrund: Finansiellt beslutsfattande är en central del i den finansiella rådgivningen gentemot privatpersoner och det gemensamma branschorganet SwedSec har uppmärksammat psykologiska fallgropars roll i den finansiella rådgivningen. Den finansiella rådgivarens roll är att, bland annat, hjälpa sina kunder hantera de psykologiska fallgropar de kan råka ut för vid investeringar. Därför finns incitament att undersöka hur rådgivare i rådgivningsprocessen hanterar den eventuella förekomsten av anchoring och framing, samt hur väl de känner till dem. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka finansiella rådgivares kännedom kring anchoring och framing, samt hur de upplever och hanterar fenomenen som en del av rådgivningsprocessen gentemot privatpersoner med ett placerbart kapital under 2 miljoner kronor. Vidare syftar studien till att analysera hur dessa psykologiska fallgropar kan tydas i den finansiella rådgivningsprocessen. Metod: Studien har genomförts med en kvalitativ metod för att uppfylla studiens syfte. Datainsamlingen har bestått av nio semi-strukturerade djupintervjuer med SwedSeclicensierade finansiella rådgivare. Vidare har en abduktiv ansats antagits, för att kunna bidra med en intressant analys kring det studerade ämnet samt nå en slutsats. Slutsats: Studien finner att rådgivarnas kännedom är låg kring behavioral finance i allmänhet och anchoring och framing i synnerhet, även om förekomsten av de psykologiska fallgroparna uppmärksammats i studien. Trots låg kännedom har ungefär hälften av respondenterna utvecklat medvetna strategier för att hantera anchoring och framing. Hos de rådgivare som inte utvecklat medvetna strategier finner studien stöd för en omedveten hantering. Vidare kan studien inte ge stöd för att anchoring och framing utgör ett problem i rådgivningsprocessen gentemot privatpersoner med ett placerbart kapital under 2 miljoner kronor. / Background: Financial decision making is a central part of the financial advisory process for individuals, and the organization SwedSec has acknowledged the role of biases in the advisory process. The role of the financial advisor is, amongst other things, to protect their customers from biases in investments. Therefore, it is of interest to examine how well the advisors manage any presence of anchoring and framing, and the advisor's knowledge of them. Aim: The purpose of this thesis is to examine the financial advisor's knowledge regarding anchoring as well as framing, and how they handle these factors as part of the advisory process towards clients with funds of no more than 2 million SEK. Furthermore, the thesis aims to analyze how these biases can take shape in the advisory process. Method: The thesis has, to fulfill its purpose, used a qualitative method. Empirical data has been gathered through nine semi-structured interviews with SwedSec-licensed financial advisors. Furthermore, the thesis has taken on an abductive approach, to contribute with an interesting analysis of the subject and to reach a conclusion. Conclusion: The thesis finds that the financial advisor's knowledge about behavioral finance in general, along with anchoring and framing in particular, is low. The thesis, however, supports these biases existence in the advisory process. Regardless of the lack of knowledge, about half of the respondents have developed aware methods to handle the biases. The thesis shows that the advisors without aware methods handle the biases unconsciously. Furthermore, the thesis cannot support that anchoring and framing constitutes a problem in the advisory process towards clients with funds under 2 million SEK.

Les approches de conseil agricole favorisant le renforcement des compétences des producteurs sont au centre des préoccupations des acteurs du développement agricole, particulièrement au Sud. Le conseil à l'exploitation familiale (CEF) est une approche de conseil de gestion, basée sur des méthodes d'apprentissage et d'aide à la décision, favorisant l'évolution des producteurs dans leur réflexion stratégique. L'objet de cette thèse est l'analyse de l'évolution de la gestion stratégique des producteurs à travers l'accompagnement fourni par le CEF. Nous avons choisi d'analyser les processus d'apprentissage induits par le CEF en caractérisant l'évolution de la gestion stratégique de l'exploitation agricole chez dix-neuf producteurs du Sud-Bénin. Nous proposons d'analyser l'évolution de la réflexion stratégique comme un processus complexe, non linéaire et récursif, assimilable à un processus d'apprentissage. Nous analysons l'évolution de la réflexion stratégique à travers l'analyse de la construction de la proactivité dans le CEF, la proactivité étant définie comme la combinaison de la vision stratégique du producteur (incluant la source de changement perçue par le producteur) et de la mise en œuvre d'actions stratégiques. Pour caractériser la situation des producteurs avant le CEF, nous analysons la situation des producteurs selon trois niveaux : leur proactivité, leur système d'activités en lien avec leur niveau de ressources, et leurs pratiques de planification de gestion de l'exploitation agricole. Nous avons choisi d'adopter une posture interprétativiste d'analyse du discours des producteurs et des changements qu'ils attribuent au CEF. Les résultats de ce travail montrent tout d'abord que les trois niveaux de caractérisation des producteurs (la proactivité, le niveau de ressources et les pratiques de planification) ne sont pas directement liés. Notre travail montre ensuite que le CEF fait évoluer la proactivité des producteurs dans un temps court, en un an, principalement en révélant des marges de manœuvre existantes, en faisant évoluer leur vision de l'avenir et leur perception de leur pouvoir sur le changement. Enfin, les résultats valident la récursivité du processus d'apprentissage, le profil de proactivité au départ étant le facteur le plus important influençant la construction de la réflexion stratégique durant cette première année de participation au CEF. De nouvelles perspectives de recherche sont proposées, comme l'analyse de ces processus sur le temps long, l'analyse de la durabilité de la proactivité et de son lien avec la pérennité du projet des producteurs. Ces résultats alimentent également les réflexions plus opérationnelles sur le CEF, à la fois sur le ciblage de l'approche, sur l'adaptation des méthodes et des outils à l'accompagnement de cette réflexion stratégique, sur le renforcement de capacités des professionnels du CEF pour appréhender ces différentes dimensions des processus d'apprentissage. / Agricultural advisory approaches enabling producers' capacity building are the center of interest of many development actors, especially in developing countries. Management Advice for Family Farms (MAFF – Conseil à l'exploitation familial / CEF) is a management advice approach, based on learning methods and decision support tools, helping producers to evolve on their strategic thinking. The aim of this research is to analyze the evolution of producers' strategic management through MAFF. We chose to analyze the learning processes induced by MAFF by characterizing the evolution of strategic thinking for nineteen producers in Southern Bénin. We consider the evolution of strategic thinking as a complex, non linear and recursive process, similar to a learning process. The evolution of strategic thinking is identified through the evolution of producer's proactivity through MAFF, proactivity being defined as the combination of producers' strategic vision (including their perceived source of change) and the strategic actions undertaken to reach this strategic vision. In order to describe the producers' situation before MAFF, we chose to focus on three main levels: their proactivity, their activity systems (including their resources for different types of capitals) and their planning practices for the management of their farm. From an interpretativist point of view, we analyzed producers' speech and representations, and the changes their spontaneously attributed to MAFF after one year of participation. The results of this research show first that the three levels of characterization of the producers' situation before MAFF started (proactivity, activity system and resources, planning practices) are not directly linked. This work also shows the evolution of producers' proactivity through MAFF in a limited time (one year), mainly by changing their perception on their perceived constraints and resources, revealing flexibility, changing their vision of the future and their perception of their power on their environment and change. Finally, those results substantiate the recursivity of the learning process, proactivity profile before MAFF being the main influence factor of strategic thinking building during this first year of participation to MAFF. Those results open new research perspectives, to analyze this strategic thinking building process on the longer term, the analysis of the persistence of proactivity, and the link between proactivity, performance and the sustainability of producers' projects. Those results also raise questions at the operational level, on the inclusivity of advisory approaches, on the adaptation of methods and tools to trigger this strategic thinking building, and on the necessary capacity building for all advisory system professionals, to comprehend the various dimensions of the producers' learning processes and to take into consideration producers' strategic thinking.

Health care consumers are under-represented in literature when defining patient and family engagement. The proportion of people living longer is rapidly growing. Future research is needed to evaluate which strategies of patient and family engagement are most useful in real-world health care settings for patient and families. The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experiences of patient/family advisors working within patient family advisory councils at an academic medical center in the Midwestern United States. The conceptual framework is based on Greenleaf's servant leadership and Bass's transformational leadership. The research questions examined how patient/family advisors describe patient and family engagement, their experiences from the advisor program, and what is most meaningful to them. A phenomenological design was employed with a purposeful sample of 19 interview respondents drawn from 5 different advisory councils. Data analysis consisted of interpretive phenomenological analysis and a detailed, in-depth account of participant experiences. Transcripts from semi structured face-to-face interviews were collected, coded, validated by member checking, and triangulated with emergent themes. Emergent themes included patient/family advisors' descriptions of patient and family engagement within the patient family advisory councils and organizational efforts most meaningful to patient/family advisors. The results of this study may help create social change by improving the standards and quality of patient and family engagement by preparing health care professionals to better meet the needs of health care consumers.

Face à l’explosion démographique des pays à faible revenu en Afrique sub-saharienne, l’agriculture joue un rôle primordial pour garantir la sécurité alimentaire. Le secteur agricole est de plus la principale source d'emploi dans cette région. Les femmes constituent la principale main-d'œuvre agricole de ces pays. En raison de leur rôle clé dans le secteur agricole, les agricultrices sont prioritaires dans les interventions politiques. Par ailleurs, dans ces pays, le conseil agricole et le partage des connaissances sont nécessaires pour s’adapter à de nouvelles contraintes. Depuis quelques années, les technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC) ont permis le développement de nouveaux outils visant à améliorer la portée et l’efficacité du conseil. Les gouvernements de ces pays sont cependant confrontés à des critiques concernant l'impact de ces outils, qui peuvent également contribuer à une fracture numérique touchant plus particulièrement les femmes qui travaillent dans les exploitations agricoles familiales.La thèse de doctorat analyse comment les outils TIC tiennent compte des rapports de genre, et de la situation des femmes qui travaillent sur l’exploitation agricole familiale. La thèse est fondée sur le cas du Kenya. Elle est focalisée sur le développement des plateformes de connaissances, un instrument TIC utilisé par le Gouvernement kenyan pour atteindre les objectifs de politiques publiques. Ce pays est emblématique car il fait l'hypothèse que les plateformes peuvent être inclusives des agricultrices.Pour cette recherche, le travail s'appuie sur trois approches d’économie institutionnelle : l’économie féministe, la théorie de la régulation, et l'économie des services. Il présente un cadre méthodologique et conceptuel, développé pour analyser l'intégration des rapports de genre dans les plateformes aux échelles macro, méso et micro.Les résultats montrent que les rapports de genre sont présentés associés à un objectif d'équité pour le Gouvernement Kenyan. L'analyse confirme que les plateformes sont considérées comme de nouveaux outils d'inclusion du système de vulgarisation du gouvernement. La typologie de plateformes développée dans ce travail montre cependant que ces instruments peuvent être une source d'inégalité. Il s'agit en particulier de l'inégalité d'accès pour les agricultrices et de services standardisés qui ne correspondent pas aux attentes de ces femmes. La conjugaison de différentes approches économiques institutionnelles a permis d'analyser comment les évolutions institutionnelles affectent l'inclusion des objectifs d’égalité des sexes dans l’intervention publique et dans le fonctionnement effectif des plateformes. Les résultats présentent des leviers d’action pouvant être pris en considération par les politiques et les concepteurs des plateformes, pour une tenir compte des rapports de genre dans ce système de vulgarisation agricole et éviter d’engendrer de nouvelles discrimination. L'analyse révèle l'importance de disposer d'un espace d'intervention publique et de coordination dans ce nouveau système de conseil agricole basé sur les TICs. / Low-income sub-Saharan African countries are confronted with demographic explosion since the last 60 years. Consequently, agriculture plays a key role in ensuring food security. The agricultural sector is also the main source of employment in this region. Women are the major contributing labour force in agriculture in these sub-Saharan African countries. Connected to their key role in the agricultural sector, women farmers are prioritised in policy intervention. Moreover, agricultural extension services are necessary to adapt to different constraints in these countries. Transfer of knowledge is also required to guarantee farm yields and consequently improve small-scale farmers’ livelihoods. Lately, information and communication technologies (ICTs) have enabled the development of new tools, aimed at improving the scope and the effectiveness of advisory services. Policy makers in sub-Saharan African countries are nonetheless confronted with critical questions regarding the impact of these tools, which can also contribute to a ‘digital gender gap’. These issues particularly concern women farmers.This PhD research analyses how ICT tools take into account gender relations, and the situation of women farmers. The thesis is based on the case of Kenya. The dissertation particularly focuses on the development of knowledge-based platforms in agriculture, an ICT policy instrument used by the Kenyan Government to achieve public policy objectives. This country is emblematic because it believes in the assumption that platforms can be inclusive of women farmers’. To answer to this research question, the work is based on three different institutional economic research approaches: feminist economics, the French regulation theory, and economics of services. A conceptual and methodological framework is presented to analyse the inclusion of gender equality in knowledge-based platforms at macro-, meso-, and micro- level.The results provide evidence that gender equality objectives is a fundamental guiding principle to the Government of Kenya. The analysis show that platforms are considered as new tools of inclusiveness in farm advisory services innovation. Observations from a developed platform typology framework show however that platforms can be source of gender inequality. It especially concerns women farmers unequal access to these instruments and the standardised services that they offer. This is essentially related to the institutional nature of the platform. Indeed, as it turns out, a high number of these instruments are based upon complex partnerships, and financed by multi-national corporations and/or foundations from the agrifood industry based in the Northern hemisphere. Combining institutional economic approaches allowed to bring out critical points of inclusion to be considered by policy makers and platform developers. Disregarding these specificities may make these platforms into new vectors of exclusion. Recognising and taking into account the conditions for inclusion can bring to light powerful levers for improving the efficiency of platforms.

Magister Educationis - MEd / The central aim of this study was to examine the Western Cape Education Department's restructuring process, which entails changing the centralised support service to a more decentralized one through the newly constituted Education Management and Development Centres (EMDCs), in particular, the aim of the study was to explore how one Multi-Functional Team (MFT) in an EMDC structure is attempting to provide more holistic and co-ordinated support to schools. Chapter 1 briefly discusses the South African context, providing a brief historical overview and description of education relevant policy challenges. This chapter also outlines and provides details of the decentralisation process, the challenges of developing an holistic and co-ordinated approach to support, and the research aims, questions and research methodology. In Chapter 2 a literature inter-sectoral collaboration in relation challenges of inter-sectoral to explore the concept of inter This includes an overview of the Chapter 3 provides an overview of the researcn approach,· research design, data collection methods, data processing methods and an ethics methods Chapter 4 provides an analysis and interpretation of data obtained under the categories of analysis provided by the research questions. Chapter 5 provides a summary of the findings as well as recommendations for the improvement of inter-sectoral collaboration within the EMDCs. It also includes a reflection on the research process. The study showed that there is a growing realisation in the EMDCs that services cannot be carried out in isolation and that collaboration, co-operation and co-ordination are necessary for more effective and holistic service delivery. Most of the participants in this study emphasized that services need to be better coordinated and that there was a need for better communication and leadership within the MFT. When asking the question about the difficulties experienced in trying to co-ordinate support services, they said that there is little co-ordination and management within the MFT. Some of the participants said that there is no time for reporting, recording or planning, and most of the time all the role players are not available to attend meetings or discussions. The primary reason given for poor co-ordination was that there was a lack of overall co-ordination in planning projects being run in the EMDC . This study should make a contribution to an understanding of how the EMDC can provide more coordinated and holistic support to schools. It should, among other things, give insight into the challenges of inter-sectoral collaboration and how to address these challenges.