Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. / This mixed methods study examined specific influences on low usage of analytics among level 4 managers in a selected public sector organisation, based on SAP Business Intelligence (SAP BI) log on statistics collected between July 2012 and June 2016. Analytics provides an organisation the ability to enable its management team to make decisions based on facts, rather than assumption. The aim of this interpretivist research, grounded in a subjectivist epistemological position, was to gain an in-depth understanding of the manager’s environment and how it influences the usage and adoption of analytics in strategic decision making. Human beings change all the time and the environment in which they find themselves constantly influences them. The main research question was: what specific factors inhibit managers’ use of analytics in organisations? A case study approach was deemed the most appropriate for this kind of study because specific environmental factors influence analytics usage. Themes identified as possible factors influencing different dimensions included: individual characteristics, business intelligence systems quality, organisational factors, macro-environment factors, behavioural beliefs and attitudes, effort perceptions, social influence, facilitating conditions and other. For the qualitative component, eight level 4 public sector managers within the selected organisation were interviewed in order to experience the work environment and their interactions with colleagues, while an electronic survey questionnaire yielded data from 211 level 4 managers. The rationale for selecting this category of managers was that they not only manage staff, but also control a budget, and would find it useful to utilise analytics to aid the decision making process. Qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods were used to analyse the data. Dominant themes that emerged from interviews with eight level 4 managers were: organisational factors and system quality characteristics. Daily log on statistics collected from the electronic survey questionnaire yielded quantitative results on usage of analytics within the organisation. Overall, it was found that managers’ use of analytics is low. Given the importance of analytics for informed decision-making, recommendations are made to increase usage.

M.Tech. / Business Intelligence (BI) is a method used to improve on business decision-making, using collections of software applications and tools to view historical, current and predictive operations of a business. However, a company‟s BI solution will not be successful if it is not implemented in a comprehensive and strategic manner. There are three key issues that prevent organisations from benefiting from BI systems. These issues include the lack of pervasiveness of BI systems, managing a variety of non-related systems that do not work well together and using traditional methods that have not evolved to meet organisational needs (Koehler, 2008). BI vendors misinform many business users that BI tools are usable by all users in an organisation, and end up been too complex for the average user to use. The first mistake an organisation makes when assessing a BI system is neglecting to include business users on selecting the best option, although they will be the main users of the solution (Quinn, 2007). Many Information Technology (IT) departments ask for BI systems based on the assumption that once it is built, that users will automatically see the benefits. BI applications require a clear and intimate understanding of the business itself and it is only by working on business and IT issues in tandem that the real value of BI is realised (Hostmann, 2007).

Numerous publications have expressed concerns regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in business decision-making. These concerns encompass bias, competence, the absence of an AI development strategy, and the limited attention given to strategic and legal issues and explainability of AI decisions. Therefore, this thesis aims to explore these concerns and examine how companies can address the associated challenges by focusing on the perspectives of the interviewees.Apart from theoretical research and literature review, this thesis relies on qualitative research through semi-structured interviews to collect empirical data. The study involved four respondents who participated in the interviews and provided valuable insights contributing to the findings.The results highlight privacy, explainability, bias fairness, and competence and education as the major legal and strategic concerns associated with AI in business decision-making. The respondents suggested various solutions, including promoting diverse and inclusive decisionmaking processes, data classification, and the utilization of AI models to explain the decisions made by AI systems. In addition, outside the direct focus of the study, some respondents mentioned challenges to knowledge transfer and the use of cloud solutions for data storage.The study’s contributions provide companies that are implementing or have already implemented AI technologies for business decision-making with knowledge about the current challenges in this domain. It also offers insights into how the interviewees ranked these challenges in terms of priority and their perspectives on potential solutions and actions to achieve a balance between efficiency and responsibility. However, the study has limitations, such as a small number of respondents, which restricted the analysis of correlations between their answers and potential relations with their roles or company size. Companies should be mindful of these limitations for further research in this area.

The concept of Operational decision making is not new, but in the context of Enterprise Resource Planning implementation as is the case at PFK Electronics (PTY) Ltd., it becomes part of what ERP process that makes organisations more competitive and profitable as Wallace and Kremzar (2001) comment, "Effective forecasting, planning, and scheduling is fundamental to productivity and ERP is a fundamental way to achieve it. Properly implementing ERP will give you a competitive advantage and help you run your business more effectively, efficiently and responsively." The Operational decision making process that forms part of the research question is a process known as Sales and Operational Planning process (SOP's). The research paper is looking at how Real Time Shop floor information can impact on the decision making process, as Wallace and Kremzar (2001 : 165) state that this is the most important element in making ERP systems work. The study looks at what information is required to make effective decisions in the SOP's process and how the respondents perceive information quality, its value and the impact on decision making in the SOP's process. The research sought to further investigate a diverse demographic population, the behavioural culture within the organisation and their perception on having this information in real time directly from the shop floor. Data was collected via a survey questionnaire and an interview process which also required the review of organisational documentation where available. The research aimed to investigate what information Operations (SOP's) need to make effective decisions to meet the organisational strategic objectives and to determine the best means of obtaining and communicating the information to managers. Developing this further the research was then broken down into three objectives: • To investigate 'what' information sales and operations managers need in order to make effective decisions that will have an impact on them meeting strategic performance objectives. • To evaluate 'how' real time shop floor information can improve the decision making process in Operations in meeting strategic objectives; by understanding the types and methods used in decision making and the significance of time on information. • To recommend suitable Information Communication Technology (ICT) systems to obtain and communicate information to managers effectively within operations. During this process time constraints were of a concern, which manifested in objective three not being able to be completed to the satisfaction of the researcher. However the research process, which included the survey and interviews of respondents, the researcher felt that respondents where honest and open in expressing their views which adds to the validity and reliability of the research. The results showed that there was a clear understanding of the topic amongst the respondents. It showed that the respondents had a good understanding of information and its importance in meeting strategic objectives by making better decisions. It became clear that ERP was generally working well but that timeliness of information was the biggest obstacle in meeting strategic objectives in balancing supply and demand. The research identified the information necessary for the SOP's process to be effective and it also showed the impact of having real time shop floor information available to the decision making process. It also showed that there would be other benefits as performance could also be improved by having real time performance indicators that are used to set the pace and common goal. The report also identified some cultural differences between PFK electronics culture and NUMSA unionised employees culture and the impact it has on relationships and communication. The report concludes with the research question being answered and with a recommendation that the single most important means of improving operational effectiveness is going to be to improve the quality of information used in decision making. The research has shown that getting this information in 'real time' or as close as possible to real time is the best means of improving the quality of information and its impact on management decisions. It is further recommended to investigate the implementation of systems such as Manufacturing Execution Systems to link the shop floor directly into the current ERP system and lastly to find a means of bridging the cultural differences between NUMSA unionised employees and PFK behavioural culture. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / M.B.A.

The concept of Operational decision making is not new, but in the context of Enterprise Resource Planning implementation as is the case at PFK Electronics (PTY) Ltd., it becomes part of what ERP process that makes organisations more competitive and profitable as Wallace and Kremzar (2001) comment, "Effective forecasting, planning, and scheduling is fundamental to productivity and ERP is a fundamental way to achieve it. Properly implementing ERP will give you a competitive advantage and help you run your business more effectively, efficiently and responsively." The Operational decision making process that forms part of the research question is a process known as Sales and Operational Planning process (SOP's). The research paper is looking at how Real Time Shop floor information can impact on the decision making process, as Wallace and Kremzar (2001 : 165) state that this is the most important element in making ERP systems work. The study looks at what information is required to make effective decisions in the SOP's process and how the respondents perceive information quality, its value and the impact on decision making in the SOP's process. The research sought to further investigate a diverse demographic population, the behavioural culture within the organisation and their perception on having this information in real time directly from the shop floor. Data was collected via a survey questionnaire and an interview process which also required the review of organisational documentation where available. The research aimed to investigate what information Operations (SOP's) need to make effective decisions to meet the organisational strategic objectives and to determine the best means of obtaining and communicating the information to managers. Developing this further the research was then broken down into three objectives: • To investigate 'what' information sales and operations managers need in order to make effective decisions that will have an impact on them meeting strategic performance objectives. • To evaluate 'how' real time shop floor information can improve the decision making process in Operations in meeting strategic objectives; by understanding the types and methods used in decision making and the significance of time on information. • To recommend suitable Information Communication Technology (ICT) systems to obtain and communicate information to managers effectively within operations. During this process time constraints were of a concern, which manifested in objective three not being able to be completed to the satisfaction of the researcher. However the research process, which included the survey and interviews of respondents, the researcher felt that respondents where honest and open in expressing their views which adds to the validity and reliability of the research. The results showed that there was a clear understanding of the topic amongst the respondents. It showed that the respondents had a good understanding of information and its importance in meeting strategic objectives by making better decisions. It became clear that ERP was generally working well but that timeliness of information was the biggest obstacle in meeting strategic objectives in balancing supply and demand. The research identified the information necessary for the SOP's process to be effective and it also showed the impact of having real time shop floor information available to the decision making process. It also showed that there would be other benefits as performance could also be improved by having real time performance indicators that are used to set the pace and common goal. The report also identified some cultural differences between PFK electronics culture and NUMSA unionised employees culture and the impact it has on relationships and communication. The report concludes with the research question being answered and with a recommendation that the single most important means of improving operational effectiveness is going to be to improve the quality of information used in decision making. The research has shown that getting this information in 'real time' or as close as possible to real time is the best means of improving the quality of information and its impact on management decisions. It is further recommended to investigate the implementation of systems such as Manufacturing Execution Systems to link the shop floor directly into the current ERP system and lastly to find a means of bridging the cultural differences between NUMSA unionised employees and PFK behavioural culture. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / M.B.A.

<p>Predmet ovog istraživanja je ponašanje donosilaca odluka u uslovima<br />neizvesnosti. Na osnovu sprovedene simulacije među subjektima i<br />dobijenih rezultata, cilj ove disertacije je da se utvrde dominantni<br />faktori prilikom poslovnog odlučivanja u uslovma kada donosiolac<br />poslovnih odluka ne raspolaže informacijama potrebnim za ispravno<br />donošenje odluka u trenucima kada njegova investicija ostvaruje<br />gubitak. Prilikom utvrđivanja sklonosti donosioca odluke u obzir je<br />uzet i pol donosioca odluke i poslovni status, kao i prethodno<br />iskazane sklonosti ka riziku.</p> / <p>The subject of this research is behavior of decision &ndash; makers in ambiguous<br />surroundings. Based on the simulation that was conducted among subjects<br />and results obtained from it, the aim of this dissertation is to establish<br />dominant factors that influence decision &ndash; making process in situations<br />where information neccesery for adequate decision &ndash; making are not<br />available to decision &ndash; makers in situations where decision &ndash; makers are<br />facing loss. Gender and employmet status were taken into consideration<br />during determination of decision &ndash; makers preferences, as well as their<br />previously exhibited risk preferences.</p>

This study is located in the rather young area of international entrepreneurship research. Despite the vast literature in Western countries exploring the nexuses on entrepreneurship-national culture and entrepreneurship-decision making, we know very little about how bounded rationality and national culture affect the entrepreneur’s capital budgeting decision making in emerging economies. Past research on small business and capital budgeting shows a predominance of quantitative approaches to identify which capital budgeting techniques were used and why they are used. Through qualitative interviews with 20 Mexican and 20 Canadian participants, this study looks at how Mexican and Canadian entrepreneurs approach capital budgeting decisions in small businesses in the food sector industry. This study confirms that capital budgeting decisions are taken under conditions of bounded rationality, but also suggests that context affects how bounded rationality is used. For instance, Mexican entrepreneurs rely more on “gut feeling”, while Canadian entrepreneurs tend to combine intuition with business plans. The differences observed for both national samples are further discussed through a Hofstedian and a GLOBE lens. I argue that national culture affects how capital budgeting decisions are made throughout the decision making process (planning, identifying, evaluating, selecting and authorizing) and also that national culture plays a role for who influences the entrepreneurs’ decisions. By contextualizing capital budgeting decisions and using a constructivist logic of discovery, this study provides insights into entrepreneurs’ capital budgeting decision making in small businesses and suggests that national cultural differences play a valuable part in understanding this important aspect of entrepreneurial activity. This thesis also adds to our understanding of entrepreneurs in emerging economies.

by Lau Tak Yun, Ma Kai Sun. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1990. / Bibliography: leaves 79-80. / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLES OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS --- p.v / LISTS OF TABLES AND GRAPHS --- p.vii / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Focus of study --- p.4 / Chapter II. --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.7 / Jung's Theory of Psychological Types --- p.7 / Heller's Model of Leadership Style --- p.12 / Chapter III. --- THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK --- p.17 / Size of the Firm and the Decision´ؤmaking Style --- p.17 / Individual Endogenous Factors of the Entrepreneur --- p.20 / Jung's Psychological Types --- p.20 / Motivations --- p.21 / Time Horizon --- p.22 / Risk Attitude --- p.24 / Demograghic Variables --- p.25 / The Overall Theoretical Framework --- p.27 / Chapter IV. --- RESEARCH DESIGN --- p.29 / Objective --- p.29 / Sampling --- p.29 / Mailing Questionaire --- p.30 / Screening Criteria --- p.31 / Variables and their measurement --- p.32 / Analysis --- p.35 / Endogenous Factors --- p.35 / Decision-making Style --- p.39 / "Correlation between the Demographic and Individual Endogenous factors, and Decision-making Style" --- p.39 / Correlation between Decision-making Style and Company size (growth) --- p.41 / Chapter V. --- FINDINGS --- p.42 / Size of the Company --- p.42 / Demograghic Profile --- p.42 / Sex --- p.42 / Education --- p.44 / Age --- p.47 / Endogenous Factor --- p.47 / Jung's Psychological Types --- p.47 / Time Horizon --- p.50 / Motivation --- p.52 / Decision-making Style in the Seven Decision-making Areas --- p.55 / Decision-making Style and the Size of the Staff --- p.57 / "Correlation between Endogenous and Demograhic Factors, and Decision- making Style" --- p.60 / Chapter VI. --- SUMMARY Of THE STUDY --- p.69 / Chapter VII. --- DISCUSSION --- p.71 / Chapter APPENDIX I. --- SPSSPC PROGRAMS --- p.73 / Chapter APPENDIX II. --- DATA FILE --- p.77 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.79

This master’s thesis is focused on evaluation of managerial reporting in defined department of a company and by using a case study approach, it designs a reporting that actively engages Business Intelligence tools based on performed process and infrastructure analysis. Prior to the analysis there a literature review explaining concepts of information management and Business Intelligence. The thesis is concluded by a project plan that designs a proposal of the new reporting process utilizing given technology.

Organisations do not know how to effectively employ information systems to their benefit because business and information system(IS) decisions are not aligned and due to a lack of understanding of the different types of IS decisions. The objectives of the study were stated as follows: • To confirm the existence of a relationship between business and information system decisions. A review of the literature supported the notion that IS decisions need to be aligned with business decisions. • To clarify the link between IS strategy and structural decisions. The study introduced a framework that suggested that to facilitate the link between business and IS decisions the respective strategy components need to be linked and that IS structural components will primarily be determined by IS strategy components. Information systems have become a strategic resource for all organisations and, not only is it perceived a very important competitive factor, but the importance will increase in the years to come. Organisations spend large amounts of money on information "':> systems. There is also the expectation that IS should CQ!ltribute_ to the achieve,£1:enμi, business goals and the overall financial performance of the company. Most senior executives believe that the amount of money invested in information systems and technology cannot be justified based on it's perceived contribution to the achievement of organisational objectives! Considerable effort was made to identify the relevant business strategy, IS strategy, and IS structural components. The business strategy components identified were selected specifically for their competitive focus. The population selected included the top companies in South Africa based on financial performance. The basis for the decision was that successful companies would link business and IS decisions and they would understand the intrinsic differences between IS strategy and structure components. / Business Leadership / D. B. L. (Business Leadership)