Change management is a discipline fundamental to the task of building ever more complex computing systems. Properly managed change provides a means whereby alterations to existing components of a complex artefact and their relationships can be evaluated, managed and evolved. This thesis takes as its example Official RAAF Publications, some of which need to be revised as a result of changes to the system they describe. The thesis develops a model of change propagation providing a set of operations to examine and record the changes to a set of publications. Additional operations enable coping with reversing decisions and handling the unexpected arrival of externally generated amendments. The model is extended to cover a finer granularity of entities (at the page level) to determine whether this greater level of detail would ease some tasks. A further extension provides the notion of relationships between the publications of concern, focusing on a dependency relationship between two publications. This enables exploration of the possibility of improving the process by reducing the risk of missing publications needing revision and providing a means by which some tasks can be partly automated thus speeding up the process. The models presented were developed in Sum, a variant of the Z specification language, to gain greater insight into the essential details of the operations and data structures involved. By ignoring implementation details the essential logical steps of each model can be emphasised and their differences and similarities contrasted. This thesis demonstrates that fine-grained change management is feasible. The thesis develops processes that automatically track the status of changes as they are propagated through a set of documents. The greater knowledge of work done on individual pages allows only the page(s) of concern to be affected. The work also enables recommendations to be made as to the applicability of each model and, by comparing the models, provides insight into the amount of work and resources required for tackling change at different levels of granularity.

Problematisering: Ungefär 70 procent av sammanslagningar och uppköp som genomförs runt om i världen lyckas inte nå sina uppsatta mål. Tidigare forskning har uppvisat en rad olika anledningar till detta, där förändringsarbetet har påvisats vara avgörande för tiden efter att sammanslagningen har ägt rum. Denna period benämns med begreppet PMI (post-merger integration) och syftar till att integrera tillgångar, arbetsuppgifter och personal från de verksamheter som omfattas av sammanslagningen. Problematiken som uppstår under dessa perioder har till stor del visat sig bero på mänskliga faktorer snarare än finansiella aspekter som företagsledningar kan visa ett större intresse för. Det är därför väsentligt att uppmärksamma hur både ledning och medarbetare upplever arbetssituationen, för att skapa förståelse av vad som kan vara avgörande inom förändringsarbete för en sammanslagnings efterföljande period. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att skapa förståelse av hur ledning och medarbetare upplever arbetssituationen, med avseende på förändringsarbete, efter en sammanslagning av två tidigare skilda verksamhetsgrenar inom samma koncern. Forskningsfrågor: Hur skiljer sig ledningens upplevelser från medarbetarnas? Vilka parametrar inom förändringsarbete kan vara avgörande för hur arbetssituationen upplevs av ledning och medarbetare efter en intern sammanslagning? Kunskapsbidrag: Efter studerandet av hur arbetssituationen upplevs i perioden efter en sammanslagning, kan studien ge en indikation på vilka aspekter som organisationer bör fokusera på under integrationsfasen för att lyckas sammanföra de involverade parterna. Slutsats: Studien har påvisat att upplevelser av arbetssituationen efter en sammanslagning skiljer sig mellan ledning och medarbetare. Detta har främst visat sig i synen på vad som anses vara möjligheter kontra utmaningar för organisationen samt synen på ansvarsfördelning. Gemensamma upplevelser har påvisats gällande  samarbete, behov av kontinuerligt förbättringsarbete och förståelse för att förändringar  tar tid. De parametrar som har fastställts vara avgörande inom förändringsarbete för hur arbetssituationen upplevs efter denna typ av organisatorisk förändring kan  sammanfattas i uppföljningsarbete, engagemang, kommunikationsförmåga, mottaglighet, förändringsbenägenhet samt samarbetsvillighet och delaktighet. / Problematisation: About 70 percent of all mergers and acquisitions do not reach their desired goals. Research has identified several reasons for this, and has shown that it is necessary to focus on the integration process after the merger. The time after the agreement has been closed between the two parties is referred to as post-merger integration (PMI), which includes the integration between assets, business activities and personnel. One reason why mergers fail in this context depends on human factors rather than financial aspects as the top management might focus on. Therefore, it can be crucial to observe how top managers and employees perceive their situation at work to create understanding of what factors within change management that can determine how the situation is perceived during the PMI-process. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to create understanding of how managers and employees perceive their situation at work during the post-merger integration process when two former differentiated business lines have been merged within the same group. Research questions: How do the perceptions differ between managers and employees? What factors within change management can determine how the situation at work is perceived by managers and employees after a merger? Contribution: To create understanding about change processes after a merger, this study can indicate what factors organisations should focus on in the post-merger integration process. Conclusion: This study shows that the perceptions of how the situation at work is perceived differs between managers and employees. The differentiated perceptions have principally been shown in the context of what can be considered as opportunities versus challenges and how responsibility is assigned within the organisation. Common perceptions have also been identified and these can be summarized in cooperation,  ongoing improvement work and understanding of the fact that organisational changes  take time. Regarding what factors within change management that can determine how the work situation is perceived, several have been revealed. These can be concluded in terms of follow-up, dedication, communication, susceptibility, willingness to change, cooperativeness and complicity.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-12T15:53:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 arquivo1933_1.pdf: 2116074 bytes, checksum: 1144c9fce7906fba6fc1437ad2a4c27b (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Reuso de software é um aspecto chave para organizações interessadas em obter melhorias de produtividade, qualidade e redução de custos. Linhas de Produto de Software é uma abordagem de reúso de software que provou seus benefícios em diferentes contextos industriais (Weiss et al., 2006). Em termos de evolução, uma linha de produtos é um conjunto em contínua evolução, e por isso, sua evolução precisa ser gerenciada para que se alcance os benefícios dessa abordagem. O fato de um core asset ser compartilhado entre produtos, e todas as mudanças neste core asset poder ter efeito sobre diversos produtos (McGregor, 2003), aliado ao fato que em linhas de produto de software é preciso lidar com evolução no tempo (versões) e também evolução no espaço (variabilidade) (Krueger, 2002), faz com que o gerenciamento da evolução (mudanças) em linhas de produto de software seja mais complexo e mais desafiador do que o desenvolvimento tradicional de sistemas únicos (Pussinen, 2002). Portanto, a evolução dos core assets e também dos produtos precisa ser bem gerenciada para minimizar os problemas causados por ela. Este desafio envolve diferentes soluções, como questões técnicas, gerenciais e processuais. Desta forma, o foco desta dissertação está nos problemas ligados ao processo de gerenciamento evolução em linhas de produto de software. Neste contexto, este trabalho apresenta o RiPLE-EM, que é um processo para gerenciamento da evolução. Este processo é uma forma sistemática de guiar e gerenciar a evolução de cada core asset e cada produto, englobando atividades de gerenciamento de mudanças, builds, e entregas. Esta dissertação também apresenta a validação inicial do RiPLE-EM, seguindo guias bem estabelecidos de experimentação de software (Wohlin et al., 2000), e de acordo com os dados coletados e analisados na experimentação, RiPLE-EM mostra indicações de que seja um processo viável para o gerenciamento da evolução em linhas de produto de software

The thesis deals with the implementation of project culture into IT department of a digital agency with the objective to streamline the project management processes associated with websites creation. The thesis is divided into three main parts. In the first part, theoretical basis related to the matter of change management, project management and processes related to the creation of web pages are compiled. The second part analyzes the current state of execution of processes related to managing of websites in a selected company. The third, design part, covers the project of changing the implementation of project culture into company's IT department, including the design of methodology for managing website creation projects using appropriate project management techniques and tools.

Während die landläufigen Vorstellungen von „Bibliothek“ bislang beunruhigend statisch bleiben, erzwingen die fortschreitende Digitalisierung von Medien und die Mobilisierung des Mediengebrauchs längst neue Bedeutungsinhalte. In Fachkreisen entwickelt sich die Idee service- und erlebnisorientierter Lernräume anstelle des klassischen Medienspeichers zu einem gängigen Leitbild. Doch wie aussichtsreich ist diese neue Schwerpunktbildung? Und wie wird dieser Anspruch tatsächlich erfüllt und nachhaltig gesichert? Ausgehend von den Umbrüchen in der gesamten Informations- und Medienbranche beschreibt der Beitrag wesentliche Rahmenbedingungen für das Innovationsmanagement in Bibliotheken und die Schlussfolgerungen, die daraus zu ziehen sind. Anschließend werden einige konkrete Entwicklungschancen für physische Bibliotheksorte vorgestellt. / Up to now, the general image of a “library” has remained alarmingly unchanged. But the advancing digitization of media and the mobilization of media use require new meaning and content. Among experts the idea of service- and experience-oriented learning spaces evolves as a common concept, replacing the classical media storehouses. But how promising is this new concept? And how is this claim met and sustainably ensured? Based on changes in the information and media sector, the article describes the general framework for innovation management in libraries and the related conclusions. Subsequently, some concrete development opportunities for physical libraries are presented.

In order for businesses to increase their chances of survival in the global market, adaptable organizations and competent change leaders are required. Leadership and change management are becoming increasingly important, with a particular emphasis on engaged and transformative leadership. Despite the proven ability of female leadership to facilitate transformative change, it is often overlooked. This qualitative study examines the knowledge gap regarding key factors for successful change leadership, characteristics of successful change leaders, and the significance of gender. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants who have held or currently hold leadership positions and have implemented change processes. The study explores the importance of gender in successful change leadership, differences among successful leaders, and the role of gender. Participants included both men and women in leadership positions with experience in driving change.  The results showed that clear, direct, and honest communication tailored to the recipient is crucial for managing change. The study emphasizes the need for change leaders to possess communication and social skills in order to thrive in a dynamic global market. Employee involvement and heterogeneous groups were also identified as important factors that increase the likelihood of success. A good leader is outward-facing and engages with individuals who have diverse and stimulating tasks. The findings of the study revealed that female leaders are often not recognized as a success factor, despite their ability to implement transformative changes. Gender itself does not differentiate successful change leaders from others; rather, individual characteristics play a significant role. / För att verksamheter ska öka sina överlevnadschanser i den globala marknaden krävs det att organisationen är förändringsbenägen och innehar kompetenta förändringsledare. Ledarskap och förändringsarbete blir allt viktigare, med särskild vikt för engagerat och transformativt ledarskap.  Denna kvalitativa studie undersöker det forskningsgap som identifierats kring viktiga faktorer för framgångsrik förändringsledning och egenskaper hos framgångsrika förändringsledare. Vidare undersöker studien könets betydelse hos framgångsrika förändringsarbeten. Studiens frågeställningar har besvarats genom semistrukturerade intervjuer av deltagare som varit i ledarskapspositioner och genomfört förändringsprocesser. Studien undersöker könets betydelse för framgångsrik förändringsledning och skillnader mellan framgångsrika ledare samt könets roll varför studiens deltagare bestått av både män och kvinnor i ledarskapspositioner med förändringserfarenhet. Resultaten visade att tydlig, direkt och ärlig kommunikation anpassad till mottagaren är avgörande för att hanteringen kring förändringar. Förändringsledare behöver enligt studiens resultat sådana typer av egenskaper som främjar kommunikations- och sociala färdigheter för att verksamheten ska överleva på en föränderlig global marknad. Studiens resultat påvisar att en bra ledare är utåtriktad och socialiserar med människor med varierande och stimulerande uppgifter. Medarbetarinvolvering och heterogena grupper är ytterligare faktorer som ökar också chanserna till framgång. Könet hos en ledare i sig skiljer inte framgångsrika förändringsledare från andra, utan det är de individuella egenskaper hos ledaren som spelar en betydande roll.

Omvärlden ställer allt oftare krav på miljömässigt hållbara varor och tjänster. Alltfler organisationer väljer därför att införa miljöledningssystem enligt den internationella standarden ISO 14001. Att införa ett sådant system innebär förändringar i en organisations verksamhet. Förändringsprocesser kan skapa motstånd hos medarbetare i verksamheten. Syftet med studien är att se vilka utmaningar som projektledare möter vid införande av miljöledningssystem och hur de hanterar dessa. Fem projektledare som lett införandet av ISO 14001 har intervjuats och resultaten har analyserats med hjälp av grundad teori. Genom kodning, kategorisering och analys av intervjumaterialet framträdde två huvudsakliga kärnkategorier – motstånd och möjliggörande. Det framkom att projektledarna har upplevt motstånd vid införandet av miljöledningssystemet i form av ifrågasättande, bristande engagemang, kulturpåverkan, bristfälligt ledningsstöd och otydligt uppdrag. De såg samtidigt att kommunikationsanpassning, verksamhetsanpassning, engagemangskapande, delaktighetsskapande och organisationsnyttjande underlättar införandet. Studiens resultat bidrar med ökad kunskap om vilka faktorer som kan vara viktiga att ta hänsyn till vid införande av miljöledningssystem.

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the Masters Degree of Technology: Public Relations Management, Durban University of Technology, 2010. / This research emerges within the context of changes that occurred in the public sector post apartheid, which meant invariable changes within the organisation’s structure and processes. More specifically, it brought with it a changing role of communication in managing change. With communication being the lifeblood and binding element within an organisation, having effective and efficient communication within the organisation can therefore assist in keeping the various parts of an organisation together, making it easier for the organisation to maintain itself during change. This study locates Senior Communication Officers within Thusong Service Centres in the GCIS and investigates the role communication plays in managing change within the organisation. The study critically examines Lundwig Von Bertalanffy’s (1968) Systems Theory in understanding the interrelatedness of a system such as the GCIS and the role organisational communication channels play in maintaining the process of change. Furthermore, this study analyses the influence of the Chaos Theory within the concept of managing change and the flow of communication within an organisation. This study suggests ways in which Senior Communication Officers can play a vital role in managing change by analysing the underlying principles and concepts of the Chaos Theory and incorporating them within the role of communication during the change process.

The dissertation discusses the impact of change management during the implementation of an IT system. The theoretical part of the dissertation is aimed at gaining information about human performance, and the implications during the implementation of the system, and also post-implementation. Literature suggests that the human factor is the key to the successful implementation of system projects. The study, which is qualitative in nature, makes use of face-to-face interviews for the collection of evidence, as well as questionnaires as add-on tools to support the underlying constructs and research questions posed within the study. The use of data obtained from the research interviews, as well as survey data, has provided the research study with the necessary validity, reliabilityand trustworthy data to support the research results, findings – and to be able to make some recommendations. The reason for the failure of system implementation projects is often due to poor implementation during the project. It is important to place the importance of people on a par with technology and processes. A holistic approach would be the most likely to result in the acceptance – and the efficient and effective use of the implemented system. Communication, training and management participation are common means of addressingany fears of change, and to build trust. This information should be utilised by project teams during implementation projects, as it should help to provide the necessary framework to ensure the success of the change initiatives. / Human Resource Management / M. Tech. (Human Resource Management)

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Change is inevitable in today's demanding and changing business world. For an organisation to strategise effectively, it needs a process that is systematic and planned to ensure that the company can compete successfully, please customers and achieve good business and financial performance. The first section of the study focuses on a literature overview with regards to strategic repositioning. A model will be developed that highlight the importance of certain key issues that must be present to ensure an effective and workable strategy. The overview will show that the common mistake that organisations make, is to look only at the external environment, without giving much attention to key internal issues. From the model it will become evident that issues such as the organisational statements, the culture of the organisation, the way change efforts are handlep and what a company does to become world-class, are critical to ensure successful strategic repositioning. The second half of the study focuses on the application of the strategic repositioning model that was developed, to Ceres Fruit Juices (Pty) Ltd. A complete analysis will be done on the organisation statements, as well as an assessment on the culture and how far Ceres Fruit Juices is towards becoming a world-class organisation. From the results it was evident that Ceres Fruit Juices (Pty) Ltd needs to map out all their change activities to ensure the reaching of its strategic objectives. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Verandering is onvermydelik in vandag se veeleisende en veranderende besigheidswêreld. Vir 'n organisasie om 'n effektiewe strategie daar te stel, is dit noodsaaklik dat 'n sistematiese en beplande proses gevolg word om te verseker dat 'n maatskappy suksesvol kan meeding, kliënte tevrede kan stel en goeie besigheids- en finansiële resultate kan behaal. Die eerste gedeelte van die studie fokus op 'n literatuur-oorsig rondom strategiese herposisionering. 'n Model sal ontwikkel word wat teenwoordig moet wees om 'n effektiewe en werkbare strategie daar te stel. Die oorsig sal verder uitwys dat die algemene fout wat maatskappye maak, is om slegs na die eksterne omgewing te kyk, sonder om aandag aan kritiese interne aspekte te gee. Vanuit die model sal afgelei word dat aspekte soos organisasie doelstellings, die kultuur van die organisasie, die manier hoe verandering hanteer word en eienskappe wat aanwesig moet wees om op wêreldstandaard te wees, krities is om suksesvolle strategiese herposisionering te verseker. Die tweede helfte van die studie fokus op die toepassing van die strategiese herposisioneringsmodel wat ontwikkel is, op Ceres Fruit Juices (Pty) Ltd. 'n Volledig ontleding sal gedoen word op die organisasie doelstellings, sowel as 'n beoordeling van die kultuur en hoe ver Ceres Fruit Juices Ipty) Ltd op die pad is om 'n wêreldklas onderneming te word. Afleidings wat gemaak is vanuit die resultate, toon duidelik dat die maatskappy 'n volledige plan moet opstel vir hulle verandering aktiwiteite om te verseker dat daar by die strategiese doelwitte uitgekom word.