No mundo que permeia o universo empresarial atual, a atuação dos gestores fica cada vez mais sensível a fatores que giram ao redor de sua área de entendimento e das organizações em que atuam. ULRICH (2003) indica que os gestores de RH deveriam atuar sob uma ótica de multiplicidade de papéis (parceiro estratégico, defensor dos funcionários, agente da mudança e especialista administrativo) para que pudessem fazer frente à atuação das novas organizações que estão surgindo em função da globalização. O estudo dessa dissertação procura analisar se essa multiplicidade de papéis propostos pelo referido pesquisador são aplicáveis para gestores de qualquer área da organização e não somente os gestores de RH. Para tanto, utilizou-se o estudo de caso único em uma empresa de serviços. Através da elaboração e uso de um questionário, obteve-se a confirmação exploratória sobre a aplicabilidade dos múltiplos papéis propostos por ULRICH (2003) em qualquer área e nível de gestão. Isto foi confirmado cruzando-se dois blocos de questões independentes, um utilizando escala de Likert para avaliar a aplicabilidade dos papéis e outro bloco utilizando variáveis sobre a importância dos papéis, os quais apresentaram resultados semelhantes. Obteve-se também resposta qualitativa dos gestores pesquisados. Sugere-se também neste estudo, caso a organização assim desejar, a ampliação do entendimento desses papéis através de um planejamento a ser adotado na empresa e a possibilidade de ampliação do estudo para um número maior de organizações, o que poderá ampliar o referencial conceitual aliado ao fato de que o contexto onde essa multiplicidade de papéis dos gestores está presente, poderá implicar em novos conhecimentos a serem agregados. / In our current business scenario, the managers' performance is increasingly more sensitive to factors revolving around their area of understanding and the organizations where they operate. ULRICH (2003), states that HR managers should play multiple roles (strategic partner, employee defender, change agent and administrative specialist) so that they can live up to the performance of new organizations that are coming up as a result of globalization. This study aims to ascertain whether such multiple roles proposed by the aforementioned researcher are applicable to managers of just about any area of the organization, not just to HR managers. To that end, the study relied on a single case study conducted in a service organization. By means of a questionnaire developed for this purpose, the exploratory confirmation about the applicability of multiple roles proposed by ULRICH (2003) was achieved for any area and level of management. This has been confirmed by cross-referencing two blocks of independent questions. One block made use of the Likert scale to assess the applicability of roles and one block used variables associated with the importance of roles, with similar results. We also obtained a qualitative answer from the managers included in the survey. The study suggests that, if the organization so wishes, the knowledge base of these roles can be improved with the adoption of a plan to be implemented within the company and the possibility of increasing the study to cover a greater number of organizations, which might increase the conceptual referential allied to the fact that the context where this multiplicity of management roles is present, might imply the addition of a new knowledge base.

No mundo que permeia o universo empresarial atual, a atuação dos gestores fica cada vez mais sensível a fatores que giram ao redor de sua área de entendimento e das organizações em que atuam. ULRICH (2003) indica que os gestores de RH deveriam atuar sob uma ótica de multiplicidade de papéis (parceiro estratégico, defensor dos funcionários, agente da mudança e especialista administrativo) para que pudessem fazer frente à atuação das novas organizações que estão surgindo em função da globalização. O estudo dessa dissertação procura analisar se essa multiplicidade de papéis propostos pelo referido pesquisador são aplicáveis para gestores de qualquer área da organização e não somente os gestores de RH. Para tanto, utilizou-se o estudo de caso único em uma empresa de serviços. Através da elaboração e uso de um questionário, obteve-se a confirmação exploratória sobre a aplicabilidade dos múltiplos papéis propostos por ULRICH (2003) em qualquer área e nível de gestão. Isto foi confirmado cruzando-se dois blocos de questões independentes, um utilizando escala de Likert para avaliar a aplicabilidade dos papéis e outro bloco utilizando variáveis sobre a importância dos papéis, os quais apresentaram resultados semelhantes. Obteve-se também resposta qualitativa dos gestores pesquisados. Sugere-se também neste estudo, caso a organização assim desejar, a ampliação do entendimento desses papéis através de um planejamento a ser adotado na empresa e a possibilidade de ampliação do estudo para um número maior de organizações, o que poderá ampliar o referencial conceitual aliado ao fato de que o contexto onde essa multiplicidade de papéis dos gestores está presente, poderá implicar em novos conhecimentos a serem agregados. / In our current business scenario, the managers' performance is increasingly more sensitive to factors revolving around their area of understanding and the organizations where they operate. ULRICH (2003), states that HR managers should play multiple roles (strategic partner, employee defender, change agent and administrative specialist) so that they can live up to the performance of new organizations that are coming up as a result of globalization. This study aims to ascertain whether such multiple roles proposed by the aforementioned researcher are applicable to managers of just about any area of the organization, not just to HR managers. To that end, the study relied on a single case study conducted in a service organization. By means of a questionnaire developed for this purpose, the exploratory confirmation about the applicability of multiple roles proposed by ULRICH (2003) was achieved for any area and level of management. This has been confirmed by cross-referencing two blocks of independent questions. One block made use of the Likert scale to assess the applicability of roles and one block used variables associated with the importance of roles, with similar results. We also obtained a qualitative answer from the managers included in the survey. The study suggests that, if the organization so wishes, the knowledge base of these roles can be improved with the adoption of a plan to be implemented within the company and the possibility of increasing the study to cover a greater number of organizations, which might increase the conceptual referential allied to the fact that the context where this multiplicity of management roles is present, might imply the addition of a new knowledge base.

No mundo que permeia o universo empresarial atual, a atuação dos gestores fica cada vez mais sensível a fatores que giram ao redor de sua área de entendimento e das organizações em que atuam. ULRICH (2003) indica que os gestores de RH deveriam atuar sob uma ótica de multiplicidade de papéis (parceiro estratégico, defensor dos funcionários, agente da mudança e especialista administrativo) para que pudessem fazer frente à atuação das novas organizações que estão surgindo em função da globalização. O estudo dessa dissertação procura analisar se essa multiplicidade de papéis propostos pelo referido pesquisador são aplicáveis para gestores de qualquer área da organização e não somente os gestores de RH. Para tanto, utilizou-se o estudo de caso único em uma empresa de serviços. Através da elaboração e uso de um questionário, obteve-se a confirmação exploratória sobre a aplicabilidade dos múltiplos papéis propostos por ULRICH (2003) em qualquer área e nível de gestão. Isto foi confirmado cruzando-se dois blocos de questões independentes, um utilizando escala de Likert para avaliar a aplicabilidade dos papéis e outro bloco utilizando variáveis sobre a importância dos papéis, os quais apresentaram resultados semelhantes. Obteve-se também resposta qualitativa dos gestores pesquisados. Sugere-se também neste estudo, caso a organização assim desejar, a ampliação do entendimento desses papéis através de um planejamento a ser adotado na empresa e a possibilidade de ampliação do estudo para um número maior de organizações, o que poderá ampliar o referencial conceitual aliado ao fato de que o contexto onde essa multiplicidade de papéis dos gestores está presente, poderá implicar em novos conhecimentos a serem agregados. / In our current business scenario, the managers' performance is increasingly more sensitive to factors revolving around their area of understanding and the organizations where they operate. ULRICH (2003), states that HR managers should play multiple roles (strategic partner, employee defender, change agent and administrative specialist) so that they can live up to the performance of new organizations that are coming up as a result of globalization. This study aims to ascertain whether such multiple roles proposed by the aforementioned researcher are applicable to managers of just about any area of the organization, not just to HR managers. To that end, the study relied on a single case study conducted in a service organization. By means of a questionnaire developed for this purpose, the exploratory confirmation about the applicability of multiple roles proposed by ULRICH (2003) was achieved for any area and level of management. This has been confirmed by cross-referencing two blocks of independent questions. One block made use of the Likert scale to assess the applicability of roles and one block used variables associated with the importance of roles, with similar results. We also obtained a qualitative answer from the managers included in the survey. The study suggests that, if the organization so wishes, the knowledge base of these roles can be improved with the adoption of a plan to be implemented within the company and the possibility of increasing the study to cover a greater number of organizations, which might increase the conceptual referential allied to the fact that the context where this multiplicity of management roles is present, might imply the addition of a new knowledge base.

In order for Japanese companies to move strategically towards sustainability, it is necessary to identify and understand the national and organizational factors that can hinder or facilitate this organizational shift. Literature reviews, workshops with a Japanese company, questionnaires, and interviews were conducted in order to identify these factors. The results showed that there are many common sustainability barriers between Japan and ‘western’ countries. In addition, there are some Distinctive Cultural Characteristics (DCCs) specific to Japan that have a significant impact on the success of an organization that wants to move towards sustainability. According to the findings, suggestions for sustainability practitioners are provided, which involve understanding the barriers and taking advantage of the DCCs in order to help the Japanese companies to move towards sustainability more effectively.

This study contributes to the existing literature by combining the field of digitaltransformation of the finance function and interim management. To answer the researchquestion, a qualitative multiple case-study was conducted that consisted of 10 semi-structuredinterviews with interim CFOs that have over 10 years of experience in digital transformationsof the finance function. The collected empirical evidence was analyzed through the lens ofseveral expectations derived from the first 6 steps in Kotter's (1995) 8-step change model andthrough other findings that emerged from immersing into the two separate fields of literature.The conceptual framework highlights critical aspects that organizations need to carefullyprocess to successfully conduct organizational change.The results of this research show that there are several efforts from interim CFOs as digitalchange agents helping organizations looking towards digital solutions in their financefunctions. While the interim CFOs enter organizations with a lot of necessary experience andknowledge of the available market technologies, they have an inadequate organizationalspecific knowledge, materializing in an insufficient understanding of the organizationalculture, internal systems and processes. This insufficient knowledge, in combination withbeing an external change agent and conservative tendencies within organizations gives rise toresistance towards the transformation. The interim CFOs employ change sponsors as acomplementary mechanism by which the problems revolving around the aforementionedflaws are mitigated. The underlying effort of the interim CFO is to increase the transparency,involvement and commitment throughout the transformation process. This research is anearly contribution to the nascent state of combining these two streams of literature, and thereare multiple angles of approach for future research.

Midst contextual themes of new technologies and globalisation, South African organisations are challenged to attract, develop and retain suitable skills in a labour market that will continue to suffer shortages. The HR function of today is required to partner with organisations at a strategic level in response to this challenge. Successful organisations understand that transforming the HR function require regular in-depth analyses of its effectiveness. The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an HR function operating in a public utility, against current trends in HR transition. Different evaluation methodologies are explored to develop a theoretical evaluation model for the effectiveness of a HR function. The results confirmed that the HR function is not effective in its role as strategic partner, and highlights significant differences in perception between the stakeholders and the HR function regarding its effectiveness. Recommendations were made on future transformation actions for the specific HR function. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)

Individuals and organisations follow a general developmental cycle, that begins with birth, and progresses through growth, maturity, decline and death. While individuals necessarily die after a period of years, organisations may continue through many generations, though they too may die. Once an organisation reaches maturity, it tends toward decline, for sin has corrupted not only men, but all creation (Rms. 8:21-22). Though all things tend toward decay and death, they can be revitalised, for such is the power of God's grace. Like all organisations, the church can become ineffective. Many prefer abandoning the old organisation and starting a new work. Revitalisation may be the better solution, though it is certainly the greater challenge. This project considers the organisational life cycle biblically, historically and contemporarily. It considers how the church grows, and what keeps it from growing. It also considers the merits of creating `new wineskins,' versus revitalising old ones. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

The purpose of this research study was to analyze the success of the Peace Corps’ Municipal Development Program in its role as a change agent in the empowerment of rural Guatemalan women, and includes an exploration into the intercultural factors that may have affected the outcomes. I used my Peace Corps site of Santa Cruz El Chol, Guatemala as the case study for this research. I reviewed literature in five areas to use as a foundation to guide my research. This included literature regarding Guatemalan history and Guatemalan women’s issues, women’s empowerment in the international development context, Peace Corps, change agentry, and intercultural relations. I obtained data from four different groups. I interviewed a focus group of female leaders from El Chol, obtained questionnaires from 42 rural women from El Chol and its surrounding villages, interviewed three Peace Corps Guatemala staff members, and gathered surveys from 18 returned Peace Corps volunteers. Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered via open-ended questions, multiple-choice questions, and scale-based questions. An analysis of the findings revealed implications in three areas. The first area focused on Guatemalan women who are especially vulnerable to institutional and domestic violence, which leads to a lack of educational and economic opportunities and continues to prevent their empowerment. Next, the Peace Corps volunteers were generally satisfied with their service, but felt traits of Guatemalan society and culture prevented them from positively influencing women’s empowerment. Additionally, findings revealed that Peace Corps volunteers served as change agents in that they saw themselves and were seen by others as positive role models for the Guatemalan women with whom they worked. Finally, time management styles, differences in perception of gender roles, and direct versus indirect communication styles sometimes clashed to cause issues in U. S. American and Guatemalan abilities to work effectively together.

隨著創新時代來臨，政府透過創新的政策推動藉以滿足民眾最新的需求或與民眾產生更好的互動方式，政府部門的創新力近年來亦成提升政府服務品質的關鍵，同時透過政府間對創新政策的相互仿效，形成E.M.Rogers所提出的「創新擴散」（diffusion of innovations）效應。　　　　　　　　 臺北市政府即以美國紐約市「311專線」政策為藍本，於2005年啟用「1999專線」至2014年1月，其後有高雄市及新北市等共17個縣市陸續採用，顯見1999專線於政策擴散的效應，並直接影響各地方政府間及政府與民眾間的互動關係。因此本研究透過四個構面去分析：（1）我國1999專線政策於地方政府間擴散情形；（2）創新先驅者臺北市政府變遷代理人於傳佈各階段所扮演的角色；（3）臺北都會區創新決策過程；（4）臺北都會區創新政策擴散的後果。為探究臺北都會區從啟用至執行1999專線的情形，本研究透過文獻內容分析法、次級資料法與質化深度訪談法進行資料的統整與分析。經由創新擴散理論為架構，探析地方政府間擴散學習的效應及影響組織創新決策的過程，以作為其他縣市的參考。 　　本研究結果發現：（1）創新性分數較高多為直轄市或與創新先驅者鄰近之都會區、擴散型態呈現各式曲線分佈；（2）變遷代理人於擴散各階段扮演不同角色；（3）臺北都會區具有實施動機較高、相對優勢較高、政府網絡關係較高、組織內部資源與規模較高等創新優勢；（4）影響民眾知曉度主要為意見領袖；影響民眾滿意度主要因素為是否能滿足民眾的需求。本研究建議如下：（1）建置地方政府創新政策知識庫；（2）建立縣市創新政策交流機制；（3）建議中央鼓勵我國縣市全面實施。 / As the age of innovation comes, the government satisfies the public’s latest needs and builds a better way to interact with the public by carrying out innovative policies. Besides, innovation had played a key role in increasing governmental service quality for the past few years. Meanwhile, through mutual imitation of innovation between governments, the diffusion of innovations, pointed out by E.M.Rogers, was formed. 　　Based on New York City’s Hotline 133, Hotline 1999 was launched in Taipei by Taipei City Government in 2005, and was then adopted by totally 17 cities and counties one after another until January 2014, including Kaohsiung and New Taipei City, which showed the effect of Hotline 1999’s policy diffusion, and the significant impact to the relation between local governments and among governments and the public. Thus Hotline 1999 project was analyzed by 4 aspects in this study: 1. The diffusion condition of Hotline 1999 on local governments, 2. The roles played by Change agent of Taipei City government, as an innovation pioneer, in each stage of diffusion, 3. Innovation policy decision process in the metropolitan areas of Taipei, and 4. The consequences of the above said diffusion. To discuss the whole process of Hotline 1999 from the very beginning to implementing, the data will be complied and analyzed though document analysis, secondary data analysis, and In-Depth Interviews. Besides, through Innovation Diffusion Theory as the framework, we discuss the learning effect of local governments and the process of innovation policy decision that influenced organizations for the further reference to other cities and counties. 　　The research findings include the following: 1. Directly Controlled Cities and the metropolis that neighbor on innovators score higher in innovativeness, 2. Change Agent played different roles as problem locators and innovation satisfaction, etc, 3. Taipei’s metropolitan areas have several innovation advantages: incentive to implement, relative advantage, stronger network among governments, and abundant resources and bigger scope, and 4. Public’s awareness was raised mainly by opinion leader, and degree of satisfaction depends on whether public needs are met. The suggestions are as follows : 1. Build a knowledge base for local government innovation policies, 2. Provide a mechanism for exchange of innovation policies, and 3. Central government should encourage the entire nation to implement the project.

Midst contextual themes of new technologies and globalisation, South African organisations are challenged to attract, develop and retain suitable skills in a labour market that will continue to suffer shortages. The HR function of today is required to partner with organisations at a strategic level in response to this challenge. Successful organisations understand that transforming the HR function require regular in-depth analyses of its effectiveness. The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an HR function operating in a public utility, against current trends in HR transition. Different evaluation methodologies are explored to develop a theoretical evaluation model for the effectiveness of a HR function. The results confirmed that the HR function is not effective in its role as strategic partner, and highlights significant differences in perception between the stakeholders and the HR function regarding its effectiveness. Recommendations were made on future transformation actions for the specific HR function. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)