Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Technology Degree in Business Administration, Durban University of Technology, 2014. / The UoTs are operating in an environment in which they have to deal with multifarious and complex challenges. Responding effectively to such challenges has become critical for UoTs in achieving a competitive advantage and in outsmarting competitors. Traditional approaches which deal with rapid changes in the higher education landscape have become obsolete. The fact is that UoTs are faced with transformational challenges - increasing student intake, the need for improving throughput rate, the need for remaining financially sustainable while producing the top graduates required by industry. Given this background, this study investigates the application of a learning organisation philosophy for improving processes and practices in the UoTs of KwaZulu-Natal. Learning organisation philosophy has been identified as one of the best approaches for organisations in the corporate sector. It is used to achieve and sustain a competitive advantage. Learning organisation philosophy encourages the culture of continuous learning by members of the organisation, so as to achieve strategic objectives. This study provides UoTs’ perspectives of the learning organisation theory. Data was collected from employees of DUT. The sample was drawn from both administrative and academic employees. A self-administered questionnaire was used in collecting the data. The findings of this study reveal that the application of a learning organisation philosophy will help UoTs improve their processes and practices. Based on the findings, the majority of participants indicated that they would embrace and support the application of a learning organisation philosophy at DUT. It has to be noted that in the study, DUT was used as a case study.

Young wedded requirements are important in modern society. It is interesting to see how they realize their requirements in computer skills, spending their own leisure time, driving a car, etc. The adults’ education in Finland, Denmark was presented in theoretic part of this diploma work. The recommendations about adults’ balanced requirements and possibilities are also offered in this diploma work. The real self – education is a process which happens from the personality’s requirements to supply spiritual interests. Individuals establish self education’s purposes and their own knowledge. To establish young wedded self – education requirements and the realization of those requirements was the research of this diploma work. The research goals are: 1. To get an information about wedded requirements and to make a list about it. 2. To show wedded requirements about profession, leisure time, daily living and sport. 3. To find a realization of wedded requirements. 4. To make analysis and conclusions of all research of this diploma work. The research methods are: 1. Theoretical: the analysis of philosophic, pedagogical, psychological literature. 2. The respondents’ questionnaire and analysis. 3. Mathematical statistic methods. The finding of this diploma work: Ų The analysis of scientific literature proved the social problem of wedded requirements and the possibilities to supply those requirements. Ų Independent process is the problem of wedded self – education. Ų Wedded... [to full text]

nÃo hà / O presente estudo investiga a avaliaÃÃo de impacto das aÃÃes de capacitaÃÃo do Programa de Ouvidores do Estado do CearÃ, e como à influenciado pelas caracterÃsticas do suporte organizacional, transferÃncia de treinamento e suporte da aprendizagem contÃnua, segundo os modelos MAIS e IMPACT. Portanto, tem-se a seguinte questÃo de pesquisa: Quais os impactos do Programa de FormaÃÃo de Ouvidores para a melhoria da qualidade dos serviÃos de GestÃo PÃblica do Estado do CearÃ? Sendo assim, o objetivo geral do estudo à avaliar os impactos do curso de FormaÃÃo de Ouvidores Egressos realizados na EGP-CE no perÃodo de 2011 a 2013. O desenvolvimento desse estudo foi exposto à luz da proposiÃÃo de Bruyne et. al. (1977), cuja proposiÃÃo epistÃmica Quadripolar (epistemolÃgico, teÃrico, morfolÃgico e tÃcnico) estabelece uma via metodolÃgica proposto por Popper (2007). Os dados quantitativos foram colhidos atravÃs de questionÃrios, desde as aÃÃes instrucionais ocorridas entre os anos de 2011 e 2013 colhidos de 72 ouvidores participantes da administraÃÃo direta do Estado do CearÃ. Os dados qualitativos foram aplicados a 9 instrutores e 11 gestores por entrevistas semiestruturadas. Os dados foram tratados atravÃs da anÃlise fatorial e equaÃÃes estruturais que apresentaram bons Ãndices de confiabilidade. Os resultados evidenciaram que Suporte Organizacional e à TransferÃncia sÃo importantes preditores de impacto, evidenciados por variÃveis relacionadas ao apoio gerencial, melhoria na rotina de trabalho, autonomia e melhoria de indicadores, gerando impactos para a satisfaÃÃo do usuÃrio. / The present study looks into the evaluation impact of training in the Programme of Ombudsman of State of Cearà and how is influenced by organizational support, transfer of training and support of continuous learning according to MAIS (Modelo de AvaliaÃÃo Integrado e Somativo) and IMPACT (Modelo Integrado de AvaliaÃÃo do Impacto do Treinamento no Trabalho) models. The research was therefore designed by the following question: What is the impact of Training of Ombudsman Programme improving the best quality standards on the public service in the State of CearÃ. For that reason, the overall purpose of the study was to evaluate the impacts on the Programme of Ombudsman be trained recently took place in the Escola de GestÃo PÃblica in the State of Cearà during 2011, 2012 and 2013. The development of this study was done with the proposal of Bruyne et. al. (1977), whose epistemic proposition based on four poles (epistemological, theorical, technical and morphological) provides an appropriate way proposed by Popper(2007). Quantitative data was collected through questionnaires according to instructional action takes place with 72 ombudsman belonged to Cearà State Government. Qualitative data was applied to nine(9) instructors and eleven (11) public managers by semi-structured interview. Data was statiscally analyzed using: Factor analyses and Structural Equation Modeling as result highest level of stability. The result showed the organizational and Transfer Support as important predictors of impact, that were confirmed by dependent variables as management support, improvement to the present work practices, autonomy and indicator improvement for optimum results and satisfaction of the users of public service.

Modern organisations are increasingly seen as knowledge-based business ventures in which proactive knowledge management is important for competitiveness. The interest in knowledge management seems to have surged across world. In the increasingly competitive and global marketplace, firms are especially keen to integrate and capitalise on the knowledge of their employees and make it available when and where it is needed. In addition, many firms realise the need to educate and indoctrinate new hirelings into the organisation quickly due to the scarcity of global resources and an aging workforce (Teicholz, 2004). As a result, many organisations implement knowledge management initiatives in an attempt to combine and exploit their knowledge assets. It is therefore necessary to critically evaluate Sasol on these terms. How the knowledge management strategy supports organisational processes is investigated along with collective learning and collaborative decision making within the organisation. An in depth literature study was conducted to gain insight into KM concepts and strategies. It also provided a reference to current best practices. Above all, the literature study helped to gain perspective on the complexities of measuring a phenomenon like KM in an organisation. Performance measurement techniques are discussed and reference made to the eras of knowledge management. A short section makes reference to another organisation considered to be a global leader in integration of knowledge management systems. The research design method that was chosen to authenticate the research objectives is qualitative. The interpretive methods employ an inductive approach that starts with data and tries to derive a theory about the phenomenon of interest from the observed data. Results were obtained from a combination of two methods. Published and available secondary data mainly obtained from Sasol resources. The second was structured interviews conducted from a criterion based sampling strategy conducted on employees to obtain primary data. Sasol employees are supportive of the Sasol KM systems and are (to some extent) using it. Many believe that Sasol is a learning organisation and therefore benefitting from the systems in place. However, the people of Sasol are generally not aware of the full functionality of the deployed systems. Therefore the current state of the Sasol KM system integration is the consequence. Organisational Knowledge, unlike personal knowledge, is only of value if it is shared with others who need it (KMI, 2010). In order to enhance collective learning, learning organisations establish specific learning processes that become embedded in work processes. This is the basis of the outcomes and the recommendations of this research. / MIng (Development and Management Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Modern organisations are increasingly seen as knowledge-based business ventures in which proactive knowledge management is important for competitiveness. The interest in knowledge management seems to have surged across world. In the increasingly competitive and global marketplace, firms are especially keen to integrate and capitalise on the knowledge of their employees and make it available when and where it is needed. In addition, many firms realise the need to educate and indoctrinate new hirelings into the organisation quickly due to the scarcity of global resources and an aging workforce (Teicholz, 2004). As a result, many organisations implement knowledge management initiatives in an attempt to combine and exploit their knowledge assets. It is therefore necessary to critically evaluate Sasol on these terms. How the knowledge management strategy supports organisational processes is investigated along with collective learning and collaborative decision making within the organisation. An in depth literature study was conducted to gain insight into KM concepts and strategies. It also provided a reference to current best practices. Above all, the literature study helped to gain perspective on the complexities of measuring a phenomenon like KM in an organisation. Performance measurement techniques are discussed and reference made to the eras of knowledge management. A short section makes reference to another organisation considered to be a global leader in integration of knowledge management systems. The research design method that was chosen to authenticate the research objectives is qualitative. The interpretive methods employ an inductive approach that starts with data and tries to derive a theory about the phenomenon of interest from the observed data. Results were obtained from a combination of two methods. Published and available secondary data mainly obtained from Sasol resources. The second was structured interviews conducted from a criterion based sampling strategy conducted on employees to obtain primary data. Sasol employees are supportive of the Sasol KM systems and are (to some extent) using it. Many believe that Sasol is a learning organisation and therefore benefitting from the systems in place. However, the people of Sasol are generally not aware of the full functionality of the deployed systems. Therefore the current state of the Sasol KM system integration is the consequence. Organisational Knowledge, unlike personal knowledge, is only of value if it is shared with others who need it (KMI, 2010). In order to enhance collective learning, learning organisations establish specific learning processes that become embedded in work processes. This is the basis of the outcomes and the recommendations of this research. / MIng (Development and Management Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Despite growing scrutiny of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in Canada and worldwide, the follow-up and monitoring component remains under practiced, leaving EIA decision-makers and practitioners with little understanding of the accuracy of impact predictions made and the effectiveness of mitigation measures developed during the EIA project-planning phase. The Minister’s Expert Panel further highlighted the importance of enhancing follow-up and monitoring during the recent review of EIA processes in Canada. The research identifies six leading edge practices for next generation EIA follow-up and monitoring: public and Indigenous participation, continuous learning, clear roles and responsibilities, independent oversight, adaptive management and traditional knowledge. Approaches to implement those practices in a Canadian context are explored and supported by guidance that captures the learning potential of EIA follow-up and monitoring. The six practices are intended as a package and are presented with practical guidance for proponents, regulators, consultants and others involved in EIA. / May 2017

Am Beispiel moderner Automatisierungssysteme wird deutlich, dass die Steuerung und optimale Führung der technischen Prozesse eng verbunden ist mit der Verfügbarkeit eines möglichst exakten Prozessmodells. Steht jedoch kein Modell des zu steuernden Systems zur Verfügung oder ist das System nicht ausreichend genau analytisch beschreibbar, muss ein adäquates Modell auf der Basis von Beobachtungen (Messdaten) abgeleitet werden. Erschwerend wirken sich hierbei starke Nichtlinearitäten sowie der zeitvariante Charakter der zu identifizierenden Systeme aus. Die Zeitvarianz, beispielsweise durch Alterung oder Verschleiß hervorgerufen, erfordert zusätzlich eine schritthaltende Adaption an den sich verändernden Prozess. Das einmalige, zeitlich begrenzte Erstellen eines Modells ist somit nicht ausreichend. Stattdessen muss zeitlich unbegrenzt "nachtrainiert" werden, was dementsprechend als "Kontinuierliches Lernen" bezeichnet wird. Auch wenn das Ableiten eines Systemmodells anhand von Beobachtungen eine typische Aufgabenstellung für Neuronale Netze ist, stellt die Zeitvarianz Neuronale Netze dennoch vor enorme Probleme. Im Rahmen der Dissertation wurden diese Probleme identifiziert und anhand von unterschiedlichen Neuronalen Netzansätzen analysiert. Auf den sich hieraus ergebenden Ergebnissen steht anschließend die Entwicklung eines neuartigen Neuronalen Netzansatzes im Mittelpunkt. Die besondere Eigenschaft des hybriden ICE-Lernverfahrens ist die Fähigkeit, eine zur Problemkomplexität adäquate Netztopologie selbstständig zu generieren und diese entsprechend des zeitvarianten Charakters der Zielfunktion dynamisch adaptieren zu können. Diese Eigenschaft begünstigt insbesondere schnelles Initiallernen. Darüber hinaus ist das ICE-Verfahren in der Lage, parallel zur Modellausgabe Vertrauenswürdigkeitsprognosen für die aktuelle Ausgabe zur Verfügung zu stellen. Den Abschluss der Arbeit bildet eine spezielle Form des ICE-Ansatzes, bei der durch asymmetrische Aktivierungsfunktionen Parallelen zur Fuzzy-Logik hergestellt werden. Dadurch wird es möglich, automatisch Regeln abzuleiten, welche das erlernte Modell beschreiben. Die "Black-Box", die Neuronale Netze in der Regel darstellen, wird dadurch transparenter. / One of the main requirements for an optimal industrial control system is the availability of a precise model of the process, e.g. for a steel rolling mill. If no model or no analytical description of such a process is available a sufficient model has to be derived from observations, i.e. system identification. While nonlinear function approximation is a well-known application for neural networks, the approximation of nonlinear functions that change over time poses many additional problems which have been in the focus of this research. The time-variance caused for example by aging or attrition requires a continuous adaptation to process changes throughout the life-time of the system, here referred to as continuous learning. Based on the analysis of different neural network approaches the novel incremental construction algorithm ICE for continuous learning tasks has been developed. One of the main advantages of the ICE-algorithm is that the number of RBF-neurons and the number of local models of the hybrid network have not to be determined in advance. This is an important feature for fast initial learning. The evolved network is automatically adapted to the time-variant target function. Another advantage of the ICE-algorithm is the ability to simultaneously learn the target function and a confidence value for the network output. Finally a special version of the ICE-algorithm with asymmetric receptive fields is introduced. Here similarities to fuzzy logic are intended. The goal is to automatically derive rules which describe the learned model of the unknown process. In general a neural network is a "black box". In contrast to that an ICE-network is more transparent.

Organizations have always tried and pushed themselves to bring changes in how they conduct business. They do this to reach the market quickly and achieve customer satisfaction. This master thesis was conducted at a global leader transportation company, Alstom, to investigate Scaled Agile Frameworks (SAFe) adoption in their Sweden Development Centre, identifying SAFe implementation challenges in a safety-related development as a single-case study. For the thesis, two research questions were formulated to identify the implementation challenges and find their reasons. For the data collection of the thesis, semi-structured interviews, self-completion surveys, and relevant research papers were used to serve the purpose of both primary data and secondary data sources. The researchers acted as ethnographers by participating in the company’s daily events and taking notes. The analysis of the collected data was done using the triangulation approach to get reliable results. In addition, researchers also used SAFe core competency assessment to evaluate the business agility of the case organization.The analysis from the collected data resulted in five implementation challenges. The data suggested that the major challenge was insufficient training and lack of agile mindset among the team members. The case organization had invested in training and support for going through the transformation, but the agile training was interrupted in 2019. Since then, the knowledge about SAFe and the agile way of working was acquired based on learning by doing. Based on the data, the researchers concluded that lack of continuous training has resulted in the development over time of other implementation challenges like insufficient self-organization, nonoptimal team size, and lack of clarity when defining role responsibilities. The data also suggested that transparent communication between different levels may still be a challenge. The SAFe assessment that has been conducted resulted in confirm previous result that in some places complemented the identified implementation challenges.  Key Words: Scaling Agile Framework, Implementation challenges, Lean, Waterfall, Self-organization, Continuous learning culture, Safety related development, Business agility, Ethnography.

Professional Development to Enhance Instructional Leadership and Practice of Central Office Administrators by Cheryl A. R. McCue M. Ed., Lehigh University, 1990 BS, Kutztown University, 1987 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University June 2016 Decades of research and practice suggest that educational administrators need to experience opportunities for professional development and continuous learning. This project study addressed the problem regarding the lack of a formal or systemic plan for professional development of central office administrators in a large suburban school district in northeastern United States. Supported by Lave and Wenger's communities of practice model and the work of Bandura in social learning theory, the research question investigated the ways in which central office administrators experienced continuous learning and professional development opportunities and the perceptions regarding the effectiveness of those practices as a vehicle for enhancing their knowledge of instructional leadership and practice. A descriptive qualitative case study design using the purposeful sampling of 18 central office administrators was used to collect data via an open-ended survey, plan analysis, and document reviews that were coded and analyzed for common themes. Themes that emerged revealed participants thought that collaborative and reflective practices were important to continuous learning and professional development and necessary to enhance knowledge of instructional leadership and practice. Study findings supported the need for increased time and an identified structure for professional development opportunities as well as an improved culture of learning for the district's central office administrative team. Providing a structure for more systemic professional development for central office administrators may lead to more quality instruction and leadership practice, thus influencing student learning in this district as an aspect of positive social change.

[ES] El foco principal de esta tesis se sustenta en conformar la vinculación entre la transferencia del conocimiento y la capacidad de innovación en servicios enmarcado en el sector hotelero. El estudio de las relaciones existentes entre la visión global que se aprecia holísticamente junto con los lazos de la red y la capacidad de aprendizaje continuo de las organizaciones como factores que influyen en la capacidad de transferencia del conocimiento. El trabajo empírico se traslada a los hoteles de 4 y 5 estrellas ubicados en territorio español, fundamentado por la importancia que aporta el sector al turismo y por ende, al PIB nacional, convirtiéndolo en un sector estratégico. Realizamos 280 encuestas válidas a los gerentes de los hoteles. Empleamos la metodología de ecuaciones estructurales y el Análisis Facotorial Exploratorio para comprobar las relaciones existentes entre las variabes y la sostenibilidad del modelo propuesto. / [CA] El focus principal d'aquesta tesi se sustenta a conformar la vinculació entre la transferència del coneixement i la capacitat d'innovació en serveis emmarcat en el sector hoteler. L'estudi de les relacions existents entre la visió global que s'aprecia *holísticamente juntament amb els llaços de la xarxa i la capacitat d'aprenentatge continu de les organitzacions com a factors que influeixen en la capacitat de transferència del coneixement. El treball empíric es trasllada als hotels de 4 i 5 estreles situats en territori espanyol, fonamentat per la importància que aporta el sector al turisme i per tant, al PIB nacional, convertint-lo en un sector estratègic. Realitzem 280 enquestes vàlides als gerents dels hotels. Emprem la metodologia d'equacions estructurals i l'Anàlisi Facotorial Exploratori per a comprovar les relacions existents entre les variabes i la sostenibilitat del model proposat. / [EN] This thesis focuses on shaping the link between knowledge transfer and the service innovation capability within the hospitality sector. More especifically, the thesis studies the existing relationships between the comprehensive overview, seen holistically along with the network ties and the lifelong learning capacity of the organisations as factors that influence the capacity of knowledge transfer. The empirical work is carried out with 4 and 5 star hotels located in Spain, due to the importance of this sector's contribution to tourism and, therefore, to the country's GDP, thus making it a strategic sector. We conducted 280 valid surveys of hotel managers. Methodologically, we used Structural Equations and Exploratory Factor Analysis to test the relationships between the variables and the sustainability of the proposed model. / Hernández Gadea, FJ. (2023). Efecto de la visión holística, las network ties y el aprendizaje continuo encaminadas a la capacidad de innovación en servicios en el sector hotelero a través de la transferencia de conocimiento en las empresas [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/196074