IT outsourcing is a hot topic in today’s demanding environment. Many organizations start to outsource information technology in order to achieve benefits such as cost reduction, improve quality of service, and focus on the core competence. However, IT outsourcing projects are not an easy task to manage and many projects fail even though there exists a lot of research within the area. In order to increase the possibility to achieve project success, today’s literature indicates that trust is an important factor to achieve. This thesis aim is to identify and describe the process of how to achieve trust in IT outsourcing relationships. The methodology is a literature study as its purpose is to cover the aspects of trust and how the literature proposes how to achieve trust in IT outsourcing relationships. Relevant literature has been identified, analyzed, and categorized in order to define the thesis concepts and to create a framework based on critical success factors of how to achieve trust in IT outsourcing relationships. The framework can be used as a guiding principle of how organizations can achieve trust in IT outsourcing relationships to increases the possibility to achieve project success. The framework can also raise the awareness that makes it possible to deal with different IT outsourcing situations.

Construction Project Procurement Methods (PMs) define the roles, relationships and responsibilities of project team members and the sequence of the activities required to construct or provide a facility. A number of different PMs have evolved over the years, but each is characterised by a different set of features upon which the criteria for selecting the most appropriate method to procure a given project must be based, if successful project performance (PP) is to be ensured. The use of procurement method selection criteria (PMSC) to inform clients’ decision on suitable PMs to adopt remains a recommended good practice in the construction industry. However, project clients in the Libya Construction Industry (LCI), continue to face great challenges when it comes to selecting the most appropriate PM for its projects. The general practice in this industry is largely dominated by a culture of clients’ reliance on their familiarity and experience with a particular method to inform their PM choice, with no consideration of the plethora of other PMs and use of rational approaches to aid in this decision-making. This procurement issue has long been recognised as a major contributory factor to the frequent time and cost overruns often experienced by projects in the LCI. Although the selection of an appropriate PM to procure any given project is known to result in success PP and (and vice versa), very little is known about the nature of this relationship from literature. Having persistently suffered a great deal of project failures over the years, the LCI stands to benefit from detailed knowledge and understanding of how exactly PM choice do actually influence PP. Stimulated by the dearth of this information, this thesis reports on a research investigation into this relationship with the aim of developing a model to explain the criteria functions in contributing to PP and their implications to PM selection practice in Libya. The methodological approach adopted for this research was the mixed method, i.e., using a combination of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Following a critical review of the extant relevant literature, a number of relevant hypotheses were first formulated, together with a conceptual framework, to establish the theoretical basis underpinning this research, namely the relationship between the selection of PMs (based on PMSC) and PP. The primary data collection stage involved an initial field questionnaire survey aimed at identifying and confirming the key areas of the research inquiry that needs focusing on. This was followed by a semi-structured questionnaire and interview surveys. With the aid of SPSS and Excel, the collected data were analysed, followed by the development of a mathematical model (based on regression) that demonstrate the influence of PMSC on PP. Finally, the model was validated by expert interviews to test for its validity and reliability. The key findings of the research include the identification of DBB and DB selection criteria that contributes to PP. The distinct contribution to knowledge arising from this research includes the development of a regression model to demonstrate this relationship between PMSC and PP. The benefit of these outputs lies not only in the ability of LCI’s clients to make PM selection decisions much faster by virtue of the need for them to only focus on the criteria with significant influence on PP, they are also able to work out, in quantitative terms, the PP outcomes to be expected for each of the method being considered. This latter information would enable clients to compare the PP outcome values expected from their decisions to select DBB and DB, and then be able to conclude which of these two options represents a better procurement strategy for any given project at hand.

For many providers of ERP-system, Poland is one of the most valuable markets in Central andEastern Europe. The Polish market for ERP-systems is still a growing market, especially; wecan see the low utilization of ERP-systems among small and medium-sized enterprises. Thisis due to several factors, primarily the cost of implementing the system and the necessary infrastructure.Subsequently due to the lack of knowledge, where there is no sufficientknowledge of the benefits arising from the use of an ERP-system in their business, and thereis a fear within the companies that its business would start stagnating.This paper investigates the implementation process of a Polish consulting company whichworks towards small and medium-sized businesses. The key success factors will be studied inthe implementation of ERP-systems, and the instance factors of the interrelationship betweenthe consultant and client from a consultant perspective. The review of the literature has beenidentified and discussed in relevance to the empirical study. The paper investigates the interplaybetween the client and consultants and how the dynamics between the involved partsaffect the outcome of use of the critical success factors and to which extent the consultingfirm is able to influence during the ERP-implementation process. The paper also scrutinizesimprovement potentials for the relationship process during the ERP-implementation and proposesareas of improvement for the consultant firm. At the same time, the paper can be beneficialas much for the client as for the consultant as an example framework in order to gain adeeper understanding for the interplay and how each actor's behavior affect the outcome andresult of the ERP-implementation.The study revealed that control and influence are shared between the parties involved, however,the following conclusions can be drawn that the consulting company is not in the positionto influence and control the factors that the customer has the final decision on which is; TopManagement Support, Clear Goals & Objectives, Change Management, ERP Teamwork andComposition, User Involvement and Use of Consultants. Based on the empirical data it alsoemerged that the lack of these factors has affected following implementation projects negatively.The factors consulting company can control and influence are; Business Process Redesign,Problem Solving Ability, Technological Infrastructure, Support, User Training, RiskManagement and Experience & Expertise. The client has very little control and influence overthese factors, where they are based mostly on the basis of the consultancies experience andexpertise. There is a complexity in the relationship between the consulting firm and its clientsin its ability to influence and control the critical success factors. Complexity of the extent thatone partner ignorance or unwillingness affects the other partners actions.The result from the control and influence analysis shows that there is a gap between thesmaller and larger regions at the Polish market regarding ERP-implementation. The resultgenerated in this study shows that the ERP-market in the smaller regions still remains underdevelopedand immature. In addition to this, the study shows that there is still a strong hierarchicalpower structure within organizations in the smaller regions. An aspect of the professionalculture in Poland is that those who are more experienced and at senior positions are lesswilling to share their expertise with juniors. The consequences of this emerge very clear duringthe implementation process amongst all critical success factors. The study also shows thatthe main difficulties identified during the implementation process are linked to human resourcesand high project costs. It is clear that clients in smaller regions are struggling with thehigh costs associated with ERP-implementation. The small- and medium sized enterprises inthe smaller regions seldom have the economy to cover the costs without help of EUfunding’s.Furthermore the result of the study also remark on organizational and social prob-lems during the ERP-implementation. The main problems that have been identified with clientsare associated with inadequate training, lack of support from management and users resistanceto a new system and change.

This thesis aims to explore learning management systems use and usefulness in Higher Education (HE) environments in a Middle Eastern developing country (Saudi Arabia) and gauge what factors influence the attitudes of the learners and by the same token investigate which of these, if any, do affect their performances in such environments. This study intends to delve into these factors and single out any relationships that might exist among these factors. The LMS (learning management system) chosen for the purpose of this research is the „Blackboard‟ LMS. To enable the researcher to look thoroughly at the issue, three separate studies were conducted to achieve comprehensive results. Qualitative and quantitative methodologies were combined for maximum Data collection from participants using questionnaires, interviews and numerical data from the Blackboard tracking system. A framework encompassing all the perceived critical variables that could play a part in affecting students' attitudes in the use of the Blackboard LMS and their overall achievements was designed, developed and then tested. The framework consists of four main parts, 1) Learners interaction with their peers; their ability to use the Internet and associated technologies, named 'learner dimension'. 2) Instructors‟ technical knowledge and competence, the manner in which they deliver lessons to learners using 'Blackboard' and the interactions taking place between the two parties named ' instructor variable or dimension'. 3) The technology itself variable or dimension: usability, flexibility and quality. 4) The HE institution's support dimension: training and technical support. The results have indicated that students were keen to adopt the LMS Blackboard for their courses. Instructor attitudes and behaviours when using Blackboard were found to play a major role in students' attitudes and performances. A major relationship was found in relation to student gender, academic specialization and attitude towards using the LMS, but not in the way the system is used. Students varied and various academic specializations were found to impact positively on their attitude towards the use of the system and in their learning (in terms of performance on a specific course). The learner variable was found to be a good indicator of how students behaved towards VLE and Blackboard and their achievements. The Instructor dimension was also found to be a positive indicator of students' attitudes, their use of Blackboard and achievements in its use. Similarly the technology and the HE institution variables were also found to be sound indicators of their attitudes.

Magister Commercii (Information Management) - MCom(IM) / The aim of this study is to investigate why the implementation of Enterprise Architecture (EA)in the Provincial Government of the Western Cape (PGWC)adopted in 2006,failed to be ineffective to address application duplication.

South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ came at a time when the position as host of a high-profile mega-event has become a sought-after status for countries worldwide. Not only do these events hold the promise of extensive triple-bottom-line legacies, but they also offer an extremely powerful destination marketing platform. However, no destination is guaranteed success and sustainable competitiveness by being offered the once-off opportunity to host a major international event. This study focuses on the ways and measures in which mega-events can contribute to destination competitiveness in its entirety as depicted in a popular model of tourism destination competitiveness. Existing literature on destination competitiveness and mega-events, as well as comparative case studies of recent mega-events were explored to furnish a set of apparent key success factors for the sustainable hosting of mega-events. This set of factors was then tested within a case study context through the collection of primary and secondary qualitative data. Industry experts from both the tourism and events industries in the City of Tshwane were interviewed on the eve of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. In addition, strategic documents and other secondary data were investigated to form an understanding of the role of the event as a potential catalyst for destination development. The City’s competitiveness was evaluated before the event, and compared to an evaluation of its perceived competitiveness as a result of the event. Based on the findings, a set of five critical success factors was developed. It includes the need to address eventsm as a strategic destination priority; effective stakeholder identification and role clarification; resource management for the event; alignment of the event strategy with the overall destination marketing strategy; and pro-actively addressing environmental issues. These factors are presented within a timeframe before, during and after the actual event. Through the proposed framework, it may be possible to manage the hosting of events in such a way as to contribute to sustained, holistic competitiveness of the host destination; ensuring alignment with the overall destination marketing and management strategy. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Tourism Management / unrestricted

In the past two decades, a need in forming strategic alliance has become increasingly important, especially for small companies. Likewise, airline alliances act as a vehicle for small carriers to obtain their superior position or to survive competition in a competitive international market where they do not appear to be a dominant player. In strategic alliances, the greater integration conveys greater benefits. However, the level of failure and success are varied among alliance members. This thesis was underpinned by the aim to conduct an in-depth study under the concept of organisational culture to reveal the key issues and barriers that appear to distort the ability of an organisation to foster success as well as to boost up its ability to obtain the benefits from the alliances to the maximum level.The empirical investigation employed a qualitative approach as a mechanism, driving this thesis through the process of research design, data collection, and data analysis. Using a single case study as a main technique, the case company of this thesis is Thai Airways. Data was collected through in-depth and semi-structured interviews. Data was analysed using thematic grouping and organised through NVIvo software.This thesis displayed the findings into two main themes. The first theme is associated with the activity to diagnose organisational culture, whereas the Competing Values Framework (CVF) was adopted as an initial framework. The main objectives are to develop a cultural profile for Thai Airways and to identify the key issues and barriers that distort the ability of Thai Airways to foster success. The key finding derived from this theme offered the identified problems and barriers derived from organisational culture. Using the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) method, the second theme is associated with the activity to identify the critical success factors for Thai Airways, deriving as a set of CSFs proposed to help enhance the ability of Thai Airways to obtain big firm's benefits. The outcome of this thesis could be considered as a new reference for the areas of organisational studies and the success of airlines, where the literature appears to be limited. More importantly, this thesis believed that the research journey offered an empirical experience reflecting a piece of organisational culture study in a non-Western context.

A robust enterprise system will enable companies to simplify their business process to achieve thespeed, efficiency and flexibility that are so fundamental for market survival. But implementations ofsuch enterprise system and their assimilation into the organizations seems to be very tricky and veryoften unsuccessful. The reasons are many, because it is not just the system that is new, but also theprocesses, collaboration patterns and job roles. However it is safe to say that the failures are not justdue to the technology, but also due to the inappropriate change management in connection with anintroduction of a new enterprise system.This bachelor thesis is aiming to identify, describe and explain the conditions contribution to asuccessful change management triggered by an enterprise system implementation process. This thesisis based on a case study in a large global pharmaceutical company that has embarked on a journey totransform their business processesThe most important conclusions resulted from this case study are that change management isabsolutely essential for successful assimilation of an enterprise system by the organization and thecase company is very well aware of it. The conditions that indicate the successful change managementare increased efficiency, simplified business processes, improved cross-functional collaboration, andhigh user satisfaction.

More companies of differing structures and sizes are starting to utilize CERP systems where it contributes to eliminating most physical investments needed for a traditional ERP system. This makes CERP systems more obtainable for small firms compared to traditional ERP systems where fees can be adapted to fit the firm size. However, there are no established information about CSFs pertaining to CERP in small Swedish firms and thus leading to this study. The purpose of this study is to generate knowledge on the critical success factors of the post implementation phase of CERP systems. This has been done through an abductive methodology where CSFs pertaining to CERP in small Swedish firms have been identified through the lens of a unified CSF model and analyzed using structural contingency theory. The data in the study was collected through semi-structured and unstructured interviews that were conducted with respondents in management positions in small Swedish firms utilizing CERP systems. This led to the findings of the study where eleven CSFs pertaining to CERP during post implementation were identified. These findings suggest a high importance in the factor, vendor dependability where a control shift from the organization to the vendor was identified pertaining to CERP during post implementation in small firms. This differed from the findings of earlier research pertaining to CSFs for ERP during post implementation in large firms where the control was suggested to be mostly with the organization.

Despite the existence of extensive literature regarding risk management, there still seems to be lack of knowledge in identification of Critical Success Factors (CSFs) in this area. In this research Grounded Theory is implemented to identify CSFs in Risk Management Systems (RMS). Factor analysis and one-sample t-test are then used to refine and rank the CSFs based on the results of a survey which has been performed among Risk Management practitioners in various types of Swedish corporations. CSFs are defined from three different perspectives: (a) the factors that have influence on the inclination and readiness of corporation for implementing RMS. (b) the factors that are important during the design and implementation of RMS in corporation and can significantly affect the success of RMS design and implementation and (c) the factors that are crucially important to successfully run, maintain and administrate RMS after the closure of the project of RMS design and Implementation. This systematic approach towards understanding the taxonomy of the success dimension in RMS is important for re-enforcing effective risk management practices.