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<p> This project presents a theory and an application for using the integrated systems of Total Quality Management (TQM) and Six Sigma (SS) for the American Samoa Lyndon B Johnson (LBJ) Tropical Medical Center to improve results for the random survey and recertification process for Medicare and Medicaid. Identified aspects of the project include roles, responsibilities, and measurement requirements of the TQM framework, using the Juran Quality Trilogy, cost of quality, and investment training in SS. The basis of the research that forms the foundation of the project comes from a review of related literature. Methods are presented in order to clarify where improvement processes are required. This project provides the LBJ center with a proven approach that has found success for implementing TQM and an SS foundation to ensure efficient compliance with The Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and other regulatory government agencies.</p>

<p> The Caribbean region consists of many small island developing states (SIDS) that are dependent on a sun, sea, and sand (3-S) tourism product. These SIDS are facing declining competitiveness vis-&agrave;-vis other tourism destinations and need to differentiate and rejuvenate their tourism product offerings. This study investigates the extent to which marijuana-tourism can lead to disruptive innovations (DI) in SIDS that are tourist dependent. A systematic review, using 53 research articles and a thematic synthesis analyzing seven different themes: (1) demographic profile of marijuana users and potential market size, (2) marijuana-tourism motivations, (3) common uses of marijuana, (4) types and structures of legal and regulatory frameworks, (5) cultivation, distribution, and marketing factors, (6) economic impacts of legalized recreational marijuana; and (7) adverse health and safety impacts were elaborated. The principal findings are that the regulatory framework for legalization acts as a mediating variable for defining the scope and structure of marijuana-related businesses and tourism niches that appear. When the recreational regulatory framework permits private competition, as evidenced in the early pioneering jurisdictions, significant economic benefits have resulted and at the same time social and health costs have been attenuated to date. In the context of SIDS, legal regimes are still largely prohibitionist, and in a few instances, partial liberalization has occurred. As liberalization progresses, structural and governance challenges exist that may moderate benefits. Further research is needed in many areas, given that the liberalization of marijuana laws is a recent phenomenon. More research is needed in areas, such as in-depth economic and social impacts analysis; the profile, composition, and expenditure patterns of marijuana tourists; the comparative advantages of different regulatory frameworks; and the public health and safety impacts for residents, marijuana tourists, and hospitality sector workers.</p><p>

This dissertation presents an examination of the causes and mechanisms underlying the widespread contamination of a shallow groundwater aquifer by fecal bacteria. The context for this study is a field site located in a rural area of Bangladesh that represents a microcosm for the many challenges facing the approximately 2 billion people worldwide who rely upon groundwater for their daily needs. The unique contributions of this work include an improved numerical model for fitting column test results, a conceptual model to explain seasonal patterns of well contamination based on the hydraulic interaction of ponds and irrigation/drainage canals and a new understanding of the important role that such canals might play in predicting the microbial contamination of shallow aquifers in flood-protected areas. The mechanisms responsible for filtration of the fecal indicator bacteria, Escherichia coli, during passage through the fine sand aquifer were first investigated through laboratory column experiments using intact sediment cores from the field site as well as repacked sediment that had been dried and, in some experiments, chemically cleaned. To fit the hyper-exponential spatial profiles of attached bacteria in one third of the experiments, a finite difference two-population model with reversible and irreversible attachment modes incorporating bacterial die-off was developed. Where the two-population phenomenon was observed, one population typically was highly irreversible while the other was reversible with a smaller irreversible attachment rate. When applied to transport in the field, this model predicted only a two-fold reduction in bacterial concentrations over a distance of 10 m and transport was limited mainly by the bacterial die-off rate, which was also measured using microcosm experiments. The occurrence of the second population was associated with larger grain size and lower percentage of fine particles and the attachment rates in general increased linearly with increasing percentage of fines. Transport from contaminated surface water to nearby tubewells was studied in the field through measurements of bacterial infiltration below canals and ponds both inside and outside of the flood control embankment. A two-dimensional finite element model of the field-pond-canal system was built and fitted to heads measured at three monitoring wells and 2 surface water bodies. Using parameters from the field measurements, the model was not able to explain the seasonal pattern of E. coli concentrations in tubewells, even when reversible attachment assumptions from the column test results were applied. An alternative conceptual model that incorporates the seasonal shift in flow direction caused by the canal network was developed using the fitted finite element model and could explain the observed pattern of well contamination. The importance of the irrigation/drainage canals in determining the frequency of tubewell contamination by E. coli at the site was further demonstrated by applying a logistic regression model using the intensity of latrines, canals and ponds as predictors, after applying spatial decay rates drawn from the infiltration literature. The resulting Intensity Model found that population density, unsanitary latrines and canals together could explain 48% of the variation in the frequency of E. coli detection in tubewells, but these parameters were only significant at a low spatial decay rate (0.01 m-1). A less complex Proximity Model provides nearly the same explanatory power but only required population with 25 m and the distance to the nearest canal as predictors. These models could be useful in predicting water-related health risks, evaluating contamination risk for groundwater sources based on the sanitary environment around the well or estimating the potential benefits from improvements to sanitation infrastructure in a given region.

M.B.A. / The aim of this research was to determine why information technology software projects fail in South Africa in order to determine whether there is a cause and cost similarity between international first world and South African IT Software Project failures. This research topic was primarily chosen because there is a lack of research on IT Software project failure in South Africa. The following objectives were defined to support the aim of the research: To ascertain project cost failure statistics sources internationally from relevant literature. To ascertain from literature what has been said about causes/reasons of project failure internationally. To ascertain South African IT Software Project failure statistics and reasons by means of a questionnaire. To determine whether the literature on international IT software project failure and South African IT software project failure compare. The research project was conducted amongst members of the Project Management Institute of South Africa (PMISA). In addition, companies that are not members of PMISA were also contacted and requested to respond to an e-mail questionnaire. It is interesting to note that one of the reasons for projects being challenged and cancelled, deals with, or is related to, requirements. Changing and / unclear user requirements was always listed in the top three reasons for projects being challenged and cancelled. The top three reasons listed by The Standish Group also lists changing and / unclear user requirements in the top three. This research would therefore suggest that effectively dealing with changing and / unclear user requirements would significantly increase project success. In conclusion, the comparison between South African companies and International companies revealed that the causes are for the most part the same, and the costs appear to be vastly different, but similar in trend. As is evident from the research literature, this research topic rarely studied, and therefore additional research can be done to explore this topic.

The dissertation thesis deals with the topic leadership development within businesses operating in the Czech Republic. The main objective of the work is focused on mapping the current trends in leadership development and proposes a model leadership development that is applicable within the framework of the Czech business. In practical part research the research compares different methods of leadership development, according to the size of business, the country of ownership and the industry in which the company operates. In the research framework were mapped the main expected challenges in the economic field by the year 2020 and proposed methods for leadership development. In the context of the work is also described the difference in the concept of leadership role within Czech branches of multinational companies and companies with the Czech ownership.

This dissertation discusses risk management in the context of software development. It commences by investigating why so many software development projects fail. It then focuses on approaches to software development that emerged as attempts to improve the success rate. A common shortcoming to these approaches is identified, namely that they only cater for the tasks that need to be done, ignoring possible unexpected problems. After having motivated the need for risk management, the framework for a risk management methodology is discussed, outlining the steps in the risk management process. Decision-making guidelines and best practices follow, as well as a discussion about the way they should be implemented as part of the risk management effort. Guidelines are provided for the implementation of risk management as part of software development. Finally, the risks that may cause the failure of the implementation of risk management are identified and guidelines provided to address them. / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems)

This thesis presents post modern, feminist narratives written from the author’s experiences as a community development worker over a period of twenty years. The contexts are largely based in Sydney and the housing developments in western Sydney. The author writes from within the post modern tensions between subjectivity and objectivity, consciously choosing to represent her own experiences, thoughts, beliefs and actions as case studies. She names and explores her changing ideologies as a community worker through cameos of critical incidents throughout her career. Different styles of narratives are presented of a community development engagement in Fairfield, NSW in 1990-1991. It is argued that community development has a role in the sustainability of civil society, to foster a peaceful oppositional force so necessary as part of a vigorous democracy which values and respects difference. / Master of Science (Hons) Social Ecology

The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the strategic management of selected municipalities and recommend possible change.

This dissertation discusses risk management in the context of software development. It commences by investigating why so many software development projects fail. It then focuses on approaches to software development that emerged as attempts to improve the success rate. A common shortcoming to these approaches is identified, namely that they only cater for the tasks that need to be done, ignoring possible unexpected problems. After having motivated the need for risk management, the framework for a risk management methodology is discussed, outlining the steps in the risk management process. Decision-making guidelines and best practices follow, as well as a discussion about the way they should be implemented as part of the risk management effort. Guidelines are provided for the implementation of risk management as part of software development. Finally, the risks that may cause the failure of the implementation of risk management are identified and guidelines provided to address them. / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems)