This dissertation addresses questions concerning slack's nature and its relationships with the environment and performance. The research investigates which view of slack (the operations or behavioral approach) best predicts performance. It examines the relationship of environment and slack using both interaction and mediation models. The PIMS database was used for 610 assembly manufacturing firms. The results support both the behavioral and the operations perspectives. This combined view suggests that slack capacity is optimized to improve sales while being minimized to improve profits. Excess inventory is minimized to improve sales but optimized to improve average ROS. In all cases, excess cash is minimized. In all equations, the slack variables entered the equations as costs. These results also support the argument that slack interacts with the environment rather than being in a functional relationship with it. Interaction terms of the slack types and the environment were significant in predicting sales. A mediation model was also tested but had a poorer fit with the data. Slack was found to be a multi-dimensional concept. The slack variables did not all intercorrelate positively. The negative relationships suggest that management makes decisions as when to use each slack resource. The slack variables (when lagged) had significant effects on each other, but not on performance. This indicates that the time horizon for slack may be shorter than was investigated in this research. The research demonstrated that slack inventory and non-slack supply buffers were negatively related. The conditions under which the firm trades slack for other buffering mechanisms were not clear. Predicted positive relationships between size and slack were found except that excess capacity and size were negatively related. This suggests that larger firms were holding slack in ways that are more discretionary and less obvious to their control systems. What is not clear from this research are the conditions under which management will choose a specific type of slack. In one case (excess working capital), technology predicts the level of this variable. Additional research is suggested to determine how, when and where these decisions are made.

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<p>The use of one form or another of team based work organization (TBWO) management policies and practices by firms with the aim of improving organizational performance and employee morale is well documented in popular literature. Empirical research has however found that the implementation of TBWO management policies and practices such as TB training, TB incentive schemes, participation in decision making, work teams etc. had minimal influence on the performance of firms (Locke and Schweiger, 1979).<br /> This research investigated the factors, which account for the effective implementation of TBWO management policies and practices with specific emphasis on three firms in the metal fabrications sector. The reason behind the choice of the three firms in the metal fabrication sector in the Western Cape was that these sites offered a rare opportunity to study the process of the implementation of TBWO. It was a rare opportunity because not many firms have embarked on implementing TBWO in South Africa. It was envisaged that the lessons that emerged from this study would be invaluable for firms that intended implementing workplace change. The level of analysis was the shop floor level at the firms as research has shown that this is the level that plays a critical role in the effectiveness of the TB management policies and practices implemented by the firms.</p>

Audit committees are an integral part of good corporate governance and their establishment strengthens the credibility of governments. As a foundation of good governance, audit committees are positioned to provide an objective assessment of whether or not public resources are responsibly and effectively managed. They also promote accountability and integrity, as well as improvement in the operations of governments and municipalities. The establishment of audit committees in the local sphere of government came with the advent of modernisation in terms of the budget and financial management, which was intended to strengthen accountability. The requirement for effective utilisation of resources by local government is critical for the support and empowerment of local communities and delivery of effective services. The audit committee framework for local government, which is provided by the Municipal Finance Management Act (56 of 2003), is underpinned by principles of good governance and accountability, which promote the effective functioning of audit committees. However, there are perceptions and arguments advanced in the literature regarding the effectiveness of audit committees as an accountability structure. This was brought about by the recurring reported incidences of the failure of businesses, which took place despite the existence of rules and laws regulating the function. As a result, trends of leading best practices were established, which enhanced audit committees' performance and were adopted as a proxy for the measurement of audit committees’ effectiveness. The focus of the study is on validating the perception by management that the audit committee of the Westonaria Local Municipality (WLM) is effective in the execution of its oversight role. A literature study on the functioning of audit committees have been undertaken, official municipal documents were analysed and a questionnaire has been developed and utilised as a means for gathering data, in order to prove the hypothesis to be either true or false. The areas investigated in this study demonstrate that the audit committee of WLM is generally effective in the execution of its oversight function. The findings of the study also identified certain areas in the audit function which require the attention of both management and the audit committee of the municipality. More specifically, the observations made in the study include the following: (i) that audit committee members are not provided with the agendas and reports in sufficient time for them to adequately prepare for meetings; (ii) that a productive relationship between the audit committee and the management of the local government has to be maintained; (iii) that there is a lack of informal meetings between the audit committee and the external and internal auditors; (iv) that no appropriate training of the audit committee on existing and potential audit risks in local government is in place; (v) that there is an absence of continuous learning programmes for the members of the audit committee; and (vi) that audit committee members do not evaluate themselves in terms of their level of knowledge regarding the functioning and activities of their audit committee. Attending to these aspects, as identified through this study, will further improve the audit committee’s activities in the WLM. These aspects are therefore not viewed in a negative light, but are rather regarded as a positive venture to be addressed by municipal management and the audit committee, in order to improve the functioning of the audit committee. These aspects should therefore be added to the many positives aspects that are identified concerning the WLM audit committee, as discussed in this study. / M Public Administration (Development and Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

ABSTRACT Title: Job training in multinational companies --The case of Carl Zeiss in China Level: Final assignment for Master Degree in Business Administration Author: Jiawen Zhou, Meiyuan Liu Supervisor: Ehsanul Huda Chowdhury Examiner: Maria. Fregidou-Malama Date: 05/2014 Aim: Job training has been treated as the most popular approach to help with improving employees’ performance as well as company’s performance. However, some studies argue that there is some ineffectiveness in job training. This study aims to investigate employees’ needs for job training, the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of job training. Method: This study used both qualitative method and quantitative method through questionnaire and interviews. The findings were reported by analysis of mean method and standard deviation method. Result &amp; Conclusions: This study shows that the more job training employees receivethe better performance they have. Another result of this study is that technology department employees have higher turnover intentionthan other departments after they receivejob training. Suggestions for future research: The limitation of this study is that it did not show much about the financial benefit of job training. Future research coulddone focusingmoreon this aspect. In addition, the transfer from training to application is also needed to be investigated later. Contribution of the thesis: For human resource managers, this study can givethem some suggestions toplantheirjobtraining program, in order to be more effective For other researchers, it can provide a vividunderstanding on the effects of job trainingin multinational companies. Key words: Job training, effectiveness, risk, evaluation, retention

This thesis aims to contribute to the body of work that seeks to unpack development by asking: how does development work? Using a purposive case study of Uganda and taking a mixed methods approach, the thesis explores the reality behind the rhetoric of aid coordination in a developing health sector, questioning the premise that coordination is pursued exclusively to improve the efficacy of official development assistance (as inferred by partners‟ vocal commitments to the tenets of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness). The study focuses on the member groups currently empowered to join Uganda‟s most important multi-stakeholder forum for health - the Health Policy Advisory Committee - finding that all members are guilty of picking and choosing from a checklist of voluntary coordination commitments. This is found to be at once logical - for facilitating the semblance of partnership between a disparate grouping of stakeholders with differing modi operandi, agency objectives and tolerance for risk – and advantageous - for masking difference and allowing outwardly homogenous groupings like the Health Development Partners to speak with “one voice” when addressing the Ugandan government. Most importantly of all however, partial adherence to the aid coordination ethos is found to permit the framing that aid to Uganda is at once necessary and well targeted, as the Government of Uganda actively invites its partners to participate in the processes of government at the central level. Such tangible commitments to the tenets of partnership and transparency are integral to maintaining donor confidence in the aftermath of two financial scandals involving the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation in 2005. In sum, the thesis argues that while on the surface coordination appears important for its internal significance - as an organising principle to improve the effectiveness of aid - in fact, the value of coordination stems from its external significance. Coordination creates a façade of unity which permits the continuance of aid flows to Uganda, with coordination activities now playing a pivotal role in determining who gives and receives aid, and how it should be spent.

This thesis explores the degree to which perceptions of lecturers and middle-leaders about the actual and desired organisational characteristics of a Higher Education Institution in Oman converge and/ or diverge with regard to the effective operation of teaching and learning processes within the institution. Using a card sort of 32 criteria derived from 16 factors of effectiveness drawn from the literature, it analyses the data quantitatively to arrive at participants’ perceptions of the factors currently operating in the organisation and those desired for the future, and therefore which factors enable or hinder operational processes. Findings show that at the characteristic level, divergence is significantly greater between lecturers and middle-leaders, irrespective of faculty, than between lecturers from different faculties, or middle-leaders from different faculties. Current lecturer perceptions of organisational effectiveness/ ineffectiveness converge most strongly on factors of Collaboration and Professional Development. Middle-leader perceptions of current organisational effectiveness/ ineffectiveness converge most strongly on factors of Expectations of Success, Accountability, Professional Development, Environment, and Focus. At the more-desired/ less-desired level convergence is strongest between lecturers and middle-leaders on the factors of Expectations of Success, Collaboration and Professional Development. The study concludes that at the current level, there is a gulf between lecturers and middle-leaders that needs to be bridged if the organisation is to effectively organise the management of teaching and learning practices. The findings extend effectiveness into Higher Education in Oman and support the use of factors of effectiveness in educational research. Findings also demonstrate the usefulness of focus groups, card sorts and a quantitative analysis of data as starting points for organisational self-evaluation and review. Recommendations encompass further research as to how organisational members conceptualise and measure ‘success’, ‘collaboration’ and ‘development’; and investigation of other stakeholder perceptions of effectiveness.

Bonuses serve as a valuable tool in attracting and retaining Naval officers. This thesis analyzes the way officer bonuses are currently distributed in the Navy and provides recommended changes based on analysis of scholarly publications. Combining the information gained from current policies and research already conducted in the academic arena, the author proposes a workable bonus structure to meet the recruitment and retention goals while providing the Navy flexibility, quality personnel, and cost effectiveness. Combining auction theory and signaling theory into a new program has great potential to provide flexibility to the Navy, maintain the appropriate quantity and quality of officers, and provide cost savings to the Navy, while providing continued servicemember satisfaction. By offering bonus programs of different rates and time commitments, effectiveness and personnel quality can be increased by allowing officers to signal their intentions to the Navy. Auctions can be used to determine the appropriate monetary values to offer under each contract. By implementing an auction for bonus amounts, the Navy helps to ensure that bonuses will be competitive with the overall job market. This approach provides the Navy with a flexible, effective officer bonus program that is responsive to existing job market conditions. / US Navy (USN) author.

This thesis analyzed costs and benefits between the recruiting of active duty dentists and the proposed alternative of contracting them instead. Despite aggressive efforts to improve Dental Corps recruitment and retention, the annual loss rate has steadily increased. This has forced the Dental Corps into using alternative programs such as the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) and the Financial Assistance Program (FAP) in addition to the accession programs already being funded. Also, there are various recruiting costs along with the accession bonus that costs the Navy over $90,000 per dentist recruited. The scope of this thesis included, but was not be limited to: (1) a review of the current structure of pay for active duty Endodontists by referencing Additional Special Pay (ASP), Variable Special Pay (VSP), Dental Officer Multiyear Retention Bonus (DOMRB) and the Board Certification Pay (BCP) that dentists receive while serving on active duty (2) and a summary of private sector pay and incentives for dentists in private practice. The thesis also analyzed the differences between the two with a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) model. The completed research found savings in cost for contracting already licensed and trained Endodontists in place of recruiting a general dentist and training them to become an Endodontist over the 10 year period as composed in the analysis. In addition, a steady-state model verified the CBA and showed savings in cost per year as well. Each model shows significant savings when contracting Endodontists in our shore based MTFs. Furthermore, to mitigate shortages, this research proposes to concentrate resources on military essential competencies and contracting workload for nonmilitary essential functions, such as Endodontists. Note that Endodontists were chosen because they are one of the larger nonessential specialties with billet inventories above the Operational Support Algorithm (OSA).

Personal discount rates can be defined as the rate at which Marines trade current dollars for future dollars. This research attempts to fill in the gaps in previous discount rate studies where Marine Corps data were omitted, by determining the personal discount rates for each individual who separated from the Marine Corps under the SSB or VSI voluntary separation payment programs between 1992 and 1997. This study also determined those personal, professional, and economic traits that had a significant influence on Marines during their separation payment option decisions. The findings of this research are similar to previous studies, indicating that the methodology applied in this study is accurate. The implications of this research for the Marine Corps are that manpower planners can use the determined personal discount rates to create policies that can target Marines who possess certain personal or professional characteristics for reduction or retention, thereby assisting the efforts to create a balanced and capable Marine Corps in the future. Planners can also use this research to anticipate the effect of policy changes on Marines with specific professional or personal traits. / US Marine Corps (USMC) author.