Abstract Title: Sponsorship of grassroots- and youth football teams: A qualitative study from the sponsors’ perspective. Authors: David Arvidsson and Christoffer Rex Hansen Charles. Supervisor: Hèléne Laurell. Level: Bachelor thesis in marketing (15 Swedish credits), Spring 2016. Keywords: Sponsorship, Sport sponsorship, Local sponsorship, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Football,Grassroots, Effectiveness measurement. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to increase the understanding of sponsoring grassroots- and youth football teams. Theoretical framework: The theoretical framework begins with theory regarding sponsorship. CSR and its importance are also discussed. A link between sponsorship and CSR is brought forward at the end of this chapter. Methodology: A deductive approach and a qualitative method have been used in order to get a more detailed, deeper and descriptive explanation of the chosen subject. Empirical framework: The empirical framework was collected through personal interviews with respondents from five different companies. The respondents were the ones responsible for the work with sponsorship at each respective company. Conclusion: Companies are involved in the sponsoring of grassroots- and youth football teams in order to be seen as good citizens. It is also seen as a brand building activity and away to build relationships. A link between CSR and sponsorship can be done and sponsorship can be used as a tool to communicate companies’ CSR-initiatives. Finally, are the effects from sponsorship not measured due to the difficulties in this process, however, methods for this purpose do exist, such as customer surveys.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study project was aimed to evaluate a questionnaire designed by AB Reynolds and adapted by Mario Denton that is used to determine the funtionality of an organisation. The object was to determine how reliable the instrument is and if it was testing the necessary areas/processes. As the purpose·ofmost instruments is to help management determine the current position of an organisation , the management itself, the management of the employees and the workplace, it was important to validate a questionnaire by statistically analysing all the processes/factors used in the questionnaire as well as the questions. Although it was found that the twenty-one (21) organisational processes is used in the questionnaire is of major importance to all organisations, the statistical analyses reduced the processes to eight (8) namely: 1. Performance management, development, appraisal, reward and recognition 2. Effective leadership 3. Vision and mission 4. Strategy and structure 5. Communication 6. Competitor analyses 7. Customer needs 8. Core competencies The three hundred and fifty one (351) questions were also reduced to one hundred and thirty four. The validated revised questionnaire can now be used to determine an organisations health and is a two phased technique designed to assist organisational effectiveness. It will give management a foundation to use in strategic planning as it spells out the weaknesses and strengths of an organisation and also indicate area/processes of concern that will need attention. The revised questionnaire is therefore an information gathering instrument that measures the employees perception of the organisation and focuses on all facets of organisational functioning. It is a tool for continuous organisational development and improvement and will help an organisation in correcting the weaknesses identified. The questionnaire is therefore a management tool. It can be highly effective and can be used by all organisations to improve their competitiveness and ensure their survival. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die projek was daarop gemik om 'n vraelys, opgestel deur AB Reynolds en aangepas deur Mario Denton wat die funktionaliteit van 'n organisasie toets, te evalueer. Die doelwit was om vas te stel hoe betroubaar die instrument is en of dit die nodige areas/prosesse toets. Aangesien die doel van die instrument is om bestuur te help om die huidige possisie van organisasie, bestuur self, die bestuur van werknemers en die werksplek te toets, is dit noodsaaklik om so 'n vraelys te valideer deur al die prosesse/faktore in die vraelys, sowel as die vrae statisties te ontleed. Alhoewel daar gevind is dat al die een en twintig (21) organisatoriese prosesse, soos in die vraelys gebruik, van kardinale belang vir organisasies is ,het die statistiese analise dit na die volgende agt (8) prosesse verminder: 1. Prestasie bestuur, ontwikkeling, beoordeling, vergoeding en erkenning 2. Effektiewe leierskap 3. Visie en missie 4. Strategie en struktuur 5. Kommunikasie 6. Analise van mededingers 7. Behoeftes van kliênte 8. Kern vaardighede Die drie honderd een en vyftig (351) vrae is ook verminder na een honderd vier en dertig vrae. Die gevalideerde vraelys kan nou aangewend word om die gesondheid van 'n organisasie te toets en is 'n tegniek wat uit twee fases bestaan wat behulpsaam kan wees om organisatoriese effektiwiteit te bevorder. Dit sal aan bestuur 'n wegspringpunt verleen in strategiese beplanning aangesien dit die vermoëns en gebreke van 'n organisasie uitwys, asook die swak areas/prosesse wat aandag verg. Die gekorrigeerde vraelys is daarom 'n informasie insamelings instrument wat werknemers se persepsie aangaande die organisasie meet en fokus op alle fasette van organisatoriese funksionering. Dit is dus 'n instrument om organisatoriese ontwikkeling en verbetering voortdurend toe te pas, en help 'n organisasie om swakhede wat geidentifiseer is, reg te stel. Die vraelys is dus 'n bestuursinstrument wat effektief deur alle organisasies aangewend kan word om mededingend te word om sodoende hulle voortbestaan te verseker.

The theoretical part desribes some of the main concepts used in assessing human resources effectiveness especially those from the last decade written in anglo-saxon countries. There are three goals of the analytical part: comparison of the human resource management indices with international benchmarks, testing of stated hypotheses defined in cooperation with top management of the chosen company and determination of key human resources indices. Comparison and analysis are main methods used in the thesis. Beside partial recommendations there are two main indices proposed at the end to help top management to achieve goals of the business strategy.

I investigate the association between large shareholder heterogeneity and firms' accounting quality and information asymmetry. Specifically, I construct three measures of ownership heterogeneity based on the type, size, and monitoring aggressiveness of large shareholders present in a firm. Applying these three measures of heterogeneity, I examine whether large shareholder heterogeneity is associated with the variation in firms' accounting quality and information asymmetry. I also examine new block formations to provide evidence on the consequences of large shareholder investment on firms' accounting quality and information asymmetry. I find that the monitoring aggressiveness of large shareholders is positively associated with firms' accounting quality and information asymmetry. These findings suggest that large aggressive shareholders constrain earnings management, but contribute to firms' overall information asymmetry. Further, using new blockholder data, I find that investments by large aggressive shareholders are positively associated with firms' accounting quality and firms' information asymmetry in the post investment period. This finding provides additional support to my hypotheses that large shareholders play an important role in firms' accounting quality and information asymmetry. / by Joseph E. Trainor. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Research linking marketing to financial outputs has been gaining significance in the marketing discipline. The pertinent questions are, therefore: how can marketing improve measures of firm performance and draw potential investors to the company, and where is the quantitative proof to back up these assertions? This research investigates the role of marketing expenditures in the context of initial public offerings (IPOs). The proposed theoretical framework comes from marketing and finance literature, and uses econometric models to test the hypotheses. First, we replicate the results of a previous study by Luo (2008) showing a relationship between the firm's pre-IPO marketing spending and IPO underpricing. Next, we extend the previous study by looking at the IPO's long-run returns, types of risk, analyst coverage, and market/industry characteristics. The results of this study, based on a sample of 2,103 IPOs from 1996 to 2008, suggest that increased marketing spending positively impac ts firm performance. We examine different measures of firm performance, such as risk and long-run performance, whose results are important to the firm, its shareholders, and potential investors. This study analyzes the impact marketing spending has on IPO characteristics (IPO underpricing in the short-run and cumulative abnormal returns in the long run); risk characteristics (systematic, unsystematic, bankruptcy risk, and total risk); analyst coverage characteristics (the number of analysts, optimistic coverage, and forecast error) and market characteristics (market volatility and industry type). We control for variables such as firm size, profitability, and IPO characteristics. In this paper, the results show that increased marketing spending lowers underpricing, lowers bankruptcy risk, lowers total risk, leads to greater analyst coverage, leads to more favorable analyst coverage, and lowers analyst forecast error. For theory, this paper advances the literature on the / marketing-financ e interface by extending the market-based assets and signaling theories. For practice, the results indicate that spending more money on marketing before the IPO and disclosing this information produces positive bottom-line results for the firm. KEYWORDS: Marketing-Finance, Risk, Financial Analysts, Marketing Spending, Firm Performance, Marketing Strategy Meets Wall Street, Long-Run Firm Performance, Underpricing, Stock Recommendations, Initial Public Offering, Marketing Strategy, Econometric Model. / by Monica B. Fine. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2012. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Compensation Services manages return to work, wage loss, pension and health-care benefits to injured workers, and those suffering from occupational diseases. This thesis presents the methodology and results of a comprehensive study conducted to determine the relationships between existing performance measures, quantify the factors influencing these performance measures, and deterrriine relative efficiencies across case management operations. We use principal components analysis, cluster analysis, and multiple regression to derive the relationships between performance outcomes and influencing factors. We then use data envelopment analysis, incorporating these multiple inputs and outputs, to assess overall relative efficiencies and set performance targets. The analysis has brought about an increased understanding of service delivery location performance and performance measurement. Results may be used to provide managerial decision support, communicate best practices, and serve as a basis for further efficiency or quality initiatives. The factors accounted for in the multivariate analysis can explain between 20% - 50% of the variability in key performance outcomes across case management desks. The overall efficiency analysis revealed strong performers both within case management offices and across regions. Four case management offices consistently contain strongperforming case management desks across several methods of evaluating efficiency. Transferring best practices has the potential to significantly increase relative efficiency improvements for case management desks across the province.

Thesis (MComm (Industrial Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / The leadership-for-performance framework designed by Spangenberg and Theron (2004) aspires to explicate the structural relationships existing between leader competency potential, leadership competencies, leadership outcomes and the dimensions of organizational unit performance. The Performance Index (PI) and Leadership Behaviour Inventory (LBI) comprise the leadership-forperformance range of measures. The PI was developed as a comprehensive criterion measure of unit performance for which the unit leader could be held responsible. The basic PI structural model has been developed to explain the manner in which the various latent leadership dimensions measured by the LBI affect the eight unit performance latent variables that are assessed by the PI. Although preliminary research suggests the basic PI structural model could be refined, continued research in this regard can only be justified if the basic PI measurement model is shown to be measurement invariant across independent samples from the target population. As part of ongoing research of the leadership-for-performance range of measures, this crossvalidation study investigated the extent to which the PI measurement model may be considered measurement invariant across two independent samples from the same population. Two samples were collected through non-probability sampling procedures and included 277 and 375 complete cases after imputation by matching. Item analysis and dimensionality analysis were performed on each of the PI sub-scales prior to the formation of item parcels. No items were excluded based on item- and dimensionality analysis results. Two composite indicator variables (item parcels) were created from the items of each sub-scale and were treated as continuous variables in the subsequent statistical analyses. Structural equation modelling, using robust maximum likelihood estimation, was used to perform a confirmatory first-order factor analysis on the item parcels for each sample. The measurement model was fitted to both samples independently and close fit for each sample was established. The measurement model was cross-validated using a progressive series of measurement invariance tests. Results indicated the PI measurement model did not display full measurement invariance across the two samples although it did cross-validate successfully under the configural invariance condition. Statistically significant non-equivalence was found to exist in both the measurement error variances and the factor covariances (p<0,05), although the p<0,05 critical value was only narrowly surpassed in both cases. The measurement model did, however, display metric invariance across the samples as no significant differences were found between the factor loadings, suggesting the content of each item is perceived and interpreted in a similar manner across samples from the target population. When considered in combination, these results may be viewed as quite satisfactory as they indicate that themeasurement model does not appear to vary greatly when fitted to data from the two samples. As this study has established at least metric invariance of the PI, it therefore provides some basis of confidence for proceeding with subsequent research aimed at establishing the structural invariance of the basic PI structural model and eventually research that links the leadership behaviour to work unit performance as measured by the PI. Limitations of this study are discussed.

Assignment (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The responsibility for the performance of any organisational unit ultimately lies with the leadership of the unit. Given this perceived pivotal role of leadership in work unit performance, the ultimate objective is to capture the nature of the presumed relationship between leadership and unit performance in a comprehensive structural model. To validate such a leadership model, however, requires an explanation of the manner in which the unit performance dimensions affect each other. Spangenberg and Theron (2002b) developed a generic, standardized unit performance measure (PI) that encompasses all the unit performance dimensions for which the unit leader could be held responsible. The objective of this paper is to investigate the internal structure of the PI in order to establish the inter-relationships between the eight unit performance latent variables. The PI consists of 56 questions covering eight dimensions. The validation sample consisted of 304 completed PI questionnaires. However, after imputation 273 cases with observations on all 56 items remained in the validation sample. Item analysis and dimensionality analysis was performed on each of the sub-scales using SPSS. Thereafter, confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the reduced data set using LISREL. The results indicated satisfactory factor loadings on the measurement model. Acceptable model fit was achieved for the measurement model. Subsequently, the structural model was tested using LISREL. The results provided statistics of good fit. Only four hypotheses failed to be corroborated in this study. Conclusions were drawn from the results obtained and suggestions for further research are made. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die prestasie van enige organisatoriese werkeenheid is die uiteindelike verantwoordelikheid van die leierskap van die eenheid. Gegewe hierdie waargenome sleutelrol van leierskap in werkeenheidprestasie, is die uiteindelike doelwit om die aard van die veronderstelde verwantskap tussen leierskap en eenheidprestasie in 'n omvattende strukturele model vas te lê. Die validering van so 'n leierskapmodel vereis egter 'n uiteensetting van die wyse waarop die eenheidprestasie-dimensies mekaar onderling beïnvloed. Spangenberg en Theron (2002b) het 'n generiese, gestandaardiseerde eenheidprestasie-meetinstrument (PI) ontwikkel wat al die eenheidprestasie-dimensies insluit waarvoor die leier van die eenheid verantwoordelik gehou kan word. Die doel van hierdie studie is om ondersoek in te stel na die interne struktuur van die PI ten einde die inter-verwantskappe tussen die agt eenheidprestasie latente veranderlikes vas te stel. Die PI bestaan uit 56 vrae wat die agt dimensies dek. Die validasiesteekproef bestaan uit 304 voltooide PI vraelyste. Na vervanging van ontbrekende waardes is die validasiesteekproef egter gereduseer tot 273 gevalle met waarnemings op al 56 items. Item-ontleding en dimensieanalise is op elk van die sub-skale met behulp van SPSS gedoen. Daaropvolgend is bevestigende faktor-analise op die verkorte datastel gedoen met behulp van LISREL. Die passingstatistieke het hier aanvaarbare resultate opgelewer. Vervolgens is die strukturele model met behulp van LISRELgetoets. Die resultate het hier bevredigende passingstatistieke gelewer. Daar kon vir slegs vier hipoteses nie steun gevind word in die studie nie. Op grond van die resultate is daar tot bepaalde gevolgtrekkings gekom en daar word aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing gemaak.

Mini-thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Public Management in the Faculty of Business at the CAPE PENINSULA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY 2013 / Gillis (2004:1) stated in her publication in Communication World that “employees are the lifeblood of an organisation.” Local governments, both in South Africa and abroad, are increasingly faced with the need to change for a number of reasons, one of which is to change so as to become more responsive and improve performance. As local government devises means to attain the objectives of performance management, how does it ensure that performance management objectives are mainstreamed within the organisation? Academic writers agree that staff resistances are counterproductive to the efforts made by any municipality to introduce performance management systems with the aim of bringing about effective and efficient service to its constituents. The key to avoiding staff resistances, which all organisations have to take account of, is communicating with employees. The writer suggests that this process is necessary and unavoidable, yet it is almost always ignored. The main aim of this study was to review the communication practices underpinning the Balance Scorecard (BSC) performance management system within the Cape Town Metropolitan Police Department (CTMPD). Tentative discussions with the metropolitan police department’s middle and low level managers indicated little understanding of how the BSC fits into the CTMPD’s accountability measures. At regular senior management meetings, called the Operational Management Forum (OMF), in 2011, the researcher learnt from operational directors and managers that they were not properly consulted with regard to the BSC system and that the implementation of the system was not adequately communicated. Managers claimed that only a short presentation was given in 2009 and it was then expected that middle managers would achieve the desired results and attain objectives towards which they had very little input. They have since become disillusioned and have resorted to focussing solely on ensuring that they spend their budgets with little understanding that there is more to the BSC than financial measurements. Thus the research questions were posed: why was performance management introduced within the CTMPD and what guidelines can be provided to improve how performance management is communicated to managers? A questionnaire was used to gain insight into this; it was administered to middle management within the CTMPD. The main findings of the research were that the respondents have an understanding of performance management. Another finding was that the majority of the respondents were not trained in the BSC performance management system. The researcher thus recommended that the safety and security training college be tasked to develop a training workshop, with the help of the support services manager. In addition, the researcher also recommended that the support services division ensures that candidates eligible for middle management positions be tested on their core communication skills and understanding of performance management principles prior to appointment.

Compensation Services manages return to work, wage loss, pension and health-care benefits to injured workers, and those suffering from occupational diseases. This thesis presents the methodology and results of a comprehensive study conducted to determine the relationships between existing performance measures, quantify the factors influencing these performance measures, and deterrriine relative efficiencies across case management operations. We use principal components analysis, cluster analysis, and multiple regression to derive the relationships between performance outcomes and influencing factors. We then use data envelopment analysis, incorporating these multiple inputs and outputs, to assess overall relative efficiencies and set performance targets. The analysis has brought about an increased understanding of service delivery location performance and performance measurement. Results may be used to provide managerial decision support, communicate best practices, and serve as a basis for further efficiency or quality initiatives. The factors accounted for in the multivariate analysis can explain between 20% - 50% of the variability in key performance outcomes across case management desks. The overall efficiency analysis revealed strong performers both within case management offices and across regions. Four case management offices consistently contain strongperforming case management desks across several methods of evaluating efficiency. Transferring best practices has the potential to significantly increase relative efficiency improvements for case management desks across the province. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate