This case study focuses on Ontario higher education policy and the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAATs). A sequence of policy shifts occurred during the last decade of the twentieth century and the early years of the new millennium. By 2002, the Government of Ontario had reviewed its position with regard to baccalaureate degree credentials being the exclusive domain of publicly supported universities. Governance arrangements for the CAATs had also changed. The new policy framework was set with two pieces of legislation, the Postsecondary Education Choice and Excellence Act, 2000, and the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Act, 2002. The purpose of this case study is to explain why these policy changes occurred. To facilitate inquiry, John W. Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Model was used as a platform and lens to guide data collection and organize the findings. For Kingdon, policy is the outcome of a complex pre-decision process that requires the ‘coupling’ of the problem, policy, and political streams at the time of an open policy window. A qualitative approach was adopted, and primary and secondary documents covering the period 1990 to 2002 were collected. In addition, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with key policy actors and policy entrepreneurs.  The study found evidence to support the Multiple Streams Model's contention of streams of processes. However, with respect to this study, two types of policy problems were found flowing in the problem stream: macro-structural policy problems shaped conditions and the scope of options available with respect to policy goals and policy solutions; and micro-specific policy problems were localized, actor identified, constructed, and linked to specific interests. The study also found that historical institutional structures, and intermediate institutions, had a significant impact on policy development. The policy changes occurred as the result of two open policy windows, and in both instances, policy entrepreneurs were able to couple the policy streams to effect change. In view of the findings, a Structured Dynamics Model of Policy Development is offered as an explanation of the policy changes and for consideration in future inquiry.

After facing the economic recession, the South–African and global business sectors started revaluating their human capital and the positions they represent within an organisation. Each individual now had to prove that they contributed towards the organisation’s bottom line, as each and every cent had to be counted and accounted for. Some functions within organisations could easily prove their contribution towards the bottom line by providing production or sales outputs. The public relations practitioners and the corporate communication efforts they offered, however, faced a bleak future, as their contribution towards the tangible assets was very rarely recognised (Kim, 2000:276). The financial services sector however, in which an advisor’s contribution towards the organisational bottom line is easily quantified, started to acknowledge the need for this sector to improve upon its ‘softer’ intangible assets such as client communication and client relationships. The sector believes that communication establishes relationships, and sound client relationships is the only way to sell financial products and services, as people seldom entrust their life earnings or financial dreams to strangers (Christiansen & DeVaney, 1998:7). Public relations practitioners know how to use communication optimally in the quest for building client relationships, and financial services need those skills in order to sell their products and contribute towards the bottom line. These two functions could thus work together towards the achievement of their goals - public relations to prove their bottom line contribution, and the financial services sector towards improving client relationships. These statements led to the general Research Question of this study: “What is the nature of the relationship between (i) corporate communication efforts, (ii) client communication satisfaction and (iii) client relationship satisfaction, and these concepts’ relationship to (iv) client economic contribution, within a financial services organisation?” This Research Question is answered from the systems theory as meta–theory with the support of the strategic communication, excellence and relationship management theories, and Futurum Financial Group (FFG) services as the financial services organisation for this study. A qualitative and quantitative research approach was followed to establish the constructs, and the relationships between the constructs. The Financial Advisors and public relations practitioner in FFG have a good understanding of the need for strategic communication efforts, and a relationship between their efforts and the client communication satisfaction and client relationship satisfaction could therefore be indicated. A further relationship between the client communication satisfaction and client relationship satisfaction and the client economic contribution was also established. Recommendations to improve the situation within FFG included a better focus on database administration, corporate communication consistency, Financial Advisor diligence, and providing clients with more frequent updates regarding their financial situation. The greatest strengths were client–advisor trust and corporate communication professionalism. This study thus contributes to the argument that communication efforts add tangibly, by means of client economic contribution, to the organisation’s bottom line, within the financial services industry. The study furthermore provides some recommendations for the financial services industry to improve their communication skills in order to build client relationships. / Thesis (M.A. (Communication Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

After facing the economic recession, the South–African and global business sectors started revaluating their human capital and the positions they represent within an organisation. Each individual now had to prove that they contributed towards the organisation’s bottom line, as each and every cent had to be counted and accounted for. Some functions within organisations could easily prove their contribution towards the bottom line by providing production or sales outputs. The public relations practitioners and the corporate communication efforts they offered, however, faced a bleak future, as their contribution towards the tangible assets was very rarely recognised (Kim, 2000:276). The financial services sector however, in which an advisor’s contribution towards the organisational bottom line is easily quantified, started to acknowledge the need for this sector to improve upon its ‘softer’ intangible assets such as client communication and client relationships. The sector believes that communication establishes relationships, and sound client relationships is the only way to sell financial products and services, as people seldom entrust their life earnings or financial dreams to strangers (Christiansen & DeVaney, 1998:7). Public relations practitioners know how to use communication optimally in the quest for building client relationships, and financial services need those skills in order to sell their products and contribute towards the bottom line. These two functions could thus work together towards the achievement of their goals - public relations to prove their bottom line contribution, and the financial services sector towards improving client relationships. These statements led to the general Research Question of this study: “What is the nature of the relationship between (i) corporate communication efforts, (ii) client communication satisfaction and (iii) client relationship satisfaction, and these concepts’ relationship to (iv) client economic contribution, within a financial services organisation?” This Research Question is answered from the systems theory as meta–theory with the support of the strategic communication, excellence and relationship management theories, and Futurum Financial Group (FFG) services as the financial services organisation for this study. A qualitative and quantitative research approach was followed to establish the constructs, and the relationships between the constructs. The Financial Advisors and public relations practitioner in FFG have a good understanding of the need for strategic communication efforts, and a relationship between their efforts and the client communication satisfaction and client relationship satisfaction could therefore be indicated. A further relationship between the client communication satisfaction and client relationship satisfaction and the client economic contribution was also established. Recommendations to improve the situation within FFG included a better focus on database administration, corporate communication consistency, Financial Advisor diligence, and providing clients with more frequent updates regarding their financial situation. The greatest strengths were client–advisor trust and corporate communication professionalism. This study thus contributes to the argument that communication efforts add tangibly, by means of client economic contribution, to the organisation’s bottom line, within the financial services industry. The study furthermore provides some recommendations for the financial services industry to improve their communication skills in order to build client relationships. / Thesis (M.A. (Communication Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Theorists and management in the South African non-profit sector agree that strong stakeholder relationships are essential in negotiating the challenges faced by the South African non-profit sector. Despite the acknowledgement from the non-profit sector that strong relationships are key to achieving organisational goals, there is an apparent lack of knowledge and strategic thinking amongst them pertaining to the concept of stakeholder relationship management. Against this background the purpose of this study was therefore to develop a metamodern model for stakeholder relationship management, aimed specifically at the South African non-profit sector, that could be implemented by NPO management in a practical manner. The blurring lines between the opposing views of modernism versus postmodernism motivated the choice of metamodernism as a relevant worldview for this study. Metamodernism does not imply a balance between these poles, but rather a constant swinging of the pendulum during which metamodernism negotiates between modernism and postmodernism. It is the construction of a workable, interrelated worldview, recognising the intimate relationship between modernism and postmodernism. It was therefore concluded that a metamodern worldview in which both modernism and postmodernism feature, would not only make it possible for nonprofit organisation managers to understand and join the discussion on stakeholder relationship management, but also to implement the proposed metamodern stakeholder relationship management model. The resultant metamodern stakeholder relationship management model for non-profit organisations is framed by so-called modernistic communication and stakeholder relationship management theories, but it was done in line with the metamodern worldview of the study, allowing for initiative and innovation. The flexible, organic and cyclic nature of the proposed model echoes this worldview. A qualitative, exploratory and interpretative research design was implemented to test a conceptual framework and face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior management in the non-profit sector. The design of the framework and subsequent model was guided by a number of assumptions and propositions arising from a thorough literature review, all of which were supported and confirmed by the research results. The most significant contribution of the study is the application of a metamodern worldview emanating from a reluctance to choose between a modern or postmodern stance when discussing communication science and stakeholder relationship management practices. It is therefore foreseen that it would offer the field of communication science new and creative means of combining modernism and postmodernism approaches when studying communication phenomena. It will also expand the responsibility for communication and stakeholder relationship management beyond that of the communication specialists to senior management in the non-profit sector. / Communication Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Communication)

Adherence to long-term medications has remained a problem among adolescents worldwide. Antiretroviral therapy adherence is a wide-reaching challenge among HIV positive adolescents. The aim of this study is to explore and describe poor ART adherence among HIV positive adolescents in Maseru: influential factors and the need of social work support. Qualitative approach was used, following an explorative, descriptive and contextual research design. The research was conducted at BCMCOE Lesotho. Data was collected by using semi-structured in-depth interviews and purposive sampling was applied to select a sample of adolescents who are HIV positive and who have poor adherence to ART. Data was analysed according to the framework provided by Tesch (in Creswell 2003). Guba’s model (in Krefting 1991) was employed for data verification. Conclusions were drawn and recommendations were made about factors influencing adherence of adolescents to ART and support needed from social workers. / Social Work / M.A.(S.S.)

SCHAUMANN , Gustavo Pucci. Gestão da qualidade e sua relação com a satisfação e o comprometimento no trabalho de servidores técnico-administrativos. 2010. 144 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Psicologia) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Departamento de Psicologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia, Fortaleza-CE, 2010. / Submitted by moises gomes (celtinha_malvado@hotmail.com) on 2012-01-16T15:04:45Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_dis_GPSchaumann.PDF: 1182930 bytes, checksum: cc1de38a7271c50f40e768eead59acb8 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Maria Josineide Góis(josineide@ufc.br) on 2012-03-08T12:47:55Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_dis_GPSchaumann.PDF: 1182930 bytes, checksum: cc1de38a7271c50f40e768eead59acb8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2012-03-08T12:47:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_dis_GPSchaumann.PDF: 1182930 bytes, checksum: cc1de38a7271c50f40e768eead59acb8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / This study aims at analyzing the possible relations between the implementation of criteria and practices of the Excellence Model of public management (GESPÚBLICA Model) and the satisfaction and work commitment of managerial and technical civil servants at a public organization in Fortaleza (CE Brazil). The GESPÚBLICA Model was developed by the federal government of Brazil through the Ministry of Planning, budget and management and integrates the National Programme for combating the bureaucracy in the public service. It is a transposition of Total Quality Management practices from private to public organizations. This dynamic brought new expectations for the considered civil servants in relation to the administration and work conditions. The main theoretic references were the Neoclassical School of Administration, the System and Development oriented Psychology, the Working Group on Organizational and Work Psychology (GTPOT) and the Political Economics of Power and Organizational Studies. The field research was conducted in the Regional Labour Superintendence of the state of Ceará (Brazil) (a specific unity of the Ministry of Labour and Employment that was awarded for various years and recognized as a reference in the application of this model). The research contributed to investigate the consequences of the strategies, practices and the learning of quality in satisfaction and commitment of administrative technical servants in the period of 1997 to 2007. As method of research, a quantitative approach was used while a structured questionnaire served as research instrument. The data analysis considered the relation of the implementation of the Excellence Model in public management with the variables of satisfaction in the process of work organization, management and planning, working environment, values and culture, financial remuneration and benefits and commitment at work in its affective, calculative and normative dimensions. The final considerations of the investigation indicate the limited relation between the initiatives of the model with the satisfaction and the commitment at work. / O presente estudo tem por finalidade analisar as possíveis relações da implementa-ção dos critérios e das práticas do Modelo de Excelência em Gestão Pública (Mode-lo Gespública) com a satisfação e o comprometimento no trabalho de servidores técnico-administrativos. O Modelo Gespública foi desenvolvido pelo governo federal do Brasil através do Ministério do Planejamento, Orçamento e Gestão e integra o Programa Nacional de Gestão Pública e Desburocratização. É uma transposição das práticas da gestão da qualidade das organizações privadas para as instituições públicas. Essa dinâmica trouxe novas expectativas para os servidores quanto à organização e às condições de trabalho. Os principais referenciais teóricos foram a escola neoclássica da administração, a psicologia orientada para os sistemas e o desenvolvimento, o Grupo de Trabalho em Psicologia Organizacional e do Trabalho (GTPOT) e o Grupo de Pesquisa Economia Política do Poder e Estudos Organizacionais. Como método de pesquisa, utilizou-se a abordagem quantitativa e um questionário estruturado serviu de instrumento. A pesquisa de campo, realizada na Superintendência Regional do Trabalho no Ceará (unidade descentralizada do Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego premiada por vários anos e reconhecida como referência na aplicação desse modelo), contribuiu para investigar as decorrências das estratégias, das práticas e do aprendizado da qualidade na satisfação e no comprometimento no trabalho dos servidores técnico-administrativos no período de 1997 a 2007. A análise dos dados considerou a relação da implementação do Modelo de Excelência em Gestão Pública com as variáveis de satisfação nos processos de organização do trabalho, gestão e planejamento, ambiente de trabalho, valores e cultura, remuneração e benefícios e com o comprometimento no trabalho nas dimensões afetiva, calculativa e normativa. As considerações finais da investigação indicam a limitada relação das iniciativas do modelo com a satisfação e o comprometimento no trabalho.

Den här essän avser att ur ett praktisk-filosofiskt perspektiv utforska hur delad närvaro, en unik kvalité hos muntligt berättande, är kopplad till en slags oförställdhet som en god berättare uppvisar. Utifrån egna berättarerfarenheter och Alasdair Macintyres begrepp ’praxis’ analyserar jag ett material från en internationell berättarkonferens ägnad att etablera professionellt muntligt berättande som en egen konstform. Jag jämför berättarens praxis med författarens och skådespelarens, utifrån Peter Goldies teori om narrativt tänkande samt begreppet ’ram’ hämtat från Gregory Batesons teori om lek. Medan en författare är fri att utforma sitt narrativ ur vilket perspektiv som helst, måste en god berättare hålla fast vid sin egen personliga synvinkel – berätta som sig själv – vilket kräver en specifik berättarkompetens: en slags simultankapacitet. Blir narrativet på så vis inramat på rätt sätt och berättandet dessutom är oförställt, kan berättaren dela sin närvaro i berättarrummet och berättelsens värld med åhörarna. Kanske denna delade närvaro kan upplevas som en slags resonans. / This essay explores from a philosophical point of view a connection between ‘shared presence’, a unique value that oral storytelling can attain, and a certain unfeigned quality exhibited by a good storyteller – a form of authenticity as pictured by Alessandro Ferrara. By applying Alasdair Macintyre’s concept of ‘practice’ to a material presented at an international storytelling conference, intended to establish oral storytelling as an art of its own, I compare the practices of a storyteller with those of an author and those of an actor. In so doing I refer to cases from my own experience as a teller. These comparisons are also based on Peter Goldie’s theory on narrative thinking and on Gregory Bateson’s theory of play. Whereas an author is free to construct his narrative from any perspective whatever, I find that a good storyteller must stick to his own self. This calls for a specific competence required for entering into play mode with the listeners. If the narrative is well framed in this sense, and the telling is unfeigned, the teller can simultaneously share his presence in the taleworld and the storyrealm with the listeners. This could be experienced by the participants as a form of resonance.

The master's thesis focuses on the assessment of the financial and business performance of the company Direct Parcel Distrubution CZ s. r. o. by using the methods of benchmarking. The first part of work provides a theoretical background for the issue, with an emphasis on benchmarking. The second part of the thesis contains introduction of the company and situational analysis of the company. The following is the main part of the thesis, the acutal benchmarking of the company with selected competitors. The thesis concludes proposals to improve the financial and business performance of Direct Parcel Distribution CZ s.r.o.

<p>The internal and external challenges construction companies face such as variability, low productivity, inefficient processes, waste, uncertainties, risks, fragmentation, adversarial contractual relationships, competition, and those resulting from internal and external challenges such as cost overruns and delays negatively affect company performance and profitability. Though research publications abound, these challenges persist, which indicates that the following gaps exist. Lean construction, process improvement, and performance improvement research have been conducted wherein improvement principles, and best practices are used to ameliorate performance issues, but several knowledge gaps exist. Few companies use these improvement principles and best practices. For those companies applying improvements, there is no established link between these improvements and performance/profitability to guide companies. Further, even when companies use improvement principles and best practices, they apply only one or two, whereas an integrated application of these improvement principles and best practices would be more effective. The other gap the author identified is the lack of strategic tools that construction companies can use to improve and manage their profitability. This thesis tried to fill the knowledge gap, at least partially, by developing a two-part excellence model for profitability improvement of construction companies. The excellence model lays out strategies that would enable companies to overcome the challenges and improve their profitability. The excellence model also gives an iterative and recursive continuous improvement model and flowchart to improve the profitability of construction companies. The researcher used high impact principles, guidelines, and concepts from the literature on organizational effectiveness, critical success factors, strategic company profitability growth enablers, process improvement, and process maturity models, performance improvement, and organizational excellence guidelines to develop the two-part excellence model.</p> <p>The author also translated the two-part excellence model into the diagnostic tool and Decision Support System (DSS) by use of process diagrams, fishbone diagrams, root cause analysis, and use of improvement principles, countermeasures and best practices at the most granular (lowest intervention) levels to do away with root causes of poor performance. The author developed the diagnostic tool and Decision Support System (DSS) in Access 2016 to serve as a strategic tool to improve and manage the profitability of construction companies. The researcher used improvement principles, and best practices from scientific and practitioner literature to develop company and project process flow diagrams, and fishbone (cause and effect) diagrams for company, department, employee, interactions and project performance for the profitability improvement, which are the engines of the diagnostic tool and DSS. The diagnostic tool and DSS use continuous improvement cycles iteratively and recursively to improve the profitability of construction companies from the current net profit of 2-3 percent to a higher value.</p>

This investigation focused on identifying model foundational strategies to assist Canton Public School District (CPSD) officials in recruiting new teachers, successfully hiring them, and then retaining them the district. Located within the boundaries of the city of Canton, Mississippi, CSPD is geographically located in the central portion of the state. The district consists of 1 high school, 2 middle schools, 4 elementary schools and Canton Education Services Center. CSPD is continually affected by an ever-increasing teacher shortage because new teachers tend to leave the district after they are hired. More than 50% of new teachers leave their teaching positions in the district’s schools within 5 years. The investigation utilized published literature and other archival data (e.g., scholarly papers presented at conferences) accessible to the public in the form of books, chapters in published books, journal articles, and scholarly papers presented at learned societies and associations. Two research questions guided the investigation. The first research question asked: What does the published literature and related archival data (e.g., available scholarly papers retrievable from sources such as colleges, universities, foundations, conferences, etc.) accessible to the public reveal about recruiting, hiring, and retaining teachers? Overall, the material collected and analyzed yielded abundant information. Much of the available information proved valuable because the material focused attention the “how-to-do-it” aspects of recruiting, hiring, and retaining quality new teachers. The second research question asked: Will information gleamed from an analysis of the published literature and other archival data (e.g., unpublished scholarly papers) lead to the development of foundational strategies for assisting school district officials in recruiting, hiring, and retaining new teachers for CPSD? It was possible to develop a model holding potential for improving teacher recruitment, hiring, and retention at CPSD. The model that was developed features seven foundational strategies that if implemented, hold potential for improving teacher recruitment, hiring, and retention at CPSD. The seven strategies are: (1) identify the vacancy and write the job description, (2) announce and advertise the teacher vacancy, (3) develop a customized application form, (4) paper screening process, (5) interviewing process, (6) salary and benefit package, and (7) induction and mentoring.