Frameworks são ferramentas importantes no contexto atual da tecnologia de desenvolvimento de software, fornecendo funcionalidades através de código previamente testado, o que leva a uma redução na quantidade de código necessário para se implementar soluções e no tempo de implementação. Porém, devido a complexidade dos frameworks atuais, seu uso se torna trabalhoso, requerendo um gasto de tempo elevado para se aprender um framework novo. Neste trabalho de pesquisa foi desenvolvido o Framer, um método de transformação de modelos capaz de selecionar componentes de um framework, a partir de seu modelo UML, que são necessários para implementar as funcionalidades providas pelo framework para uma aplicação em desenvolvimento. Este método de transformação utiliza uma versão modificada do algoritmo NONLIN de planejamento, para identificar não somente os componentes que serão utilizados, mas como e em qual ordem devem ser invocados pela aplicação. Uma vez identificados os componentes, são criados os Diagramas UML necessários para representar sua utilização. / Frameworks are important tools for current software development technology, providing functionalities through previously tested code, reducing the amount of code and time necessary to implement the solution. However, due to framework complexity, a developer needs a significant investment in time to learn it. This work presents the Framer, a model transformation method capable of selecting components, from a framework\'s UML model, that will be used to construct the functionalities of the target application. Once the components are identified, the UML Diagrams necessary to describe its use are created.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are crystalline hybrid materials with interesting chemical and physical properties. This thesis is focused on the synthesis and characterization of different MOFs and their use in heterogeneous catalysis. Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), including ZIF-4, ZIF -7 and ZIF -62, Ln(btc)(H2O) (Ln: Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Ho, Er and Yb), Ln2(bpydc)3(H2O)3, (Ln: Sm, Gd, Nd, Eu, Tb, Ho and Er), MOF-253-Ru and Zn(Co-salophen) MOFs were synthesized. Various characterization techniques were applied to study the properties of these MOFs. X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were extensively used. The effect of synthesis parameters, such as batch composition and temperature, on the formation and morphology of ZIF-7 and ZIF-62 was studied. Structural transformation and flexibility of two series of lanthanide-based MOFs, Ln(btc)(H2O) (Ln: Nd, Ho and Er) and Ln2(bpydc)3(H2O)3, (Ln: Sm and Gd) upon drying and heating were characterized. Relations between metal coordination, structure flexibility and thermal stability among the Sm2(bpydc)3(H2O)3, Nd(btc)(H2O) and MOF-253 were investigated. Salophen- and phenanthroline-based organic linkers were designed, synthesized and characterized. Metal complexes were coordinated to these linkers to be used as catalytic sites within the MOFs. Catalytic studies using two MOF materials, Ln(btc) and MOF-253-Ru, as heterogeneous catalysts in organic transformation reactions were performed. The heterogeneous nature and recyclability of these MOFs were investigated and described. / <p>At the time of doctoral defence the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper nr 4: Submitted; Paper nr 5: Submitted</p>

[pt] A crescente expansão e evolução da Internet têm impulsionado a demanda por aplicações baseadas em agentes e a busca por padrões e ferramentas para dar suporte ao desenvolvimento destas aplicações. MIDAS (Middleware for Intelligent and Distributed Agent-based Systems) define uma arquitetura flexível e adaptativa, fracamente acoplada, orientada a serviços que provê uma plataforma de execução e um framework para facilitar o desenvolvimento de sistemas multiagentes na Internet. A arquitetura do framework adere e estende as especificações da arquitetura de referência WSA (Web Services Architecture), sendo formada por duas estruturas básicas: uma concreta e outra abstrata. A estrutura concreta é composta por um conjunto de agentes intermediários dinâmicos e pró-ativos, que provêem serviços de infraestrutura. Estes serviços possibilitam que os desenvolvedores possam abstrair funcionalidades complexas, tais como comunicação, concorrência, gerenciamento e interoperabilidade. A segunda estrutura é composta por classes abstratas que representam os agentes e componentes de aplicações. As classes abstratas definem os hot-spots a partir dos quais as particularidades específicas das aplicações podem ser implementadas e regulam o fluxo de interação entre a implementação concreta dos agentes e a arquitetura. A abordagem estende os atuais padrões definidos pela arquitetura de referência WSA introduzindo o conceito de agente abstrato, e mecanismos complementares para dar suporte ao workflow e modelo de comunicação dos agentes. / [en] The increasing widespread and evolution of the Internet have stimulated the demand for agent-based applications, and the search for standards and tools to support the development of these applications. MIDAS (Middleware for Intelligent and Distributed Agent-based Systems) defines a flexible, adaptable, and loosely coupled service-oriented architecture, that provides an agent platform and a framework to facilitate the development of multi- agent systems in the Internet. The framework architecture adheres and extends the specifications of the WSA (Web Services Architecture) reference model, being composed by two basic structures: a concrete and an abstract one. The concrete structure is composed by a set of dynamic and pro-actives agents, which provide infrastructure services. These services enable the developer to abstract complex functionalities, such as communication, concurrency, management and interoperability. The second structure is composed by abstract classes, which represent the agents and components of applications. The abstract classes define the hot-spots from which the specific particularities of the applications can be implemented, and regulate the interaction flow between the concrete implementation of the agents and the architecture. The proposed architecture extends the current concepts defined by the WSA reference model, introducing the concept of abstract agent and complementary mechanisms to provide support for the agent´s workflow and communication model.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T12:36:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 2054391 bytes, checksum: ef9f90118e5f1321521703ded66ff354 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-11-21 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The progress of science and technology coupled with the improvement of communication networks favoring the emergence of services to handle with growing volumes of data and the high transmission power available. Applications based on digital video are increasingly popular. They are widespread in multiples fields: telemedicine, artistic performances, techno-scientific events, entertainment, and advertising, among others. Proportionately, they are increasingly required higher levels of quality and delivery times getting shorter for the development of software systems. Therefore, this paper aims to map the state of the art in the development of applications based on digital video and show the necessity of having a framework that provides an abstraction for the development of systems in this area. Finally, is presented a case study of STYLO, a software framework that aims to encapsulate experiences in developing technologies that scope, providing ways for developers to reuse, usability and standardization of code and bringing greater productivity in their implementations. / O progresso da Ciência e Tecnologia aliado à melhoria das redes de comunicação, favorecem o surgimento de serviços para lidar com volumes crescentes de dados e com o alto poder de transmissão disponível. Aplicações baseadas em vídeo digital estão cada vez mais populares e atingem os mais diversos campos: Telemedicina, Arte e Tecnologia, entretenimento, publicidade, dentre outros. Proporcionalmente, são exigidos níveis cada vez mais altos de qualidade e prazos de entrega cada vez mais curtos para o desenvolvimento de sistemas de software. Diante disso, este trabalho faz um mapeamento do estado da arte no processo de desenvolvimento de aplicações baseadas em vídeo digital e mostra a necessidade de se ter um framework que forneça uma abstração para o desenvolvimento de sistemas nessa área. Além disso, é apresentado o STYLO, um arcabouço de software que tem como objetivo encapsular experiências adquiridas no desenvolvimento de tecnologias desse âmbito, provendo para os programadores formas de reuso, usabilidade e padronização de código e trazendo maior produtividade em suas implementações.

This thesis presents the synthesis, properties, and applications of two important classes of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs); lanthanide MOFs and hierarchical porous zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs). The materials have been characterized using a wide range of techniques including diffraction, imaging, various spectroscopic techniques, gas sorption, dynamical light scattering (DLS) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). In Chapter 1, the unique features of MOFs and ZIFs as well as their potential applications are summarized. In Chapter 2, different characterization techniques are presented. Chapter 3 describes a family of new isoreticular lanthanide MOFs synthesized using tri-topic linkers of different sizes, H3L1-H3L4, denoted SUMOF-7I-IV (Ln) (SU; Stockholm University, Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu and Gd, Paper I). The SUMOF-7I-III (Ln) contain permanent pores and exhibit exceptionally high thermal and chemical stability. The luminescence properties of SUMOF-7IIs are reported (Paper II). The influences of Ln ions and the tri-topic linkers as well as solvent molecules on the luminescence properties are investigated. Furthermore, the potential of SUMOF-7II (La) for selective sensing of Fe (III) ions and the amino acid tryptophan is demonstrated (Paper III).  Chapter 4 presents a simple, fast and scalable approach for the synthesis of hierarchical porous zeolitic imidazolate framework ZIF-8 and ZIF-67 using triethylamine (TEA)-assisted approach (Paper IV). Organic dye molecules and proteins are encapsulated directly into the ZIFs using the one-pot method. The photophysical properties of the dyes are improved through the encapsulation into ZIF-8 nanoparticles (Paper IV). The porosity and surface area of the ZIF materials can be tuned using the different amounts of dye or TEA. To further simplify the synthesis of hierarchical porous ZIF-8, a template-free approach is presented using sodium hydroxide, which at low concentrations induces the formation of zinc hydroxide nitrate nanosheets that serve as in situ sacrificial templates (Chapter 5, Paper V). A 2D leaf-like ZIF (ZIF-L) is also obtained using the method. The hierarchical porous ZIF-8 and ZIF-L show good performance for CO2 sorption. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Manuscript. Paper 5: Manuscript.</p>

La détection de faibles quantités de petites molécules volatiles, qu’elles soient polluantes, utilisées comme armes chimiques ou encore explosives présente un intérêt sociétal certain. Les polymères de coordination poreux (PCPs) ou ’Metal-Organic Frameworks‘ (MOFs) sont des solides poreux qui peuvent être décrits par l’association de ligands organiques et de briques inorganiques interagissant par liaisons fortes et définissant une structure cristalline avec des pores de différentes tailles et formes. La large gamme d'application de ces solides (séparation, stockage, biomédecine...) repose sur leurs diversités chimique et structurale. Par exemple, il est possible de synthétiser des MOFs luminescents en utilisant un ligand organique lui-même luminescent. Le coeur tétrazine et ses dérivés sont des bons candidats pour cet objectif, puisqu'ils présentent des propriétés de fluorescence remarquables : émission dans le visible (λem~560 nm), bon rendement quantique. De plus, cette fluorescence peut être modifiée par la présence de molécules riches en électrons, ce qui laisse envisager son utilisation comme capteur moléculaire. Nos travaux se sont de plus focalisés sur des métaux à haut degré d'oxydation (Al(III), Zr(IV)) susceptibles de conférer aux solides une stabilité en milieu aqueux adéquate pour les applications envisagées. Deux acides carboxyliques à base de tétrazine, adaptés à la préparation de MOFs, ont tout d'abord été synthétisés. Le premier a été utilisé pour préparer un MOF à base de zirconium.La structure du solide, et entre autres son caractère flexible, ainsi que ses propriétés optiques ont été étudiées. Particulièrement, ses performances en tant que capteur d'amines aromatiques et de phénol ont été évaluées. La réactivité du second ligand avec les ions lanthanides a aussi été explorée et plusieurs solides ont été isolés, leur structure, caractérisée. Leurs propriétés optiques ont été évaluées, afin d'établir des relations entre la structure du MOF et la fluorescence de la tétrazine. Ensuite, avec ce même ligand, une stratégie de synthèse à ligand mixte a été adoptée pour incorporer la tétrazine dans des MOFs. Il s'agit de partir d'une structure aux propriétés avantageuses (stabilité, porosité) et de substituer une partie de ses ligands organiques ‘inactifs’ par des tétrazines. Ceci peut s'effectuer pendant la synthèse ou via un traitement post-synthétique. Les propriétés optiques des solides obtenus ont été enfin étudiées et leur efficacité en tant que capteur évaluées. / Detection of low concentrations of small organic molecules, which can be hazardous, polluting or used as chemical weapons, represents a societal problem worth addressing. Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are a class of porous crystalline materials that can be described as an association of inorganic subunits and organic ligands defining an ordered structure with accessible cavities of various size and shape. The wide range of potential applications for these materials (biomedicine, gas separation, catalysis...) relies on their chemical and structural diversity, which allows combining porosity with additional properties. For example, it is possible to synthesize luminescent MOFs through the use of a luminescent organic ligand. The tetrazine core and its derivatives appear as good candidates for such a purpose, as they have a fluorescent emission in the visible spectrum (λem~560 nm) with a good quantum yield. In addition, this fluorescence can be affected by the presence of electron rich molecules, making their use possible as sensors for ions or organic molecules. Our work focused mainly on the design of MOFs based on tetrazine and cations of high charge density (Al(III), Zr(IV)) in order to ensure their stability in water, which is desirable in this field.Two different tetrazine dicarboxylic acids suitable for the preparation of MOFs were first synthesized. The first one was used to prepare a new MOF based on zirconium. The structure of this solid, together with its flexible character and its optical properties were investigated. Especially, its use for the sensing of aromatic amines and phenol was evaluated. The reactivity of the second ligand with lanthanide ions was then investigated and few solids were isolated and structurally characterized. Their optical properties have been studied, in order to establish some relationship between their structure and their fluorescence. Then, with the same ligand, a mixed-ligand strategy has been developed in order to incorporate the tetrazine into MOFs. This involves starting from a non-fluorescent MOF with interesting properties (stability, porosity) and substituting some of the 'inactive' ligands with these tetrazines. This was performed either during the synthesis or as a post-synthetic treatment. The spectroscopic properties of these solids were finally investigated and their efficiencies as sensors evaluated.

Anthropogenic emission of greenhouse gases has long been suspected to contribute to global warming and climate change. Most greenhouse gases are emitted in a mixture, so efficient methods and materials to separate and capture the gases are in demand in order to reduce emissions. A promising material group for this purpose is metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). This class of material have the ability to selectively adsorb green house gases due to its high porosity and high surface area. Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) are a subclass of MOFs that are topologically similar to zeolites and are known for their good chemical and thermal stability.   The aim of this project was to investigate if the greenhouse gas (i.e. CO2 and SF6) capture performance of ZIFs could be improved and tuned using a mixed-linker approach with seven different imidazolate-based organic linkers of different sizes or with various functional groups. As well as to investigate the processability of MOFs using 3D printing. ZIFs composed of different ratios of 2-methylimidazolate as base linker and a second linker of imidazolate, benzimidazolate, 2-aminobenzimidazolate, 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazolate, and 4,5-dichloroimidazolate were succesfully made. The materials were all found to be crystalline, however, mixed-linker ZIFs containing 2-aminobenzimidazole, 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole and dichloroimidazole were observed to contain more than a single phase. All samples showed to be somewhat porous towards CO2 and SF6, and there seem to be a trend where a low % of a bulkier linker (eg. bIm, ambIm) resulted in a higher uptake of SF6 whereas a high % resulted in a higher uptake of CO2. For dcIm it was the other way around, a low % showed a higher uptake for CO2  whereas a high % showed a higher uptake for SF6. For CO2, the ZIF containing 80% benzimidazolate showed the highest uptake of 9.81 wt%. For SF6, the 25% 4,5-dichloroimidazolate showed the highest uptake of 17.73 wt%. Furthermore, direct ink writing (DIW) 3D printing was also successfully utilized to process and structure a Mn-based MOF using carbopol as binder. The printed structure was found to have similar properties to the pristine MOF in regards to crystallinity and porosity.

Globally the combustion of fossil fuels has increased to a greater extent. Carbon dioxide (CO2) a major greenhouse gas isa by-product of such combustion practices. Increase in the quantity of CO2 emissions has resulted in serious environmental issues including global warming, ocean acidification, extreme weather, and much more leaving a direct impact on the human society. To reduce these emissions, we need a more efficient carbon dioxide capturing technology. Using advances in materials science and engineering we can develop newer technologies for the capture of carbon dioxide gas. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) constitute a class of three-dimensional porous materials. They have shown applicability in various fields including carbon dioxide capture. A vast variety of MOFs can be synthesized by selecting proper metal salts and organic-linkers to build up the MOF structure. This thesis focuses on the synthesis of MOFs through a sustainable process or green synthesis route. Most of the MOFs in this study have been synthesized at ambient temperature and pressure conditions with deionized water as the primary solvent. A total of eight MOFs were synthesized in this study using two organic-linkers namely, 1,2,4,5-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)-benzene (H4TCPB) and 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone (H2DHBQ). The metal-salts used were based on hafnium, zirconium, cerium, magnesium, iron and manganese. A number of qualitative and quantitative tests were carried out onthe MOF samples to ensure their quality of produce and performance. The primary focus was to test the materials for their capacity to uptake carbon dioxide (CO2) in a mixture of flue gases. The highest CO2 uptake capacity was recorded to be 3.02 mmol/g (at 293 K and 1 bar) by the H2DHBQ-magnesium based MOF. All the materials showed good results andwere proven to be reusable. All the synthesized MOFs were crystalline in nature, showed a single-phase microstructure and high surface area values. A supplementary study was conducted wherein the powdered MOFs were 3D printed by the Direct Ink Writing (DIW) technique using an alginate binder. The study was satisfactory because the MOFs after being 3D printed, managed to preserve their inherent properties and characteristics. The results were in par with that of their pristine MOF counterparts. / Den globala förbränningen av fossila bränslen har i allt större utsträckning ökat. Koldioxid (CO2) är en avde viktigast växthusgaserna och erhålls som biprodukt från många förbränningsmetoder. Den höga haltenkoldioxid i atmosfären har resulterat i allvarliga miljömässiga konsekvenser inklusive den globaluppvärmningen, försurning av haven, extremt väder och mycket mer som har en direkt påverkan på detmänskliga samhället. För att minska dessa utsläpp behöver vi en mer effektiv koldioxidinfångningsteknologi. Med hjälp av framsteg inom materialvetenskapen kan vi utveckla nyare tekniker för att fångakoldioxid.  Metallorganiska ramverk (MOFs) utgör en klass av tredimensionella porösa material. De har visat siganvändbara inom olika områden inklusive infångning av koldioxid. Många variation av MOF material kansyntetiseras från olika metallsalter och organiska ligander för att bygga upp MOF-strukturen. Dettaexamensarbete fokuserar på syntesen av metallorganiska ramverk via en grön syntesväg och en hållbarprocess. En stor del av MOF materialen som erhölls syntetiserades i rumstemperatur och vid normala tryckmed avjoniserat vatten som det primära lösningsmedlet. Åtta MOFs material syntetiserades i detta projekt med två olika organiska ligander, nämligen, 1,2,4,5-tetrakis(4-karboxifenyl)bensen (H4TCPB) och 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-bensokinon (H2DHBQ). Metallsalternasom användes i synteserna baserades på hafnium(IV), zirkonium(IV), cerium(IV), magnesium(II), järn(II)och mangan(II). Ett antal kvalitativa och kvantitativa tester genomfördes på MOF:arna för att säkerställaderas kvalitet och prestanda. Det primära fokuset var att testa de olika materialen för deras förmåga att taupp koldioxid (CO2) i en blandning av olika gaser (så som kväve, N2). Den DHBQ-magnesium-baseradeMOF:en uppvisade den högsta CO2-upptagningsförmågan som var 3,02 mmol/g. Alla MOF material visadegoda resultat och visade sig även vara återanvändbara. Alla syntetiserade MOF:ar hade god kristallinitet,uppvisade en singulär fas samt hög ytarea. En kompletterande studie genomfördes där de syntetiserade MOFs materialen (i dess pulverform) 3Dprintades med hjälp av natriumalginat som bindemedel. Studien var lyckad eftersom MOF:arna erhöll entillämplig form/maktrostruktur samtidigt som materialen bevarade sina inneboende egenskaper efter 3Dprintningen.

In the postmodern-day organisation, acknowledgement of the facts today is that the retail sector has changed dramatically over the past ten years. Boom periods, surplus shopping and good times have ended. We have entered an era of harsh changes, business collapse, mergers, acquisitions and turbulent competitive environments that demand a constant review of business structure, financial performance, business practices and value creation to provide any hope of the ability to trade sustainably into the future. Responsiveness by retailers in this modern day driven by market need changes causes an almost instantaneous response by retailers to adapt and service the consumer demand. Thus, in evaluation of the underlying reasons for retail market shifts, one starting with the basic premise and rule of the law of natural selection – adapt to the environment, or die. No doubt that customer demand and the competitive landscape dictate effective and quick response from retailers, driving the form, shape, volume and nature of change. Present day marketplace forces are generally forming a worldwide consumer marketplace that will appear dramatically different since 2010, pushing retailers to bring about fundamental improvements to their methods and business models in order to survive. Conventional campaigns will stop being sufficient to deal with trends which may drive the retail markets into the realm of extreme conditions. Retailers in South Africa, albeit not directly, are impacted by global shifts and changes. In an environment with increasing competition and the growing demands for operational efficiencies, sustained profits and customer orientation, SA retailers are looking beyond their traditional business models and organisational boundaries to develop and leverage the resources and capabilities of international best practice to create superior value and drive competitive advantages in the marketplace. Value-add in making things work better for customers, albeit through various business enhancement and improvement initiatives, the longer their relationship will endure with the company. Thus the potential of adopting a deliberate creativity approach within the broader strategic planning process of a company, might well be the value-add activity that provides the catalyst for closing the performance gap, through bridging and integrating the core concepts of creativity and applying these concepts within real business operations, with the explicit aim of improving business profitability. To this end, the study originated from a need for a creativity-driven approach to enhance business performance in a retail organisation and not only challenge current paradigms, but redefine furniture retailing and create new furniture retailing operating models. In so doing, using a deliberate creativity-driven approach, that will catapult furniture retail onto a new performance curve that ultimately creates shareholder value through an enhanced customer proposition. The researcher embarked on a journey to establish whether a structured deliberate creativity change management framework could improve a company’s competitiveness, effectiveness and profitability; and to what degree a creativity framework can be used to enhance performance within a company. The research study results and findings, together with the financial performance results revealed that the creativity interventions deployed did in fact enhance business performance (financial, cultural, productivity and organisational behaviour) over the specific study period. The study also includes the design of a Conceptual Deliberate Creativity Framework, Conceptual Deliberate Creativity Strategy, Conceptual Deliberate Creativity Implementation Plan and an Integrated Beyonder Scorecard, which can be applied to any type of retail business across numerous diverse disciplines. / PhD (Business Administration), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

In the postmodern-day organisation, acknowledgement of the facts today is that the retail sector has changed dramatically over the past ten years. Boom periods, surplus shopping and good times have ended. We have entered an era of harsh changes, business collapse, mergers, acquisitions and turbulent competitive environments that demand a constant review of business structure, financial performance, business practices and value creation to provide any hope of the ability to trade sustainably into the future. Responsiveness by retailers in this modern day driven by market need changes causes an almost instantaneous response by retailers to adapt and service the consumer demand. Thus, in evaluation of the underlying reasons for retail market shifts, one starting with the basic premise and rule of the law of natural selection – adapt to the environment, or die. No doubt that customer demand and the competitive landscape dictate effective and quick response from retailers, driving the form, shape, volume and nature of change. Present day marketplace forces are generally forming a worldwide consumer marketplace that will appear dramatically different since 2010, pushing retailers to bring about fundamental improvements to their methods and business models in order to survive. Conventional campaigns will stop being sufficient to deal with trends which may drive the retail markets into the realm of extreme conditions. Retailers in South Africa, albeit not directly, are impacted by global shifts and changes. In an environment with increasing competition and the growing demands for operational efficiencies, sustained profits and customer orientation, SA retailers are looking beyond their traditional business models and organisational boundaries to develop and leverage the resources and capabilities of international best practice to create superior value and drive competitive advantages in the marketplace. Value-add in making things work better for customers, albeit through various business enhancement and improvement initiatives, the longer their relationship will endure with the company. Thus the potential of adopting a deliberate creativity approach within the broader strategic planning process of a company, might well be the value-add activity that provides the catalyst for closing the performance gap, through bridging and integrating the core concepts of creativity and applying these concepts within real business operations, with the explicit aim of improving business profitability. To this end, the study originated from a need for a creativity-driven approach to enhance business performance in a retail organisation and not only challenge current paradigms, but redefine furniture retailing and create new furniture retailing operating models. In so doing, using a deliberate creativity-driven approach, that will catapult furniture retail onto a new performance curve that ultimately creates shareholder value through an enhanced customer proposition. The researcher embarked on a journey to establish whether a structured deliberate creativity change management framework could improve a company’s competitiveness, effectiveness and profitability; and to what degree a creativity framework can be used to enhance performance within a company. The research study results and findings, together with the financial performance results revealed that the creativity interventions deployed did in fact enhance business performance (financial, cultural, productivity and organisational behaviour) over the specific study period. The study also includes the design of a Conceptual Deliberate Creativity Framework, Conceptual Deliberate Creativity Strategy, Conceptual Deliberate Creativity Implementation Plan and an Integrated Beyonder Scorecard, which can be applied to any type of retail business across numerous diverse disciplines. / PhD (Business Administration), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014