Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Allen M. Featherstone / The world is an ever-changing place with many demands on both companies and their employees. Finance individuals in a large multi-national company also have many demands placed on them as they grow and develop with the companies in which they work. A detailed analysis was performed on one large multi-national company in the agriculture sector to determine: 1. a framework to assess the skills that finance individuals need, 2. the desired skills and needs of the finance organization, 3. a current assessment of finance experiences and skills, and 4. the gaps between the current state and the desired skill level state. Although there are a number of criteria and competencies that can be used for assessment, this thesis focused on the critical skills and experiences for two key areas: 1. accounting and technical skills, and 2. analytical and business acumen skills. Skill set levels were measured at three criteria levels: Basic, Intermediate and Advanced. The desired state of the organization and the current state of the organization was defined and mapped on a Skill Set Grid and gaps were identified. When looking at the results, the data indicate that Company XYZ has several areas to explore further and refine. There were many gaps in the current state of the skill sets versus the desired state of the skill sets in both the areas of accounting and technical skills and analytical and business acumen skills. Further, the analytical and business acumen skills were significantly in need of further improvement. In addition, several areas of further refinement could occur that would further enhance the use of this skill assessment methodology. However, both the company and the employees who received feedback valued the information developed in this process.

Training is often delivered before training needs analyses were completed for affected employees. The overall purpose of the study was to identify gaps in the perceived training needs between managers and employees. The first gap found that managers differ in how they perceived employees’ training needs. The second gap was found amongst employees about their own training needs. The managers responded through an electronic questionnaire and a conference, while employees completed their questionnaires at their business premises. The unique approach to this study lies in the fact that the employees were involved in the research while it is more common only to allow managers to complete questionnaires. Globally there is a shortage of supply chain management skills. Following the 2008 global recession, well-trained staff could allow businesses to recover economically. However the literature revealed that a lack of existing qualifications rendered employees vulnerable to lay-offs. For decades, governments, businesses and tertiary institutions have been mismatched in meeting their existing/future skills requirements. The research outcomes could help to prevent wasting resources required to train employees. The goal was accomplished by testing nine hypotheses against empirical evidence gathered in supply chain industries. The findings confirmed that managers and employees do not always share the same perceptions. Hypotheses testing on the following variables: the types of training, the format of training, motivating/demotivating variables for attending training, revealed differences. Other variables include respondents’ existing educational qualifications, their gender, age and career tenure. The respondents were questioned about signing contracts before being sent on training programs. This thesis reported and analysed the findings of three questionnaires. The study was in-field for four months in 2011. By using supply chain professional associations to target respondents the study yielded a more credible reflection of industry phenomena. The research contribution lies in the fact that it is a multi-disciplinary study trying to identify whether gaps exist in perceived training needs amongst respondents and why. It integrates theory from the disciplines of human resources, training and businesses management in structured supply chain networks. Future training programs can thus be tailored towards meeting actual employee training needs to align organisational with personal objectives. This study can help alleviate the skills shortage by emphasizing training needs analyses before the commencement of training programs. / Thesis (DCom)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / Business Management / unrestricted

Prof. S.H. von Solms

No description available.

Strategic planners in retail banks are increasingly challenged to improve productivity, ensure high service quality and reduce operations costs while implementing their e-service strategy. This work aims to assess the current e-service operations strategy in the bank sector in Jordan and develop a framework for formulating e-banking strategies using gap analysis. Limitation of resources is hindering the shift from the current situation of the bank sector to a point where both the customer and the bank perspectives are fully matched and the gap between them is zero. If the available resources of the bank sector are utilised properly, the bank sector can move to a position near to that point which is closer to the customer requirements than the current situation. This can be achieved by constructing a model for an e-bank, the ¿Composite bank¿, which represents the industry best practice. Its performance captures the capabilities, resources and competences of the bank sector. A representative sample of the bank¿s customers was interviewed to fulfil a fully structured questionnaire based on the extant literature. Targeted managers in the bank 3 sector were then interviewed and completed a fully structured questionnaire based on the customer questionnaire. Both questionnaires were pre-tested to assure validity and reliability. The data analysis method was based on gap-analysis technique. The gap model provides a tool to identify critical elements for successful implementation of operations strategy and suggests actions to deal with them. The gap analysis approach was proved to be useful in other settings, such as measuring service quality, but there is paucity of applications in e-service operations strategies. An assessment tool and ¿working sheet¿ were delivered to pave the way for the strategic planners to assess the current situation of the e-banking strategy and to focus on the attributes/services which need more development. This procedure can be generalised to be applied in other industries (in service or e-service contexts), and other countries, both developed and developing.

Strategic planners in retail banks are increasingly challenged to improve productivity, ensure high service quality and reduce operations costs while implementing their e-service strategy. This work aims to assess the current e-service operations strategy in the bank sector in Jordan and develop a framework for formulating e-banking strategies using gap analysis. Limitation of resources is hindering the shift from the current situation of the bank sector to a point where both the customer and the bank perspectives are fully matched and the gap between them is zero. If the available resources of the bank sector are utilised properly, the bank sector can move to a position near to that point which is closer to the customer requirements than the current situation. This can be achieved by constructing a model for an e-bank, the 'Composite bank', which represents the industry best practice. Its performance captures the capabilities, resources and competences of the bank sector. A representative sample of the bank's customers was interviewed to fulfil a fully structured questionnaire based on the extant literature. Targeted managers in the bank 3 sector were then interviewed and completed a fully structured questionnaire based on the customer questionnaire. Both questionnaires were pre-tested to assure validity and reliability. The data analysis method was based on gap-analysis technique. The gap model provides a tool to identify critical elements for successful implementation of operations strategy and suggests actions to deal with them. The gap analysis approach was proved to be useful in other settings, such as measuring service quality, but there is paucity of applications in e-service operations strategies. An assessment tool and 'working sheet' were delivered to pave the way for the strategic planners to assess the current situation of the e-banking strategy and to focus on the attributes/services which need more development. This procedure can be generalised to be applied in other industries (in service or e-service contexts), and other countries, both developed and developing.

During the second half of 2015, Sweden experienced the largest inflow of asylum-seekers in its history. Almost 163,000 people sought asylum in 2015, whereof approximately 70,000 children. The influx challenged the reception system and severe child protection concerns such as disappearances and sexual exploitation of unaccompanied minors were identified. Half of the children that arrived in 2015 came with families but this group have received less attention so far. The aim of this study was to explore the child protection systems around asylum-seeking and returning children in families by identifying child protection concerns and existing gaps in the services provided to this target group. Fourteen semi-structured interviews with twenty individuals belonging to various stakeholder groups such as staff at asylum accommodations, social workers, parents and, volunteer and staff from civil society organisations were conducted in two municipalities in Skåne, Sweden. The data was analysed using thematic analysis and the results are discussed in regards to the Protective Environment Framework. The results suggest that children in migration, with families, face multiple protection concerns in Sweden. Significant gaps exist in the services provided to these children and there are large disparities between accommodation centres. Many accommodations fail to provide a child-friendly environment and gender separated sanitation facilities. Furthermore, the results point out the importance of increasing competence of child protection among actors, and to increase preventive measure directed towards the parents in order to ensure a protective and safe environment for children.

Service quality is an integral part of the product/service offering provided to a customer. Along with continuously identifying customer expectations and perceptions about service quality, it is imperative for service providers to also investigate whether the service quality increases customer satisfaction and their behavioural intentions. This PhD study theoretically contributes by evaluating one comprehensive service quality model, SERVQUAL designed by Parasuraman et al. (1988), for its potential applicability. The study further contributes by identifying a gap in the literature that the original SERVQUAL model does not entirely represent LCC service quality therefore, LCCSQUAL is proposed: a revised conceptual model with twenty-five variables that reflect the industry-specific attributes of LCC services in the Middle East. LCCs became a common feature in the West after the appearance of Southwest airline in 1971, however in the Middle East; LCCs are a relatively new phenomenon. LCCs are growing rapidly due to the current development of the aviation industry, deregulation and open skies policies in many parts of the Middle East. Most research to date has focused on LCCs in Western or Asian culture, whereas limited research has been conducted in the Middle East region, hence, this study will focus on highlighting the historical development of the Middle East’s aviation industry and the phenomenal growth of the region’s LCCs. This research is first of its kind in the Middle East to be conducted on the LCC service quality as well as in a new cultural background and therefore, it is important to consider that passengers’ are influenced by their culture while making decisions, however; the original SERVQUAL model developed by Parasuraman et al. in (1985) does not include culture as one of the influences in consumer. This PhD study, therefore, bridges another gap in the knowledge by testing the LCCSQUAL in Middle Eastern culture. This PhD followed a multi methodology using both inductive and deductive approaches consisting of qualitative (interviews and a focus group discussion) and quantitative (a self-administered survey questionnaire) methods at Dubai International airport, which has a dedicated LCC terminal. A total of 540 questionnaires was distributed; however, only 516 were finally employed for quantitative analysis. For qualitative analysis, nine in-depth interviews with senior executives of LCC airlines and seven LCC passenger interviews was conducted along with one focus group interview with seven Emirati ladies, first time LCC travellers. Content analysis and NVivo 10 were utilised for qualitative findings and descriptive analysis, Spearman’s rank correlation, factor analysis and cross tabulation were employed to examine the quantitative results. Comparing the results of both methodologies indicated that, passengers experienced wider gaps in the tangibility, reliability and responsiveness dimensions of LCC service quality in the Middle East. The findings of the study concluded that LCC passengers have higher expectations of the LCC services due to receiving luxury services for a long time in the Middle East region. The revised model; LCCSQUAL was tested in the Middle Eastern culture with additional variables and is recommended to be further developed to be culture and country specific. Factor analysis results also highlighted that there are gaps between the expectations and perceptions of the passengers travelling with LCC. This study concludes with several recommendations to LCC management, such as, on-time performance, well-trained staff and crew members, providing clear information to the passengers and providing quality services with low fares.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo principal a avaliação de qualidade dos serviços aeroportuários considerando a perspectiva das Companhias Aéreas. Para tanto, o trabalho visa: (i) propor um modelo baseado em atributos de qualidade para os serviços prestados pelos gestores dos aeroportos às Companhias Aéreas; (ii) realizar a implementação desse Modelo para a avaliação da qualidade de ditos serviços; e (iii) avaliar a qualidade dos serviços oferecidos tanto para passageiros quanto para Companhias Aéreas. Assim, dois Modelos são propostos e aplicados, o primeiro com foco em Companhias Aéreas e o segundo que integra as perspectivas delas e dos passageiros, com relação aos serviços comuns. A construção dos Modelos foi baseada na revisão da literatura e no conhecimento de especialistas dos setores de aeroportos e serviços. A implementação dos modelos foi realizada em dois Aeroportos da América do Sul, um no Brasil e outro na Colômbia, abrangendo os pontos de vista dos atores: Gestores de Aeroporto, Companhias Aéreas e passageiros. Assim, foi possível analisar os aspectos que esses atores valorizam, sua percepção sobre a qualidade e, ainda, proceder a uma análise de gaps. A inclusão do ponto de vista das Companhias Aéreas na avaliação da qualidade dos aeroportos representa uma contribuição à literatura, devido à pouca quantidade de trabalhos sobre o assunto e a importância dos aeroportos atenderem esses clientes. Na prática, os modelos apresentados podem ser usados pelos gestores dos aeroportos como ferramentas para a avaliação de seus serviços, análise do conflito de interesses, integração das perspectivas de passageiros e Companhias Aéreas, e identificação de oportunidades de melhoria. / This paper aims to evaluate the quality of airport services considering the Airlines perspective. Thus, this paper intends to: (i) propose a Quality Attributes-based model for services provided by the Airport operator to airlines; (ii) implement a model for the quality evaluation of those services; and (iii) evaluate the quality of the services provided to passengers and airlines. Two models were proposed and implemented, the first had a focus on airlines and the second integrated the perspectives of airlines and passengers in respect of common services. The models were built based in the literature review and the knowledge of airport and services experts. The implementation of these models was done in two South America airports, one in Brazil and other in Colombia, comprising the point of view of airport managers, airlines and passengers. Consequently, it was possible to analyze the items they value, their perception about quality attributes and also to conduct a Gaps analysis. The inclusion of airline’s point of view in the airport quality assessment represents a contribution to the literature, due to the small amount of papers on the subject and the relevance of these clients. In practice, the proposed models can be used by airport managers for assessing their services, analyzing the conflict interests and the integration between the passengers and airlines perspectives; and identifying opportunities for improvement.

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo principal o desenvolvimento de estruturas que contribuam para avaliação do alinhamento entre percepções de qualidade e planejamento de investimentos que impactem na melhoria da qualidade dos serviços aeroportuários prestados aos passageiros. Para tanto, o trabalho se propõe: (i) realizar o levantamento na literatura dos atributos de qualidade que afetam aos passageiros nos terminais; (ii) criar uma estrutura para avaliação de qualidade em serviços aeroportuários; (iii) hierarquizar atributos de qualidade; (iv) avaliar a qualidade percebida de atributos de qualidade; (v) analisar de gaps de importância atribuída e qualidade percebida, nas percepções de passageiros e gestores; (vi) verificar as relações entre investimentos e atributos de qualidade; e (vii) avaliar o impacto dos investimentos na qualidade percebida por passageiros. Entre as principais contribuições desta dissertação, está a proposição de três estruturas: (i) estrutura para avaliação da qualidade em serviços aeroportuários; (ii) estrutura para análise de gaps de qualidade em serviços aeroportuários; e (iii) uma estrutura para avaliação do impacto dos investimentos na qualidade percebida por passageiros. Utilizando o método proposto, os gestores dos aeroportos podem realizar diagnósticos, verificar oportunidades de melhoria e priorizar a alocação de recursos em planos de investimentos futuros. Além disso, as estruturas propostas nos capítulos deste trabalho podem auxiliar os profissionais aeroportuários a direcionar esforços e políticas estratégicas para atributos importantes e com baixa qualidade percebida pelos passageiros. As características diferenciadoras e específicas dos serviços aeroportuários são consideradas nas pesquisas desenvolvidas, uma vez que foram validadas por especialistas do setor. / This study's main objective is to develop frameworks for contribute to assess the alignment between quality perceptions and investment planning, that impact on improving airport services quality, provided to passengers. Thus, this study proposes: (i) a literature survey of quality attributes that affect passengers in the terminals; (ii) to create a framework for quality assessment in airport services; (iii) prioritize quality attributes; (iv) evaluate quality perceived of quality attributes; (v) analyze gaps of prioritization and perceived quality, on the perceptions of passengers and managers; (vi) verify the relationship between investments and quality attributes; and (vii) evaluate the impact of investments in the quality perceived by passengers. Among the main contributions of this study is the proposition of three frameworks: (i) framework for the evaluation of quality attributes in airport services; (ii) quality gaps framework in airport services; and (iii) framework for evaluate the impact of investments in the quality perceived by passengers. Using the proposed method, airport managers can perform diagnostics, check opportunities for improvement and prioritize the allocation of future investment plans resources. In addition, the proposed frameworks in the chapters of this work can contribute to a structured model for analyse the alignment between perceived quality assessment and planning of airport investiments. This model can help airport managers to direct efforts and strategic policies for important attributes and low quality perceived by passengers. The distinguishing and specific characteristics of the airport services are considered in the research developed, since had been validated by sector experts.