The manufacturing industry is currently in a short-term downturn while the competition is increasing. The result of this is that companies must find new ways to bring out their products. Traditional competitive strategies, such as low pricing, is not sufficient today as the customer is inquiring something more than just a good product. Higher demands are presented on an accurate, well functional, communication between customer and companies, as this has become an important strategic factor in achieving long-term profitability. The aim of this independent project was to analyze and evaluate the communication process between a company and its sales companies. In order to illustrate this process, a case study was carried out at Alfa Laval, their sales companies and employees at their distribution center in Tumba. In order to see the differences in attitudes between the management, the sales companies and the employees regarding communication and involvement a gap analysis were used. The theoretical part of the study considers theories about business mission, communication, involvement, quality and creating value. The result showed that a smaller gap exists between the sales companies and the management while a slightly larger one exists between the employees and the management. The internal communication is presently inadequate in the sense that separate opinions exist on whether a one- or two-way communication should be used. This causes the interactive communication, between employees and sales companies, to suffer as well since the employees do not know what to communicate. A long-term profitability can only be achieved when the internal and interactive communication is working correctly, something that it presently does not do. The conclusion of this independent project shows that communication must be correctly shaped and that all parties should embrace the degree of involvement in the same way. These are the two factors that are strategically important to the communication process. / Verkstadsindustrin är nere i en svacka samtidigt som konkurrensen hårdnar vilket medför att företag måste hitta nya sätt att framhäva sina produkter på. Traditionella konkurrensstrategier, som prispress, är inte tillräckliga idag då kunden kräver något mer än endast en bra produkt. Högre krav ställs på att kommunikationen mellan kund och företag måste vara korrekt utformad och väl fungerande då denna blivit en viktig strategisk faktor för långsiktig lönsamhet. Syftet med rapporten är att analysera och utvärdera kommunikationsprocessen mellan ett företag och deras säljbolag. För att belysa denna kommunikationsprocess genomfördes en fallstudie på Alfa Laval och deras säljbolag samt anställda på deras distributionscentrum i Tumba. För att se till skillnader i attityd mellan ledningen, säljbolagen samt de anställda, avseende kommunikation och involvering, genomfördes en gap-analys. De teoriområden som användes för att genomföra rapporten behandlade bland annat affärsidé, kommunikation, involvering, kvalitet och värdeskapande. Resultatet visade att det föreligger ett mindre gap mellan säljbolag och ledning medan ett något större gap föreligger mellan de anställda och ledning. Den interna kommunikationen är idag bristande i den bemärkelsen att det råder skilda meningar om huruvida den ska vara enkel- eller dubbelriktad. Som ett led av detta blir även den interaktiva kommunikationen, mellan anställda och säljbolag, lidande då de anställda inte vet vad de ska kommunicera ut. En långsiktig lönsamhet kan endast uppnås om den interna och den interaktiva kommunikationen fungerar korrekt, något som den i dagsläget inte gör. Rapportens slutsats visar att kommunikationen ska vara utformad på korrekt sätt och att graden av involvering ska omfattas på samma sätt av alla parter. Det är dessa två faktorer som är strategiskt viktiga för kommunikationsprocessen.

Inverse photoemission spectroscopy (IPES) is utilized for determining the unoccupied electron states of materials. It is a complementary technique to the widely used photoemission spectroscopy (PES) as it analyzes what PES cannot, the states above the Fermi energy. This method is essential to investigating the structure of a solid and its states. IPES has a broad range of uses and is only recently being utilized. This thesis describes the setup, calibration and operation of an IPES experiment. The IPES setup consists of an electron gun which emits electrons towards a sample, where photons are released, which are measured in isochromat mode via a photon detector of a set energy bandwidth. By varying the electron energy at the source, a spectrum of the unoccupied density of states can be obtained. Since IPES is not commonly commercially available the design consists of many custom made components. The photon detector operates as a bandpass filter with a mixture of acetone/argon and a CaF2 window setting the cutoff energies. The counter electronics consist of a pre-amplifier, amplifier and analyzer to detect the count rate at each energy level above the Fermi energy. Along with designing the hardware components, a Labview program was written to capture and log the data for further analysis. The software features several operating modes including automated scanning which allows the user to enter the desired scan parameters and the program will scan the sample accordingly. Also implemented in the program is the control of various external components such as the electron gun and high voltage power supply. The new setup was tested for different gas mixtures and an optimum ratio was determined. Subsequently, IPES scans of several sample materials were performed for testing and optimization. A scan of Au was utilized for the determination of the Fermi edge energy and for comparison to literature spectra. The Fermi edge energy was then used in a measurement of indium tin oxide (ITO) determining the conduction band onset. This allowed the determination of the "transfer gap" of ITO. Future experiments will allow further application of IPES on materials and interfaces where characterization of their electronic structure is desired.

Currently several disparate and incomplete approaches are being used to analyse and make decisions on the complex methodology of carbon capture and storage (CCS). A literature review revealed that, as CCS is a new and complex technology, there is no agreed-upon thorough assessment method for high-level CCS decisions. Therefore, a risk model addressing these weaknesses was created for assessing complex CCS decisions using a multi-criteria decision analysis approach (MCDA). The model is aimed at transparently and comprehensively assessing a wide variety of heterogeneous CCS criteria to provide insights into and to aid decision makers in making CCS-specific decisions. The risk model includes a variety of tools to assess heterogeneous CCS criteria from the environmental, social, economic and engineering fields. The model uses decision trees, sensitivity analysis and Monte Carlo simulation in combination with utility curves and decision makers’ weights to assess decisions based on data and situational uncertainties. Elements in the model have been used elsewhere but are combined here in a novel way to address CCS decisions. Three case studies were developed to run the model in scenarios using expert opinion, project-specific data, literature reviews, and engineering reports from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Europe. In collaboration with Alberta Innovates Technology Futures, a pilot study was conducted with CCS experts in Alberta to assess how they would rank the importance of CCS criteria to a project selection decision. The MCDA model was run using experts’ criteria weights to determine how CCS projects were ranked by different experts. The model was well received by the CCS experts who believed that it could be adapted and commercialized to meet many CCS decision problems. The survey revealed a wide range in experts’ understanding of CCS criteria. Experts also placed more emphasis on criteria from within their field of expertise, although economic criteria dominated weights overall. The results highlight the benefit of a model that clearly demonstrates the trade-offs between projects under uncertain conditions. The survey results also revealed how simple decision analyses can be improved by including more transparent methods, interdisciplinary criteria and sensitivity analysis to produce more comprehensive assessments.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:32:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Wagner Lima da Silva.pdf: 533048 bytes, checksum: 307be37580f5223b6a1e8468d9b7282d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-23 / Fundo Mackenzie de Pesquisa / Information security has become an issue that reaches the organizations, once it puts at risk the continuity of the businesses. As the accounting is the responsible area for consolidating all the information of the organization, it becomes relevant evaluate the perception of users of accounting information regarding the subject. This research, on the basis of literature review identified six constructs of information security (Integrity, Availability, Confidentiality, Equipment, Policies and Procedures and People). These constructs had been used in a survey electronic questionnaire, where one sample composed by 129 users of accounting information from various Brazilian organizations provided their perceptions regarding information security. These data allowed the realization of a gap analysis which consisted in comparing the means of assessment (how the respondent evaluates information security in your organization) and importance (how much the respondent considers information security important) attributed to each construct of information security. As a result, it was evidenced the existence of statistically significant gaps for all the six constructs of information security checked, showing that the organizations are giving less importance to the matter than expected by respondents. The users of accounting information are aware of the importance of information security and had shown to be unsatisfied with the equipment, policies and procedures used to guarantee the information security in the organizations. People construct presented the largest gap of this research, suggesting that the organizations face difficulties to control the human component in information security, and people are not aware of the importance of their role in the effectiveness of information security in the organizations. The research findings suggest that managers should focus their efforts on employee awareness and implementation of security policies and procedures, aiming at the establishment of information security culture in the organization. / A segurança da informação se tornou um problema que atinge as organizações, uma vez que coloca em risco a continuidade dos negócios. Sendo a contabilidade a área responsável por consolidar todas as informações da organização, torna-se relevante avaliar a percepção dos usuários da informação contábil a respeito do tema. Esta pesquisa, com base na revisão da literatura, identificou seis construtos de segurança da informação (Integridade,Disponibilidade, Confidencialidade, Equipamentos, Políticas e Procedimentos e Pessoas).Estes construtos foram utilizados em um questionário eletrônico do tipo survey, em que uma amostra composta por 129 usuários da informação contábil de diversas organizações brasileiras forneceram a sua percepção a respeito da segurança da informação. Estes dados possibilitaram a realização de uma análise de gap que consistiu na comparação das médias de avaliação (como o respondente avalia a segurança da informação na sua organização) e importância (o quanto o respondente considera a segurança da informação importante) atribuída a cada construto de segurança da informação. Como resultado, constatou-se a existência de gaps estatisticamente significativos para todos os seis construtos de segurança da informação estudados, evidenciando que as organizações estão atribuindo menor importância ao tema do que o esperado pelos respondentes. Os usuários da informação contábil estão conscientes da importância da segurança da informação e demonstraram estarem insatisfeitos com os equipamentos, políticas e procedimentos utilizados para garantir a segurança da informação nas organizações. O construto Pessoas apresentou o maior gap desta pesquisa, sugerindo que as organizações enfrentam dificuldades para controlar o componente humano na segurança da informação, e as pessoas não estão conscientes da importância do seu papel para a eficácia da segurança da informação nas organizações. Os resultados desta pesquisa sugerem que os gestores devem direcionar seus esforços na conscientização dos funcionários e na implantação de políticas e procedimentos de segurança, objetivando a instituição da cultura de segurança da informação na organização.

In this day and age where technology is rapidly improving and developing, it is essential that information should be managed accurately, fast and dynamic. Information systems not adhering to the requirements of the environment must be replaced or updated. Dependable, available information is worth its value in gold to individuals, organisations and the government. Training information is one of the most controversial themes of our times, because of the dynamic nature of this field. The question is what is available in the market to manage training in its entirety? Legislation in South Africa has certain expectations and requirements, which have to be adhered to. A training management system that will satisfy the needs of individuals, organisations and the government is designed and developed to address the problems experienced by Sasol Utilities. Abbreviations such as SAQA, NQF, NSB and SETA are used generally and are an integral part of the training problem. The Computer Assisted Training Management System is designed to address the development possibilities of certain job categories and individuals. This includes the.management of all training information such as historical background, scheduling, the determination of certain short comings and achievement evaluation. Various reports, which are valuable for management purposes can be generated. The Computer Assisted Training Management System is designed in such a way that it can be adapted to suit a variety of needs. Information can be added, changed or deleted according to the specific needs. However, information can only be changed as determined by the administrator. A built in security system ensures that the integrity of the information is maintained and protected. The idea behind the design and development of the Computer Assisted Training Management System is that the system must be user friendly, dynamic, unique and functional and that it must comply with all the technical aspects. The need for training differs from institution to institution, as well as from the requirements laid down by the government. This system is therefore designed in such a way that it would not become obsolete in the near future. In fact, follow-up systems may originate from the current Computer Assisted Training Management System. The Computer Assisted Training Management System is therefore a dynamic and unique management tool for the processing of training information and is able to adapt to changing circumstances, without forfeiting integrity. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2001. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

The aim of this research is to evaluate the level of service quality provided by Eskom to its Large Power User (LPU) customer segment in the Eastern Cape. The research uses the SERVQUAL model in order to assess the customers’ expectations and perceptions of the service provided by Eskom. This evaluation report comprises three sections. Section one consists of (a) a review of service quality literature that exists and is applied to Eskom where relevant, (b) a summary of the method used to conduct the research, (c) the research findings, and (d) a discussion of the research findings and recommendations. Section two consists of a review of the key concepts identified for this study as follows: (a) defining customer service quality by looking at the concepts of the customer, service, quality and the dimensions of quality, (b) the importance of service quality, (c) the components of service quality in Eskom, (d) models of service quality, and (e) the SERVQUAL model used in this study. Section three consists of the detail of the research methodology used to conduct this study. The Gap Model of Service Quality (Parasuraman et al., 1985:44) is evaluated in order to understand the gaps between expected and perceived service. The provider gap (Zeithaml et al., 2006: 34) is also reviewed in order to identify the gaps that occur within the organisation. An extensive review of customer service quality models is undertaken before a discussion of the SERVQUAL model, which was used in this evaluation study, is provided. The researcher adopted the critical realism research paradigm and quantitative data was collected from a sample of 120 Eskom customers within the LPU customer segment in the Eastern Cape. These customers were randomly selected from the Eskom Customer Care and Billing database and comprised customers from Port Elizabeth, Aliwal North, Mthatha and East London Areas within the Eastern Cape. The data was collected online through a questionnaire which was based on SERVQUAL and modified for electricity services. The quantitative data obtained from the study is presented in the form of tables and graphs created from the data obtained from the 45 customers who responded to the questionnaire. The gaps between LPU customer perceptions and expectations were calculated for the five SERVQUAL dimensions. The research identifies the existing gaps in the service delivered by Eskom; this is based on the perceptions and expectations of the LPU customers in the Eastern Cape, who participated in the study. The results reveal that gaps exist between LPU customer perceptions and their expectations of the service provided by Eskom in the Eastern Cape. The key findings reveal that the largest gaps are within the reliability and empathy dimensions and the smallest gap is in the tangibles dimension. The recommendations were made on the basis of the gaps which were identified and these focus on the training of the front line staff responsible for servicing customers. It is recommended that this training should include an overview of the organisation’s policies and procedures to enable employees to respond adequately to customer queries. Recommendation is also made on training staff to interact with customers effectively in order to resolve customer queries satisfactorily. Finally, it is recommended that regular assessments of the existing customer service quality levels are conducted in order for the organisation to remain aware of the current customer perceptions and expectations

South African home users of the Internet use the Internet to perform various everyday functions. These functions include, but are not limited to, online shopping, online gaming, social networking and online banking. Home users of online banking face multiple threats, such as phishing and social engineering. These threats come from hackers attempting to obtain confidential information, such as online banking authentication credentials, from home users. It is, thus, essential that home users of online banking be made aware of these threats, how to identify them and what countermeasures to implement to protect themselves from hackers. In this respect, information security awareness (ISA) programmes are an effective way of making the home users of online banking aware of both the threats they face and the countermeasures available to protect themselves from these threats. There are certain legal requirements with which South African banks have to comply when implementing ISA initiatives. Non-compliance or failure to demonstrate due care and due diligence should a security incident occur will result in financial penalties for the bank as well as possible brand damage and loss of customers. Banks implement international best practice recommendations in an effort to comply with legislation. These include recommendations for information security awareness. This research investigated both information security best practice recommendations and information security legal requirements for information security awareness. A selected list of information security best practices was investigated for best practice recommendations while a selected list of information security legislation was investigated for legal requirements imposed on South African banks. A gap analysis was performed on both these recommendations and requirements to determine whether the implementation of best practice recommendations resulted in compliance with legal requirements. The gap analysis found that the implementation of best practice recommendations does not result in compliance with legal requirements. Accordingly, the outcome of this research highlighted the importance of understanding the legal requirements and ensuring that adequate controls are in place with which to achieve compliance. / Business Information systems / Msc. (Information systems)

Returning citizens face a host of barriers when attempting to reintegrate into society; thus, services for these concerns are imperative for successful reintegration. Unfortunately, services are often lacking, particularly in rural communities which tend to be overlooked in reentry research. In order to better determine service need for justice-involved populations in rural communities, the current study completed a gap analysis, both inspired and supplemented, by qualitative information collected from mental health providers (MHPs) in a rural Appalachian region of Tennessee. To complete the gap analysis, an estimation of need was collected via local crime statistics. Using this data, a two-sample t-test revealed that increased rurality was related to a significantly higher percentage of substance use related crimes, but not to crimes against persons or sexual crimes. Service availability data was then collected for local providers in the domains of general mental health, substance abuse, anger management (or anger management aligned), and sex offender treatment. It was found that nine of the ten counties in the identified region are considered mental health professional shortage areas (MHPSAs) for general mental health care. Using average caseload data from local MHPs, a calculation of provider shortfall was completed for specialty services for returning citizens. For the identified 10-county region, provider shortfalls were existent in all treatment domains. The largest gap identified was for anger management aligned services, while the smallest gap identified was for sex offender treatment services. An increase in rurality did not ensure an increased provider shortfall across domains. Overall, MPHs in the area identified similar needs in treatment services via two major qualitative themes and five subthemes. The findings from the current study provide a specific example of what services are missing for rural returning citizens. It is hoped that the results of this study help inform policy and programming efforts in rural communities as they attempt to close the service gap and successfully reintegrate rural returning citizens.

This diploma thesis deals with the proposal of a personal data protection system according to the General Data Protection Regulation in the organization Dentalife s.r.o.. The proposal was implemented on the basis of an analysis of the current situation which revealed serious shortcomings in line with the General Data Protection Regulation. Based on the identified deficiencies, a recommendation has been drawn up which, in the event of its subsequent implementation, will put the current situation into line with this Regulation. The theme of the diploma thesis was selected primarily because of its up-to-date and missing materials that would describe and explain the individual steps of the whole process of analysis and implementation.

The aim of the Master´s thesis is the design process of transition to a fully integrated safety management system, taking into consideration the unique characteristics of small air operators. It means describing the initial situation, studying the requirements and recommendations of ICAO Doc.9859 a proposal for the transition to fully integrated security management system, taking into account the specifics of a small air operators. Work also includes a description of the "target state", all inputs, outputs and main functions, integration into the quality system and the organization of society as a whole.