There are many issues involved in implementing Information and Communications Technology (ICT) projects in general, and infrastructure (ICT/I) projects in particular. Failures are still common despite advances in project management tools, and increased ICT sophistication. Executive sponsorship and support is acknowledged to make a difference to the success or failure of these kinds of projects. Little has been written on the views of non-ICT executives about the issues they have with ICT/I projects, which have particular challenges because of their highly technical nature. This research sought to develop a theory not only about what the issues are, from the non-ICT executive perspective, but also how these issues appear in, and may affect the outcomes of, such projects. An interpretive study using single units of analysis within multiple cases, to build an inductively derived theory, was the approach chosen for this research. An adapted grounded theory analysis, following the original Glaser and Strauss (1967) philosophy, was used to analyse data extracted from interviews with fifteen chief executives or equivalents. Three themes arose out of this process: Executive Perceptions of ICT/I; Strategic Alignment of ICT/I projects;ICT/I Project Outcomes The themes had quite strong connections between them. Jargon Barriers between ICT staff and these executives, affected the executives perceptions of ICT/I and were strong contributing factors for a poor strategic alignment between ICT/I projects and business goals. The poor alignment was primarily caused as a result of low levels of executive engagement with these projects, because they couldn’t understand the “techno-speak” of their ICT people. The consequence was consistently low satisfaction with ICT/I project life cycle outcomes. There was a very real difference between the satisfaction levels of executives who had made definite efforts to overcome, or deal with, the ICT/I jargon barriers, and those who hadn’t. there was a very real difference between the satisfaction levels of executives who had made definite efforts to overcome, or deal with, the ICT/I jargon barriers, and those who hadn’t. The substantive theory developed from this work is that: Jargon barriers created by ICT staff generate poor relationships between ICT staff and their executives, which in turn can cause low levels of executive engagement with their infrastructure projects, and consequently affect executive perceptions about the outcomes of these projects.

There are many issues involved in implementing Information and Communications Technology (ICT) projects in general, and infrastructure (ICT/I) projects in particular. Failures are still common despite advances in project management tools, and increased ICT sophistication. Executive sponsorship and support is acknowledged to make a difference to the success or failure of these kinds of projects. Little has been written on the views of non-ICT executives about the issues they have with ICT/I projects, which have particular challenges because of their highly technical nature. This research sought to develop a theory not only about what the issues are, from the non-ICT executive perspective, but also how these issues appear in, and may affect the outcomes of, such projects. An interpretive study using single units of analysis within multiple cases, to build an inductively derived theory, was the approach chosen for this research. An adapted grounded theory analysis, following the original Glaser and Strauss (1967) philosophy, was used to analyse data extracted from interviews with fifteen chief executives or equivalents. Three themes arose out of this process: Executive Perceptions of ICT/I; Strategic Alignment of ICT/I projects;ICT/I Project Outcomes The themes had quite strong connections between them. Jargon Barriers between ICT staff and these executives, affected the executives perceptions of ICT/I and were strong contributing factors for a poor strategic alignment between ICT/I projects and business goals. The poor alignment was primarily caused as a result of low levels of executive engagement with these projects, because they couldn’t understand the “techno-speak” of their ICT people. The consequence was consistently low satisfaction with ICT/I project life cycle outcomes. There was a very real difference between the satisfaction levels of executives who had made definite efforts to overcome, or deal with, the ICT/I jargon barriers, and those who hadn’t. there was a very real difference between the satisfaction levels of executives who had made definite efforts to overcome, or deal with, the ICT/I jargon barriers, and those who hadn’t. The substantive theory developed from this work is that: Jargon barriers created by ICT staff generate poor relationships between ICT staff and their executives, which in turn can cause low levels of executive engagement with their infrastructure projects, and consequently affect executive perceptions about the outcomes of these projects.

There are many issues involved in implementing Information and Communications Technology (ICT) projects in general, and infrastructure (ICT/I) projects in particular. Failures are still common despite advances in project management tools, and increased ICT sophistication. Executive sponsorship and support is acknowledged to make a difference to the success or failure of these kinds of projects. Little has been written on the views of non-ICT executives about the issues they have with ICT/I projects, which have particular challenges because of their highly technical nature. This research sought to develop a theory not only about what the issues are, from the non-ICT executive perspective, but also how these issues appear in, and may affect the outcomes of, such projects. An interpretive study using single units of analysis within multiple cases, to build an inductively derived theory, was the approach chosen for this research. An adapted grounded theory analysis, following the original Glaser and Strauss (1967) philosophy, was used to analyse data extracted from interviews with fifteen chief executives or equivalents. Three themes arose out of this process: Executive Perceptions of ICT/I; Strategic Alignment of ICT/I projects;ICT/I Project Outcomes The themes had quite strong connections between them. Jargon Barriers between ICT staff and these executives, affected the executives perceptions of ICT/I and were strong contributing factors for a poor strategic alignment between ICT/I projects and business goals. The poor alignment was primarily caused as a result of low levels of executive engagement with these projects, because they couldn’t understand the “techno-speak” of their ICT people. The consequence was consistently low satisfaction with ICT/I project life cycle outcomes. There was a very real difference between the satisfaction levels of executives who had made definite efforts to overcome, or deal with, the ICT/I jargon barriers, and those who hadn’t. there was a very real difference between the satisfaction levels of executives who had made definite efforts to overcome, or deal with, the ICT/I jargon barriers, and those who hadn’t. The substantive theory developed from this work is that: Jargon barriers created by ICT staff generate poor relationships between ICT staff and their executives, which in turn can cause low levels of executive engagement with their infrastructure projects, and consequently affect executive perceptions about the outcomes of these projects.

There are many issues involved in implementing Information and Communications Technology (ICT) projects in general, and infrastructure (ICT/I) projects in particular. Failures are still common despite advances in project management tools, and increased ICT sophistication. Executive sponsorship and support is acknowledged to make a difference to the success or failure of these kinds of projects. Little has been written on the views of non-ICT executives about the issues they have with ICT/I projects, which have particular challenges because of their highly technical nature. This research sought to develop a theory not only about what the issues are, from the non-ICT executive perspective, but also how these issues appear in, and may affect the outcomes of, such projects. An interpretive study using single units of analysis within multiple cases, to build an inductively derived theory, was the approach chosen for this research. An adapted grounded theory analysis, following the original Glaser and Strauss (1967) philosophy, was used to analyse data extracted from interviews with fifteen chief executives or equivalents. Three themes arose out of this process: Executive Perceptions of ICT/I; Strategic Alignment of ICT/I projects;ICT/I Project Outcomes The themes had quite strong connections between them. Jargon Barriers between ICT staff and these executives, affected the executives perceptions of ICT/I and were strong contributing factors for a poor strategic alignment between ICT/I projects and business goals. The poor alignment was primarily caused as a result of low levels of executive engagement with these projects, because they couldn’t understand the “techno-speak” of their ICT people. The consequence was consistently low satisfaction with ICT/I project life cycle outcomes. There was a very real difference between the satisfaction levels of executives who had made definite efforts to overcome, or deal with, the ICT/I jargon barriers, and those who hadn’t. there was a very real difference between the satisfaction levels of executives who had made definite efforts to overcome, or deal with, the ICT/I jargon barriers, and those who hadn’t. The substantive theory developed from this work is that: Jargon barriers created by ICT staff generate poor relationships between ICT staff and their executives, which in turn can cause low levels of executive engagement with their infrastructure projects, and consequently affect executive perceptions about the outcomes of these projects.

The aim of this research study was to critically appraise the innovation model in relation to teacher development for ICT use in classroom practice associated with the Strengthening Innovative Practice in Secondary Education (SIPSE) project conducted in Kenya secondary schools. The model integrated an ICT Competency Framework for Teachers (ICT-CFT) and a Technology Pedagogy and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework into a phased modular approach for teacher professional development. The research addressed key questions related to: the object of ICT use as perceived by head teachers and teachers; and the characteristics of teacher design for ICT use in STEM teaching and learning as evidenced in classroom activities at different stages of their professional learning journey. The study used a qualitative design based research (DBR) methodology that was enhanced with the use of a ‘TPACKtivity’ lens combining TPACK and Activity Theory (AT) to explore, explicate and communicate the findings. The study was conducted with a purposive sample of twenty-four teachers, four head teachers and four schools drawn from the wider SIPSE programme intervention. The qualitative research methods included interviews and focus group discussions. Data were also drawn from documentation of lesson plans and peer-to-peer lesson observations. The findings presented participant accounts of tensions and dissonances with the introduction of technology into their school and classroom practices that reflected similar issues in the literature. However, the findings elucidated some unexpected teacher design narratives for technology use to support and innovate STEM teaching and learning. They further revealed the importance of classroom processes as the centre stage for fostering teacher collective design conversations for ICT use solutions. In this the research contributes to the current discourse by offering a TPACKtivity framework centred on authentic classroom settings as a basis for developing and appraising models of professional development for ICT use that can inform practice, policy and research.

Abstract The purpose of this study is to explore how place marketing manifests within foreign direct investment (FDI) in the new era of information and communications technology. The study reviews the literature on place marketing that emphasises FDI and defines place marketing as a tool to pursue FDI more systematically and efficiently in order to increase the value of a place. The study shows that place marketing can be used in multiple ways to pursue inward FDI activities and that it is multifaceted, not just a service offered by investment promotion agencies. This empirical study of place marketing within FDI follows a multiple case study method. The data are drawn from interviews with nine FDI case companies and their respective investment promotion agency representatives and facilitating research, business and funding actors. The study approaches place marketing within FDI from an explorative perspective, studying how place marketing can improve FDI by interpreting investment decisions through the lenses of place marketing and place branding elements, management and assessment. The analysis identifies the place marketing factors that impact the FDI process from the preparation phase through the post-investment phase. Through the FDI process, a regional image is generated, and the place becomes visible. This study develops a conceptual model that proposes that place marketing manifests within FDI through goals, networks, individuals and regional competences. The goals are set to develop the framework for place marketing within FDI. Stakeholders’ engagement forms a strong ecosystem network that can be a major regional asset to attract and sustain investments. Each FDI case creates, develops and sustains its own network, within which the contributions of individuals with technical and managerial skills are key to successful place promotion. The competence of the regional ecosystem sets the scene for the investment opportunity. Regarding managerial implications, this study proves that strategic, inward FDI activity requires long-term regional commitment from stakeholders and an allocation of resources during not only the pre-investment phase, but also the post-investment phase. / Tiivistelmä Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on selvittää, miten paikanmarkkinointi edistää suoria ulkomaisia investointeja ICT-teknologian uudella aikakaudella. Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan paikanmarkkinointia koskevaa kirjallisuutta, jossa käsitellään ulkomaisia suoria sijoituksia ja määritellään paikanmarkkinointi keinona hankkia sijoituksia järjestelmällisemmin ja tehokkaammin paikan arvon kasvattamiseksi. Tutkimus osoittaa, että paikanmarkkinointia voidaan käyttää monin tavoin ulkomaisten investointien houkuttelussa ja että se on monipuolinen kokonaisuus eikä pelkkä investointien edistämispalvelu. Tässä empiirisessä paikanmarkkinoinnin tutkimuksessa käytetään usean tapaustutkimuksen menetelmää. Tiedot perustuvat yhdeksän ulkomaisen kohdeyrityksen ja heidän edustajiensa sekä alueellisten tutkimus-, yritys- ja rahoitusalan toimijoiden haastatteluun. Tutkimus lähestyy ulkomaisiin sijoituksiin kohdistettua paikanmarkkinointia eksploratiivisesta näkökulmasta selvittämällä, miten paikanmarkkinointi voi edistää investointeja paikanmarkkinoinnin ja brändäyksen elementtien, johtamisen ja arvioinnin kautta. Analyysissä yksilöidään ne paikanmarkkinoinnintekijät, jotka vaikuttavat suorien ulkomaisten investointien prosessiin valmisteluvaiheesta investointivaiheeseen ja sen jälkeen. Investointiprosessin kautta alueellinen kuva vahvistuu ja paikka tulee esille. Tässä tutkimuksessa kehitetään käsitteellinen malli, jonka mukaan suorien ulkomaisten investointien houkutteluun suunnattu paikanmarkkinointi ilmenee toiminnan tavoitteiden, verkostojen, yksilöiden ja alueellisten valmiuksien kautta. Tavoitteet luovat viitekehyksen ulkomaisten suorien sijoitusten paikanmarkkinointiin. Sidosryhmien sitoutuminen muodostaa vahvan ekosysteemiverkoston, joka voi olla merkittävä alueellinen voimavara houkutella ja ylläpitää investointeja. Jokainen investointitapaus luo, kehittää ja ylläpitää omaa verkostoaan, jossa teknisten ja johtamiseen erikoistuneiden yksilöiden osallistuminen prosessiin on keskeistä. Alueen ekosysteemissä osaaminen luo mahdollisuuden investointiin. Johtamisen vaikutusten osalta tämä tutkimus osoittaa sen, että strateginen, suorien ulkomaisten investointien houkuttelu edellyttää sidosryhmien pitkäaikaista sitoutumista ja resurssiallokaatiota paitsi investoinnin esivaiheessa myös niiden myöhemmässä vaiheessa.

The theme of the thesis is the Possibilities of using ICT at the first level of elementary school, but also the definition of negatives and limitations in teaching at elementary school. The thesis is divided into two parts, namely the theoretical part and the practical part of the work. I focus mainly on the use of ICT and on the prerequisites for introducing ICT into elementary schools and subsequently on the individual ICT tools in elementary schools and the possibilities of their use. The use of ICT is understood as a tool for developing pupils' general and cross-curricular competence and for developing communication and critical thinking at the first level of elementary school. Innovative teaching methods based on active and empirical learning and expanded by information and communication technologies can increase the engagement of pupils and improve their results, as shown by the questionnaire survey and the chapters of the theoretical part of the thesis. The methodology of the thesis is based on the analytical and comparative method in the theoretical part of the thesis and on the method of quantitative research in the form of a questionnaire survey in the practical - empirical part of the thesis. The theoretical part is based on a set of literature, which is presented at the end of the...

In recent years, the interest for parallel multicell converters has grown, which is partially due to the possibility of coupling the inductors used to connect the different commutation cells together. Coupling the inductors to form an InterCell Transformer (ICT) does not usually modify the output current, but it reduces the current ripple in the windings and the flux swing in some regions of the core. It can be shown that this brings a reduction of copper and core losses in the magnetic component. The reduction of the phase current ripple also reduces the difference between turn on and turn off current in the switches, which brings a reduction of switching losses for devices generating more losses at turn off than at turn on. The design of an ICT is not that different from any other magnetic component but it is very specific and inherent features must be taken into account. Taking full benefit of the potential advantages of ICTs requires the development of special tools and methods which are the focus of the study. We show how to design ICTs considering several topologies and different methods, from the most precise and time-consuming to the less accurate but more quickly calculated. The explanation of the ICT design is divided in four main parts: Copper Losses, Core Losses, Flux Density Saturation and Thermal Aspects. Further attention is given to high frequency copper losses since complex phenomena such as skin and proximity effects highly influence the ICT design. Based on Finite Element Method simulations, smart practices are suggested to reduce high and low frequency copper losses, not only in ICTs but also in inductors and transformers. Simple tables are developed to help transformer designers to identify the best configuration of conductors inside a given core window, depending on the current waveform and frequency, number of turns and geometrical parameters. Optimization routines to reduce the ICT total mass, volume, losses or cost are developed and multidimensional interpolation of pre-simulated values of AC resistance and leakage inductance is used to speed up the optimization routine. Comparison of ICT designs with regard to core and conductor material, number of cells and switching frequency is performed. Comparison with regular inductors is also made in order to verify the benefits of this kind of magnetic component. Multilevel converter control aspects applied to three- hase systems is also investigated in terms of the ICT flux. Zero sequence signals, specific for a PWM strategy and converter/load topology, are created in order to minimize the flux in ICTs and consequently reduce even further the mass and size of these components. Comparison between several PWM methods are performed and experimentally verified.

South African schools appear to be far from attaining the strategic objectives of the White Paper 7 on e-Education of 2004. The use of ICT for instruction and learning in schools is hampered by contextual factors in South Africa. One factor hampering the use of ICT in South African schools is the availability of ICT resources. Despite a high degree of access to ICT at home, most schools do not have the relevant ICT resources that teachers can use for instruction and learning. The SITES 2006 technical coordinators dataset was used to determine the statistical significant difference of the joint frequencies of the number of years that schools have been using ICT for instruction and learning as well as the availability of ICT resources. An integrated qualitative-quantitative design was used to transform the dataset for the calculation of a two-way Chi-square. A two-way Chi-square was calculated for the joint frequencies as well as for the odds ratio to determine the effect size of the frequencies. Activity Theory was used as a “theoretical framework for the analysis and understanding of human interaction through the use of tools and artefacts” (Hashim & Jones, 2007). The extent of the use of ICT resources (tools) by teachers (subject) in instructing learners (object) determines the degree of success in education (outcome). Easy availability of ICT resources for use in instruction and learning should yield a positive, meaningful achievement in education. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / MEd / Unrestricted

The aim of this thesis is to recommend communication practices drawn from the analysis of the ICT organization and its marketing communication activities. The subsequent objective is to examine ICT market since 90's and to identify its future growth. The thesis studies the specifics of marketing communication whiten the B2B field. The first part appraises B2B market as such which is then compared with B2C market. Additionally, the work introduces communication activities employed to the Czech market place. It mostly considers the advertising, sales support, promotion, direct marketing, sponsorship and event marketing, personal sale, trade shows, exhibitions and digital media. The practical part assesses the given ICT organization and its leading competition. This part also evaluates the characteristics of ICT market in Czech Republic. The mapping and analysis of ICT market in Czech Republic was underpinned by the primary qualitative research. The final part evaluates the communication activities of chosen company. It then concludes with the potential practical recommendations drawn from the analysis results.