Chinese President Hu Jin-tao at the 2007 congress report for the first time "cross-strait can signed a peace agreement" the concept formally written to the Chinese Communist Party official report file, and Taiwan President Ma at the Presidential Palace on October 17, 2011, presided over the "golden years series fifth press conference," first emergency relief after the easy things first, the first post-administration" to promote the principles of cross-strait relations in the next 10 years, should be highly supportive of domestic public opinion, "countries do need "and" must be in the case of congressional oversight "three premise, on whether the two sides negotiating a" cross-strait peace agreement "carefully assess" as echoes, release both hope that the development of cross-strait peace and goodwill case, seemingly difficult to promote cross-strait political dialogue seems to have a ray of hope. But whether from the Mainland Affairs Council, or the Asia-Pacific Peace Research Foundation aimed at Taiwan island made routine public opinion polls show that the people of Taiwan in favor of the establishment that is unified, only a minority, while nearly 77% of people believe that "the People's Republic of China" is a " country", and 90% of people do not agree with the Chinese Communist Party says that" Taiwan is the People's Republic of China under the rule of the provinces "remarks. Which shows that even in the Taiwan people ideas and circumstances, the people of Taiwan reunification of Taiwan and the Chinese Communist Party there is still a considerable degree of exclusion, President Ma, In this case, the Government signed a "cross-strait peace agreement" will likely contact with the Communist authorities affects the sensitive nerves of the opposition parties and the people of Taiwan for "the signing of a peace agreement for unified prelude", the island of Taiwan public opinion tends to turn the key to negotiating a cross-strait peace agreement can be completed. Involve a wide spectrum of view of the "cross-strait peace agreement", should have considerable professional before they can be aware of another political map of the island of Taiwan generally showed the "North-Blue and South-Green" distribution, the study to be analyzed from the point of view of the southern region of scholars and experts cognition and analysis of the two sides negotiating a peace agreement, and to further assess the impact of the two sides signed a peace agreement within and external factors, and the introduction of the parties scholars to analyze the possibility of discussion on the "cross-strait peace agreement" in order to make recommendations and Thinking the road.

After the opening and reform in 1978, Mainland China has undergone economic development for 30 years and is currently the fourth largest economic body in the world. Taiwan, on the other hand, has not been able to response actively and began industrial distribution when faced with the impact of the rise of China. Taiwan adopted a closed-door policy that caused the migration of industries and resulted in hollowing-out and marginalization. This phenomenon is particularly serious in Kaohsiung that is dominated by traditional industry that caused steady high unemployment rates. After the new government took office, the interactions between the straits became frequent, and that created a valuable development opportunity for Kaohsiung. This study takes the integrated framework for public affairs management to analyze the difficulties encountered in the development of Kaohsiung. With ¡§Strategy of Cross-Strait Harbor City Cooperation to Promote Talent Development in Kaohsiung in Response to Direct Flight ¡¨ as the research topic, this study utilizes interactive management (IM) to conduct rational debates from various perspectives. After two discussions, 12 strategies were concluded and their implementation order has been conducted through interpretative structural mode (ISM). The strategies are as follows: The Kaohsiung City Government shall: 1. Establish the ¡§Mainland China Affairs Office¡¨ to be responsible for talents in China to study or work in Taiwan; 2. Amend or establish relevant laws and regulations on the cross-strait exchange; 3. Consolidate the investment of private business to improve the performance of school in order to cultivate local talents through school performance while recruiting talents from China; 4. Lift laws and regulations to utilize public manpower and organization flexibly; The schools shall: 5. Establish departments and research projects regarding harbor city development; 6. Recruit internationally renowned scholars to conduct short-term courses in higher education; 7. Organize relevant workshops for teachers to understand the background and policy of cultural exchange across the straits; The government and the private sector may: 8. Establish a certification mechanism to recognize degrees across the straits; 9. Plan and establish a perfect science park; 10. Include professionals from China into the scope of the current foreign workers for special professions or technical assignments; 11. Provide attractive incentives to attract professionals and students from China to Kaohsiung; To accomplish the goal: 12. Provide attractive incentives to attract business to establish operational headquarters in Kaohsiung in order to promote the development of Kaohsiung. This study also examines 1. The view on establishing offices in Kaohsiung and the major cities in China such as Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, etc. to reinforce the marketing of cities and conduct cross-strait harbor city cooperation; 2. How the Kaohsiung City Government attracts tourists from China; and 3. How the Kaohsiung City Government shall prepare to respond to the opening of the cross-strait relations. Through expert interviews, this study aims to provide substantial and feasible strategic recommendations.

Thesis (D.B.A.)--University of Western Australia, 2006.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Australia, 2008. / Also available online.

Background Exploring literature about interactive management control systems and its role in organizations working with innovation and technologies. Aim Research how companies working with innovation use interactive management control systems to solve various problems. The contribution will be to determine what kind of problems can be solved with these methods. Finally, the contribution will focus on new ways of using management control systems in this kind of organizations. Methodology It is a case study which includes qualitative analysis through interviews and observation. Findings Companies can use interactive management control systems as a non-invasive method forrunning the company with the main focus on motivating and inspiring employees as well as stimulating idea-seeking and reducing the operational and strategic uncertainties.

South Africa (SA) is classified as a middle-income emerging market, with the most resource-rich economy in Sub-Saharan Africa (SAccess, 2012). Its Research and Development (R&D) journey is characterised by a history of imbalances and oppression. Since the introduction of SA’s National R&D Strategy, recorded government R&D spending has been on the rise. However, the success rate for public-funded R&D projects has neither been satisfactory nor readily exposed for all to see. Factors considered critical for project success are largely contextual and tend to differ per project and industry. There appears to be no general consensus among scholars and authors on the common factors deemed critical in influencing the success of public-funded R&D projects. In SA, such factors still remain a mystery for further exploration. This research study sought to develop a model that will assist in achieving two key objectives, namely to identify the Critical Success Factors (CSF) of public-funded R&D projects in SA, as well as to exhume possible interrelationships between the identified critical success factors. This paper argues for a systemic and structure-based holistic approach and adopts Warfield’s Interactive Management (IM) in its endeavour to identify those factors that are deemed critical in the successful implementation of public-funded R&D projects in SA. The methodology comprises three key phases: a planning phase; a workshop phase; as well as a follow-up phase. The planning phase is a foundational phase that lays the basis and a plan for the ensuing two phases. The workshop, also known as the conversation phase, could be conceptualised as a process for building patterned interactions among the participants. It is in this phase that a relationship model, in the form of a diagraph, is constructed. The follow-up phase is the last phase and involves the implementation of the results to prove validity of solutions proposed in the workshop phase. However, since this last phase falls outside the scope of this paper, it has been excluded. Through the application of the IM methodology, a total of 35 identified CSFs were reduced to 23 key to formulate the CSF relationship model using the Interpretive Structural Model (ISM). Based on the model results, the study is concluded by identifying “Product market viability” and “Executive management support” as the two primary success factors that are most significant and have the greatest leverage to influence other factors towards the successful completion of public-funded R&D projects in SA.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate Information Systems (IS) project risks in the South African public sector, and to develop a systemic model of the most dominant risks encountered and identify the interrelationships that exist between these risks. Design and methodology: The study is conducted through the application of Interactive Management (IM) to identify IS project risks and structure the interrelationships between them. The IM methodology comprises of four key phases: Idea Generation, Idea Clarification, Idea Structuring, and Interpretation. A workshop with a group of participants is required to carry out an IM intervention successfully. During the Idea Generation phase, participants are asked a triggering question to elicit ideas, which are then clarified and structured in the subsequent phases of IM before final interpretation. Findings: In the Idea Generation phase, six IM participants working on public sector IS projects were asked a triggering question to elicit dominant IS project risks they perceive to be important. The participants initially identified 34 IS project risks, which were reduced to 24 after they brainstormed their relevance during the Idea Clarification phase. Further deliberations led to the participants removing another risk during the Idea Structuring phase. During the Idea Structuring phase, the remaining 23 risks were structured to produce an Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) digraph with the aid of software. The ISM digraph revealed three risk factors as the primary drivers of IS project risks in the public sector, specifically, in the context of this study. These risks are ‘lack of consultation with users', ‘budget cuts' and ‘excessive red tape'. Value of study: This research contributes to the following: (1) the existing knowledge-base on public sector IS project risk management; (2) the focus on a soft systemic approach such as IM helps in uncovering context-specific issues on IS project risks that may not be available in extant literature; and (3) the collaborative learning process of the IM approach adds to research on the sustainability of complex IS projects implemented in the public sector.

This dissertation consists of three related studies examining the diffusion of digital dashboard technology throughout today’s organizations. Dashboards, once reserved for the executive level, are now available to managers at the lower levels of the organization. For these managers, dashboards have become an integral part of their work life to support their decision environment, to provide consistency in measures, to monitor performance, and to communicate information throughout the organization. Prior research in the practice literature has shown that dashboards improve managerial performance and organizational performance as well as communicate organizational goals and objectives; however, empirical research has not been conducted in this area to confirm this anecdotal evidence. Using three theories, the phenomenon surrounding the diffusion of dashboards to the lower levels of the organization are examined based on 1) dashboards as a source of interactive management control and strategy alignment, 2) the impact of dashboard quality on strategy alignment, decision environment, and performance, and 3) the impacts on dashboard utilization from the antecedents of information content and task uncertainty and the consequences of user satisfaction and managerial performance. The first study investigates why dashboards have been diffused to the lowers levels of today’s organizations. The primary focus of this study is to develop an understanding about the extent of dashboard utilization by decision-makers and the antecedents and consequences of utilization that is responsible for the widespread acceptance of this technology. The data for this study is collected and analyzed through an explanatory cross-sectional field study utilizing a semi-structured questionnaire. Using data from interviews with 27 managers, a framework is developed that indicates strategy alignment and dashboards associated with interactive iv management control are the primary antecedents that drive dashboard diffusion. The dimensions of dashboard system quality and dashboard information quality mediate the relationship between an interactive dashboard and the extent of dashboard utilization, which leads to higher levels of managerial performance and organizational performance. This study contributes to the dashboard, strategy, and MCS literature by revealing that dashboards are not isolated technologies, rather they play an important role in the execution of strategy at the operational levels of an organization. In addition, dashboards can also function as an interactive management control, which leads to high levels of diffusion of dashboards throughout organizations. Prior strategy literature has examined strategy alignment at the higher levels and this study extends this research stream by investigating strategy alignment at the lower operational levels of the organization. The second study utilizes the IS Success Model to explore the impacts of the antecedents of dashboard system quality and dashboard information quality on the managerial decision environment in addition to the resulting consequences or ‘net benefit’ of managerial performance and organizational performance. A field survey is used to collect data from 391 dashboard using managers to enable the analysis of the relationships predicted in the theoretical model. The theoretical model is analyzed utilizing PLS. The results show that two dimensions of dashboard quality, system flexibility and information currency, have a positive effect the managerial decision environment. The model indicates support for the consequences of managerial performance and organizational performance resulting from higher levels of decision quality in the managerial decision environment. The model also reveals that when the dashboard measures are strategy aligned, lower levels of dashboard system flexibility are associated with improved v managerial decision environment. Therefore, when organizations design their dashboard systems to support strategy alignment, managers should not be afforded high levels of system flexibility to maintain their attention on the key performance indicators selected to align with strategy. This result is a primary contribution to the strategy literature that reveals that strategy aligned dashboards are more effective in environments where the dashboard flexibility is lower. Additionally, study two also extends the strategy literature by examining strategy alignment at the lower levels of the organization, since prior research has concentrated on the higher level strategic outcomes. As dashboards become highly diffused and more managers utilize the technology, the likelihood that dashboard designers cannot provide dashboard content that fits the tasks performed by managers is higher. The third study investigates this fit between dashboard information content and task uncertainty to understand if the fit between the technology and task impacts the extent of dashboard utilization by managers based on the theory of task-technology fit (TTF). TTF predicts higher levels of utilization will increase user satisfaction and managerial performance. Data is collected from 391 managers that utilize dashboards in their weekly work life to analyze the relationships predicted in the theoretical model. PLS is utilized to analyze the theoretical model and indicates weak support of TTF impacting the extent of dashboard utilization. The model supports the hypotheses for the links between the extent of dashboard utilization and user satisfaction and managerial performance. Based on the weak findings from this theoretical model, a second model is developed and analyzed. The second model measures TTF through the mediation of task uncertainty between dashboard information content and the extent of dashboard utilization, while the first model measured TTF through interacting task vi uncertainty and dashboard information content. The results of the second model show strong support that TTF, as measured through mediation, increases the extent of dashboard utilization. This study contributes to the literature by empirically showing that more extensive levels of dashboard utilization are achieved through the antecedent of TTF, resulting in increased managerial satisfaction and managerial performance.

In a plural democratic society, the macro phenomena and policies are formed by individual cognition and choices. Thus the field of decision-making and judgment analysis based on individual cognitions has become the major analytical method in the public affairs management. The citizenship view of the republicanism requires citizens to reach consensus. The group decision-making method is so helpful for reaching consensus and overcoming the limits of individual cognition that it¡¦s necessary in forming public policies. By reviewing various group decision-making methods, the study found that there are at least Program Planning Method (PPM; Delbecq & Van de Ven, 1971), Policy Delphi (Turoff, 1970), Interactive Management(IM; Warfield & Cárdenas, 1994), and Social Judgment Theory(SJT; Hammond, 1965, 1996; Hammond et al., 1975, 1977, 1980) can be used to reach consensus in a plural society. Among them, the IM results have been proven effective for solving complicated problems and compliant with citizen participation spirit of a plural society ( Wang Min-shen & Chang Ning, 2002; Warfield & Cárdenas, 1994) . However, the accuracy of IM results can not be proven by the method and the weight between factors can not be identified, either. SJT can be used to analyze the assumption between decision criteria of different hierarchies and obtain the weights between different factors out of the same result so that SJT can examine the annotated graphics of IM. Besides, since SJT emphasizes cognitive feedback, it can facilitate reaching consensus by comparing various stakeholders¡¦ judgment principles dissolving the cognitive conflicts. Thus the study applied theoretical SJT to examine the validity of IM results. I discussed SJT procedure in a collective, hierarchic and large-scaled way. The study also adopted classic experimental design to compare the cognitive changes of participants before and after the SJT procedure to explore the performance of SJT results of group decision-making in public affairs cases in terms of consistency, individual learning effect and satisfaction. The results of this study show that SJT procedure can be operated in a large-scaled way while consensus with high satisfaction will be reached. In addition, the theoretical validity of IM results on psychological cognition provides the reason why participants accepted the results. Talking about the changes of the participants¡¦ cognition through SJT procedure, the participants using SJT have not improved their consistency, while the learning effect changes significantly towards group conclusion. In the subjective evaluations such as satisfaction, learning effect and caring degree, the participants who use SJT are better than those who don¡¦t, but not better than those who use IM procedure. In terms of policy significance, though the covert consistency between the participants who use SJT has not been improved, their overt satisfaction towards the group conclusion is better than those who don¡¦t. It shows that the conflict between participants has not disappeared yet, while they accept the consensus. Therefore, the way to wipe away the conflicts in a plural society is not to build up a single exclusive value, but to design a procedure allowing the stakeholders accept consensus.

The crucial point for winning the presidential election of Taiwan comes mostly from the trends of ¡§ Cross-Strait Policies¡¨ for each candidate takes. After Ma was elected as president of Taiwan, the rapid warming relations between cross strait make some local Governments to be caught unawareness. Being Compared with local government of northern Taiwan to be filled with resources from central government, local government in southern Taiwan facing with difficult situation. In this way, the major purpose of this thesis is on developing useful and feasible policies directions under the situation of three direct links. The thesis comes with the research method called ¡§Interactive Management¡¨. After two days of intensively meeting, the experts come out with implementing policies goals as below: (1)Reset the goal for Kaohsiung¡¦s development then building the brand and image for Kaohsiung city.(2) Clarify the future tourism direction of Kaohsiung city.(3)Develop cultural, art and creative industries of Kaohsiung city. (4)The positive and active attitudes for Kaohsiung city government to solve problems and enforce the policy propaganda.(5)Scheme the second period of sixth Container Terminal of Kaohsiung Harbor.(6)Build the southern international airport to integrate the other four airports.(7)The mass media to balance the reports toward Mainland China and educate Taiwan people to regard mainlanders in a perspective way.(8)Redraw the free trade zone and lift the related laws and decrees to accelerate the flows between human resources, cargos and funds.(9)Enforce the international Convention and Exhibition certifications and expand the human resources base of tour guides tour leaders. And most important of all: (10)Let more people to participate the discussions of public affairs by purposely and frequently forums involving programs. Another major purpose is to discuss how the central Government coordinative unit,¡¨ Executive Yuan Southern United Service Center, EYSC¡¨ to elaborate Kaohsiung city Government to cope with cross-strait affairs. This research based on the designed questionary with government officials from EYSC and kaohsiung city government. The experts sum up with the conclusions in the dimensions below :(1)Reduce the height between central and local government. (2)Redevelop the function of coordination. (3)Give direct help from EYSC to kaohsiung city government (including policy communications and coordination, the future policy implements, cross strait interactions and cooperation).