Zugl.: Witten, Herdecke, Univ., Diss., 2009 u.d.T.: Schulz, André: Diversitätsmanagement als strategische Konzeption der internationalen Unternehmensführung

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 1994. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 182-190).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--George Mason University, 1995. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 255-263).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 214-234)

Since the early 1990s, the rapid growth of international hotel chains and its effects on managerial work have drawn the attention of researchers (Gilbert & Guerrier, 1997 and Ladkin & Juwaheer 2000). There is a current need to investigate how management in hotels is adapting to the significant change in the last decade (McKenney, 2016). The contemporary Hotel General Manager’s (HGM’s) role, responsibility, and ultimately autonomy, are seen to be largely influenced by the owners, management companies or the franchise the hotel is operating under. “Understanding the scope and limits of HGMs decision autonomy is an understudied yet important topic for hospitality research” Hodari & Sturman, 2014 p.434 How management is practiced at the highest level in the hotel is the research problem to be investigated. Kotter (2010), Whitley (1989) and Hales (1986) emphasised how the nature of managerial work is closely linked to its organisational context. Accepting that managerial work is shaped and exercised in context (Dierdorff et al, 2009; Akrivos, Ladkin and Reklitis 2007), the aim of this research is to explore and understand the way in which contemporary HGMs manage and what influences how they manage. This work aims to shed light on hotel general management across three contemporary business models in the operating environment of Aberdeen city and Aberdeenshire. The research strategy will be interpretivist, with a qualitative approach taken to elicit HGMs’ experiences about their working life and chosen activity to understand the influences on their management practice. Dann (1990), credits Hales (1987) with providing a methodology, which allows the conduct of managerial work to be placed within the context of the management process. On account of this Hale’s five broad questions are built into the interview schedule. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews are held with HGMs who were members of the Aberdeen City and Shire Hotel Association. This Association has a membership of thirty-eight hotels operating through private, chain and franchise models. In total 21 HGMs are interviewed. From this data a profile of the HGM is provided, as found in each of the three ownership/business models (private, chain and franchise). The data were analysed by the constant comparison method. This study contributes to the body of research through looking at what HGM’s actually do, and how these individuals practice management. This work provides new knowledge in the form of a model, which maps out the identified management context (characteristics) that influence HGM behaviour/activity and the consequences for management across business models surveyed. The business model under which the HGM manages is found to be the primary influence on HGM activity and behaviour. The work sheds light on the meaning of work, and why it is the way it is. At the first level of analysis management context across three business models is identified. These then map onto the second level of analysis, which explains how these influences shape management behaviour and activity. The model identifies consequences for management across the business models. The proposition in the study is that HGMs have not been de-skilled; they have instead prioritised skills and activity in line with the demands of the business model and the ownership style under which they manage. In effect new skills have been learnt, and behaviour and activity tailored to meet the contemporary demands in context of the business model. This research has found that although HGMs have the same title, they are found to be very different managers that are managing different things. Not only do the HGMs manage differently the priorities of management are also quite different. The contribution to knowledge is considered at theoretical and practical levels. At the theoretical level a modern take on Taylorism shows that specialisation is relevant to contemporary hotel management. Silos are created on account of the business models, with markedly different ways of hotel services being delivered. The priorities of HGMs, dictated by the business model, are different. The extreme cases being the people centric, long term focus of the private sector manager juxtaposed with the short financial term focus by the chain HGMs. At the practical level, accepting that hotel general management is not homogeneous, and driven by the business model, hotel organisations need to develop their own organisationspecific competency framework for their HGMs. Success across the business models is measured differently; for chain and franchise HGMs there is a need to generate higher gross profits and for results to reported frequently, and for the private sector HGMs success is linked to long term sustainability, serving the community and providing a personal service. A challenge for each HGM in each of the models is managing stakeholders. These stakeholders vary with the model; managing the owners and operating company superiors are vital in chains, while the customers and staff are more important to HGMs in private model. For HGMs in both chain and franchise business models activity and behaviour is influenced by the need to ensure brand compliance through standard operating procedures.

As organizations strengthen their presence overseas, the number of expatriates is increasing rapidly (Armstrong, & Li, in press; Brookfield Global Relocation Services, 2015). Expatriates are often used by multinational corporations (MNCs) for knowledge sharing (Fang, Jiang, Makino, & Beamish, 2010; Hocking, Brown, & Harzing, 2004). Knowledge sharing refers to a relational act based on a sender-receiver relationship which involves sending one's knowledge to another as well as receiving another's knowledge (Foss, Minbaeva, Pedersen, & Reinholt, 2009). Effective knowledge sharing is key for MNCs in order to create and sustain competitive advantage (Jensen & Szulanski, 2004; Schwaer, Biemann, & Voelpel, 2012; Wang & Noe, 2010). Given its relevance, organizations invest significant amounts of resources in the development of knowledge-management systems and provide employees with incentives to encourage knowledge sharing (Cabrera, Collins, & Salgado, 2006). MNCs however often face difficulties in encouraging employees to share their knowledge (Cabrera & Cabrera, 2002, 2005) and growing evidence suggests that in international contexts employees are even more reluctant to share their knowledge due to cultural, nationality, ethnicity and linguistic barriers (Gilson, Lim, Luciano, & Choi, 2013; Mäkelä, Andersson, & Seppälä, 2012). It is therefore critical to identify how to enhance knowledge sharing between expatriates and host country national (HCN) colleagues despite the cultural, linguistic, nationality, and ethnicity barriers they may experience when working together (Peltokorpi & Clausen, 2011). The first aim of this dissertation was therefore to identify how to enhance knowledge sharing between expatriates and HCNs. Survey data was collected from 84 expatriate-HCN dyads working in 31 different host countries in all parts of the world. Drawing upon the supplementary person-person (P-P) fit literature, a specific type of person-environment (P-E) fit, it was demonstrated that when expatriates perceive high similarity between themselves and their HCN colleague in terms of deep-level characteristics such as values, personality, goals, and abilities (i.e. high P-P fit) they are more likely to engage in information elaboration which in turn facilitates knowledge sharing. Interpersonal citizenship behaviour was identified as a moderator which increased information elaboration and knowledge sharing even when expatriates perceived low deep-level similarity between themselves and their HCN colleague (i.e. low P-P fit). Furthermore, we do not know what types of knowledge expatriates share with their HCN colleagues (Armstrong & Li, in press) despite the fact that knowledge is often considered as an organization's most important resource (Zander & Kogut, 1995). The second aim of this dissertation was therefore to systematically examine what types of knowledge expatriates share with their HCN colleagues. Survey data was collected from 197 expatriates working in 52 different host countries in all parts of the world. By means of a qualitative content analysis of written descriptions regarding the types of knowledge shared, a three dimensional typology of expatriate knowledge sharing was constructed which identifies the full range of knowledge types shared by expatriates. Three types of knowledge were identified: regulative knowledge, normative knowledge, and cultural-cognitive knowledge, each consisting of several subtypes. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Reviewing literature of product diversification in the large emerging economy China, this paper finds that prior studies related to the effect of product diversification on firm performance (PD-P, hereafter) in China have not yet paid sufficient attention to two important aspects. First, just as national institutions among countries are heterogeneous, sub-national institutions in China also vary greatly. Assuming homogeneous sub-national institutions in the large emerging economy China is at odds with reality. Studying whether PD-P in China will be contingent on sub-national institutional development will help to shed lights on PD-P in China and other emerging economies. Second, in China, state ownership is an important institutional context for individual firms. Prior research has not yet investigated state ownership of individual firms in studying PD-P in China. It would be of theoretical significance to examine whether state-owned enterprises can better take advantage of sub-national institutional development to improve firm performance than non-state-owned enterprises. Considering variation in sub-national institutions within a large emerging economy, this paper also extends the approach of using an institution-based view of business strategy to shed further lights on PD-P. Reviewing extensive literature of product diversification, this paper finds that there has been lack of consensus on PD-P. An institution-based view of business strategy is useful to reconcile divergent findings on PD-P by considering institutional environments in which firms adopt product diversification. Relatively consistent findings are that product diversification has a positive effect on firm performance in emerging economies and has a negative effect on firm performance in developed economies. This paper goes further to explore the influence of sub-national institutions on PD-P in emerging economies. This paper uses a sample of 37,856 observations of 124 insurance firms in 31 provinces of China over the period from 2005 to 2014. It finds that in China, product diversification of a firm in a region has a positive effect on firm performance in that region, but this positive effect holds true only in regions with a high instead of low level of sub-national institutional development. Furthermore, the positive moderating effect of sub-national institutional development on PD-P is context-specific and stronger for firms with a high level of state ownership.

This thesis is devoted to the issues of receivables from business relations. The work assesses the way of management, the role of the management and the subject of receivables in the financial management of a selected company. Furthermore, the thesis aims to evaluate the interconnection of receivables within the entire enterprise. Data collection and analysis of the interconnection of the system of receivables management were carried out in close collaboration with the company's employees. The objective of the work is to provide a comprehensive view of receivables and to evaluate their management. On the basis of the acquired information and executed analyses, recommendations and proposals are suggested. The offered recommendations should enable the enterprise to improve and streamline the management of receivables and will be presented to the company's management. The work is based on the findings of expert literature listed in the bibliography.

nÃo hà / Essential to life on the planet, water has fundamental importance as social and economic development factor, being the focus of several conflicts and interests. The gap between water needs and availability worldwide is undoubtedly one of the main problems of today. This situation requires a very effective management of water resources. Cearà state adopted the model that proposes an integrated, decentralized and participatory water management and that has the River Basin as planning unit. In general, the following main levels of participation can be mentioned: the State council of Water Resources - CONERH, River Basin Committees, Commissions of PerennializedValleys WaterUsers and Managing Commissions of Water Systems. The objective of this work is to formulate and to apply indicators to assess the participation of the Managing Commissions in managing Metropolitan Basinsâ waters, taking as case study the Managing Commissions of the following water systems: Castro, Acarape do Meio and ChorÃ. To accomplish this, documental and bibliographic research were used, as well as application of questionnaires. The methodology followed a sequence composed of four phases: definition of the evaluation indicators system, application of the Delphi method, application of the hierarchic analysis of processes (AHP) and construction of the evaluation index for the water systems management commissions. The application of the Delphi method was attended by 14 (fourteen) technical specialists in water resources and the evaluation of the researched committees was attended by 24 (twenty four) members. The research has defined the relevant aspects or dimensions to be considered for assessment of this management sphere, which are: the existence of financial resources, planning, commitment of the members of the Managing Commissions, qualification of the members of the Managing Commissions, infrastructure for the functioning of the Managing Commissions, interaction with other spheres of management, transparency of management bodies, performance of the Managing Commissions, representativeness and credibility. The seventy-five indicators identified from these dimensions supported the evaluation of the Managing Commissions under study, allowing to identify in the interpretation of the results that these commissions are active in the management of metropolitan basins and contribute to the negotiated allocation of water from the referred basin. However, some limitations must be passed to become fully effective. / Essencial à vida no planeta, a Ãgua tem fundamental importÃncia como fator de desenvolvimento social e econÃmico, sendo foco de interesses e conflitos diversos. O descompasso entre as necessidades e as disponibilidades hÃdricas em todo o mundo Ã, sem dÃvida, um dos principais problemas da atualidade. Essa situaÃÃo requer um gerenciamento dos recursos hÃdricos de forma muito eficaz. O Estado do Cearà adotou o modelo que propÃe uma gestÃo integrada, descentralizada e participativa da Ãgua e tem como unidade de planejamento a bacia hidrogrÃfica. Em termos gerais, podem-se citar os principais nÃveis de participaÃÃo: o Conselho Estadual de Recursos HÃdricos - CONERH, os ComitÃs de Bacias HidrogrÃficas, as ComissÃes de UsuÃrios de Ãguas dos Vales Perenizados e as ComissÃes Gestoras dos Sistemas hÃdricos. O objetivo deste trabalho à formular e aplicar indicadores para avaliar a participaÃÃo das ComissÃes Gestoras na gestÃo das Ãguas das Bacias Metropolitanas, tendo como estudo de caso as ComissÃes Gestoras dos sistemas hÃdricos: Castro, Acarape do Meio e ChorÃ. Para alcanÃar este objetivo, utilizou-se pesquisa documental e bibliogrÃfica, assim como aplicaÃÃo de questionÃrios. A metodologia seguiu uma sequÃncia composta de quatro fases: definiÃÃo do sistema de indicadores de avaliaÃÃo, aplicaÃÃo do mÃtodo Delphi, aplicaÃÃo da anÃlise hierÃrquica de processos (AHP) e construÃÃo do Ãndice de avaliaÃÃo das comissÃes gestoras de sistemas hÃdricos. Na aplicaÃÃo do mÃtodo Delphi ocorreu a participaÃÃo de 14 (quatorze) tÃcnicos especialistas em Recursos HÃdricos e na avaliaÃÃo das ComissÃes pesquisadas, a participaÃÃo de 24 (vinte e quatro) membros. A pesquisa definiu os aspectos ou dimensÃes relevantes a serem consideradas para avaliaÃÃo dessa instÃncia de gestÃo, quais sejam: existÃncia de recursos financeiros, planejamento, comprometimento dos membros que compÃem a ComissÃo Gestora, qualificaÃÃo dos membros que compÃem a ComissÃo Gestora, infraestrutura para o funcionamento da ComissÃo Gestora, interaÃÃo com as demais instÃncias de gestÃo, transparÃncia dos ÃrgÃos gestores, atuaÃÃo da ComissÃo Gestora, representatividade e credibilidade. Os setenta e cinco indicadores identificados a partir dessas dimensÃes, subsidiaram a avaliaÃÃo das ComissÃes Gestoras em estudo, permitindo identificar na interpretaÃÃo dos resultados, que essas comissÃes sÃo atuantes na gestÃo das bacias metropolitanas e contribuem na alocaÃÃo negociada de Ãgua da referida bacia. Entretanto, muitas limitaÃÃes precisam ser transpostas para se tornarem plenamente eficientes.

The aim is to study the empirical relevance of performance management systems in the public sector, based on the performance management systems framework. A qualitative approach was chosen, making three case studies of Swedish municipalities by conducting personal interviews. The municipal chief executive, municipal CFO and a financial manager at a department were chosen at every municipality, providing us with diversified as well as accurate information. The interviews were based on the PMSs framework developed by Ferreira and Otley (2009), giving a broad and detailed description of the systems. This information, together with the theoretical framework, was then processed, leading up to the analysis and conclusions. Pursuant to the new public management, performance management is a relatively new concept in the public sector. The three studied municipalities all have relatively new PMSs, showing that this area is empirically relevant to study. As expected, the municipalities displayed both positive and negative sides of their systems, described in more detail in the paper. The PMSs framework is considered a useful tool in this study, making it relevant in the public sector. Still, both benefits and drawbacks are found, presented together with possible improvements.