Thesis (PhD(Education Management))--Universiteit van Pretoria, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--Ohio State University. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 328-336). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

Research Project (M.B.A.) - Simon Fraser University, 2005. / Research Project (Faculty of Business Administration) / Simon Fraser University. MBA-MOT Program. Senior Supervisor : Dr. Aidan Vining.

Research Project (M.B.A.) - Simon Fraser University, 2005. / Research Project (Faculty of Business Administration) / Simon Fraser University. MBA-MOT Program. Senior Supervisor : Dr. Aidan Vining.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 348-388).

Cette thèse avait pour objectif de contribuer à l’étude des déterminants de la performance de l’entreprise mesurée du point de vue client. Nous nous sommes intéressés à la création de valeur en général et à la création de valeur pour le client en particulier comme facteur explicatif de la performance de l’entreprise mesurée par la satisfaction et la fidélité du client. Au niveau de notre travail, nous avons pris le domaine du tourisme tunisien comme terrain de recherche et notre objectif à été d’étudier l’impact de la création de valeur pour le client sur la performance des hôtels tunisiens. Nous avons cherché à savoir si les services proposés par une entreprise hôtelière génèrent de la valeur pour ses clients et donc pour celle-ci.Au niveau empirique, l’intérêt de ce travail à été de rejoindre les préoccupations économiques du pays où plusieurs études tunisiennes (ONTT, ministère du tourisme) préconisent de créer plus de valeur pour les clients afin de relancer le secteur et améliorer la performance des entreprises hôtelière touristiques ; ainsi que les préoccupations des managers qui s’intéressent aux conditions appropriées pour atteindre la performance grâce à la création de valeur. / This thesis aimed to contribute to the study of the determinants of business performance measured from the customer perspective. We are interested in value creation in general and to creating value for the customer in particular as an explanatory factor in the business performance measured by customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. In this research, we took the tunisian tourism as a research field and our objective was to study the impact of the value creation for the customer on the performance of the tunisian hotels. We investigated whether the services provided by hotel companies generate value for its customers and thus for the hotels. Empirically, the interest of this work was to join the economical concerns of the country where several Tunisian Studies (ONTT, Ministry of Tourism) call to create more value for customers in order to boost the sector and improve business performance of the hotels; and the concerns of managers who are interested in meeting the appropriate conditions to achieve performance through value creation.

In simultaneously pursuing commercial and social goals, specialist microfinance organisations (MFOs) are leading examples of social enterprises working in development. Yet evidence of the feasibility of such ‘double bottom line’ management is limited. The thesis takes a comparative case study approach to investigating the dynamics of a social enterprise model of microfinance, with particular emphasis on its role in promoting employment related goals. Case study material consists primarily of the experience of two Central Asian MFOs that participated in an action research project ‘Microfinance for Decent Work’ implemented by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Data was obtained through participant observation, staff interviews, client level surveys, and it also includes reflective practice arising from my participation in the ILO project as a consultant to both MFOs between 2008 and 2012. The findings are mixed. One of the MFOs was more strongly internally motivated to achieve social goals, and was more successful in implementing social performance management initiatives. The other was motivated more by the goal to demonstrate social performance to external stakeholders, and was less responsive to the evidence generated. The thesis also illustrates both path dependence in the evolution of social performance management, and the limited capacity of external agencies such as the ILO to influence the institutionalisation of development management within MFOs.

This research examines the introduction of e-performance assessment systems in governmental organizations in the United Arab Emirates. The research also examines the influence of cultural forces in accepting the implementation of technology systems that deal with assessment and evaluation of government employees to facilitate the transitional process from manual to e-performance assessment. The methodology used in this research can be described as follows: first a descriptive method to explain the main management theories underlying employee e-performance, followed by an illustration of the concept of electronic tools, based on what has been written in the relevant literature, then conducting a pilot study. A pilot study was made to reduce uncertainty in survey questions, increase clarity, enhance questionnaire validity, and expand on factors that might affect data analysis, improve research design, and confirm the feasibility of this research study. The conceptual model of this study is determined on the based of literature analysis, the pilot study, and the empirical collection of data. A model for a performance appraisal assessment system is proposed, which shows a statistical significance between performance management, e-performance management, performance assessment, e-performance assessment, and performance standards with both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. This study finds that there are numerous factors shapes ethics and norms at the workplace. This study suggests that the United Arab Emirates enjoys highly structured governmental organizations. This primarily results from the naturally inherited characteristics of being a high-context society. The major findings of this research aim to contribute to available literature, as there is currently a distinct shortage of relevant academic work targeting the issue of governmental e-performance systems. Similarly no papers concerning e-performance in a UAE context actually existed prior to this investigation. Therefore, much of the available literature was found to be only semi-relevant.

Aims and Objectives of Research. 1. To develop a 'one stop' generic decision making matrix (Outsourcing Decision Model) that provides the necessary clarity into defining whether an organisation should proceed with an outsourcing initiative or not. This would be based upon a distillation of existing models and reviewed literature. With the recognition that there may be subsequent advantages following the process, the model will include not only these but a means of evaluation in order to ascertain whether or not an outsourcing initiative may be or was successful or not. This latter aspect must logically be viewed as very important as an outsourcer must be aware of the benefits and also whether or not they were achieved. In addition, the model would include sufficient guidance with potential supporting metrics and their application. 2. To validate the Outsourcing Model through specific case studies using a triangulated approach in comparing the selected automotive OEM with some of its major competitors. Within the context of the case study, the research would also attempt to understand how the subject outsourcing organisation compares to its major competitors in equivalent comparable products and whether or not this reflects in the success of these companies. This case study not only provides a means of reinforcing the remaining case studies by using a triangulated method of application to the research developed outsourcing decision model but also provides a deeper understanding of the context of the supplier and competitors within the industry. 3. To test, via case studies the effect of specificity relating to the outsourced end product rather than the outsourced entity. This aspect provides the deepest application to the researched outsourcing decision model and therefore the most comprehensive validation. In addition, because the case studies are retrospective, they have the benefit of providing data to establish the level of success. This would be very important, particularly as it would enable a focus on particular criteria that failed to highlight a particular outcome and therefore provide a chance to make amendments. Low specificity is a well established criterion in defining an outsourced entity which is reflected within the body of the research. The further extension of this theory towards the outsourcing of and outsourced entity related to an established previously outsourced commodity is a new concept with no identifiable literature or evidence relating to its importance. The fact that it provides an element within the research that is potentially unique and carries no extra task burden it has been captured as an added element within the two important validation case studies: 4. To evaluate if outsourcing performance can be enhanced through the introduction of a second supplier into a single supplier sourcing situation. Subsequent to outsourcing, this aim and objective focuses upon the possibility of enhancing performance through the introduction of a second supplier. Particularly in cases whereby expertise may have been lost from an outsourcer, ultimate results relating to the outsourced entity may be compromised through either opportunism or diminished supplier performance. Whether these aspects are deliberate or unintended, an outsourcer should have some means of mitigating this risk. This mitigation may potentially be enabled through the use of a second supplier in order to provide a degree of competition. 5. To identify a link between Specificity, Commonality and Platform Sharing. The Author's professional role was very heavily based around the modern practices within the Automotive Industry. Outsourcing, platform sharing and commonality are well publicised strategies that have been adopted by various car manufacturers in order to gain efficiencies. Research was carried out in order to provide a better understanding of these strategies and to establish if there is any link between them. A confirmation of any linkages may then provide potential for establishing greater synergies between them.

Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) is a global challenge and the situation is worse in urban areas of developing countries due to ineffective disposal systems. In many industrialised countries, waste minimisation and recycling/reuse policies have been introduced to reduce the amount of waste generated, and increasingly, alternative waste management practices to waste disposal on land have been implemented to reduce the environmental impacts of MSWM. Nevertheless, research and MSWM in most developing countries have largely concentrated on waste collection. This doctoral study investigates how planning and decision-making for MSW disposal in developing countries with similar circumstances and MSW problems to Ghana can be improved, using the Wa Municipality as a case study. It established the baseline scenario of MSW disposal and examined MSW disposal management and operational performances. The methodology and research design for the study was a descriptive and interpretive case study that was analysed through both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The key research findings indicate that the current state of MSW disposal management performance in Ghana does not present an enabling environment for effective MSW disposal. Also, the present MSW disposal practices in the case study area and Ghana in general consist of some waste collection, transportation and open dumping, where the entire amount of waste is open dumped without pre-treatment. Evaluation of MSW disposal operational performance through modelling and scenario analysis showed that open dumping/landfilling of waste creates copious health effects (0.0001519 lbs/year on average), whereas, MSW disposal in an integrated solid waste management (ISWM) system optimises the minimisation of health effects (-0.0005812 lbs/year on average). The study developed and validated a framework for the improvement of planning and decision-making for MSW disposal, which can easily be applied in the context of developing countries. Also, the developed framework provides a theoretical standpoint for the concept of MSW disposal in ISWM. Appropriate MSW disposal treatment technologies based on the developed framework could be applied to ameliorate the impacts of MSW disposal in Ghana and other developing countries.