Submitted by Malte Nowack (malte.nowack@gmail.com) on 2014-10-09T21:14:35Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Malte Nowack FGV_VF.docx: 327906 bytes, checksum: 9050c7cb1fba28803c864ea2ab332798 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by JOANA MARTORINI (joana.martorini@fgv.br) on 2014-10-10T12:05:14Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Malte Nowack FGV_VF.docx: 327906 bytes, checksum: 9050c7cb1fba28803c864ea2ab332798 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-10T12:25:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Malte Nowack FGV_VF.docx: 327906 bytes, checksum: 9050c7cb1fba28803c864ea2ab332798 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-08-12 / We examine the drivers behind the establishment mode choice of German multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the sectors of Automotive, Chemicals and Mechanical Engineering in Brazil for the years 1993-2013 using a novel sample of primary data obtained directly from German MNEs. Based on prevalent theories found in the literature, we test the most common hypotheses on our sample. Firms with high R&D activities and firms with prior market knowledge in Brazil in from of previous sales offices are more likely to enter Brazil by a Greenfield investment. We also show that it is the specific private ownership of the German so-called hidden champions that drive those specific SMEs to enter Brazil by Greenfield, a sneaking suspicion that has been made before. Finally, we show that the establishment mode choice between Brazil and the USA only deviates to a low extent, with German MNEs preferring to enter Brazil by Greenfield and the USA by M&A. Thereby, we provide valuable insights for future research in this field.

Applied research was utilised in order to identify the challenges experienced by employees of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality regarding preparation for retirement. The purpose of the study was to explore the challenges experienced by employees in the age bracket of 50 to 65 years. A quantitative approach was utilised. Probability sampling with a systematic sampling method was used to obtain a representative sample of 100 employees from the larger population of 4,453 employees. Survey research was undertaken in order to provide a numeric description of the opinions of employees of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, by using questionnaires as the data collection method. The cross-sectional survey design was most appropriate as it involves one contact with the respondent and is comparatively cheap to undertake and easy to analyse. Questionnaires were handdelivered to some respondents to fill in themselves and collected upon completion, whilst other respondents were assisted with the questionnaires by Wellness Champions. The data was analysed using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences program (SPSS). The research demonstrated that the challenges faced by employees of EMM are financial, psychosocial and physical in nature. Surveyed employees indicated that they were not aware of any retirement preparatory programme offered by EMM and expressed a strong need for such a programme. One of the recommendations is the development of a retirement preparatory programme by EMM in order to mitigate some of the post-retirement difficulties that may be experienced by retirees. / Dissertation (MSocSci)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

The increasing rate at which e-Learning is implemented in institutions of higher education has been reported widely. The literature suggests that institutions of higher education, across the globe, use the efforts of champions to initiate and establish e-Learning activities. The paucity of research about the activities of e-Learning champions in an African context is noticeable, while implementation of e-Learning is spreading rapidly in Africa. It is to provide information within the African context of this activity that this study sought to identify and explain the activities and characteristics (through strategies) as well as the qualities (through motivations) of e-Learning champions as they engage in innovative practices in institutions of higher education in Africa. Two research questions guided the study which examined the activities of champions and how (activities and characteristics through strategies) and why (qualities through motivations) they engaged in their activities within their institutions. To address these questions, the study followed a qualitative research design, using semi-structured interviews with champions and policy level staff in institutions of higher education in Namibia, South Africa and Kenya as well as documents as its data sources. The intention was not to compare champions and their activities in these countries, but rather to establish understanding of these champions and their contexts as a group. The contextual relevance was solely based on the availability of champions and policy level staff due to the purposive and convenience sampling techniques applied. The study’s findings show that the activities of champions in Africa are not significantly different from those as described in recent literature in non-African countries. Rather, particular strategies and motivational factors are found that are related to activities, characteristics and qualities of champions. The support factors identified by policy level staff and in institutional policy documents differed from those thought to be motivating by champions themselves. Champions have expressed the need for an approved budget, sufficient infrastructure, an e-Learning unit with specialised staff, and dedicated time for e-Learning activities. Policy staff point to a level of support already in place in the form of some financial considerations for e-Learning and incentives. No explicit reference could be found in policy documents to the role of champions or what motivates them. This disjuncture between the environment of the champions and that of the established institution is explained by a maturity model of institutionalisation of innovations. The study’s contribution to the scholarly domain is at several levels. Firstly, the proposed conceptual framework is a contribution to academic discourse in that it contributed variables of analysis (strategies and motivations) of champions who engage in innovation within established institutions, institutional procedures, directives (through guidelines) and policies (through intentions), as well as goals which lead to a common objective in achieving scalability and sustainability. Secondly, the finding that institutions that wish to have innovations institutionalised must be aware of the disturbances that such innovations can bring and thus must create policies that recognise the role of champions and are able to accommodate, tolerate and support them. Thirdly, the synthesis of characteristics of champions, and their qualities with the support needed by them, and issues in relation to scalability and sustainability that may motivate institutions of higher education to support champions (or not) contribute guidelines which may be used to identify, acknowledge or recruit potential champions, where champions are needed. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / unrestricted

Purpose - Given the existing obstacles to succeed with the front end of innovation, and the possibility to learn from the operations of hidden champions with their relative high rate of success in the market, this study aims to investigate how Nordic small and medium-sized hidden champions manage their front end of innovation. Method - The study is a multiple case study that uses an exploratory approach. A total of 19 interviews were conducted in two waves and across eleven organizations from the Nordic region. The collected data was analyzed through a thematic analysis. Findings - The thematic analysis resulted in two themes: Innovation Management and Stakeholder Management, that each centralize on different aspects managed. Central to the findings was the involvement of customers and external organizations into the front end of the innovation process. The findings built the foundation to a framework on enabling factors for the front end of innovation and thereby how other organizations should improve their front end of innovation. Moreover, a process framework is also presented which conceptualizes how organizations should operate their front end of innovation efforts. Theoretical contribution - This study adds to the literature by providing insights on how hidden champions manage their front end of innovation, confirming findings from other regions and adding to existing literature on the importance of involving customers in the front end of innovation process. Moreover, the study conceptualizes the factors that enable hidden champions to succeed in their front end of innovation. Managerial contribution - This study provides an overview of how managers can structure their front end of innovation process to increase the chances of successful innovation management. Limitations and future research - This study focuses on small and medium-sized hidden champions, thus the generalizability of this study may not apply to larger organizations. Therefore future research is proposed for large hidden champions to examine if the findings in this study are applicable for them. This study also examines hidden champions in a B2B context, therefore future research should be conducted regarding hidden champions in B2C to examine the applicability of our findings in that field.

Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate managers' experiences of promoting and challenging factors in a recovery intervention within healthcare and social services.  Method: The study is a semi-structured interview study. The interviews were conducted digitally with ten unit managers from a healthcare and social services administration in a Swedish municipality. Text materials were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Main Results: Clear division of roles, allocated time and support are promoting factors, while large staff groups and high workloads are challenges in integrating recovery into everyday work. Unit managers felt they did not have time to work with health promotion and felt overlooked in the recovery intervention. Support from the unit's wellness champions and the administration's central coordinator was appreciated. Conclusion: Managers' motivation for the recovery intervention depended on their perception of support from the management and having the conditions and time to work with health-promoting activities. Managers' work environment and opportunities for recovery need to be prioritized to create conditions for supportive leadership where managers act as role models. Smaller staff groups and support from wellness champions and a health coordinator can enable engagement and motivation for health-promoting work. / Problemformulering: Stressrelaterad psykisk ohälsa är ett stort samhällsproblem och arbete inom vård- och omsorg ökar risken för sjukskrivning. Tidigare forskning belyser chefers roll vid hälsointerventioner men det finns få studier som studerat deras egen upplevelse vid en intervention, inte minst när det gäller återhämtning. Vad behöver chefer för att känna sig motiverade och engagerade i det hälsofrämjande arbetet? Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka chefers upplevelser av framgångsfaktorer och utmaningar vid en återhämtningsintervention i en vård- och omsorgsförvaltning. Metod: Studien är en semi-strukturerad intervjustudie. Intervjuerna genomfördes digitalt med tio enhetschefer från en vård- och omsorgsförvaltning i en svensk kommun. Textmaterial analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Huvudresultat: Tydlig rollfördelning, avsatt tid och stöd är framgångsfaktorer medan stora personalgrupper och hög arbetsbelastning är utmaningar vid integrering av återhämtning i arbetsvardagen. Enhetscheferna upplevde sig inte ha tid att arbeta med hälsofrämjande arbete och kände sig bortglömda i återhämtningsinterventionen. Stöd från enheternas hälsoinspiratörer och förvaltningens centrala samordnare var uppskattat. Slutsats: Chefernas motivation till återhämtningsinterventionen var beroende av deras upplevelse av stöd från ledningen samt att de hade förutsättningar och tid att arbeta med hälsofrämjande insatser. Chefers arbetsmiljö och möjlighet till återhämtning behöver prioriteras för att skapa förutsättningar till ett stödjande ledarskap där chefer agerar förebilder. Mindre personalgrupper och stöd av hälsoinspiratörer och en central samordnare kan möjliggöra motivation och engagemang i det hälsofrämjande arbetet.

This dissertation explores the construction and experience of the sports champion's reality. In studying reality and its construction, I became familiar with, the post-modern perspective of reality and with theories such as systems theory, cybernetics, radical constructivism and social constructionism, which fall under the post-modern epistemological umbrella. The dissertation gives an exposition of my journey through this maze of theories, from a position of "knowing" how champions are made towards a more complex position of uncertainty and possibility. This is followed by an account of the qualitative research that I undertook, within a social constructionist framework, in which I used thematic discourse analysis. Finally, I interpret the discourses emerging from the analysis in order to demonstrate their operation or effect in the construction of a champion's reality. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

This dissertation explores the construction and experience of the sports champion's reality. In studying reality and its construction, I became familiar with, the post-modern perspective of reality and with theories such as systems theory, cybernetics, radical constructivism and social constructionism, which fall under the post-modern epistemological umbrella. The dissertation gives an exposition of my journey through this maze of theories, from a position of "knowing" how champions are made towards a more complex position of uncertainty and possibility. This is followed by an account of the qualitative research that I undertook, within a social constructionist framework, in which I used thematic discourse analysis. Finally, I interpret the discourses emerging from the analysis in order to demonstrate their operation or effect in the construction of a champion's reality. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Purpose - The aim of this study is to provide large incumbent organizations a tool to moreeffectively evaluate and implement digital platforms while taking into account the needs ofthe stakeholders. To do so, we developed a roadmap consisting of nine steps that are dividedinto three different phases. Method - This study was conducted by using a abductive research method utilizing aquantitative data collection by analyzing earlier research and qualitative data collectionthrough interviews. The interviews were conducted in three phases: exploratory, semistructured and validatory interviews. In total 21 interviews were conducted which wereanalyzed through a thematic analysis. Findings - The thematic analysis resulted in three main themes; Platform transitionassessment, Planning platform transition, and Execute platform transition. These themes ledto a roadmap for platform transitions, for large incumbent organizations. Theoretical and Managerial implications - The presented study contributes to existingliterature by combining existing change management and technology adoption models todevelop a roadmap for evaluation and implementation of digital platforms. Furthermore, thisstudy provides managers with important insight and practical implications of importantfactors that should be considered before and during a digital transformation. Limitations and future research - This study is limited by its qualitative method since it isfocused on a single case study in a limited time-span in a large international industry.Therefore, the generalizability of the findings in this study might be limited and needs to beconfirmed in other contexts.

The purpose of this study was to see how well newspapers manage to maintain their objectivity and balance when covering a Swedish team’s matches in an European tournament. We did this by doing a qualitative content analysis of the two biggest local newspapers, Sydsvenskan and Skånska Dagbladet, and the two biggest tabloids, Aftonbladet and Expressen – and their coverage of Malmö FF’s participation in the UEFA Champions League 2015. We analyzed all the post-game texts of the six games in the group stage – except for texts based on personal opinions, such as chronicles. The results show that the newspapers lose their objectivity and write more about the Swedish team and the Swedish players than the opponent team and their non-Swedish players. The result also show that the local newspapers put the focus on Malmö FF as a team, while the major tabloids focus on Malmö FF as being a part of Sweden and Swedish football. Last but not least the results also show that the ethnocentric and nationalistic attributes of the journalists play a major role in their writing.

Title: Marketing research on perception of brands of traditional participants of football Champions League Objectives: The objective of the thesis is a description of problems associated with the concept of brand and based on the collected data to make a marketing research of respondents' awareness of brand of selected football clubs taking regular part in Champions League. Methods: The research is making by a questionnaire economization focused on brand awareness and its specific features. In connection with the acquisition of the primary data was used method by online survey. To collect and storage data was used internet application Google Docs. Results: Results of the research showed that awareness of selected football clubs in Czech sports spectators is at a very good level. Furthermore, respondents expressed their opinions, knowledge and attitudes to individual characteristics of the brand of football clubs. Keywords: Brand, brand awareness. Champions League, marketing research, questionnaire