As empresas utilizam vários tipos de recursos tais como matérias primas, insumos, recursos humanos e recursos financeiros para gerar seu portfólio de produtos e/ou serviços. No último século os gestores das empresas desenvolveram práticas e ferramentas de gerenciamento para maximizar os resultados decorrentes da aplicação destes recursos. Nas últimas duas décadas o conhecimento passou a ser considerado mais um dos recursos a serem geridos e aplicados pelas empresas para alcançar diferenciais competitivos frente aos seus concorrentes. Por ser um recurso intangível com características diferentes dos demais recursos, várias práticas e ferramentas específicas foram desenvolvidas com o objetivo de explorar ao máximo os resultados do uso do conhecimento nas empresas. Esta tese teve como objetivo identificar e especificar as práticas de gestão do conhecimento e as ferramentas de tecnologia da informação e comunicação empregadas em empresas instaladas na indústria de software no Brasil, incluindo aquelas que são utilizadas por teletrabalhadores. Buscou ainda identificar e especificar se há diferença na utilização dessas práticas e ferramentas em ambientes de teletrabalho, além de verificar as influências da gestão do conhecimento na eficácia empresarial dessas mesmas empresas. Para tanto, como método de pesquisa foi realizado um estudo descritivo-quantitativo junto a 319 funcionários de 15 diferentes empresas de médio e grande portes integrantes da indústria de software do país. Os dados coletados foram tratados por meio de análises estatísticas descritivas e da modelagem de equações estruturais, mediante o emprego dos aplicativos SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) e PLS-PM (Partial Least Squares Path Modeling). Os resultados encontrados permitem concluir que: a) as práticas de gestão do conhecimento mais utilizadas nas empresas pesquisadas são: reuniões e conferências virtuais, treinamentos virtuais, treinamentos presenciais, e-learning, call center/help desk/suporte online, portal corporativo, biblioteca corporativa, sistema de avaliação, centros de inovação, mapeamento de processos e gestão da inovação; b) as ferramentas de tecnologia da informação e comunicação voltadas à gestão do conhecimento mais empregadas nas empresas analisadas são: e-mail, telefone via internet, telefone celular/rádio, intranet; servidores web e navegadores, telefone fixo, mensagens instantâneas, portal corporativo e treinamento baseado em computador; c) as práticas e ferramentas de tecnologia da informação e comunicação empregadas na gestão do conhecimento são mais usadas em ambientes de teletrabalho do que em ambientes de trabalho presencial e, por fim; d) as práticas e ferramentas de tecnologia da informação e comunicação voltadas à gestão do conhecimento influenciam a eficácia empresarial das empresas examinadas, com prevalência das práticas sobre as ferramentas. A conclusão é que as práticas e ferramentas empregadas na gestão do conhecimento são mais utilizadas em ambientes de teletrabalho e que a gestão do conhecimento em si influencia a eficácia empresarial das empresas. / The companies use some types of resources such as raw material, human resources and financial resources to generate its set of products and/or services. In the last century the managers of the companies had developed management practices and tools to maximize the decurrent results of the application of these resources. In last the two decades the knowledge became to be considered another one of the resources to be managed and applied by companies in order to reach competitive differentials comparing to its competitors. As the knowledge is an intangible resource with different characteristics comparing to other resources, several specific practices and tools had been developed in order to better explore the results of the use of the knowledge in the companies. This thesis proposed to identify and specify the knowledge managements practices and information and communication technology tools used in companies of Brazils software industry. It also attempted to identify and specify if theres a difference in the use of these practices and tools in teleworking or face to face working environments, besides verifying the influences of knowledge management in these companies organizational effectiveness. Because of this, a quantitative-descriptive research was conducted with the application of a questionnaire with 319 employees of 15 different midsize and large companies that operate in the countrys software industry. The collected data were dealt by descriptive statistics analysis and structural equations shaping, by the use of SPSS application (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) and PLS-PM (Partial Least Squares Path Modeling). The results show that it is possible to identify: a) the most used practices of knowledge management in the researched companies are: meetings and virtual conferences, virtual training, face to face training, e-learning, call center/help desk/online support, corporative gateway, corporative library, evaluation system, innovation centers, process mapping and innovation management; b) the most used information and communication technology tools turned to knowledge management in the analyzed companies are: email, web phone calling, cell phone/radio, intranet, browsers and web servers, landline phone, instant messaging, corporative gateway and computer based training; c) the practices and information and communication technology tools used in knowledge management are more used in teleworking environment than in face to face working environment, and finally; d) the practices and information and communication technology tools turned to knowledge management influence the organizational effectiveness of the surveyed companies, with more influence of the practices than the tools. The conclusion is that the practices and tools used in knowledge management are more used in telework environment and that knowledge management influences the companies organizational effectiveness.

In this volume, I present a collection of three articles that are representative of my research on the targeting of humanitarian & development aid. These papers focus on highlighting the role of non-targeted, non-elite community members in fostering or hindering the process of aid distribution to vulnerable community members. In the first paper, “Allocating Resources To The Poor: The Effects of Targeting Instructions, Community Involvement and Monitoring”, I use a lab-in-the-field ex- periment to examine resource allocation at the micro-level. More specifically, I study how small groups within rural communities in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo — each composed of elites, poor, and non-poor village members — decide to share money among themselves. In a dictator-game like setting, I vary whether the groups are provided with instructions to target the poor, whether the decision-making process is private or public, and whether it is monitored by a third-party or not. I find that (1) by themselves, instructions to target the poor seem to actually benefit both the poor and the non-poor, but that (2) the effectiveness of targeting instructions in reaching poor group members is largely moderated by the presence of community members during the decision-making process, while (3) by contrast, monitoring does not contribute much to the effective allocation of resources to the poor. In the second paper, “Inside & Out: The Role of the Non-Poor in Targeting Resources to the Poor”, I use a similar experimental set-up to study further the nature of the community dynamics that affect the allocation of resources to the poor. More specifically, I look at the role of non-poor, non-elite community members in influencing how elites choose to allocate resources to the poor. I find evidence that (1) community effects have to do with bargaining dynamics more than peer-pressure; (2) non-elite, non-poor members of the community have an significant role in fostering the allocation of resources to the poor, and that (3) their influence on resource allocation depends crucially on existing alliances or rivalries between various group members. Finally, in the third paper, “Is Bigger Always Better? How Targeting Bigger Aid Windfalls Affects Capture and Social Cohesion”, co-authored with Laura Paler & Kohran Kocak, I model the provision of targeting instructions as enforcing a bargain- ing environment in which three groups - the target group, the elites, and the excluded group - compete over the aid windfall. I predict that success in aid targeting depends primarily the size of the windfall, the relative influence and the historical relationships between these three groups. Poor, vulnerable groups are more efficiently targeted in environments in which the elites and the excluded group are rivals, as they will then both prefer for the windfall to be allocated to the target group rather than for it to be captured by one another. I provide support for these predictions using a regression discontinuity design and original survey data from an aid program implemented in Aceh, Indonesia. With these three articles, I aim at providing a substantive theoretical and empirical contribution to the growing literature on aid targeting effectiveness by bringing light to the role in the targeting process of a part of recipient communities that is otherwise largely overlooked, namely all those community members that are both in the community, yet left out of targeted aid programs.

Wei Liqun. / "Auguest 2004." / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 193-213). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest dissertations and theses, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

Thesis (Master of Construction in Construction Management)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / This study sought to determine the prevalence of non-value adding activities (NVAAs) associated with construction site management in Nigerian, utilising Lagos State as the case study. To pursue the study, the following objectives were formulated: (1) to identify the sources of NVAAs during construction projects; (2) to determine the causes of the occurrence of NVAAs; (3) to ascertain the effects of occurrence of NVAAs on management of personnel on construction sites; and (4) to develop techniques to mitigate the effect of NVAAs on construction projects. Relevant literature related to the matter under investigation was extensively reviewed. An exploratory study on non-value adding activities was conducted; the findings of which determined the focus of the study. This was achieved through a qualitative method where open-ended interviews were administered to purposively selected construction professionals including construction managers, site engineers, consulting engineers, and site managers who were based in Lagos. Additionally, observations of construction activities on site also provided the basis for the primary data collection to gain an in-depth understanding of the factors contributing to the occurrence of NVAAs on site. Three construction firms partook in the survey, and a total of eight construction professionals were interviewed. It was uncovered that improper planning of construction site activities – for example material management, site layout, and the competency of site personnel – came about to non-value adding activities, thereby confirming the situation of poor site execution within the construction industry. This exploration was limited to certain building construction locations in Lagos State, Nigeria. Accentuation was put on the evaluation of non-value adding activity (i.e. waste) related with site management in the construction industry amid the undertaking execution stage. The research was done to assist in creating a proper contribution to the perception of NVAA management measures by way of the application of significant principles that have been deserted, and also to fashion responsiveness for construction company workforces to determine factors that contribute to NVAAs with the goal that the level of waste can be decreased while simultaneously increasing productivity during construction. Suggestions regarding the reduction of NVAAs include the following: (1) Early identification of the root causes of NVAAs would certainly provide a useful information for project stakeholders to design a suitable containment strategy to minimise / prevent the occurrences of waste; (2) Conducting workshops for project team members on a regular basis concerning lean design management principle will also assist in reducing the incidence of NVAAs on site;

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Law, Commerce and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in 50% fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Management (in the field of Public and Development Management) March, 2017 / Literature, which has been drawn for this research, defines talent development as a prime responsibility for leaders in an organisation to help achieve organisational goals and gain a competitive advantage. Further, talent development should be regarded as a collective approach which will encompass the other two parts of talent management, which is talent attraction and talent retention. Also, the integration of processes like change management, organisational culture and performance management has been outlined as beneficial factors to both employees and the company at large. While much has been written about talent management and talent development in particular, this study outlines what leadership can contribute towards a talent enriched organisation for future sustainability. Job satisfaction, visionary leadership and performance management are the three themes which emerged from this research. These themes require organisations to pay attention to them in order to achieve good results. What is also addressed is whether the focus of developing employees should be on the strengths or weaknesses of employees at individual level. However, the point not to be missed when dealing with the development of individuals in the workplace is to focus on TED (Total Employee Development). This helps the organisation to ensure that its workforce is equipped in all areas which is essential to achieve success and excellence. While organisations begin to accelerate talent development matters, they need to further focus on developing teams and this should be guided by the following principles: 1) to continue with the development of talented and experienced individuals to keep up with the changes in their respective fields; 2) paying attention to employees who are absolutely new and inexperienced in the field to help them develop interest in their work. The SRPD model (Specification, Raw Material, Production process and Distribution) has been drawn in as one of the tools which can be applied for the attainment of the desired 100% talent in the workplace rather than anything less which will be inadequate. / MT2017

The world of today's higher education organizations is characterized by complexities brought about as a result of rapid change, economic and political turbulence, and increasing global interdependence. The complexity of the environment in which colleges and universities operate is also due in part to a need to serve multiple internal and external constituencies. In order to be more responsive to the demands of its numerous constituencies and at the same time preserve their intrinsic values, colleges and universities need to know how effective they are in what they do. This research asked: To what degree does institutional effectiveness allow public colleges and universities to operate in a sustained manner over a long period of time while meeting the needs of their constituencies? The lack of criteria about what constitutes effectiveness in higher education contributes to the lack of research in this area of organizational theory. This research examined organizational effectiveness and its measurement in higher education environment using a survey of multiple internal and external constituencies. The purpose of the survey was to gather information regarding participants' perceptions about educational outcomes, processes, and environment in higher education organizations. In addition, given the changes in how higher education institutions are financed and the potential implications of these changes for effectiveness, this research explored the degree to which resource dependence, primarily dependence on public funding, influences the effectiveness of public colleges and universities. To address these questions the research tested the applicability of the sustainability framework as a model of effectiveness in higher education. The study suggests modification of the elements of the sustainability and extends the use of the concept of environment as it is defined in the sustainability framework to the concept of environment as defined in organizational theory. The sustainability framework has not been tested in this way before. The results indicate that there is promise in using the sustainability framework in this modified form and suggest that this concept is worthy of further exploration. Additionally, the study examined the role of multiple constituencies in defining effectiveness in higher education. The findings indicate that there are significant differences in perceptions of effectiveness among the groups of constituencies examined in the study. Finally, the results suggest that sources of public funding and the amount of money institutions spend per student have an influence on some aspects of effectiveness. To examine this further, the study explores the role of the political and fiscal environment in which institutions of higher education operate and offers institutional theory as a basis to explain resource dependence in public higher education. The findings of this study contribute to the field of organizational effectiveness, aid in understanding the role that public funding plays in higher education effectiveness, and contribute to the field of organizational theory more generally.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019. / Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are perceived to be poorly performing partly due to their culture; the constructs of NGOs’ culture usually affect employees’ commitment and performance negatively, leading employees to leave the organisation. This discourages and demoralises employees’ mind sets to perform as expected which affects NGOs’ productivity, goals and competitiveness in a negative way. The study investigated employee perceptions in organisational culture constructs to selected NGOs in Cape Town in order to generate valuable information in understanding the role of organisational culture in the achievement of organisational objectives in NGOs. Mixed methods approach was used in this study as it allowed collecting of qualitative and quantitative data simultaneously and assessing different facets of complex outcomes in a richer way than one method alone. The study found that culture is set to boost employees’ and organisations’ performance, and that managers and owners in NGOs have knowledge of this. The study revealed that some criteria such as openness and the creativity view of the organisational culture are only considered positive to managers and owners of NGOs. This study found that managers and owners in NGOs believe the implemented organisational culture is very effective, positively affects and boosts employees’ performance. The employees, however, had a different perception; they feel excluded from the development of the organisational culture which in turn affects their commitment and performance in a negative manner. This study found that employees’ commitment towards organisational culture derives from the way it is designed and how it suits employees’ expectations. Aspects such as remuneration, a safe work environment and sustainability, were found to be important for employees’ performance and commitment. Therefore, it is evident that directing or developing NGOs’ organisational culture that focus on employees’ expectation such as remuneration and sustainable employees’ innovation and practice will receive more support from employees. Furthermore, the criteria are keen to improve the way employees perform and commit to the organisation. It was recommended that NGOs involve employees in the design or development of its organisational culture in order to have more information on employees regarding what to expect from them. Another major implication is that the issue of employee benefit or remuneration have to be addressed in order to maintain employees’ performance.

This dissertation presents the findings of an empirical study of the effectiveness of knowledge management practices in an environment of principal-agent and market testing conditions in the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) during the period 2001-2005. Using a grounded theory research approach and a longitudinal case study, the ADO's workforce planning community of practice is the focus of the study. The research is conducted in the context of the knowledge-based view of the firm, which holds that organisational effectiveness and thus sustained competitiveness is dependant on the continual creation, application and protection of new and unique knowledge. Pertinent knowledge management theories are reviewed and reframed in terms of loose coupling concepts, which are then used to describe the variety of knowledge creating relationships and opportunities for workforce planning that become apparent during the course of field research studies. The impact of market testing, as a precursor to outsourcing, on the creation of new knowledge in workforce planning is examined progressively during field studies. The role of leadership in maintaining effective workforce knowledge management practices emerges as the primary category in the loose coupling analysis process. The paper suggests that in order to sustain competitive advantage in workforce planning that is conducted in a commercial support or market testing environment, trust-based leadership and the use of appropriate knowledge management practices are necessary. The dissertation has important implications for research and practice. Specifically, the loose coupling framework provides a focus for literature reviews in future research of knowledge management and, in terms of professional practice, the framework is developed into an aide-m??moire that can be used to enhance knowledge management practices to meet workforce planning objectives. The aide-m??moire potentially has wider application as a tool to assess the effectiveness of knowledge management within the organisation as well as informing the selection of remedial knowledge management practices. Limitations of the paper are acknowledged and recommendations are made for further research.

Process-based composition of Web services is emerging as a promising technology for the effective automation of integrated and collaborative applications. As Web services are often autonomous and heterogeneous entities, coordinating their interactions to build complex processes is a difficult, error prone, and time-consuming task. In addition, since Web services usually operate in dynamic and highly evolving environments, there is a need for supporting flexible and correct execution of integrated processes. In this thesis, we propose a Petri net-based framework for formal composition and recovery policies in service-based business processes. We first propose an algebra for composing Web services. The formal semantics of this algebra is expressed in terms of Petri nets. The use of a formal model allows the effective verification and analysis of properties, both within a service, such as termination and absence of deadlock, and between services, such as behavioral equivalences. We also develop a top down approach for the correct (e.g., absence of deadlock and termination) composition of complex business processes. The approach defines a set of refinement operators that guarantee correctness of the resulting business process nets at design time. We then introduce Self-Adaptive Recovery Net (SARN), an extended Petri net model for specifying exceptional behavior in business processes. SARN adapts the structure of the underlying Petri net at run time to handle exceptions while keeping the Petri net design simple and easy. The proposed framework caters for the specification of high-level recovery policies that are incorporated either with a single task or a set of tasks, called a recovery region. Finally, we propose a pattern-based approach to dynamically restructure SARN. These patterns capture the ways past exceptions have been dealt with. The objective is to continuously restructure recovery regions within the SARN model to minimize the impact of exception handling. To illustrate the viability of the proposed composition and exception handling techniques, we have developed HiWorD (HIerarchical WORkflow Designer), a hierarchical Petri net-based business process modeling and simulation tool.

The aim of this thesis is to assist industry leaders in Australia understand the nature of employee empowerment by identifying the characteristics of employee empowerment, the leadership strategies required to guide employee behaviour changes and the interaction between the two concepts. This thesis argues that in the 1990's the role of leadership needs to change in order to address the threat of increasing competition. The role of leadership needs to focus on employee development and enhancing their ability to adapt to change, be innovative, creative and committed to achieving the goals of the organisation. Effective leadership is therefore reflected in the behaviour of employees. A characteristic identified as employee empowerment. The research for this study had two components. First was the development of the model to investigate the relationship between leadership strategies and employee empowerment behaviour in a workplace setting. The second research component of the study was testing the model. Testing required the development of a multi-component workplace survey instrument. A range of validation methodologies supported the survey instrument. The case study site was a government organisation. Results provided answers to each of the research questions. Among other findings, it was found that factors other than leadership could also moderate empowerment behaviours. The results of the study, if replicated, have important significance to Australian industry. Serious questions are raised concerning the direction of previous leadership research. Furthermore a new focus is provided to explain why TQM fails in organisations. Another key point highlighted in the study was the importance of using practical models that can be tested in the workplace. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)