The general aim of the research is to determine the relationship between personality traits as measured by the Customer Contact Styles Questionnaire (CCSQ 7.2) and work performance as measured by means of internal company data sources, of call centre agents. Recent literature indicates a significant relationship between personality traits and work performance. The emphasis in this research is on the factor analytical or trait approach of personality. The sample consisted of 300 call centre agents. The relationship between personality traits and work performance is discussed in terms of descriptive statistics, correlations and multiple regression analyses. The results indicate a relationship between the personality traits of analytical thinking, detail consciousness, conscientiousness, structuredness and work performance as measured by the level of financial incentives for call centre agents. This finding could be implemented in the selection and performance management of call centre agents. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial Psychology)

This study examined the nature and extent of relations between Management of Technology [MOT] and cost management. It explores the roles of competencies and competency measurement in these relations and its associations with company performance. The problem statement asks how the MOT community deals with cost management, whether MOT-based cost management competencies can be isolated and measured, whether a tool for measurement can be created, tested and validated and indeed whether it can be used to assess relations between MOT-based cost management competencies and company performance. To answer these questions, a MOT-based cost management competency index is formulated, consisting of problem statements representing MOT-based cost management insights, knowledge and practices. Designed in the format of a typical research survey, the index is used to source data from sampled companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange [JSE]. Although too small a sample to generalise about the population, sufficient data is collected and processed with statistical software programs. A second set of variables, about financial performance of the responding companies, consists of Asset Turnover [ATO] and Return on Assets Managed [ROAM]. Data for these variables is sourced from their annual financial statements and processed into ATO and ROAM indicators. The combined research data set is used to critically describe statistical qualities of variables such as ATO, ROAM, MOT-based cost management competencies of company executives, their education and exposure to the executive management teams in their respective organizations. The research data is subsequently subjected to correlation analysis, as foundation for hypothesis testing. Among the relationships described by correlation analysis and warranting further examination with regression analysis, are associations between MOT-based cost management competencies and ATO and between Education and MOT-based cost management competencies. The former association is found to be not significant, having the research hypothesis rejected. A significant association between Education and MOT-based cost management competencies is indeed found. Utilizing regression equations yielded by the analyses, the predictive capacity of regression analysis is used to demonstrate results of interventions in those associations postulated in the research hypotheses. The study concludes that it achieved a qualified success in its first objective, which was to formulate a MOT-based cost management competency index, and to demonstrate its application as measurement and management tool on executive managers of JSE-listed companies. The study failed in its second objective, which was to demonstrate a significant association between MOT-based cost management competencies and financial performance of sampled companies. Critical perspectives on the data and the associations tested reveal important shortcomings in the research. These perspectives do though create opportunities for refinement of the MOT-based cost management competency index as measurement and management tool, validation of its status, and indeed demonstration of its business value to the MOT and business community in particular. In closure, the study was meant as a contribution to the discourse on a credo for MOT and the MOT body of knowledge, and it subjects itself to critical analysis by the research community so as to establish whether it succeeded in indeed making such a contribution. / Business Management / M.Tech. (Business Administration)

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The focus of this research assignment is the evaluation of an individual Performance Management system at local government level in the Cape Metropolitan Area. The researcher has observed a possible decline in customer satisfaction towards the Cape Metropolitan Council Administration and at other Administrations within the City of Cape Town, and the press also highlighted complaints regarding the absence of an entrenched customer care ethic among municipal officials. The researcher was concerned with the way customers are being handled by municipal officials, and sought to find a solution to the problem. The researcher conducted research on what the ideal situation should be, and how to reach the ideal situation, which included South African local government legislation and discussion documents. The researcher also conducted an opinion survey (by means of a questionnaire) within the CMC Administration, in order to obtain the opinions of employees of the City of Cape Town's CMC Administration with regard to perceptions of customer satisfaction, and the possible effect on customer satisfaction should a Performance Management system be implemented within the City of Cape Town. It was found that, should a Performance Management system be introduced within the City of Cape Town, it will contribute to efficiency in service delivery, and staff will be held accountable for their work performance. It was also found that at local government institutions (locally and internationally) where effective organisational and individual Performance Management systems had been implemented, customer satisfaction at these institutions has improved. It is therefore suggested by this research that the City of Cape Town should implement an individual Performance Management system and that customer satisfaction should improve over time. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die fokus van die navorsings opdrag is die evaluering van 'n individuele werkverrigting- bestuurstelsel op die vlak van plaaslike regering in die Kaapse Metropolitaanse Gebied. Die navorser het 'n moontlike afname in kliënte bevrediging teenoor die Kaapse Metropolitaanse Raad (KMR) en ander Rade binne die Kaapse Metropolitaanse Gebied opgelet, en die pers het ook klagte belig betrekkend die afwesigheid van 'n verskansekliënte-sorg etiek onder munisipale amptenare. Die navorser was bekommered met die manier waarop kliënte behandel is deur munisipale amptenare, en het probeer om 'n oplossing te vind vir die probleem. Die navorser het ondersoek ingestel, wat ingesluit het Suid_Afrikaanse plaaslike regerings-wette en besprekings-dokumente, om uit te vind wat die ideale situasie is, en hoe om hierdie situasie te bereik. Die navorser het ook 'n opinie opneming ingestel (dmv. 'n vraelys) binne die KMR Administrasie, om sodoende die opinies van die werkers van Stad Kaapstad se KMR Administrasie betreffend die waarnemings van kliënt bevrediging, en die moontlike effek op kliënt bevrediging as 'n werkverrigting bestuurstelsel in werking gebring word binne die Stad Kaapstad. Daar is gevind, dat as 'n werkverrigting bestuurstelsel voorgestel word binne die Stad Kaapstad, daar 'n verbetering sal wees in doeltreffendheid van diens gelewer, en personeel sal verantwoordelik wees vir hul werkverrigtinge. Daar is ook gevind by plaaslike regering-instansies (plaaslik en internasionaal) waar daar effektiewe werkverrigting bestuurstelsels in werking gestel is, daar 'n verbetering in kliënte bevrediging was. Dus word daar gesuggereer, deur dié navorser dat die Stad Kaapstad 'n individuele-werkverrigting bestuurstelsel moet implementeer en dat kliënt bevrediging mettertyd sal verbeter.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / The aim of this study was to review the current status of the Performance Management system at Amatola District Council. A study of material and a case study on the implementation of the system at Amatola District Council is described. The performance management model designed by Good People Management has been applied and described in the text. The research results indicate that the majority of staff supports and understand the process. However, feedback and the attitudes of female employees thereof are highlighting red signals. This creates a completely new area of research of which the writer is only highlighting the issue for further research. Linking of performance management with compensation comes up as an issue, understandably so because the Council has agreed not to link the two processes. Recommendations on how to improve the system have been put forward.

Few studies have examined the impact of portfolio concentration upon the realised volatility of stock index portfolios, such as the FTSE 100. Instead, previous research has focused upon diversification across industries, across geographic regions and across different firms. The present study addresses this imbalance by calculating the daily time series of four concentration metrics for the FTSE 100 Index over the period from January 1984 through March 2003. In addition, the value weighted variance covariance matrix (VCM) of daily FTSE 100 Index constituent returns is decomposed into four sub-components: two from the diagonal elements and two from the off-diagonal elements of the VCM. These consist of the average variance of constituent returns, represented by the sum of diagonal elements in the VCM, and the average covariance represented by the sum of off-diagonal elements in the VCM. The value weighted average variance (VAV) and covariance (VAC) are each subdivided into the equally weighted average variance (EAV) the equally weighted average covariance (EAC) and incremental components that represent the difference between the respective value-weighted and equally weighted averages. These are referred to as the incremental average variance (IAV) and the incremental average covariance (IAC) respectively. The incremental average variance and the incremental average covariance are then combined, additively, to produce the incremental realised variance (IRV) of the FTSE 100 Index. The incremental average covariance and the incremental realised variance are found to be negative during the 1987 crash and the 1992 ERM crisis. They are also negative for a substantial part of the study period, even when concentration was at its highest level. Hence the findings of the study are consistent with the notion that the value weighted, and hence concentrated, FTSE 100 Index portfolio is generally less risky than a hypothetical equally weighted portfolio of FTSE 100 Index constituents. Furthermore, increases in concentration tend to precede decreases in incremental realised volatility and increases in the equally weighted components of the realised VCM. The results have important implications for portfolio managers concerned with the effect of changing portfolio weights upon portfolio volatility. They are also relevant to passive investors concerned about the effects of increased concentration upon their benchmark indices, and to providers of stock market indices.

La présente thèse vise à évaluer le degré d’implantation et d’utilisation de systèmes de mesure de la performance (SMP) par les décideurs des organisations de réadaptation et à comprendre les facteurs contextuels ayant influencé leur implantation. Pour ce faire, une étude de cas multiples a été réalisée comprenant deux sources de données: des entrevues individuelles avec des cadres supérieurs des organisations de réadaptation du Québec et des documents organisationnels. Le cadre conceptuel Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research a été utilisé pour guider la collecte et l’analyse des données. Une analyse intra-cas ainsi qu’une analyse inter-cas ont été réalisées. Nos résultats montrent que le niveau de préparation organisationnelle à l’implantation d’un SMP était élevé et que les SMP ont été implantés avec succès et utilisés de plusieurs façons. Les organisations les ont utilisés de façon passive (comme outil d’information), de façon ciblée (pour tenter d’améliorer des domaines sous-performants) et de façon politique (comme outil de négociation auprès des autorités gouvernementales). Cette utilisation diversifiée des SMP est suscitée par l’interaction complexe de facteurs provenant du contexte interne propre à chaque organisation, des caractéristiques du SMP, du processus d’implantation appliqué et du contexte externe dans lequel évoluent ces organisations. Au niveau du contexte interne, l’engagement continu et le leadership de la haute direction ont été décisifs dans l’implantation du SMP de par leur influence sur l’identification du besoin d’un SMP, l’engagement des utilisateurs visés dans le projet, la priorité organisationnelle accordée au SMP ainsi que les ressources octroyées à son implantation, la qualité des communications et le climat d’apprentissage organisationnel. Toutefois, même si certains de ces facteurs, comme les ressources octroyées à l’implantation, la priorité organisationnelle du SMP et le climat d’apprentissage se sont révélés être des barrières à l’implantation, ultimement, ces barrières n’étaient pas suffisamment importantes pour entraver l’utilisation du SMP. Cette étude a également confirmé l’importance des caractéristiques du SMP, particulièrement la perception de qualité et d’utilité de l’information. Cependant, à elles seules, ces caractéristiques sont insuffisantes pour assurer le succès d’implantation. Cette analyse d’implantation a également révélé que, même si le processus d’implantation ne suit pas des étapes formelles, un plan de développement du SMP, la participation et l’engagement des décideurs ainsi que la désignation d’un responsable de projet ont tous facilité son implantation. Cependant, l’absence d’évaluation et de réflexion collective sur le processus d’implantation a limité le potentiel d’apprentissage organisationnel, un prérequis à l’amélioration de la performance. Quant au contexte externe, le soutien d’un organisme externe s’est avéré un facilitateur indispensable pour favoriser l’implantation de SMP par les organisations de réadaptation malgré l’absence de politiques et incitatifs gouvernementaux à cet effet. Cette étude contribue à accroître les connaissances sur les facteurs contextuels ainsi que sur leurs interactions dans l’utilisation d’innovations tels les SMP et confirme l’importance d’aborder l’analyse de l’implantation avec une perspective systémique. / This thesis aims to assess the degree of implementation and use of performance measurement systems (PMS) by decision makers in rehabilitation organizations and to understand the contextual factors that influenced their implementation. A multiple case study was conducted using two data sources: individual interviews with senior executives in rehabilitation organizations from the province of Quebec and organizational documents. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was used to guide the collection and analysis of data. Intra-case analysis and a cross case analysis were conducted. Our results show that organisational readiness for PMS implementation was high and that the PMS was successfully implemented and used in several ways, based on organizational needs. Organizations used them passively (as an information tool), purposefully (to act on underperforming areas) and politically (for negotiating with government authorities). This diverse use of PMS is the result of complex interactions between factors from the internal context of each organization, PMS characteristics, the implementation process and the external environment in which these organizations operate. Within the internal context, the continued commitment and leadership of senior management were decisive in implementing the PMS through their influence on the identification of the need for a PMS, users’ engagement, organizational priority given to the PMS, resources allocation to its implementation, quality of communications and organizational learning climate. However, even if factors such as resources allocated to the implementation, organizational priority of the PMS and the learning climate were found to be barriers to its implementation, ultimately, these barriers were not important enough to hinder PMS use. This study also confirmed the importance of PMS characteristics, particularly the perception of quality and usefulness of the information. However, by themselves, these characteristics are insufficient to ensure implementation success. This implementation analysis also revealed that although the implementation process did not follow formal stages, a PMS development plan, participation and commitment of decision makers and the appointment of a project leader all facilitated implementation of the PMS. However, the lack of evaluation and collective reflection on the implementation process limited the potential for organizational learning, a prerequisite for performance improvement. As for the external context, the support of an external organization proved to be an essential enabler for PMS implementation by rehabilitation organizations despite the absence of governmental policies and incentives to do so. This study contributes to increasing knowledge about the contextual factors and their interactions in the implementation of innovations such as PMS and confirms the importance of addressing implementation analysis with a systemic perspective.

The significant change of the banking business models is easily observable in the current banking industry. Banks are forced to find additional source of income besides the one from traditional activities and thus the non-interest income is growing in importance. One of the reasons behind is that the banks need to recover from severe impacts of financial crisis in 2008-2010 and they want to adapt to the environment of low interest rates which has been occurring in the market since 2011. In this thesis, we analyze the presence of direct effect of non-interest income (proxied by fee income) on banks' performance using data of 220 commercial and investment banks from U.S. and EU-28 countries over the period of 2007-2014. Using System Generalized Methods of Moment, the direct effect was not detected. However, we conclude that economy with low inflation rate and growing gross domestic product improves the banks' profitability, as well as high capitalization and operating and credit quality efficiency. Furthermore, we found out that the volatility of the non-interest income has increased earlier than the crisis in 2008-2010 and it has been achieving almost continuous level till 2011 when it started decreasing again. Thus the hypothesis about relationship between volatility and financial crisis was rejected.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Magister Technologiae: Human Resources Management, Durban University of Technology, 2013. / The purpose of this study was to investigate job satisfaction and employee performance at Stodels Retail Nurseries in the Western Cape. The main aim of the study was to determine the level of job satisfaction and its impact on employee performance. A quantitative methodological approach was used for collecting the data. The target population comprised of 122 employees at Stodels Retail Nurseries. A pre-coded close ended patented questionnaire was administered to the target population, using the survey method. There was a significantly high response rate of 100% which was largely due to the fact that the personal method was used for the administration of the questionnaire. The Statistical Program for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 for Windows was used for the statistical analysis. There were some significant findings that emerged from the empirical analysis and results. The majority of respondents (64%) generally experienced job satisfaction at Stodels Retail Nurseries and a significant number of respondents (52.5%) also expressed their dissatisfaction with pay, compensation and benefits. A moderate number of respondents (43%) expressed further dissatisfaction with the limited opportunities for promotions. This however, did not affect the level of employee performance significantly. The hypothesis tested revealed that there was no significant relationship between job satisfaction and employee performance. It was recommended that employees at Stodels Retail Nurseries should be kept constantly motivated to ensure that job satisfaction and employee performance levels are kept high. Top management of Stodels Retail Nurseries need to implement a programme to increase job satisfaction and employee performance as this may lead to the added benefits for sustaining and improving its success in the retail nursery sector. The study concluded with directions for further research as well. / M

[pt] É notório no meio acadêmico e prático que ao longo dos últimos anos a logística deixou de ser vista como um processo operacional e passou a ser reconhecida como uma matéria de suma importância na integração das cadeias de suprimentos e uma ferramenta importante para atender as necessidades dos clientes e buscar diferencial competitivo. Em um ambiente globalizado e competitivo, as empresas buscam soluções que possam ajudá-las a atingir seus objetivos organizacionais. Neste contexto, a terceirização de serviços logísticos vem sendo amplamente utilizada com diversas finalidades. Porém, ao realizar terceirizações logísticas as empresas se deparam com a dificuldade de desenvolver mecanismos de avaliação de desempenho que estejam alinhados com a estratégia das empresas e que possam avaliar dados quantitativos e qualitativos para mensurar e comparar o desempenho de seus terceirizados. Diante deste cenário, este trabalho apresenta um estudo de caso onde foi utilizado o método AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) como ferramenta de apoio para avaliação, ranking e reconhecimento de transportadores terceirizados de uma multinacional líder de mercado de gases industriais e medicinais. Existe uma relação entre a satisfação do cliente final e o desempenho dos transportadores. Portanto, é fundamental o desenvolvimento de uma ferramenta para mensurar esse desempenho e reconhecer os melhores. O trabalho propõe a avaliação dos transportadores através de um único índice que traduz indicadores quantitativos e qualitativos. A escolha do método AHP foi fundamental para facilitar a estruturação do problema e se mostrou uma ferramenta de fácil entendimento tanto para o pesquisador como para os demais envolvidos. / [en] It is well known in the academic and practical means that over the last few years the logistics is no longer seen as an operational process and has become recognized as a matter of paramount importance in the integration of supply chains and an important tool to meet customer needs and seek competitive advantage. In a globalized and competitive environment, companies are looking for solutions that can help them achieve their organizational goals. In this context, the outsourcing of logistics services has been widely used for various purposes. However, when performing logistics outsourcing companies are faced with the difficulty of developing mechanisms for evaluating performance that are aligned with company strategy and to assess quantitative and qualitative data to measure and compare the performance of their third party. This paper presents a case study where the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method was used as a support tool for evaluation, ranking and recognition outsourced carriers of a multinational leader in industrial and medical gases market on Brazil. There is a relationship between the end-customer satisfaction and the performance of carriers. Therefore, it is fundamental to develop a tool to measure this performance and recognize the best carrier. The paper proposes the review of carriers through a single index reflecting quantitative and qualitative indicators. The choice of AHP was instrumental in facilitating the structuring of the problem and proved to be an easily understood tool for researchers and for the others involved.

Bakgrund: Den tredje januari 2018 trädde EU-direktivet Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II) i kraft. Direktivet ämnar öka investerarskyddet genom att eliminera informationsasymmetri och intressekonflikter på finansmarknaden, och samtidigt harmonisera reglerna mellan EU-länder. Inom investeringsrådgivning innebär det nya regelverket ökad dokumentation, ett större fokus på att försäkra sig om att investerarna förstår risker, hårdare krav på hur avgifter kommuniceras och striktare regler kring incitament. Allt detta för att skydda investerarna, som ofta visat sig ha en bristfällig finansiell kunskap och ett lågt intresse för privatekonomi. Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att utifrån värdepappersföretagens perspektiv skapa förståelse för vilken påverkan EU-direktivet MiFID II har haft på principal-agent problem som uppstår vid investeringsrådgivning. Genomförande: Uppsatsen är en kvalitativ fallstudie. Vidare har ett fenomenologiskt forskningsperspektiv använts, med en abduktiv ansats. Det empiriska materialet har samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med sammanlagt sju respondenter som alla jobbar på värdepappersföretag, vilka valdes ut med ett målstyrt bekvämlighetsurval. Resultat: Uppsatsen kommer fram till att principal-agent problemen inom investeringsrådgivning inte har eliminerats. Informations- asymmetrin är enligt vår tolkning av de traditionella teorierna närmast obefintlig, men utgör fortfarande ett stort problem på grund av investerarnas ointresse och relativt låga förmåga att ta till sig informationen. Vi argumenterar därav att dessa dimensioner bör inkluderas i teorin för vilka trösklar som kan orsaka informationsasymmetrin. Intressekonflikterna har reducerats, men finns till viss mån fortfarande kvar. Motivationen att agera i ett egenintresse har dock inte påverkats. Uppsatsen visar således på att MiFID II inte har förflyttat principal-agent relationen till en stewardship relation. Kunskapsbidrag: Det teoretiska bidraget gällande informationsasymmetri utmanar antagandet om att principalen vill ha information som är relevant för denne. Uppsatsen visar att så inte alltid är fallet. Förutom att det uppstår informationsasymmetri om det är kostsamt eller svårt att ta reda på agentens handlingar, kan det även uppstå i situationer där principalen är ointresserad av, eller oförmögen att ta till sig av informationen enligt vår mening. Vidare har MiFID II inneburit att det är svårare för agenten att tillgodose sitt egenintresse om detta strider mot principalens. Däremot har direktivet inte inneburit att den interna motivationen ändrats och det går därför inte att förutsätta att ett kontraktsförhållande som haft en principal-agent relation övergår till en stewardship relation när dessa problem elimineras. Genom en ökad förståelse för hur tvingande lagstiftningar påverkar principal-agent problem kan det empiriska bidraget hjälpa tillsynsmyndigheter i sitt arbete att hantera principal-agent problem. Uppsatsen skulle således kunna underlätta vidareutveckling av regleringen som finns idag, likväl som utformningen av framtida direktiv och lagar. Med ett utomstående perspektiv på vilka intressekonflikter som kan uppstå vid investeringsrådgivning skulle det empiriska bidraget också kunna vara gynnsamt för värdepappersföretag och deras arbete för att hantera intressekonflikter. / Background: On January 3, 2018, the EU directive Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II) came into effect. The directive is intended to expand investor protection through eliminating information asymmetry and conflicts of interest in the financial market, while also harmonizing the regulations between nations within the EU. For investment advising, the directive results in more extensive documentation and stricter regulation of how fees and risks are communicated, as well as how incentives are handled; all with the aim of protecting investors. At the same time, the general public shows low interest in personal finance, as well as inadequate financial knowledge. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to further the understanding of how the introduction of the EU directive MiFID II has affected the principal-agent problem that arises during investment advising, from an investment firm perspective. Completion: This is a qualitative case-study which utilizes a phenomenological research perspective and an abductive approach. The empirical material has been collected through semi-structured interviews at investment firms with a total of seven respondents, whom were selected through goal-oriented convenience sampling.  Conclusion: The study concludes that the principal-agent problems in investment advising have not been eliminated. According to our interpretation of the traditional theories, information asymmetry is nearly non-existent. Yet it remains a significant problem due to lack of interest and an inability to assimilate the information. Thus, we argue that the theoretical framework should be revised to include these barriers, as they may lead to information asymmetry. Conflicts of interest have been reduced, but still remain to some extent. Furthermore, the motivation to act based on self-interest still remain. Hence, the study shows that MiFID II has not turned the principal-agent relationship into a stewardship relationship. Contribution: The theoretical contribution to information asymmetry challenges the assumption that the principal is interested in all the information that is of relevance for them. The study show that this is not always the case. Apart from information asymmetry arising when ascertaining the actions of the agent is expensive or difficult, it can also arise due to the principal’s lack of interest or inability to assimilate the information. Moreover, MiFID II has made it more difficult for the agent to act in their own self-interest, should it deviate from the interest of the principal. The directive has not, however, affected the intrinsic motivation of the agent. Thus, we cannot assume that the elimination of these problems causes a principal-agent relationship to transform into a stewardship relationship. Through an increased understanding of how binding legislation affects principal-agent problems, the empirical contribution can help regulatory bodies in their work to mitigate the aforementioned problems. Hence, the study may help to not only expand existing legislation, but also in the development of future legislation and directives. By providing an outside perspective of what conflicts of interests could arise in investment advising, the empirical contribution could also be of use for investment firms in their work to identify and manage conflicts of interest