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Performance Effectiveness Appraisal, Performance Effectiveness Review as well as Coaching and training are crucial elements of the performance management process included in a set of managerial competencies required by managers in a deep level gold mine in South Africa. This dissertation provides a contemporary review of performance management and gold mining in a South African deep level gold mine context. It provides a theoretical framework for the processes of Performance Effectiveness Appraisal, Performance Effectiveness Review and Coaching and training as integral parts of effective performance management. It investigates if shared meaning exists between the views of the organisation’s managers and the views of the organisation as set apart in a System for People handbook to be used by managers in the organisation. Managerial competencies are discussed and compared with literature found. Following this, the responses from the participants are discussed. The responses are compared with literature reviews done and the view of the organisation. Performance management challenges that face the organisation in the future are investigated and proposals are made to the organisation management team and future research proposals are suggested, before concluding. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Performance Effectiveness Appraisal, Performance Effectiveness Review as well as Coaching and training are crucial elements of the performance management process included in a set of managerial competencies required by managers in a deep level gold mine in South Africa. This dissertation provides a contemporary review of performance management and gold mining in a South African deep level gold mine context. It provides a theoretical framework for the processes of Performance Effectiveness Appraisal, Performance Effectiveness Review and Coaching and training as integral parts of effective performance management. It investigates if shared meaning exists between the views of the organisation’s managers and the views of the organisation as set apart in a System for People handbook to be used by managers in the organisation. Managerial competencies are discussed and compared with literature found. Following this, the responses from the participants are discussed. The responses are compared with literature reviews done and the view of the organisation. Performance management challenges that face the organisation in the future are investigated and proposals are made to the organisation management team and future research proposals are suggested, before concluding. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Academic institutions face countless pressures within a context of ongoing globalization, societal change, and increased accountability measures. The use of organizational culture assessment can assist organizations to understand their current culture and, consequently, to inform strategies for change management. This study examined the perceptions held by administrators at four Ontario colleges with above average Student Satisfaction (KPI) about their institution’s current and preferred organizational culture and their own management competencies. A descriptive research method was employed using a modified version of Cameron and Quinn’s (2006) Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) and Management Skills Assessment Instrument (MSAI). Different culture types were found in the current state at the four colleges. Two colleges exhibited a dominant Market or ‘competing’ type culture, one a dominant Hierarchy or ‘controlling’ type culture and, one a dominant Clan or ‘collaborative’ type culture. Evidence of strength and congruence of organizational culture was found at some of the four colleges. Results from all colleges combined exhibited meaningful influence of both Clan and Hierarchy type cultures. Dominant culture type differed by gender and number of years’ experience in the job. Administrators at all four of the colleges reported use of Clan type management skills (i.e., Managing Teams, Interpersonal Relations, and Development of Others) most frequently. This was followed by Adhocracy, Hierarchy and Market type skills. Three colleges ranked Managing Competitiveness as their lowest. OCAI dominant culture type differed from MSAI dominance at three of the colleges and one exhibited the same Clan type OCAI and MSAI. Desire in the preferred state to increase collaboration was evident with dominant Clan type culture and focus on flexibility. Focus was split equally with two internal and two external, and culture strength was found at two colleges. Consistency exists between preferred dominant culture type and management skills of administrators, suggesting administrators’ skills at each of the colleges are aligned with where they desire their college’s organizational culture to be heading. This study identifies implications for leadership of college culture linked to effective performance. The results build on existing evidence that dominant type, strength and/or congruence of culture is linked with performance effectiveness.

Academic institutions face countless pressures within a context of ongoing globalization, societal change, and increased accountability measures. The use of organizational culture assessment can assist organizations to understand their current culture and, consequently, to inform strategies for change management. This study examined the perceptions held by administrators at four Ontario colleges with above average Student Satisfaction (KPI) about their institution’s current and preferred organizational culture and their own management competencies. A descriptive research method was employed using a modified version of Cameron and Quinn’s (2006) Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) and Management Skills Assessment Instrument (MSAI). Different culture types were found in the current state at the four colleges. Two colleges exhibited a dominant Market or ‘competing’ type culture, one a dominant Hierarchy or ‘controlling’ type culture and, one a dominant Clan or ‘collaborative’ type culture. Evidence of strength and congruence of organizational culture was found at some of the four colleges. Results from all colleges combined exhibited meaningful influence of both Clan and Hierarchy type cultures. Dominant culture type differed by gender and number of years’ experience in the job. Administrators at all four of the colleges reported use of Clan type management skills (i.e., Managing Teams, Interpersonal Relations, and Development of Others) most frequently. This was followed by Adhocracy, Hierarchy and Market type skills. Three colleges ranked Managing Competitiveness as their lowest. OCAI dominant culture type differed from MSAI dominance at three of the colleges and one exhibited the same Clan type OCAI and MSAI. Desire in the preferred state to increase collaboration was evident with dominant Clan type culture and focus on flexibility. Focus was split equally with two internal and two external, and culture strength was found at two colleges. Consistency exists between preferred dominant culture type and management skills of administrators, suggesting administrators’ skills at each of the colleges are aligned with where they desire their college’s organizational culture to be heading. This study identifies implications for leadership of college culture linked to effective performance. The results build on existing evidence that dominant type, strength and/or congruence of culture is linked with performance effectiveness.

The literature on manufacturing performance measurement underscores the importance of operational performance measures, as well as aggregate organisational measures. However, research aimed at quantifying and tracking such measures from both operational and organisational perspectives has been slow in forthcoming. The Manufacturing Operational Effectiveness (MOE) indicator introduced and tested in this study lends itself to both operational performance measures and aggregate organisational performance measures of the manufacturing system performance. The results of several simulation scenarios utilising actual manufacturing data clearly illustrate the utility of MOE. These results have both operational tactical and strategic organisational practical implications. Operational effectiveness and strategic competitiveness can be tracked and improved through the systematic utilisation of MOE.

Fault and top seal effectiveness has proved to be a significant risk in exploration success, and creates a large uncertainty in predicting reservoir performance. This is particularly true in the Australian context, but equally applies to exploration provinces worldwide. Seals can be broadly classified into fault, intraformational, and top seal. For geological time-scale processes, intraformational and top seals are typically characterised by their membrane seal capacity and fracture threshold pressure. Fault seals are typically characterised by fault geometry, juxtaposition, membrane seal capacity, and reactivation potential. At the production time scale, subtle variations in the permeability distribution within a reservoir can lead to compartmentalization. These are typically characterised by dynamic reservoir models which assume hydrostatic conditions prior to commencement of production. There are few references in the seals literature concerning the integration of hydrodynamic techniques with the various aspects of seal evaluation. The research for this PhD thesis by published papers includes: Methodology for characterising formation water flow systems in faulted strata at exploration and production time scales; a new theory of hydrodynamics and membrane (capillary) seal capacity; and case study evaluations demonstrating integrated multidisciplinary techniques for the evaluation of seal capacity (fault, intraformational and top seal) that demonstrate the new theory in practice. By incorporating hydrodynamic processes in the evaluation of total seal capacity, the evidence shows that existing shale gouge ratio – across fault pressure difference (SGR-AFPD) calibration plots need adjustment resulting in the calibration envelopes shifting to the centre of the plot. / This adjustment sharpens the predictive capacity for membrane seal analysis in the pre-drill scenario. This PhD thesis presents the background and rationale for the thesis topic, presents each published paper to be included as part of the thesis and its contribution to the body of work addressing the thesis topic, and presents related published papers that are not included in the thesis but which support the body of published work on the thesis topic. The result of the thesis is a new theory and approach to characterising membrane seal capacity for the total seal thickness, and has implications for an adjusted SGR-AFPD calibration to be applied in pre-drill evaluations of seal capacity. A large portion of the resources and data required to conduct the research were made available by CSIRO and its associated project sponsors including the CO2CRC.

Cross-cultural communication challenges arise for managers in international corporations on a daily basis, and in order to evaluate why these challenges occur we conducted a case study in collaboration with the fast-fashion corporation Gina Tricot. Our work challenges the influential theory that cultural proximity leads to less miscommunication within the business environment. By using Griffith’s model on a fashion-based corporation, our thesis demonstrates that geographical distance is not an aiding factor in superior communication within multinational corporations, however, the longevity of relationships have a more deciding impact.   Global expansion and the rapid development of technology contribute to faster communication possibilities across boarders, therefore the highly international, dynamic and quick communication based fast-fashion industry becomes an interesting object when studying cross-cultural communication. Moreover, this research will investigate which specific areas of business communication that creates the greatest challenges for international managers within the fast-fashion corporation Gina Tricot’s cross-cultural operations.   Our secondary sources are mainly based on previous models and guidelines for effective cross-cultural communication, with David Griffith’s model of “Communication Effectiveness” as a main resource. Furthermore, it enabled us to test how well Griffith’s model applies in the fast-fashion industry. Our primary data was obtained by a close collaboration with Gina Tricot in a case study fashion, by conducting personal interviews with retail and purchase managers. Trough our research and analysis we concluded that the core flaw with previous models is based in their rigidness and lack of flexibility to adapt to different circumstances. We base our conclusions on the notion that as human behaviours is dynamic and highly unpredictable, so is also culture and therefore even communication.

Baigiamajame magistro darbe nagrinėjamos traukinių ant magnetinės pagalvės (MAGLEV) technologijos. Atlikta išsami traukinių ant magnetinės pagalvės pasaulinės patirties analizė. Ištirti šių traukinių pagrindiniai privalumai ir trūkumai lyginant su įprastiniais greitaisiais traukiniais. Parinkti traukinių eksploatavimo lyginamieji parametrai. Pateikiami riedmenų TRASNRAPID 08 (MAGLEV) ir ICE 3 (tradicinės sistemos) techniniai ekonominiai lyginimo rezultatai. Atliktas daugiakriteris vertinimas. Pabaigoje suformuluotos išvados. Baigiamajame magistro darbe sudarytos 37 lentelės, pavaizduota 60 paveikslų. Darbo apimtis 95 psl. / Final master work analyzes technologies of trains on magnetic cushion (MAGLEV). World experience analysis of trains on magnetic cushion is made. Advantages and disadvantages of MAGLEV systems in comparison with other high speed trains are also discussed. Performance comparative parameters were chosen. Technical economical analysis results are made using TRASNRAPID 08 as MAGLEV system train and ICE 3 as traditional system train. Also multi criteria evaluation is made. Finally, conclusions are formed. Final master work consists: 37 tables, 60 figures and 4 appendixes. Work size 95 pages.

First of all, two investment projects are introduced: one of a small hydro power plant and the second of a wind power plant. These are then subjected to a financial analysis. Projects are evaluated on the financial analysis basis. The hypotheses are verified, project risks, proposals and measures to minimize or increase overall economic performance are determined in the thesis.