published_or_final_version / Politics and Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

BACKGROUND: Powerful public-private partnerships (PPPs) can only be established if the partners are able to deal with complexity. Such partnerships may serve to stimulate local community and economic development. Thus, it may maximise the effectiveness of local groups and resources in meeting the needs for rebuilding a community through a partnership representative of the public and private sectors. A problem that exists in South Africa, is the uneven distribution of population ratios dependent on public and private sector health care service delivery, in relation to the proportion of pharmaceutical service providers in the different sectors. OBJECTIVE: The main objectives of this qualitative research investigation were to examine the prospects for PPP development in the pharmaceutical sector of South Africa as well as to explore the possibilities of a proposition for a proposed generic public-private partnership model to be managed and used in the pharmaceutical sector of South Africa. METHOD: The study comprises of the exploration of the research questions by means of a qualitative research design. The study design implicated a balance between the in-depth literature study and a qualitative research process. The researcher employed a grounded theory approach to collect and analyse the data. Data collection represented the identifiable role players and opinion formulators in the South African health care sector. By following a combination of the various qualitative sampling methods and techniques, a total of 38 (n=38) interviews were conducted. The data collected from the interviewees and from the literature study were integrated and analysed by making use of computer assisted data analysis. SETTING: The researcher selected interviewees from the South African health care sector. The interviews included role players in the pharmaceutical sector in both the public and private sectors. The interviewees further represented eight different spheres of the pharmaceutical setting in South Africa. KEY FINDINGS: The investigation identified a range of prospects for PPP development in South Africa and these were reported in terms of views, expectations and scope for success. The management elements for developing and sustaining joint ventures between the public and private sectors were identified and a proposition was formulated in theory to serve as a proposed generic PPP model (PGM) in the pharmaceutical sector for the South African health care milieu. CONCLUSION The exploratory qualitative investigation surfaced the various facets of the complexity of PPPs. The investigation concluded that several barriers, such as competition and market entry disparities between the macro and micro level pharmaceutical entities, which impede PPP development, affected the prospects for PPP development in South Africa. The South African legislation, South African Treasury guidelines, regulations and the views of the SA Competition Commission need transformation to accommodate both the micro and macro level pharmaceutical service providers in the formation of PPPs. Capacity building within the sphere of pharmaceutical service delivery to the bigger population of South Africa may become sustainable on removal of these barriers. A series of recommendations were presented and several critical issues in need of supplementary research, have been identified. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Pharmacy Practice))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

This research reviews and evaluates the FedExâ s Premium Service Program currently being used by DLA customers. The research will examine some of the benefits and costs of this co-locating of DOD warehousing and shipping operation managed by a commercial express transportation carrier. The research will view the possible benefits gained through commercial inventory and transportation practices by partnering a third party logistics service with the Defense Transportation System. DLA and FedEx have formed a partnership called DLA Premium Service. Premium Service is the only DoD warehousing operation that is co-located with and managed by a commercial express transportation carrier at FedEx main transportation hub. Premium Service System allows users to position materials in the Memphis facility for expedited delivery to the required destinations worldwide. All items are guaranteed, under contract, to be delivered to their continental U.S. (CONUS) destination within 24 hours and within 48 hours to outside of CONUS (OCONUS) to the major airports serviced by FedEx. Items will be delivered to the OCONUS final destination 24 hours of release from customs holding area at the airport. The service provides advance notification to streamline customs requirements of all OCONUS shipments.

Whistle-blowers have an important role as they reveals incongruities in organizations in order to enable improvement of working conditions. However, there is a risk of reprisals against the employees when expressing their discontent, which may prevent them from blowing the whistle. Since whistle-blowers in private sectors have less protection of freedom of expression against their employer, the protections of whistleblowing also become weaker in these organizations. Nowadays it is becoming increasingly common for businesses in the welfare sector to govern under private management, but still with public funding. A weak protection of whistleblowing therefore reduces the public's opportunity to gain insight into how public funds are used. Therefore the aim of the study is to examine the protection of whistleblowing in private sectors and especially highlight the problem with a weak protection in private organizations that are publicly funded. The Swedish law has no general regulation for the protection of whistle-blowers, which leads to a complex legal situation. It will additionally be new regulations introduced in this area, which might lead to further complexity. The second purpose of the study is therefore to analyse the new regulations and identify some possible consequences of the legislation. A legal dogmatic method is used in the essay with the purpose of investigating the current legislation. The study shows that employees in private sectors have a relatively expansive right to criticize their employer and the conditions at workplaces. The judgement depends on how the employee chooses to express their criticism and therefore there are several factors that must be taking into account. The new regulations will hopefully reduce the risk of reprisals related to whistleblowing. On the other hand there are some identified weaknesses in the legislation that might imply that the intention of the law not would be fulfilled. Therefore the question still stands if the whistle-blower’s situation in the private sector will be improved by the new regulations.

Syftet med föreliggande studie var att undersöka skillnader i självgenererad arbetsmotivation mellan chefer och medarbetare i privat och offentlig sektor. Resultatet baseras på 145 webbenkäter som besvarades av chefer och medarbetare i nio olika organisationer, inom de båda sektorerna. Mätinstrumentet som användes var Work Self-determination Index (W-SDI) som grundar sig i Self-Determination Theory (SDT). I resultatet framkom att chefer har högre grad av självgenererad arbetsmotivation än medarbetare, oberoende av sektorstillhörighet. Dock framkom ingen skillnad mellan privat och offentlig sektor när det gäller självgenererad arbetsmotivation. / The purpose of the study was to examine differences concerning work motivation between managers and employees in the public and private sector. The result is based on 145 web surveys answered by managers and employees in nine different organizations, within both sectors. The measuring instrument used was Work Self-determination Index (W-SDI) based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT). The result showed that managers in a higher degree have self-determined work motivation than employees, regardless of sector affiliation. However, there was no difference between private and public sector concerning self-determined work motivation.

The role of universities in regional development has changed over the last two decades. Current discussion in literature confronts universities with challenges related to an emergence of a third role, that should universities perform in regional innovation systems. It concerns regionally-oriented activities, through which universities are becoming the leaders of regional economic and social development. This concept is applied to a comparative case study of two different Czech regions, South Bohemia Region and Moravian - Silesian Region. The objective is to verify, if different regional circumstances leads to a different form and intensity of networking between academic and private sector, or whether the main factor influencing the role of the two Czech universities is a specific national context. Key words: universities, partnership with private sector, regional innovation systems, third role

Master of Arts / Department of Communication Studies / Charles J. G. Griffin / Space commentators and government officials draw on a variety of themes that shape how the public perceives space efforts. By constructing particular visions of outer space and the future of humanity, political leaders have inspired children to become astronauts and consoled the nation after a major tragedy. The future of space exploration and development will likely occur as an extension of existing paradigms that shape the material development of space transportation, space stations, and eventually living in space. Through qualitative interviews, this study illuminates the paradigms of persons working to advance the cause of space exploration and development. In particular, the study analyzes perspectives from individuals in the private sector. It seeks to highlight themes, such as leadership and possible material benefits, so that researchers may begin to construct theories about the specific conditions under which the future of space exploration and development may be shaped or evolve. This enhances our understanding of how themes operate to sustain or alter existing paradigms. In turn, a thematic analysis will generate new understandings of how envisioning seemingly impossible futures and social realities can transform those realities by drawing on conceptions of the past to inform the present and potential futures. To this end, this study employs imagination studies as a theoretical lens to understand how interviewees describe these future social realities. Specifically, the study discusses Engen’s (2002) theory of communicative imagination and seeks to refine it to encompass a process-based approach and flexibility. The presence of communicative imagination is explored in transcripts from qualitative interviews with persons employed in private businesses involved in the research and production of materials and services for space exploration and development. Results from the study reveal five dominant themes: leadership, inspiration and support, core motives, material benefits, and potential futures. Understanding how these themes interact in the process of communicative imagination illuminates the role communication plays in shaping social realities in a variety of circumstances.

M.Comm. / PPPs have developed out of a realisation by governments that in order to improve health systems efficiency there is a need to involve the private sector. Governments throughout the world have opted for PPPs to deliver public services, share risks and attain common goals. While the idea of PPPs is not new, it nonetheless has grown in application in recent years especially in developing countries such as South Africa. The neo-liberal GEAR macro-economic policy, that seeked to reduce government spending and to accelerate investment, catalysed the formation of PPPs in South Africa after 1996. The South African health system is a two-tier system consisting of the public sector and private sector. The public health sector is under resourced in terms of health personnel, health resources and funding compared to private healthcare. As a consequence, public health outcomes in South Africa are poor relative to its funding and have deteriorated since 1996, reportedly mainly due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. On the contrary, private healthcare outcomes are amongst the best in the world. As a result, the demand for private healthcare is higher than that of public healthcare, because it is better resourced and offers better quality care. The research investigates the contribution of PPPs to access quality healthcare in South Africa. The study follows the policy, financial and governance approach to review health PPPs. It suggests that the 7 implemented health PPPs contributed directly and indirectly to improved access to quality healthcare. It recommends the implementation of health PPPs particularly at local government level, to improve access to quality healthcare.

[pt] Nos últimos anos tem sido observado um aumento crescente do interesse da mão de obra de nível superior no Brasil pelos postos de trabalho oferecidos pelas entidades públicas. Esse fenômeno reflete tanto a busca dos novos entrantes do mercado de trabalho por essas oportunidades, quanto uma migração daqueles que atuavam em empresas privadas e decidem ingressar no setor público. Esse aumento de interesse pela área pública se justifica pela existência de um grupo de fatores, considerados importantes pelos empregados, que seriam melhor atendidos nesse setor. Dentre essas questões, encontram-se a necessidade de gerenciamento do próprio tempo, remuneração, estabilidade e prestígio. O objetivo desse trabalho foi compreender os principais pontos que formam a base do contrato psicológico estabelecido entre uma empresa pública e os seus funcionários que são egressos de empresas privadas, com vistas a entender melhor o crescente interesse por essas entidades. Para tal, realizou-se uma pesquisa qualitativa em que foram entrevistados nove indivíduos, atuais funcionários de três empresas públicas federais. Essas pessoas foram entrevistadas com base em um roteiro semiestruturado com perguntas abertas, o que deu espaço para que cada participante contribuísse com aquilo que considerasse mais relevante acerca do tema. Através dessas entrevistas, o pesquisador buscou entender as três etapas do contrato psicológico desses funcionários, de acordo com o modelo de Côrtes e Silva (2006). O resultado foi abrangente e trouxe não apenas as expectativas que contribuíram para a formação inicial do contrato dessas pessoas, mas também os termos que foram agregados no decorrer da relação com a empresa. / [en] The college graduated brazilian workforce has been showing a growing interest to occupy positions in Brazil’s public companies. This phenomenon reflects not only an intention of the labor force newcomers to fill in these opportunities, but also a migration of professionals that used to act in private organizations and decided to enter the public sector. This growth in interest for the public area is explained by the existence of a group of factors, important for the workers, that would be better accomplished in this sector. Among these factors, there’s a need from the worker to manage his/her own time, salary, stability and prestige. This research’s objective was to understand the most important points that built the psychological contract’s basis established between a public company and its workers that were previously employed in the private sector, what would explain the growing interest for these companies. To reach this objective, a qualitative research was made, in which nine employers from three different brazilian federal enterprises were interviewed. These interviews were based on a semi structured questionnaire with wide content questions that intended to give the interviewee the possibility to cooperate with the subjects that he/she understood as the most relevant. Through these interviews, the researcher looked after to understand the three steps that underlie the public worker’s psychological contract, according to the template designed by Côrtes e Silva (2006). The result was wide and embraced not only the expectations that involved initial moment of the contract, but also the terms that have been added through the worker’s relationship with the company.

Wits Business School University of Witwatersrand Johannesburg, South Africa Master in Finance and Investment (2014) / Following decades of under-investment, gaps in Africa’s healthcare infrastructure are becoming disturbingly obvious. The interplay of governments’ fiscal policies of budget imbalance reduction and other political considerations present a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to overcoming the backlog in Africa’s healthcare infrastructure. The two main objectives of this study were to understand the sources of financing and the best way to structure the financing of healthcare infrastructure in Africa. Looking at financing arrangements in various industries; and how healthcare sectors in developed countries have been financed, the report draws on perspectives from the financiers on how the healthcare infrastructure gap should be filled in Africa. This study, which utilised survey questionnaires and in-depth interviews, identified government revenues, regional development banks, private equity and donor financing numbers as dominant funding sources for the financing of healthcare infrastructure in Africa. Further, the study explored various ways in which finance could be structured and found that within those various models of financing, donor financing and government revenue were statistically significant on structuring the finance, especially within public-private partnership arrangements. These include sale and lease back arrangements (p=0.0022), complete ownership of projects by the private sector (p=0.003), management operation contracts (p=0.00034) and other forms of PPPs. More perspectives were obtained on enablers and barriers to improving investability of the healthcare sector. Africa’s economic growth and the improving ease of doing business were major enablers for healthcare sector’s investability. However, the role played by government as both a financier and a regulator seemed a barrier. Some structural models that would need government back-up include subordinated debt; with pricing at marginal cost and matching risk and return recovered through the taxation system. The latter continues to characterise much of Africa’s publicly provided healthcare infrastructure. In conclusion, investments in healthcare may not be separated from a country’s level of financial deepening. As the sector develops, it then becomes possible to utilise the models aforementioned. It is recommended that any governments’ investments in healthcare be more catalytic, to unlock value that allows the private sector to compete, both as financiers and innovators in healthcare. Furthermore clear strategies on PPPs are urgently needed for healthcare in Africa including policy consistency in financing and regulating healthcare.