by Yu Wing-yip, Patrick, Tsui Hong-fai, Alan. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1988. / Bibliography: leaves 55-57.

This thesis investigates the relationship between Knowledge Management Activities (KMAs), New Product Development drivers (NPDd), and New Product Development (NPD) process success in organisations that rely on new products for competitive survival. The literature review highlights that while KMA is in 2008, a common part of the practice of NPD, it is not included in any of the lists of wellknown success factors. Given that research in the KM field claims KMAs are a significant driver of success, this omission in the NPD literature seems worthy of further investigation. This thesis details the method and results of an empirical investigation examining the claim that KMAs are an independent influence on NPD process success. Data was collected in 2006 using survey methods and a classic positivistic research philosophy. The sample was taken from 124 UK-based projects, chosen from private organisations in the Department of trade and Industry's Research Development Index. The data was analysed using multivariate techniques, notably comparing NPD drivers, KMAs and their individual contribution to success based on stepwise regression analysis. Statistics indicate that while well-known NPDd account for much of the variance in NPD process success, KMAs are also significant. The unique contribution of this thesis is two fold: first empirical evidence that some KMAs can act as independent drivers of success in the NPD environment; and second a model detailing the relationship between the test elements, updating the existing high-level research in the field with a more detailed analysis of the relationships implied. The conclusions highlight for private sector managers that some KMAs make a distinct and measurable addition to NPD process success. Public sector managers may also find the results of interest as they add a finer level of detail to understanding the "systems" view of NPD, information worth sharing within the burgeoning UK knowledge economy.

With the increased globalization and expansion of the markets worldwide, companies have to struggle with increased competition. Therefore, organisations have begun to offer advantages such as a personalisation of products to potential customers. Market conditions and legal policies can make it challenging to predict whether those ad-vantages can be realized. Project managers are often in the position of having to fulfil these requirements; in continuously changing influencing factors that make tasks diffi-cult to manage. These circumstances create complexity. Frequently, managers are una-ware that complexity has created problems in a specific project. Often, the traditional standards of project management no longer provide a sufficient support to managers of complex projects. This research investigates how current standards of project management address com-plexity, and whether a supplement is necessary. Complexity strengtheners are investi-gated. One standard Project Management Institute (PMI) is selected as an example to analyze the influence of strengtheners on PM-processes. A funnel model is developed based on these research findings. This is aimed to help managers in their daily practice and support them in categorizing the complexity of their projects. Based on this model, managers should be able to recognize the actual strengtheners of complexity and which processes of their project are affected. Finally, a possible adaption of the standard is re-searched. A proposition for a new comprehensive guide is designed to support manag-ers carrying out complex projects. The key managerial implication of this research is the development of a five-step model for handling complexity in projects: forming, storming, norming, performing, and ad-journing. Furthermore, the intent of this thesis is to make a valid contribution to the management literature. For handling complexity the new funnel model should close the gap between the recognition of complexity in a project and underlying causes. The new five-step model thus provides project managers helpful guidelines for handling complex projects. This research applies a mixed method, consisting of a survey (quantitative method) and focus interviews (qualitative method) with experts of project management (PMI) in Germany. There are approximately 4.900 PMI certified project managers in Germany; more than 170 participated in the survey (3.6%). This is considered sufficient to provide reliable results for this research. Further, three focus interviews deepen the knowledge and validate the results of the survey: Complexity is an actual problem in project man-agement. Existing standards are sufficient for project management, but complexity can-not be standardized. This thesis proposes to help project managers to resolve project complexity by providing guidelines for navigating through complex projects.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Canterbury, 2002. / Typescript (photocopy). "June 2002." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 325-340).. Also available via the World Wide Web.

This study focuses attention on the multinational organization, an emerging phenomenon, in which people from different cultural backgrounds work together to produce a product or render a service. The purpose of this study is to enhance the available information about the potential for increasing productivity through the use of participatory programs, such as Quality Control Circles, in multinational organizations, especially those operating in Saudi Arabia.

This thesis is about communities of practice [hereafter: CoPs], learning and knowledge sharing within the geographically dispersed organization Komatsu in Chile, which is an emerging economy in Latin America. Chile is characterised by a unique cultural and macroeconomic context and thus particularly suitable to broaden the scope about CoP theory. The research questions revolve around the forms that CoPs take within this context as-well-as their contribution to learning and knowledge sharing. The literature review sheds light on the aspects of learning, knowledge sharing and CoPs in a comprehensive manner. It suggests that it is unsuitable to think of a single CoP that spans across geographically dispersed organizations, but rather to consider multiple interconnected CoPs. The boundary processes constitute the pivotal aspect in fostering learning and knowledge sharing among them. This exploratory case study about shovel maintenance within Komatsu Chile, conducted within the social constructionism paradigm, provides evidence that CoPs are organised within a hierarchically-structured network. Extending beyond the premise that CoPs are bound together by shared practice (Brown & Duguid, 1991, 2001b), the research puts forward the argument that CoP Glue, (meaning a reified abstraction, known and accepted throughout the network of CoPs) constitutes the mechanism that holds them together. As part of the revised theoretical framework, it is advocated that CoP Alterity, along the dimensions of practice, domain and community (Wenger, 2011), is the aspect according to which CoPs can be differentiated. This revised theory opens up an interesting field of future academic enquiry. From a practitioner perspective the research has generated interesting findings and suggestions, which ought to be considered by those wishing to enhance learning and knowledge sharing within geographically dispersed organizations.

A qualitative research design that is explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature was employed in order to understand and describe the professional nurses' perception of the implementation of a quality circles programme in a public hospital in the Eastern Cape Province and to develop guidelines for the implementation of a quality circles programme in public hospitals. The data-collection techniques were individual semi-structured interviews and field notes. The sample was drawn from a population of 425 Xhosa-speaking professional nurses employed in this institution. The sample comprised eight (8) professional nurses all of whom volunteered for in-depth individual semi-structured interviews. All the respondents answered one question "How do you perceive the implementation of the quality circles programme in your hospital?" During data collection and analysis only one theme emerged, namely the perception of quality circles as a forum for discussing patient care problems and future plans. There were four broad categories in this theme, namely  Staff empowerment  Teambuilding in the nursing discipline  Maintenance of standards by nurses  Challenges to the momentum of a quality circles programme It is recommended that all three tiers of nursing management be involved in the quality circles programme to improve interpersonal, interdepartmental and intradepartmental communication and concomitantly the nursing care. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

A qualitative research design that is explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature was employed in order to understand and describe the professional nurses' perception of the implementation of a quality circles programme in a public hospital in the Eastern Cape Province and to develop guidelines for the implementation of a quality circles programme in public hospitals. The data-collection techniques were individual semi-structured interviews and field notes. The sample was drawn from a population of 425 Xhosa-speaking professional nurses employed in this institution. The sample comprised eight (8) professional nurses all of whom volunteered for in-depth individual semi-structured interviews. All the respondents answered one question "How do you perceive the implementation of the quality circles programme in your hospital?" During data collection and analysis only one theme emerged, namely the perception of quality circles as a forum for discussing patient care problems and future plans. There were four broad categories in this theme, namely  Staff empowerment  Teambuilding in the nursing discipline  Maintenance of standards by nurses  Challenges to the momentum of a quality circles programme It is recommended that all three tiers of nursing management be involved in the quality circles programme to improve interpersonal, interdepartmental and intradepartmental communication and concomitantly the nursing care. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)