published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

abstract / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) is a set of constructs, principles, and tools aimed at continually improving organizational processes. While thousands of organizations worldwide have adopted CQI, there are still many gaps in our knowledge of how to get the most out of CQI efforts. This paper addresses several of these gaps, including the limitations of existing CQI theory and the inconsistencies regarding the implementation of CQI at team and departmental levels. After discussing the basic principles of CQI, a framework for understanding and utilizing CQI is offered. Then, the results of 102 interviews, conducted with team leaders and department heads in a large hospital in the Southwestern United States, are presented. These results suggest that CQI team effectiveness is most influenced by goal specificity, team composition, and team leader training in statistical process control (SPC). Other factors, including team leader attitude toward CQI and team CQI skills, were also related to CQI team effectiveness. Departmental results were less clear. Only department head attitude toward CQI was significantly correlated with departmental CQI implementation. Potential meanings and implications of these findings are discussed, suggestions for implementing CQI in teams and departments are offered, and directions for future research are provided.

The aim of this research was to develop guidelines for improving the implementation of Quality Management Systems to provide quality service delivery in education. The research was done by means of both a literature review and an empirical research. The focus of the literature review was to determine the nature and purpose of existing Quality Management Systems (QMS) in education; and the role of District Officials and Schools Management Teams (SMTs) in the implementation of QMS to provide quality service delivery in education. Factors that contribute to the ineffectiveness of the implementation of the existing QMS in education were highlighted. The empirical research findings revealed that SMTs, being responsible for the implementation of QMS, lack knowledge and understanding of QMS implementation. Responses obtained from questionnaires revealed: limited support by District Officials, non-availability of support programmes; limited knowledge of the vision, mission and goals of the Department of Education; and limited resources provision. SMTs indicated dissatisfaction with the manner in which guidance and regulations pertaining to QMS implementation are provided. Curriculum and assessment support programmes were stated as limited, thus affecting learners’ and teachers’ performance. The impact of limited provision of resources; limited dedication to individual employees’ personal development by leadership and management; unclear communication means; and poor rewarding strategies to encourage employees and learners to perform were further highlighted. Based on the results obtained from the literature study and the empirical research, guidelines for improving the implementation of QMS to provide quality service delivery in education were developed and presented. / PhD, Education Management, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 26-29, 1992 / Town and Country Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California / Terms like efficiency, quick response, and interoperability are becoming the bywords of the test and evaluation (T&E) community as the Defense Department tightens its corporate belt [1]. These changes mark the end of an era of manual processes and duplication of effort and the beginning of an era of cooperation, standards, and Total Quality Management (TQM). Managing the huge volume of telemetry information required to support flight test at the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) has required new paradigms and system development strategies. These new ideas have resulted in the Aircraft Information Management System (AIMS), a system designed to meet the challenges of a new era in T&E. This paper discusses the AIMS design and function as background for the deeper issue of effective, efficient management of telemetry setup information. The information history model used in AIMS is presented and discussed. In the process of developing standards for the AIMS a methodology was discovered and successfully implemented for resolving information management issues in the framework of system development.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / Organizational change for the purpose of improving performance is extremely challenging, particularly for government institutions. Large bureaucracies, hierarchical structures, and deeply rooted work cultures are some characteristics of governmental organizations that have proven to be serious impediments to performance improving change. In May 2003, the NAVAIRDEPOT North Island Engineering Competency (NAVAIRNI 4.0) began a transformational process to improve organizational performance by providing higher value to its customers, generating higher quality of products and services, and attaining better financial performance. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the experience of government organizations in implementing performance related change efforts such as Total Quality Management (TQM), Business Process Reengineering (BPR), and Activity Based Costing (ABC). Specifically, this thesis will identify leadership characteristics and strategies employed by public firms during successful transformation initiatives. By isolating leadership traits associated with these successful change efforts, this thesis hopes to develop a simplified relational model that can provide NAVAIRNI 4.0 and other government organizations with effective leadership concepts for use in their own endeavor. / Civilian, United States Navy

Abstract Background The organisations actions are continuing to be disconnected from Earth system research and to what level organisations have an impact, if all to minimize risk of collapse of Earth systems are unknown (Whiteman etl al 2013) this is the problem this paper is seeking to address. By connecting organizations sustainability work with Earth boundaries research by developing the Swedish SIQ business excellence model. Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop SIQ model so it contains what is necessary to identify organizations impact on Earth 9 boundaries.  Method A qualitative research method has been used and the analysis has been done by using the Planetary Boundaries research and top-down & bottom-up perspective as a lens to identify problem, solution and to analyse the SIQ model, then data has been collected by literature studies. Results The result chapter is the presentation of a model than show the relation between the Earth system and boundaries. This is followed by the analysis of the SIQ model that suggest main development needs in the environmental management criteria. The development should incorporate a top-down & bottom-up perspective in order to effectively consider external criteria’s such as Earth boundaries in the management of the organization at management and activity level. Discussion For organisations to consider external factors such as Earth boundaries the SIQ criteria’s and goals has to interact. And by interacting Earth boundaries with the SIQ model the gap between organizations and environmental science are reduces. By reducing this gap the organizations activities can contribute to minimize the degradation on Earth systems and risk for collapse / Bakgrund Företagens aktiviteter fortsätter att vara särkopplade från vetenskapen om Jordens globala system och till vilken utsträckning företagen motverkar kollaps av Jordens system är oklart (Whiteman et al. 2014) och det är denna utmaning som denna uppsats söker att utforska genom att koppla företagens hållbarhetsarbete med Jordens 9 gränser genom at utveckla SIQ modellen. Syfte Syfte med denna uppsats är att utveckla SIQ modellen så den innehåller det som krävs för att företagen skall identifiera sin inverkan på Jordens 9 gränser. Metod En kvalitativ metod har använts och för att analysera har gjorts genom att använda Jordens 9 gränser och top-down/bottom-up perspektivet som lins för att identifiera problem, lösningar och analysen av SIQ modellen och datainsamlingen har gjorts genom litteraturstudier. Resultat Resultatkapitlet introducerar en modell som visar samverkan mellan Jordens system och 9 gränser ner till företagen aktiviteter. Modellen följs av analysen av SIQ modellen som visar störst utvecklingspotential i miljöledningskriterierna. Utvecklingen bör samverka med top-down/bottom-up perspektiven för att modellen skall på bästa sätt omhänderta externa faktorer såsom Jordens gränser i styrningen av företagen på överordnad och utförarnivå. Diskussion För att företagen skall kunna omhänderta alla externa faktorer såsom Jordens gränser så måste SIQ kriterierna och företagens mål samverka. Genom att integrera Jordens gränser med SIQ modellen så har gapet mellan företagen och miljövetenskapen minskats. Genom att minska detta gap kan företagens aktiviteter bidra till att minimera nerbrytningen och risk för kollaps av Jordens system.

<p>Osnovni cilj istrazivanja je definisanje efikasnog i efektivnog modela unapređenja IMS - integrisanog sistema menadžmenta na osnovu rizika. Model će doprineti olak&scaron;anoj implementaciji IMS-a, kao i unapređenju tog sistema, sa ciljem sprečavanju ili smanjenju aktuelnih i potencijalnih rizika koji dovode do fizičkih, finansijskih i vremenskih gubitaka, &scaron;to je cilj svakog preduzeća. Potencijalni oblici rizika koji će biti obuhvaćeni ovim modelom jesu rizici koji mogu dovesti do degradacije: profitabilnosti, kvaliteta procesa u organizaciji, naru&scaron;avanje životne sredine, povrede pri radu, profesionalna oboljenja itd.<br />Definisan model je rezultat analize i sinteze teorijskih znanja i praktičnog iskustva, te će omogućiti organizacijama da razviju i unapređuju efikasan IMS. Primena ovog modela imaće pozitivan uticaj na profitabilnost organizacije.</p> / <p>The main objective of the research is to define an efficient and effective model for improvement of IMS - integrated management system based on risk. The model will contribute for easier implementation of IMS, improvement of that system with the purpose of prevention or reduction of current and potential risks that lead to physical, financial and time wastes, which is the goal of every company. The potential forms of risk that will be covered by this model are risks that can lead to degradation of: profitability, quality of processes in the organization, disruption of the environment, injuries at work, occupational diseases and etc.<br />The defined model is the result of analysis and synthesis of theoretical knowledge and practical experience, which will allow organizations to develop and improve an efficient IMS. Applied, the model will have a positive impact on the profitability of the organization.</p>