Chemistry is the study of materials and the changes that materials undergo. One can tune the properties of the known materials and design the novel materials with desired properties knowing what is responsible for the chemical reactivity, structure, and stability of those materials. The unified chemical bonding theory could address all these questions, but we do not have one available yet. The most accepted general theory of chemical bonding was proposed by Lewis in 1916, though Lewis’s theory fails to explain the bonding in materials with delocalized electron density such as sub-nano and nanoclusters, as well as aromatic organic and organometallic molecules. The dissertation presents a set of projects that can be considered the steps towards the development of the unified chemical bonding theory by extending the ideas of Lewis. The dissertation also presents the studies of the properties of multiply charged anions, which tend to undergo Coulomb explosion in the isolated state and release the excess energy stored in them. It is shown how the properties of multiply charged anions can be tuned upon changing the chemical identity of the species or interaction with solvent molecules. Our findings led to the discovery of a new long-lived triply charged anionic species, whose metastability was explained by the existence of a repulsive Coulomb barrier. We also proposed two ways to restore high symmetry of compounds by suppression of the pseudo Jahn-Teller effect, which could lead to the design of new materials with the restored symmetry and therefore the novel properties.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this research is to test the rationale of corporate downsizing as a method of promoting long-term profitability in South African companies. This study is similar to that conducted by Pallian & Shalhoub (2002: 436-447) on US-based companies. The sample consists of 58 JSE-listed companies, which announced their intention to downsize during the period 1995 - 1997. This period gives 10 years after the announcement to study the effect of downsizing on long-run profitability. The original sample consisted of more than 172 companies (listed, non-listed and state-owned companies). 82 of these companies were listed on the JSE, and the rest were state-owned companies, government departments, universities or small companies. Of the 82 listed companies about 24 were delisted from JSE due to number of reasons, including liquidation, winding up and failure to meet the JSE listing requirements. Thus these companies did not survive, despite downsizing. For that reason, the sample was reduced to 58 companies. The financial data for each company was collected for the period 1997-2006. The relationship between the downsizing index and the six financial variables (i.e., ROE, ROI, operating costs, cash flow from operations, earnings per share (EPS) and market share) was explored to study the impact of downsizing actions in long-run financial performance. The findings of this study suggest that downsizing is not in the best interests of financial performance in the long run. There is a very low correlation between downsizing activity and these variables. Where the correlation does exist, it is negative. Downsizing also accounts very little for the variations in these variables. That means if there is an improvement in any of these financial performance variables it could not be explained by the downsizing, but instead by other variables. Thus there are many other factors that organizations need to explore in order to improve their long-run financial performance. These findings also similar those of Pallian & Shalhoub (2002) study. Some authors like Balazas, De Vries & Manfred (2004), and Biratti & Tziner (2004), suggested some ways to prevent downsizing failures, which include: • Giving advance notice, to give the victims a chance to look for employment elsewhere, • Supporting the victims by offering them financial aid, • Counseling support, etc. Despite these measures, downsizing will still reduce the level of trust in the organization, hence the negative impact on the financial performance. It is thus suggested that downsizing should be applied only as a last resort. Based on the findings of this and the US study, downsizing is seen as a painful and costly exercise that does not benefit organizations in the long run. Organizations need to adopt strategic directions which will be able to sustain them in the future. Therefore, as an alternative to the downsizing strategy, the following model by Oosthuizen (2006) is recommended in order to formulate successful business strategy, regardless of the situation the organizations find themselves in. This process is divided into four steps, namely: 1. Strategic intent, which includes defining the vision, mission, goals and objectives of the business. 2. External environment analysis. This includes macro analysis (PESTE) and industrial analysis. 3. Internal environment analysis. This includes analysis of company’s current strategy and its past performance, the value chain and processes (resources, capabilities and competencies). 4. Formulation of business strategy. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om die rationale agter korporatiewe downsizing as metode om langtermyn winsgewendheid in Suid-Afrikaanse maatskappye te bevorder. Dié studie is soortgelyk aan ‘n studie wat op VSA gebaseerde maatskappye deur Pallian & Shalhoub (2002: 436-447) uitgevoer is. Die steekproef bestaan uit 58 Johannesburgse Effektebeurs (JSE) genoteerde maatskappye wat hulle voorneme aangekondig het om tussen 1995 en 1997 te downsize. Dié tydperk laat toe 10 jaar om die uitwerking van downsizing op langtermyn winsgewendheid te bepaal. Die oorspronklike steekproef het uit meer as 172 maatskappye bestaan (genoteerd, nie genoteerd nie en maatskappye in staatsbesit). 82 hiervan was op die JSE genoteer, die res was of in staatsbesit of staatsdepartemente. Van die 82 maatskappye, is omtrent 24 van die JSE verwyder om verskeie redes, insluitend likwidasie, afwikkeling of versuim om aan JSE vereistes te voldoen. Hierdie maatskappye het dus ten spyte van downsizing nie oorleef nie. Om die rede, is die steekproef tot 58 maatskappye verminder. Die finansiële data vir elke maatskappy is vir die tydperk 1997-2006 versamel. Die verwantskap tussen die downsizing indeks en die ses finansiële veranderlikes (d.w.s wins op uitgawes (ROE), wins op belegging (ROI), operasionele kostes, kontantvloei vanaf operasies, verdienste per aandeel (EPS) en markdeel) is ondersoek om die uitwerking van downsizing op langtermyn finansiële verrigting te bepaal. Die bevinding van hierdie studie stel voor dat downsizing nie die belange van langtermyn finansiële verrigting dien nie. Daar is ‘n lae korrelasie tussen downsizing optredes en dié veranderlikes. Waar korrelasies wel bestaan, is hulle negatief. Downsizing verklaar ook min van die wisseling van hierdie veranderlikes. Dit beteken dat as daar ‘n verbetering is in enige van hierdie finansiële verrigtingsveranderlikes, dit nie aan downsizing toegeskryf kan word nie, maar wel aan ander veranderlikes. Daar is dus baie ander faktore wat organisasies behoort te ondersoek om hulle langtermyn finansiële verrigting te verbeter. Hierdie bevindings weerspieël dié van Pallian & Shalhoub (2002) se navorsing. Skrywers soos Balazas, De Vries & Manfred (2004), en Biratti & Tziner (2004), stel sekere metodes voor om downsizing mislukkings te vermy, insluitend: • Om vooruit kennis te gee, sodat slagoffers kans kry om elders indiensneming te soek; • Om slagoffers te ondersteun deur middel van om finansiële hulp aan te bied; • Ondersteunende raadgewing, ens. Ten spyte van sulke maatreëls, sal downsizing steeds die vlak van vertroue in ‘n organisasie verminder en ‘n negatiewe uitwerking op finansiële verrigting tot gevolg hê. Dit word dus voorgestel dat downsizing slegs as laaste toevlug aangewend word. Gebaseer op die bevindings van hierdie en die VSA studie, word downsizing as ‘n pynlik en duur oefening beskou wat organisasies nie in die langtermyn baat nie. Organisasies behoort strategiese rigtings te volg wat hulle in die toekoms sal uithou. Dus, in plaas van die downsizing strategie, word die volgende model deur Oosthuizen (2006) aanbeveel om ‘n besigheidsstrategie te formuleer ongeag die organisasie se omstandighede. Die proses word in vier stappe opgedeel, naamlik: 1. Strategiese bedoeling, wat definering van visie, misie, doel en spesifieke doelwitte van die besigheid insluit. 2. Eksterne omgewingsanalise. Dit sluit in makroanalise en nywerheidsanalise. 3. Interne omgewingsanalise. Dit sluit in analise van maatskappy se huidige strategie, sowel as sy vorige verrigting, die waardeketting en prosesse (hulpbronne, bekwaamhede en beskikthede). 4. Formulering van besigheidsstrategie.

<p>Företag: Midelfart Sonesson AB</p><p>Syfte: Studien skulle ge en bild av vilka kriterier som är betydelsefulla för företag vid rationalisering av lagerställen. Den skulle dessutom ge en bild av vilka tänkbara ekonomiska konsekvenser som kan följa efter en rationalisering. Genom en fallstudie av ett typföretag och genom kompletterande intervjuer med kunniga inom logistik och företagsekonomi skulle författarna undersöka vilka kriterier som företagen lägger mest vikt på när de ska starta ett så stort projekt som lagerställesrationalisering, samt förstå vad kostnadsbesparingen kan bli.</p><p>Metod: En studie av företaget Midelfart Sonesson AB har utförts. Primär- och sekundärdata har samlats in genom personliga intervjuer, litteratur, rapporter, och elektroniska källor.</p><p>Teori: Teorin består av nio olika avsnitt som kan tillämpas på ämnet i uppsatsen. Teorin används för att förstå företagets uppbyggnad, organisation och dess handlande. Det ger en förståelse av lagerhållning och lagerställesrationalisering.</p><p>Empiri: I empirin beskrivs företagets situation idag. Förslag från konsulten tas upp, angående den förändring och det val som de står inför. Material som inkommit genom intervjuer belyses även i empirin.</p><p>Slutsats: Kostnadseffektivitet med bibehållen kundservice är de viktigaste kriterierna. Stora kostnadsbesparingar kan göras vid lagerställesrationalisering.</p> / <p>Company: Midelfart Sonesson AB</p><p>Purpose: The essay should give a picture of which criteria are important to companies when rationalizing their warehouse places. It would also illustrate what the possible economic consequences could be after a rationalization. A case study of a typical company and in addition, interviews with experts in the areas of logistics and business administration should help the authors investigate which criteria the companies emphasize, when they start such a large project as warehouse place rationalizing, and also understand the cost effect.</p><p>Methodology: A study of the company Midelfart Sonesson AB has been done. Primary- and secondary data has been gathered through personal interviews, literature, reports and electronic sources.</p><p>Theoretical perspective: The theory consists of nine different sections that can be applied to the subject of this essay. The theory is used to understand a company’s build-up, organization and its action. It gives a comprehension of stock holding and warehouse place rationalization.</p><p>Empirical foundation: This is where the company’s situation of today is described. The consultant’s recommendations, concerning the transformation and the choice that has to be made, are described. Information received through interviews is also illustrated in the empirical foundation.</p><p>Conclusion: Cost efficiency with maintained customer service is the most important criteria. Large cost savings can be made through warehouse place rationalizing.</p>

Företag: Midelfart Sonesson AB Syfte: Studien skulle ge en bild av vilka kriterier som är betydelsefulla för företag vid rationalisering av lagerställen. Den skulle dessutom ge en bild av vilka tänkbara ekonomiska konsekvenser som kan följa efter en rationalisering. Genom en fallstudie av ett typföretag och genom kompletterande intervjuer med kunniga inom logistik och företagsekonomi skulle författarna undersöka vilka kriterier som företagen lägger mest vikt på när de ska starta ett så stort projekt som lagerställesrationalisering, samt förstå vad kostnadsbesparingen kan bli. Metod: En studie av företaget Midelfart Sonesson AB har utförts. Primär- och sekundärdata har samlats in genom personliga intervjuer, litteratur, rapporter, och elektroniska källor. Teori: Teorin består av nio olika avsnitt som kan tillämpas på ämnet i uppsatsen. Teorin används för att förstå företagets uppbyggnad, organisation och dess handlande. Det ger en förståelse av lagerhållning och lagerställesrationalisering. Empiri: I empirin beskrivs företagets situation idag. Förslag från konsulten tas upp, angående den förändring och det val som de står inför. Material som inkommit genom intervjuer belyses även i empirin. Slutsats: Kostnadseffektivitet med bibehållen kundservice är de viktigaste kriterierna. Stora kostnadsbesparingar kan göras vid lagerställesrationalisering. / Company: Midelfart Sonesson AB Purpose: The essay should give a picture of which criteria are important to companies when rationalizing their warehouse places. It would also illustrate what the possible economic consequences could be after a rationalization. A case study of a typical company and in addition, interviews with experts in the areas of logistics and business administration should help the authors investigate which criteria the companies emphasize, when they start such a large project as warehouse place rationalizing, and also understand the cost effect. Methodology: A study of the company Midelfart Sonesson AB has been done. Primary- and secondary data has been gathered through personal interviews, literature, reports and electronic sources. Theoretical perspective: The theory consists of nine different sections that can be applied to the subject of this essay. The theory is used to understand a company’s build-up, organization and its action. It gives a comprehension of stock holding and warehouse place rationalization. Empirical foundation: This is where the company’s situation of today is described. The consultant’s recommendations, concerning the transformation and the choice that has to be made, are described. Information received through interviews is also illustrated in the empirical foundation. Conclusion: Cost efficiency with maintained customer service is the most important criteria. Large cost savings can be made through warehouse place rationalizing.

This study examines tools and practices involved in a large scale and multi-sited clinical trial of a potential drug against obesity. Two tools are in focus: a clinical research protocol and a computer control system. The analysis is based on there being different ways in which the tools are localized in order for the work to flow smoothly and to produce reliable data. It does this through delineating different types of work performed: production tasks, classical managerial work, compliance work and the work of coordinating beliefs and goals. The study is based on interviews, observations and documentary analysis. Through describing these types of work and how it is organized, the study emphasizes the trial as being part of an industrial production process. Hence, the tools are used not only to produce reliable data, but also to manage the work of the tools’ users in order to enable a smooth production process. In line with such a description, the protocol and computer control system are seen as objects that discipline practice, something that also resonates in the way staff talk about their work. The dissertation shows how the tools, despite this, leave room for aspects of clinical trial work that are both rational/technical and experiential/contingent. The dissertation also shows that obesity is enacted in different ways in the practices performed in the trial. Making sense of these somewhat contradictory enactments requires work referred to as coordination of beliefs about what obesity is, as well as of the different goals of the trial. By such a focus on invisible work, the dissertation shows that those nurses, dieticians and doctors involved in the everyday follow-through of the trial have a strategic position in mediating between pharmaceutical companies and their potential market for the drug under study, namely the trial participants.