The research question that forms the body of this thesis is: ‘What methods, skills and processes does the participatory development practitioner require for effective practice?’The intention behind this research topic has been to identify how to create socially relevant spaces within todays contemporary conditions of society. This is a reflection of an understanding of myself as someone within the ‘idealist’ stream of endeavour as defined by Charles Jencks in ‘Modern Movements in Architecture.’As I have a design background, I chose a design methodology to undertake the study. The methodology is documented by Donald Schön in the book ‘The Reflective Practitioner’ and is, in a general sense, also the methodology David Kolb documented in ‘Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development’. An element of this learning approach is for a designer to create a useful artefact that can be considered and evaluated, thus the thesis also comprises the DVD: ‘Outside the Gates, Development Processes for the Real World’.In writing the thesis I became aware that this learning process has been, and still is, central to development itself within our culture of generative change. I first arrived at this intuitively while building the DVD, but it became more explicit during the DVD evaluation. The thesis thus commences with a description and rationale for the methodology.After describing the methodology I devote three chapters to providing the background to both the form and content of the DVD. This draws almost exclusively from personal experience, though with references to architectural history, theory and practice. This includes observations on the theme of technological development, generative change and one of the real needs for our physical and psychological well being - shelter. Thus the DVD sits at a mid point in the thesis. Following the creation of the DVD, I have in accordance with the methodology evaluated its content. To do this I used a literature review generally based on Grounded Theory practice. There are four sections in the DVD, with a chapter dedicated to each of these sections.The thesis concludes with a chapter that fits in the final part of Kolb’s learning cycle, abstract conceptualisation, that considers the meaning of the findings. Ultimately there is an epilogue that outlines the next ‘concrete output’, a recently completed project based on the learnings from the thesis. This is a community engagement training course for project managers.[To view the content of the DVD: Outside the gates go to http://www.martinbutcher.com/Site/OtG.html]

With the first commitment of the Kyoto Protocol commencing in 2008, many signatory governments have identified bio fuels as a favoured response to the problem of fulfilling their countries' pledges to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels. Despite the tendency for pressure over climate change to expedite the commercialisation process, detailed evaluation of the claimed benefits, likely efficacy or environmental impact of bio fuels in New Zealand in the form of the Bio fuels Sales Obligation policy (BSO): a mandate place on the Oil Companies to supply a percentage of bio fuel. Systems thinking propound the notion of complex interrelatedness: a pivotal concept in our current understanding of the cumulative effects of greenhouse gas emissions and their relationship to climate change. It also recognizes that the multiple ways in which different stakeholders perceive a contentious question are an integral feature of any problematical situation. By applying systems concepts to qualitative research, Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) is therefore particularly suitable for the analysis of multiple stakeholder discourse in this situation. The present study employs SSM to examine stakeholder opinion through the construction of conceptual models in the form of rich pictures and root definitions. The researcher invited diverse stakeholders to ‘see what they were thinking’ and reflect upon the beliefs and assumptions that informed their views with respect to New Zealand bio fuels development. With reference to official documentation arising from the policy development process and through a series of interviews and a focus group, the research examines perceptions of the consultation process on bio fuels development and its contribution to informed decision-making. The study data indicates that the scope of enquiry tended to be restricted by early presuppositions regarding the consultation process and its desired outcomes, which consequently shifted the focus of consultation the enquiry from an assessment of the desirability of bio fuels to an appraisal of the feasibility of government policy. However inadvertently, communication was distorted. The research examines the basic assumptions that shaped the discourse and enabled already established opinions to prevail. Furthermore, the thesis explores how using SSM to surface tacit assumptions and challenge proposed models of intervention can help improve the reflexivity of discourse and decision-making. By ensuring open communication remains at the centre of discourse, SSM could provide a means of establishing productive conditions for learning and co-creative dialogue. Consequently the study has important implications for how the ‘health’ of public discourse in New Zealand might be sustained when addressing other similarly complex issues.

In Australia, the development and implementation of National Training Packages has been a major tool in the drive to reform of the vocational education and training system. The main aim of the reform is to establish a national vocational and education system within a federal political system and to make vocational educations and training providers more responsive to the needs of industry, by industry specifying its skill needs through the mechanism of national Training Packages. The background to this workplace project, the Review of the Community Services Training Package, and this study, is established by a review of policy and literature in relation to national training reform issues and stakeholder management within a public policy context. This review established some principles of good practice in relation to stakeholder management. The industry context of the workplace project is discussed. The workplace project is then unpacked in some detail with specific reference to stakeholder management strategies and issues and some specific stakeholder groups. This exegesis goes on to explore stakeholder behaviour in this particular workplace project in its historical context of the introduction of Training Packages to the vocational education and training system. It explores the perspectives of teachers and industry on the implementation of Training Packages and in particular the gap between educational technologies and industry expectations of standards of work performance. The exegesis concludes with some suggestions of opportunities for enhanced workplace practice in stakeholder management and for further research. It also suggests a job of work for industry and teachers to develop new communities of practice around Training Packages as a means of bringing together their sometimes divergent interests.

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No description available.

<p>In today’s business world it is not just about doing business anymore, the need increases for organisations to take intangible resources, like the corporate reputation, into consideration. These corporate reputations have a multitude of positive functions for organisations. However, in times of crises these assets are most fragile and get damaged easily. This study therefore discusses how organisation can restore their corporate reputations after experiencing a crisis.</p><p>For the collection of empirical data three internationally operating organisations have been chosen, each having experienced a non-self-inflicted crisis over the last three years. With the use of semi-structured, telephone interviews, information was collected from these organisations. This was then compared with the theoretical framework with the intention of disclosing possible differences.</p><p>The main conclusions following this research are that the repair process consists out of two important aspects. The first is the preparation cycle; any organisation should set up a response program to facilitate fast reaction. The second cycle is that of the actual response, in which organisations should, based upon the set-up program, determine the unique approach for the situation. Within this second process both direct and indirect influencing factors should be taken into consideration.</p>

<p>I en allt mer globaliserad värld ökar betydelsen för ett lands ekonomi att stora konkurrenskraftiga bolag växer fram. First North är en handelplats som erbjuder små och medelstora företag en möjlighet att tillgå externa investerares kapital, vilket kan möjliggöra en omfattande expansion som annars ej hade varit genomförbar. För bolag listade på en handelsplats, är investerares förtroende något avgörande för att kunna växa. Något som dock skett under de senaste åren, är att ett starkt misstroende riktats mot handelsplatsen First North från affärsmedia och investerare. Kritikerna menar att bolagen på First North handlar girigt, och den svaga reglering som omfattar bolagen, inte garanterar en trovärdig förvaltning. Detta har lett till att börsvärdena för bolagen på First North har rasat, vilket försvårat möjligheterna för företagen att växa, samt att det hindrar nya bolag från att etablera sig på listan. Mot bakgrund av detta, har studiens syfte skapats, ”Genom empiriska studier öka förståelsen för oberoende analytikers åsikter till bolag listade på First North. Med denna information ska vi visa på vilka ageranden bolagen på First North kan göra för att stärka sitt förtroende gentemot investerare.” Undersökningen har genomförts via telefonintervjuer med fem stycken oberoende analytiker som följer bolag på First North. Oberoende analytiker har valts, då dessa inte sitter på dubbla stolar, och samtidigt hjälper företagen listade på First North med rådgivning. Orsaken till att valet föll på analytiker, är att dessa publicerar material som investerare läser, och därför har de en stor påverkan på vilken syn investerare har till bolagen på First North. Vi har använt oss av teorier gällande övergripande bolagsstyrning. Detta för att uppsatsen ska beröra samtliga bolag på First North. Teorierna har behandlat hur företagen ska agera gentemot olika intressenter, samt hur styrelsen föredras att se ut. Det vår forskning har kommit fram till, är att oberoende analytiker önskar se att företag listade på First North ska utöva affärsverksamhet utifrån ett brett förhållningssätt. Där flertalet intressenter tas i beaktande när beslut fattas. Flera målsättningar sågs inte som något motsättande, utan istället som något kompelementärt. Dock så framkom det att detta inte var motiverat med att företagen har något ansvar gentemot dessa, utan att företagets primära mål enligt analytikerna, är att uppnå uthållig tillväxt, vilket är bäst sammankoppalt med detta förhållningssätt. Gällande hur styrelsen ska se ut, ansåg analytikerna att det viktigaste var att minst en person gjort resan från litet till stort bolag tidigare, men också att styrelsens kompetenser ska vara diversifierade. Då företagen behöver hantera flertalet områden, är det nödvändigt att styrelsemedlemmarna besitter olika kunskaper. Med en mix av olika kunskaper, menar analytikerna att ett större förtroende finns, och att en bättre möjlighet finns för att skapa tillväxt än om en mer homogen styrelse existerar.</p>

<p>Bakgrund: I dagens kunskapssamhälle, som också benämns"den nya ekonomin", utgörs många företags värde inte längre av fastigheter och maskinpark utan istället av kundlojalitet, elektronisk infrastruktur, innovation och anställdas kunskap. Det blir allt viktigare för företagen att lyfta fram dessa tillgångar för att uppnå konkurrensfördelar. Dagens redovisning ifrågasätts av dem som förespråkar att humankapital skall värderas och aktiveras på balansräkningen. Motståndarna till en aktivering talar om en alltför låg grad av pålitlighet vad gäller den här typen av infomation.</p><p>Syfte: Uppsatsens syfte är att belysa humankapitalets roll utifrån ett stakeholderperspektiv samt att kartlägga hur IT-bolag idag redovisar sitt humankapital i årsredovisningen. Vi ämnar även att undersöka intresset för en genensam standardmodell. </p><p>Avgränsningar: Uppsatsen har begränsats till att gälla humankapital i marknadsnoterade IT-bolag. Vidare riktar sig vår studie enbart på hur företagen redovisar sitt humankapital externt. Hur företagen behandlar sitt humankapital internt tas inte upp i uppsatsen.</p><p>Genomförande: I uppsatsen kartläggs hur IT-bolag redovisar sitt humankapital som tilläggsinformation i årsredovisningen. Dessutom genomförs intervjuer med personer ur de olika grupper som vi identifierat uifrån gruppernas förmodade relation till begreppet humankapital. Grupperna är; företag, kapitalmarknad och revisorer.</p><p>Resultat: Företagen antas redovisa sitt humankapital för att marknadsföra sig. Kapitalmarknaden tillmäterinte tilläggsinformationen någon större vikt vid värdering av företag. En eventuell aktivering på balansräkningen ses som ogenomförbar av revisorn.</p>

<p>Introduction and research question:  This study investigates the widely discussed notion “Corporate Social Responsibility” and its practice in the tourism industry. In the contemporary society more companies are realizing the significance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its potential as a means of differentiation.  The author’s interest in this particular phenomenon was awakened after reading about the business case of Scandic Hotels. This is a company that nowadays is referred to as “Scandinavia’s leading hotel chain”. However, in the early 90’s the company was facing bankruptcy. Hence, a new strategy based on responsibility towards the environment was developed and later on executed. These facts led the author to question how can and as of today are CSR implemented in the tourism industry. Consequently the research question for this thesis is: how is CSR implemented in the tourism industry?</p><p>Purpose: This study aims to explore the CSR operations of two hotel chains.</p><p>Delimitation: In order to present a study with greater depth and obtain a deeper understanding of the implementation of CSR, the study is therefore limited to two hotel chains.</p><p>Method: The results of this study have been derived through the use of a qualitative method referred to as “grounded theory”.  Unstructured interviews with employees from the different hotel chains have been conducted in order to collect vital data and answer the research question as successful as possible. In order to develop a theoretical analytical framework the author has studied various scientific articles and other appropriate literature in the subject.</p><p>Empirical data and conclusion: The study clarifies how CSR in this particular context is implemented strategically, both locally and globally. The hotel chains perceive CSR as an approach of enhancing their corporate reputation and thus its profitability. Due to these beliefs, CSR is implemented as a tool in e.g. the development of new services and/or modifications of services.  However, it is also revealed that acting responsible to employees is a precondition in order to successfully and legitimately practise CSR. In order for the CSR activities to be successfully implemented, the study also concludes the significance of leadership and employee knowledge and engagement. Ideas for further research involve investigating how organisational structures affect the implementation of CSR. Moreover, another proposition involves investigating how CSR is implemented as a competitive tool in customer sales interactions.</p>

<p>A Road project’s frame is built up of a decision- and consultation process, where the results of the preparatory studies are being discussed. The aim with a consultation process is that all the</p><p>opinions and knowledge from the operators' will be taken into count in the basis of information, that is needed in order to the different involved operators' to take a decision.</p><p>The aim of the essay was to investigate how the decision- and consultation process for a road project, the E4 section between Uppsala Läby, turned out. The aim is also to bring up how the</p><p>process could have been done more correctly. The study was carried out through a qualitative method with an analysis of materials from the National Road Administration's archives, the associated Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and through interviews of the different operators.</p><p>My theoretical basis has been a Stakeholder Analysis and its principles, and theory about different executions of social planning.</p><p>The result showed that the decision- and consultation process has been bursting in democracy and consideration taking of the different operators' opinions, has been poor from the developer’s, in this case the National Road Administration's, side. The National Road Administration has implemented the project on the basis of its own preferences and has not more or less given some compromises to the other operators. The public felt displeased and disappointed, as there were many people affected by the road. The municipalities and the county board got the feeling of that there has been an informal process at the National Road Administration that has been vital important for the final decision about the road's draw.</p> / <p>Ett vägprojekts stomme byggs upp av besluts- och samrådsprocesser, där resultaten av förstudierna diskuteras. Syftet med en samrådsprocess är att alla aktörers åsikter och kunskaper ska tas med i det underlag av information, som behövs för att de olika inblandade</p><p>parterna ska kunna fatta ett beslut.</p><p>Uppsatsens syfte var att undersöka hur besluts- och samrådsprocessen för ett vägprojekt, E4:ans delsträcka mellan Uppsala-Läby, gick till och att föra fram vad som kunde ha gjorts bättre. Studien utfördes genom en kvalitativ metod med en analys av material från Vägverkets</p><p>arkiv, den tillhörande Miljökonsekvensbeskrivningen och genom intervjuer av de olika aktörerna.</p><p>Min teoretiska utgångspunkt har varit aktörsanalyser och dess principer, samt teori om olika utföranden av samhällsplanering.</p><p>Resultatet visade att besluts- och samrådsprocessen har varit bristande i demokrati och hänsynstagande av de olika aktörernas åsikter, har varit dåligt från projektörens, i det här fallet Vägverkets, sida. Vägverket har genomfört projektet utifrån dess egna preferenser och har i stort sett inte givit några kompromisser till de andra aktörerna. Allmänheten känner sig missnöjda och besvikna, det var många som drabbades hårt av vägens sträckning.</p><p>Kommunerna och Länsstyrelsen fick känslan av att det har pågått en informell process hos Vägverket som har varit avgörande för det tagna beslutet om vägens dragning.</p>