Purpose: The purpose is to investigate and analyse the impact of intra-organizational purchasing synergy on periodic price adjustment (PPA) process. Specifically, paper provides a view on how  purchasing process synergy through an operational IT platform can increase process reengineering opportunities within PPA.  Methodology: So, to fulfil the purpose of the research, the in-depth case study approach is chosen as a strategy that goes along with exploratory nature of the study, aimed at gaining rich insights in the context in which the phenomenon happens. Findings: The findings emphasize the importance of global process standardization and balanced governance among regional affiliates in successful implementation of PPA process synergy. We also identify a set of specific process reengineering needs  in PPA such as company wide information sharing,  standardization of part specifications and cost bases, and joint world-wide cost reduction activity within global buyer community (BGC). Then it is observed that all these process reengineering initiatives will not be possible without solid and flexible IT infrastructure  to improve buyer productivity and support their further development.   Research limitations/implications: Primarily, this study was conducted on single in-depth case study which makes it difficult to completely generalize the findings. Next, there are many factors impacting intra-organizational pricing processes besides global synergy projects. In fact, regional and organizational contexts are of high importance, which are addressed but not analysed in detail in the current study.   Practical implications: Together, the findings contribute to our understanding of the step-by-step pricing activity from industrial customer perspective and how buyers can improve cost competitiveness through various tangible and commercial part cost reduction activities.   Originality/value: Current study has addressed the pricing process from industrial customer perspective. It has two main theoretical contributions: (1) Detailed step-by-step description of PPA process between OEMs and their suppliers happening after SOP; and (2) groundwork for implementation guidance on intra-organizational price revision process synergy.

1 Využití supervize jako metody pro zvyšování kompetencí u vybrané skupiny pracovníků v oblasti pomáhajících profesí The use of supervision as a method to increase the competence of a selected group of workers in the area of support professions PaedDr. Vladimír Šik ABSTRACT This disertation thesis "The use of supervision as a method to increase the competence of a selected group of workers in the area of support professions", is focusing on the research to increase the competence of social workers through supervision in regard to lifelong education. This method is in this disertation thesis analysed from the point of view of possibilities which supervision as a tool of support offers in the line of social work and also from the potencial problems which appear in the area of using supervision as a method in lifelong education and learning. The theme of increasing the competence of social workers is in the today demand for high standards and quality of social services a very actual topic. The motivation is discovering the specific factors which allow a social worker to exploit the potencial of supervision as a andragogical method of learning, which is efective, safe and has high quality. The used topic in context with the andragogical research is unique, mainly as most of the published studies of supervision...

Critically ill patients experience overwhelming communication problems; caused by intubation and cognitive, sensory or language deficits that distance the patients from communicating their needs and wants from nurses and loved ones. The purpose of this study was to explore communication patterns and strategies with the aim of implementing intervention strategies for nurse/patient communication in the intensive care units. The American Association of Critical Care Nurses’ Synergy Model for Patient Care was used to guide the study. A mixed method approach using quasi-experimental design combining quantitative and qualitative data collections and analysis was used. Concurrent data collection for quantitative and qualitative data was used. Auditing of patient’s files, protocols, family counselling conference and in-service books and a survey for nurses was used for quantitative data. Qualitative data collection was through interviewing nurses and nurse managers. Lack of documentation and use of other communication strategies were the key findings of the study. In accordance with the model used for the study clinical judgment and moral distress were found to be common among nurses. Lack of collaboration between nurses and other health care workers was also attributed to poor communication with mechanically ventilated patients. Conclusions derived from the study are that nurses need to be supported through informal and formal training on documentation and use of communication methods available / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

Climate change is a complex and multidimensional issue that encompasses not only environmental problems but also political, socio-economic and cultural challenges as well. Moreover, major shifts in the weather patterns caused by the anthropogenically induced global warming may have significant impacts on the global economy and international trade in particular. However, the effects of climate change will be distributed unevenly around the world and the poorest nations will be affected the most due to their higher vulnerability. Additionally, the winners and losers nexus will probably differ between the time of mitigation efforts and reality of adaptation process. These issues will create more complications in the relations between developed countries (global North) and developing nations (global South). Therefore, if multilateral treaties and institutional arrangements regarding climate change are to be effective and acceptable to all parties, there is a need to deal with problematic of global warming as a whole, including the issues of development and international trade in particular. A concept of synergy is a strategy that could allow building a mutual cooperation between climate change and international trade regimes. It is important to emphasize that the synergy is understood here not as a simple cooperation of two separate parts, but as combined efforts which final effect is greater than a sum of individual parts working separately. Thus, the aim of this study was to trace and analyze linkages between the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in order to determine potentials, obstacles and consequences of synergies between these two organizations. The linkages – that are prerequisites of synergies – between the two organizations were traced within the four key areas: institutional capacity, political dimension, conceptual basis and recommendations for actions. The research was conducted based on the case study that allowed investigation of synergies as a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context. A broader understanding and clearer conclusions regarding synergies were achieved through the method of interpretation called hermeneutic circle. The world-systems and dependency theory together with a historical background of the two respective institutions became a pre-understanding of examined issues during the analytical process. The biggest potentials for establishing synergies between UNCTAD and UNFCCC were found within currently existing institutional linkages based on affiliation with the United Nations system of institutions, as well as on research and capacity building regarding the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Whereas obstacles were visible in: the North-South paradigm (or core-periphery in terms of the world-systems theory); the winner-loser division – particularly when it comes to CDM projects and adaptation to climate change impacts – visible not only on the North-South line of relations but also the South-South as well; and environmental aspects vs. economic benefits (what is the priority: climate protection or continuation of development). Conclusions of this study allowed envisaging three potential outcomes of synergies between UNCTAD and UNFCCC. Additionally, three alternative scenarios were suggested based on the aspiration to balance influences of the North and the South – a tactics that could make mitigation efforts and adaptation strategies successful for the benefits of all, rich as well as poor.

The greatest advantage of Information Technology (IT) is its ability in entitling personnel to achieve their goals. Allowing personnel to grasp knowledge and skills they weren’t aware of previously, rendering to a sense that it’s all about potential; as expressed by former CEO of Microsoft Steve Ballmer. Internet of Things (IoT) data, according to ORACLE (2017), provides insight from new data collected and provides solutions. Thus, allowing businesses to achieve new innovative services at a more efficient and productive manner while reducing the risk factors. Proving that the connections between the organisation and devices are securely connected, analysed, and integrated simultaneously with IoT data. Project Management (PM) the leading discipline in management that benefits enterprises through actual and operative management of change through its systematic approach of initiating, planning, executing, monitoring & controlling, Testing & Commissioning and finally Handing Over to the client the project; managing various types of projects with various drivers of change and uncertainty. (Sawyer, L. 2016). As significant as technology has become in our lives, this study aims in highlighting the importance of Internet of Things and the synergic implementation of Project Management disciplines in project-oriented organisations. It also explores the challenges, barriers, and benefits of IoT in synergy with PM disciplines. The paper also considered one of the most crucial elements of any organization or business, people, fixating on project managers and how the role of a project manager is affected in the innovative project oriented organizations.

Climate change is a complex and multidimensional issue that encompasses not only environmental problems but also political, socio-economic and cultural challenges as well. Moreover, major shifts in the weather patterns caused by the anthropogenically induced global warming may have significant impacts on the global economy and international trade in particular. However, the effects of climate change will be distributed unevenly around the world and the poorest nations will be affected the most due to their higher vulnerability. Additionally, the winners and losers nexus will probably differ between the time of mitigation efforts and reality of adaptation process. These issues will create more complications in the relations between developed countries (global North) and developing nations (global South). Therefore, if multilateral treaties and institutional arrangements regarding climate change are to be effective and acceptable to all parties, there is a need to deal with problematic of global warming as a whole, including the issues of development and international trade in particular. A concept of synergy is a strategy that could allow building a mutual cooperation between climate change and international trade regimes. It is important to emphasize that the synergy is understood here not as a simple cooperation of two separate parts, but as combined efforts which final effect is greater than a sum of individual parts working separately. Thus, the aim of this study was to trace and analyze linkages between the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in order to determine potentials, obstacles and consequences of synergies between these two organizations. The linkages – that are prerequisites of synergies – between the two organizations were traced within the four key areas: institutional capacity, political dimension, conceptual basis and recommendations for actions. The research was conducted based on the case study that allowed investigation of synergies as a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context. A broader understanding and clearer conclusions regarding synergies were achieved through the method of interpretation called hermeneutic circle. The world-systems and dependency theory together with a historical background of the two respective institutions became a pre-understanding of examined issues during the analytical process. The biggest potentials for establishing synergies between UNCTAD and UNFCCC were found within currently existing institutional linkages based on affiliation with the United Nations system of institutions, as well as on research and capacity building regarding the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Whereas obstacles were visible in: the North-South paradigm (or core-periphery in terms of the world-systems theory); the winner-loser division – particularly when it comes to CDM projects and adaptation to climate change impacts – visible not only on the North-South line of relations but also the South-South as well; and environmental aspects vs. economic benefits (what is the priority: climate protection or continuation of development). Conclusions of this study allowed envisaging three potential outcomes of synergies between UNCTAD and UNFCCC. Additionally, three alternative scenarios were suggested based on the aspiration to balance influences of the North and the South – a tactics that could make mitigation efforts and adaptation strategies successful for the benefits of all, rich as well as poor.

L’hydrogénation catalytique du CO2 est considérée comme l’une des voies de valorisation les plus prometteuses pour la production du méthanol. Cette synthèse, souvent accompagné par une formation de CO, a fait l’objet de nombreuses études dans la littérature. Cependant, les résultats obtenus sur des catalyseurs à base de Cu et de ZnO ont démontré que cette réaction n’est pas aussi simple qu’elle y paraissait. Il y a encore beaucoup de controverses et d’interrogations sur la nature des sites actifs et sur les différentes étapes réactionnelles mises en jeu lors de la réaction. L’objectif de ce travail est d’apporter des éléments de compréhension sur la nature des sites actifs et leur rôle sur l’activation du CO2 et de H2. L’étude sur des catalyseurs modèles (mélanges mécaniques et matériaux préparés par coprécipitation) a permis de mettre en évidence un effet de synergie entre Cu et ZnO lié à des phénomènes de migration. Ce travail a montré que la production de méthanol est étroitement liée à la création d’une phase oxyde de type CuxZn(1-x)Oy (lacunaire en oxygène) induit par un effet de Kirkendall à l’interface Cu-ZnO, favorisant l’épandage de l’hydrogène. Différents modèles mathématiques ont été développés afin de déterminer la concentration des contacts entre Cu et ZnO. Les résultats obtenus ont démontré qu’il est possible de corréler directement l’activité du catalyseur avec la concentration de contacts et que cela peut permettre ainsi de prédire la composition chimique idéale du catalyseur pour un design de matériau donné. L’expertise complète de la relation design-activité a permis le développement de matériaux Cu-ZnO de type cœur-coquille 100% sélectif en méthanol. / The catalytic CO2 hydrogenation is considered to be one of the most promising methods for methanol production. This synthesis, often accompanied by a CO formation, had been the subject of many studies in the literature. However, the results obtained on Cu and ZnO based catalysts demonstrated that the reaction is not as simple as it appear to be. There is still a lot of controversies and interrogations concerning the nature of the active sites and the different reactional steps involved during the reaction. The objective of this work is a better understanding of the nature of the active sites and their role on CO2 an H2 activation. A study on model catalysts (mechanical mixtures and materials prepared by coprecipitation) allowed to demonstrate that the synergetic effect between Cu and ZnO linked to a migration phenomenon. This work showed that the methanol production was closely linked to the CuxZn(1-x)Oy oxide phase creation (with oxygen vacancies) induced by a Kirkendall effect on Cu-ZnO interface, thereby promoting the hydrogen spillover. Different mathematical models were developed to determine the concentration of contacts between Cu and ZnO. The results obtained demonstrated that it is possible to directly correlate the catalyst’s activity with the concentration of contacts between Cu and ZnO, which in turn allowed predicting optimal catalyst chemical composition for a particular design of a material. The full expertise of the design-activity relationship allowed the development of Cu-ZnO core-shell type materials with a 100% selective to methanol.

Ce travail de thèse porte sur l’étude et la mise en évidence de relations microstructure-propriétés dans des revêtements modèles à base époxy représentatifs de peinture anticorrosion. Ces relations sont établies aussi bien à l’état initial que lors de vieillissements hygrothermiques. Cette étude a tout d’abord consisté à caractériser les propriétés physico-chimiques et mécaniques du système stœchiométrique DGEBA/DAMP totalement réticulé. Ces propriétés ont été comparées à celles du système DGEBA/TETA et ont permis de montrer la forte influence de la microstructure sur ces propriétés initiales. Des vieillissements hygrothermiques cycliques à différentes températures sur films libres ont été effectués pour mesurer l’impact de la microstructure sur la durabilité des systèmes époxy. Ces travaux ont pu montrer l’influence des interactions eau-polymère dans les phénomènes de diffusion. De plus, les évolutions de certaines propriétés physico-chimiques et mécaniques ont pu être caractérisées à l’aide de la DMA (mors submersibles), lors des différentes étapes de sorption-désorption. Un comportement pseudo-fickien a pu être mis en évidence lors de la première sorption, suivi d’un comportement fickien lors des autres étapes. Les causes inhérentes à cette évolution ont pu être avancées, en mettant en jeu des réorganisations microstructurales des systèmes époxy étudiés. D’autres vieillissements hygrothermiques ont été réalisés à l’aide de la SIE sur des revêtements pour étudier l’effet de l’interface revêtement/substrat acier sur les phénomènes de diffusion, notamment le rôle des contraintes résiduelles. L’influence de la contrainte visco-élastique sur les phénomènes de prise en eau des revêtements a finalement été étudiée. / This work highlights the microstructure-properties relations inside representative epoxy based model coatings for anticorrosion paints. These relations have been established for the initial state as well as the hygrothermal ageing. First, we characterised physico-chemical and mechanical properties of the totally crosslinked DGEBA/DAMP stoichiometric system. These properties have been compared to the DGEBA/TETA system and they showed the strong influence of the microstructure on these initial properties. Cyclic hygrothermal ageing have been completed at different temperatures on free films, in order to measure the impact of the microstructure on the durability of epoxy systems. This work has shown the influence of the water-polymer interactions on diffusion phenomena. Moreover, the evolutions of several physico-chemical and mechanical properties have been characterised using DMA (submersible clamps), during different sorption-desorption steps. A pseudo-fickian behaviour has been evidenced during the first sorption, and it was followed by a fickian behaviour for all other steps. The inherent causes of this evolution have been proposed, by considering microstructural reorganisations of the studied epoxy systems. Other hygrothermal ageing have been carried out using EIS on coatings, in order to study the effects of the coating/steel substrate interface on diffusion phenomena, especially the role of residual stresses. We finally studied the influence of the visco-elastic stress on the coating water intake phenomena.

This dissertation explores congregational participation in worship services in the discipline of “Building up the local Church”. The research indicates the levels of participation within worship services of 98 respondents. I have felt that the low levels of participation (43 % of the respondents reported no active congregational participation and in 93% of the indicated the congregation were involved in two or less areas of the worship service) contribute to the practice of nominal Christianity. The congregation view themselves as the ‘Audience’(passive participants) at worship rather that the ‘Actors’ (active participants). The hypothesis is that ministers have centralized themselves specifically in worship and this has and is contributing towards the ‘nominal Christian’ problem experienced by the Church presently. Secondly, that a strategically planned and instituted process with the aim of involving all attendee’s at worship will facilitate active participation (the congregation become the ‘actors’ in and during the intercessory prayer time) and in so doing build up the local church. The Thesis sadly also points out that, ministers fundamental beliefs seem to have little or no influence on there practices. Of the ministers interviewed some indicated there primary task as that of ‘equipping the body of Christ’ yet those who held to that tenet had no significant levels of congregational involvement during worship. The research also shows that regardless of fundamental belief where ministers serve more than one congregation there is a 300% more congregational involvement during worship. The thesis then focuses on the roles of intercessory prayer in worship as a vehicle for getting ministry into the hands of the congregation. Interviews have been conducted and stories recorded as to the effectiveness of this process. I was particularly encouraged that the ‘sticky prayer’ as it became know took the ministry in some cases into the work place and created opportunities for ministry with in the worlds of the respondent. Beyond this it also sends a message to the world at large of the church as being faithful to God (expressed in prayer) and serving the world (those for whom we pray). / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

Psychotherapists in full-time, long-term private practice face a variety of occupational demands. They usually maintain private practices for long periods of their lives often under difficult circumstances and emotional pressures and have come to sustain their practices. From literature it is revealed that various demands, as well as benefits and successes are part and parcel of working in private practice full-time. These various factors can have an impact on the well-being of psychotherapists. Apart from the literature review, the personal experience of the researcher, a psychotherapist in full-time private practice, also contributed to ideas and hypotheses about the study. From a position of exploration and further enquiry, the researcher was interested to explore the experiences of psychotherapists in full-time private practice from a fortigenic perspective. A second objective was to determine if this study could contribute to the development of the theoretical assumptions of positive psychology. The research is grounded in the theoretical perspective of positive psychology and fortigenesis. Both these fields are relatively new in psychology and seem to still be forging a niche within the discipline. This perspective was deliberately chosen due to the applicability to the exploration of strengths and vigour, with regards to the maintenance of the professional context of the psychotherapist. The qualitative research process is presented in a narrative approach by means of narrative synthesis and synergy. The findings of the research conversations are presented in the form of a literary short story. Suggestions are made about the fortigenic qualities of psychotherapists essential for maintaining their work in full-time private practice. It’s applicability and usefulness is discussed. Furthermore, suggestions are made with regards to the field of positive psychology and the way forward for this sub-discipline. Ideas relating to narrative research and qualitative research are also discussed. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Psychology / unrestricted