<p>This thesis is written with the purpose to analyze immigrants’ effect on new firm formation. Immigrants can ease future sustenance problems of decreasing population growth and growing life expectancy. Immigrants start new firms to a higher extent than ethnic Swedes. Two reasons to that immigrants start new firms is to get out of unemployment and to satisfy a demand of products preferred by certain groups.</p><p>This thesis point out cultural and structural factors that contribute to higher immigrant new firm formation rates and what in general diverges from ethnic Swedes’ new firm formation. Also, push and pull effects are discussed. The ordinary and the advanced service sector in Sweden, where 76 % of all new firms were started in 2005, are studied. The result that emerged shows that immigrants from non-Nordic countries have a positive effect on new firm formation. However, people from FIND-countries (Finland, Iceland, Norway and Denmark) did not have a positive effect on new firm formation.</p>

Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 91-93).

This study looks at the differences in lean project management between projects done in the public sector and projects done in the private sector. The private sector consist of companies around Sweden, while municipalities are representing the public sector in this study. This study is based on the understanding that the lean philosophy can have advantages for the efficiency of project management, both for the private and the public sector, knowing that there are differences in the nature of these organizations. This thesis begins with an introduction that explains the theory that is important for this research, and that describes the research gap that has been found. The research gap is the basis for the research questions. After defining the research questions, an examination has been done on existing literature about the concepts of lean, project management, project managers, and lean project management. Prior research gives ideas about the challenges project managers encounter, and shows in what way lean can influence the efficiency of projects. As part of this qualitative research, and with an inductive approach, 12 semi-structured interviews have been conducted. During this interviews, project managers and persons with a connection to projects in the different organization were asked to describe projects in their organizations. This study is exploratory and has a cross-sectional design as the center of attention was on different organizations from both the private and the public sector in different parts of Sweden. In the analysis the results of the interviews are categorized and interpreted. The results show that projects are used in every organization, making use of, in almost every case, a project model which makes sure that different projects are run in similar ways. Although different organizations make use of the principles of lean, no organization is implementing the ideas completely. Major differences that have been found are differences in the background of the project manager, the level of standardization of projects, and differences in efficiency that in many situations are caused by legislation. It became clear that projects in the private sector are organized in a stricter way, with experienced project managers that follow project models strictly. In the public sector projects are mostly led by project managers that are interested in a certain project, and in those organizations project models are not followed strictly. As for lean projects, we have found no real evidence that any organization is currently having projects organized according to the lean principles. This can be expected however, seeing that lean project management is a generally unexplored part of the lean philosophy.

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South Africa is experiencing a process of formidable and fundamental change. Public administrators as well as politicians are under tremendous pressure as heavy demands are being placed on them. These demands include coping with interventions such as Affirmative Action, Employment Equity, and the importance of managing diversity in the workplace. Despite improvements in race relations in the past twenty years, dysfunctional and ineffective behaviour still occur. This may be a reflection of the discomfort and anxiety experienced by employees in the work setting. In order to comply with legislation, organisations created opportunities for Black, Asian and Coloured males and females, White females and disabled people. This, in return, leads to perceptions of preferential hiring. The view that Affirmative Action involves preferential hiring and treatment based on group membership creates resistance to its implementation and original purpose. The reason for this resistance might be linked to the fact that people still perceive discrimination and injustice in the workplace. These perceptions seem true in public organisations even though public organisations have taken a positive stance with regard to implementing Equal Employment and Affirmative Action plans. A qualitative design with an availability sample (N = 20) of employees working in a public organisation was used. The qualitative research makes it possible to determine the subjective experience of employees in a public organisation. Semi-structured interviews based on the phenomenological method were conducted with employees working in different sections and different positions in a public organisation. Non-directive questions were asked during the interview. The tape-recording of the interview was transcribed verbatim in order to analyse the information. Content analysis was used to analyse and interpret the research data in a systematic, objective and quantitative way. A literature-control has been done to investigate relevant research in order to determine the comparativeness and uniqueness of the current research. Results indicated that Affirmative Action has been used as a tool in achieving its goal by focusing on preferential hiring. From the responses it was clear that the majority of the participants are of opinion that preferential hiring led to the appointment of incompetent candidates. It appears from the interviews that appointments are made without basing it on merit. This is against the basic principle of the public organisation of hiring and promoting employees by set standards. Due to the fact that previous disadvantaged groups are being placed in positions of which they have no experience or are not trained in, job related knowledge seems to present a problem. From the interviews it appeared that employees felt that poor customer service increased across the organisation due to the appointment of incompetent candidates. This also seems to have an effect on the workload being handled. It seems that predominantly white employees tend to be ambivalent towards Affirmative Action. Part of the reason for this ambivalence is the fear of change, especially when that change involves a radical re-thinking of past strategies. White employees, employed by the old apartheid system, feel alienated and/or marginalised in the new Affirmative Action process. White employees are also leaving organisations because they seem not to be part of the Affirmative Action process. This leads to loss of expertise occurring in organisations. Though organisations show a considerable amount of improvement on relationships between black and white, discrimination still seems to present itself through the implementation of Affirmative Action. Managing diversity is crucial for the effective management and development of people. It is important not to focus only on cultural differences but also concentrate on individual needs and perceptions. Unfortunately, it appears that South Africa is in the process of making the same mistakes as other countries in focusing on a power game and corruption. Black employees in particular, seem to be actively recruited, placed in senior positions and given the related finishing. In other words top management are using their 'power' to enforce Affirmative Action. There are also those who want to abuse the system or maybe understand the system incorrectly. Corruption coming from top management tends to make employees negative. In order to address these issues, a succession and career planning process needs to exist which is closely tied to the organisations' strategic plan. Employment Equity, as a strategic objective, is managed by the organisation, but needs the Human Resources function in a support and consultancy role. As such, it requires translation into practical objectives for departments, managers and employees. Recommendations were made for future research. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Tema: E-turizmo panaudojimas turizmo sektoriaus konkurencingumui didinti. / The usage of e-tourism to improve the competitiveness of the tourism sector. / Lukoševičiūtė D. / Mokslinis vadovas: prof. dr. Navickas V. Lietuvos kūno kultūros akademija, Sporto edukologijos fakultetas, Rekreacijos, turizmo ir sporto vadybos katedra. – Kaunas, 2011. – 52 p. Tyrimo objektas – E-turizmas turizmo sektoriuje. Tyrimo tikslas – Ištirti e-turizmo panaudojimą turizmo sektoriaus konkurencingumo didinimui. Tyrimo uždaviniai: 1. Apibūdinti turizmo sektoriaus svarbą šalies ekonomikai. 2. Išnagrinėti turizmo sektoriaus konkurencingumą lemiančius veiksnius. 3. Atskleisti e-turizmo pritaikymo įmonėje veiksnius. 4. Apžvelgti e-turizmo panaudojimo būdus turizmo įmonių konkurencingumui didinti. 5. Atlikti e-turizmo panaudojimo turizmo įmonių konkurencingumui ekspertinį vertinimą. Tyrimo metodai: Mokslinės – teorinės literatūros analizė ir ekspertinis vertinimas. Svarbiausios išvados Turizmo sektorius yra svarbus šalies ekonomikai ir turi daug reikšmės tiek regioniniu tiek nacionaliniu lygmeniu, todėl svarbu didinti šio sektoriaus konkurencingumą. Tinkamai pritaikytas e-turizmas lemia įvairius teigiamus pokyčius įmonėse, kurie turi daug įtakos didinant įmonių konkurencingumą, o tai lemia turizmo sektoriaus konkurencingumą. Paplitęs požiūris ir su juo susiję veiksmai, kad technologinis (kur įeina ir e-turizmas) ir ekologinis aspektai yra nelabai svarbūs turizmo sektoriaus konkurencingumui, gali... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Object- E-tourism in tourism sector Aim - to examine the usage of e-tourism to increase the competitiveness of tourism sector.

Pagrindinių universitetinių studijų baigiamasis darbas, sudarytas iš 60 puslapių, 11 paveikslų, 17 lentelių, 47 literatūros šaltinių ir 5 priedų lietuvių kalba. Prasminiai žodžiai: viešasis sektorius, privatus verslas, partnerystė, infrastruktūra. Tyrimo objektas – viešojo sektoriaus ir privataus verslo partnerystės pasireiškimo sritys Kauno rajone. Tyrimo tikslas – parengti viešojo sektoriaus ir privataus verslo partnerystės tikslingumo vertinimo modelį bei numatyti jo pritaikymo galimybes Kauno rajono savivaldybėje. Uždaviniai: 1. Išanalizuoti viešojo sektoriaus ir privataus verslo partnerystės teorinius aspektus. 2. Atlikti viešojo sektoriaus ir privataus verslo partnerystės galimybių tyrimą Kauno rajone. 3. Parengti viešojo sektoriaus ir privataus verslo partnerystės tikslingumo vertinimo modelį. 4. Numatyti viešojo sektoriaus ir privataus verslo partnerystės tikslingumo vertinimo modelio pritaikymo galimybes Kauno rajono savivaldybėje. Tyrimo metodai: dokumentų analizė, mokslinės literatūros analizė ir sintezė, lyginamoji analizė, duomenų sisteminimo analizė, indukcija ir dedukcija, loginė analizė ir sintezė, grupavimo, grafinio vaizdavimo metodai. Tyrimo rezultatai: • Pirmojoje darbo dalyje buvo apibendrintos viešojo sektoriaus ir privataus verslo sampratos, viešojo sektoriaus ir privataus verslo partnerystės ryšių formavimo samprata, viešojo sektoriaus ir privataus verslo partnerystės formos ir tipai bei partnerystės sėkmę lemiantys veiksniai . • Antrojoje darbo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Final work of university undergraduate studies consists of 60 pages, 11 figures, 17 tables, 47 references and 5 annexes, in the Lithuanian language. Keywords: public sector, private sector, partnership, infrastructure. Research object – partnership of public sector and private business in Kaunas district. Research aim – to prepare the expediency assessment model of public sector and private business partneship and to predict its opportunities to be adapted in Kaunas district municipality. Objectives: 1. to analyze theoretical aspects of public sector and private business partnership; 2. to make feasibility study of public sector and private business partnership in Kaunas district; 3. to prepare the expediency model of public sector and private business partnership; 4. to predict opportunities of adaption of expediency model of public sector and private business partnership in Kaunas district municipality. Research methods: analysis and synthesis of literature and documents, comparative analysis, systematization of data, induction and deduction, logical analysis and synthesis, grouping and graphical representation. Research results: • The first part of the thesis introduces and generalizes the concepts of public sector and private business, the concept of public sector and private business partnership formation, the forms and types of public sector and private business partnership and the success factors of public - private sector partnership. • The second part analyzes... [to full text]

Cross-sector  social-oriented  partnerships  which  address  social  or  environmental challenges are increasing in practice and in the literature. Although this is expected to continue  in the  future, management responsibilities are  largely unclear  in this type of cross-sector  collaboration.  Project  management  was  found  to  be  a  relevant  area  for investigation  because  cross-sector  collaborations  and  projects  have  similar characteristics and projects are mentioned separately in the two literature fields.   By joining them in a novel theoretical framework and by collecting empirical data, this thesis aims to explore, describe and analyse the context and use of project management in  the  formation  phase  of  cross-sector  social-oriented  partnerships.  The  study  was undertaken in the belief that project management can be enriched by being researched in collaborative settings and that cross-sector collaborations are interesting to investigate from a managerial perspective. In fact, they offer great potential for knowledge creation and sharing which has been addressed mainly by management research.   This  thesis  study  was  structured  according  to  three  research  objectives.  Firstly,  we analysed the role of contextual elements in cross-sector social-oriented partnerships by comparing cases in different European country contexts, which were selected based on established criteria. Secondly, we conceptualised the formation phase as  it was  found that  the  literature  lacked  an  overarching  understanding  of  this  phase.  Thirdly,  we identified  management  responsibilities  with  a  focus  on  project  and  knowledge management concepts in the formation of cross-sector social-oriented partnerships.    We  investigated  both  partners  in  a  multi-method  qualitative  study  to  get  a  holistic understanding  of  the  research  context.  Primary  data  was  collected  in  semi-structured interviews and supplemented with secondary data. The data was analysed on two levels which allowed for the triangulation of findings. Given the mainly inductive approach, template  analysis  was  deployed  allowing  for  flexibility  to  take  account  of  emerging aspects.   The  empirical  data  shows  that  project  management  is  deployed  differently  in  the formation  of  cross-sector  social-oriented  partnerships,  depending  on  contextual elements  and  the  intention  with  which  they  were  formed.  This  is  reflected  in  the interaction of partners, the level of trust between them, the way knowledge is shared and ultimately in the level of formality in which project management is deployed. In light of the generated findings, the extension of a collaboration continuum from the literature is proposed  by  integrating  project  management  as  a  parameter.  The  findings  and  this proposition have implications on practitioners and for further research in the field.

At a time of reorganization for certain socio-economic paradigms within the Province of Quebec, the public-private duality is in need of a competitive and sustainable collaboration in order to promote and ameliorate public services, provide more controlled levels of risk and lower initial investment costs in such projects. The concept of a public-private partnership is born from a necessity to adapt the structure of the existing systems to better serve the modern demands of users, to replace old and inefficient infrastructures as well as to abet prohibitive financial considerations of the Province of Quebec. Under which circumstances and to which degrees would the private partner in a public-private partnership, having become the custodian of a project serving primarily private interests, be responsible to absorb the risks transferred by the Province of Quebec to the partnership? How can it be assured that the protection of the public interest and inextricable public values links of the public partner are preserved in a public-private partnership? / This thesis is structured into three sections. In the first chapter, we analyze the concept of public private partnerships and the parameters that circumscribe to it. This analysis deals with public services and the public interest. The second chapter defines the concept of accountability while outlining various traits of accountability which may be associated with each member of a public-private partnership as well as with the partnership itself. A more pointed examination then discusses the pitfalls of current systems of accountability within the public-private framework. / Finally, we examine the notional values that the current control mechanisms contribute to a public-private partnership. This analysis indicates that a series of new and renewed control and accountability mechanisms is needed to manage the various idiosyncrasies of a public-private partnership while congruently promoting a balance of interest and vision between the partners of a public private partnerships.

Sweden has one of the best elderly cares in Europe and the Swedish care work is also one of the best in terms of quality, compared to other European countries. In recent years, higher demands have been set on the care work and the number of privatizations of public services has increased. In 2009 a new law came into force, the Act on System of Choice (LOV) which increased individual’s right to a greater participation and a free choice in the selection of health and social care providers. This paper aims to highlight the impact of the law, system of choice. By using the method of qualitative surveys and interviews with care managers, and an exploration of relevant studies and reports, I was able to complete this study. With institutional theory and other sociological concepts such as isomorphism and street-level bureaucracy, I made an analysis of both the care managers and also at an organizational level. In the conclusions I argue that the system of choice has had a greater impact at an organizational level rather than on the care managers. The paper also highlights the fact that the knowledge of processes of implementation and political governance has had a significant role. The three main issues are how the law has influenced care managers work, how organizations have changed, how and if the active choices work in practice.