Thesis (M.Info.Tech.-Res.)--University of Wollongong, 2008. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 234-245.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 149-150).

A terceirização logística é uma prática empresarial adotada por um número cada vez maior de organizações dos mais diversos setores. A opção pela terceirização logística costuma ser respaldada pela literatura. Porém, uma escolha errada pode se tornar uma fonte de insatisfação e falhas corporativas, acarretando na elevação do custo logístico, além de afetar a competitividade e a imagem da empresa. São inúmeros os casos de insucesso nos acordos de terceirização, sendo a maioria atribuída a deficiências no processo decisório. Desta forma, fica evidente a complexidade da decisão de terceirização logística, que envolve um grande número e diversidade de atributos interdependentes entre si, e a falta de compreensão, por parte dos executivos e das organizações, dos fatores que realmente afetam o processo decisório. Neste contexto, esta tese relata um estudo desenvolvido no cenário brasileiro sobre a decisão de terceirização logística sob o enfoque da organização contratante. Optou-se por analisar o processo de terceirização para operadores 3PL porque esta ainda é a tendência do mercado. O foco da pesquisa consiste em identificar os principais fatores que as organizações devem analisar em seu processo decisório de terceirização logística. Assim, as questões de pesquisa são: quais são os fatores envolvidos no processo decisório de terceirização logística e como eles impactam esta decisão? Portanto, foram utilizadas técnicas qualitativas, em um procedimento exploratório, e uma abordagem quantitativa, como um procedimento para confirmação de hipóteses. Inicialmente, foram realizadas entrevistas com executivos da área com o objetivo de verificar a aplicabilidade dos fatores selecionados para o modelo pesquisa. Em seguida, foi realizado um estudo de casos múltiplos com empresas líderes de diferentes mercados que terceirizam atividades logísticas. Essa etapa da pesquisa ratificou e acrescentou fatores às hipóteses propostas com base na literatura. Enfim, a pesquisa survey confirmou o conjunto de fatores de decisão de terceirização. Diferentes técnicas estatísticas foram empregadas para refinar o instrumento de pesquisa, como Análise de Confiabilidade, Análise de Item-Total Corrigido (CITC), Análise Fatorial Exploratória e Análise Fatorial Confirmatória de Ordem Superior. Como resultado desse refinamento, emergiu um modelo teórico de pesquisa final contendo quatro fatores, sendo as dimensões de Estratégia, Custos, características do Ambiente, Características do Processo Logístico a ser terceirizado e características dos Operadores Logísticos disponíveis no mercado, dispostos em quinze itens. A principal contribuição da pesquisa para a prática gerencial é fornecer aos executivos da área um conjunto dos fatores determinantes para a decisão de terceirização logística, no contexto brasileiro, sob o ponto de vista do contratante, de modo a lhes auxiliar na decisão de terceirizar ou não suas atividades logísticas. / Logistics outsourcing is a business practice adopted by a growing number of organizations from a large variety of sectors. The logistics outsourcing process is heavily supported by the literature. Nonetheless, a wrong decision can be a source of corporate problems that may lead to the increase of logistics costs, affecting the company's competitiveness and image. There is a high incidence of unsuccessful cases in outsourcing agreements, mostly due to failures in the decision making process. This fact highlights the complex nature of the logistics outsourcing decision, which involves a large number and a great variety of interdependent criteria, and the lack of understanding, on the part of executives and organizations, concerning the variables that affect the decision process. In this context, the present research reports on a study developed in the Brazilian scene on logistics outsourcing according to the perspective of the hiring company. It is important to mention that the research analyses the outsourcing process to third-party logistics service providers (3PL) because this is still the market tendency. The focus of the thesis consists in identifying the main factors which the organizations should analyze in the decision making process of logistics outsourcing. Hence this research aims to answer the following questions: which are the determinant variables in the decision process of logistics outsourcing and how do they impact on this decision? Thus, both qualitative and quantitative techniques were used, respectively in an exploratory and a confirmatory approach. Initially, interviews were held with logistics executives with the purpose of examining the applicability of the variables selected for the hypothetical model. A multiple case study was also developed in three leading organizations from different sectors that have their logistics activities outsourced. With the case study methodology, the factors were ratified and some variables were added to the hypotheses. Eventually, a survey research confirmed the set of the determinant variables for the decision making process of logistics outsourcing. Different quantitative procedures were used to refine the research instrument, such as Reliability Analysis, Corrected Item-Total Correlation (CITC) Analysis, Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The structural model confirmed 20 hypotheses. The result was a model with five factors - Strategy, Costs, Environmental characteristics, Characteristics of the Logistics Process and characteristics of the 3PL providers available in the market - and fifteen variables. The main contribution of this research to the business practice is the development of a set of the main variables that logistics managers may analyze in the decision making process of whether to outsource their logistics activities or not.

Statistics about violence experienced by women with disabilities are alarming, and yet, the reporting of this specific form of violence is neglected. Previous research indicates that though interpersonal violence affects women with disabilities like a hidden “epidemic”, the phenomenon is severely underreported. Women with disabilities frequently come in contact with human service providers; however, provider-based prejudice coupled with lack of education about women’s issues result in failing to screen for violence, or error in reporting. This study focused on measuring disability service providers’ competence in understanding and reporting interpersonal violence as experienced by women with disabilities. The objective of this study was to develop a self-assessment instrument to quantify service providers’ expertise in understanding, screening and reporting of interpersonal violence as experienced by women with disabilities. Data were collected in two phases. In the first phase, for the pilot study, data were acquired from 15 expert members; in the second phase, for the main study, data were obtained from 203 Masters level human service providers. Once collected, data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis with Promax rotation to establish validity. The instrument thus generated was designated as SPCV-WD (Human Service Provider Competence about reporting Violence on Women with Disability scale), and it comprised of four factors (perception, training, screening and reporting, and awareness). These four factors loaded on 40 items, with an overall Cronbach’s alpha value of .833, explaining 45% of the total variance. Four dimensions of competency were identified from the qualitative data collected through the comments of participating service providers in the main study: absence of training, learning from personal interest, necessity of addressing violence, relevance of addressing abuse. This scale can be considered a reliable and valid measure to evaluate service provider competence in understanding and reporting violence as experienced by women with disabilities. It has the potential to be used for intervention and reform in academic and professional training pertaining to interpersonal violence. As this was an initial, exploratory study, future studies are essential to verify and confirm the factor structure and the psychometric properties of SPCV-WD. Keywords: instrument development, competence measurement, violence, women with disabilities, human service providers

Rise of offshoring services to developing countries has led to the participation of small offshoring services providers in the global value chains. Many inter-disciplinary researches have understood whether participation in global value chains (GVCs) leads to beneficial outcomes for small suppliers. However, the institutional dynamics that may hamper or support small supplier upgrading has not received much attention. This is especially true for small offshoring services providers (OSPs) who are operating in an adverse institutional environment represented by low quality institutions, political instability, and political conflicts. Taking an offshoring service provider’s (OSP) perspective, this paper aims to understand the how Pakistani OSPs bypass/address the challenges of upgrading and move to significant positions in global value chains. Anchoring this work in the relational economic geography, global value chain, and international business, an analytical framework is developed based upon three conceptual building blocks: Upgrading challenges, strategic responses, and upgrading. The thesis adopts qualitative interview technique to collect data from seventeen Pakistani OSPs. The textual data which is interpreted using template analysis technique shows that some Pakistani OSPs demonstrate ‘resilient’ strategies to upgrade in GVCs. The differences in the resilience of OSPs are dependent upon a) level of responsiveness of OSPs to cope with all or some of the upgrading challenges, b) to adapt the changing demands of GVCs. It is understood that OSPs showing high level of responsiveness and adaptation are able to truly upgrade in global value chain by gaining legitimacy in GVCs for their ability to successfully meet GVC conventions and legitimise operation in an adverse economy.

A terceirização logística é uma prática empresarial adotada por um número cada vez maior de organizações dos mais diversos setores. A opção pela terceirização logística costuma ser respaldada pela literatura. Porém, uma escolha errada pode se tornar uma fonte de insatisfação e falhas corporativas, acarretando na elevação do custo logístico, além de afetar a competitividade e a imagem da empresa. São inúmeros os casos de insucesso nos acordos de terceirização, sendo a maioria atribuída a deficiências no processo decisório. Desta forma, fica evidente a complexidade da decisão de terceirização logística, que envolve um grande número e diversidade de atributos interdependentes entre si, e a falta de compreensão, por parte dos executivos e das organizações, dos fatores que realmente afetam o processo decisório. Neste contexto, esta tese relata um estudo desenvolvido no cenário brasileiro sobre a decisão de terceirização logística sob o enfoque da organização contratante. Optou-se por analisar o processo de terceirização para operadores 3PL porque esta ainda é a tendência do mercado. O foco da pesquisa consiste em identificar os principais fatores que as organizações devem analisar em seu processo decisório de terceirização logística. Assim, as questões de pesquisa são: quais são os fatores envolvidos no processo decisório de terceirização logística e como eles impactam esta decisão? Portanto, foram utilizadas técnicas qualitativas, em um procedimento exploratório, e uma abordagem quantitativa, como um procedimento para confirmação de hipóteses. Inicialmente, foram realizadas entrevistas com executivos da área com o objetivo de verificar a aplicabilidade dos fatores selecionados para o modelo pesquisa. Em seguida, foi realizado um estudo de casos múltiplos com empresas líderes de diferentes mercados que terceirizam atividades logísticas. Essa etapa da pesquisa ratificou e acrescentou fatores às hipóteses propostas com base na literatura. Enfim, a pesquisa survey confirmou o conjunto de fatores de decisão de terceirização. Diferentes técnicas estatísticas foram empregadas para refinar o instrumento de pesquisa, como Análise de Confiabilidade, Análise de Item-Total Corrigido (CITC), Análise Fatorial Exploratória e Análise Fatorial Confirmatória de Ordem Superior. Como resultado desse refinamento, emergiu um modelo teórico de pesquisa final contendo quatro fatores, sendo as dimensões de Estratégia, Custos, características do Ambiente, Características do Processo Logístico a ser terceirizado e características dos Operadores Logísticos disponíveis no mercado, dispostos em quinze itens. A principal contribuição da pesquisa para a prática gerencial é fornecer aos executivos da área um conjunto dos fatores determinantes para a decisão de terceirização logística, no contexto brasileiro, sob o ponto de vista do contratante, de modo a lhes auxiliar na decisão de terceirizar ou não suas atividades logísticas. / Logistics outsourcing is a business practice adopted by a growing number of organizations from a large variety of sectors. The logistics outsourcing process is heavily supported by the literature. Nonetheless, a wrong decision can be a source of corporate problems that may lead to the increase of logistics costs, affecting the company's competitiveness and image. There is a high incidence of unsuccessful cases in outsourcing agreements, mostly due to failures in the decision making process. This fact highlights the complex nature of the logistics outsourcing decision, which involves a large number and a great variety of interdependent criteria, and the lack of understanding, on the part of executives and organizations, concerning the variables that affect the decision process. In this context, the present research reports on a study developed in the Brazilian scene on logistics outsourcing according to the perspective of the hiring company. It is important to mention that the research analyses the outsourcing process to third-party logistics service providers (3PL) because this is still the market tendency. The focus of the thesis consists in identifying the main factors which the organizations should analyze in the decision making process of logistics outsourcing. Hence this research aims to answer the following questions: which are the determinant variables in the decision process of logistics outsourcing and how do they impact on this decision? Thus, both qualitative and quantitative techniques were used, respectively in an exploratory and a confirmatory approach. Initially, interviews were held with logistics executives with the purpose of examining the applicability of the variables selected for the hypothetical model. A multiple case study was also developed in three leading organizations from different sectors that have their logistics activities outsourced. With the case study methodology, the factors were ratified and some variables were added to the hypotheses. Eventually, a survey research confirmed the set of the determinant variables for the decision making process of logistics outsourcing. Different quantitative procedures were used to refine the research instrument, such as Reliability Analysis, Corrected Item-Total Correlation (CITC) Analysis, Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The structural model confirmed 20 hypotheses. The result was a model with five factors - Strategy, Costs, Environmental characteristics, Characteristics of the Logistics Process and characteristics of the 3PL providers available in the market - and fifteen variables. The main contribution of this research to the business practice is the development of a set of the main variables that logistics managers may analyze in the decision making process of whether to outsource their logistics activities or not.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Information Technology in the Faculty of Informatics and Design at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology / In both developed and developing countries, small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) play a role in the economic growth of the country. The number of SMMEs and the contribution they make to national economies have been growing rapidly in recent years. The concept of trade globalisation has accelerated during this period from a national perspective to reaching international dimensions. This period is therefore a clear indicator for entrepreneurs to be more aware of new opportunities. In today’s information age it is important not only to obtain information, but also to use information effectively to create value. Information technology (IT) increases the importance of information. SMMEs need to consider IT as an important factor to achieve success in globalisation, competitiveness and innovation. Although some SMMEs use IT efficiently to improve their business and value adding processes to create a competitive advantage, SMMEs in Turkey do not effectively leverage their IT to create this advantage. This leads to low productivity among SMMEs and a subsequent low contribution to the Turkish economy. The aim of this research is to explore the challenges of adopting IT within Turkish SMMEs and the ways in which Turkish SMMEs can use IT to gain a competitive advantage. The research focuses on the importance of IT in the insurance sector in order to propose a set of guidelines to small insurance service providers on how to utilise IT to create a competitive advantage in their enterprises. The research objectives are to investigate the challenges of IT adoption and determine what role IT plays in creating a competitive advantage in Turkish SMMEs. This research consists of two basic components: firstly a qualitative methodology is used which includes employing a literature analysis, and secondly an empirical study is conducted which consists of primary research and interviews to collect data through an interview questionnaire. Qualitative data is collected from 25 SMME owners and managers in Southern Turkey through semi-structured interviews. Data is analysed using descriptive qualitative analysis. The research indicates a low usage level of IT software products by SMMEs because IT is not seen as an important tool to create a competitive advantage. Although IT enables the integration of business processes when used effectively, most SMMEs do not tap into the capabilities IT has to offer. The most common barrier for SMMEs wanting to use IT in their businesses is the high cost of IT adoption. Although there are free IT software products available for SMMEs and funding is provided by the government and other institutions, SMMEs seems not to be aware of this. The research suggests that the effective use of IT has a positive impact on SMMEs. IT provides enhanced product development and service quality to cultivate an improved level of productivity in SMMEs, and this enables SMMEs to secure a competitive advantage. As a result of using IT, SMMEs provide increased employment, grow their production, and make a significant contribution to the national economy. The outcome of the research is a set of guidelines to assist SMMEs in focusing on IT adoption and the effective use of IT to gain a competitive advantage. The research provides an improved understanding of how SMMEs adopt IT in order to gain this advantage. The challenges facing SMMEs wishing to adopt IT include a lack of information and resources to explore opportunities for IT adoption, managerial ignorance of IT, and a lack of qualified staff.

A terceirização logística é uma prática empresarial adotada por um número cada vez maior de organizações dos mais diversos setores. A opção pela terceirização logística costuma ser respaldada pela literatura. Porém, uma escolha errada pode se tornar uma fonte de insatisfação e falhas corporativas, acarretando na elevação do custo logístico, além de afetar a competitividade e a imagem da empresa. São inúmeros os casos de insucesso nos acordos de terceirização, sendo a maioria atribuída a deficiências no processo decisório. Desta forma, fica evidente a complexidade da decisão de terceirização logística, que envolve um grande número e diversidade de atributos interdependentes entre si, e a falta de compreensão, por parte dos executivos e das organizações, dos fatores que realmente afetam o processo decisório. Neste contexto, esta tese relata um estudo desenvolvido no cenário brasileiro sobre a decisão de terceirização logística sob o enfoque da organização contratante. Optou-se por analisar o processo de terceirização para operadores 3PL porque esta ainda é a tendência do mercado. O foco da pesquisa consiste em identificar os principais fatores que as organizações devem analisar em seu processo decisório de terceirização logística. Assim, as questões de pesquisa são: quais são os fatores envolvidos no processo decisório de terceirização logística e como eles impactam esta decisão? Portanto, foram utilizadas técnicas qualitativas, em um procedimento exploratório, e uma abordagem quantitativa, como um procedimento para confirmação de hipóteses. Inicialmente, foram realizadas entrevistas com executivos da área com o objetivo de verificar a aplicabilidade dos fatores selecionados para o modelo pesquisa. Em seguida, foi realizado um estudo de casos múltiplos com empresas líderes de diferentes mercados que terceirizam atividades logísticas. Essa etapa da pesquisa ratificou e acrescentou fatores às hipóteses propostas com base na literatura. Enfim, a pesquisa survey confirmou o conjunto de fatores de decisão de terceirização. Diferentes técnicas estatísticas foram empregadas para refinar o instrumento de pesquisa, como Análise de Confiabilidade, Análise de Item-Total Corrigido (CITC), Análise Fatorial Exploratória e Análise Fatorial Confirmatória de Ordem Superior. Como resultado desse refinamento, emergiu um modelo teórico de pesquisa final contendo quatro fatores, sendo as dimensões de Estratégia, Custos, características do Ambiente, Características do Processo Logístico a ser terceirizado e características dos Operadores Logísticos disponíveis no mercado, dispostos em quinze itens. A principal contribuição da pesquisa para a prática gerencial é fornecer aos executivos da área um conjunto dos fatores determinantes para a decisão de terceirização logística, no contexto brasileiro, sob o ponto de vista do contratante, de modo a lhes auxiliar na decisão de terceirizar ou não suas atividades logísticas. / Logistics outsourcing is a business practice adopted by a growing number of organizations from a large variety of sectors. The logistics outsourcing process is heavily supported by the literature. Nonetheless, a wrong decision can be a source of corporate problems that may lead to the increase of logistics costs, affecting the company's competitiveness and image. There is a high incidence of unsuccessful cases in outsourcing agreements, mostly due to failures in the decision making process. This fact highlights the complex nature of the logistics outsourcing decision, which involves a large number and a great variety of interdependent criteria, and the lack of understanding, on the part of executives and organizations, concerning the variables that affect the decision process. In this context, the present research reports on a study developed in the Brazilian scene on logistics outsourcing according to the perspective of the hiring company. It is important to mention that the research analyses the outsourcing process to third-party logistics service providers (3PL) because this is still the market tendency. The focus of the thesis consists in identifying the main factors which the organizations should analyze in the decision making process of logistics outsourcing. Hence this research aims to answer the following questions: which are the determinant variables in the decision process of logistics outsourcing and how do they impact on this decision? Thus, both qualitative and quantitative techniques were used, respectively in an exploratory and a confirmatory approach. Initially, interviews were held with logistics executives with the purpose of examining the applicability of the variables selected for the hypothetical model. A multiple case study was also developed in three leading organizations from different sectors that have their logistics activities outsourced. With the case study methodology, the factors were ratified and some variables were added to the hypotheses. Eventually, a survey research confirmed the set of the determinant variables for the decision making process of logistics outsourcing. Different quantitative procedures were used to refine the research instrument, such as Reliability Analysis, Corrected Item-Total Correlation (CITC) Analysis, Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The structural model confirmed 20 hypotheses. The result was a model with five factors - Strategy, Costs, Environmental characteristics, Characteristics of the Logistics Process and characteristics of the 3PL providers available in the market - and fifteen variables. The main contribution of this research to the business practice is the development of a set of the main variables that logistics managers may analyze in the decision making process of whether to outsource their logistics activities or not.

[pt] O mercado brasileiro de provedores de acesso à internet tem apresentado um crescimento vertiginoso desde 1998 e está vivenciando um período de crescente concentração. Num momento em que a disputa pelos consumidores está cada vez mais acirrada, os esforços para a manutenção da base de clientes se tornam tão importantes quanto aqueles destinados à conquista de novos consumidores. Nesse contexto, a preocupação com a fidelidade dos usuários de provedores de acesso à internet adquire especial relevância. O presente estudo se propõe a investigar as dificuldades encontradas na fidelização dos clientes de provedores de acesso e analisar o tipo de fidelidade exibida por esses, valendo-se do framework proposto por Richard Oliver (1999) como principal referência para a classificação da fidelidade. / [en] The Brazilian market of access suppliers the InterNet has presented a vertiginous growth since 1998 and this having lived deeply one periodo of increasing concentracao. At a moment where the dispute for the consumers this each incited time more, the esforcos for manutencao of the base of important customers if becomes tao how much those destined the conquest of new consumers. In this context, preocupacao with the allegiance of the usuarios of access suppliers the InterNet acquires special relevancia. The present study if propoe to investigate the difficulties found in fidelizacao of the customers of access suppliers and to analyze the type of allegiance shown for these, using itself framework considered by Richard Oliver (1999) as main referencia for classificacao of the allegiance. / [es] EL mercado brasilero de proveedores de acceso a la internet ha presentado un crescimiento vertiginoso desde 1998 y está vive ahora un período de cresciente concentración. En un momento en que la disputa por los consumidores está cada vez más fuerte, los esfuerzos para mantener la base de clientes resultan tan importantes cuanto los destinados a la conquista de nuevos consumidores. En ese contexto, la preocupación con la fidelidad de los usuarios de proveedores de acceso a la internet adquire uma especial relevancia. EL presente estudio se propone investigar las dificuldades encontradas en la fidelización de los clientes de proveedores de acceso y analizar el tipo de fidelidad que ellos exhiben, utilizando el framework propuesto por Richard Oliver (1999) como principal referencia para la clasificación de la fidelidad.

The diploma thesis is focusing on a warehouse management system of the ČSAD Hodonín a.s. company. This corporation is a logistics service provider mostly offering to its customers services associated with goods storage. The first objective of this thesis is an evaluation of change of WMS in this company and the second one is to design a method for selection of WMS and its supplier.