Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Historically organisations have had the "luxury" of being able to anticipate future developments and respond to them in good time due to, firstly, the comparatively slow pace of change and, secondly, the past being a relatively good predictor of the future. The second half of the 20th Century bears witness to some of the most dramatic changes and developments experienced by mankind. Most notable of these were globalisation, de-regulation, the emergence of the information/knowledge economy and, perhaps most significant of all, the changes brought about by the Internet. The underlying assertion of this report is that, given the current, complex, dynamic and sometimes volatile nature of changes in the external environment, in order to ensure a sustainable competitive advantage, organisations will be forced to consider carefully the dynamics of the environment in which they operate and to build their plans around these dynamics. This report briefly traces the evolution of strategic planning to its current status prior to providing a detailed analysis of the nature of environmental scanning and its applicability to strategic planning. The report provides a theoretical rerview of environmental scanning and a discussion of some of the tools and techniques of environmental scanning. Within this context the report provides a brief indication of the extent of the practice of environmental scanning within the financial services sector of South Africa. The conclusion assesses the findings of the current state of the practice of environmental scanning against the theory, with the view to providing an insight into the extent to which environmental scanning is applied in South Africa. Possible future directions of research and development of the practice are also identified. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Histories gesproke, het instansies oor die "luukse" beskik om toekomstige ontwikkelinge vooruit te kon waarneem en betyds op hulle te reageer, eerstens weens die betreklike stadige pas van verandering en tweedens, omdat die verlede 'n betreklike goeie voorspeller van die toekoms was. Die tweede helfte van die 20ste eeu getuig van sommige van die mees dramatiese veranderinge en ontwikkelinge wat deur die mens ondervind is. Die mees uitstaande was globalisering, deregulering, die verskyning van die inligting/kennis-ekonomie en, dalk die mees uitstaande van almal, die veranderinge wat deur die Internet teweeggebring is. Die onderliggende stelling van hierdie verslag is dat, gegewe die huidige, komplekse, dinamiese en soms onbestendige aard van veranderinge in die eksterne omgewing, om 'n mededingende voordeel te verseker, sal instansies geforseer word om die dinamika van die omgewing waarin hulle werk, versigtig te oorweeg en om hulle planne om hierdie dinamika te bou. Hierdie verslag speur kortliks die ewolusie na van strategiese beplanning tot sy huidige status gevolg deur 'n omvattende analise van die aard van omgewingsondersoeke en die toepaslikheid daarvan op strategiese beplanning. Die verslag voorsien 'n teoretiese oorsig tot omgewingsondersoeke en 'n bespreking van sommige van die instrumente en tegnieke van omgewingsondersoeke. Binne hierdie konteks voorsien die verslag 'n kort aanduiding van die omvang van die uitvoering van omgewingsondersoeke binne die finansiele dienstesektor van Suid-Afrika. Die slot som die bevindings op van die huidige toestand van die praktyk van omgewingsondersoeke volgens die teorie, met die oog op voorsiening van 'n insig in die mate waartoe omgewingsondersoeke in Suid-Afrika toegepas word. Moontlike toekomstige rigtings van navorsing en ontwikkeling van die praktyk word ook geidentifiseer.

Services have become the dominant sector in the economies of most industrialized countries and consequently the interest for service innovation and service companies also increased, including in Sweden. The purpose of this study is therefore, to understand the different types and sources of innovation, actors involved, company aspects and obstacles faced in different parts of the service sector. A quantitative method was applied and thus, an e-survey was sent to several service companies in Sweden. The study counts with 868 valid respondents and from the data collected a statistical analysis was made (through the computer software SPSS). In the study it was conclude that the reality of Swedish service companies is, at some extent in accordance with the theories of Sources of Innovation, Types of Innovation, Innovation Protection and Barriers of Innovation. However, some distinctions were also detected and furthers explained. / Tjänster har blivit den dominerande sektorn i de flesta industrialiserade länders ekonomi och därmed har intresset för tjänsteinnovation och serviceföretag ökat, även i Sverige. Syftet med denna studie är därför att få en ökad förståelse för de olika typer och källor av innovation, aktörerna, företagsaspekter och de innovationshinder som servicesektorn möter. En kvantitativ metod har tillämpats och således skickades en e-enkät ut till flera tjänsteföretag i Sverige. Studien har 868 giltiga respondenter och med den data som samlats in gjordes en statistisk analys (med hjälp av dataprogrammet SPSS). Studien visade att verkligheten i Sveriges servicesektor i viss utsträckning är i enlighet med de teorier som finns rörandes innovationskällor, typer av innovationer, innovationsskydd och innovationsbarriärer. Men vissa skillnader upptäcktes också och kommer att förklaras ytterligare. / Nas últimas décadas o setor de serviços se tornou dominante na economia da maioria dos países industrializados e consequentemente o interesse pela inovação de serviços e empresas de serviços também aumentou, inclusive na Suécia. Portanto, o objetivo deste estudo é entender os diferentes tipos e fontes de inovação, os atores envolvidos, os aspectos da empresa e obstáculos enfrentados em diferentes partes do setor de serviços. Uma pesquisa quantitativa foi aplicada e um questionário eletrônico foi enviado para diversal empresas de serviços na Suécia. O estudo conta com 868 participantes válidos e a partir dos dados coletados uma análise estatística foi realizada (através do software SPSS). No estudo pôde-se constatar que a realidade das empresas de serviço suecas estão, até certo ponto, de acordo com as teorias de fontes de inovação, tipos de inovação, proteção de inovação e obstáculos à inovação. No entanto, algumas diferenças foram detectados e explicadas.

Der Beitrag beschäftigt sich damit, in welcher Weise Reinigungsarbeit - als ein typischer Bereich sogenannter "Einfacharbeit" - in den vergangenen Jahrzehnten von Auslagerungen betroffen war und wie sie davon geprägt wurde. Er stellt aktuelle Branchencharakteristika und Beschäftigungsbedingungen zur Reinigungsbranche in Österreich im internationalen Kontext dar und argumentiert, dass die mit der Auslagerung verbundenen Veränderungen der Reinigungsarbeit problematische Arbeits- und Beschäftigungsbedingungen verstärken. So tragen insbesondere die verbreiteten Arbeitszeiten an den Tagesrändern zu einer Unsichtbarmachung der Arbeit bei, die einer mangelnden Anerkennung weiter Vorschub leistet. Die Tendenz zur gesellschaftlichen Unsichtbarmachung spiegelt sich daneben auch in der wissenschaftlichen und gesellschaftlichen (Nicht-)Zuwendung zu "Einfachdienstleistungen" und der Reinigung im Speziellen wider. Der Beitrag geht weiters auf die Rolle des Wohlfahrtsstaates in der Gestaltung der Arbeits- und Lebensbedingungen von in "Einfachdienstleistungen" Beschäftigten ein. Abschließend weist er auf Ansatzpunkte für Verbesserungen auf unterschiedlichen Ebenen hin.

<p>Background: In the existing branding literature there is no distinction made between theories for building product- and services brands although services have very different characteristics compared to products. The services characteristics imply that the customer has a high need of reassurance that the right brand choice is being made, which ought to bring forth the role of trust in the relationship between the customer and the service brand. </p><p>Purpose: The purpose is to analyze the process of building a service brand and the role of trust in this process. </p><p>Delimitations: The study will include the financial service sector since the complexity of services is brought to its head in this case. Realization: In total, 13 interviews were conducted with company representatives at SEB and Östgöta Brandstodsbolag, a Brand Consultant and customers of financial service companies. </p><p>Results: We suggest that when it comes to the process of building a service brand, the emphasis of the elementsdiffer somewhat compared to the building of product brands, where the emphasis is put on brand identity and in particular trust. When it comes to trust, a positive reputation could initially serve to signal trust but it is the actual encounter with the staff that determines the trustworthiness of the service brand.</p>

<p>Increasing globalization and decreasing trade barriers have created opportunities for Swedish companies to establish their activities in India. The aim with this dissertation is to explore if Swedish SMEs in the service sector follow the process suggested by the Uppsala Internationalization Model when establishing their activities in India.</p><p>In order to find out if Swedish SMEs in the service sector follow the process suggested by the Uppsala Internationalization Model, a multiple case study was conducted, adopting a qualitative approach. Three Swedish SMEs in the IT industry, that have successfully established their activities on the Indian market, were interviewed.</p><p>The results indicate that none of the companies in this study followed the internationalization process suggested by the Establishment Chain and the Psychic Distance. However, the examined companies in this study internationalized as suggested by the Basic Mechanism of Internationalization.</p><p>There is limited research on the internationalization processes of Swedish SMEs in the service sector when entering the Indian market. Subsequently, this study has contributed theoretically to exploring what factors are of importance for Swedish SMEs in the service sector when entering India. Furthermore, it has possibly contributed to the initial step of further research within the field of SMEs internationalization processes, should further research be conducted involving various internationalization models. In addition, this study has contributed by strengthening the existing research regarding the Uppsala Internationalization Model.</p><p>A suggestion to future research is to explore various existing internationalization models and to investigate what aspects of each model is applicable to Swedish SMEs.</p>

Background: In the existing branding literature there is no distinction made between theories for building product- and services brands although services have very different characteristics compared to products. The services characteristics imply that the customer has a high need of reassurance that the right brand choice is being made, which ought to bring forth the role of trust in the relationship between the customer and the service brand. Purpose: The purpose is to analyze the process of building a service brand and the role of trust in this process. Delimitations: The study will include the financial service sector since the complexity of services is brought to its head in this case. Realization: In total, 13 interviews were conducted with company representatives at SEB and Östgöta Brandstodsbolag, a Brand Consultant and customers of financial service companies. Results: We suggest that when it comes to the process of building a service brand, the emphasis of the elementsdiffer somewhat compared to the building of product brands, where the emphasis is put on brand identity and in particular trust. When it comes to trust, a positive reputation could initially serve to signal trust but it is the actual encounter with the staff that determines the trustworthiness of the service brand.

In todays competitive business climate the concept of “quality management” is a significant part of daily work for many companies, as they want to achieve high performance quality and delivery success. Within the services sector third-party logistics companies play an increasingly central role when it comes to the goods that are being transported. These companies are presented with continuous challenges to ensure that goods are loaded on trucks efficiently and delivered on time, at the right place and in the right condition. The present case study was conducted in collaboration with Schenker AB and Schenker Åkeri in Jönköping, to help these two company branches serving under the same major corporation to solve a common problem they both encounter, namely the fact that it regularly occurs handling abnormalities in the terminal process that affects overall quality for customers. The study aims to find out how the daily quality control concerning the handling of goods in the terminal process can be improved hopefully resulting in a higher quality in cargo shipments. The aim of the study was approached by trying to answer the following two questions: What are the causes of management deviations in the terminal process and how can these be grouped into different classes? How can quality control be changed to prevent these handling deviations? The approach has consisted of a parallel collection of data and theory in order to continuously relate data and theory to find a coherent context for the problems that these branches are facing. Primary data has been obtained through observations and interviews from both branches. Secondary data was collected through a survey conducted by Schenker Åkeri regarding information flow in the present situation and the desired position of drivers. The results of the inquiry have shown that most of the deviations in the terminal process occur when the operator performs a task incorrectly, also known as handling errors. Furthermore, the study has shown that the information given regarding certain operations has been inadequate and not sufficiently clear, thus this has shown to be one of the reasons that handling errors occur. As a result, the framework for all proposed meetings was prepared with guidelines regarding what the meeting should include for the respective departments, as well as important advice to remember while performing a lean meeting. To correct and avoid handling errors that occur on an operational level, it is recommended the information architecture be improved. Thus, this was elaborated in the form of regular meetings based on the Lean philosophy between labor management level and operational level. Deviations are prevented also by a standardized approach, and visualized and distinct markup for what may be placed at any location. A significant aspect of a company is to create commitment and motivation of all employees at all levels. Collaboration between the two company branches is important when working in close proximity, meaning that the actions of one branch of the company will affect the others, and vice verse. In conclusion, we recommend that the branches work together to create a common vision applied within both Schenker AB and Schenker Åkeri. "Community and collaboration creates quality and customer value!" / I dagsläget är kvalitetsstyrning en betydelsefull del av det dagliga arbetet för många företag då de vill uppnå hög kvalitet och leveranssäkerhet. Inom tjänstesektorn spelar tredjepartslogistikföretag en allt centralare roll vid transport av gods. Dessa företag står för ständiga utmaningar att säkerställa så att godsl astas på transportbilarna och levereras i rätt tid, till rätt plats och i rätt form. Denna fallstudie har genomförts på Schenker AB och Schenker Åkeri i Jönköping. De står inför ett gemensamt problem då det löpande uppstår hanteringsavvikelser i terminalprocessen som påverkar totalkvaliteten för kunderna. Syftet med studien är att ta reda på hur den dagliga kvalitetsstyrningen beträffande godshantering i terminalprocessen kan utvecklas för att leda till en högre kvalitet i styckegodsleveranserna. Syftet har brutits ner till två frågeställningar: Vilka är orsakerna till hanteringsavvikelserna i terminalprocessen och kan dessaindelas i kategorier? Hur kan kvalitetsstyrningen förändras för att förebygga dessa hanteringsavvikelser? Tillvägagångssättet har varit att parallellt samla in data och granska teorier för att kontinuerligt referera dessa med varandra och finna sammanhang. Primärdata har införskaffats via observationer och intervjuer på båda verksamheterna. Sekundärdata har samlats in i form av en enkätundersökning utförd av Schenker Åkeri angående informationsflödet i nuläge och önskat läge bland chaufförerna. Resultatet från undersökningarna har visat att de flesta avvikelserna i terminalprocessen uppstår då operatören utfört arbetsuppgiften på ett felaktigt sätt, även kallat handhavandefel. Vidare har studien visat att informationen inom verksamheterna har varit bristfällig och inte tillräckligt tydlig i vissa fall, vilket därmed konstaterats är en av orsakerna till att handhavandefel uppstår. Ramverk för samtliga föreslagna möten har upprättats med riktlinjer för vad mötet ska innehålla på respektive avdelning samt betydelsefulla råd att tänka på vid ett lean-möte. För att åtgärda handhavandefel som uppstår på en operativ nivå rekommenderas en förbättrad informationsstruktur. Informationsstrukturen har utvecklats med regelbundna möten baserat på Lean-filosofin mellan arbetsledarnivå och operativ nivå. Avvikelser förebyggs också genom ett standardiserat arbetssätt samt visualiserad och distinkt uppmärkning för vad som får placeras på vilken plats. Betydelsefullt för ett företag är att skapa engagemang och motivation hos samtliga medarbetare på alla nivåer. Ett samarbete mellan de båda verksamheterna är också viktigt då de arbetar nära varandra och den enas handling kommer att påverka den andras. I och med detta rekommenderar vi en gemensam vision och motto som bör tillämpas inom Schenker AB och Schenker Åkeri. Det är viktigt att visionen implementeras i hela organisationen och att den efterföljs. ”Gemenskap och samarbete skapar kvalitet och kundvärde!”

While the amount of textual data available to us is constantly increasing, managing the texts by human effort is clearly inadequate for the volume and complexity of the information involved. Consequently, requirement for automated extraction of useful knowledge from huge amounts of textual data to assist human analysis is apparent. Text mining (TM) is mostly an automated technique that aims to discover knowledge from textual data. In this thesis, the notion of text mining, its techniques, applications are presented. In particular, the study provides the definition and overview of concepts in text categorization. This would include document representation models, weighting schemes, feature selection methods, feature extraction, performance measure and machine learning techniques. The thesis details the functionality of text mining as a quality improvement tool. It carries out an extensive survey of text mining applications within service sector and manufacturing industry. It presents two broad experimental studies tackling the potential use of text mining for the hotel industry (the comment card analysis), and in automobile manufacturer (miles per gallon analysis). Keywords: Text Mining, Text Categorization, Quality Improvement, Service Sector, Manufacturing Industry.

Increasing globalization and decreasing trade barriers have created opportunities for Swedish companies to establish their activities in India. The aim with this dissertation is to explore if Swedish SMEs in the service sector follow the process suggested by the Uppsala Internationalization Model when establishing their activities in India. In order to find out if Swedish SMEs in the service sector follow the process suggested by the Uppsala Internationalization Model, a multiple case study was conducted, adopting a qualitative approach. Three Swedish SMEs in the IT industry, that have successfully established their activities on the Indian market, were interviewed. The results indicate that none of the companies in this study followed the internationalization process suggested by the Establishment Chain and the Psychic Distance. However, the examined companies in this study internationalized as suggested by the Basic Mechanism of Internationalization. There is limited research on the internationalization processes of Swedish SMEs in the service sector when entering the Indian market. Subsequently, this study has contributed theoretically to exploring what factors are of importance for Swedish SMEs in the service sector when entering India. Furthermore, it has possibly contributed to the initial step of further research within the field of SMEs internationalization processes, should further research be conducted involving various internationalization models. In addition, this study has contributed by strengthening the existing research regarding the Uppsala Internationalization Model. A suggestion to future research is to explore various existing internationalization models and to investigate what aspects of each model is applicable to Swedish SMEs.

Submitted by Maria Creuza Silva (mariakreuza@yahoo.com.br) on 2013-05-14T13:47:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Eliane Sales. 2009.pdf: 1048115 bytes, checksum: 8d0649e6a5b1c164e8e4e6745ed1a3e7 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Maria Creuza Silva(mariakreuza@yahoo.com.br) on 2013-05-14T13:47:48Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Eliane Sales. 2009.pdf: 1048115 bytes, checksum: 8d0649e6a5b1c164e8e4e6745ed1a3e7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-05-14T13:47:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Eliane Sales. 2009.pdf: 1048115 bytes, checksum: 8d0649e6a5b1c164e8e4e6745ed1a3e7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Esta tese apresenta o resultado da investigação sobre assédio moral no trabalho e Transtornos Mentais Comuns TMC entre trabalhadores de uma empresa do setor de serviços, especializada em serviços de limpeza. Nesta pesquisa foram desenvolvidos três estudos em forma de artigos. O primeiro de corte transversal, de caráter exploratório, para análise da prevalência de assédio moral no trabalho na população estudada. Foram identificadas também, condições de maior vulnerabilidade social entre os sujeitos expostos ao assédio moral. A definição de caso foi feita a partir do uso do Questionário de Atos Negativos QuAN, uma versão brasileira do Negative Acts Questionnaire NAQ, a partir da referência de exposição semanal ou diária. O segundo artigo, correspondeu a um estudo exploratório realizado a partir da aplicação do QuAN, com vistas a analisar os atos negativos mais frequentemente relatados e as médias de respostas positivas aos atos, conforme o status sócio-demográfico e ocupacional dos trabalhadores. Apresentou-se ainda, o perfil dos sujeitos considerados perpetradores. O terceiro estudo, com desenho tipo corte transversal, de caráter confirmatório objetivou verificar a associação entre assédio moral no trabalho e Transtorno Mentais Comuns. Para estabelecer a variável dependente utilizou-se o Self Report Questionnaire-20 SRQ-20. Os resultados das análises procedidas nos três artigos, apontam para uma prevalência elevada de assédio entre os trabalhadores, compatível com achados de pesquisas de base populacional. Os atos negativos direcionados ao campo profissional foram referidos mais frequentemente. Observou-se por fim, uma forte associação entre assédio moral no trabalho e transtornos mentais comuns, mesmo quando ajustada por fatores sócio-demográficos e ocupacionais. Evidenciou-se que o tempo na empresa pode implicar em maiores chances dos indivíduos assediados apresentarem TMC. A discussão sobre a ocorrência e o impacto do assédio moral no trabalho na saúde mental dos trabalhadores deve ser fomentada com vista à busca de soluções para um problema que já se delineia como questão de saúde pública no Brasil. / Salvador