In an increasingly competitive market, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) resources are essential and strategic in organizations. Today, the use of ICTs is a matter of business survival. In the same way that organizations and the market are constantly changing, ICTs are constantly evolving, and it is no longer conceivable to treat them only as support resources, but also as a strategic resource, with risks to the business and being known by all. Consequently, the use of technological resources must be in line with business objectives. It is therefore necessary to identify how organizations are promoting the alignment of ICT strategies with business strategies and how issues of risk and ICT communication and transparency are being addressed. The present work investigated, after the application of an electronic questionnaire (survey) to the Chief Information Officers sergipanos, how the ICT governance practices are adopted by the companies and how they are the planning and the strategic alignment between ICT and business. As a result, there was a lack of organizations in risk management, communication processes and strategic alignment between ICT and business, as well as found that the main ICT governance practices used were own or customized ICT Strategic Planning, ITIL, PMBOK and BSC. In addition to the ICT governance practices cited, there are other methodologies and frameworks that propose efficient management of ICT objectives, aligned with the organizational strategy, among them the PETIC Methodology, developed by the Federal University of Sergipe. In this scenario, improvements are proposed in the PETIC Methodology, incorporating in its scope risk management and communication management and ICT transparency, enabling an ICT assessment that is efficient and in line with the strategic business objectives. In order to demonstrate the supposition that the inclusion of risk management and communication and transparency in the PETIC Methodology allows for the elaboration of an ICT PE more aligned with the business objectives, a case study was applied in a Sergipe company and, through Qualitative and quantitative analyzes of the metrics previously defined, the improvement in the elaboration of the strategic planning of ICT and in the management of risks and communication and transparency. / Em um mercado cada vez mais competitivo os recursos de Tecnologia da Informação e Comunicação (TIC) são essenciais e estratégicos nas organizações. Atualmente, o uso das TICs é uma questão de sobrevivência do negócio. Da mesma forma que as organizações e o mercado estão em constantes mudanças, as TICs estão em constante evolução, não sendo mais concebível tratá-las apenas como recursos de apoio, mas também como um recurso estratégico, com riscos para o negócio e sendo conhecido por todos. Consequentemente, o emprego dos recursos tecnológicos deve estar alinhado com os objetivos do negócio. Faz-se necessário, então, identificar como as organizações estão promovendo o alinhamento das estratégias de TIC com as estratégias do negócio e como estão sendo tratadas as questões dos riscos e da comunicação e transparência de TIC. O presente trabalho investigou, após a aplicação de um questionário eletrônico (survey) aos Chiefs Information Officer sergipanos, como as práticas de governança de TIC são adotadas pelas empresas e como se encontram o planejamento e o alinhamento estratégico entre TIC e negócio. Como resultado, observou-se uma carência das organizações na gestão de riscos, dos processos de comunicação e do alinhamento estratégico entre TIC e negócio, bem como se constatou que as principais práticas de governança da TIC utilizadas foram Planejamento Estratégico de TIC próprio ou customizado, ITIL, PMBOK e BSC. Além das práticas de governança de TIC citadas, existem outras metodologias e frameworks que propõem a gestão eficiente dos objetivos de TIC, alinhados com a estratégia organização, dentre elas a Metodologia PETIC, desenvolvida pela Universidade Federal de Sergipe. Neste cenário, são propostas melhorias na Metodologia PETIC, incorporando ao seu escopo a gestão de riscos e gestão da comunicação e transparência de TIC, possibilitando uma avaliação de TIC eficiente e alinhada com os objetivos estratégicos do negócio. Para evidenciar a suposição apresentada que a inclusão da gestão de riscos e de comunicação e transparência na Metodologia PETIC permitem a elaboração de um PE de TIC mais alinhado com os objetivos do negócio um estudo de caso foi aplicado em uma empresa sergipana e, por meio de análises qualitativas e quantitativas das métricas previamente definidas, constatou-se o aprimoramento na elaboração do planejamento estratégico de TIC e na gestão dos riscos e da comunicação e transparência.

Submitted by Marcia Silva (marcia@latec.uff.br) on 2015-10-29T13:57:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 dissert Maria Celeste de Carvalho Ressiguier Ribeiro.pdf: 12817772 bytes, checksum: b23ae40921877e1329e6a70604a1f9fe (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-10-29T13:57:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissert Maria Celeste de Carvalho Ressiguier Ribeiro.pdf: 12817772 bytes, checksum: b23ae40921877e1329e6a70604a1f9fe (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-06-14 / Este trabalho desenvolve um modelo para a seleção de propostas de projetos de pesquisa, básica e aplicada, com o apoio de método multicritério à decisão, já existente. Como método multicritério, é aplicado o Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), combinando as mensurações relativa e absoluta, para ajudar os gestores do IF Fluminense, na área de pesquisa. O modelo proposto visa à priorização e seleção de projetos que atendam, satisfatoriamente, aos propósitos da instituição e aos requisitos exigidos para cada pesquisa científica. Trata-se de um problema complexo de decisão, que envolve a avaliação de um grande número de projetos julgados em vários critérios, em sua maioria, qualitativos. O problema é tratado em duas etapas de seleção. A primeira etapa visa à seleção dos projetos mais satisfatoriamente alinhados aos objetivos da instituição. Os projetos selecionados na primeira etapa servem de entrada para a segunda etapa, onde tais projetos são pontuados segundo os requisitos da pesquisa. Em cada etapa utiliza-se método AHP aplicando a mensuração relativa e absoluta. O AHP mensuração relativa é aplicado para determinar o peso de contribuição dos critérios para atingimento do objetivo geral. A mensuração absoluta serve para avaliar os projetos em cada critério. Finalmente, cada projeto é pontuado com a soma ponderada que consiste no somatório dos produtos do peso relativo de cada critério pela mensuração absoluta atribuída ao projeto no mesmo critério. Para tanto, utilizou-se como procedimento de pesquisa o estudo de caso, baseando-se num estudo exploratório. O trabalho envolveu pesquisa bibliográfica sobre diversos assuntos, tais como, gerenciamento de portfólio de projetos, apoio multicritério à decisão e aplicação dos métodos de apoio multicritério à decisão na seleção de projetos, a fim de conhecer o estado de arte sobre a utilização de tais métodos na seleção de projetos. Assim como, fez uma breve revisão da literatura sobre os critérios de avaliação considerados na pesquisa científica, a fim de ajudar na estruturação dos critérios utilizados na avaliação dos projetos. Também, baseou-se em pesquisa documental e entrevistas não estruturadas, a fim de compreender melhor o problema. A autora concluiu que o modelo proposto contribuiu para melhorar o processo decisório e proporcionou um processo de seleção mais simples e eficaz. O resultado do trabalho permitiu a escolha de projetos baseado na melhor contribuição de tais projetos para o alcance dos objetivos institucionais e para o melhor cumprimento dos requisitos exigidos para cada pesquisa. / This work develops a model for selection of proposals for research projects, basic and applied, with the support of multi-criteria decision method, already exists. How multicriteria method is applied Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), combining the relative and absolute measurements, to help managers of IF Fluminense, in the search area. The proposed model aims at prioritizing and selecting projects that may match satisfactorily the purposes of the institution and the requirements demanded for each scientific research. This is a complex decision problem, which involves the evaluation of a large number of projects judged on several criteria, mostly qualitative. The problem is treated in two stages of selection. The first step aims at selecting projects more satisfactorily aligned to the objectives of the institution. The projects selected in the first stage serve as input to the second stage, where such projects are scored according to the requirements of the research. At each step, it uses AHP applying the relative and absolute measurement. The AHP relative measurement is used to determine the weight of contribution of the criteria for achieving the overall goal. The absolute measurement serves to evaluate the projects in each criterion. Finally, each project is scored with a weighted sum consisting of the sum of the products of the relative weight of each criterion for absolute measurement assigned to the project on the same criteria. For this, we used the procedure as a research case study, based on an exploratory study. The work involved bibliographic research on various subjects such as project portfolio management, multicriteria decision support and application of the methods of multicriteria decision support in the selection of projects in order to know the state of art about the use of such methods in selecting projects. Just as, made a brief literature review on the evaluation criteria used in scientific research, in order to help in structuring the criteria utilized in the evaluation of projects. Also drew on documentary research and unstructured interviews in order to better understand the problem. The author concluded that the proposed model contributed to improving the decision making process and provided a simpler and more effective selection. The result of the work allowed the choice of projects based on the best contribution of such projects to achieve the institutional goals and to better compliance with requirements demanded for each research project.

Abstract Software and ICT companies fail due less to technological factors than socioorganizational factors, among which the most common is unrealistic goals and objectives. The socioorganizational factors are present in companies and organizations of all sizes. Organizations need to know whether their goals and strategies are working and whether the strategies are effectively providing a reasonable return on investment for the effort that is being applied, i.e. to understand how valuable they are for the organization. In addition, organizations need to recognize what the risks are in achieving those goals and evaluate their probability. And, when goals are set properly then they have directive and energizing functions, they tend to utilize available resources better and serve as activators of cognitive processes and knowledge sharing cycles. In this dissertation the GQM+Strategies approach was used. The approach was designed to help organizations to align goal-driven measurement schemes, i.e. GQM, with organizational goal hierarchy. The extensions developed in this dissertation (i.e., the solution proposed here) evolve the GQM+Strategies approach by providing an organization with capabilities to: (1) apply the work of value-based software engineering to directly address the return on investment (ROI) of their goals and strategies via evaluation of the costs and benefits of the goals and strategies chosen, (2) calculate a set of earned value metrics that allows organizations to effectively monitor the implementation of the organizational goals and strategies, (3) identify the risks associated with not achieving various sub-goals in a grid by analyzing goal risk exposures and acceptable risk levels, and (4) assess the threats of risky goals on other goals in the grid via evaluation of goal dependencies using the formal goal-strategies-goals models. The GQM+Strategies approach was piloted in four different organizations involving more than 60 participants. The feedback from the participants was used to identify the research questions posed in this dissertation. The research approach (solution development process) adopted the design science framework and utilized analytical and empirical paradigms in different phases of the solution development. The analytical paradigms were used for solution development and evaluation, while empirical paradigms where used for evaluating certain aspects of the solution. / Tiivistelmä Ohjelmisto- ja tietotekniikkayritysten epäonnistumiset johtuvat useimmin sosio-organisationaalisista tekijöistä kuin teknologisista tekijöistä. Näistä sosio-organisationaalisista tekijöistä yleisin on epärealististen tavoitteiden asettaminen. Sosio-organisatoriset tekijät ovat läsnä kaiken kokoisissa yrityksissä ja organisaatioissa. Organisaatioiden tulee tietää ovatko heidän tavoitteensa ja strategiansa toimivia ja tarjoavatko heidän strategiansa kohtuullisen tuoton suhteessa käytettyihin investointeihin. Toisin sanoen, organisaatioiden tulee ymmärtää kuinka arvokkaita heidän strategiansa ovat. Tämän lisäksi organisaatioiden täytyy kyetä tunnistamaan riskit asetettujen tavoitteiden saavuttamisessa sekä arvioimaan näiden riskien todennäköisyys. Kun tavoitteet on asetettu asianmukaisesti niillä on ohjaava ja energisoiva vaikutus. Ne sekä ohjaavat hyödyntämään tehokkaammin käytettävissä olevia rerursseja että toimivat kognitiivisten prosessien ja tiedonjakosyklien aktivaattoreina. Tässä väitöskirjassa käytettiin GQM+Strategies lähestymistapaa. Tämä lähestymistapa on suunniteltu auttamaan organisaatiota linjaamaan tavoitelähtöisiä mittausmenetelmiä, kuten GQM, organisaation tavoitehierarkian suhteen. Tässä väitöskirjassa esitetty laajennus kehittää GQM+Strategies lähestymistapaa tarjoamalla organisaatioille kyvykkyyksiä: (1) soveltaa arvoperustaisen ohjelmistotuotannon menetelmiä tavoitteiden ja strategioiden investoinnin tuottojen tarkasteluihin arvioimalla valittujen tavoitteiden ja strategioiden kustannuksia ja hyötyjä, (2) laskea joukko saavutetun arvon mittareita jotka mahdollistavat organisaatioille toteutettujen organisationaalisten tavoitteiden ja strategioiden tehokkaan seurannan, (3) identifioida riskejä jotka liittyvät eri alitavoitteiden saavuttamattomuuteen analysoimalla tavoiteriskeihin altistumista ja hyväksyttäviä riskitasoja ja (4) arvioida riskejä sisältävien tavoitteiden uhkia suhteessa muihin tavoitteisiin arvioimalla tavoitteiden riippuvuuksia käyttäen formaaleja tavoite-strategiat-tavoite -malleja. GQM+Strategies lähestymistapaa pilotoitiin neljässä organisaatiossa yhteensä yli 60 osallistujan kanssa. Tutkimuksen osallistujilta saatua palautetta käytettiin väitöskirjan tutkimuskysymysten identifiointiin. Tutkimuksen lähestymistavassa (ratkaisun kehittämisprosessi) sovellettiin design science -kehikkoa ja ratkaisun kehittämisen eri vaiheissa hyödynnettiin analyyttisiä ja empiirisiä paradigmoja. Analyyttisiä paradigmoja käytettiin ratkaisun kehittämisessä ja arvioinnissa ja empiirisiä paradigmoja ratkaisujen määrättyjen aspektien arvioinnissa.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-08T15:34:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 B_Andrea Paiva.pdf: 453869 bytes, checksum: ac1632b2df117e5509b3cf3be9b84281 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-12-15 / The Information Technology (IT) has an important function in the communication and in competencies generation in the organizations, however, the simple use of the IT is not a competitive differential anymore, the differential is the way as the organizations use it. It is necessary to use it by strategic ways to generate value to the business. Another subject that is much discussed in academic researches, and each time more used by the companies, is the outsourcing of IT resources, more specifically, information systems outsourcing. As main objective, this study proposes to verify the influence that the outsourcing strategy of information systems has on the alignment between the business strategy and IT strategy. The research method used is the case study, being the data collection carried through the analysis of documents and interviews with directors of business and IT areas, based in the models of alignment between business and IT strategy and the theories related with the information systems outsourcing identified in literature. The Alfa Financial Conglomerate was chosen for the accomplishment of the field research, for filling the criteria of selection of organizations for this research, therefore it presents solid experience in IT outsourcing processes. The outsourcing experience is common to the entire financial conglomerate, due to the fact that the IT administration is common to all companies of the group. It is verified for the presented data, adherence to the models of Luftman (2000) and Reich and Benbasat (2000) and is concluded that the Alfa Financial Conglomerate presents high level of strategic alignment between business and IT, not being in its totality an optimized process, however, walking for such classification. Moreover, the influence that the outsourcing strategy of information systems exerts on the alignment is more strongly identified in the application of the model of Luftman (2000). As conclusion have been proposed bases for a model of alignment between business and IT strategy that complain the junction of the variants identified by Luftman (2000) and Reich and Benbasat (2000) for such use, giving emphasis to the ones that makes possible to identify the influence of the information systems outsourcing in the alignment. As theoretical contribution, it is believed that the realized research has allowed not only the test of the models, but also qualitative advances that can support new proposals and research of bigger amplitude and refinement with the inclusion of a new variable: the information systems outsourcing. In terms of practical contributions, is expected that this research has collaborated validating and stimulating the use of a tool for the taking of decisions regarding the information systems outsourcing, in such way that this decision does not harm and, been preferentially used in benefit of the alignment between the business and IT strategy. / A Tecnologia de Informação (TI) tem papel importante na comunicação e na geração de competências nas organizações, porém, o simples uso da tecnologia de informação não é mais um diferencial competitivo, o diferencial fica por conta do modo como as organizações a empregam. É preciso usá-la de forma estratégica para gerar valor ao negócio. Outro tema bastante abordado nas pesquisas acadêmicas, e cada vez mais utilizado pelas empresas, é a terceirização de recursos de TI, mas especificamente os sistemas de informação. Como principal objetivo, este estudo se propôs a verificar a influência que a estratégia de terceirização de sistemas de informação tem sobre o alinhamento entre estratégia de negócios e de TI. O método de pesquisa utilizado é o estudo de caso, sendo a coleta de dados realizada por meio de análise de documentos e entrevistas com diretores das áreas de negócio e TI baseadas nos modelos de alinhamento entre estratégia de negócios e de TI e teorias relacionadas com a terceirização de sistemas de informação identificados na literatura. O Conglomerado Financeiro Alfa foi escolhido para a realização da pesquisa de campo, por preencher os critérios de seleção de organizações para esta pesquisa, pois apresenta sólida experiência com processos de terceirização de TI. A experiência de terceirização é comum a todo o conglomerado financeiro, pois a administração de TI é comum a todas as empresas do grupo. Verifica-se pelos dados apresentados, aderência aos modelos de Luftman (2000) e Reich e Benbasat (2000) e conclui-se que o Conglomerado Financeiro Alfa apresenta alto nível de alinhamento estratégico entre negócios e TI não sendo ainda em sua totalidade um processo otimizado, porém, caminhando para tal classificação. Além disso, a influência que a estratégia de terceirização de sistemas de informação exerce sobre o alinhamento é identificada mais fortemente na aplicação do modelo de Luftman (2000). Como conclusão foram propostas bases para um modelo de alinhamento entre estratégia de negócios e TI que contemplam a junção das variáveis identificadas por Luftman (2000) e Reich e Benbasat (2000) para tal fim, destacando as que possibilitam identificar a influência da terceirização de sistemas de informação no alinhamento. Como contribuição teórica, acredita-se que a pesquisa realizada permitiu não somente o teste dos modelos como também avanços qualitativos que se prestam a alicerçar novas proposições e pesquisas de maior amplitude e refinamento com a inclusão de uma nova variável: a terceirização de sistemas de informação. Em termos de contribuições práticas, espera-se que esta pesquisa tenha colaborado validando e estimulando o uso de uma ferramenta para a tomada de decisões a respeito da terceirização de sistemas de informação de forma que tal decisão não prejudique e, preferencialmente seja usada em favor do alinhamento entre estratégia de negócios e de TI.

In the global economy of the 21st century, competition is complex, challenging and fraught with competitive opportunities and threats. Strategic leadership is increasingly becoming the main focus for business and academics alike and is the key issue facing contemporary organisations. Without effective strategic leadership, the capability of a company to achieve or sustain a competitive advantage is greatly constrained. More than 30 years of Harvard Business School research have shown that aligned and integrated companies outperform their nearest competitors by every major financial measure. The organisational effectiveness emanating from alignment is a significant competitive advantage. Alignment is that optimal state in which strategy, employees, customers and key processes work in concert to propel growth and profits. Aligned organisations enjoy greater customer and employee satisfaction and produce superior results. Can leadership make a difference? Some leaders do, some do not - and many more could. Effective strategic leadership can thus help organisations enhance performance while competing in turbulent and unpredictable environments. However, there has been little empirical evidence of the effects of strategic level leadership on organisational processes that have distinctive strategic significance. A greater understanding of the criteria that influence success in organisations will enable organisations to take positive action to become more successful. iv This study examines the importance of critical leadership criteria and the degree of alignment in high-performing organisations. A quantitative research design was used in this study to assess the impact of strategic leadership on strategic alignment of business organisations in South Africa. The research instruments to test the research questions comprised two questionnaires. The first was used to establish the value top leadership place on selected critical leadership criteria, and the second to establish the level of alignment in the organisations under investigation. The population selected for this study consisted of the companies included in the 200 top-performing organisations which appeared in the 2007 Financial Mail. Six companies participated in the research. The data was electronically collated into a database and the results were then analysed using the statistical inferential techniques of correlation and linear regression analysis. The study proposes that strategic leadership will positively influence strategic alignment which, in turn, will have a beneficial effect on organisational performance. / Graduate School for Business Leadership / D. B. L.

This dissertation proposes two novel ideas to enhance the business strategy alignment to customer needs. The proposed business alignment clock is a new illustration to the relationships between customer requirements, business strategies, capabilities and processes. To line up the clock and reach the needed alignment for the enterprise, a proposed clock mechanism is introduced. The mechanism integrates the Enterprise Business Architecture (EBA) with the House of Quality (HoQ). The relationship matrix inside the body of the house is defined using multivariate data analysis techniques to accurately measure the strength of the relationships rather than defining them subjectively. A statistical tool, multivariate data analysis, can be used to overcome the ambiguity in quantifying the relationships in the house of quality matrix. The framework is proposed in the basic conceptual model context of the EBA showing different levels of the enterprise architecture; the goals, the capabilities and the value stream architecture components. In the proposed framework, the goals and the capabilities are inputs to two houses of quality, in which the alignment between customer needs and business goals, and the alignment between business goals and capabilities are checked in the first house and the second house, respectively. The alignment between the business capabilities and the architecture components (workflows, events and environment) is checked in a third HoQ using the performance indicators of the value stream architecture components, which may result in infrastructure expansion, software development or process improvement to reach the needed alignment by the enterprise. The value of the model was demonstrated using the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) process at the Industrial Engineering and Management Systems department at the University of Central Florida. The assessment of ABET criteria involves an evaluation of the extent to which the program outcomes are being achieved and results in decisions and actions to improve the Industrial Engineering program at the University of Central Florida. The proposed framework increases the accuracy of measuring the extent to which the program learning outcomes have been achieved at the department. The process of continuous alignment between the educational objectives and customer needs becomes more vital by the rapid change of customer requirements that are obtained from both internal and external constituents (students, faculty, alumni, and employers in the first place).

Purpose - The purpose of the current study was to gain a broader understanding of corporate sustainability strategy formulation and implementation in multi-business organizations. Specifically, regarding how to succeed with efficiency, alignment and consensus across strategic levels. Method - The study was conducted through a single case study in a multi-business organization operating in the defense sector globally. A qualitative method with 18 semi-structured interviews to collect data was used to gain a broad contextual understanding of the research questions. The data was inductively analyzed through thematic analysis. Findings - The primary findings of the study are 18 themes of drivers and challenges for successfully formulating and implementing corporate sustainability strategies in multi-business organizations. Considering the drivers and challenges, distinctions between the strategic levels were outlined, and predominantly indicated that the role of the corporate level enables the success. Additionally, a visual understanding of four contradictions that needs to be managed by the corporate level was provided - autonomy and compliance, cooperation and competition, exploitation and exploration, communication bottom-up and top-down. Theoretical and practical implications - The study has contributed theoretically by increasing the knowledge regarding drivers and challenges for formulation and implementation of corporate sustainability strategies in multi-business organizations. Further, the study contributes with managerial support by illustrating distinctions of the key drivers and challenges between the strategic levels, and by visualizing the strategic contradictions that needs to be balanced by the corporate level, to manage corporate sustainability strategies in multi-business organizations successfully. Limitations & Future research - The research concerned the strategic management process, with a focus on the internal organization, whereas the findings revealed the significance of incorporating an external perspective. Thus, future research could further investigate the exchange with external stakeholders. Moreover, this research was limited by being a single case study, and in future research it would be interesting to investigate other industries. / Syfte – Syftet med den här studien var att öka förståelsen kring formulering och implementering av hållbarhetsstrategier i fler-företagsorganisationer. Specifikt gällande hur man lyckas med effektivitet, en gemensam inriktning och konsensus, genom de strategiska nivåerna av ett sådant företag. Metod – Studien har genomförts som en fallstudie på en fler-företagsorganisation inom försvarsindustrin, som finns globalt över hela världen. En kvalitativ metod med 18 semi-strukturerade intervjuer för att samla in data användes för att öka den kontextuella förståelsen av forskningsfrågorna. Den insamlade informationen var sedan induktivt analyserad genom tematisk analys. Resultat – Resultatet av studien var primärt 18 teman av drivkrafter och utmaningar för att framgångsrikt lyckas med hållbarhetsstrategier i fler-företagsorganisationer. Gällande drivkrafterna och utmaningarna har också skillnader mellan de strategiska nivåerna blivit överskådliga, vilka tydligt visar på att företagsnivån spelar den mest avgörande rollen för att lyckas. Dessutom har en visuell förståelse för fyra strategiska motsägelser som behöver hanteras av företagsnivån blivit tillhandahållen – autonomi och efterlevnad, samarbete och tävlan, kortsiktighet och långsiktighet, kommunikation nerifrån-och-upp och uppifrån-och-ner.  Teoretiskt och praktiskt bidrag – Studien har bidragit teoretiskt genom att öka kunskapen kring drivkrafter och utmaningar för formulering och implementering av hållbarhetsstrategier i fler-företagsorganisationer. Vidare bidrar studien med praktiskt stöd genom att illustrera skillnader mellan de framträdande drivkrafterna och utmaningarna mellan dom strategiska nivåerna, och genom att visualisera de strategiska motsägelserna som behöver balanseras av företagsnivån, för att lyckas med hållbarhetsstrategier i fler-företagsorganisationer. Begränsningar och framtida forskning – Studien hade ett fokus på den interna organisationen gällande den strategiska lednings processen, men resultatet visade på att ett externt perspektiv också är högst relevant. Så, framtida forskning skulle vidare kunna undersöka utbytet med externa intressenter. Dessutom så har den här studien blivit begränsad av att vara en fallstudie på endast ett företag, framtida forskning skulle kunna vidare undersöka andra industrier.

Queensland University of Technology has radically restructured the top-level governance systems for information technology planning and management. Additionally, QUT has integrated information technology planning and management with physical infrastructure planning and management via the Asset Management Plan. To complete the approach, QUT has instigated a top-level governance committee for IT to ensure alignment with organisational goals and strategies. This is an unusual development for IT planning and management at an Australian university and attracted attention from the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) as well as other universities in the Australian tertiary education sector and led to the research study. This research studies the redevelopment of the information technology planning and management approach. The survey research determines the level of integration of IT and university planning, and the correlation of this integration to effectiveness of IT planning. The case study documents the changes, highlights the advantages and disadvantages of the new approach and provides a model for change in IT management at other Australian universities. It is evident from current literature on information technology management and strategic planning that these developments are validated as steps toward achieving best practice in information technology planning and management. Through rigorous conduct of interviews, observations and review of documentation and through application of a survey questionnaire to a defined population, the research reviews the developments and ongoing implementation of the planning and management infrastructure. Among the outcomes from the new approach are better alignment of information technology investment with QUT goals and objectives, better benefits realisation from information technology investment, better project management of information technology development and innovation, and increased flexibility and accountability in information technology expenditure. Finally, a comparison to other information technology planning and management methods in place at Australian universities demonstrates the uniqueness of the QUT approach. The thesis reports the benefits and difficulties associated with this approach, and provides a context for future development of IT planning, management and governance at QUT.

Cette thèse en sciences de gestion a pour objet de prendre la mesure du rôle du système d’information dans le déclenchement et la propagation des difficultés que rencontrent les petites et moyennes entreprises du secteur agro-alimentaire en France. Nous étudions le lien entre le désalignement des usages du système d’information et les difficultés que peuvent rencontrer les PME.Le terrain est constitué, d’un côté, par des enquêtes d’entreprises qui permettent de construire un indicateur synthétique de performances et, de l’autre côté, par l’enquête COI-TIC de 2006 dont nous obtenons quatre jeux d’indicateurs liés à l’usage du système d’information.À l’aide d’une démarche compréhensive, nous caractérisons ainsi le rôle du système d’information et son désalignement dans les dynamiques de performances. Nous montrons, au cas des PME des IAA, notamment l’importance de la coordination électronique (inter entreprise et entre les parties prenantes) et la place majeure des changements impliquant des projets informatiques. Enfin, les entreprises, quelles que soient leurs performances, rencontrent d’importantes difficultés d’appropriation des usages du système d’information. / The purpose of this thesis in management science is to assess the role of Information Systems in triggering and propagating the kind of problems faced by small and medium-sized enterprises in the food industry in France. The thesis will explore the relationship between misalignments in the uses of Information Systems and the difficulties with which SMEs are often confronted.The field of research is composed, on the one hand, of company surveys, used to elaborate a composite performance indicator, and on the other, the 2006 COI-TIC survey, from which four sets of indicators concerning the uses of Information Systems were extrapolated.Applying a comprehensive approach, the thesis defines the impact of the misalignment of Information Systems on performance dynamics. It also highlights, notably, the importance for SMEs in the food industry of IT coordination between companies and between those companies and their stakeholders, and examines the central role of changes involving IT projects. Lastly, regardless of their performances, companies face major difficulties in appropriating uses of Information Systems.

Abstract Bringing new products faster to the market is increasingly critical. To reach this goal, companies have been improving their product development practices and processes. Rapid product development (RaDe) is a type of incremental product development model, in which new sales items are created by redesigning existing products quickly and inexpensively. This study examines the RaDe challenges and enablers, particularly the ones from the perspective of supply management (SM) and product portfolio management (PPM). The main objective of this study is to recognise and describe the significance of mature SM for RaDe, resulting in successful and efficient product ramp-ups and portfolio renewal. The present study follows a qualitative research approach, which consists of reviewing the literature and analysing the relevant practices and current process settings of several companies representing diverse business areas and industry types. The principal results of this study involve acknowledging and describing the role of mature SM and organised PPM for effective RaDe implementation and product portfolio renewal. The study examines the mature SM from the perspective of 1) the definition of the SM objectives; 2) the alignment of the list of recommended products, buy-items and suppliers; 3) the creation of the product design guidelines, targets and metrics from the SM perspective; and 4) the establishment of the supply capability creation process. The main implications of the present study highlight the importance of the SM maturity that can support managers in RaDe related planning and implementation activities. The originality of the study resides in the emphasis of the SM significance in terms of different aspects that are beneficial to RaDe implementation and product portfolio renewal. / Tiivistelmä Uusien tuotteiden tuominen markkinoille nopeasti on enenevissä määrin tärkeää yrityksille. Tämän saavuttamiseksi yritykset ovat pyrkineet parantamaan tuotekehitystoimintojaan ja -prosessejaan. Nopea tuotekehitys (RaDe) on malli inkrementaaliseen tuotekehitykseen, missä myyntinimikkeitä luodaan uudelleen suunnittelemalla jo olemassa olevia tuotteita nopeasti ja halvalla. Tämä tutkimus tarkastelee RaDe -haasteita ja mahdollistajia, erityisesti hankintatoimen johtamisen (SM) ja tuoteportfoliohallinnan (PPM) näkökulmasta. Tutkimuksen ensisijaisena tavoitteena on tunnistaa ja kuvata kypsän hankintatoimen johtamisen ja nopean tuotekehityksen merkittävyys niin onnistuneen kuin tehokkaan markkinoille tuonnin sekä tuoteportfolion uudistamisen mahdollistajana. Laadullinen tutkimus tarkastelee monipuolisia liiketoiminta-alueita ja teollisuusaloja, koostuen sekä kirjallisuuskatsauksesta että useiden eri yritysten niille relevanttien toimintojen ja prosessien analysoinnista. Keskeiset tutkimuksen tulokset osoittavat ja selittävät kypsän hankintatoimen johtamisen ja organisoidun tuoteportfoliohallinnan roolia nopean tuotekehityksen tehokkaassa toteutuksessa sekä tuoteportfolion uudistamisessa. Kypsää hankintatoimen johtamista tutkimus tarkastelee seuraavista perspektiiveistä: 1) hankintatoimen johtamisen tavoitteiden määritys, 2) suositeltujen tuote-, ostoartikkeli- ja toimittajalistojen linjaus, 3) tuotesuunnittelun ohjeistusten, tavoitteiden ja mittareiden luominen hankintatoimen johtamisen näkökulmasta, ja 4) hankintatoimen kyvykkyyden perustamisen luomisprosessi. Tutkimuksen merkittävimmät kontribuutiot organisaatioille korostavat sellaisen kypsän hankintatoimen johtamisen tärkeyttä, mikä tukee johtoa nopean tuotekehityksen suunnittelussa ja toteutuksessa. Uudenlaista näköalaa tutkimukseen tuottaa hankintatoimen johtamisen merkityksen tähdentyminen positioista, jotka ovat suotuisia nopean tuotekehityksen toteutukselle sekä tuoteportfolion uudistumiselle.