Thesis (M.Com. (Management Accounting))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Performance management and goal attainment are two subjects over which thousands of books and articles have been written. The manufacturing sector in South Africa is competitive and companies have to continuously strive to better themselves to meet the ever changing requirements of their customers. What is important to the company of today is that the goals and strategies must be reviewed on a regular basis. The question that can now be asked, is the following: How can corporate goals be attained through the management of the company's performance? The purpose of this study is to establish how companies achieve their set goals through the management of their performance. The focus was not only placed on the financial indicators of performance, but also placed on how the companies manage their non-financial performance. In the current competitive environment in which manufacturing companies find themselves, the importance of non-financial performance has increased to the same level as financial performance. Empirical research was performed by means of a questionnaire and interviews in order to determine how companies operate to achieve their set goals and to arrive at conclusions and recommendations based on this research. It was found that companies give the same amount of attention to the financial and non-financial indicators of performance, but that there is room for improvement in the use of non-financial indicators. There was also found that companies achieve their set goals through the use of performance management. / Thesis (M.Com. (Management Accounting))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Performance management and goal attainment are two subjects over which thousands of books and articles have been written. The manufacturing sector in South Africa is competitive and companies have to continuously strive to better themselves to meet the ever changing requirements of their customers. What is important to the company of today is that the goals and strategies must be reviewed on a regular basis. The question that can now be asked, is the following: How can corporate goals be attained through the management of the company's performance? The purpose of this study is to establish how companies achieve their set goals through the management of their performance. The focus was not only placed on the financial indicators of performance, but also placed on how the companies manage their non-financial performance. In the current competitive environment in which manufacturing companies find themselves, the importance of non-financial performance has increased to the same level as financial performance. Empirical research was performed by means of a questionnaire and interviews in order to determine how companies operate to achieve their set goals and to arrive at conclusions and recommendations based on this research. It was found that companies give the same amount of attention to the financial and non-financial indicators of performance, but that there is room for improvement in the use of non-financial indicators. There was also found that companies achieve their set goals through the use of performance management. / Thesis (M.Com. (Management Accounting))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

In the diploma thesis Strategy map of a catering company the strategic map of a model catering company operating on Czech market has been constructed. Strategy map was chosen as a transparent and effective measure concerning the important parts of the strategy of the concrete company in a way of visual shortcut in line with the well-known methodology: KAPLAN, Robert S., NORTON, David P.: Strategy Maps, Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation, Boston 2004. ISBN 1-59139-134-2. In the theoretical part of this diploma thesis the basic elements important for the construction of the strategy map were described and also the professional services of the catering company were presented. In the practical part the catering market of Czech Republic is analysed and then, on the basis of determined opportunities, the newly founded company VIP Catering is being modelled. This company addresses VIP clients with the offer of first class quality VIP services. Subsequently its mission, vision, SWOT analysis were determined, strategic goals were analysed and divided into four basic perspectives and reliable key performance indicators were suggested. Consequently strategic iniciatives and appropriate organization structure were developped. At the end of the practical part the strategy map for the VIP catering company was designed and the causal relationships among the strategy elements were outlined. The main result of the diploma thesis lies in the originally constructed strategy map on of a newly established catering company operating on Czech market.

Magister Commercii (Information Management) - MCom(IM) / The purpose of the research case study was to assess the current state of alignment of business processes to Provincial Strategic Goals (PSGs) and services in the Provincial Government and to identify the way to align business processes to PSGs and services for an effective e-government implementation. Existing literatures were reviewed in order to identify relevant models to achieve the purpose of the research case study. An empirical research case study and comparative approach were used in order to identify suitable models, by means of strengths and weaknesses of the identified models and discussed. A qualitative research design and methodology was applied while assessing existing models from various literatures. A model to identify the current state of business processes was identified by the researcher and tested to assess the current state of business processes in the Provincial Government in question. There was no existing model to assess the alignment of business processes to Provincial Strategic Goals and services. Alignment elements that were cited by various literatures were used by the researcher to design and propose a Business Process Alignment Model (BPAM). The BPAM was tested and accepted by the Provincial Government where the study was conducted. The research case study predominantly used a qualitative research design and method. The quantitative illustrative approach was applied only to validate the proposed model that was designed by the researcher. A questionnaire was used to conduct interviews with research participants that were selected within the Provincial Government in question. It should further be noted that a quantitative approach was used to illustrate some findings that were analysed by the researcher. Results confirmed that the current state of business processes within the Provincial Government in question was still at level two (repeatable state). Yet the alignment of business processes to Provincial Strategic Goals and services did not exist; this alignment was assessed using the proposed BPAM which was designed by the researcher during this research case study. The effectiveness of e-government services is dependent on proper alignment of business processes and the maturity level of business processes across the organisation. Without proper alignment of business processes, it is a challenge for the public sector organisations to realise effective e-government implementation, not excluding other factors that have been identified by other literatures. This research case study will contribute to the current body of knowledge regarding effective e-government implementation, particularly in the public sector at Provincial level. Public sector organisations in South Africa could leverage on this work to address issues associated with business process alignment.

Thesis (MBA) -- University of Limpopo, 2010 / Refer to document

This dissertation studies partnerships among non- governmental organizations (NGOs) and the resulting consequences of these collaborations. The presence of NGOs in the international system is recognized with scholarly works examining what they are, what they do, and what is their role. However, it is also necessary to systematically analyze the causes for collaborations among NGOs and the following consequences. I ask what determines for NGOs to partner with one another. And, who benefits from these collaborations? I carefully place my study within the broader context of the main international relations paradigms and within the specific debates concerning the NGOs. Using social network analysis, quantitative tools, and in-depth interviews I find that similarity is a main determinant for NGOs to collaborate with one another. Importantly, my findings show that not only shared altruistic goals, as proposed by the dominant literature, but also shared strategic goals matter in the choices for partners. I further show that shared altruistic and strategic goals also influence who the final beneficiaries from the collaborations are. My findings reveal that less often vulnerable populations receive a direct help, even when the organizations advance principled goals. I conclude that NGOs have not only altruistic goals but also strategic needs and wants. The forging of their partnerships and the outcomes of their collaborations are influenced by these distinct goals. NGOs, as strategic actors, make complex decisions, that momentously bring a limited impact on vulnerable populations and the international system overall.

This master‘s thesis deals with the business performace assesment of the company using the Balanced Scorecard method. Based on the acquired theoretical knowledge about this method analyse the financial and non-financial customer perspective, perspective of internal processes, perspective of learning and growth. The strategic goals and scales are designed based on the findings obtained during the analysis, which should help the company to improve its overall performace in the upcoming years.

This thesis examines decision making at executive level in Australian private hospitals as a social phenomenon, since individuals draw meaning from their own biographical and social environmental experiences. The researcher interpreted the constructed realities of the factors influencing executives' decisions within the context of private hospitals - a field that is rarely examined through the lens of social research. Using an Interpretivist research paradigm, the researcher conducted semi- structured and in-depth interviews with sixteen executive members who are experts in their field and represent both sectors of the private hospital industry: private for-profit and private not-for-profit. The data generated was transformed into technical accounts using an abductive research strategy and adopting Schütz's notion of first-order and second-order constructs. Using Giddens' Structuration Theory, that stressed the fundamental role of the human agent, the structure and their mutual dependence, the researcher moved beyond the interpretation of individuals' meanings, to incorporate the structure as an entity that can be formed and reformed. The researcher interpreted social actors' constructed meanings of these social phenomena in their work environment to form the elements of a two-dimensional decision making model at organisational level, incorporating the present with the future and the internal with the external factors. On an individual level, three different approaches to decision making were identified, based on whether executives perceived the decision making phenomenon as intuition, as a reasoned process or as an expected outcome. While being from a limited research sample, the findings of this study suggest that the paradox of mission / economic decisions restrained executives in the not-for-profit sector from strengthening their hospitals' financial performance, putting at risk, therefore, their ability to achieve social dividends as a way to proclaim their mission. On the other hand, in the for-profit sector, shareholders' dividends appeared to be a strong catalyst for attaining profit maximisation when making decisions. In both settings, the findings suggest that the role of stakeholder theory is questionable, particularly when executives remained hesitant to involve medical specialists, whom they considered to be major stakeholders and profit generators for private hospitals. This attitude appeared to be constant, despite the changes identified in executives' individual approaches to decision making. However, early signs of shifts towards adopting more commercially and socially accountable decisions were apparent in not-for-p rofit and for-profit sectors respectively. The thesis sets out recommendations to assist executives in managing the different factors that interplay to form executives' decisions. The importance of having a mission in business longevity and the integration, as opposed to alignment, of strategic goals with business operations when making executive decisions in private hospitals was highlighted. The implications for both sectors are described and recommendations for further research are suggested.

TITLE: Manpower Management Specification AUTHOR: Hana Spurná DEPARTMENT: The School Management Center SUPERVISOR: Mgr.Irena Lhotková, PhD. Abstract: (angl.) The final thesis deals with the issue of leadership management by means of selected examples from literature, documents, internet, study of opinions and questions of both international and Czech experts in the field of leadership management and finally by means of analysis of the term leadership management with focus on development and taking into consideration the life and professional context. The goal of the project is to understand the sense and formulation - definition of the term leadership management, overview of historic development of the term on the ground of theoretical information, a comparison of experience in the field of leadership management in the view of selected experts. This research is based on induction. On the ground of analysis of expert publications of people who were or still are active in the field of management and who have the necessary knowledge and experience in the field of leadership management. The final thesis strives for a more extensive research of opinions on the widely defined term of leadership management, and aims at bringing as much information about it as possible. Key words: leadership management, leadership,...