The purpose of this study was to determine the effect that information system resources and capabilities have on company performance. This study was a replication of research conducted in the United States where Resource Based theory was used as the theoretical framework to analyse the relationships between the identified constructs. The relationship between IS resources and IS capabilities was posited to be positive. Likewise the relationships between IS Capabilities and IT support for Core Competencies and in turn company performance were hypothesised to be positive. A quantitative methodology was employed, using a five-point Likert scale survey, which was emailed to senior managers within the Financial Services sector of South Africa. The Partial Least Squares multivariate technique was used to analyse the data. The structural model provided support for two of the hypotheses, whilst support for the remaining three could not be established. The empirical results were then analysed to develop the implications for South African business managers. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Neste trabalho, é apresentada a modelagem de um componente que, através do uso de técnicas de tecnologia adaptativa, permite a reconfiguração da interface de usuário de um sistema legado de uso geral. A mencionada reconfiguração foca-se no gerenciamento adequado dos recursos do sistema para fornecer acessibilidade aos usuários com necessidades especiais no contexto corrente. Nossa proposta procura responder à necessidade de colocar ao alcance das pessoas com deficiência os recursos tecnológicos presentes na sociedade da informação, assim como seus benefícios associados. Assim, o objetivo é diminuir a barreira criada pelo desenvolvimento de sistemas computacionais sob a conceição tradicional de um perfil de usuário padrão, entre as tecnologias e os usuários com necessidades especiais. Ao respeito desse assunto, as propostas encontradas na literatura apresentam três abordagens: uma abordagem reativa ou tecnologias assistivas, uma abordagem proativa ou tecnologias inclusivas e uma abordagem dentro do marco legal. No entanto, no contexto de sistemas legados já imersos na sociedade, existe um problema em aberto. Nesse caso não é viável, logística e economicamente, a aplicação da abordagem reativa, já que significaria adicionar sistemas com tecnologias assistivas para as comunidades específicas, por exemplo: cegos, surdos, deficiência física, entre outros. Da mesma maneira, não é possível implementar a abordagem proativa pois ela só é aplicável para tecnologias em processo de desenvolvimento, e no nosso caso trata-se de sistema já em uso. Nossa proposta é a modelagem de um componente que através de técnicas de tecnologia adaptativa possa assistir na reconfiguração dos recursos próprios do sistema em questão levando em conta tanto as informações de contexto corrente da interação (contexto do usuário, contexto do sistema, contexto do ambiente de execução) quanto as informações históricas da sua execução. Para atingir o nosso objetivo é especificada uma meta-arquitetura inspirada na programação orientada a componentes que permite flexibilidade, baixo acoplamento e mantém a integridade original do sistema. Finalmente é realizada uma prova de conceito que permite confirmar a viabilidade técnica do modelo proposto. / This work is presents the modeling of a component that, by Adaptive Technology\'s techniques, allows the reconfiguration of the user interface inside an inherited general use system. The mentioned reconfiguration focus in the adequate management of system resources in order to provide accessibility for users with special needs at real time. Our propose intent to answer the need for putting at reach of people with disabilities the technological resources existing in the information society, as well as it corresponding benefits. Therefore, the objective is to decrement the barrier created by the developing of computational systems under the traditional conception of the \"standard user\" profile, between the technologies and the users with disabilities. About this matter, previous proposals found in literature classify them within three different approaches: a reactive approach or so called assistive technologies, a proactive approach or inclusive technologies, and a legal approach related to building an international legal framework. Nevertheless, in the context of inherited systems, which are already immerse in our society, a problem has kept underlying. In these cases, it is not affordable, from logistics as well as economics, the application of the reactive approach, because it will imply to add new versions of systems that implement assistive technologies at every spot and for every kind of specific community, for example: blind, deaf, motor impairment, and so on. In the same way, it is not possible apply the proactive approach because it can be only put into practice during the first phases of the development process of a software, and our case of interest is with already in use systems. Our propose to help solving this problem is the modeling of a component which through the incorporation of Adaptive Technology\'s techniques can assist in the reconfiguration of the own resources inside an inherited system taking into account the current context information(user context, system context, and environmental context) as well as the historical information gather from previous executions. To achieve this goal a meta-architecture is specified taking the component oriented programming paradigm as inspiration to provide flexibility, loose coupling and keep the integrity of the original system. Finally, a concept test is implemented to expose the viability of our propose from the technological perspective.

Neste trabalho, é apresentada a modelagem de um componente que, através do uso de técnicas de tecnologia adaptativa, permite a reconfiguração da interface de usuário de um sistema legado de uso geral. A mencionada reconfiguração foca-se no gerenciamento adequado dos recursos do sistema para fornecer acessibilidade aos usuários com necessidades especiais no contexto corrente. Nossa proposta procura responder à necessidade de colocar ao alcance das pessoas com deficiência os recursos tecnológicos presentes na sociedade da informação, assim como seus benefícios associados. Assim, o objetivo é diminuir a barreira criada pelo desenvolvimento de sistemas computacionais sob a conceição tradicional de um perfil de usuário padrão, entre as tecnologias e os usuários com necessidades especiais. Ao respeito desse assunto, as propostas encontradas na literatura apresentam três abordagens: uma abordagem reativa ou tecnologias assistivas, uma abordagem proativa ou tecnologias inclusivas e uma abordagem dentro do marco legal. No entanto, no contexto de sistemas legados já imersos na sociedade, existe um problema em aberto. Nesse caso não é viável, logística e economicamente, a aplicação da abordagem reativa, já que significaria adicionar sistemas com tecnologias assistivas para as comunidades específicas, por exemplo: cegos, surdos, deficiência física, entre outros. Da mesma maneira, não é possível implementar a abordagem proativa pois ela só é aplicável para tecnologias em processo de desenvolvimento, e no nosso caso trata-se de sistema já em uso. Nossa proposta é a modelagem de um componente que através de técnicas de tecnologia adaptativa possa assistir na reconfiguração dos recursos próprios do sistema em questão levando em conta tanto as informações de contexto corrente da interação (contexto do usuário, contexto do sistema, contexto do ambiente de execução) quanto as informações históricas da sua execução. Para atingir o nosso objetivo é especificada uma meta-arquitetura inspirada na programação orientada a componentes que permite flexibilidade, baixo acoplamento e mantém a integridade original do sistema. Finalmente é realizada uma prova de conceito que permite confirmar a viabilidade técnica do modelo proposto. / This work is presents the modeling of a component that, by Adaptive Technology\'s techniques, allows the reconfiguration of the user interface inside an inherited general use system. The mentioned reconfiguration focus in the adequate management of system resources in order to provide accessibility for users with special needs at real time. Our propose intent to answer the need for putting at reach of people with disabilities the technological resources existing in the information society, as well as it corresponding benefits. Therefore, the objective is to decrement the barrier created by the developing of computational systems under the traditional conception of the \"standard user\" profile, between the technologies and the users with disabilities. About this matter, previous proposals found in literature classify them within three different approaches: a reactive approach or so called assistive technologies, a proactive approach or inclusive technologies, and a legal approach related to building an international legal framework. Nevertheless, in the context of inherited systems, which are already immerse in our society, a problem has kept underlying. In these cases, it is not affordable, from logistics as well as economics, the application of the reactive approach, because it will imply to add new versions of systems that implement assistive technologies at every spot and for every kind of specific community, for example: blind, deaf, motor impairment, and so on. In the same way, it is not possible apply the proactive approach because it can be only put into practice during the first phases of the development process of a software, and our case of interest is with already in use systems. Our propose to help solving this problem is the modeling of a component which through the incorporation of Adaptive Technology\'s techniques can assist in the reconfiguration of the own resources inside an inherited system taking into account the current context information(user context, system context, and environmental context) as well as the historical information gather from previous executions. To achieve this goal a meta-architecture is specified taking the component oriented programming paradigm as inspiration to provide flexibility, loose coupling and keep the integrity of the original system. Finally, a concept test is implemented to expose the viability of our propose from the technological perspective.

Recent events throughout the world and in the US lend support to the belief that another terrorist attack on the US is likely, perhaps probable. Given the potential for large numbers of casualties to be produced by a blast using conventional explosives, it is imperative that health systems across the nation consider the risks in their jurisdictions and take steps to better prepare for the possibility of an attack. Computer modeling and simulation offers a viable and useful methodology to better prepare an organization or system to respond to a large scale event. The real question, given the shortage, and in some areas absence, of experiential data, could computer modeling and simulation be used to predict the resource requirements generated by this type of event and thus prepare a health system in a defined geographic area for the possibility of an event of this nature? Research resulted in the identification of variables that surround a health system at risk, the development of a computer model to predict the injuries that would be seen in an injured survivor population and the medical resources required to care for this population. Finally, methodologies were developed to modify the existing model to match unique health system structures and processes in order to assess the preparedness of a specific geographic location or health system. As depicted in this research, computer modeling and simulation was found to offer a viable and usable methodology for a defined geographic region to better prepare for the potential of a large scale blast event and to care for the injured survivors that result from the blast. This can be done with relatively low cost and low tech approach using existing computer modeling and simulation software, making it affordable and viable for even the smallest geographic jurisdiction or health system.