This post-graduate work is an independent part of a team research work. The aim of the project is to set the connection between team work and organizational climate in the management characteristics of human resources of the organization using adapted work test "Team Puls" established and used by Germans in the cultural terms of Lithuania as well as newly created test based on organizational climate crisis. The research proved theoretical presumption that well developed and functional team work corresponds to the favourable organizational climate and vice versa the organizational climate crisis is responsible for the not effective team work. Preceding was confirmed by the systematic and reliable statistical connection between team work and organizational climate estimated in accordance with the method of factorial analysis. High psychometrical quality of the tests on the team work and organizational climate was proved using various methods such as factorial validity, inner consistence and retest.

The key to production effectiveness lies in the optimal utilisation of the organisations own employees. This has been accomplished by changing the power structure within organisations with the introduction of self-directed work teams. In addition to carrying out the work, SDWT members make decisions that are traditionally the jurisdiction of first line supervisors. This method of management and work planning can lead to added stress and behaviour not anticipated from employees. This behaviour, if not addressed, may have a debilitating effect on the team's performance and therefore on the organisations' bottom line. To address this behaviour, the specific causes must first be identified. The pressure within the teams of a gold mine is increased due to the fact that one day's loss of production can cost hundreds of thousands of rand. The objective of the research was to determine what causes certain dysfunctional behaviours in self-directed work teams, and the effect this has on the workplace and performance. A qualitative study was done whereby a single group of subjects was obtained. This group consisted of 40 subjects (N=40). Three different work groups were part of the case study. These groups were observed in the workplace, the group's interactions with other members in the group were observed, and the group's interactions with leadership figures were observed, and finally individual members participated in unstructured interviews in order to identify the experience of members in the work groups and also to discover what elements contributed to the dysfunctional behaviour identified in the workplace. Data from interviews was used to develop major groupings, or general classifications of broad categories of themes, where a theme is a recurrent topic of discussion or often mentioned key factor with regards to behaviour. Information was also gathered by observing individuals in their places of work. The results showed that the factors, which were most frequently sited, were the issues of contradictory demands and control (leadership). Another factor considered important by all role players was relationships. Other influences identified, but of less importance, were support, trust and communication, cultural diversity, role clarity and finally, individual needs. By way of conclusion, recommendations for future research are made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Diss. Linköping : Univ., 2002. / S. [1]-36: sammanfattning, s. 37-243: 9 uppsatser.

Abstract The research study discussed in this doctoral dissertation illuminates the interpretative repertoires used by teachers when describing collaborative team work. The focus of the study has been guided by an interest to investigate the ways in which teachers interpret and conceptualise their team work experiences. The topicality of the study is related to current conflicts found between the importance of professional collaboration in todays schools and the challenges of productive teacher collaboration. The theoretical framework of this study approaches teacher team work from three dimensions, namely from the viewpoint of current changes in educational policy, the working culture of teachers, and from the viewpoint of productive teacher collaboration. In this research study, teacher team work is defined as a process during which teachers work together as a team in order to plan, carry out and reflect on their classroom practise. The methodological basis of this research study is based on the social constructionist theory of discourse. This approach has been applied in order to identify what kind of discursive repertoires teachers use when describing collaboration in their team. Repertoires are seen as culturally and socially constructed discourses that specify the possibilities of relevant interpretation in a particular social organisation. The interpretation of repertoires involves the investigation of functions, contexts and dynamics of teachers verbal language. The main goal of the analysis is to clarify and model the complexities of teacher collaboration. Five interpretative repertoires defining teacher team work were identified in the empirical data of this study. These are defined as collegial, practical, group, organisational and hurry repertoires. These repertoires describe the main contents of teachers collaboration of which construction appears to be based on the dynamics between and within them. A joint feature across the repertoires seems to be in an orientation towards an interpretative conflict between restricting and progressive reasons. The different repertoires and their dynamics form an interpretative model of teacher team work through which the teachers interpretations on team work can be evaluated. The challenges of teacher collaboration appear to arise from a disintegration of teacher goals and incentives during team work. Critical incidents of teacher team work seem to be found in collaborative problem solving situations during which cultural assumptions and the meaning of reform efforts are often evaluated. Discrepancies between the teachers interpretative repertoires lead easily to narrow and restricted solutions that can be in conflict with the reform efforts linked to teacher team work. Furthermore, the discrepancies in repertoires appear to strengthen group dynamics that orient towards restricted teacher collaboration. The conflicts in repertoires appear to increase the need to emphasise alikeness, unity and stability among teachers, despite the fact that the potential of team work is usually found in distributed expertise, the construction of global views and in creative learning. This research study suggests that teacher team work is best supported by activating teachers to create joint conditions and possibilities for collaboration. On the basis of this study, positive results in teacher team work are related to teachers active role in solving emerging conflicts and to the adjustment of strong oppositions in teachers targets for collaboration. The lack of community structures in teachers profession and the tendency towards contradiction appear to support dynamics that effectively restrict teacher collaboration. The theoretical model build in this research study on teachers interpretative repertoires of team work serves a good starting point to develop and support teacher collaboration efforts in future studies.

A research of effectiveness of team work in a concrete company, that acts in the sphere of the information technology, is an object of my diploma paper. To take the view about the team work in the company it was necessary to perform an analyse of the team work. I confronted results of the analyse with the real position in the team. An evaluation of conditions in the monitored team and a proposition of pertinent recommendation to increase the effectiveness of team work is an inseparable part of my diploma paper.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Sciences

The team works in present time – one of basic subject in the success work. The team work are innovatory and honesty to community and they needs. It tools for creation the success organization. The goal of analysis - determine present situation of the team work in High schools at Alytus region using by comparable analysis and make up the pattern of the team work. Work has two parts. First part is analysis of academic managing literature. Ground of that had been achieved conception party and team. To highlighted them internals and features. Analyzed group tend to the team and them components of effectiveness. By this method of generalization had been used for analysis on researches data of interpretation. Resuming analysis of academic managing literature, more important from the private achieves and requirements are social dependence to the team. The team as well is group of working peoples in which are a member is good for same achievements and for satisfaction individual’s requirements of each member. Only dynamic high school can made the dynamic service. Only with professional conception to present job could achieve perfect results. One of target for managers of high schools is create effectiveness, complete the team. Be sure that most of researching tasks in organization could be tending members. A leadership should regard to his worker motivation. If manager want to change worker treatment, he should choose appropriate motivation means. In modern public development... [to full text]

The organisation of maintenance, in the Aseptic Liquid Food (ALF) industry, represents an important management task that enables a company to pursue higher manufacturing effectiveness and improved market share. This research is concerned with the process to design and implement maintenance tasks. These two complementary processes (design and implementation) have been thought and designed to answer the particular needs of food industry regarding product safety and equipment reliability. Numerous maintenance engineering researchers have focused on maintenance engineering and reliability techniques highlighting the contribution of maintenance in achieving world class manufacturing and competitive advantage. Their outcome emphasizes that maintenance is not a “necessary evil” because of costs associated, but it can be considered an “investment” that produces an added value which generates a real company profit. The existing maintenance engineering techniques pursue equipment reliability at minimum cost; but in food industry, food safety represents the most critical issue to address and solve. The research methodology chosen is based on case studies coming from ALF industries. These show that low maintenance effectiveness could have dramatic effects on final consumers and on the company’s image and underline the need of a maintenance design and implementation process that takes into consideration all critical factors relevant to liquid food industry. The analysis of measurable indicators available, represents a tool necessary to show the status of critical performance indicators and reveals the urgency of a research necessary to address and solve the maintenance problems in food industry. The literature review underlines the increasing regulations in place in food industry and that no literature is available to define a maintenance design and implementation process for ALF and in general for food industry. The literature review enabled also the gap existing between theory and real maintenance status, in the ALF, to be identified and the aim of the research was to explore this gap. The analysis of case studies and Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) available highlights the problem and the literature review provides the knowledge necessary to identify the process to design and implement maintenance procedures for ALF industry. The research findings provide a useful guide to identify the process to design maintenance tasks able to put under control food safety and equipment reliability issues. Company’s restraining forces and cultural inertia, that work against new maintenance procedures, have been analysed and a maintenance implementation process have been designed to avoid losing the benefits produced by the design phase. The analysis of condition monitoring systems shows devices and techniques useful to improve product safety, equipment reliability, and then maintenance effectiveness. This research aimed to fill the gap in the existing literature showing the solution to manage both food safety and production effectiveness issues in food industry. It identifies a maintenance design process able to capture all conceivable critical factors in food industry and to provide the solution to design reliable task lists. Furthermore, the maintenance implementation process shows the way to maximize the maintenance design outcome through the empowerment of equipment operators and close cooperation with maintenance and quality specialists. The new maintenance design and implementation process represents the answer to the research problem and a reliable solution that allows the food industry to improve food safety and production effectiveness.

Bakgrund: Skolsköterskan är en del i elevhälsoteamet. Elevhälsoteamet har med sin tvärprofessionella kompetens möjlighet att fånga olika perspektiv för att kunna sätta in rätt insatser för elever. Informationsutbytet inom teamet har dock visat sig vara en utmaning för att nå god samverkan. Skolsköterskans arbete innebär en känslig balans mellan att bidra till elevhälsoteamets arbete, att hålla sekretessen och värna om elevens värdighet och integritet. Syfte: Att undersöka skolsköterskors uppfattning om vad sekretessen har för betydelse i arbetet i elevhälsoteamet. Metod: Fenomenografisk metod med induktiv ansats. Åtta informanter deltog genom att besvara kvalitativt utformade frågor via mail. Datan analyserades med fenomenografins analysmetod i sju steg. Resultat: Skolsköterskorna uppfattade att det fanns olika uppfattningar och kunskaper kring sekretessen vilket påverkade informationsutbytet. Sekretessen uppfattades också som en isolerande faktor då skolsköterskorna kände sig ensamma i sin profession. Genom behovet av medgivande uppfattades sekretessen som en fördröjande omständighet i elevärenden. Skolsköterskorna beskrev att sekretessen ökade tilliten från elever och vårdnadshavare och att tilliten var viktig för att få medgivande och därmed eliminera det eventuella hinder som sekretessen kunde orsaka. Konklusion: Med utgångspunkt i ett etiskt förhållningssätt uppfattade skolsköterskorna sekretessen ibland som ett hinder i elevhälsoteamsarbetet men som värdefull i relationen med elev och vårdnadshavare. / Background: The school nurse is part of the student health team. With its interdisciplinary skills, the student health team is able to identify different perspectives in order to put in place the right efforts for pupils. However, the information exchange in the team has proved to be a challenge for achieving good cooperation. The school nurse’s work involves a sensitive balance between contributing to the work of the student health team, keeping confidentiality and protecting student’s dignity and integrity. Purpose: To investigate the school nurse’s perception of the impact of secrecy on the work of the student health team. Method: Phenomenographic method with inductive approach. Eight subjects participated by answering qualitatively formulated questions by mail. The data was analyzed by the methodology of the phenomenon in seven steps. Result: The school nurses perceived that there were different perceptions and understandings about secrecy, which affected the exchange of information. Secrecy was also perceived as an isolating factor when the school nurses felt alone in their profession. Due to the need for consent, confidentiality was perceived as a delayed circumstance in order to help students. School nurses reported that confidentiality increased trust from students and guardians and that trust was important in order to obtain consent, thus eliminate the possible barriers that secrecy could cause. Conclusion: Based on ethical approach, the school nurses perceived confidentiality as an obstacle in student health team work but as valuable in the relationship with student and guardians.

This thesis investigates the relationship between Knowledge Management Activities (KMAs), New Product Development drivers (NPDd), and New Product Development (NPD) process success in organisations that rely on new products for competitive survival. The literature review highlights that while KMA is in 2008, a common part of the practice of NPD, it is not included in any of the lists of wellknown success factors. Given that research in the KM field claims KMAs are a significant driver of success, this omission in the NPD literature seems worthy of further investigation. This thesis details the method and results of an empirical investigation examining the claim that KMAs are an independent influence on NPD process success. Data was collected in 2006 using survey methods and a classic positivistic research philosophy. The sample was taken from 124 UK-based projects, chosen from private organisations in the Department of trade and Industry's Research Development Index. The data was analysed using multivariate techniques, notably comparing NPD drivers, KMAs and their individual contribution to success based on stepwise regression analysis. Statistics indicate that while well-known NPDd account for much of the variance in NPD process success, KMAs are also significant. The unique contribution of this thesis is two fold: first empirical evidence that some KMAs can act as independent drivers of success in the NPD environment; and second a model detailing the relationship between the test elements, updating the existing high-level research in the field with a more detailed analysis of the relationships implied. The conclusions highlight for private sector managers that some KMAs make a distinct and measurable addition to NPD process success. Public sector managers may also find the results of interest as they add a finer level of detail to understanding the "systems" view of NPD, information worth sharing within the burgeoning UK knowledge economy.