Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 101-103).

No description available.

Script contains articles in Afrikaans and some text also in Afrikaans / Opportunities abound in the Armaments industry is South Africa and abroad. This is probably one of the main reasons why it has grown to almost astronomical amounts in va lu e . Simultaneously, the vast f igures in turnover and profits have attracted numerous competitors into the business. The next factor which has contributed most significantly to the increase in development and manufacture of armaments is of course the need of countries to defend themselves against aggressors. Political unrest , terrorism , border conflicts , war and invasions are the order of the day. All of these events require a show of arms, if not retaliation . In order to satisfy a need for strategic independence, even to a limited extent , countries have insisted on development and establishment of various categories of technologies. During the past fifty years there has been an explosion in the amount of information published in the technology sector. Some highly sophisticated technologies have become commonplace in most technical fields , including the armaments industry . As might be expected, the armaments industry is also greatly influenced by trends and change in the sector of economics, by social and cultural factors , and new legislation. It may rightfully be regarded as a highly volatile , complex and dynamic part of any economy. Under these circumstances the role of technology management in a country and in a business enterprise becomes more important, more difficult , and more essential. To ensure that a large organisation stays competitive, or becomes more competitive, the system of planning and control must be well integrated , kept up to date, and well/managed to fulfil its purpose. For the purpose of this script an investigation was undertaken into the corporate and business systems for technology management in a firm in the local engineering industry . The description covers planning and control theory, system models, innovation and technology management principles , and the theory of forecasting methods usually adapted for technology predictions , Evaluation of the practical systems which are in place and are being utilised , led to a few significant observations and conslusions. The investigation was by no means exhaustive, but was aimed at getting an overview of the corporate and business systems as they operate with in the stated strategic frameworks. It is concluded that technology planning and control systems are well-developed, highly integrated and applied in a top-down fashion . Not all aspects are conducted as efficiently as should be possible. Also, due to the dynamic nature of the industry, effectiveness can still improve for the company. Moves are afoot to meet new challenges and requirements and there is no doubt that the future will see great achievements. / Business Management / M.B.L.

The ability to anticipate future capabilities of technology products has broad implications for organizations. Technological forecasting allows management to improve resource allocation, make better staffing decisions, and more confidently plan facilities and capital expenditures. Technology forecasting may also identify potential new markets and opportunities, such as finding ways to exploit current technology beyond its originally intended purposes. Modern technology forecasters use an array of forecasting methods to predict the future performance of a technology, such as time-series analysis, regression, stochastic methods, and simulation. These quantitative methods rely on the assumption that past behavior will continue. Shortcomings include their lack of emphasis on the best technology available and the fact that they do not effectively address the dynamic nature of ever changing trade-off surfaces. This research proposes a new method to address the shortcomings of common forecasting techniques by extending a well-established management science methodology known as data envelopment analysis (DEA). This new method is referred to as Technology Forecasting with Data Envelopment Analysis (TFDEA). Three case studies are examined to determine the method's validity. The first case study is that of relational database system performance based upon industry benchmarks obtained from the Transaction Processing Performance Council (TPC). The results reveal that TFDEA provides a more accurate picture of the state of the art than basic regression. The second case study expands Moore's law to six dimensions, resulting in a more comprehensive assessment of microprocessor technology. The final case study re-examines hard disk drive data for the years 1994-1999 in order to evaluate the technological progress of multiple technological approaches presented in Christensen's The Innovator's Dilemma . Major contributions include both a new technology forecasting technique and an important extension of the temporal DEA methodology, which together offer a new and more comprehensive method for evaluating and forecasting technology.

Thesis (MCIS - Computer and Information Sciences) -- AUT University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references. Also held in print (xii, 100 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm.) in the Archive at the City Campus (T 384.5 COS)

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1996. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Robert McClintock. Dissertation Committee: Robert Taylor. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 171-179).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2004. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (.eaves 445-458).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (University of Texas Digital Repository, viewed on Sept. 9, 2009). Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Script contains articles in Afrikaans and some text also in Afrikaans / Opportunities abound in the Armaments industry is South Africa and abroad. This is probably one of the main reasons why it has grown to almost astronomical amounts in va lu e . Simultaneously, the vast f igures in turnover and profits have attracted numerous competitors into the business. The next factor which has contributed most significantly to the increase in development and manufacture of armaments is of course the need of countries to defend themselves against aggressors. Political unrest , terrorism , border conflicts , war and invasions are the order of the day. All of these events require a show of arms, if not retaliation . In order to satisfy a need for strategic independence, even to a limited extent , countries have insisted on development and establishment of various categories of technologies. During the past fifty years there has been an explosion in the amount of information published in the technology sector. Some highly sophisticated technologies have become commonplace in most technical fields , including the armaments industry . As might be expected, the armaments industry is also greatly influenced by trends and change in the sector of economics, by social and cultural factors , and new legislation. It may rightfully be regarded as a highly volatile , complex and dynamic part of any economy. Under these circumstances the role of technology management in a country and in a business enterprise becomes more important, more difficult , and more essential. To ensure that a large organisation stays competitive, or becomes more competitive, the system of planning and control must be well integrated , kept up to date, and well/managed to fulfil its purpose. For the purpose of this script an investigation was undertaken into the corporate and business systems for technology management in a firm in the local engineering industry . The description covers planning and control theory, system models, innovation and technology management principles , and the theory of forecasting methods usually adapted for technology predictions , Evaluation of the practical systems which are in place and are being utilised , led to a few significant observations and conslusions. The investigation was by no means exhaustive, but was aimed at getting an overview of the corporate and business systems as they operate with in the stated strategic frameworks. It is concluded that technology planning and control systems are well-developed, highly integrated and applied in a top-down fashion . Not all aspects are conducted as efficiently as should be possible. Also, due to the dynamic nature of the industry, effectiveness can still improve for the company. Moves are afoot to meet new challenges and requirements and there is no doubt that the future will see great achievements. / Business Management / M.B.L.

Current accountability mechanisms create organizational opportunities and challenges for special education. This study was designed to conceptually validate an accountability-driven model for school reform that is responsive to the unique organizational context of special education, assessment needs of students with disabilities, and technical assistance needs of personnel who serve them. The Delphi technological forecasting procedure (Weatherman [and] Swenson, 1974) was used to gather expert opinion and develop consensus among 105 university-based and field-based experts from various disability categories in special education relative to which components (i.e., program activities, inputs, constraints, and outcomes) should be given priority in accountability-driven school reforms. An integrated model of accountability-driven school reform for students with disabilities was derived from the expert panel's responses using Borich and Jemelka's (1982) program modeling and decomposition. In this model, the priorities for program activities are classified into: (a) professional development (b) curricular/instructional responses, and (c) improving support for special education. As for inputs for these program activities, the priorities include (a) personnel--primarily teachers, (b) students and their families, (c) materials/techniques--primarily research, and (d) supports. Constraints that may considerably impact the implementation of accountability-driven school reform can be classified into (a) internal constraints which include school context, teacher attributes, and student attributes; and (b) external constraints which include political and social constraints. Lastly, the main outcomes of accountability-driven school reform are (a) student-related, (b) teacher-related, or (c) school-related. Findings of the Delphi study support the need for highly-qualified teams of general education teachers and special educators serving students with disabilities, a re-definition and expansion of research-based practice for special education, the valuing of special education expertise in accountability-driven school reforms, an informed school leadership to support special education, and for further consensus building to operationally define NCLB mandates. Implications for the re-authorization of NCLB, comprehensive school reforms for all students, and educational leadership responsive to special education are also discussed. / text