p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Due to accountability measures put in place by No Child Left Behind (NCLB), many schools identified as failing by the legislation are implementing reform efforts. This qualitative case study examined the initiatives one school put in place in order to remove themselves from the NCLB list of failing schools. Additionally, this case study sought to discover evidence of the components of capacity building in one elementary school, Cottonwood Elementary in East Tennessee. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the five components of capacity building as defined by Newman, King, and Youngs (2000). The five components defined by the authors are: teacher knowledge, skills, and dispositions; program coherence; professional community; technical resources; and leadership. Data were collected using interviews, observations and documents. The findings related to the first research question posed in this study were examined through four initiatives created by the administration in an attempt to remove the school from the NCLB list. The administrative team and faculty at Cottonwood Elementary chose to focus on: behavior and the structure of the building, attendance, literacy through professional development, and on data and accountability. Additionally, evidence of each component of capacity building as defined by Newman et al. (2000) can be found at Cottonwood Elementary. After the data were analyzed an additional component of capacity building, internal accountability as defined by Elmore (2007) was found to exist.

Background: In the context of rapid market development and globalization, the role of corporate governance has become crucial in determining firm’s direction, control and performance. No substantial investigation has been made to explain the role of corporate governance in the context of widely used strategy for organizational growth – mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Acquisitions of distressed firms represent a particular area within the field of M&A. Distressed firms are characterized by existence-threatening decline in financial performance, and therefore, require  special attention from corporate governance actors in turning the company around from bankruptcy and resuming its normal operations. Despite the fact that a substantial body of literature has been developed on turnaround theory during the last four decades, researchers have mostly been focusing on the content of turnaround strategies and have been studying the cases of single firms. Aim: The purpose of this master thesis is to provide a better conception of the role of corporate governance mechanisms in managing the turnaround process in the context of a distressed firm after its acquisition by a foreign company, and the necessity for corporate executives in initiating post-acquisition integration between these merged companies.  Completions and results: A model of corporate governance within the context of international acquisitions of distressed firms was designed. According to the model, corporate governance mechanisms should assure close communication, clear leadership and its continuity, vision and proper choice of the corporate governance actors. Moreover, corporate governance should reinforce post-acquisition integration between the distressed company and the acquirer. It is important to find a proper level of integration according to each particular case. The major focus in international acquisitions should be on managerial and socio-cultural integration. Consequently, proper post-acquisition integration can facilitate the turnaround process and gaining synergies from combining two organizations.

Background Customer satisfaction is important for clinical microbiology laboratories and the most important service aspect is the reliability of responses. One important indicator of the quality of care is turnaround time for a sample referred to a laboratory. Aim This study describes and evaluates an improvement of the blood culture process and evaluates the staff’s experiences of the changes brought by the improvement project. Methods The blood culture process during evenings and nights was re-designed in a cooperation project between the laboratories of clinical microbiology and clinical chemistry in a mid-size Swedish county council. Typing with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI ToF) and rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing were also introduced. To describe staff experi-ences semi-structured interviews were performed with twelve of the staff involved. Results The time from sampling to susceptibility testing and typing, for patients with cefotaxime resistant enterobacteriaceae, was before the improvement project on average 55 hours compared to 43 hours after closure of the project. In the qualitative content analysis four categories were found which represented the experience of the staff: patient focus, changed knowledge, cooperation and driving forces. Discussion The study of the implementation of the improvement showed that laboratory staff could handle the change well. The change from traditional biochemical typing, used for over 50 years, to MALDI ToF is indeed a paradigm shift. Nevertheless, nobody was disappointed over the fact that some of the fundamental previous microbiological laboratory work routines were laid to rest.

Today great efforts are made to record and reduce waiting times in cancer care. Long and variable turnaround times (TATs) delay the start of treatment and waiting contributes to mental anguish. The purposes of the QI intervention were to establish an effective and streamlined histopathology process with shorter TATs, to extend customer collaboration and to build knowledge of internal processes in order to lay the foundation for a learning environment. The goal was to raise the proportion of reported tissue samples from 50% to 90% within a 15 day period, ending 31th December 2014. The study of the QI intervention intended to identify factors that affect the introduction of novel working methods. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to achieve the goals. Improvement knowledge was combined with lean-inspired methods, and two focus groups were arranged in which data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The goal to report 90% of tissue samples within 15 days was not achieved for all sample types, but improved TATs were clearly noted. Customer collaboration and visualisation of the processes had a positive effect on staff. The study resulted in six key factors important working with QI interventions; competence, compliance, feedback, interaction, patient- and customer focus and resources. Having motivated and dedicated staff is a key success factor for improvement work, in contrast to a lack of resources, and people that oppose change. To achieve future ambitious goals requires continuous improvement initiatives that involve optimisation of both human resources and equipment. / Stort fokus riktas idag på att kartlägga och reducera väntetider inom cancervården. För långa och variabla svarstider fördröjer behandlingsstart och väntan innebär dessutom psykiskt lidande. Syftet med förbättringsarbetet var att etablera en effektiv och stabil patologiprocess med kortare svarstider, utöka kundsamverkan samt bygga kunskap om interna processer för att lägga grunden till en lärandemiljö. Målet var att senast den 31 december 2014 höja andelen besvarade vävnadsprover från 50 % till 90 % inom 15 dagar. Studien av förbättringsarbetet syftade till att identifiera faktorer som påverkar införandet av nya arbetssätt. Såväl kvantitativa som kvalitativa metoder användes för att uppnå målen; förbättringskunskap kombinerades med lean-inspirerade metoder och två fokusgrupper där data analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Målet att höja andelen vävnadsprover som besvarades inom 15 dagar på 90 % uppnåddes inte för samtliga provtyper, men tydligt förbättrade svarstider noterades. Kundsamverkan och visualisering av processerna hade en positiv effekt på personalen. Studien resulterade i sex viktiga faktorer; kompetens, inställning, återkoppling/feedback, interaktion, patient- och kundfokus och resurser. Motiverad och engagerad personal är nyckelframgångsfaktorer i förbättringsarbeten i motsats till resursbrist och människor som motsätter sig förändring. För att på sikt uppnå högt uppsatta mål krävs fortsatta förbättringsinitiativ som involverar optimering av både personalresurser och instrumentering.

The city of Nairobi, Kenya, is plagued by the aching problem of multitudes of stagnant churches cramping the metropolis amidst a few mega churches. This research aims to identify the factors of revitalization in selected churches that have succeeded in bringing about a turnaround in this urban context and to propose a model feasible for revitalizing stagnant churches in the city. The researcher wants to go beyond acknowledging the urban church growth problem of stagnation by seeking to understand the perceptions of numerical growth amongst church leaders and the members of six selected churches that have undergone a turnaround in Nairobi. These churches are: African Inland Church; All Nations Gospel Church; Deliverance Church; Gospel Revival Centre Church; Pentecostal Assemblies of God; and Uthiru Pentecostal Church. Using a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods, questionnaires were administered to 600 randomly selected church members from six selected churches, while face-to-face interviews were conducted with 100 pastors and church leaders. The analysis of both research instruments led to the discovery of perceptions of what constitutes the factors of stagnation and revitalization at the different stages of each congregation. In order to develop a proposed model of revitalization for the metropolis, eight critical elements of revitalization common to all the churches were identified and analysed as normative turnaround elements. Two groups of supplementary factors of revitalization were noted in addition: common factors that address converts’ entry points and membership expectations, and non-common issues that may not be applicable universally, but nevertheless play significant roles in church growth, depending on the context and strategy that a local congregation opts for. The research contributes to the understanding of urban mission work and church growth within the context of a growing African metropolis like Nairobi. A few urban mega churches colour the perception of missiologists and church historians on the plight of sprawling stagnant congregations on the African continent. The implication that this holds for urban missio Dei is the wholesale marketing and misapplication of the strategies used by big churches to small congregations, leading to an increased decline in membership and eventual retardation of the salvation of the city. Furthermore, the city church perceives spiritual growth to be subsumed in the pursuit of numerical growth, and that God is where the ‘church’ is, leading to a gulf between growth and grace in the urban mission work of Nairobi. Churches stagnate not because of a lack of external inducement to growth (the existence of which is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition to church growth), but the absence of internal growth dynamics. This originates with a weak and non-credible pastor that has lost vision and passion for sacrificial ministry to a congregation that is adrift in the church boat of socio-political wrangling and misplaced kingdom priorities. The church begins to grow when it starts to act out its calling as salt and light in the world. Again, churches grow inside out and the turnaround experience is a product of strong pastoral leadership that is surrounded by a balanced mix of well mobilized and enabled members serving in all units of church ministries. When set in motion, such a revitalization process will propel the urban church to both quantitative and qualitative growth that would prepare it in readiness for its place in the New Jerusalem where “all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” will gather with the shout of the final hallelujah “to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb” that “was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise” (Rev. 5:12, 13). / Thesis (Ph.D. (Missiology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The city of Nairobi, Kenya, is plagued by the aching problem of multitudes of stagnant churches cramping the metropolis amidst a few mega churches. This research aims to identify the factors of revitalization in selected churches that have succeeded in bringing about a turnaround in this urban context and to propose a model feasible for revitalizing stagnant churches in the city. The researcher wants to go beyond acknowledging the urban church growth problem of stagnation by seeking to understand the perceptions of numerical growth amongst church leaders and the members of six selected churches that have undergone a turnaround in Nairobi. These churches are: African Inland Church; All Nations Gospel Church; Deliverance Church; Gospel Revival Centre Church; Pentecostal Assemblies of God; and Uthiru Pentecostal Church. Using a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods, questionnaires were administered to 600 randomly selected church members from six selected churches, while face-to-face interviews were conducted with 100 pastors and church leaders. The analysis of both research instruments led to the discovery of perceptions of what constitutes the factors of stagnation and revitalization at the different stages of each congregation. In order to develop a proposed model of revitalization for the metropolis, eight critical elements of revitalization common to all the churches were identified and analysed as normative turnaround elements. Two groups of supplementary factors of revitalization were noted in addition: common factors that address converts’ entry points and membership expectations, and non-common issues that may not be applicable universally, but nevertheless play significant roles in church growth, depending on the context and strategy that a local congregation opts for. The research contributes to the understanding of urban mission work and church growth within the context of a growing African metropolis like Nairobi. A few urban mega churches colour the perception of missiologists and church historians on the plight of sprawling stagnant congregations on the African continent. The implication that this holds for urban missio Dei is the wholesale marketing and misapplication of the strategies used by big churches to small congregations, leading to an increased decline in membership and eventual retardation of the salvation of the city. Furthermore, the city church perceives spiritual growth to be subsumed in the pursuit of numerical growth, and that God is where the ‘church’ is, leading to a gulf between growth and grace in the urban mission work of Nairobi. Churches stagnate not because of a lack of external inducement to growth (the existence of which is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition to church growth), but the absence of internal growth dynamics. This originates with a weak and non-credible pastor that has lost vision and passion for sacrificial ministry to a congregation that is adrift in the church boat of socio-political wrangling and misplaced kingdom priorities. The church begins to grow when it starts to act out its calling as salt and light in the world. Again, churches grow inside out and the turnaround experience is a product of strong pastoral leadership that is surrounded by a balanced mix of well mobilized and enabled members serving in all units of church ministries. When set in motion, such a revitalization process will propel the urban church to both quantitative and qualitative growth that would prepare it in readiness for its place in the New Jerusalem where “all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” will gather with the shout of the final hallelujah “to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb” that “was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise” (Rev. 5:12, 13). / Thesis (Ph.D. (Missiology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Background: Närsjukvården Österlen AB (=NÖAB) won a five-year contract, late in 2000, to operate the local health care services in Simrishamn on behalf of the Region Skåne. The economical forecast for 2002 was a loss of 18 million SEK. A turnaround was urgent. Aim: Primarily to evaluate Knowledge Management (=KM) techniques as a tool in the process of turning a health care organization around. Secondarily, to describe the means by which NÖAB became a more efficient health care organization. In order to evaluate the use of KM in the turnaround process it is necessary to answer three fundamental research questions. Did a turnaround take place? Did the individual projects contribute to increased efficiency? And finally can the approach used in the projects be characterized as KM. Method: The study was an ongoing case study using action research combined with evaluation. The Evaluation uses public data (both quantitative and qualitative) and evaluations done by third parties. That allows for a profound validation of the conclusions. Three central processes were singled out for the evaluation. 1) The makeover of the acute patients’ way into the system, 2) the disease management program (=DPM) for patients suffering from COPD and 3) the introduction of an error-management system. Results: The operating results were raised from minus 15 million SEK in 2002 to plus 10 million SEK in 2005. Manhours were reduced with 20.6%. The average cost for a consultations were reduced with 24.6%. The introduction of the COPD DPM resulted in a saving of approximately 1 million SEK a year. A total of 312 adverse event reports were filled during the first 10 month - an average of 31 a month. The introduction of KM turned the organization into a patient centered, lean health care organization. Changed the decisions making, and resulted in a significant shift towards an acceptance culture. Conclusion: From the nature of the described projects, the description of the landmarks used and the discussion on how the projects fit into a Knowledge Management way of thinking it is concluded that a Knowledge Management approach was applied. The success of the turnaround described in the case makes a strong argument for the use of Knowledge Management when faced with the need to optimize health care systems. / <p>ISBN 91-7997-162-8</p>

The thesis summarizes the information and tools for the crisis management including the tools of timely warning against non-standard situations in company. It points out the most common causes of crises and their possible solutions.

This thesis is entitled The Role of Management in the Turnaround Process and is presented for the degree of Doctor of Business Administration at the University of Manchester by Ian Roberts in April 2015. Inquiry into turnaround has largely has been carried forward in two broad areas of study: strategy and management. Strategy research has attempted to identify a single or limited number of strategies which apply in all turnaround situations, while management studies have concentrated on managers themselves or some of the techniques they employ. Neither school has systematically analysed how turnarounds are actually implemented in dysfunctional organisations and both schools are weak in extant theory. As a consequence, a holistic explanation of the process leading from crisis to viability is lacking. This thesis addresses these lacunae in three ways. Firstly, it provides a systematic study of how professional turnaround managers implement the turnaround process over time. Secondly, it applies a unique and complementary mix of extant theory which addresses both cognitive and organisational aspects of strategy formulation and implementation. Thirdly, it presents a holistic turnaround model based on six core constructs which are argued to be necessary and sufficient to explain the dynamics of the turnaround process. The thesis adopts a mixed-methods approach. A survey is used in order to gather data from turnaround professionals on implementation methods. This data is then subjected to statistical analysis in order to identify the most important factors for implementation. These concepts are then blended into a conceptual framework which is tested for its explanatory and predictive power on a matched pair of turnaround case studies of two mid-sized UK manufacturing companies in the household goods sector, one of which executed a successful turnaround and one of which failed in the attempt. The model is able to explain and predict the outcome in both cases. The thesis is one of only a handful of turnaround studies which employs a rigorous case study research protocol. Its principal contribution is that of a middle range turnaround theory of the causal factors leading from organisational crisis to dissolution or viability.

The study sought to understand the factors that contribute to effective turnaround management of State-owned Enterprises (SOEs), based on the extant determinants of successful private sector turnaround strategies. The purpose was to develop a normative framework for effective turnaround management in SOEs, as well as to provide a conceptual view of the potential cohesions of turnaround strategies in public and private sector management. The study was conducted in two phases. A straw framework was developed based on the literature review, consisting of generic turnaround conceptual themes. This was supplemented by three primary strategies drawn from private sector evidence. The framework was then refined and used as a basis for analysing three published cases of turnaround in SOEs, with a pragmatic view to developing a normative framework for effective turnaround management. The theoretical underpinnings of the resource-based view (RBV) were ruminated throughout the research process, and proved to be a fairly significant enabler for enhancing competitiveness through managerial-orientated competencies, during periods of turnaround. Organisational conditions varied, rendering fluctuating impacts of the ascribed strategies. However, findings indicated that well-conceived adaptions of private sector strategies were broadly effective in improving performance in SOEs. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted