Denna avhandling undersöker hur investeringar i IT, och digitaliseringen av informationsflöden, har påverkat produktiviteten inom sjukvården. Genom empiriska undersökningar av avgränsade sjukvårdsprocesser – samt diskussioner baserade på idéer och teorier relaterade till ekonomi, ”produktivitetsparadoxen”, så kallade General Purpose Technologies (GPTs), och medicinsk informatik – detekteras och analyseras effekter av digitaliseringen. Produktivitetsparadoxen – vilken ställer frågan varför tidigare omfattande investeringar i IT till synes inte har genererat de förväntade produktivitetsökningarna – är en viktig utgångspunkt i föreliggande studie. Forskare har dryftat detta dilemma i många år men hittills har inga fullständigt tillfredsställande förklaringar lagts fram. Detta beror till stor del på att tidigare forskning huvudsakligen har inriktat sig på makroekonomisk statistik och aggregerade data, vilket har resulterat i otydliga eller ofullständiga slutsatser angående IT och ekonomisk tillväxt. För att verkligen beskriva effekterna av digitaliseringen är denna forskning istället baserad på undersökningar på mikronivå (organisations- eller avdelningsnivå) ur ett historiskt och kvalitativt perspektiv. En annan viktig tanke som genomsyrar denna avhandling är att för snäva definitioner av IT och produktivitet har bidragit till förbiseende av många nyttor till följd av digitalisering. Därför utvidgas termen IT här till att inkludera teknologi för att samla, lagra, bearbeta, återfå och kommunicera data, text, bilder och tal. Dessutom omfattar denna definition både administrativ och inbäddad IT. Vidare ifrågasätts de traditionella definitionerna av produktivitet, och begreppet ges en bredare betydelse för att fånga upp alla möjliga nyttor och/eller nackdelar som kan härledas till IT investeringar. Resultaten och analysen som presenteras i denna studie visar att produktiviteten inom sjukvården har ökat enormt tack vare IT-investeringar. Generellt sett så har sjukvårdsprocesserna snabbats upp avsevärt, sjukvårdskvaliteten har förbättrats, och kostnadseffektiviteten har ökat. Med andra ord, genom att introducera nya tankar gällande produktivitetsparadoxen, har fler effekter kunnat detekteras och analyseras. Det finns emellertid också många problem förknippade med implementering, användande och spridning av IT, vilka ges tillbörlig uppmärksamhet i denna undersökning. I förlängningen bidrar analysen av digitaliseringseffekterna till en ökad förståelse för hur IT-fieringen” av modern sjukvård påverkar dess produktivitet i form av exempelvis bättre (och även helt nya) behandlingsmetoder, förkortad konvalescens och snabbare patientflöden. Vidare ges förslag på hur implementeringsförfaranden kan skötas smidigare än tidigare, vilka problem relaterade till digitalisering som bör beaktas och lösas, samt vilka möjliga framtida nyttor som skulle kunna realiseras och hur. Detta torde vara av intresse för yrkesverksamma inom sjukvården, patienter, politiker som kall besluta om sjukvård, och även samhället i stort. Det övergripande målet med avhandlingen är således att underlätta utvecklingen mot en alltmer digitaliserad – och förhoppningsvis därav förbättrad – sjukvård genom att fördjupa förståelsen för relationen mellan IT och produktivitet. / This thesis examines how investments in IT, and the digitization of information flows, have affected health care productivity. Through empirical investigations of health care processes – along with discussions based on notions derived from theories related to e.g. economics, the Productivity Paradox, General Purpose Technologies, and medical informatics – effects from digitization are detected and analyzed. An important point of departure is the so called Productivity Paradox, which raises the question why previous comprehensive investments in IT seemingly have not generated the anticipated productivity growth. Researchers have debated this dilemma for many years now but no sufficient explanations have been put forth. This is so due to a prior focus on snapshot descriptions, founded on macroeconomic statistics and aggregated data, which has resulted in ambiguous conclusions about IT and economic development. Thus, in order to really describe the effects from digitization, the process investigations mainly are carried out at the organization or department level, and from a qualitative and historical perspective. Furthermore, in the current research, it is believed that too narrow definitions of IT and productivity have contributed to the overlooking of benefits from digitization. Therefore the term IT is extended to include technology for collecting, storing, processing, retrieving, and communicating data, text, images and speech. Moreover, this definition includes both administrative and embedded IT. Also, the traditional definitions of productivity are questioned, and the concept is given a broader meaning in order to capture all possible benefits and/or disadvantages from IT investments. The results and analysis presented in this thesis show that productivity within health care has increased immensely thanks to investments in IT. In general, the treatment processes have been speeded up, health care quality has improved, and the cost effectiveness has been significantly enhanced. In other words, by introducing new thoughts regarding the Productivity Paradox, more effects from digitization are detected and analyzed. However, there are some problems connected to the implementation, adoption and diffusion of IT within health care, and they are also given proper attention throughout the current work. / <p>Report code: LIU-TEK-LIC-2007:37.</p>

M.Ing. / The aim of this research is to develop a Project Management Maturity Measurement Model to evaluate project management efficiency in a large Parastatal such as Eskom Distribution. This model will identify areas of improvement to assist a large Parastatal in improving their project management performance. It will eventually assist the organisation to build a culture of project management excellence. The hypotheses for the study were that firstly, the Parastatal does implement project management practice processes as advocated by project management bodies of knowledge. Secondly, a Project Management Maturity Measurement Model can be successfully implemented at a large Parastatal and help the Parastatal to identify project management grey areas that require improvement. Thirdly, a Project Management Maturity Measurement Model could assist a large Parastatal with project management improvement as a result of areas of recommendations. The method used to collect the required data for analysis and interpretation was the descriptive survey method. A customised survey questionnaire was developed to obtain data from research sample. Data was analysed using appropriate statistical techniques. The research sample was defined as the people who are primarily responsible for project, programme and portfolio management at a large Parastatal. The results of the data analysed pin pointed project management process weaknesses and possible improvement opportunities. Three main areas of improvement have been identified, namely applying lessons learned from previous project into future project, performing benchmarking to improve performance and project control processes. The findings of this study support the abovementioned hypotheses, and the insights provided and recommendations made will be of great help to a large Parastatal on its road to continuous improvement and building a culture of project management excellence.

M.Com. (Business Management) / A higher standard of living is one of the greatest needs of the South African population. Labour movements believe that a higher standard of living can actually be achieved by paying higher wages. Unfortunately higher wages are demanded and paid at the expense of productivity which is a vital ingredient for economic growth and ultimately economic survival. Employers within the South African economy can address the low productivity ratios through the implementation of performance related schemes. Gain sharing is one of many interventions management can implement to achieve greater performance through labour. By implementing a gain sharing scheme management is able to relate pay to performance and address efficiency ratios which ultimately affects the competitiveness of South African goods and services against world competitors.

M.Ing. / The purpose of this research investigation is to develop and simulate a current manufacturing production line, for a company by the name of Aerosud, using a 3- dimensional software tool called Delmia Quest ®. The company in question is a mechanical and aeronautical manufacturing organisation that supplies components to both the civil and military sectors to a variety of global points. The aim of this investigation was to develop a simulation model that, initially, mapped the actual workings of the real production line with the use of actual time data recorded through measurement. Secondly, various observations were made to discover how much work-in-progress (WIP) remains idle during the manufacturing procedure and how much productivity is reached after a standard production week of forty-five hours. Hence, the aim of the simulation model is to improve those two factors by increasing the productivity of the entire production line and reduce the amount of WIP idle to a minimum. To achieve this, the author created a baseline model for both the throughput time and the WIP at each cell of production. The results of these curves were obtained using actual statistical time data obtained during the observation period. These results were then plotted onto individual axis to visually identify the outputs. Next, the author analysed the baseline model, within the 3D virtual world of the software, to witness where possible errors exist in terms of throughput time and the amount of WIP idle at various stations of production. It was clearly identified that the cell with the most production problems, was assembly. The author thus identified possible methods of reducing these problems and simulated those actions. The results showed various improvements in the amount of throughput time gained as well as a significant reduction to the amount of WIP idle at that particular cell. The simulations were thus mapped onto the same axis as the baseline model, in terms of throughput time and WIP respectively. This provides visual identification to the outcome of such simulations so that the reader can identify clarity in the results. A basic comparison of each simulation was described with reference to the baseline curve in order to clarify what the results had shown. Finally, the investigation was concluded highlighting that the baseline model created was a good start to analysing the company’s production line; however, as further research, it was recommended that various types of improvements can still be made to this model in order to improve its realism when compared to the real production line.

For business firms to continue as going concerns, productivity is a primary goal. In order for the firms to remain productive, it is imperative that managers continuously explore ways of improving productivity and employee performance. Employee productivity, in particular, is the measurement of performance and competitiveness in any business firm. A competitive advantage enables a business firm to, amongst others, survive financially, expand its operations and grow its market share. Creativity and innovation are fundamental sources of competitive advantage. In order for a business to retain its competitive edge, it must effectively enhance employee productivity, creativity and innovation. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate a creativity model that could contribute to the enhancement of employee productivity. More specifically, the study investigated how employee productivity (the dependent variable) was influenced by the independent variables rewards, a climate conducive for creativity and innovation, employee creativity, self-esteem and performance intent. The sample consisted of 82 blue-collar employees from various manufacturing firms in Port Elizabeth. The empirical results revealed that the firms’ rewards for performance and their climates for creativity and innovation were positively related to the creativity of their employees. The creativity and self-esteem of their employees were positively related to their employees’ performance intentions, while collectively these three variables were positively related to their employees’ productivity. The managerial implications of these and other findings are discussed in the study.

This thesis is about productivity and its metering. It is devided into two parts. The first part is focused on theoretical apparatus. The second part contains the calculations of total producitivity and partial productivities (for all factors of production) and their year-by-year progressn (index of total productivity, index of partial productivities). Last part of the thesis describes the link between the analysis of productivity and the economic value added (EVA). The analysis was made for 7 years (2002 - 2008). The calculations were made for Sokolovská uhelná, právní nástupce, a.s.

M.Com. (Business Science) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

This thesis deals with the productivity of enterprise, the possibilities of its measurement and increasing productivity through the total productive maintenance. The theoretical part firstly focuses on the measuring total productivity in homogeneous and heterogeneous production and calculation of partial productivities of each production factor. Secondly, it deals with the concept of a total productive maintenance as one of the possible approaches to increasing productivity. In the practical part the analysis of productivity for the years 2004 to 2010 is made and evaluated the use of approaches and tools of total productive maintenance in specific enterprise.

The thesis deals with the issue of productivity and its measurement. It is divided into two parts. The first, methodological part describes the theoretical apparatus of total productivity, which the second, practical part is based on. It deals with analyzing of productivity in the enterprise EUROVIA-Kameňolomy s.r.o. The introductory chapters focuse on the introduction of a company and description of the industry in which the company operates. Other chapters are devoted to the calculations of total productivity, partial productivities of different factors of production and their year-to-year comparisons calculated by indexes.

This study examined the effects of switching from an incentive pay system solely based on productivity to a scorecard-based incentive pay system. Performance of staff and senior accountants was analyzed across three departments for a two-year baseline and a three-year intervention period. Results showed that percent of charge hour goal remained high during the study. Once the scorecard-based incentive system was implemented, performance on the other line items increased or remained at or above goal levels. Incentive payouts were generally higher under the second incentive plan than under the first for top performers. Possible explanations for data trends, weaknesses of the measures within the scorecard, measure/line item alternatives and implications for future research are also discussed.