The essence of this study is to capture the dynamics of decision-making. The context of this study is the engineering consultant industry consolidation in South Africa over the last five years. Decision-making is a complex phenomenon and highly influenced. To understand the dynamic nature of decision-making, it is important to understand the rationale or process that was followed to derive to the decision made. This can be simplified or better understood when evaluated at the hand of a context. In South Africa, consolidation activity was relatively high during the last five years when compared to previous years – engineering consulting companies – with international groups teaming up with well-established domestic entities to create new African-focused organisational platforms. The research questions are predominantly “how” and “why” questions and this is best answered through a qualitative research approach. The research design uses a multi-case study design in that participants in this research study are employed by different engineering consultant companies. It does not follow the traditional multi-case design which determines similarities and differences between the cases or similarities and differences in the same case, but rather a view gathered on the same context from different perspectives. The participants are defined as key role players with a responsibility to make strategic, financial and/or commercial decisions in a company and individuals who directly faced decision-making in the context of this study. Data collection is primarily by means of interviews. The key findings indicate that decision-making is highly influenced and that personal disposition is a prominent influencing factor. Another finding was that industry consolidation was a global trend that could no longer be ignored in South Africa and that companies had to strategically respond to a number of key issues that they have been facing. It is clear that decisions are made in context. The continuously changing environment in which the engineering consultant industry operates means that opportunities are never static and that decision making is always dynamic. It is important to have strategic objectives and a list of expected outcomes at the start of a decision making process and to monitor and control progress constantly against these as one advance through a life cycle of events, such as a consolidation transaction. This research study concludes in a sense that the engineering consultant industry is looking forward, some recommendations to the industry and recommendations for further research. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The essence of this study is to capture the dynamics of decision-making. The context of this study is the engineering consultant industry consolidation in South Africa over the last five years. Decision-making is a complex phenomenon and highly influenced. To understand the dynamic nature of decision-making, it is important to understand the rationale or process that was followed to derive to the decision made. This can be simplified or better understood when evaluated at the hand of a context. In South Africa, consolidation activity was relatively high during the last five years when compared to previous years – engineering consulting companies – with international groups teaming up with well-established domestic entities to create new African-focused organisational platforms. The research questions are predominantly “how” and “why” questions and this is best answered through a qualitative research approach. The research design uses a multi-case study design in that participants in this research study are employed by different engineering consultant companies. It does not follow the traditional multi-case design which determines similarities and differences between the cases or similarities and differences in the same case, but rather a view gathered on the same context from different perspectives. The participants are defined as key role players with a responsibility to make strategic, financial and/or commercial decisions in a company and individuals who directly faced decision-making in the context of this study. Data collection is primarily by means of interviews. The key findings indicate that decision-making is highly influenced and that personal disposition is a prominent influencing factor. Another finding was that industry consolidation was a global trend that could no longer be ignored in South Africa and that companies had to strategically respond to a number of key issues that they have been facing. It is clear that decisions are made in context. The continuously changing environment in which the engineering consultant industry operates means that opportunities are never static and that decision making is always dynamic. It is important to have strategic objectives and a list of expected outcomes at the start of a decision making process and to monitor and control progress constantly against these as one advance through a life cycle of events, such as a consolidation transaction. This research study concludes in a sense that the engineering consultant industry is looking forward, some recommendations to the industry and recommendations for further research. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Den här studien syftar till att bidra med ökad kunskap om arbetsmotivation kopplat till utvärdering i form av medarbetarsamtal. Branschen som valts är konsultbolag inom IT, och detta för att bidra med kunskap inom ett område som är högaktuellt i dagens samhälle men där det också saknas forskning. Inom tidigare forskning på det bredare området utvärdering- prestation kan urskiljas två läger – vissa forskare hävdar att utvärdering påverkar arbetsmotivationen positivt och andra forskare har hävdat motsatsen. Vi ämnade därmed bidra med mer kunskap till denna diskussion. Studiens huvudfråga, “Vilka faktorer i utvärderingsinstrumentet medarbetarsamtal påverkar enligt medarbetarna arbetsmotivationen”? besvarades genom följande underfrågor “Vilka samtalsämnen och faktorer i medarbetarsamtalet upplever konsulterna höjer motivationen för arbetsprestation?” samt “Vilka samtalsämnen och faktorer i medarbetarsamtalet upplever konsulterna inte är motiverande?” Studien var baserad på en kvalitativ metod. Åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer låg till grund för studiens analys, och materialet analyserades utifrån Herzbergs motivations- och hygienfaktorteori. Resultatet visade att utvärdering i form av medarbetarsamtal är motiverande beroende på vilka samtalsämnen och faktorer som diskuteras, samt att vad som påverkar arbetsmotivationen skiljer sig mellan individer. Det största resultatet av studien visade att personliga och karriärmässiga utvecklingsmöjligheter i stor utsträckning upplevs som en väldigt motiverande aspekt av medarbetarsamtalet. Därför har en teoriutveckling gjorts där författarna benämner utvecklingsmöjligheter som en motivationsfaktor inom ramen för utvärdering. / This study aims to contribute and increase knowledge about performance appraisal and its effect on work motivation. The industry chosen is consultant companies within IT, to contribute with knowledge within a current area of todays’ society, but also to the lack of research. The previous research of evaluation and performance in general is divided into to separate sides. Some researchers claim that evaluation affects work motivation in a positive way, and some researchers claim the opposite. Therefore, we wanted to add a contribution with knowledge to this discussion. The key question of this study, ”What factors in the evaluation instrument performance appraisal effects, according to the employees, their work motivation?” was answered by the following sub questions; ”What conversation subjects and factors in the performance appraisal are experienced as motivating for the consultants work motivation?” and ”What conversation subjects and factors in the performance appraisal are experienced as not motivating for the consultants work motivation?” The study was based on a qualitative research method. Eight semi structured interviews were conducted and used for the analysis of the study, and the material was analyzed in the perspective of Herzbergs motivation and hygiene theory. The result showed that evaluation in the shape of performance appraisal is motivating depending on what conversation subjects and factors discussed, and that what effects the work motivation differs between individuals. The major result of the study indicated that personal and career possibilities were experienced as very motivating parts of the performance appraisal. Therefore, the theory has been developed by the writers of this study, by claiming development possibilities as a motivation factor within the area of evaluation.

近十餘年來，隨著經濟快速發展，我國已邁入了已開發國家行列，經濟結構也由以工業為主，轉向工業和服務業並重。其中管理顧問業被列為策略性服務業，是服務業中極為重要的一環，管理顧問業是否能進一步快速發展，對我國經濟升級有重要影響。本文主要目的即在對管理顧問業各層面之問題做深入瞭解，透過相關文獻之研究、問卷調查之分析、整理歸納出管理顧問業之作業管理特性；進而提出建議方案，期望透過本行業之健全發展，連帶改善其它行業之經營體質，增加我國整體經濟競爭實力。 本文首先簡述作業管理系統之含意，並比較服務業與製造業系統差異，其次說明服務業之作業管理系統，最後探討專業性服務業之作業管理特性與管理顧問業作業管理系統之一般概念。其次經由相關文獻探討管理顧問業之產業特性、現況分析、未來發展、現今主要問題，及本行業之經營管理。 最後，由問卷統計分析得知，管理顧問業具有下列特性：1.固定設備投入比率較低。2.與客戶配合時，時間因素很重要。3.無法容忍過剩產能。4.排程工作之進行及產能之預估，困難度不高。5.規模經濟居中。6.通常是以遞增方式增加人力產能。7.瓶頸之發生是可預測的。8.需要一套標準顧問作業程序。9.與客戶之互動性高。10.顧問師需具備特殊技術及專門知識。11.顧問師服務內容是廣泛的。12.多數業者採固定薪資制。此外，研究結果亦顯示，管理顧問業之關鍵成功因素為：顧問師之專業知識，顧問服務品質，公司的形象、信譽，公共關係、及媒體報導之掌握，電腦化制度之良窳，成功案例等。