How firms facing environmental uncertainty should organize their activities remains an important and challenging question for today's managers and organizational researchers. Proponents of contingency theory have argued that organizations must adjust their activities to fit the level of environmental uncertainty to ensure long-term survival. Although much work has been done on contingency theory, it is clear that our understanding of uncertainty is far from complete. One important aspect of today's organizations is their focus on service, mass customization, and continuous innovation. This focus often results in the customer being brought either into the organization or at least into closer contact with it. Even though the literature provides numerous evidences of the increasing customer focus, it is yet to empirically explain how the complications of customer-organizational interactions might create uncertainty for contemporary organizations. The traditional measure of uncertainty still considers customers as an environmental factor causing demand uncertainty while ignoring the complex nature of customer and organizational encounters. Seeking to further refine the concept of uncertainty and focusing on the contemporary business phenomena, this study develops measures aspects of customer induced uncertainty and examines their relationships with three organizational design variables. Specifically, this study explains the complicated nature of customer - organizational encounters that creates organizational uncertainty. Also, this study develops three operational measurement instruments for the three aspects of customer induced uncertainty. Finally, this study shows specific relationships between aspects of customer induced uncertainty and specific organizational design variables. This study conducted a mail survey of middle level managers. With a sample size of 118 the measurement instruments were shown to have validity and reliability using factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha. Regression analyses indicate the presence of specific rather than general relationship between customer induced uncertainty variables and organizational design variables. Regression results suggested that the relationships between customer induced uncertainty variable and design variables were depended on the specific combination. For example, Customer acquisitiveness was negatively related to formalization where as Customer importance was positively related to professionalism. Results also suggested a possible positive relationship between decentralization and customer induced ambiguity. Although not without limitations, this study improves our understanding of contemporary environmental uncertainty. Moreover, it provides preliminary measurement instruments of customer induced uncertainty variables for numerous future studies. Overall, this study is a preliminary step toward further understanding of the uncertainty-design contingencies of contemporary and future organizations.

Titel: Morotens väg till motivation – En flerfallsstudie om belöningssystem i IT-företag Författare: Alexandra Gustafsson, Minda Langmoen & Amanda Tamme Examinator: Elin Funck Handledare: Anders Jerreling  Bakgrund & Problem: IT-branschen är en ung bransch som präglas av snabb förändring och utveckling. Utifrån Contingency-teorin kommer företags ekonomistyrning att skilja sig beroende på aspekter gällande storlek, strategi och miljö. Belöningssystem som en del av ekonomistyrningen, kan vid rätt utformning användas som ett effektivt styrmedel, men problemet ligger i att hitta lämplig utformning som sedan skapar motivation hos anställda. Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att beskriva, förklara samt jämföra hur belöningssystem är utformade inom tre olika IT-företag. Vidare syftar arbetet till att utreda hur denna del av ekonomisystemet motiverar företagets medarbetare. Metod: Studien är av kvalitativ karaktär och vid insamling av empiriskt material har semistrukturerade intervjuer på IBM, NAB Solutions och Atea genomförts. Utifrån uppsatsens syfte valdes flerfallsstudie som forskningsstrategi. Det insamlade materialet presenteras först på företagsnivå sedan görs en jämförelse mellan de tre företagen. Slutsats: Samtliga företag har ett belöningssystem bestående av både monetära och icke- monetära belöningar, där de intervjuade har uppgett att det generellt sett är de icke-monetära belöningarna som bidrar till att skapa motivation. De avgörande faktorerna för företagens utformning av belöningsssystem antas vara storleken, strategin och dess ålder. Att IT- branschen är så pass ung kan leda till att företagen snabbt kan bli tvungna att göra om sina belöningssystem. Beroende på contingency-aspekterna storlek, strategi och miljö förväntas utformningen mellan företagen att skilja åt.

Three children between the ages of 3 and 3 1/2 were asked to choose a colored object from an array of 5 colors in a baseline condition. After color preferences were established, stickers, small toys and praise were made contingent on choosing the least preferred color. After the first experimental condition resulted in consistent choosing of the least preferred color, a second experimental condition was implemented. At the beginning of each session a contingency-specifying stimulus (CSS) was presented, each CSS specifying a different color to be selected. Both contingency-shaping and CSS presentation resulted in stimulus control over responding. However, CSS presentation resulted in immediate redistributions of behavioral units across CSS sessions.

abstract: Reliable and secure operation of bulk power transmission system components is an important aspect of electric power engineering. Component failures in a transmission network can lead to serious consequences and impact system reliability. The operational health of the transmission assets plays a crucial role in determining the reliability of an electric grid. To achieve this goal, scheduled maintenance of bulk power system components is an important activity to secure the transmission system against unanticipated events. This thesis identifies critical transmission elements in a 500 kV transmission network utilizing a ranking strategy. The impact of the failure of transmission assets operated by a major utility company in the Southwest United States on its power system network is studied. A methodology is used to quantify the impact and subsequently rank transmission assets in decreasing order of their criticality. The analysis is carried out on the power system network using a node breaker model and steady state analysis. The light load case of spring 2019, peak load case of summer 2023 and two intermediate load cases have been considered for the ranking. The contingency simulations and power flow studies have been carried out using a commercial power flow study software package, Positive Sequence Load Flow (PSLF). The results obtained from PSLF are analyzed using Matlab to obtain the desired ranking. The ranked list of transmission assets will enable asset managers to identify the assets that have the most significant impact on the overall power system network performance. Therefore, investment and maintenance decisions can be made effectively. A conclusion along with a recommendation for future work is also provided in the thesis. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Electrical Engineering 2019

Syftet med denna studie är att skapa förståelse för hur ledarskapet i en chefsroll utövas i specialidrottsförbund och hur chefers arbete på förbunden ser ut för att i slutändan nå sportsliga resultat. Studien baseras på contingency theory och dess tolkning av ledarskap. Idrottens organisering skiljer sig från vinstdrivande organisationer som bygger sin verksamhet kring målet att nå ekonomisk vinst. Idrottens organisationer bygger istället sin verksamhet kring målet att nå idrottsliga resultat. I studien har fyra chefer från tre olika svenska specialidrottsförbund intervjuats, dessa förbund är: Skidförbundet, Simförbundet och Handbollsförbundet. Resultatet i studien visar att specialidrottsförbunden som organisationer är uppbyggda med entydlig hierarki och hög standardisering av uppgifter. Trots att de som intervjuades besitter entydlig chefsroll så framhäver de alla ledarskap som en viktig del i sitt arbete. Studiens resultat visade även på yttre faktorer som påverkar idrottsorganisationernas verksamhet och som de behöver anpassa sig till, idrottsliga resultat var en gemensam faktor som starkt påverkar idrottsorganisationernas arbete. En slutsats som dras i studien är att det inte finns ett bästa sätt att leda på och att det inte finns ett chefskap utan ledarskap. / The purpose of this study is to interpret and understand how the leadership in a managerial role is exercised in special sports federations and what the leadership looks like in order to ultimately achieve sporting results. The study is based on contingency theory and its interpretation of leadership. The organization of sports differs from for-profit organizationsthat base their activities around the goal of achieving financial gain. Instead, sports organizations base their activities on the goal of achieving sporting results. In the study, four managers from three different Swedish sports federations were interviewed, these federationsare: the Ski Federation, the Swimming Federation and the Handball Federation.The results of this study shows that the sports federations as organizations are structured witha clear hierarchy and high standardization of tasks. Despite the fact that those interviewed have a clear managerial role, they emphasize all leadership as an important part of their work. The results of the study also showed external factors that affect the activities of sports organizations and that they need to adapt to, sports results were a common factor that strongly influences the work of sports organizations. One conclusion drawn in the study is that there isno best way to lead and that there is no management without leadership.

No description available.

The problem of this study was to compare the effect of a contingency management approach with that of a lecture approach in an introductory psychology course.

This study examined effects of two response acquisition procedures on topography of responding using the revealed operant technique and compared results to previous experiments on this topic. Subjects emitted 100 repetitions each of 4 response patterns on a continuous schedule of reinforcement. A 30-min extinction condition followed acquisition. One group of subjects learned the first response through a series of shaping steps designed to reduce acquisition variability. Another group of subjects was instructed in the correct response topography and was told there was no penalty for attempting other sequences. The first group of subjects produced high variability during extinction despite reduced variability in acquisition. The second group of subjects responded with moderate to high variability during extinction and little variability during acquisition. Most extinction responses for the first group were variations of the last pattern reinforced. Most extinction responses for the second group were repetitions of the last pattern reinforced.

Neste trabalho foi realizada uma revisão bibliográfica acerca das metodologias encontradas na literatura de como são aplicados os métodos para o uso analítico de dados provenientes de pesquisas que envolvem esquemas amostrais complexos. Objetivou-se mostrar e discutir alguns estudos que avaliam o impacto de ignorar o plano amostral na análise dos dados. Foi feito também um levantamento de artigos com o objetivo de fazer um estudo de trabalhos publicados em jornais, revistas ou periódicos, cujos assuntos abordados tratam da incorporação da estrutura complexa da amostra na análise. Essa revisão evidenciou que os métodos clássicos de análise, ou seja, aqueles que supõem que os dados provém de uma amostragem aleatória simples, podem levar a resultados incorretos produzindo conclusões errôneas ou equivocadas quando os dados provém de esquemas amostrais complexos. / This work was carried out a literature review about the methodologies found in the literature of how the methods for data analytical use from research involving complex sampling schemes are applied. It was aimed to show and discuss some studies that assess the impact of ignoring the sampling scheme in the data analysis. It was also made a survey of articles in order to make a study of works published in newspapers, magazines or periodicals, which addressed issues dealing with the incorporation of the complex structure of the sample in the analysis. This review shown that the classical methods of analysis, i.e. those who assume that the data comes from a simple random sampling can lead to incorrect results producing quite erroneous and misleading conclusions when the data come from complex sample schemes.

O presente trabalho versa sobre a recepção do pensamento político de Maquiavel pela chamada Escola de Cambridge, notadamente seus membros mais proeminentes: Quentin Skinner e John Pocock. Proponho examinar desde (i) a rica contribuição de Pocock e Skinner para uma metodologia da história intelectual (que é o que precisamente conforma a Escola), passando por (ii) suas interpretações de Maquiavel como um autor fundamentalmente republicano, e chegando até mesmo a (iii) uma filosofia política normativa despontada daqueles dois primeiros movimentos e com eles entremeada. A tese principal do trabalho é que uma noção de contingência (a anterioridade do particular sobre o universal, do criado sobre o espontâneo, do artificial sobre o natural, enfim, do contingente sobre o necessário) perpassaria e pautaria esses três estágios de seus comentários. Para elucidá-lo, procuro esquadrinhar como isso funciona estruturalmente entre os três diferentes momentos e também no diálogo estabelecido entre os dois intérpretes, a fim de evidenciar seus afastamentos e convergências. Por fim, investigo os limites e forças de ambas as posições teóricas quando do contato com críticas externas à dita Escola; sempre contando com a própria noção de contingência como critério de avaliação. Avaliações essas que me levam a concluir, especificamente no que tange aos segundo e terceiro movimentos das interpretações aqui tematizadas e essa é a tese secundária do trabalho , por uma espécie de vantagem teórica da interpretação de Skinner com relação à de Pocock. / This study discusses the reception of Machiavelli\'s political thought by the Cambridge School, more specifically its most prominent members, Quentin Skinner and John Pocock. I explore the question from three different instances or moments: (i) Pocock and Skinner\'s rich contribution to a methodology of intellectual history (precisely what conforms the \"School\"), (ii) their interpretations of Machiavelli as essentially a republican author, and (iii) the latter establishment of a normative political philosophy that is a result and a fundamental component of the above mentioned. My main thesis is that the notion of contingency (the priority of the particular over the universal, of the created over the spontaneous, of the artificial over the natural, of the contingent over the necessary) permeated and guided these three steps of their analysis. To shed light on the matter, I examine how this applies structurally in the three different moments and also in the dialog established between the two interpreters, seeking to evidence the similarities and differences in their positions. Finally, I explore the limitations and strengths of both theoretical positions while in contact with external criticism, always relying on the notion of contingency as an evaluation criteria. As a result, I suggest that, when talking specifically about the second and third moments here discussed and this is my secondary thesis Skinner\'s theories are in a privileged position when compared to those of Pocock.