published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 349-379). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (M.Hous.Man.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 95-96).

M.Com. (Business Management) / Logistics Service Providers are becoming increasingly involved within their client’s businesses. Beyond just providing vehicles and buildings, logistics service providers are now also becoming involved with the knowledge-type work that is connected to the traditional services provided. LSPs are also becoming better integrators of supply chain functions and are offering an increasingly vast basket of services to clients that can be configured in a way that adds value to the client. The research presented in this paper looks at the theoretical impact that converged planning and execution functions have on business success as well as a view of how selected IMPERIAL Logistics client organisations perceive the impact of increased integration of IMPERIAL Logistics within their businesses. The research viewed the integration of planning and execution in two ways:  The impact of a supply chain partner integrating their business functions with that of the client organisation.  The integration of the tasks of planning and execution under a single arrangement. The impact of integrated planning and execution functions for the client organisation was found to be improved long term commitment and alignment in terms of business operations and relationships, better communication, more integrated planning and decision making, better usage of systems to streamline the process as well as a focus on core business whilst supply chain experts handle their core business, which is planning and executing supply chain functions.

No description available.

M.B.A. / The following study concerns Knowledge Management and Outsourcing in an IT environment. More specifically, it gives a brief description of what Knowledge Management is; the different types and phases, the economics and strategies, different drivers, the outcomes, critical success factors, the benefits, frameworks and the influence that Knowledge Management has on competitiveness and innovation in the workplace. The topic is concluded with a discussion around technologies for enabling Knowledge Management. Also discussed in the study is the definition of Outsourcing, the different theories, critical success factors, drivers and moving from traditional to transformational Outsourcing. Mention is also made about some of the obstacles and problems associated with Outsourcing and the different prescriptive models around. Lastly, the determinants of organisational adoption and the stages of the Outsourcing framework are discussed in depth. The original decision was to develop a questionnaire and distribute it throughout the company, Business Connexion, a leader in the IT Outsourcing industry. However, due to time constraints and the number of potential employees, approximately 4700, it was agreed upon to only target the staff members within the Outsourcing division. At the time of the questionnaire, the total number of employees was 539 and 127 participated in this study by responding via a URL link set up by Statkon, a division of the University of Johannesburg. The responses were fed into a database which produced the relevant results for this particular study. These questionnaires were designed to specifically measure the varying issues surrounding Knowledge Management and Outsourcing in an IT environment. Due to the fact that this study was implemented within only one division of the organisation, it is important to note that the findings of this study cannot be generalised, thus providing an opportunity for future comparative research.

M.Comm. / Changes occur rapidly in the Information Technology (IT) environment. It can be very costly to keep up with these rapid changes and at the same time specialist IT skills are hard to come by. Companies have to re-strategize to maintain their competitive advantages. This strategic business concept suggests that management must focus on specialisation, expertise and excellence. In an increasingly competitive and technological advanced world, business focus has shifted from simply minimising costs to maximising revenue. Companies are now focussing on their core competencies and are sourcing their non-core competencies to external providers (vendors). By distancing themselves from these non-core competencies, companies can focus their energy on areas where they have a competitive advantage. Companies enter into outsourcing arrangement's because they believe a vendor is better equipped to perform their IT functions. Outsourcing has become one of the most powerful, organisation-shaping management tools. For the customer outsourcing involves a proper definition of requirements, a detailed analysis and evaluation of potential vendors, developing the pricing structure and managing the outsourcing arrangement. The vendor needs to deliver a service according to specified service levels to which penalties and rewards are tied. An interdependency exists between the customer and the vendor. Change in the one affects the other. One of the key components for a successful outsourcing arrangement is that a company must never outsource the management of their Information Technology processes.

Wong Wai Chi Mavis. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 106-112). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / List of Tables --- p.x / List of Figures --- p.xiii / Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Research Focus --- p.4 / Chapter 2. --- Literature Review --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1 --- Theoretical Models --- p.10 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Transaction Cost Theory --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Limitations of the TCT --- p.14 / Chapter 3. --- Outsourcing Framework --- p.17 / Chapter 3.1 --- Motivation --- p.18 / Chapter 3.2 --- The Infrastructure --- p.19 / Chapter 3.3 --- Implication --- p.29 / Chapter 3.4 --- Limitations of the framework --- p.29 / Chapter 3.5 --- Concluding Remarks --- p.31 / Chapter 4. --- Single Vendor Approach --- p.33 / Chapter 4.1 --- Modeling Considerations --- p.35 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Fixed cost for insourcing and outsourcing jobs --- p.36 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Expected extra manufacturing costs --- p.37 / Chapter 4.1.2.1 --- Vendor Performance Matrix --- p.37 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- Coordination costs among the jobs --- p.39 / Chapter 4.1.4 --- Independence of the terms --- p.40 / Chapter 4.2 --- Quantitative Model --- p.41 / Chapter 4.3 --- Numerical Example --- p.44 / Chapter 4.4 --- Managerial Implications --- p.48 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- The importance of the co-relation parameter --- p.48 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Penalty Scheme --- p.48 / Chapter 4.4.3 --- Price Changes --- p.50 / Chapter 4.5 --- Concluding Remarks --- p.54 / Chapter 5. --- Multiple Vendor Approach --- p.56 / Chapter 5.1 --- Modeling Considerations --- p.57 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Fixed cost for insourcing and outsourcing jobs --- p.57 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- Expected extra manufacturing costs --- p.58 / Chapter 5.1.2.1 --- Vendor Performance Matrix --- p.58 / Chapter 5.1.3 --- Coordination costs among the jobs --- p.60 / Chapter 5.1.4 --- Independence of the terms --- p.61 / Chapter 5.2 --- Quantitative Model --- p.62 / Chapter 5.3 --- Numerical Example --- p.66 / Chapter 5.4 --- Managerial Implications --- p.70 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- Penalty Scheme --- p.70 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- Limited resources of the vendors --- p.71 / Chapter 5.4.3 --- Limiting the power of the vendors --- p.74 / Chapter 5.4.4 --- Competitive market --- p.76 / Chapter 5.4.5 --- The same purchasing prices --- p.79 / Chapter 5.4.6 --- Evaluation of vendors' performance --- p.82 / Chapter 5.4.6.1 --- Data Envelopment Analysis --- p.82 / Chapter 5.4.6.2 --- Vendor selection problem --- p.83 / Chapter 5.4.7 --- Make the unfair fair --- p.84 / Chapter 5.4.8 --- Applications --- p.84 / Chapter 5.5 --- Concluding Remarks --- p.85 / Chapter 6. --- Future Directions --- p.87 / Chapter 6.1 --- Extension to heuristic method --- p.87 / Chapter 6.2 --- Economy of scales --- p.88 / Chapter 6.3 --- Data Envelopment Analysis --- p.89 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- Vendor selection process --- p.89 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- Outsourcing decisions --- p.90 / Chapter 6.4 --- Vendors' point of view in winning the contracts --- p.90 / Chapter 6.4.1 --- Do not know the model formulation --- p.90 / Chapter 6.4.2 --- Know the model formulation --- p.91 / Chapter 6.5 --- Risk Analysis --- p.91 / Chapter 6.6 --- Outsourcing failure --- p.92 / Chapter 7. --- Conclusion --- p.96 / Appendix A --- p.101 / Appendix B --- p.103 / Appendix C --- p.104 / Bibliography --- p.106

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (doctoral)--European Business School, International University Schloss Reichartshausen, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.