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M.Phil. (Labour Law) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

This project describes NASA's culture during two important time periods (1958-1972) and (1996-2004) and explains its relative fit with its system components-task, people, resources, and structure. The open-system model is used to explain how system components affect culture and how culture affects them. During the first period (1958- 1972), NASA was established and it landed the first man on the moon, a remarkable accomplishment given the advances in science and technology required to complete this mission. During the second period (1996-2004), the Columbia accident occurred, causing NASA's image to be tarnished and its credibility with key stakeholders to be compromised. To conduct this research, books, online resources, newspaper article, technical and investigative reports and theses provided the main sources of information. Project results indicate that culture alone is not the only contributory factor to NASA's performance. The space agency's technical culture closely aligned with system components enabled the organization to complete its moon-landing mission. However, NASA culture changed due to alterations in the system components. A misalignment between culture and its system components occurred during the second period, causing the Columbia accident. Therefore, the alignment between culture and other components is essential for NASA to perform its missions effectively. NASA leadership should monitor and assess this alignment to help prevent future mishaps. / US Navy (USN) author.

Prof. Gert Roodt

Organizational culture is a significant driver of success for firms, especially for those considering expansion to foreign countries. The purpose of this single case study was to explore effective cultural-oriented strategies that senior business leaders use to align the organization's culture with foreign countries' cultures to improve organizational performance in foreign countries. The target population was 8 current and former senior managers of a firm operating in 16 countries. Data were collected via a mix of videoconference and face-to-face interviews and the firm's archival documents, the financial statements, the HR policy, and the internal control policy. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was Perlmutter and Hofstede's theory of cultural dimensions, including the ethnocentric, polycentric, and geocentric model. Data analysis was conducted using Yin's 5-step model, and 5 themes emerged from the data: general characteristics of the chosen organization culture, communication, adjustment to foreign environments, organizational and national cultures, and issues with employees. The implications for positive social change include the potential to enhance a firm's social responsibility and social acceptance in international markets for the benefit of the firm, its employees, and the local societies.

In the postmodern era, as authoritative discourses are being undermined, there is an increased vulnerability of thoughts to the influence of the deliberate promotion of viewpoints. In this environment, public relations is becoming increasingly important. In this thesis I use the term �public relations� both in the sense of an extensive, specific industry, as well as in the sense of the general processes increasingly being used by all sorts of groups and organisations to get their voices heard, their effects felt, their interests defended and their aims achieved. Concomitant with this growth in public relations activity, public relations has emerged as a rapidly growing field of study within universities. This thesis critically assesses the state of this emerging university �discipline�. A claim of this thesis is that the mainstream public relations industry is dominated by a corporatist ideology stemming from a particular US business tradition. This ideology produces a problem for university teachers, researchers and ethicists of public relations because it pervades and dominates the textbooks, teaching, research and academic-industry liaison committees. I suggest that this permeation has helped to shape the conceptual tools which public relations people use to examine their own activities. The thesis warns that this interference in academic freedom results in a situation where a genuine �professional� status for graduates with degrees in public relations is rarely achieved. I suggest than many of these graduates may not have the intellectual equipage necessary for the level of detached understanding of their field which would be necessary for them to be true �professionals�. This thesis attempts to explain these inadequacies. It points to the presumption of political pluralism and an unproblematic consensual society which is implicit in the approaches of the orthodox exponents of public relations since the second world war. A contrast with the candidness of public relations theory in the more elitist and authoritarian period of the 1920s and 30s helps to make this point. In order to improve public relations theory, the more recent work of �New Rhetoric� theorists is employed. These theorists point to the inevitability and in fact the necessity of the persuasive activities which construct reality in all human cultural spheres. I opposed the negative critiques of some critical theorists for whom public relations is an abomination. Instead I argue that everyone now needs to be provided with an understanding of, and access to, their own means of generating public relations-like activity. I suggest that we all need to have some sort of control over the public relations which affects us because this activity is becoming the currency used in the maintenance of all of our postmodern identities. But in grasping the nettle of participating in public relations activity, I suggest that it is also necessary to foreground the oppositional aspects of society and draw on neo-Marxist critical and cultural theories. I employ Habermas and Beck in particular in order to expose the mainstream public relations industry�s historically rooted cultural mission to maintain the pretense that we live in a consensual capitalist culture based on conservatism and corporate American values. A reformulation of public relation theory along critical theory lines is necessary in order to provide the reflexive knowledge required by teachers and students of public relations if public relations is to justify itself as a university discipline.

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 202-209)

The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe an organization's transition to a focused factory of the future. This transition entailed broad changes in manufacturing equipment/technology, manufacturing processes, and organizational culture.The findings of the study included:The organization focused one product model rather than focusing their two major product lines simultaneously. The result was new and stronger barriers emerging rather than the cited objective of breaking down barriers. There was a concentrated effort by the local labor union to resist the new changes while maintaining their own cultural identity.Many of the problems which impeded the transition resulted from external sources where the organization had limited control. These problems with external sources were:1. Conflicts with the organization's corporate headquarters who held an opposing interpretation as to the extent to which the organization should focus.2. Costly delays resulting from machine vendors not meeting their delivery dates.3. Time pressures resulting from deadlines administered by the organization's customer.4. Substantial quality problems experienced from a dependence on a single casting vendor.There is a critical need for frequent communications between management and hourly workers during a transition of this magnitude. The hourly workers have less access to information and make interpretations of events based on available information, real or rumored. The hourly workers are dependent on information from management and when events "suddenly" do not occur as expected a negative perception of management results.Many of the hourly workforce responded magnificently to the challenges of moving beyond "pushing buttons" to becoming a thinking and decision-making facet of the organization. Although some hourly workers who had been acculturated at a time when they were "not paid to think" did not respond well to the unsupervised environment, a large number of the workers demonstrated a voraciousness for the opportunity.RecommendationsPrior to initiating a major change in an organization a very detailed and thorough evaluation needs to be conducted of all potential sources of roadblocks to success. This evaluation should include research on organizations who have experienced similar transitions in the past. The planning should include: An assessment of the internal organizational culture.This would include the likelihood of union support even in lieu of a shift in union leadership.An analysis of the costs/benefits of initiating a new product within the existing plant or at a completely new location.A detailed assessment of all vendors with an alternate in case of utilization of one exclusive supplier. A careful assessment of a machine vendor's ability to meet delivery dates and stringent contractual guidelines which would maximize punctual delivery. Prior to initiating the project there needs to be communication and agreement between the organization and corporate headquarters in regards to the specific details of the changes.A thorough research of potential material vendors needs to be conducted in order to ensure a stable vendor who produces a quality product.A careful selection procedure should be developed which enlists individuals who are willing and able to make the transition along with the organization.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-70). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 251-262). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.