by Lee Yuen-wah Teresa and Tsui Wai-lim. / Bibliography: leaves 39-40 / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1984

This research report examines the cost and benefits of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) on South African companies who have had to comply due to them or their holding companies being listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as well as voluntary adaptors of the code. This report further seeks to identify best practices implemented by these companies.

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Social Sciences

This research report examines the cost and benefits of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) on South African companies who have had to comply due to them or their holding companies being listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as well as voluntary adaptors of the code. This report further seeks to identify best practices implemented by these companies.

L’objectif de cette thèse est d’analyser la question du management des spécificités des rayons en grande distribution. Elle est focalisée sur le rayon fruits et légumes dont les particularités semblent peu prises en compte par les distributeurs. Ce travail s’inscrit dans le cadre du courant d’analyse stratégique du canal de distribution, qui adopte la perspective du distributeur, et reconnait que sa stratégie est orientée tant vers l’amont que l’aval du canal. Le développement des politiques marketing des distributeurs les ont conduits à opérer des restructurations visant à consolider leurs achats, et à centraliser leurs décisions. Déployant un modèle axé sur la rentabilité, le rôle de l’encadrement en magasin a été redéfini. Ce modèle semble peu compatible avec les rayons à métier. Dans une première phase d’exploration hybride, la spécificité des rayons F&L est identifiée et définie. Un cadre conceptuel d’un mode de management de ces particularités est proposé. Trois objectifs de recherche sont définis : spécifier les relations entre le mode de management du rayon et ses performances, et comprendre l’influence du degré de centralisation des décisions, et du profil spécialisé ou non du manager, sur ces modes de management. L’étude empirique s’appuie sur l’étude de quatre cas imbriqués, pour proposer un modèle final. Nous montrons qu’un mode de management respectueux des spécificités du rayon permet d’en exploiter le potentiel. Pour cela, le manager de rayon doit maîtriser à la fois des compétences redéployables dans d’autres rayons, et des compétences produits. L’efficacité d’un mode de management centralisé est limitée, les performances du rayon dépendant avant tout des capacités du manager de rayon à gérer le processus de dégradation de la qualité des produits, et de la présentation du rayon. / The purpose of this research is to analyze the management of the specificities of departments in retail store. It is focused on the produce department, whose particularities are not well recognized.This work draws on the strategic approach to distribution channel, which emphases the distributor’s perspective and acknowledges that its strategy is oriented towards both the upstream and downstream channel. The development of marketing policies of retailers has led them restructuring to consolidate their purchases and to centralize their decisions. Deploying a model based on profitability, the role of middle managers at the stores level has been redefined. This model seems to create tensions with some specific product departments. The specificity of produce department is defined based on a first hybrid exploration phase. A conceptual framework for a management style of these features is proposed. Three research objectives are defined: to specify the relations between the management style of the department and its performance, to understand the impacts of the degree of centralization of decisions on these management practices, and to acknowledge the need for manager specific skills.A final model, based on an embedded, multiple case study method is proposed. We show that a management style that respects produce specificities allow to exploit the department’s performance potential. For this, the department manager should develop both re-deployable skills and product expertise. The effectiveness of a centralized management style is limited, since the department performance depends primarily on the manager’s ability to master the process of degradation of products quality and department’s layout.

This study investigated the perceptions of administrators of the YMCA and municipal recreation departments in the state of Texas concerning their cooperative relationship in the use of areas and facilities, personnel management, and program planning. A questionnaire was used to obtain their perceptions. Of the 140 questionnaires mailed, ninety-two were returned that were able to be utilized in the study. Their responses were analyzed using the Chi-Square test. The findings revealed a general agreement concerning the lack of cooperation between them. This wat evidenced in that they "never" or "seldom" communicated, consulted with the other, initiated joint sponsorship of programs, or cooperated in the three specified areas of recreational programming.

This study investigates the relationship of executive fire officers' use of strategic thinking skills and their proficiency using information and communication technology. A non-experimental quantitative study design was employed. The study consisted of 400 graduates of the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program. The use of strategic thinking skills was measured by the Strategic Thinking Questionnaire (STQv6) (Pisapia & Reyes-Guerra, 2007). The use of information and communication technology tools was measured by the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Fluency Questionnaire (Hilberg, 2007). The EFOs' strategic thinking capabilities of systems thinking (3.58 +/- .447) and reflecting (3.82 +/- .445) compared to previously reported samples from the literature, both empirically and theoretically. Depending upon the sample, some means were significantly higher and others were significantly lower. The strategic thinking questionnaire and the ICT fluency questionnaire were not directly correlated to one another ; however, there were some strong correlations within their subscales. ICT fluency and ICT comfort were highly correlated (r = .516), as well as systems thinking and reflecting (r = .688) at the 0.05 level. There was a significant correlation between age and ICT comfort (r = -.235), as well as between years of experience and ICT comfort (r = -.203) at the 0.05 level. Age moderated the relationship between systems thinking*reflection, and ICT comfort. Race moderated the relationship between systems thinking*reflection, and ICT education/training. This research was significant because it was the first time that Executive Fire Officers have been studied regarding their strategic thinking capabilities and their information and communications technology fluency. / by Gerri Penney. / Vita. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Submitted by Silvana Teresinha Dornelles Studzinski (sstudzinski) on 2015-10-26T11:39:49Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Pedro Flach Junior_.pdf: 776374 bytes, checksum: 6b70326962fb6acab96f4377843ce8e5 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-10-26T11:39:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Pedro Flach Junior_.pdf: 776374 bytes, checksum: 6b70326962fb6acab96f4377843ce8e5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-05-18 / Nenhuma / O complexo ambiente empresarial exige que áreas distintas do conhecimento estejam alinhadas ao foco de um negócio específico. A escola da administração capacita o gestor a definir modelos objetivos capazes de medir o desempenho empresarial. Por sua vez, a escola do direito auxilia o gestor na condução de demandas legais relacionadas às mais diversas áreas do negócio. Esta relação entre métodos objetivos de gestão e elementos subjetivos existentes na condução de um departamento jurídico é um dos desafios que deve ser vivenciado pelos profissionais responsáveis pela sua estruturação e condução. Um dos papéis do gestor jurídico é estruturar e conduzir o departamento, responsável pela condução das demandas legais de um negócio, e o mesmo deve observar os mesmos princípios gerenciais aplicáveis à gestão das demais áreas empresariais, com especial enfoque à sua mensuração de desempenho. Inserido dentro da estrutura de uma empresa cujo desempenho é foco de constante monitoramento, o departamento jurídico também está sujeito ao controle de sua performance, sendo que esta responsabilidade é tarefa do gestor responsável pela sua condução. A criação e uso de indicadores específicos para a mensuração de desempenho do departamento jurídico da empresa na qual está inserido é o desafio que deve ser observado pelo gestor jurídico moderno. O presente estudo busca, através da metodologia do Design Research, elaborar um roteiro direcionador capaz de auxiliar o gestor do departamento jurídico na análise de formas de atuação do departamento, identificação de elementos chave e tarefas essenciais e, por conseguinte, construção de indicadores de desempenho (Key Performance Indicators - KPIs) eficazes, uma vez que estão diretamente relacionados ao negócio e alinhados com à realidade específica de um determinado empreendimento. / The intricate corporate environment requires that distinct areas of knowledge be aligned with the focus of a specific business. The School of Business Administration enables the executive to define objective guidelines for measuring business performance. Differently, the Law School assists the executive with the management of the demands regarding the various divisions of the corporate structure. The relation between objective methods of management and the existing subjective aspects which the administration of a legal department entails, is one of the challenges to be tackled by the professionals controlling its structuring and managing. The role of the legal manager is to structure and control a legal department responsible for conducting the legal demands of a business, and it must take into consideration the same managerial principles applicable to the administration of other business divisions, with a focus on the key performance indicators. Once being inserted into the structure of a company whose performance is entitled to constant monitoring, the legal department is also subject to having the control of its performance, being this the role of the legal manager. The creation and usage of specific indicators for the legal department performance measurement is the challenge that must be observed by the modern legal manager. Using the Design Research methodology, the present study aims to provide a guiding framework to help the legal department executive define the managing strategies for the department, identify the key elements and therefore, formulate effectual Key Performance Indicators - KPIs, since they are directly related to the business and aligned with the specific reality of a determined business.

Introduction: Over 800,000 people die by suicide each year, and despite being a global public health issue, limited research exists exploring suicide risk assessment practices in emergency departments. The current thesis investigated emergency department suicide risk assessment practices and clinician experiences in Scotland, to develop guidance to inform the development of a clinically meaningful and feasible suicide risk assessment for these settings which is theoretically underpinned. Methods: A mixed-method triangulation approach was utilised. Two systematic reviews were conducted to update the risk and protective factor literature. This was followed by a national survey of suicide risk assessment practices in emergency departments. Fifty-one clinicians across 17 emergency departments participated, and six clinicians participated in follow-up semi-structured interviews to investigate their experiences, which were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings of the thesis were triangulated using the ‘following-a-thread' method, to develop guidance for informing the development of future risk assessment for use in emergency departments. Results: The systematic reviews identified emerging risk and protective factors including, sexual orientation and internet usage. The survey identified substantial variation in practice between emergency department clinicians. Only 35 (68.6%) participants reported using a suicide risk assessment tool. Importantly, variation was found not only across clinicians and departments, but also within departments, with clinicians based within the same department reporting differing risk assessment practices, indicating both inter- and intra-department suicide risk assessment practice differences. The qualitative analysis of clinician experience established four major themes (current experiences; components of suicide risk assessment; clinical decision-making; suicide risk assessment needs). Triangulation of findings developed recommendations for suicide risk assessment tools and training for emergency departments. Discussion: The risk and protective factor literature has evolved due to societal changes, and there is substantial variation in suicide risk assessment practices, both across and within emergency departments. Clinicians also find suicide risk assessment challenging. There is a need for consistent training, appropriate and helpful guidelines, and the improvement of risk assessment tools to improve practice. It is recommended that suicide risk assessment tools are developed to align to clinicians' needs, while taking into account research from the health domain and from related psychological research domains.