Thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Quality in the Faculty of Engineering at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology / This study aims to measure the service quality with student loans that are provided by the Finance Department of a University of Technology (UoT). In the current academic environment, it is critical for a Finance Department to provide high quality of services to enable students fulfilling their academic performance. However, if the service quality of Finance Department is not up to standard, then students (customers) more likely to struggle in receiving all supporting financial aids for their studies. This will further impact on their whole academic life negatively. Based on the relevant literature, SERVQUAL model is one of the classical tools that were commonly used to measure the quality of services. Thus, this study applied SERVQUAL model to measure the service quality that provided by the Finance Department at the UoT. A combination of both qualitative and quantitative research approach was conducted in this study. Data were collected through interviews with staff members (n1=15) and a structured questionnaires for students (n2=43). All the key variables from the questionnaire and interview questions were derived from relevant literature. The reliability of dataset was tested through Cronbach’s Alpha value. Data were analysed through SPSS, MoonStats and Excel worksheet. The personal information of all the participants was protected. The findings revealed that there is a gap between students expectation and staff members perception towards the service quality that provided by the Finance Department. Students were generally satisfied with the service quality although staff members perceived that they have made efforts in providing good quality services to them. However, there are areas needs improvements in the service process such as management commitment, employee involvement, regular training programmes for skill development, and etc. This study further recommends that the financing office needs to use SERVQUAL model as an effective tool to track service delivery patterns and its nature of administration along tangibles, unwavering quality, responsiveness, confirmation and compassion measurements within the department. Moreover, SERVQUAL model can be used an useful approach to other service sector for quality improvements within the university.

Forskning visar att ledares förväntningar på medarbetarna är betydelsefullt för att skapa ett gott arbetsklimat, trots detta är forskningsområdet relativt outforskat. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka ledares förväntningar på medarbetare, utifrån hur medarbetarna kan bidra till ett gott arbetsklimat. Studien utfördes genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med 8 ledare, med ett åldersspann på 34-55 år, det var fem män och tre kvinnor. Det insamlade materialet meningskoncentrerades och analyserades med en narrativ metod. Resultatet visade att ledare kan tydliggöra sina förväntningar på sina medarbetare genom tydlig kommunikation, delaktighet och uppföljning. Resultatet visade även att de faktorer som ledarna beskrev som viktiga för arbetsklimatets framtid var; att ge feedback, att ha målfokus, att ta ansvar för arbetsklimatet och att tydliggöra förväntningar.Slutsatsen blev att det finns ett behov av att tydliggöra de förväntningar som ledarna har på sina medarbetare. Det visade också att involvera medarbetarna i arbetsklimatarbeten och att skapa en medvetenhet om ett gemensamt ansvar för arbetsklimatet kan vara ett betydelsefullt sätt att göra detta.

This study uses an ARDL(p, q)-model to express a long-run relationship between ‘Stockholm Interbank Offered Rate Tomorrow/Next’ and the inflation in Sweden between 2007 and 2016 to see how efficient the ‘interest rate-weapon’ as a monetary policy-tool have been in affecting the inflation. The study shows that no such relationship can be expressed – hence the conclusion that the expectations of inflation are the most important variable affecting the inflation, and that the agents in the Swedish economy have rational expectations and a trust in the central bank of Sweden to reach its target of a 2 percent inflation rate.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Companies are in direct competition and increasingly use quality programs to try to maintain market share. In this context, the customer becomes a fundamental part of the success of any product launched, being a rich source of ideas. The satisfaction of customer needs is a quality definition. A quality tool that aims to translate the customer's desire is QFD (Quality Function Deployment). This piece of research was motivated by a situation observed in a Dairy Industry located in Cearà in relation to low demand production with negative impact on productivity rates, packet loss and overall efficiency of the processing line for Petit Suisse cheese. Thus, the objective was to study the identification of quality characteristics with regard to Petit Suisse cheese, jointly applying QFD methodologies and Sensory Analysis for product improvement using Matrix of Quality of the final product. Four brands of Petit Suisse cheese were selected, two international (reference top business minds in the industry) and two regional (local reference companies in the Northeast). A focus group technique was applied using questions directed at the characteristics of the product, and in this way it was possible to obtain information about the concept and product quality. Two groups of seven participants, chosen from the young adult segment, formed focus groups. Exploratory research was also used (qualitative questionnaires) with general questions about the product. Sensory acceptance tests and measurement of expectation were applied to verify acceptance and consumer expectations regarding the product were studied. To quantify the data obtained in the qualitative stage, we applied quantitative questionnaires consisting of items concerning required qualities. The data obtained during the previous steps have been inserted in the Matrix Quality, which presented the items of required quality (requirements of consumers) versus the quality characteristics of the final product. In the qualitative questionnaires, the nutritious aspects, those related to the product being healthy, and those meaning it was affordable were highlighted as ideal product. For the consumerâs focus group, it was found that the most striking feature was the consistency of the product followed by the flavor attribute and then the color. The sensory analysis showed that the Petit Suisse product is well accepted and the products of regional and international brands achieved equal acceptance in the blind test, showing the competitive potential of regional brands. The measure of expectations revealed consumer loyalty to brands. Regarding the physicochemical analyses, the international samples (M2 and M3) showed higher protein. The M1 sample showed the highest percentage of fat and the M4 sample had high acidity. The application of the Sensory Analysis and QFD together made it possible to prepare the Quality Matrix for identifying which quality characteristics are most relevant to the Petit Suisse product in the opinion of the 11 consumer, namely: the expiration date, being nutritious, having nutrition information on the la bel, creamy consistency, absence of supernatant liquid, characteristic flavor and sweet taste. The color and aroma attributes had less importance in the Quality Matrix. Thus, it was possible to highlight which features should be considered important when responding to consumersâ wishes regarding the Petit Suisse product. / As empresas estÃo em plena competiÃÃo e cada vez mais utilizando programas de qualidade para tentar manter-se no mercado. Nesse contexto, o cliente torna-se parte fundamental do sucesso de um produto lanÃado, sendo uma fonte rica de ideias. A satisfaÃÃo das necessidades dos clientes à uma das definiÃÃes de qualidade. Uma ferramenta de qualidade que tem o objetivo de traduzir o desejo do cliente à o QFD (Desdobramento da FunÃÃo Qualidade). Esta pesquisa foi motivada por uma situaÃÃo observada em uma IndÃstria de LaticÃnios localizada no Cearà em relaÃÃo à baixa demanda de produÃÃo com impacto negativo nos Ãndices de produtividade, de perda de embalagem e de eficiÃncia global da linha de processamento do queijo Petit Suisse. Dessa forma, objetivou-se estudar a identificaÃÃo de caracterÃsticas de qualidade do queijo Petit Suisse, aplicando conjuntamente as metodologias QFD e AnÃlise Sensorial para melhoria do produto atravÃs da Matriz da Qualidade do produto final. Selecionaram-se quatro marcas de queijo Petit suisse, sendo duas internacionais (empresas de referÃncia top of mind no setor) e duas regionais (empresas locais de referÃncia no Nordeste). Aplicou-se a tÃcnica de grupo focal utilizando roteiro de perguntas direcionadas Ãs caracterÃsticas do produto, em que foi possÃvel obter informaÃÃes sobre o conceito e qualidade do produto. Dois grupos com sete participantes do segmento de consumidores referentes a adultos jovens formaram os grupos de foco. Utilizou-se ainda a pesquisa exploratÃria (questionÃrios qualitativos) com questionamentos gerais sobre o produto. Testes sensoriais de aceitaÃÃo e medida de expectativa foram aplicados para verificar a aceitaÃÃo e a expectativa do consumidor em relaÃÃo ao produto estudado. Para quantificaÃÃo dos dados conseguidos na etapa qualitativa, aplicaram-se questionÃrios quantitativos constituÃdos dos itens de qualidade exigida. Os dados obtidos nas etapas anteriores foram inseridos na Matriz da Qualidade, que apresentou os itens de qualidade exigida (requisitos dos consumidores) versus as caracterÃsticas de qualidade do produto final. Na aplicaÃÃo de questionÃrios qualitativos os aspectos nutritivos, os relacionados ao produto ser saudÃvel e preÃo acessÃvel foram ressaltados como caracterÃsticas de produto ideal. Para os consumidores do grupo de foco, verificou-se que a caracterÃstica mais marcante do produto foi a consistÃncia seguida do atributo sabor e, posteriormente da cor. As anÃlises sensoriais mostraram que o produto Petit suisse à bem aceito e que os produtos das marcas regionais e internacionais alcanÃaram iguais mÃdias de aceitaÃÃo no teste cego, mostrando o potencial competitivo das marcas regionais. A medida de expectativa revelou fidelizaÃÃo dos consumidores Ãs marcas conhecidas. Em relaÃÃo Ãs anÃlises fÃsico-quÃmicas as amostras internacionais (M2 e M3) apresentaram maiores valores de proteÃna. A amostra M1 apresentou maior percentual de gordura e a amostra M4 apresentou acidez elevada. AtravÃs da aplicaÃÃo conjunta da AnÃlise Sensorial e QFD foi possÃvel elaborar a Matriz da Qualidade para identificaÃÃo de quais caracterÃsticas de qualidade sÃo mais relevantes do produto Petit suisse na visÃo do consumidor, sendo elas: data de validade, ser nutritivo, informaÃÃes nutricionais no rÃtulo, consistÃncia cremosa, ausÃncia de lÃquido sobrenadante, sabor caracterÃstico e gosto doce. Os atributos cor e o aroma ficaram com pesos menores na Matriz da Qualidade. Dessa forma, foi possÃvel destacar quais caracterÃsticas devem ser consideradas como relevantes para o atendimento do desejo do consumidor em relaÃÃo ao produto Petit Suisse.

O planejamento estratégico direcionado para o produto habitacional deve ser orientado para atender expectativas de um determinado estrato de mercado, apresentando características e atributos que satisfaçam à demanda desse público alvo nele inserido. Foram desenvolvidas diretrizes para estratificar um mercado habitacional e extrair informações sobre imagens de expectativas determinantes para a compra de um imóvel. O referencial teórico construído discutiu formas de estratificar um mercado por critérios geográficos, demográficos, socioeconômicos e psicográficos ou comportamentais. Identificaram-se expectativas habitacionais a partir do atendimento de necessidades durante o processo que conduziu a decisão de compra. A enquete realizada desenvolveu um processo de estratificação de mercado a partir da caracterização de um público alvo comprador de alto poder aquisitivo dentro de uma região da cidade de São Paulo. Este estrato, também foi produzido segundo os estágios do ciclo de vida familiar definidos, expresso por gerações e por um perfil psicográfico específico identificado também pela enquete. Ao final, as imagens de expectativas identificadas a partir do segmento de mercado produzido, emularam um produto hipotético apresentado que as atendesse de forma mais eficiente. / Strategic planning directed to the housing product should be directed to meet expectations of a certain stratum of the market, presenting features and attributes that meet the demand of target inserted therein. Guidelines have been developed to stratify a housing market and extract information about images determinants of expectations for the purchase of a property. The theoretical framework discussed ways to build a market stratification by geographic criteria, demographic, socioeconomic and psychographic or behavioral. Expectations were identified from the residential care needs during the process that led to the buying decision. The poll has developed a process of stratification of the market from the characterization of a buyer audience with high purchasing power within a region of São Paulo. This stratum was also produced according to the stages of family life cycle defined for generations and expressed by a specific psychographic profile also identified by the survey. In the end, the images from the expectations identified in the industry produced, emulated a product that presented hypothetical met more efficiently.

In this thesis we analyze learning mechanisms applied to a variety of macroeconomic models. In the first chapter, we present and discuss the advantages and limitations of estimating Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) models added with learning, thus suppressing the central assumption of rational expectations. First, we introduce the reader on how learning can be inserted in those models, starting from the discussion of where and how the rational expectations operator is substituted by the learning mechanism. We then present several additional learning setups related to the information set available to agents considered by the literature, which affect directly the dynamics of the final model. Last, we estimate three different models to assess the advantages of learning in our artificially generated data and real data for Brazil. In the second chapter, we algebraically show the limitations of learning and propose two flexible methods to deal with the parameter instability in data. The first of these methods is closely related to the DSGE-VAR methodology, which we call Learning DSGE-VAR, and the second, which departs even further from the DSGE model, which we call Learning Minimum State Variable, or LMSV. Finally, in the third chapter we provide evidences that the supposedly moderate improvements found in the previous chapters have more to do with the nature of the model at hand than to the learning method itself. To do so, we simulate problems using a time-varying structure similar to the one presented in chapter 1 and evaluate the likelihood improvements with different learning mechanisms. We then provide empirical evidences of learning in reduced form models to forecast inflation, interest rates and output gap for the Brazilian economy, using ad-hoc reduced form models commonly used by practitioners. / Nesta tese analisamos os instrumentos de aprendizado (Learning) aplicados a uma variedade de modelos macroeconômicos. Em nosso primeiro capítulo, apresentamos e discutimos as vantagens e limitações de se estimar modelos dinâmicos e estocásticos de equilíbrio geral (DSGE) acrescidos de um mecanismo de aprendizado, ou seja, abandonando-se a hipótese de expectativas racionais, tão cara a estes modelos. Em primeiro lugar, mostramos como esse mecanismo pode ser introduzido nesses modelos, começando pela discussão de onde e como o operador de expectativas racionais é substituído pelo operador de aprendizado. Em seguida apresentamos configurações alternativas em relação ao conjunto de informações disponível aos agentes dentro do mecanismo de aprendizado, que afeta diretamente a dinâmica do modelo final a ser estimado. Por fim, estimamos três modelos usando nosso mecanismo de aprendizado, aplicando-o a dados artificiais e reais para a economia brasileira. No segundo capítulo, mostramos algebricamente as limitações do mecanismo de aprendizado em modelos DSGE e propomos dois métodos mais flexíveis para lidar com a instabilidade dos parâmetros nos dados. O primeiro desses métodos é intimamente ligado à literatura de DSGEVAR, e que chamamos de Learning DSGE-VAR, enquanto o segundo método, que se afasta ainda mais do modelo DSGE, ao qual chamamos de LMSV. No terceiro capítulo, provemos evidências de que os ganhos supostamente moderados de nosso modelo de aprendizado apresentados nos dois primeiros capítulos têm mais a ver com a natureza dos modelos estimados do que com o método de aprendizado utilizado. Para tal, simulamos dois grupos de dados usando uma estrutura econômica que varia no tempo, semelhante àquela estudada no primeiro capítulo, e estimamos os modelos utilizando diferentes mecanismos de aprendizado. Por fim, fornecemos evidências empíricas de aprendizado em modelos de forma reduzida para projetar inflação, taxas de juros e hiato do produto para a economia brasileira, através de modelos ad-hoc comumente utilizado por econometristas.

Strategy and its successful implementation is the responsibility of all stakeholders in an organisation; however, thus far, most empirical research in the field of strategy has mainly focused on Boards of Directors or senior management. The dearth of research, as evidenced from the review of the literature concerning the roles of middle managers in strategy implementation, coupled with the disagreement of senior management on their importance, leaves room for discovery. Acknowledging the importance of middle managers’ roles and agreeing what is expected from them in strategy implementation prompts organisations to create the conditions to enable them for strategy implementation. These ideas led to this investigation by exploring what enables the roles and practices of middle managers in strategy implementation. This research adopts the interpretive research approach in an effort to investigate middle managers’ involvement in strategy implementation across three industrial manufacturing organisations in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Through the development of a conceptual framework incorporating aspects of roles, role expectations, practices and context, the thesis highlights the difference between the perception of roles and expectations and roles in practice. The chosen respondents were senior and middle managers. The main findings of the research showed that there exists a gap between the perception of senior managers and middle managers on the roles of middle managers and on aspects enabling their strategic agency; this resulted in an ‘implementation gap’, which can hinder the successful execution of organisation strategy. This thesis discovers that the issues of management are the same regardless of the geographic situation or cultures within which the organisations operate, and that there are lessons to be learned from each other. A conceptual framework emerged from the exploratory qualitative research which confirms and opens up new avenues in understanding the roles of middle managers in practice in the area of strategy implementation. The implications are a need to understand it more empirically and a need to bridge the gap in practice. Key words: Strategy implementation, Middle manager, Roles, Role expectations, Practices.

The aims of this DNP project were to evaluate the use of skin cancer preventive behaviors among Hispanic adults within a rural Southwestern Arizona community and to identify the role of self-efficacy expectations and outcome expectations associated with use of skin cancer preventive behaviors within this population. A 42-question survey addressing demographics, skin cancer risk factors, use of skin cancer preventative behaviors, self-efficacy and outcome expectations was developed. The survey was distributed in two primary care clinics in San Luis, Arizona. This survey study included a sample size of 153 Hispanic adults over the age of 18 years old. Findings of this study suggest moderate use of UVR protective behaviors, and minimal use of both CSE and SSE. Use of UVR protective behaviors were associated with skin examination self-efficacy and UVR protection self-efficacy. Results from this project can be used as preliminary data for a prospective intervention study to improve and maintain skin cancer preventive behaviors in Hispanics living in the Southwestern Arizona border area as well as along the entire U.S. –Mexico border. Abbreviations: Advanced Practice Nurse (APN), American Cancer Society (ACS), Clinical Skin Examination (CSE), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Institutional Board Review (IRB), Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer (NMSC), Primary Investigator (PI), Self-skin examination (SSE), Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS), Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR)

This study examines whether preliminary estimates of real growth of GDP and the major user side components in the Swedish quarterly national accounts are unbiased forecasts of revised estimates, and whether available information from the process of reconciling GDP from the production and user side is used efficiently to minimise revisions. Regression analysis is performed to find that preliminary GDP growth estimates are rational forecasts of revised estimates. The results are mixed for the user side components. Preliminary estimates of growth of investments and exports are rational forecasts whereas revisions of growth of government spending could be minimised by more efficiently using information about preliminary estimate values. Moreover, information about the statistical discrepancy between the GDP growth estimates from the production and user side could be used to minimise revisions of growth of consumer spending and imports, but these conclusions are sensitive to the period of volatile economic development 2008-2010.

Denna studie handlade om arbetsmiljöfaktorer utifrån variablerna socialt stöd, krav, kontroll och rollförväntningar för lärare. Huvudsyftet var att undersöka om det fanns några skillnader mellan variablerna beroende på vart skolan är lokaliserad (förort, närförort, centrala Stockholm) eller typ av skola (friskolor och kommunala). Datainsamlingen skedde via webbenkäter. Urvalet bestod av 116 lärare (32 män och 84 kvinnor, åldersspann 25-65). Det fanns signifikanta skillnader gällande socialt stöd; lärare som arbetade i friskolor hade mer socialt stöd än lärare vid kommunala skolor. Lärare som arbetade i friskolor hade mer stöd från chef och familj. Lärare som arbetade i grundskola hade mer stöd från arbetskamrater samt mer beslutskontroll än de lärare som arbetade i gymnasieskolor. Kommunala skolor hade mer rollkonflikter, positiva utmaningar samt mer inlärningskrav än lärare vid friskolor. Det fanns inga signifikanta skillnader på arbetsmiljöfaktorer beroende på skolans lokalisering.