ABSTRACT This thesis studies the background of the largest single farmer organisation in Australia and its role in influencing practice change. The study seeks to address a number of questions starting with: how did a small Western Australian farmer group reach national prominence over a relatively short period and become a major influence on agriculture in Australia? This research uses quantitative and qualitative methods and is informed by a constructionist philosophy. The research process involved five phases. Phase one consisted of examining the possibilities of the research and its value. It also addressed the research problem and questions. Phase two involved a survey of Kondinin Group members and negotiating with the Kondinin Group for access to its database. The survey was faxed to 1501 members in the northern region of Australia and the data from 272 responses was entered and reported. From this, the researcher could validate that the study had merit and the Kondinin Group was making a substantial difference to its members. Phase three revolved around a literature review to see what information was available on the Kondinin Group and other farm organisations. The study also examined how the group related to management and organizational theory, social trends and the body of work on extension and farmer capacity building. Phase four sought to further examine the organisation through interviews with key informants including people from the Kondinin Group and other farm organisations. Phase five of the research involved bringing information and data together to more comprehensively address the research questions and draw conclusions from the study. It also examined the challenges facing the Kondinin Group and lessons that can be drawn for other organisations along with identifying further research that may be worthwhile.

Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka vilka stressorer som förekommer hos projektledare i interna förändringsprojekt. Vidare syftar uppsatsen till att beskriva vilka former av känslo- och problemfokuserad coping som projektledare använder i interna förändringsprojekt inom vinstdrivande organisationer. Utifrån den teoretiska bakgrunden om att förändringsprojekt är komplexa, kräver prioriteringar av resurser och dessutom ofta möter motstånd, identifierades fem olika problemområden inom interna förändringsprojekt. En kvalitativ metod användes för att besvara uppsatsens syfte, där semistrukturerade intervjuer med sex respondenter ägde rum på olika vinstdrivande organisationer i Värmland. En egen analysmodell låg till grund för analysen som genomfördes genom en kombination av begrepps- och datastyrd tematisk analys som skedde med hjälp av kodning. Studiens resultat påvisar tolv stressorer relaterade till identifierade problemområden. En föränderlig och otydlig väg mot målet, tidspress och hög arbetsbelastning, att behöva möta motstånd mot förändringar och kommunikationsbrist är exempel på stressorer inom de olika problemområdena. Problemfokuserade copingstrategier relaterade till interna förändringsprojekt är planera och prioritera, sätta gränser och kommunicera. Känslofokuserade copingstrategier är undvikande, aktiv återhämtning och socialt stöd. Resultatet visar också att stressorerna påverkar varandra och därmed påverkar projektledaren på ett annat sätt än en enskild stressor i sig. Copingstrategierna kan sammankopplas med specifika stressorer. Exempelvis kan stressorn tidspress och hög arbetsbelastning kopplas till den problemfokuserade copingstrategin planera och prioritera. / The purpose of this essay is to scrutinize stressors and describe problem and emotional focused coping strategies among project managers in internal change projects within for-profit organisations. Seen from the theoretical background in which projects of change are complex, demand priority of resources and above that often encounter resistance, five different areas of problems were identified within internal change projects. A qualitative method was used in which semi-structured interviews with six respondents were held at different for-profit organisations, which used a thematic analysis through coding. The result of the study shows twelve stressors related to the identified areas of problems. Examples of stressors within the different areas of problems include managing resistance to change and a lack of communication. Problem focused coping strategies related to internal change projects are plan and prioritize, create limits and communicate. Emotional focused coping strategies are avoiding, active recovery and social support. The study also shows that the stressors influence each other and in combination can influence the project in a different way. Moreover the coping strategies can be linked together with specific stressors. For example, the stressor time pressure and a heavy work-load can be linked to the problem focused coping strategy plan and prioritize.

The purpose of this study is to investigate what a sustainable approach is to waste management and how to take actions in for-profit organisations when considering environmental and cost perspectives. This together with applying green supply chain management (GrSCM) to investigate these actions from multiple perspectives of a sustainable approach. A qualitative study has been performed, a study which has been using an abductive approach. This abductive approach helps to keep the study unbiased and open for an iterative process to achieve new theories. A case study has been done at Saab AB in Arboga, and a reference case study has been done at Saab AB in Malmslätt. The case studies have been built around semi-structured interviews together with observations and document gathering. The data from the case studies are then compared and analysed along with three described analytical tools to reach a discussion and several conclusions. This study have shown that waste management is important to address and utilise in several areas within a for-profit organisation. The main areas where it is important are regarding the operation, the employees, the actors, and the environment. It is found that issues like awareness and knowledge of the employees could be a key to find sustainable solutions with other actors to develop the waste management situation together with the green supply chain management. By addressing issues interconnected between environment and the operations on site, it is possible to conclude that every possible revision and change of the operations or the supply chain will mean a more significant initial cost. Costs that later on can be transformed into winnings for the organisation, either regarding money or terms of information, reputation, and attractiveness. / Syftet med den här studien är att hitta ett hållbart tillvägagångssätt gällande avfallshantering och hur vinstdrivande organisationer skall agera i frågor kopplade till miljömässiga och kostnadsmässiga perspektiv. Det tillsammans med att applicera en grön logistikkedja för att undersöka detta tillvägagångssätt utifrån flera perspektiv av ett hållbart synsätt. En kvalitativ studie har genomförts, en studie vars tillvägagångssätt har varit abduktivt. En abduktiv studie hjälper till att hålla studien opartisk och samtidigt öppen för en iterationsprocess för att hitta nya teorier. En fältstudie har gjorts på Saab AB i Arboga och en referensstudie är genomförd på Saab AB i Malmslätt. Fältstudierna har blivit byggda kring semistrukturerade intervjuer tillsammans med observationer och dokumentinsamling. All data från fältstudierna har blivit jämförda och analyserade med hjälp av de tre analytiska verktyg som beskrivits för att nå en diskussion och flera slutsatser. Denna studie har visat att avfallshantering är viktigt att använda inom flera områden i en vinstdrivande organisation. Huvudområdena som har tagits upp som viktiga är operationer, anställda, aktörer och miljön. Problem kopplade till medvetenhet och kunskap hos de anställda kan vara en nyckel gällande att hitta hållbara lösningar tillsammans med andra aktörer för att kunna utveckla en avfallshanteringssituation tillsammans med en grön logistikkedja. Genom att ta itu med problem ihopkopplade mellan olika miljöer och operationerna på plats gör det möjligt att dra slutsatsen att varje förändring som sker innebär en högre initial kostnad men som senare kan komma att bli omvandlad till en vinst för organisationen, antingen i form av pengar eller i form av information, rykte eller attraktivitet.

The purpose of this study was to adapt a strategic management model for use in not-for-profit organisations in Namibia. Such organisations are facing increasingly turbulent environments and strategic management has been useful for allowing them to adapt better and to remain sustainable. Not-for-profit organisations, also known as the third sector, make a significant economic contribution; a contribution which, in Namibia, amounted to 2.1% of GDP in 2015/16. However, not-for-profit organisations are largely reliant on donor funding. In Namibia, such funding has declined by 33% since 2010, accounting for just 6% of total health expenditure in 2014/15. A triangular approach to strategic management, with a strategic focus on financial sustainability, programme sustainability and people sustainability, is deemed to be the most effective way to address sustainability in not-for-profit organisations. Accordingly, a qualitative study was undertaken to investigate the way in which not-for-profit organisations that receive PEPFAR funding and operate in the field of HIV/AIDS in Namibia conduct their strategic management. A pragmatic research philosophy was followed with an abductive approach to theory development. The research strategy comprised a case study conducted within a cross-sectional time frame. Purposive sampling was used to identify the 12 research participants, with whom semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data were subsequently analysed using content and thematic analysis. The study concluded that not-for-profit organisations in Namibia carry out limited strategic management. The thematic analysis, however, showed relationships between strategic management and sustainability, strategic management and financial sustainability, strategic management and programme sustainability, and strategic management and people sustainability. A strategic management model was subsequently adapted for use in not-for-profit organisations in Namibia. This model covers the stages of strategic management, namely, the business mission, external and internal analyses, strategy formulation, programme formulation, implementation, as well as feedback and control. Additionally, the model addresses strategic management and the triangular sustainability of organisations in terms of financial, programme and people aspects, and presents the tools necessary for both external and internal analysis during strategy making. This study concludes that the use of this adapted model for strategic management will contribute to the sustainability of not-for-profit organisations in Namibia. / Business Management / D. Phil. (Management Sciences)