Many management studies report poor implementation of organisational strategy into practice (Yukl and Lepsinger, 2007; Li et al., 2008) and the absence within the literature of the question of how to translate strategy into effective practice provides the encouragement for this study. There are suggestions that by adopting a project management approach, organisations can better implement their overall strategies, meaning that what they do is properly and totally aligned with their goals (Pellegrinelli and Bowman, 1994). However, recent studies have concluded that project management makes little contribution to the achievement of organisational objectives, and possibly causes failure in this respect (Young and Grant, 2014). That said, Young and Grant (2014) have not provided any detailed information on the reason for such failure. At the same time, some management studies have revealed a number of challenges that confront organisations when approaching strategy implementation. Given these observations, this study aims to explore how organisations in Saudi Arabia are practising project management. It does so by adopting a qualitative method, involving thirty (30) face-to-face semi-structured and unstructured interviews undertaken in two phases with five organisations from the banking, property development, and higher education sectors. Two exploratory case studies (IT and Construction) were used to investigate the translation challenges in respect of strategy and project management implementation. From these, the study has identified a number of challenges confronting the participating organisations, and shows these challenges to be inter-related. Furthermore, it arrives at an understanding of why these challenges arise by investigating how the practice has been translated in these organisations. The tools and materials which resulted as objects from the translation are used to establish common knowledge, but are insufficient to create a clear view of the strategy within the participating organisations. Three main challengers related directly to the translation of project management practice emerged, namely: change, individual influences, and the role of the objects. The study makes several recommendations to improve the translation concept so that strategy implementation and overall project management practice can be enhanced. Additionally, it makes recommendations for further research to continue the efforts in this field of enquiry.

An important stage in the policy process involves deciding what strategy is to be adopted for implementation so that the objectives of the policy are met in the best way possible. A Policy Implementation Strategy (PIS) adopts a broad view of implementation, which is argued to transcend formulation and decision-making, thereby offering a more realistic view of the policy process. Governmental decision-makers are often faced with having to choose one PIS amongst several possible alternatives, at varying cost levels. In order to aid in such a decision-making process, PIS effectiveness forecasts are proposed as a decision-support tool.Current methods for such a purpose are found to include ex-ante evaluative techniques such as Impact Assessment (IA) and Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA). However, these approaches are often resource-intensive and such an investment is not always rewarded with accurate predictions. Hence, a judgmental forecasting approach for making PIS effectiveness predictions is proposed as a means for screening the different PIS under contention to provide a shortlist of candidates with particular potential. The selected few can then be further analysed via the quantitative evaluative techniques such as IA and CBA. Judgmental approaches to forecasting are considered ideal for such a role because they are relatively quick and inexpensive to implement. More specifically, a structured analogies approach is proposed as information about analogous PIS is believed to be useful for such a purpose.The proposed structured analogies approach is tested over a series of experiments and the evidence suggests that a structured analogies approach is more accurate when compared to unaided judgment and the more support given to the expert the better. Furthermore, experts were seen to produce considerably more accurate predictions than non-experts. Level of experience and number of analogies recalled did not seem to affect accuracy. The expert forecasts were also comparable to those produced by governments. The thesis concludes with suggestions for future research in the area.

Developing collaborative practice is an ongoing process requiring frequent upgrades as team members and processes are added. Recently, faculty in ETSU’s Department of Family Medicine have been experimenting with a mechanism for iterative upgrades to team care practice known as Champion Teams. Champion Teams are based on the Institute of Medicine’s "learning health care system" approach in which practitioners develop an internal strategy for implementing new evidence based practices on an ongoing basis. In this presentation, our interprofessional team will describe team-based education and practice at ETSU as it relates to the Champion Team concept including its origins, evidence-base, and the logistics of how it functions. We will provide examples of four Champion Team projects including: 1) integrating behavioral health, 2) increasing attendance at medical visits, 3) increasing vaccination rates, and 4) a transition to a new pharmacological regimen for congestive heart failure patients. The exemplars will demonstrate how quality improvement data informed progressive changes and confirmed implementation outcomes. During discussion, we will encourage participants to identify their own targets for champion teams.

<p>An implementation project of an ERP system results in large changes. Organizations</p><p>that face an ERP implementation project have several risks to</p><p>consider in order to avoid problems that cause failures. The purpose of</p><p>this research is to extend existing models and create a method for implementation</p><p>of ERP systems. The method has then been employed to an</p><p>ongoing project at the department of Procurement and Supply at Ericsson</p><p>Mobile Platforms in Lund. Objectives for the research are to consider</p><p>which implementation strategy can be used and how an organization can</p><p>minimize risks.</p><p>The research approach and methodology is influenced by the qualitative</p><p>research method since it was necessary to gather qualitative facts instead</p><p>of quantitative facts. Included is also a case study due to the research is</p><p>executed within Ericsson Mobile Platforms in Lund.</p><p>There are two main opposite implementation strategies, Big Bang and</p><p>Step-by-Step. The choice of implementation strategy depends on number</p><p>of factors like the size of the organizations, complexity and resources.</p><p>A method of ERP implementation has been put forward as a result of the</p><p>integrated models. The method includes an overall model and a check list.</p><p>Risk identification is a problem that many implementation project faces, a</p><p>way to solve this is to make a careful risk analysis, a risk matirx with several</p><p>identified risks are putted forward throughout this study.</p>

The health care industry in the United States is increasingly pressured to improve safety and quality performance and increase revenue. In response, many health care institutions are moving to redesign their processes and practices in an effort to decrease costs and provide safer, higher quality, and more efficient care. The purpose of this paper is to document the Lean implementation strategy and progress in implementation at a large teaching health care organization undergoing Lean transformation in order to understand enterprise transformation strategies and the impact of leadership involvement on culture development and Lean implementation. Through direct observations and involvement and transformation activities, the methodology for Lean transformation and progress in implementation were documented and analyzed. The organization employed an outside consultant to assist with transformation activities, and underwent a three-pronged approach to implementation, which included model area development, team member problem solving training, and management-led problem solving activities. It was found that leadership involvement was lacking, especially at the highest levels, and the organization struggled to build the culture necessary to support transformation and develop an operational model area, though successes were realized in efforts to train employees in Toyota’s 8-Step Problem Solving method and in management-led problem solving activities.

Sammanfattning Bakgrund och Problem: Varumärkesarbete i företag har under senare år blivit av allt större vikt där insikter kring företags aktiviteter och omdöme har fått större utrymme och inflytande ut mot marknadens aktörer och deras val och interaktioner. Det händer ibland att ett företag helt byter varumärke, detta som fenomen kallas rebranding. Genom denna rebrandingprocess finns det flera kritiska moment vid implementeringen av det nya varumärket. Denna problematik har vi valt att studera med färgfackhandeln Happy Homes som studieobjekt och hur detta varumärkesarbete ut mot Växjö Färg &amp; Tapet som franchisetagare fungerat. Syfte: Avsikten med uppsatsen är att redogöra för de steg och moment inom implementeringsarbetet vid rebranding som vidtas samt vilka olika påverkande aspekter som kan härledas till de aktiviteter som kan uppstå i processen. Vi har för uppsatsen ett syfte vilket ämnar att: ”Beskriva hur implementeringsarbetet vid en intern rebranding mellan ett företag och en ny franchisetagare kan ske på ett effektivare sätt.” Metod:Vi har arbetat genom en kvalitativ metod med en deduktiv ansats där vi gått från teori till empiri vilket vi sedan analyserat och dragit slutsatser ifrån. Vår interaktion med respondenterna har baserats på semistrukturerade intervjuer där frågorna i intervjuguiden operationaliserats fram ifrån teorin. Slutsatser: Resultatet av denna studie innefattar tillvägagångssätt av hur implementeringsarbetet vid intern rebranding mellan företag och franchisetagare kan effektiviseras och underlättas, samt vilka fallgropar som de inblandade parter bör ta i beaktning och undvika. / Abstract Brand management has in recent years become increasingly important where companies insights to the market and consumers reflects on their marketing activities. Sometimes companies during to an acquisition need to change their entire brand; this phenomenon is known as rebranding. Through this rebranding process there are several critical steps in the implementation of a new brand. This complex of problem is to be researched and the object of study is the company Happy Homes and its brand implementation to the franchisee Växjö Färg &amp; Tapet.   The purpose of this study is to examine and describe the implementation process of rebranding, and how it measures from a management perspective. This will conduce to see what acts and efforts need to be handled in the contributing to a brand change due to rebranding. This study will also contribute to a deeper understanding of both opportunities and openings as to pitfalls which could occur in the process of rebranding.   This thesis has a qualitative research methodology with a deductive research strategy. This approach allows us to work from theory to collect empirical evidence and to analyze and conclude the specific situation. Our interviews with the respondents were based on semi-structured interviews in which the topics and question of the interview guide was operationalized from a theoretical ground.

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An implementation project of an ERP system results in large changes. Organizations that face an ERP implementation project have several risks to consider in order to avoid problems that cause failures. The purpose of this research is to extend existing models and create a method for implementation of ERP systems. The method has then been employed to an ongoing project at the department of Procurement and Supply at Ericsson Mobile Platforms in Lund. Objectives for the research are to consider which implementation strategy can be used and how an organization can minimize risks. The research approach and methodology is influenced by the qualitative research method since it was necessary to gather qualitative facts instead of quantitative facts. Included is also a case study due to the research is executed within Ericsson Mobile Platforms in Lund. There are two main opposite implementation strategies, Big Bang and Step-by-Step. The choice of implementation strategy depends on number of factors like the size of the organizations, complexity and resources. A method of ERP implementation has been put forward as a result of the integrated models. The method includes an overall model and a check list. Risk identification is a problem that many implementation project faces, a way to solve this is to make a careful risk analysis, a risk matirx with several identified risks are putted forward throughout this study.

Purpose: This study examines how hotels manage digitization within the industry. Specifically it seeks to examine how managers view decisions and strategies for implementing SST in relation to hotel guest’s acceptance. Design/methodology/approach: This study has assumed a mixed methods methodology. The method has been carried out through an abductive approach between theoretical and empirical material. The study is based on a combined research design of qualitative and quantitative nature and is grounded on the empirical evidence that consists of three semi-structured interviews and surveys. The qualitative part leads to analysis according to the theoretical structure and is then combined with statistical analysis of the survey responses. Findings: This study confirms a few elements of previous literature: implementations require considerable investments and costs; SST on offer in the hotel industry are found lacking; guests prefer technologies they have experience with; and managers have a wait-and-see attitude to SST. The study also shows that people used to technology are proportionately big and have a positive attitude towards SST. Further, the study presents new theoretical insights: high-end hotels are expected to offer technology; SST is perceived to reduce hotels security; attitude towards SST does not differ between genders; and SST is perceived to affect aesthetics. / Syfte: Denna studie undersöker hur hotell hanterar digitalisering av branschen. Mer specifikt undersöker denna studie hur managers betraktar beslut och strategier för implementering av SST i relation till hotellgästers acceptans. Design/metod/tillvägagångssätt: Denna studie har utgått från metodkombination. Metoden behandlas genom ett abduktivt tillvägagångssätt mellan det teoretiska och empiriska materialet. Studien baseras på en kombinerad forskningsdesign av kvalitativ och kvantitativ natur som består av tre semistrukturerade intervjuer samt efterföljande enkät. Den kvalitativa delen utmynnar i en analys enligt den teoretiska strukturen och kombineras sedan med statistiska analyser av enkätsvaren. Bidrag: Ett antal faktorer som resultatet påvisar bekräftar tidigare forskning: implementationer innebär höga kostnader och investeringar; utbudet av SST inom hotellbranschen är dåligt; gäster föredrar de tekniker de är vana vid; samt att managers har en vänta-och-se attityd till SST. Samtidigt visar studien på att andelen teknologivana människor är stor och att dessa är positivt inställda till SST. Studien bidrar även med nya teoretiska insikter såsom: att premiumhotell förväntas kombinera high-touch med high-tech; att SST upplevs minska hotellens upplevda säkerhet; att inställning till SST inte skiljer sig mellan kön; samt att viss SST upplevs påverka estetiken.

Background. The need for innovation is clear since it can be viewed as one of the few lasting sources of competitive advantages for a firm. Firms with large sub-organisations need to be able to manage and execute new changes effectively, and to be able to stay competitive the firm needs to change and be more innovative. Innovation is a big factor in economic prosperity. In addition to economic development, an innovative process affects other aspects of an organisation and may even create new markets. The process, if correctly implemented and used, creates a more sustainable internal environment. Objectives. This research aims to evaluate a proposed innovation process, investigate how a sub-organisation with already set ways of working can implement a new innovation process, what factors may affect the implementation and what engages and motivates the employees within the sub-organisation. What is it that makes the change hard for some and what needs to be done for them to feel motivated and engaged. Methods. In this thesis we did a case study at a software firm which is divided into large-scale global sub-organisations. We used interviews in a chosen sample group, a survey was sent out to the whole sub-organisation, and a literature review and benchmarking were conducted. The data analysis was to categorise the answers and compile the data. Results. The proposed process is well thought through, and it is based on design thinking and agile principles. Implementation of an innovation process requires a strategic plan, and the findings were Kotter’s 8 steps which is a change model. Time is the biggest obstacle for employees. The factor that motivates and encourages the employees the most is to create value for the firm where they work and to be recognised. Gamification is a type of tool that can help engage the employees. Conclusions. For a large firm it may be beneficial to have a strategy to allocate time to innovation. An innovation process needs to have clear instructions and it should be iterative since many firms work in an agile way it needs to be able to fit into the organisation type. A multinational large firm requires a fixed strategy when wanting to implement a new process and a strategy for change and engaging the employees is one possible way to execute and manage change and innovation effectively. / Bakgrund. Behovet av innovation är tydligt, eftersom det kan ses som en av de få bestående källorna till konkurrensfördelar för företag. Företag med stora sub-organisationer måste kunna hantera och genomföra nya förändringar på ett effektivt sätt, och för att förbli konkurrenskraftiga måste företaget förändras och bli mer innovativa. Innovation är en stor faktor för ekonomiskt välstånd. %Förutom ekonomisk utveckling påverkar en innovativ process andra aspekter av en organisation och kan till och med skapa nya marknader. Processen, om den är korrekt implementerad och använd, skapar en mer hållbar intern miljö. Syfte. Denna forskning syftar till att utvärdera en föreslagen innovationsprocess som gavs av företaget där studien gjordes. Undersöka hur en underorganisation med redan fastställda arbetssätt kan implementera en ny innovationsprocess, och vilka faktorer som kan påverka implementeringarna och vad som engagerar och motiverar medarbetarna i underorganisationen. %Vad är det som gör förändringen svår för vissa och vad behöver göras för att de ska känna sig motiverade och engagerade. Metod. En fallstudie gjordes på ett mjukvaruföretag som är uppdelat i storskaliga globala underorganisationer. Vi använde intervjuer från en vald urvalsgrupp, en enkät skickades ut till hela underorganisationen och en litteraturgenomgång och benchmarking gjordes. Dataanalysen innebar att kategorisera och sammanställa data. Resultat. Resultaten visade att även om stora mjukvaruföretag arbetar med innovation så görs det inte effektivt. Den föreslagna processen är genomtänkt, den kräver tydliga instruktioner och färdiga mallar för att medarbetarna ska kunna arbeta med processen. För att implementera en ny process behöver ledningen engagera medarbetarna och för att det ska ske kan ett gamification-verktyg vara fördelaktigt. Slutsatser. Den största blockeraren idag för innovation är bristen på tid, det kan vara fördelaktigt att ha en strategi för att avsätta tid till innovation. En innovationsprocess behöver ha tydliga instruktioner, den bör vara iterativ eftersom många företag arbetar på ett agilt sätt och den bör kunna passa in i organisationstypen. Att implementera en ny process kräver en strategi för förändring och engagera medarbetarna är ett möjligt sätt för att företaget ska kunna göra det effektivt.