No ambiente organizacional, o fenômeno criatividade é resultado da interação de fato-res. Cultura organizacional, disponibilidade de recursos, expertise, liderança, motivação, estratégia, formação de grupos, são exemplos de fatores que exercem influência sobre a criatividade nas organizações. Este trabalho teve por objetivo identificar e organizar nos níveis de indivíduo, de grupo e organizacional os fatores que exercem influência sobre a criatividade no ambiente das organizações. O presente estudo foi elaborado com caráter exploratório e pretendeu ampliar o entendimento do fenômeno criatividade em empresas brasileiras. Os fatores foram identificados a partir de revisão de literatura e questionados por meio de ferramenta quantitativa a fim de coletar a experiência e opinião de profissi-onais de organizações brasileiras reconhecidas por sua capacidade inovadora. O estudo de campo realizado confirmou a importância de cada um dos fatores o que permitiu a construção de um conjunto coerente de fatores que influenciam a criatividade no ambi-ente das organizações. Demonstrou-se ainda por meio dos resultados obtidos, que, con-forme a organização, podem ocorrer ênfase em alguns fatores e redução da importância de outros. Desta forma, considera-se que a consolidação dos fatores em uma estrutura possibilita a elaboração de ações com objetivo de desenvolver e incrementar o potencial criativo das empresas. / Creativity, within the organization environment, is a result from the interaction of sev-eral factors such as organizational culture, resources availability, expertise, leadership, motivation, strategy and group formation. This work did aim to identify and organize these factors in individual, group and organization levels. It was conducted as an ex-ploratory study intending to boost organizational creativity understanding in Brazilian companies. Factors identified in the literature were checked against Brazilian innovation professionals of well-known organizations through quantitative interviews. The research data did corroborate the factor’s importance making possible to build a structure of the factors that influence creativity in organizational context. The results have also demon-strated that there is alternation of importance of these factors according to the organiza-tion profile. As a result is possible to say that having a factor’s structure enable organi-zations to improve their creative potential.

This paper extends the dynamic capabilities (DCs) perspective into the study of new service development (NSD). Drawing from both the DCs view and the NSD perspective, this paper explores theoretically and examines empirically the associations between four core dynamic capability components: adaptive capabilities, absorptive capabilities, arranging capabilities and administration capabilities (4As capabilities) exercised in the process of NSD. DCs have been argued to reside at different levels of organization. Thus far enormous research has focused on organizational level of DCs. Many studies has recognized the importance of DC at micro/individual level (e.g. Teece, 2007; Rothaermel and Hess, 2007), yet research relating to DC at the individual level of organizations is still lacking. Hence, this study focuses on developing and empirically validating an appropriate measurement scale for micro-level DCs. The majority of NSD research has concentrated on the financial service sector; however, the hotel industry, one of the global largest industries, has not been well investigated (Ottenbacher, 2007). The study addresses its research objectives through an empirical investigation adopting both qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey in the hotel sector. This entailed a large quantitative pilot study (433 respondents) and a full-scale survey of hotel sector employees (1,079 respondents) in Thailand. The results, analysed through multiple regression analysis, show positive impact of 4As capabilities applied in different NSD activities on the NSD outcomes. The research findings provide guidance to managers as to how NSD performance is influenced by DCs exercised during the NSD process. The theoretical and managerial implications of this research are articulated.

Africa has long been considered as the next big growth market, according to both experts and economic organisations alike (World Economic Forum, African Union, The Economist, McKinsey). With a youthful population, a burgeoning consumption market, and its increased digital advancement, Africa has unrivalled potential. However, economic progress has lagged, necessitating the need to leapfrog, i.e., harness technological innovation to accelerate economic growth, to contribute towards realising the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal “Decent Work and Economic Growth”. Additionally, Africa cannot afford not to, given the downsides of the lack of economic growth (instability and extremism). In academic research, technological innovation is driven by firms’ and individuals’ absorptive capacity (AC), i.e., their ability to recognise new knowledge, assimilate it, and apply it for commercial ends. However, there remains a lack of understanding on how to operationalise and leverage AC. The research was undertaken with the aim to understand AC from a micro-foundational perspective within the Africa and 4IR contexts. Qualitative research was conducted across 6 African countries (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa), with 16 social actors, to gain insights on the processes, mechanisms and factors that contribute towards micro-foundational AC. The key findings of this research underscore the importance of the individual within the AC process. Additionally, the importance of contextualising AC to a developing market is highlighted. Other key findings reveal the enabling and hindering factors for successful AC. This research aimed to offer a contribution towards AC micro foundational research, and to offer practical insights for African firms, within the context of the 4IR era. / Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2021. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

Venture failure has been studied from the entrepreneur’s perspective through previous qualitative research. However, very few studies have considered the specific business environment in which entrepreneurs operate. This thesis addresses entrepreneurial failure and focuses on the EU healthcare sector. The paucity of academic research combining the lived experience of venture failure and the healthcare industry context, highlights the importance of this study. An interpretative phenomenological approach is used to provide situated insights, rich details and thick descriptions of participants’ experiences whilst allowing appreciation of the business context and development of common themes. Through in-depth interviews with seven entrepreneurs, this study develops a deeper understanding of what it is like to experience venture failure in the healthcare industry. Findings show that entrepreneurs were not only deeply affected by emotional hardship, but also suffered from detrimental social consequences as a result of stigmatisation and no longer being part of the healthcare industry. Findings suggest there is a relationship between entrepreneurial optimism, post-failure effects and longer-term outcomes, with a central role for healthcare entrepreneurs’ intrinsic motivation. This work adds empirical weight to the existing body of entrepreneurial failure theory. The exclusive focus on the healthcare industry adds a new perspective to academic theory and is also of value to entrepreneurship practice. Entrepreneurs’ genuine desire to make a difference in healthcare, despite the industry’s complexity and the challenges it entails, deserves more attention from policy makers, investors and other stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem. Finally, the insights derived from the narratives of entrepreneurs who experienced failure, might help other entrepreneurs in their endeavours.

This study used the Health Belief Model to examine the effects of viewing valenced levels of consequences of sexual decision found in prime time television programs. When exposed to portrayals of negative consequences, participants had higher levels of perceived severity than those in the positive condition. After viewing positive portrayals, participants perceived an increased amount of benefits of behavior modification when compared to those who were exposed to the negative portrayals. In addition, multiple correlations were found between several individual-level variables that were tested for in the study and the HBM constructs. Theoretical implications and practical implications are discussed. / Master of Arts

Co-opetition could be defined as an interplay between cooperation and competition, which operates within different contexts and levels. However, it’s been very popular in inter-firm and intra-firm level. Pursuing the interplay of such contradicting concepts at individual-level is challenging, yet highly essential.  This study explores the dynamics of co-opetition-simultaneous cooperation and competition among university teachers, identifying key drivers, inherent tensions and resultant outcomes. This study has conducted as a qualitative study, interviewing faculty members and analyzing their insights to answer which collaborative activities and competitive activities they engage in. The study delineates to understand how teacher’scollaborative and competitive activities contribute to improve their professional development, student engagement and ultimately, the university education.

Background: The development of Artificial intelligence increased has become integral to organizational life, transforming operations by enhancing efficiency and performance. Its ability to replicate complex tasks significantly impacts outcomes, enabling faster and more cost-effective practices. Successful AI adoption requires a focus on individual-level impacts within organizations. Understanding these microfoundations is essential for leveraging AI effectively and promoting organizational development. This underscores the importance of exploring individual-level factors within B2B companies for successful AI implementation. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore Individuals` perception of AI implementation in the context of B2B organization. This by identifying the prominent factors influencing individuals´ responses to AI implementation and how individuals` responses affect the overall implementation. Method: To comprehensively achieve the purpose of this study, a qualitative research design with an inductive approach was employed. This by gathering empirical data collected from seventeen semi-structured interviews and analyzed using a thematic data analysis method. Conclusion: The findings of this study show four major factors: Motivation, Emotion, Cognition, and dynamic orientation significantly influence individuals´ attitudes towards AI implementation. AI's potential to perform human tasks generating both supporting, unsporting and indifference responses affecting the overall implementation.

This thesis examines the space use, movement and contact rate patterns of a high- density, group-living, Eurasian badger (Meles meles) population in the UK naturally infected with bovine tuberculosis (bTB). Recently developed proximity logging devices were deployed on a representative sample of 51 badgers from eight different social groups to track their movements using radio-telemetry and to quantify their within- and between-group contact rates. Whilst interactions within social groups accounted for more than 90% of contacts, the entire study population was ultimately connected through interactions among individuals from neighbouring groups. Both within and between-group contacts, and also the use of denning sites, were heavily influenced by seasonal and demographic factors, which appear to be motivated to a large extent by reproductive behaviours. Nevertheless, by using social network analysis I found that badgers that tested positive for bTB were found to interact with fewer of their group members and for a shorter amount of time. Specifically these test-positive individuals were found to associate with test-negative group members significantly less than would be expected by chance. Those animals testing positive for bTB were also found to use outlying setts significantly more frequently than those that tested negative. The within and between-group contact rates of individuals were found to correlate with their sett use patterns. Those animals that spent less time interacting with group members and those that spent more time interacting with members of foreign social groups, were found to spend a greater proportion of their time at outlier setts. The findings in this thesis suggest a link between wider roaming behaviour and the disease status of an individual. This adds support to the argument that the social disruption of badger populations, for example through culling, may promote rather than alleviate the spread of bTB as a result of increased movement and contacts between groups. State-of-the-art technology has enabled me to demonstrate the strong influence that badger social organisation may have on the transmission of an economically significant infectious disease. My findings suggest that disease control measures might be enhanced by taking into account seasonal and individual-level variation in ranging behaviour and use of outlier setts, for example, by identifying and targeting functional groups of individuals, specific areas, or times of the year that contribute disproportionately to disease spread.

Knowledge  sharing  has  earned  a  more  central  role  in  organizations  strive  to      achievecompetitive advantage. Still, many organizations fail to make full potential of knowledge sharing initiative, highlighting the demand for further studies in the area to increase the understanding of knowledge sharing within organizations. This study therefore examines how knowledge sharing is affected within mentoring through a case study of qualitative nature where interviews have been conducted with consultants of a global IT company whom in various ways are involved in a mentoring program. This study seeks to understand how mentoring of new hires works in practice and how knowledge sharing on an individual level is affected within the given context, as well as how the structure of formal mentoring might affect knowledge sharing between the mentor and protégé. The study starts off by depicting mentoring and knowledge sharing based on previous literature. The mentoring literature that is presented offers support to analyse the structure of the studied mentoring program and its significance. A model is thereafter presented within  the knowledge sharing section with the purpose of acting as an analytical lens when processing the empirical findings, the study has generated. The results show that knowledge sharing on an individual level within mentoring of new hires is affected by the organizational value associated with the knowledge being shared. It also shows that one motivational factor that affect the sharing is whether or not the participants are able to realize incentives associated to sharing knowledge and that mentoring offers both formal and informal opportunities to share knowledge, which implied a positive impact on knowledge sharing on an individual level. In addition, the results imply that an organizational culture impact the employees’ norms and values, and therefore their actions. An organizational culture promoting knowledge sharing is thereby considered having a positive effect on knowledge sharing on the individual level within mentoring. Another important finding is that the structure of formal mentoring programs, is affecting multiple aspects of the knowledge sharing   between   mentor   and   protégé.   However,   the   study   cannot   suggest   that  theorganizational culture is significantly affected. / Kunskapsdelning  har  fått  en  alltmer  central  roll  i  organisationers  strävan  att        erhållakonkurrensfördelar. Trots det misslyckas flertalet organisationer med att ta tillvara på kunskapsdelande initiativ, vilket belyser behovet av ytterligare studier på området för att öka förståelsen för kunskapsdelning inom organisationer. Denna studie undersöker därför hur kunskapsdelning påverkas inom mentorskap genom en fallstudie av kvalitativ karaktär där intervjuer utförts med konsulter på ett globalt IT-bolag som på olika sätt är involverade i ett mentorskapsprogram. Denna studie söker förstå hur mentorskap riktat mot nyanställda fungerar i praktiken och hur kunskapsdelning på individnivå påverkas inom den givna kontexten, men även vad utformningen av formella mentorskap har för betydelse för kunskapsdelningen mellan mentor och adept. Studien utgår ifrån att skildra mentorskap och kunskapsdelning utifrån tidigare litteratur. Mentorskapslitteraturen som presenteras ger stöd för att analysera utformningen av det givna mentorskapet och dess betydelse. I kunskapsdelningsavsnittet presenteras en modell vilken appliceras som en analytisk lins vid bearbetning av de empiriska fynd som studien genererat. Av studiens resultat framgår att kunskapsdelning på individnivå inom mentorskap riktat mot nyanställda påverkas av vilket organisatoriskt värde som är associerat med den kunskap som delas. Det framgår även att en motivationsfaktor som påverkar delningen är huruvida deltagarna upplever att det existerar incitament till att dela kunskap och att mentorskap tillhandahåller både formella och informella möjligheter att dela kunskap, vilket antyds inverka positivt på kunskapsdelning på individnivå. Därtill indikerar studien att en organisationskultur inverkar på de anställdas normer och värderingar, och således agerande. En organisationskultur som främjar kunskapsdelning har därmed en positiv påverkan på kunskapsdelning på individnivå inom mentorskap. Ytterligare en viktig slutsats är att utformningen av formella mentorskapsprogram utifrån ett flertal aspekter är av betydelse för kunskapsdelningen   mellan   mentor   och   adept,   dock   finner   studien   inte   stöd   för attorganisationskulturen påverkas nämnvärt av utformningen som sådan.

Magister Public Health - MPH (Public Health) / Teenage pregnancy remains a complex issue globally. According to the World Health Organisation (2014), the average global birth rate of girls aged 15-19 years was 49 per 1000 births reported globally. In South Africa, the general household survey conducted in 2014 revealed that 5.6% of females 14-19 years were reported to have been pregnant in 2013, with teenage pregnancy increasing by age from 0.8% for the age group of 14 years to 11.9% for teenagers aged 19 years. In South Africa, a range of health policies and programs exist to address teenage pregnancy, including school-based sex education, peer education programmes, adolescent friendly clinic initiatives and mass media interventions. Despite such initiatives, the number of teenagers becoming pregnant remains high. Teenage pregnancy reported in Mangaung district is 7%, which is three times more than the provincial target of 2% for teenage pregnancy. This research therefore aimed to explore the reasons behind teenage pregnancy in Heidedal, Mangaung District, Free State Province, South Africa. Two in- depth interviews were conducted, one with twelve teenage mothers and the other with four key informants who were selected based on insight and experience they possess in working with teenagers. The key informants suitable for the study included a nurse, life orientation teacher, ward councillor and a counsellor working for a non-governmental organization that supports the implementation of youth programmes in the health facility. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data and key themes, afterwards concepts were interpreted so that explanations could be constructed to answer the research aim and objectives. The study aimed to contribute to understanding reasons behind the high teenage pregnancy rates in Mangaung District. This information will be useful to policy makers in developing policies and strategies that will address factors identified to be influencing teenage pregnancy.