No description available.

The Thai State Railway Authority (RSR) is a public enterprise in Thailand. As an organization its performance is subject to the argument of contingency theorists that operating efficiency is dependent upon various factors both in the internal and external environments of the enterprise. Most of the internal factors are those that organization theorists in the developed world have identified such as goals and objectives, resources, and organization structures. Meanwhile, external factors such as political, economic and social conditions of the society are regarded as indirect factors that have less importance than do the internal factors. Scholars of the developing world have argued that political, social and economic conditions in the society are as important as internal factors. These factors may have a very significant influence on the enterprises and on the society as a whole. Consequently, public enterprises in developing countries always encounter the same problem of operating inefficiency. The RSR is selected as a case study because of its advantages over the other public enterprises in Thailand in terms of size of operation, length of service, and data availability. For the purpose of this project, data are collected from 1960 to 1984 for longitudinal analysis. The methods of analysis are divided into two major sections: simple regression testing and multiple regression testing. The principal component technique is used in both testings to reduce variables to a smaller number for further analysis. The simple regression tests yielded mixed results, but the multiple regression tests resulted in significant relationships. The three new factors derived from the factor analysis technique were labeled as "the organizational pressures," "the socio-political downturn," and "the public criticisms." They explained 84% of all the variance of operating efficiency. The other 16% was the effect of other factors including the management skills, which were excluded from this analysis.

Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The political changes in South Africa since 1994 and globalisation have brought about a dramatic increase in competition for South African companies. To ensure long-term survival and success, companies have to focus their strategies on continuous improvement and the ability to adapt to continuous change. Lean manufacturing principles were derived from the Toyota Production System (TPS) which was created by Taiichi Ohna, who is widely credited to be the father of Lean manufacturing principles. Lean principles originated in the automotive industry and transformed an industry that previously focused all its improvement efforts on the theory of mass production. Lean principles can be summarised as continuous improvement through focus on the elimination of waste from processes. Lean principles specify that organisations: • Change from using their view to using the view of the customer when evaluating value-creating activities; • Change production plans that focus on mass production to production plans that produce only what customers want now in flow production with small production batches; • Reduce lead times; • Improve quality; and • Achieve the above-mentioned by eliminating waste in all processes. Lean principles are based on the assumption that once waste is removed, the process improves and results in reduced lead time, improved quality, reduced costs and improved customer service. The aim of this research study was to test Lean principles by implementing applicable parts of it in the engine rebuilding section of MultiMech, a division of Golden Arrow Bus Services. The changes that formed part of the implementation included: • Reduced work in progress through improved production planning; • Improved performance of inbound processes through improved communication based on improved production planning; and • Improved productivity due to improved inbound processes and improved performance measuring. The results from the pilot implementation of Lean principles at the engine rebuilding section support the benefits documented in the theory. The major results were: • An increase in the number of engines built for the months June to September, from 54 in 2007 to 88 in 2008 which represents a 63 per cent improvement in productivity; • A decrease in the number of works orders from 58 to 21, which represents a decrease of 63 per cent in work in progress; and • A reduction in stores' lead time from 3.5 days to 1.4 days, which represents an improvement of 60 per cent. The results from the pilot implementation is only an indication of the total potential that will be realised when Lean principles are implanted throughout MultiMech. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die politieke veranderinge in Suid-Afrika sedert 1994 en globalisering het 'n dramatiese verhoging in mededinging vir Suid-Afrikaanse maatskappye tot gevolg gehad. Ten einde langtermyn oorlewing en sukses te verseker, moet maatskappye hul strategiee fokus op aanhoudende verbetering en die vermoe om by konstante verandering aan te pas. 'Spilvrye' vervaardigingsbeginsels ('Lean manufacturing principles') is afgelei van die Toyota produksiestelsel ('Toyota production system') (TPS), wat ontwikkel is deur Taiichi Ohno, wat algemeen beskou word as die vader van spilvrye vervaardigingsbeginsels. Hierdie beginsels het ontstaan in die motorvervaardigingsindustrie en 'n industrie transformeer wat voorheen al sy verbeteringspogings gefokus het op die teorie van massaproduksie. Spilvrye beginsels kan opgesom word as konstante verbetering deur te fokus op die eliminasie van verspilling uit prosesse. Spilvrye beginsels bepaal dat organisasies: • Nie meer vanuit hulle eie perspektief nie, maar vanuit die klient se perspektief waardeskeppende aktiwiteite beoordeel; • Produksieplanne verander wat fokus op massaproduksie tot produksieplanne wat slegs produseer wat kliente nou wil he in 'n vloeiproduksieproses met klein produksievolumes; • Wagperiodes verminder; • Kwaliteit verbeter; en • Bogenoemde bereik deur verspilling in alle prosesse te elimineer. Spilvrye beginsels is gebaseer op die aanname dat sodra verspilling verwyder is, die proses verbeter en verkorte wagperiodes volg, kwaliteit verbeter, kostes verminder en klientediens verbeter. Die doel van hierdie navorsingstudie was om Spilvrye beginsels te toets deur toepaslike gedeeltes daarvan te implementeer in die enjinbou afdeling van MultiMech, 'n divisie van Golden Arrow busdienste. Die veranderinge wat deel uitgemaak het van die implementering sluit in: • Verminderde werk-in-proses deur verbeterde produksiebeplanning; • Verbeterde prestasie van inkomende prosesse deur verbeterde kommunikasie gebaseer op verbeterde produksiebeplanning; en • Verbeterde produktiwiteit as gevolg van verbeterde inkomende prosesse en verbeterde prestasiemeting. Die resultate van die loodsimplemetering van Spilvrye beginsels by die enjinbou afdeling ondersteun die voordele wat in die teorie gedokumenteer is. Die vernaamste resultate sluit in: • 'n Toename in die aantal enjins gebou vir die maande Junie tot September, van 54 in 2007 tot 88 in 2008 wat 'n 63 persent verbetering in produktiwiteit verteenwoordig; • 'n Afname in die aantal werksopdragte vanaf 58 tot 21, wat 'n afname van 63 persent in werk-in-proses verteenwoordig; en • 'n Afname in store se wagperiode van 3.5 dae tot 1.4 dae, wat 'n verbetering van 60 persent verteenwoordig. Die resultate van die loodsimplementering van Spilvrye beginsels is 'n teken van die totale potensiaal wat gerealiseer sal word met die implementering in ander departemente van MultiMech.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / China Area Studies / Master / Master of Arts

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Science in Industrial Engineering. October 2016 / The research project aimed at determining employees’ experiences of the application of the flow efficiency methodology. The flow efficiency methodology was the selected management methodology from the broader scope of process-focused methodologies. The significance of the flow efficiency approach is that it’s an alternative approach to the traditional management approach of optimising resource efficiency, but rather focuses on improving the flow of the process in which the resources work. The research was conducted in the context of the labour-intensive, South African manufacturing sector using a case study approach. The purpose of the research was to understand front-line employees’ and supervisors’ perceptions during the application of the flow efficiency approach. The assessed perceptions came from four selected change factors that stemmed from the Lean change iceberg model commonly found in literature. The motivation for research was two-fold: (1) prior research of the flow efficiency methodology in the socio-technical environment focused on operational improvement impact, and not on the impact on people; and (2), most research of improvement approaches and methods in South Africa tended to focus on success factors and pre-requisite maturity levels of various methods. The chosen flow efficiency approach required no pre-requisite culture requirements. The researcher was of the view that gaining an insight (through a case study) into employees’ perceptions of change factors during a flow efficiency approach, could lead to benefits of development and empowerment of employees and management in the labour-intensive, manufacturing sector of South Africa. The case study selected was a flow efficiency-based, improvement initiative in a multinational dairy plant in South Africa. The researcher used an unstructured, group-administered questionnaire to assess operational and supervisory employees’ perceptions of the selected change factors after process changes were made in the process where they work. The four selected process-improvement change factors derived from the Lean change iceberg were: Leadership Behaviour; Social System Change; Effectiveness of Change; and Employee Involvement & Empowerment. Content validity was conducted with external and internal experts to refine the questions and sequence of the questionnaire. A trained research assistant facilitated the multiple questionnaire sessions. Thematic content analysis was used to categorise participant’s responses into themes and sub-themes for each question. The occurrence of themes and sub-themes per question was tallied up and discussed for operational and supervisory employees with respect to the research objectives. The research did not yield a broad-based view on the impact of the flow efficiency management approach on employees’ perceptions in the greater industry context. However, it did give an insight, through the case study, into some universally applicable perceptions of changes experienced by South African, front-line and supervisory employees when the flow efficiency management approach was used. Perceptions of: leadership commitment and coaching, improved teamwork, simplification of jobs, improved flow, and improvements in individual performance, and employee empowerment were prevalent perceptions felt by most employees at both levels. / MT2017

by Wan Kai Hong. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-102). / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Method --- p.11 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- An Evaluation of Economic Efficiency of State-owned and Collective Enterprises in Hubei --- p.23 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- An Evaluation of Economic Efficiency of International Joint Ventures in Shanghai --- p.44 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Conclusion --- p.90 / References --- p.95 / Tables --- p.103 / Figure --- p.241

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Business / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

No description available.

Bibliography : leaves 246-269 / xiv, 269 leaves : ill ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Economics, 1993

Thesis (M.Sc.)--California State University, Dominguez Hills, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 77-81).