Thesis (M.S.M.)--Regis University, Denver, Colo., 2007. / Title from PDF p. 9 (viewed on May 25, 2007). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.M.)--Regis University, Denver, Colo., 2006. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Mar. 27, 2006). Includes bibliographical references.

The need for change and improvement in the construction sector has been well documented. The recent economic downturn, greater levels of competition, increasing product complexity, regulatory requirements and tougher environmental targets are all examples of current challenges that continue to add weight to this requirement and accelerate the pace in which the sector must respond. It is widely agreed that it is through innovation, which can be defined as the successful exploitation of an idea, that construction firms will be able to create and exploit solutions in response to many of these challenges. In response, more and more construction firms are seeking ways to manage innovation in a more strategic and conscientious manner. However, there is little practical guidance for construction professionals on how this can be achieved and progress towards the optimisation of intra-organisational innovation in construction is widely considered to have been slow. Progress has been hindered by a lack of research and understanding of innovation in the construction context. There is an urgent need to address this and equip construction firms with practical and effective approaches for improved innovation management. This thesis presents an action research project that has developed and tested two interventions aimed at improving the management of innovation at the intra-organisational level within a major construction, engineering and associated services firm. The first intervention comprised of a stage-gate idea management process, a support network of innovation champions and a web-based tool for capturing, storing and reporting on ideas, with the purpose of providing a new platform for innovation outside the normal scope and boundaries of a single project. The second intervention included an online resource that provided tools and guidance for innovation with the purpose of promoting and providing practical support for those seeking to facilitate innovation in their projects or teams. Evaluation of the first intervention has revealed a number of important results, including the improved performance of budgets for innovation, increased employee satisfaction with levels of support for innovation, improvement in self-reported innovation performance and an increased portfolio of innovation projects. Usability testing of the second intervention suggests that it is a valuable tool that encourages and supports innovation at the project level. The thesis concludes by outlining a number of recommendations for consideration by the industry, along with suggestions for future research.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Hong Kong Baptist University, 2008. / Adviser: Alicia S.M. Leung. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Com.(Informatics))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Abstract in English. Includes bibliographical references.

A gestão assumiu grande relevância na atualidade, ultrapassando tanto seu universo de origem, a empresa, quanto o campo científico, responsável pela sua consolidação enquanto corpo objetivo de conhecimento, passando a fazer parte da teia de significados culturais (GEERTZ, 2008) da sociedade contemporânea. Desse modo, o setor público que, em geral, se insere na lógica da burocracia weberiana, vem sendo invadido nas últimas décadas pelas práticas gerencialistas oriundas do setor privado, como conseqüência do boom do management no século XX. No Ministério Público do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (MP-RS) esse cenário não é diferente, sendo que, na última década, passou a adotar diferentes programas de gestão com vistas a compatibilizar seu crescimento institucional no pós-constituinte com uma maior eficiência, eficácia e efetividade no exercício de suas funções. Ademais, os membros da instituição – Procuradores e Promotores de Justiça – além de suas atribuições habituais na execução das atividades-fim, passaram a exercer, cada vez mais, funções de gestão. Sendo assim, o presente estudo versa sobre a construção de representações sociais no âmbito do MP-RS, mais especificamente àquelas relacionadas à gestão, e que se incorporam aos discursos e práticas gerenciais dos seus membros-coordenadores. Neste sentido, busca elucidar elementos simbólicos atinentes à ação gerencial no contexto estudado, bem como relacioná-los com representações circulantes na sociedade, que cada vez mais assume valores da lógica gestionária oriunda do mundo empresarial (GAULEJAC, 2007). Para tanto, a pesquisa seguiu uma orientação qualitativa, adotando-se o estudo de caso como estratégia, e as técnicas da pesquisa documental, entrevistas, observação simples e participante para a coleta de dados, o que permitiu a identificação das noções de gestão formalmente difundidas na instituição, bem como suas significações nas representações sociais dos membros-coordenadores do MP-RS. Os resultados apontam que tanto as noções difundidas como as significações dos membros-coordenadores sobre a gestão são variadas. Todavia, no geral, reforçam a idéia da gestão como um conjunto de técnicas de aplicabilidade universal, cuja utilização encontra-se em um estágio mais avançado no setor privado, se comparado ao setor público, tornando-se, dessa forma, o modelo a ser seguido. Quanto às representações sociais, identifica-se que estas são influenciadas pelas noções difundidas, mas também se constituem como mecanismos de ancoragem dos novos conhecimentos e de proteção das identidades profissionais dos membros-coordenadores. Estas representações circulantes refletem aspectos da cultura brasileira e da sociedade gestionária, os quais se combinam com características da cultura organizacional do MP-RS. / Management has assumed great relevance nowadays, surpassing its origin, the enterprise, and the scientific field, responsible for its consolidation as objective knowledge body, starting to take part in the cultural signification net (GEERTZ, 2008) of the contemporaneous society. Therefore, the public sector, which is, in general, inserted in Weber‘s bureaucracy logic, has been invaded in the last decades by the managerial practices originated in the private sector, as a consequence of the management boom of the 20th Century. In Ministério Público do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (MP-RS) this scenario is not different, meaning that in the last decade it has started to adopt different management programs with aims to adjust its institutional growth of the post-constitutional period with higher efficiency, efficacy and effectiveness in the exercise of its functions. Moreover, the members of the institution – Public Prosecutors – beside their daily attributions in the execution of the main activities, started to develop, more and more, the management functions. Therefore, the present study is about the construction of the social representations in the ambit of MP-RS, more specifically those related to the management, and that are incorporated to the discourses and managerial practices of their coordinators-members. In this sense, it seeks to elucidate the symbolic elements attained to the managerial action in the studied context, as well as relate them to the circulating representation in the society, which is assuming more and more values of the managerial logic of the entrepreneurial world (GAULEJAC, 2007). Then, the research followed a qualitative orientation, adopting the study case as a strategy, and the document research, interview, simple and participating observation to the data collection as technique, which permitted the identification of the managerial concepts that are formally spread in the institution, as well as their signification in the social representation of the coordinators-members of MP-RS. The results point out that both the concepts and the signification of the coordinators-members about the management are varied. However, in general, they strengthen the management idea of a body of techniques of universal applicability, whose use is found in a more advanced degree in the private sector when compared to the public one, being considered, in this way, the model to follow. As to the social representation, we identify that they are influenced by the widespread notions, but they are also constituted as anchorage mechanisms of the new knowledge and of professional identity protection of the coordinator-members. These circulating representations reflect aspects of the Brazilian culture and the managerial society, which are combined with characteristics of the organizational culture of MP-RS.

A gestão assumiu grande relevância na atualidade, ultrapassando tanto seu universo de origem, a empresa, quanto o campo científico, responsável pela sua consolidação enquanto corpo objetivo de conhecimento, passando a fazer parte da teia de significados culturais (GEERTZ, 2008) da sociedade contemporânea. Desse modo, o setor público que, em geral, se insere na lógica da burocracia weberiana, vem sendo invadido nas últimas décadas pelas práticas gerencialistas oriundas do setor privado, como conseqüência do boom do management no século XX. No Ministério Público do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (MP-RS) esse cenário não é diferente, sendo que, na última década, passou a adotar diferentes programas de gestão com vistas a compatibilizar seu crescimento institucional no pós-constituinte com uma maior eficiência, eficácia e efetividade no exercício de suas funções. Ademais, os membros da instituição – Procuradores e Promotores de Justiça – além de suas atribuições habituais na execução das atividades-fim, passaram a exercer, cada vez mais, funções de gestão. Sendo assim, o presente estudo versa sobre a construção de representações sociais no âmbito do MP-RS, mais especificamente àquelas relacionadas à gestão, e que se incorporam aos discursos e práticas gerenciais dos seus membros-coordenadores. Neste sentido, busca elucidar elementos simbólicos atinentes à ação gerencial no contexto estudado, bem como relacioná-los com representações circulantes na sociedade, que cada vez mais assume valores da lógica gestionária oriunda do mundo empresarial (GAULEJAC, 2007). Para tanto, a pesquisa seguiu uma orientação qualitativa, adotando-se o estudo de caso como estratégia, e as técnicas da pesquisa documental, entrevistas, observação simples e participante para a coleta de dados, o que permitiu a identificação das noções de gestão formalmente difundidas na instituição, bem como suas significações nas representações sociais dos membros-coordenadores do MP-RS. Os resultados apontam que tanto as noções difundidas como as significações dos membros-coordenadores sobre a gestão são variadas. Todavia, no geral, reforçam a idéia da gestão como um conjunto de técnicas de aplicabilidade universal, cuja utilização encontra-se em um estágio mais avançado no setor privado, se comparado ao setor público, tornando-se, dessa forma, o modelo a ser seguido. Quanto às representações sociais, identifica-se que estas são influenciadas pelas noções difundidas, mas também se constituem como mecanismos de ancoragem dos novos conhecimentos e de proteção das identidades profissionais dos membros-coordenadores. Estas representações circulantes refletem aspectos da cultura brasileira e da sociedade gestionária, os quais se combinam com características da cultura organizacional do MP-RS. / Management has assumed great relevance nowadays, surpassing its origin, the enterprise, and the scientific field, responsible for its consolidation as objective knowledge body, starting to take part in the cultural signification net (GEERTZ, 2008) of the contemporaneous society. Therefore, the public sector, which is, in general, inserted in Weber‘s bureaucracy logic, has been invaded in the last decades by the managerial practices originated in the private sector, as a consequence of the management boom of the 20th Century. In Ministério Público do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (MP-RS) this scenario is not different, meaning that in the last decade it has started to adopt different management programs with aims to adjust its institutional growth of the post-constitutional period with higher efficiency, efficacy and effectiveness in the exercise of its functions. Moreover, the members of the institution – Public Prosecutors – beside their daily attributions in the execution of the main activities, started to develop, more and more, the management functions. Therefore, the present study is about the construction of the social representations in the ambit of MP-RS, more specifically those related to the management, and that are incorporated to the discourses and managerial practices of their coordinators-members. In this sense, it seeks to elucidate the symbolic elements attained to the managerial action in the studied context, as well as relate them to the circulating representation in the society, which is assuming more and more values of the managerial logic of the entrepreneurial world (GAULEJAC, 2007). Then, the research followed a qualitative orientation, adopting the study case as a strategy, and the document research, interview, simple and participating observation to the data collection as technique, which permitted the identification of the managerial concepts that are formally spread in the institution, as well as their signification in the social representation of the coordinators-members of MP-RS. The results point out that both the concepts and the signification of the coordinators-members about the management are varied. However, in general, they strengthen the management idea of a body of techniques of universal applicability, whose use is found in a more advanced degree in the private sector when compared to the public one, being considered, in this way, the model to follow. As to the social representation, we identify that they are influenced by the widespread notions, but they are also constituted as anchorage mechanisms of the new knowledge and of professional identity protection of the coordinator-members. These circulating representations reflect aspects of the Brazilian culture and the managerial society, which are combined with characteristics of the organizational culture of MP-RS.

A gestão assumiu grande relevância na atualidade, ultrapassando tanto seu universo de origem, a empresa, quanto o campo científico, responsável pela sua consolidação enquanto corpo objetivo de conhecimento, passando a fazer parte da teia de significados culturais (GEERTZ, 2008) da sociedade contemporânea. Desse modo, o setor público que, em geral, se insere na lógica da burocracia weberiana, vem sendo invadido nas últimas décadas pelas práticas gerencialistas oriundas do setor privado, como conseqüência do boom do management no século XX. No Ministério Público do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (MP-RS) esse cenário não é diferente, sendo que, na última década, passou a adotar diferentes programas de gestão com vistas a compatibilizar seu crescimento institucional no pós-constituinte com uma maior eficiência, eficácia e efetividade no exercício de suas funções. Ademais, os membros da instituição – Procuradores e Promotores de Justiça – além de suas atribuições habituais na execução das atividades-fim, passaram a exercer, cada vez mais, funções de gestão. Sendo assim, o presente estudo versa sobre a construção de representações sociais no âmbito do MP-RS, mais especificamente àquelas relacionadas à gestão, e que se incorporam aos discursos e práticas gerenciais dos seus membros-coordenadores. Neste sentido, busca elucidar elementos simbólicos atinentes à ação gerencial no contexto estudado, bem como relacioná-los com representações circulantes na sociedade, que cada vez mais assume valores da lógica gestionária oriunda do mundo empresarial (GAULEJAC, 2007). Para tanto, a pesquisa seguiu uma orientação qualitativa, adotando-se o estudo de caso como estratégia, e as técnicas da pesquisa documental, entrevistas, observação simples e participante para a coleta de dados, o que permitiu a identificação das noções de gestão formalmente difundidas na instituição, bem como suas significações nas representações sociais dos membros-coordenadores do MP-RS. Os resultados apontam que tanto as noções difundidas como as significações dos membros-coordenadores sobre a gestão são variadas. Todavia, no geral, reforçam a idéia da gestão como um conjunto de técnicas de aplicabilidade universal, cuja utilização encontra-se em um estágio mais avançado no setor privado, se comparado ao setor público, tornando-se, dessa forma, o modelo a ser seguido. Quanto às representações sociais, identifica-se que estas são influenciadas pelas noções difundidas, mas também se constituem como mecanismos de ancoragem dos novos conhecimentos e de proteção das identidades profissionais dos membros-coordenadores. Estas representações circulantes refletem aspectos da cultura brasileira e da sociedade gestionária, os quais se combinam com características da cultura organizacional do MP-RS. / Management has assumed great relevance nowadays, surpassing its origin, the enterprise, and the scientific field, responsible for its consolidation as objective knowledge body, starting to take part in the cultural signification net (GEERTZ, 2008) of the contemporaneous society. Therefore, the public sector, which is, in general, inserted in Weber‘s bureaucracy logic, has been invaded in the last decades by the managerial practices originated in the private sector, as a consequence of the management boom of the 20th Century. In Ministério Público do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (MP-RS) this scenario is not different, meaning that in the last decade it has started to adopt different management programs with aims to adjust its institutional growth of the post-constitutional period with higher efficiency, efficacy and effectiveness in the exercise of its functions. Moreover, the members of the institution – Public Prosecutors – beside their daily attributions in the execution of the main activities, started to develop, more and more, the management functions. Therefore, the present study is about the construction of the social representations in the ambit of MP-RS, more specifically those related to the management, and that are incorporated to the discourses and managerial practices of their coordinators-members. In this sense, it seeks to elucidate the symbolic elements attained to the managerial action in the studied context, as well as relate them to the circulating representation in the society, which is assuming more and more values of the managerial logic of the entrepreneurial world (GAULEJAC, 2007). Then, the research followed a qualitative orientation, adopting the study case as a strategy, and the document research, interview, simple and participating observation to the data collection as technique, which permitted the identification of the managerial concepts that are formally spread in the institution, as well as their signification in the social representation of the coordinators-members of MP-RS. The results point out that both the concepts and the signification of the coordinators-members about the management are varied. However, in general, they strengthen the management idea of a body of techniques of universal applicability, whose use is found in a more advanced degree in the private sector when compared to the public one, being considered, in this way, the model to follow. As to the social representation, we identify that they are influenced by the widespread notions, but they are also constituted as anchorage mechanisms of the new knowledge and of professional identity protection of the coordinator-members. These circulating representations reflect aspects of the Brazilian culture and the managerial society, which are combined with characteristics of the organizational culture of MP-RS.

Speeding is a major concern on all roadways and is a leading factor in traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Rural roadways are often disproportionately impacted by these traffic crashes and fatalities, despite the lower traffic volumes and populations. It is important to address this speeding issue, especially in rural areas, which can be done with an organized plan, such as a Speed Management Action Plan (SMAP), and collaboration with all parties involved. The goal of this research is to provide a framework to help rural areas identify locations that are at higher risk of speeding-related crashes by analyzing roadway characteristics that have a higher likelihood of a speeding-related crash to occur and which characteristics have a larger proportional influence associated with them. Identifying these roadway characteristics can help focus state crash analysis or countermeasure implementation to ensure that locations that are at highest risk of speeding-related crashes are receiving appropriate and effective speed management countermeasures. The framework identifies roadway characteristics that are more likely to contribute to speeding-related crashes, focusing on rural, non-interstate, and non-intersection roads. It underscores the importance of data-driven decision-making to prioritize high-risk locations and optimize resource allocation. By providing states with tools and information, the framework facilitates the identification of critical factors influencing speeding-related crashes, such as roadway alignment, surface conditions, and lighting. Additionally, it provides comprehensive guidance on data collection, data filtering, key characteristics to identify, data analysis, prioritizing findings, applying the results, and monitoring the implementations. This structured approach not only supports the effective use of crash data for informed decision-making but also aligns with the development and execution of SMAPs. The research utilized Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles Traffic Records Electronic Data System (TREDS) crash data for the year 2022 to create the framework. The roadway characteristics included in the analysis were determined using engineering judgement and past studies. Those characteristics were identified from the attributes: location of the first harmful event, light conditions, roadway alignment, roadway description, roadway defects, and roadway surface conditions. A proportional analysis method was used to calculate the speeding-related crash likelihood percentage and the systemic impact percentage for each characteristic included in the analysis. Key findings from this analysis revealed certain roadway characteristics, such as roadside, darkness, curved, two-way not divided, and wet surfaces that had high impacts on both the likelihood of a speeding-related crash occurring and high systemic impact. Virginia crash data was used in this study to test the framework developed to show its effectiveness and how it can be utilized by other states. / Master of Science / Speeding is a major concern on all roadways and is a leading factor in traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Rural roadways are often disproportionately impacted by these traffic crashes and fatalities, despite the lower traffic volumes and populations. It is important to address this speeding issue, especially in rural areas, which can be done with an organized plan, such as a Speed Management Action Plan (SMAP), and collaboration with all parties involved. The goal of this research is to provide a framework to help rural areas identify locations that are at higher risk of speeding-related crashes by analyzing roadway characteristics that have a higher likelihood of a speeding-related crash to occur and which characteristics have a larger proportional influence associated with them. Identifying these roadway characteristics can help focus state crash analysis or countermeasure implementation to ensure that locations that are at highest risk of speeding-related crashes are receiving appropriate and effective speed management countermeasures. The framework identifies roadway characteristics that are more likely to contribute to speeding-related crashes, focusing on rural, non-interstate, and non-intersection roads. It underscores the importance of data-driven decision-making to prioritize high-risk locations and optimize resource allocation. By providing states with tools and information, the framework facilitates the identification of critical factors influencing speeding-related crashes, such as roadway alignment, surface conditions, and lighting. Additionally, it provides comprehensive guidance on data collection, data filtering, key characteristics to identify, data analysis, prioritizing findings, applying the results, and monitoring the implementations. This structured approach not only supports the effective use of crash data for informed decision-making but also aligns with the development and execution of SMAPs. The research utilized Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles Traffic Records Electronic Data System (TREDS) crash data for the year 2022 to create the framework. The roadway characteristics included in the analysis were determined using engineering judgement and past studies. Those characteristics were identified from the attributes: location of the first harmful event, light conditions, roadway alignment, roadway description, roadway defects, and roadway surface conditions. A proportional analysis method was used to calculate the speeding-related crash likelihood percentage and the systemic impact percentage for each characteristic included in the analysis. Key findings from this analysis revealed certain roadway characteristics, such as roadside, darkness, curved, two-way not divided, and wet surfaces that had high impacts on both the likelihood of a speeding-related crash occurring and high systemic impact. Virginia crash data was used in this study to test the framework developed to show its effectiveness and how it can be utilized by other states.

Made available in DSpace on 2009-11-18T19:01:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ACF21C.pdf: 1068823 bytes, checksum: 9b06f39dfafdbe48b79413d2156acf91 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / The present work has as main objective the identification and impact analysis for the practice ITIL in the organizational flexibility of a multinational IT company, being this study of quali-quantitative and exploratory nature. To achieve this objective, some theoretical studies on bureaucracy, organization flexibility, control, IT governance and ITIL were done, as a form to better understand the research problem. For analysis effect a set of eleven ITIL process was considered in this research ¿ service desk, incident management, problem management, change management, configuration management, release management, service level management, availability management, capacity management, continuity management and finally IT financial services management ¿ grouped in its two core areas ¿ service support and service delivery. Then a scale was constructed and validated, on the basis of theoretical models developed by Volberda (1997), Tenório (2002) and Golden and Powell (1999), to measure the flexibility related to each process comprising the ITIL core. The dimensions adopted to measure flexibility were: organization design task, managerial task, IT impact on work force, HR management, efficiency impact, sensitivity, versatility and robustness. The instrument used in research was a semi-structured interview, which was divided in two parts. The data collection was performed with ten interviewed people from an IT multinational company, based on convenience, some were managers and there were users, some were ITIL certified and others not. The statistic tests of t student and Wilcoxon non-parametric were adopted. The result of the research indicated that the ITIL service support area, for possessing greater operational focus, presents flexibility trend. The opposite was found for the service delivery area, which has greater tactical focus. The results also suggest that the change management discipline was the one that contributed for the most flexibility inside the company, followed by incident management discipline and the service desk function. / O presente trabalho tem como objetivo principal a identificação e análise do impacto das práticas ITIL na flexibilidade organizacional de uma empresa multinacional de TI, sendo a pesquisa de natureza quali-quantitativa e exploratória. Para atingir este objetivo, foram feitos estudos teóricos das temáticas burocracia, flexibilidade organizacional, controle organizacional, governança em TI e ITIL, de forma a se obter um melhor entendimento do problema de pesquisa. Para efeito de análise foi considerado nesta pesquisa um conjunto de onze processos do ITIL ¿ service desk, gerência de incidentes, gerência de problemas, gerência de mudanças, gerência de configuração, gerência de release, gerência de nível de serviço, gerência de disponibilidade, gerência de capacidade, gerência de continuidade e, por fim, gerência financeira de serviços de TI - agrupados nas suas duas áreas centrais ¿ service support e service delivery. Na seqüência foi construída e validada, com base em modelos teóricos desenvolvidos por Volberda (1997), Tenório (2002) e Golden e Powell (1999), uma escala destinada a medir o potencial de flexibilidade relacionado a cada um dos processos centrais do ITIL. As dimensões adotadas para medir a flexibilidade foram: planejamento organizacional, ação gerencial, impacto da TI na força de trabalho, gestão de RH, impacto na eficiência, sensibilidade, versatilidade e por fim robustez. O instrumento de pesquisa utilizado foi entrevista semi-estruturada. A coleta de dados foi realizada com dez entrevistados de uma empresa multinacional de TI, sob conveniência, distribuídos entre gerentes e não-gerentes, certificados e não certificados nas práticas do ITIL. Foram adotados os testes estatísticos t student e não paramétrico de Wilcoxon. O resultado da pesquisa indicou que a área de service support do ITIL, por possuir maior foco operacional, apresenta tendência à flexibilidade. O oposto foi encontrado para a área de service delivery, que possui maior foco tático. Os resultados sugerem ainda que a disciplina gerência de mudanças é a que mais contribuiu para a flexibilidade na empresa, seguida da disciplina gerência de incidentes e da função service.