Mini-research report presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration at the University of Stellenbosch. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research report is focused on the phenomenon that various Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) used by an organisation as part of their Performance Management systems in support of their strategic objectives will sometimes also drive non-productive behaviour. Thus although the intention might be that the KPI should promote a specific strategic objective, the very same KPI might drive additional behaviour that might not be aligned with the strategic objectives at all or could even be downright destructive. The purpose of this research study is to develop an analysis methodology that can be used to identify those KPIs that drive negative secondary behaviour (the intended positive behaviour being the primary behaviour). The methodology must also assist in identifying preventive measures that can be used to mitigate the risk posed by the negative behaviour. An interesting aspect of this research report is that it cross-references between the business and engineering disciplines by means of adapting techniques used in engineering to assist with a business management problem. The result of this research is a KPI Effectiveness Analysis that has gone through a trail phase where a number of case studies were analysed by means of this tool. The results were conclusive and the analysis tool found to be of great assistance. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingsverslag fokus op die verskynsel dat Sleutel Prestasie Indikators (SPI's)wat deur ondernemings gebruik word as deel van hul prestasiebestuur-stelsels en wat ten doel het om die strategiese doelwitte van die onderneming te ondersteun, soms ook nie-produktiewe gedrag bevorder. Dus alhoewel dit die intensie met die SPI mag wees om gedrag te bevorder wat die strategiese doelwitte sal ondersteun, dieselfde SPI ook gedrag kan bevorder wat glad nie die strategiese doelwitte ondersteun nie en dalk self destruktief van aard kan wees. Die doel van hierdie navorsingstudie is om 'n analise metodologie te ontwikkel wat gebruik kan word om die SPI's te identifiseer wat negatiewe sekondêre gedrag bevorder (waar die bedoelde gedrag as die primêre gedrag gesien word). Die metodologie moet ook die identifisering van moontlike voorkomende stappe help fasiliteer wat gebruik kan word om die risiko van negatiewe gedrag te vernminder. 'n Interessante aspek van hierdie navorsingsverslag is dat daar 'n kruisverwysing gedoen word tussen die besigheids- en ingenieursdissipline deur tegnieke wat in die ingenieursrigting gebruik word aan te pas ten einde te help met 'n besigheidsbestuursprobleem. Die resultaat van die navorsing is 'n SPI Effektiwiteitsanalise wat tydens 'n toetsfase in 'n paar gevallestudies geanaliseer is deur hierdie metode te gebruik. Die resultate was konkreet en bewys dat die analise metode van groot hulp is.

The enterprises that deliver capability are trying to evolve into through-life businesses by shifting away from the traditional pattern of designing and manufacturing successive generations of products, towards a new paradigm centred on support, sustainability and the incremental enhancements of existing capabilities from technology insertions and changes to process. The provision of seamless through-life customer solutions depends heavily on management of information and knowledge between, and within the different parts of the supply chain enterprise. This research characterised and described Capability Engineering (CE) as applied in the defence enterprise and identified to BAE Systems important considerations for managing knowledge within that context. The terms Capability Engineering and Through Life Capability Management (TLCM), used synonymously in this thesis, denote a complex evolving domain that requires new approaches to better understand the different viewpoints, models and practices. The findings and novelty of this research is demonstrated through the following achievements: • Defined the problem space that Requirements Engineers can use in through-life management projects. • Made a contribution to the development of models for Systems Architects to enable them to incorporate 'soft' systems within their consideration. • Independently developed a TLCM activity model against which BAE Systems validated the BAE Systems TLCM activity model, which is now used by UK Ministry of Defence (MoD). • Developed, and published within INCOSE1, the INCOSE Capability Engineering ontology. • Through the novel analysis of a directly applicable case study, highlighted to Functional Delivery Managers the significance of avoiding the decoupling of information and knowledge in the context of TLCM. • Through experimentation and knowledge gained within this research, identified inadequacies in the TechniCall (rapid access to experts) service which led to the generation of requirements for an improved service which is now being implemented by BAE Systems. The results showed that managing knowledge is distinct when compared to information management. Over-reliance on information management in the absence of tacit knowledge can lead to a loss in the value of the information, which can result in unintended consequences. Capability is realised through a combination of component systems and Capability Engineering is equivalent to a holistic perspective of Systems Engineering. A sector-independent Capability Engineering ontology is developed to enable semantic interoperability between different domains i.e. defence, rail and information technology. This helped to better understand the dependencies of contributing component systems within defence, and supported collaboration across different domains. Although the evaluation of the ontology through expert review has been accomplished; the ontology, KM analysis framework and soft systems transitioning approach developed still need to undergo independent verification and validation. This requires application to other case studies to check and exploit their suitability. This Engineering Doctorate research has been disseminated through a number of peer reviewed publications.

The aim of this research was to develop guidelines for improving the implementation of Quality Management Systems to provide quality service delivery in education. The research was done by means of both a literature review and an empirical research. The focus of the literature review was to determine the nature and purpose of existing Quality Management Systems (QMS) in education; and the role of District Officials and Schools Management Teams (SMTs) in the implementation of QMS to provide quality service delivery in education. Factors that contribute to the ineffectiveness of the implementation of the existing QMS in education were highlighted. The empirical research findings revealed that SMTs, being responsible for the implementation of QMS, lack knowledge and understanding of QMS implementation. Responses obtained from questionnaires revealed: limited support by District Officials, non-availability of support programmes; limited knowledge of the vision, mission and goals of the Department of Education; and limited resources provision. SMTs indicated dissatisfaction with the manner in which guidance and regulations pertaining to QMS implementation are provided. Curriculum and assessment support programmes were stated as limited, thus affecting learners’ and teachers’ performance. The impact of limited provision of resources; limited dedication to individual employees’ personal development by leadership and management; unclear communication means; and poor rewarding strategies to encourage employees and learners to perform were further highlighted. Based on the results obtained from the literature study and the empirical research, guidelines for improving the implementation of QMS to provide quality service delivery in education were developed and presented. / PhD, Education Management, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012

Electric powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have emerged as a promi- nent aviation concept due to the advantageous such as stealth operation and zero emission. In addition, fuel cell powered electric UAVs are more attrac- tive as a result of the long endurance capability of the propulsion system. This dissertation investigates novel power management architecture for fuel cell and battery powered unmanned aerial vehicle propulsion application. The research work focused on the development of a power management system to control the hybrid electric propulsion system whilst optimizing the fuel cell air supplying system performances. The multiple power sources hybridization is a control challenge associated with the power management decisions and their implementation in the power electronic interface. In most applications, the propulsion power distribu- tion is controlled by using the regulated power converting devices such as unidirectional and bidirectional converters. The amount of power shared with the each power source is depended on the power and energy capacities of the device. In this research, a power management system is developed for polymer exchange membrane fuel cell and Lithium-Ion battery based hybrid electric propulsion system for an UAV propulsion application. Ini- tially, the UAV propulsion power requirements during the take-off, climb, endurance, cruising and maximum velocity are determined. A power man- agement algorithm is developed based on the UAV propulsion power re- quirement and the battery power capacity. Three power states are intro- duced in the power management system called Start-up power state, High power state and Charging power state. The each power state consists of the power management sequences to distribute the load power between the battery and the fuel cell system. A power electronic interface is developed Electric powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have emerged as a promi- nent aviation concept due to the advantageous such as stealth operation and zero emission. In addition, fuel cell powered electric UAVs are more attrac- tive as a result of the long endurance capability of the propulsion system. This dissertation investigates novel power management architecture for fuel cell and battery powered unmanned aerial vehicle propulsion application. The research work focused on the development of a power management system to control the hybrid electric propulsion system whilst optimizing the fuel cell air supplying system performances. The multiple power sources hybridization is a control challenge associated with the power management decisions and their implementation in the power electronic interface. In most applications, the propulsion power distribu- tion is controlled by using the regulated power converting devices such as unidirectional and bidirectional converters. The amount of power shared with the each power source is depended on the power and energy capacities of the device. In this research, a power management system is developed for polymer exchange membrane fuel cell and Lithium-Ion battery based hybrid electric propulsion system for an UAV propulsion application. Ini- tially, the UAV propulsion power requirements during the take-off, climb, endurance, cruising and maximum velocity are determined. A power man- agement algorithm is developed based on the UAV propulsion power re- quirement and the battery power capacity. Three power states are intro- duced in the power management system called Start-up power state, High power state and Charging power state. The each power state consists of the power management sequences to distribute the load power between the battery and the fuel cell system. A power electronic interface is developed with a unidirectional converter and a bidirectional converter to integrate the fuel cell system and the battery into the propulsion motor drive. The main objective of the power management system is to obtain the controlled fuel cell current profile as a performance variable. The relationship between the fuel cell current and the fuel cell air supplying system compressor power is investigated and a referenced model is developed to obtain the optimum compressor power as a function of the fuel cell current. An adaptive controller is introduced to optimize the fuel cell air supplying system performances based on the referenced model. The adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system based controller dynamically adapts the actual compressor operating power into the optimum value defined in the reference model. The online learning and training capabilities of the adaptive controller identify the nonlinear variations of the fuel cell current and generate a control signal for the compressor motor voltage to optimize the fuel cell air supplying system performances. The hybrid electric power system and the power management system were developed in real time environment and practical tests were conducted to validate the simulation results.

An investigation has been undertaken to ascertain the extent of the existing knowledge base regarding publically voluntary instruments capable of supporting organisations in developing improvements in environmental management. The multifaceted nature of the organisations seeking certification mean a generic approach to implementation is unlikely to deliver the desired after results or a resource efficient approach. Furthermore, the diversity of opinions recorded in the literature is often based on anecdotal evidence and small scale research projects. There is a lack of verifiable knowledge and understanding of the difficulties and barriers experienced by organisations attempting to secure certification for existing voluntary instruments for environmental management such as ISO 14001. The aim of the Research: ISO 14001 is the fastest growing of the ISO Standards related to Environmental Management Systems; however existing research has been small scale and anecdotal. This research aims to confirm or dispute the present discussions and assumptions surrounding the motivations and barriers to certification to ISO 14001. Through deductive reasoning this research will provide a comprehensive investigation into the barriers and motivations experienced in its implementation. It is proposed that more comprehensive opportunities for organisational categorisation may also be defined. The focus of the research has been to consider: · The potential for integration of these voluntary instruments. · The effects of the detailed requirements of the standard ISO 14001 on its certification and implementation processes. · The perceived and actual barriers to implementation · The opportunities to categorise participating organisations accordingly. An analysis of instruments available to support organisations in improving their environmental management has been undertaken. A complex and diverse array of instruments have been reviewed beyond the most regularly discussed ISO 14001. Considerable overlaps were identified in the requirements of the various instruments, suggesting opportunities for integration and resource efficiencies in implementation which have not previously been investigated. A detailed review of the certification processes of over 850 organisations certified to ISO 14001 was undertaken. This highlighted patterns in the barriers to implementation that have not previously been observed and which, in some cases, contradict existing literature. It has been shown that existing categorisation of originations was often only on the basis of whether an organisation was an SME or NON SME. However, it was proposed that this method lacked discrimination, with SME encompassing 99.8% of private sector businesses in the UK. This research has elicited significant motivations and barriers to EMS implementation and used these to provide an objective basis to categorise organisations. The outcome of this research has been: · A novel assessment of integration opportunities for 13 instruments. · An objective review of the certification and implementation processes for ISO 14001. · The development of taxonomies that encompasses multiple criteria that exhibit significant variability that could provide a method of classification for organisations.

No description available.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 26-29, 1992 / Town and Country Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California / Terms like efficiency, quick response, and interoperability are becoming the bywords of the test and evaluation (T&E) community as the Defense Department tightens its corporate belt [1]. These changes mark the end of an era of manual processes and duplication of effort and the beginning of an era of cooperation, standards, and Total Quality Management (TQM). Managing the huge volume of telemetry information required to support flight test at the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) has required new paradigms and system development strategies. These new ideas have resulted in the Aircraft Information Management System (AIMS), a system designed to meet the challenges of a new era in T&E. This paper discusses the AIMS design and function as background for the deeper issue of effective, efficient management of telemetry setup information. The information history model used in AIMS is presented and discussed. In the process of developing standards for the AIMS a methodology was discovered and successfully implemented for resolving information management issues in the framework of system development.

<p>Osnovni cilj disertacije je kreiranje modela integrisanog<br />sistema menadžmenta zasnovanog na proceni rizika aktivnosti<br />unutar procesa organizacije. Doktorskom disertacijom je<br />uspostavljen model koji je, između ostalog, obuhvatio:<br />&bull; Procenu rizika za svaku identifikovanu opasnost u<br />procesima organizacije, sa aspekta standarda od interesa<br />&bull; Projektovanje dokumentacije integrisanog sistema<br />menadžmenta na osnovu visine procenjenih rizika<br />Poređenjem projektovane sa postojećom dokumentacijom, u tri<br />realna preduzeća, zaključeno je da je obim i struktura dokumenata<br />optimizovana za uspešan menadžment rizicima, što snižava<br />troškove i omogućava efikasno upravljanje preduzećem.</p> / <p>The main objective of the P.h. thesis is to create a model of an<br />integrated management system based on risk assessment of activities<br />within the processes of the organization. Doctoral dissertation has<br />established a model that, among other things, included :<br />&bull; Assessment of risk for each identified hazard in the processes of the<br />organization, in terms of standards of interest<br />&bull; Design of documentation for integrated management system based on<br />the level of estimated risk<br />Comparing projected from existing documentation , in the three real<br />companies , it was concluded that the scope and structure of<br />documents is optimized for succesfull risk management, which lowers<br />costs and enables efficient management of the company.</p>

Although there is considerable interest in the role of performance management systems (PMS) to enhance innovation and performance, there is limited literature regarding successful implementation in organisations. Most research has focused on the technicalities of performance management implementations, while neglecting the human reactions that influence the outcomes of such systems. This research therefore aimed to examine employees’ perceptions of performance management systems in various organisations and how performance management systems, or the lack thereof, specifically influence performance in the Namibian organisational context. A multiple case study methodology was adopted for the research, where open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from various organisations. Data was primarily analysed by means of qualitative content analysis which was supported by the pattern matching technique. The research findings supported goal setting theory which predicts that performance benefits can be realised by implementing specific challenging goals because they have a motivational effect on employees compared to vague and easy goals. Findings also supported theory which suggests employee participation in goal setting and providing feedback led to higher performance compared to when goals are assigned and no feedback is given. The findings supported predicted positive relationships between rewards and performance. However, findings also suggested that performance management systems, or lack thereof, are unfair because rewards are distributed unjustly, which has a negative effect on performance. Nevertheless, it was suggested that employees are more motivated to perform by intrinsic factors, including achieving challenging goals, than extrinsic factors. These findings not only supported goal setting theory, they supported McGregor’s (1960) theory Y which argued that employees are ambitious and motivated by more than money, yet surprisingly also supported his theory X as it was revealed that some employees would only work harder if rewards, or performance bonuses, are given. Although the research aimed to test goal setting theory, findings also supported Vroom’s (1964) valence-instrumentality-expectancy theory, Maslow’s (1943) and McClelland’s (1975) need theories, which all argue that performance is enhanced by other sources of motivation. The findings supported contradictory theories, yet discovered interdependency among the theories, which created a cyclical notion. This means, Vroom’s (1964) theory argues that an employee can be motivated to perform better when there is a belief that the better performance will lead to good performance appraisal and in the realisation of personal goal in the form of some reward. It, however, implies that goal setting theory has no impact on employees’ performance. Yet, according to the qualitative findings, some employees will only increase performance if their performance is monitored and appraised. Therefore organisations are required to have performance management systems in place, in turn, supporting goal setting theory. The research attempted to generate meaningful insight that would be beneficial to organisations, in and outside Namibia, that are considering implementing or improving their performance management systems by incorporating what employees perceive to be fundamentally important. Communication, management support, performance feedback, education and training, goal setting and employee participation are amongst the factors perceived as essential to effective performance management systems implementation. As literature (Bernardin & Beatty, 1984; Fox & Spector, 2002) has affirmed, these findings stress that the effectiveness of performance management systems depends on employees’ attitudes and perceptions of the systems.

The mandate of the Department of Social Development (DSD) is to provide welfare services. These services are targeted at every citizen in South Africa and most importantly the vulnerable and poor people of South Africa. In order to ensure that it fulfills its mandate, the Department of Social Development (DSD) has put in place a Performance Management System which seeks to ensure that the deliverables are achieved effectively and efficiently. It is often argued that services for the poor are sometimes poor services, yet government devotes ample resources to improve these services. Thus the implementation of Performance Management System is strategically geared at improving service delivery in government departments. The Department of Social Development (DSD) is one of those departments that have implemented the Performance Management System but the results reveal that it has not achieved the expected outcomes, There is heightened job dissatisfaction, poor performance and low morale. The study sought to investigate the perceived impact of the performance management system on service delivery. The primary aim of the study was to investigate the contributions of the performance management system of the Department of Social Development (DSD) in enhancing the delivery of social services. The study employed a qualitative approach and it was exploratory in nature. The study population consisted of social workers and managers. In addition, there were key informants drawn from the Human Resource section. A total of 15 participants and 2 key informants were selected using purposive sampling. Semi-structured interview schedules were used to collect data. There were separate interview schedules for social workers as well as the managers. Face to face interviews were conducted with all the participants. The collected data was analysed using thematic content analysis. Ethical considerations were adhered to, as the researcher observed and adhered to conducting the investigation without bringing harm to participants and allowing the participants free will to choose to participate in the study. The major findings revealed that there is no common understanding of what performance management is. The study revealed that the performance management system utilised in the DSD had a negative impact on service delivery. All the participants identified the performance management system as a management tool. Various challenges that undermine the effectiveness of the performance management system were identified. These challenges include the role of supervision was identified as being suppressed as proper supervision did not take place and political interference was also identified as a challenge that undermined the effectiveness of system. The work output of social workers was affected by these various challenges.