The significant role of case managers in improving the health status of clients and in achieving cost-containment has been increasingly recognized. However, very few studies have touched on the emerging group of case managers who work exclusively with frail older adults. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of overall job satisfaction and some of its determinants among case managers of the Visiting Nurse Health System, Atlanta, Georgia, working primarily with older adults in two community-based programs. The objectives were to learn: (1) the level of overall job satisfaction among these case managers; (2) how these case managers perceive their role; and (3) what factors facilitate their work, what factors present barriers to their job performance, and what policy or procedural changes they feel would improve their performance. An established job satisfaction scale was employed to assess job satisfaction among the case managers. The overall job satisfaction scores ranged from 109 to 198 (out of a maximum possible score of 216), with a mean of 158.2, which is considerably higher than the theoretical mid-point of the scale (126). Nine subscales of job satisfaction, ordered by the satisfaction level from highest to lowest were, Coworkers, Supervision, Nature of Work, Communication, Contingent Rewards, Fringe Benefits, Operating Conditions, Pay, and Promotion. Case managers in the Older Group (aged 45 and older) showed higher overall satisfaction compared to those in the Younger Group (younger than 45). Furthermore, satisfaction levels with Fringe Benefits and Operating Conditions were significantly higher in the Older Group than in the Younger Group. No significant difference was found in job satisfaction between case managers in the two programs (CCSP and CBSP). Case managers with longer experience (at least 4 years) showed a higher satisfaction level with Pay compared to those with shorter experience (less than 4 years) in their current program. No significant difference in job satisfaction was found between social worker and nurse case managers, except that nurse case managers were significantly more satisfied with Fringe Benefits than social worker case managers. Qualitative analysis of the interview found that case managers tended to describe their role in terms that were either related to program objectives or activities. They viewed their role more as providing or ensuring services to their clients than as cost-containment. At the same time, initial assessment appeared to be the most important component of their role compared to other activities, such as evaluation or contact with service providers. Nature of the work, management, and coworkers are the three major sources of facilitating factors reported. On the other hand, the majority of deterring factors, related to operating procedures, pay, promotion, supervision, funding, and management, fell in the category of organizational factors. Deterring factors related to individual factors were related to communication and coworker relationship. Long-term study is needed to learn the job satisfaction among case managers working primarily with older adults and to determine what contributes to or undermines their job satisfaction. Policy changes might be needed at the organizational level to enhance job satisfaction among case managers.

Švietimas yra viena iš kultūros sričių, kurios pagrindas - žmogus, jo kultūra. Mokslo ir technikos vystymasis pažengė tiek toli, kad iš esmės keičiasi visuomeninis gyvenimas ir kaita tampa nuolatiniu reiškiniu arba vienu iš esminių postmodernistinės visuomenės bruožų. Pokyčiai tapo norma ir jie nuolat spartėja. Švietimo institucijų kaita yra tiesiog neišvengiama, nes „kiekviena įstaiga turi tapti mokymosi ir mokymo institucija” (Drucker, 1992). Vadinasi, neišvengiami pokyčiai visų pirma švietimo sistemoje ir tik po to konkrečioje švietimo institucijoje. Jeigu anksčiau vienokioje ar kitokioje organizacijoje svarbiausia buvo išlaikyti pusiausvyrą, tai dabar suvaldyti aplinką darosi vis sunkiau, todėl ir vadovams būtina mokėti sėkmingai vadovauti kaitai, gebėti produktyviai bendrauti ir bendradarbiauti. Sparčiai kintantis pasaulis skatina nuolat tobulinti struktūrą. Siekdama būti efektyvi, mokykla turi tapti besimokančia organizacija, skatinančia tobulėti kitus ir pati metai iš metų tobulėdama. Vienas iš mokyklos tobulinimo šaltinių yra projektinės veiklos, ypač tarptautinės, vystymas, kurio kontekste mokyklos vadovas yra svarbiausias asmuo remiantis arba stabdantis projektinę veiklą. Švietimo institucijos vadovo veikla įvairiais aspektais analizuota tiek užsienio šalių, tiek Lietuvos mokslininkų. Tačiau nepakankamai plačiai atliekami tyrimai, kuriuose būtų analizuojama švietimo institucijos vadovo veikla bei jos ypatumai projektinės veiklos (tarp jų ir tarptautinių... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Education is one of the cultural aspects which is based on the individual and his/her culture. Scientific and technical development has gone so far as to change the life of society, and this change is becoming an inevitable phenomenon or a major feature of the post-modernist society. Changes have developed into a norm, and they are increasingly accelerating. Changes in educational institutions are simply inevitable, as ‘every institution must become the institution of learning and teaching’ (Drucker, 1992). Hence, such changes are primarily imminent in the system of education, and only then, in a particular educational institution. If earlier the emphasis was put on maintaining the balance between one or another kind of organization, at present, control of the environment is becoming increasingly complicated; therefore, administrators are required to successfully manage those changes, to efficiently communicate and cooperate. The fast-changing world impels a continuous improvement of the structure. In order to be effective, the school has to become a learning organization, which would promote improvement of others by constantly improving itself. One of the sources of school improvement is development of project activities, especially international ones, in the context of which the school manager becomes the most important person in promoting or hindering project activities. Activities of educational institution manager have been analysed in different aspects by both foreign... [to full text]

Women in the Swedish labor market have lower wage than men on average. There are multiple reasons for this gender wage differential. Among other things, processes at the organizational level have been stressed. Some researchers argue that the gender of the manager has an effect on wages and that this effect might differ for men and women. Prior studies have analyzed the potential effect of manager gender on wages, but few empirical studies have scrutinized the question. The studies that exist use the proportion of female versus male managers in the organization as a measure of the effect of manager gender on wages. This paper however offers a direct test of the association of the gender of the immediate manager with men’s and women’s wages. Specifically, two hypotheses were tested: that (i) a female manager is negatively associated with women’s wages (ii) a female manager is negatively associated with men’s wages. To address the hypotheses, the analysis provides OLS regressions (for men and women separately) using survey data from European Social Survey (ESS) 2004 and 2010. The analysis includes theoretically and empirically relevant variables clustered in block of human capital, organizational and individual level variables. The results show that men’s wages are negatively influenced by having a female manager once human capital was adjusted for. There is no evidence that women’s wages are affected by having a female manager, since the share of women in the occupation and in the firm fully explains the negative association between female manager and wages for women. For female respondents, organizational factors seem to be of greater importance for wage determination than the gender of the immediate manager.

In this thesis we show how and why non-family managers are excluded in family firms. Additionally, we depict the implications of exclusion on an individual as well as a business level. The literature framework that consists of literature from family business and organizational as well as socio-psychological studies lays the foundation for our qualitative empirical research. A method triangulation of semi-structured interviews and vignettes, based on empirical material from seven cases, is applied to understand the exclusion of non-family managers. Our findings suggest that exclusion is prevailing in family firms. Hereby, family members as well as non-family managers can be the ones excluding. We identified six main categories why exclusion of non-family managers happens. Exclusion can be based on the family’s values and norms, exclusive knowledge of a family member, the need of quick decision making, the need of secrecy, the manager’s professional values and norms, as well as the manager’s personal values and norms. Further, exclusion can take place in formal and informal selective arenas, through formal and informal breach of agreements, through structural and cultural hindrances, as well as through differences between enacted and espoused values. Moreover, we reveal several implications exclusion has on an individual and on a business level. The findings contribute to the theoretical and managerial understanding of exclusion in family firms. Thus, increasing the awareness of its existence in family firms. Additionally, we contribute to current research about exclusion in family firms by providing more insights into the complex phenomenon. This thesis is of interest to any individual in a leading position in family firms, as well as academics in the research field of family businesses.

In the areas of Project Management and Knowledge Management, past and current literature have included studies on the project and project team levels, but a specific focus on the role of the Project Manager in managing knowledge within the team has not yet been explored. In order to add to the discussion and close the gap, this research illustrates how knowledge is created within the project team environment, and the specific role the Project Manager plays in the process. By combining a modified model of Nonaka’s SECI Knowledge Creation Theory and the role of the Project Manager, this research shows how PM’s act as a “mixing valve” in the flow of knowledge in a dynamic, multi-directional, process within the project team environment. By developing this view, this research contributes to the knowledge management literature by describing a more dynamic SECI Model of knowledge creation than previously discussed. It contributes to the project management literature by applying the SECI process model of knowledge creation to the field of project management, and the specific actions of the Project Manager when acting within the project team environment. By outlining these actions, this research identifies possibilities for future research in measuring knowledge creation.

This dissertation presents five research essays evaluating the performance of managed funds in light of the investment strategy and manager characteristics exhibited by institutional investment companies. An analysis of investment performance with respect to a fund managers strategy provides important information in determining whether performance objectives have been achieved. There are a number of different types of investment strategies managed funds may adopt. However, the primary dichotomy is on the basis of whether the portfolio manager implements either an active or index approach. Active managers attempt to outperform the market through the use of price-sensitive information, whereas a passive manager's objective is to replicate the returns and risk of a target benchmark index. The evaluation of investment manager characteristics is also evaluated. This is motivated on the basis that asset management entities place significant emphasis on both the articulation and differentiation of their investment style relative to competitors, and selling the strengths of their portfolio management skills (in terms of past performance) as well identifying the key individuals comprising their investment team and their unique attributes. For active equity managers, the methods used in constructing portfolios and implementing the investment strategy include security selection, in terms of 'top-down' or 'bottom-up' strategies, value-biased, growth-biased or style-neutral strategies, and portfolios exhibiting market capitalisation biases (i.e. preferences to large or small-cap securities). In terms of active bond portfolio management, the most common strategies include duration management and yield curve positioning. Active managers' strategies are likely to extend beyond stock selection, in particular, where the fund manager adjusts the portfolio's composition in anticipation of favourably capitalising on future movements in the market. For index managers, replication of both the returns and risk of the underlying index may be achieved through either full-replication of constituent stocks comprising the index, or through non-replication techniques (stratified sampling and/or optimisation). Each essay provides a unique contribution to the literature with respect to the performance of active and index funds, as well as an analysis of funds that invest specifically in domestic equities, domestic fixed interest, and diversified funds that invest across the broad spectrum of asset classes. The origins of the performance evaluation literature are ascribed to Cowles' (1933) pioneering work, and the literature has given increasing attention to the topic. However the most fundamental issue considered in almost all previous studies of managed fund performance is the extent to which actively managed portfolios have earned superior risk-adjusted excess returns for investors. The literature has overwhelmingly documented (with a small number of exceptions) that active funds have been unable to earn superior returns, either before or after expenses (e.g. Jensen (1968), Elton et al. (1993), Malkiel (1995), Gruber (1996)). While the international evidence is supported by the few Australian managed fund studies available, Australian research remains surprisingly scarce. This is perplexing considering the sheer size of the investment industry in Australia (around $A717 billion as at 30 June 2001) and the importance placed on the sector with respect to successive Federal Governments' retirement income policies. The objectives of this dissertation therefore involve an analysis of managed fund performance with respect to differences in investment strategies (i.e. active and index), as well as providing an analysis of funds invested in equities, bonds and diversified asset classes (or multi-sector portfolios). The first essay evaluates the market timing and security selection capabilities of Australian pooled superannuation funds. These funds provide institutional investors with exposure to securities across many different asset classes, including domestic and international equities, domestic and international fixed interest, property and cash. Surprisingly, the specific analysis of multi-sector funds is scarce in the literature and limited to Brinson et al. (1986, 1991), Sinclair (1990), and Blake et al. (1999). This essay also evaluates performance for the three largest asset classes within diversified superannuation funds and their contribution to overall portfolio return. The importance of an accurately specified market portfolio proxy in the measurement of investment performance is demonstrated, where the essay employs performance benchmarks that account for the multi-sector investment decisions of active investment managers in a manner that is consistent with their unique investment strategy. This approach rectifies Sinclair's (1990) analysis resulting from benchmark misspecification. Consistent with the literature, the empirical results indicate that Australian pooled superannuation funds do not exhibit significantly positive security selection or market timing skill. Given the evidence in the literature surrounding the inability of active funds to deliver superior returns to investors, lower cost index funds have become increasingly popular as an alternative investment strategy. Despite the significant growth in index funds since 1976, when the first index mutual fund was launched in the U.S., research on their performance is sparse in the U.S. and non-existent in Australia. The second essay provides an original analysis of the Australian index fund market, with specific analysis applicable to institutional Australian equity index funds offered by fund managers. While indexing is theoretically straightforward, in practice there exist potential difficulties in exactly matching the return of the underlying index. Therefore the magnitude of tracking error is likely to be of concern to investors. This essay documents the existence of significant tracking error for Australian index funds, where the magnitude of the difference between index fund returns and index returns averages between 7.4 and 22.3 basis points per month for funds operating at least five years. However, there is little evidence of bias in tracking error, implying that these funds neither systematically outperform or underperform their benchmark on a before cost basis. Further analysis documents that the magnitude of tracking error is related to fund cash flows, market volatility, transaction costs and index replication strategies used by passive investment managers. The third essay presents evidence of the performance of U.S. mutual funds, where attention is given to both active and index mutual funds for which the applicable benchmark index is the S&P 500. This essay examines both the magnitude and variation of tracking error over time for S&P 500 index mutual funds. The essay documents seasonality in S&P 500 index mutual fund tracking error, where tracking error is significantly higher in the months of January and May, together with a seasonal trough in the quarters ending March-June-September-December. Statistical evidence indicates tracking error is both positively and significantly correlated with the dividend payments arising from constituent S&P 500 securities. In terms of a performance comparison between actively managed and index funds, active funds on average are found to significantly underperform passive benchmarks. On the other hand, S&P 500 index mutual funds earned higher risk-adjusted excess returns after expenses than large capitalisation-oriented active mutual funds in the period examined. These results suggest the S&P 500 is consistent with capital market efficiency, implying an absence of economic benefit accruing to the average investor utilising actively managed U.S. equity mutual funds. The fourth essay presented in the dissertation examines the performance of Australian investment management organisations with direct reference to their specific characteristics and strategies employed. Using a unique information source, performance is evaluated for actively managed institutional balanced funds (or diversified asset class funds), Australian share funds and Australian bond funds. Performance is evaluated with respect to the investment strategy adopted, the experience and qualifications held by investment professionals, and the tenure of the key investment professionals. This essay also evaluates the performance of senior sector heads to determine the skills of individuals driving the investment process, even though these individuals may migrate to competitor organisations. The essay finds evidence that a significant number of active Australian equity managers earned superior risk-adjusted returns in the period, however active managers perform in line with market indices for balanced funds and Australian bond funds. A number of manager characteristics are also found to predict risk-adjusted excess returns, systematic risk and investment expenses. Of particular note, performance of balanced funds is negatively related to the institution's age and the loyalty of non-senior investment staff. Performance is also found to be significantly higher for managers that predominantly operate their portfolios using a bottom-up, stock selection approach. Interestingly, the human capital of managers, measured as the years of tertiary education undertaken, does not explain risk-adjusted excess returns. Systematic risk is positively related to an institutions age and negatively related to both senior manager loyalty and the implementation of bottom-up portfolio management strategies. In terms of management expenses, fees are directly related to the Australian equities benchmark allocation, the years of tertiary education, the number of years service (loyalty) for non-senior investment professionals and the total years experience of senior money managers. This concluding essay also documents that changes in top management have significant performance effects. In the 12-month period after a change in fixed income director or chief investment officer, performance is significantly lower and significantly higher, respectively. There is no significant difference in performance where changes in top management occur for Australian equities. The years of service (loyalty) provided to asset management firms by equities directors is inversely related to risk-adjusted return. The fifth and final essay examines the investment performance of active Australian bond funds and the impact of investor fund flows on portfolio returns. This essay represents a significant and original analysis in terms of its contribution to the literature, given the absence of Australian bond fund performance analytics and also the limited attention provided in the U.S. Both security selection and market timing performance is evaluated using both unconditional models and conditional performance evaluation techniques, which account for public information and the time-variation in risk. Overall, the results of this essay are consistent with the U.S. and international mutual fund evidence, where performance is found to be consistent with an efficient market. While actively managed institutional funds perform broadly in line with the index before expenses, the paper documents significant underperformance for actively managed retail bond funds after fees. The study also documents that retail fund flows negatively impact on market timing coefficients when flow is not accounted for in unconditional models.

Thesis (M.A.), Political Science, Public Administration--University of Central Oklahoma, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 58-63).

Thesis (PH. D)--University of Pennsylvania, 1935. / Bibliography: p. [297]-299.

Diss. Rechts- und Wirtschaftswiss. Bern, 1985. / Im Buchh.: Bern : P. Haupt. Bibliogr.: p. 301-313.

<p>The aim of our study has been to examine the care managers’ attitude to in- service training.<em> </em>We also wanted to see which factors the care managers and a member of the administrative head think influences this. The question formulations in the study were; what does in- service training mean for care managers and the administrative head, what was their attitude against it and which assumptions does the administrative head give to care managers for in- service training. The study is based on qualitative interviews with care managers and with a member of the administrative head. To interpret the material we have been using earlier studies, Senges theory of learning organization and Marsick and Watkins theory about informal and incidental learning. A main result is that the care managers obtain a great deal of possibilities to in- service training, for example meetings, educations and courses. The study also shows that the organization priorities formal learning while the care managers emphasise learning through interaction with other people, for example cohorts, contributors and users. Both care managers and a member of the administrative head says that there is a weakness in terms of follow- up and assessment. One recurrent topic in these discussions is responsibility, but the informants is not united of who’s the responsibility actually is.  </p><p> </p>