Background: Strategic renewal is a phenomenon where companies decide to do strategic alterations with the aim to improve their stasis in the current market (Kiesler & Sproull, 1982). This can be accomplished in several ways; in this report the focus is on management control systems and how they are incorporated in the strategic implementation process in order to drive and generate renewal. Management control systems are considered to be an important aspect of the strategy process (Simons, 1994). Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to analyze to what extent and in what form interactive and diagnostic management control systems are employed in large organizations in order to drive strategic renewal. Methodology: This is a qualitative research with an abductive approach that is based on a single case study. Through interviews we answer how management control systems are used in the implementation process of strategic renewal on different levels of an organization; we have made ten interviews with top-, middle- and operational management.  Conclusion: Our main finding is that the process of implementing a successful strategic renewal through the adoption of MCS is not a linear one. The process is continuous and conducted in a circular manner; this also implies the interrelation of the variables.

This research explores the nature and extent of management development and training of senior and middle managers working in Palestinian telecommunication organizations using a basic trichotomous (three-stage) model: needs assessment, training development, and evaluation. A critical review of the literature is presented to identify the different approaches and key principles that make up the field of training and development. Using the survey approach, primary data were collected to answer the research question. A total of 142 questionnaires were distributed among senior and middle managers with 110 questionnaires being completed and returned (77 per cent response rate). Field work was also supported with 10 selected interviews with high ranking officials in the surveyed organizations to help corroborate the results. Thereafter, data was analysed using SPSS and spread sheets, and then compared with data available from literature. Despite the presence of a rather systematic approach to training, the findings show that the current status of training in the surveyed organizations is inadequate with heavy emphasis on traditional methods throughout the three stages; the current system does not offer a holistic perspective to training and development. This study presents an exploratory investigation into the training status in telecommunication organizations. It provides a fundamental foundation for future research aimed at expanding the available knowledge within the context of the study. In addition, specific strengths and weaknesses in the current system are identified using the trichotomous model in a more practical manner. Overall, this thesis offers both professionals and academics a fresh perspective on training in Palestinian telecommunication organizations; it not only highlights the importance of training but also stresses that future initiatives and programs are more carefully designed and implemented.

This study is an attempt to improve job satisfaction and work motivation of the Egyptian textile managers and to fill the gap in the managerial literature regarding the Egyptian textile working context. The main objective of this study is to explore the motivation and job satisfaction of the Egyptian senior and middle managers. A research model was developed in order to explain and to understand the satisfaction and motivation process of senior and middle managers and was empirically tested in the actual textile context. Egyptian textile managers¿ motivation and job satisfaction were explored by using a total of 247 survey questionnaires and 33 interviews. The major findings indicated that the personal, organisational, and cultural factors were found to influence managers¿ job satisfaction and motivation. Managers were satisfied with their working conditions, job security, and their personal relationships. However, managers were dissatisfied with their pay, promotion, company policies, training, and their appraisal system. Moreover, managers have placed more concern for job content factors rather than for job context factors. The Egyptian culture was positively related with managers¿ concern for good personal relationships, achievement, responsibility, and for seeking to more knowledge. However, it negatively affected women managers¿ status as it led to a gender-biased discrimination towards them. The findings suggest a need to consider the personal differences between managers, improve the promotion system, review salary structure, adopt a results-focused appraisal system, pay more attention to the content job factors, improve training system, increase coordination and delegation of authority, give women equal rights, and increase managers¿ involvement in decision-making process. / Appendices files are not available online.

This research explores the nature and extent of management development and training of senior and middle managers working in Palestinian telecommunication organizations using a basic trichotomous (three-stage) model: needs assessment, training development, and evaluation. A critical review of the literature is presented to identify the different approaches and key principles that make up the field of training and development. Using the survey approach, primary data were collected to answer the research question. A total of 142 questionnaires were distributed among senior and middle managers with 110 questionnaires being completed and returned (77 per cent response rate). Field work was also supported with 10 selected interviews with high ranking officials in the surveyed organizations to help corroborate the results. Thereafter, data was analysed using SPSS and spread sheets, and then compared with data available from literature. Despite the presence of a rather systematic approach to training, the findings show that the current status of training in the surveyed organizations is inadequate with heavy emphasis on traditional methods throughout the three stages; the current system does not offer a holistic perspective to training and development. This study presents an exploratory investigation into the training status in telecommunication organizations. It provides a fundamental foundation for future research aimed at expanding the available knowledge within the context of the study. In addition, specific strengths and weaknesses in the current system are identified using the trichotomous model in a more practical manner. Overall, this thesis offers both professionals and academics a fresh perspective on training in Palestinian telecommunication organizations; it not only highlights the importance of training but also stresses that future initiatives and programs are more carefully designed and implemented.

This thesis is addressing the knowledge base of project managers in the South African Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) sector. It is determining if project management is recognised as an important profession in the ICT Sector; it is also establishing the attributes required for an ICT project manager; the background of ICT project managers with respect to their job experience and qualification and lastly the effectiveness of project management in the ICT sector. A literature review on the knowledge base of ICT project managers is done to clarify particular issues, to determine international perspective on the issues of the study and to contextualise the study. The central research tool was a questionnaire. Project managers from different ICT companies in South Africa were selected to respond to the questionnaire which was mailed to them. Close-ended questions were used in the development of themes and the data were analysed on the basis of tables and graphs and hypothesis testing. The study found that project management is recognised as a career path within the South African ICT sector. It was also found that ICT project managers seem to have a good capability in terms of technical, organic, conceptual and business skills. Most ICT project managers are qualified up to a postgraduate level. They have a degree in another profession and then undertake project management certification. The study also found that project management adds value to the client as well as the company and also adds to the effectiveness of relationships with peers in achieving project goals. The study concluded with recommendations on what can be done to improve the competency of ICT project managers in the ICT sector and also made recommendations for future research.

Research report presented to the Unisa School of Business Leadership / The results of the study show that as posited in the research statement, media spend is positive in relation to both the direct and indirect business cycles variables. This pattern of increased media spend is only maintained during the up-phases of the business cycle, but tends to level off during the down-phases.

The competences of project managers are a vital role in projects success. An exten-sive literature survey was conducted to determine the constitution of an adequate knowledge base for would-be project managers. A detailed literature study was conducted. The literature review discussed how to assess project management competencies. Technical skills and social cultural skills were identified from the literature review. A comprehensive list of criteria was used to generate the critical success factors.Based on the critical success factors that were obtained from the literature in the content for the knowledge base was constructed. This research then started to address what constitutes certification requirements. Certification programs were identified globally for the study. This study identified what the certification programs offered. This research started by proposing a knowledge base and using the “grounded theory approach” used content analysis to compare the proposed knowledge base with project management certification programs. The study concluded with recommendations on the gaps that exist in project man-agement certification programs.

Gender development in Sweden is in the forefront and an increasing number of women choose to work.However, women still have the primary responsibility for home and family even though she and her partnerare working to the same extent. This leads to women, more than men, experience conflict between work andfamily. The conflict arises when then role, time and behavioral demands from one domain interfere orcompete with duties and responsibilities in the other domain. The purpose of the study is to examine femalemanagers' experiences of combining work and family as well as how they try to cope with demands from thetwo domains. I wanted to further explore the coping strategies used to handel the family demandsinterferance withthe work demands. This is a qualitative study and data was collected through semi-structured interviews. The results show that women primarily use problem-focused coping strategiesbytrying to solve the problem, planing and priortizing. Although, the problem-focused strategy to seek help andthe emotion-focused strategies to seek support and to accept the situation were also used.

Strategic management is concerned with the understanding, as well as choosing and implementing, the strategy or strategies that an organisation follows. It is a complex process which can be considered from a number of different perspectives. There is no single approach, model or theory to the management of strategic change. Pressures to change are always present in the form of opportunities and threats and managers must establish what approaches and decisions are likely to prove the most effective. The study was designed to help dental laboratory managers develop strategic awareness, to determine the issues and questions which must be addressed if changes in strategy are to be formulated and implemented effectively. The managerial and behavioural processes which take place within the laboratory in order that they can understand how changes come about are also discussed. Case studies of companies and dental laboratories are used jointly with the relevant literature to evaluate the theories and concepts of strategic management and implementation of change models provide a framework for evaluating how managers can reach their decisions and reach their objectives. The study has shown that the strategic ideas and methods used by private sector companies and discussed in the relevant literature can be adapted to provide a framework for managing the process of strategic change in a hospital dental laboratory.

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