Information systems and technology strategy has been discussed by many researchers and authors over last three decades. The concepts of business alignment, competitive advantage, value generation etc. have been elaborated and still similar discussions continue. While the advances in IS/IT strategy formulation were being made, the businesses were changing their operating models. More specifically they became global businesses active in multiple geographies at the same time. This research aims to provide deeper understanding of IT developments in global organizations as manifested in the changing social and political environment of the organization and the reciprocal effect of social and political changes on IT strategies. Further it aims to investigate whether the relevant theories and concepts can be integrated to develop a new model that can incorporate the socio-political aspects into IS/IT strategy formulation. To achieve this objective the literature survey was conducted to explore available published papers in the sphere of IS/IT strategy formulation. Considering that the applicability of information systems and technology falls into the sphere of social sciences, the research design focused on the qualitative approach. The primary method of data collection was through semi-structured interviews with IT managers. This was complemented by interviews with business managers and consultants. Further the experiences of the researcher in the earlier role of practitioner were taken into account. Using grounded theory approach the information collected through interviews, own experiences and the data gathered from literature survey were used to develop a new model of IT strategy formulation. The model addresses the context part of IT strategy formulation process. This model development is aimed to counter and account for the political and social aspects of strategy development and deployment in global corporations characterised by diversity of cultures, attitudes and behaviours.

This thesis explores the scope for the transfer and integration of human resources management (HRM) knowledge to provide the basis for the development of more productive and efficient supply chains, in the specific case of the aftermarket distribution channels of multinational companies in the automotive industry in China. Most studies of human resources management, supply chain management, and knowledge transfer have focused on internal transfer within multinational companies and there has been more limited research on the transfer of such knowledge across organisations in the supply chain, particularly in relation to distribution channels. Thus the starting point for the research was to understand the preconditions, mechanisms and effects on the distribution supply chain of the transfer and integration of HRM knowledge. To explore these issues the thesis compares and contrasts a poorly performing supply chain (that is Company J's supply chain) with two more successful supply chains in the automotive aftersales market (that is those of Company M and Company S). The aim was to identify whether the poorly performing supply chain could learn from the other two cases through a detailed exploration of the motivators and mediators that facilitate or hinder processes of HRM transfer and integration, and the outcomes of these processes on the performance of the supply chains and the manufacturers and distributors within the supply chains. A qualitative research approach was utilised. Data was gathered through one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with senior-level management, mid-level management, and frontline staff from the manufacturers and wholesale distributors in the three automotive aftermarket distribution channels and analysed using computer-assisted coding software, NVivo. In line with the extant literature, the thesis findings support the proposition that a relational supply chain network based on trust facilitates HRM knowledge transfer and integration, and provides a basis for competitive advantage in the supply chain. At the same time the findings suggest some important extensions to current knowledge and understanding of the processes and impact of HRM knowledge transfer. Firstly the research found that consideration should be given to recategorising the classic division between tacit and explicit knowledge with respect to HRM into fundamental and differential categories, in order to more clearly differentiate the type of strategic HRM knowledge transfer that could provide the basis for competitive advantage. Likewise the study found that it is not the mechanism of transfer- whether through systems or by inter-person channels- that should be the criteria to categorise knowledge, as a blended approach involving both types of transfer mechanisms was associated with better transfer effectiveness. Third the type of HRM to be transferred needs to fit the specific needs of distributors within the supply chain; in practice the best fit for this part of the supply chain can be considered a mix of paternalistic and transaction HRM, rather than the so-called 'best' practice HRM. Finally although there was potential in principle for the underperforming supply chain to learn from the experiences and practices of the higher performing supply chains, the extent to which Company J was likely to be able to emulate the more successful chains was constrained by significant internal barriers to learning (for example the pressure for short-term gains and the time needed to build trust, the lack of internal HRM expertise and the lack of local decision-making authority). However, an even more major constraint on the learning process came from the dynamic changes in the aftermarket distribution system that had the potential even to disrupt the trust-based partnerships in the exemplar supply chains. Thus the scope for applying the lessons from past practice, which has been the major focus of the comparative investigation of the three supply chains, may be limited by both the variations in internal conditions and by the fact that the key challenges for future development may be different from those faced in the automotive aftersales market in the past.

Abstract Title: The impact of national culture on the organizational culture: Multinational companies doing businesses in developing countries Level: Final assignment for Master Degree in Business Administration (MBA) Author: Md. Mahbub Alam Supervisor: Dr. Ehsanul Huda Chowdhury Examiner: Dr. Maria Fregidou-Malama Day: 2017- May Aim: The aim of the study is to understand how national culture of Bangladesh is affecting the organizational culture of the multinational firms operating in Bangladesh. To understand the issue, Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions are regarded as benchmark for analysis. Method: Qualitative study has been conducted whereby both primary and secondary data are used. Hereby, primary data have been gathered from ten employees of Grameen Phone a multinational working in Bangladesh. To collect data, face to face interviews has been conducted using Skype. Results & Conclusions:  Finding of the study is the MNCs integration with national culture with the view to sustainable business operation. It has been demonstrated that national culture affects the organizational culture in the form of employee participation, collective working environment, collaborative work efforts, and knowledge sharing through continuous communication. Suggestions for future research: Further investigations on national culture’s impact on organizational culture can be undertaken by making a comparison between MNC and a purely local firm. Additionally, an analysis on a large number of MNCs operating in host country can add value for further researches. Contribution of the thesis: To the theoretical model, this study makes contribution on the ground of understanding how MNC adapt their business with local culture where cultural sensitiveness is high. Managerial implications: MNCs can ensure collaboration, support, and teamwork among employees as part of their attempt to integrate with local culture. This study reveals that local employees can be used as means of cultural carriers by managers which can promptly address the cultural differences to be mitigated. Keywords: Multi-national Corporations (MNCs), National Culture, Organizational Culture, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism vs. Collectivism, Power Distance

Current research has established the importance of establishing individual trust in global virtual teams to achieve project success. Global virtual teams (GVTs) emerged as a result of the growth of multi-national corporations (MNCs) conducting business operations in more than one country. This research explores eliminating the need to establish individual trust among the members of short-lived global virtual teams and suggests an institutional trust in the project’s processes can suffice. Beginning with an exploration of various aspects of trust, it draws from the current literature on individual and institutional trust in the real and virtual worlds. The data were gathered using two versions of an online survey administered to global virtual teams working for Infosys®, Inc., a global leader in technology services and consulting. The analysis was limited to small, short-lived Information Technology (IT) virtual teams of four to six members. Survey responses were received from 273 managers and 195 virtual team members. The results found support for institutional trust in the process, established through the team members’ favorable perception of their project’s online processes, as having a significant effect on supporting both individual trust among the team members, as well as ensuring project success. The paper concludes with potential costs and benefits to multi-national companies in their management and training of virtual teams. Finally, I provide suggestions for further research into the elimination of trust building exercises for short-lived virtual teams, as well as implications of these results for academicians and practitioners. Key words: trust, trustworthiness, reliance, process knowledge, multi-national Companies (MNCs), global virtual teams, computer-mediated environments / Business Administration/Strategic Management

On 8 June 2012, National Treasury amended Regulation 10(1) (c) of the Exchange Control Regulations to specifically include intellectual property. In so doing, all companies wishing to dispace intellectual property to an offshore destination had to obtain prior approval from National Treasury. However, National Treasury is reticent to grant permission to reassign these assets, as revenue from intellectual property is perceived to contribute vastly to the South African tax revenue. This amendment came into being shortly after the dismissal in the Oilwell case. This case, in essence, held that intellectual property is not capital for the purposes intended by National Treasury, and therefore no prior approval to assign it offshore is required from National Treasury. This dismissal led to a large outflow of intellectual property to tax favourable foreign locations. At the same time, it exposed transfer pricing risks that had previously gone unnoticed. Although these risks have once again been mitigated by the amendment to Regulation 10(1) (c), it does not mean that it is now a thing of the past, best left forgotten. The South African government intends to relax or abolish all exchange control regulations in the future. At present the exact date when this is to take place is not known. Once the exchange control regulations are abolished, the transfer pricing risks associated with intellectual property will once again come to the forefront and will lead to significant loss to South African tax revenue. The three main risks that became apparent during the period before the amendment to Regulation 10(1) (c) are the following: * Transfer pricing risk consisting of mainly: - A lack of a comparables database to enable tax administrators to determine an appropriate arm’s length price for intellectual property. - A lack of the relevant skills, experience and knowledge required to accurately assess transfer prices of intellectual property. * Challenges in obtaining relevant, comprehensive and timely information to accurately determine arm’s length prices for intellectual property transactions. * A lack of understanding the principle of economic substance and legislation in South Africa to define economic substance parameters. * In this mini-dissertation, these weaknesses are discussed in more detail to highlight to SARS the trials it faces when the exchange controls regulations are expelled. Various ways in which these flaws can be challenged head-on are also presented. / MCom (South African and International Tax), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

On 8 June 2012, National Treasury amended Regulation 10(1) (c) of the Exchange Control Regulations to specifically include intellectual property. In so doing, all companies wishing to dispace intellectual property to an offshore destination had to obtain prior approval from National Treasury. However, National Treasury is reticent to grant permission to reassign these assets, as revenue from intellectual property is perceived to contribute vastly to the South African tax revenue. This amendment came into being shortly after the dismissal in the Oilwell case. This case, in essence, held that intellectual property is not capital for the purposes intended by National Treasury, and therefore no prior approval to assign it offshore is required from National Treasury. This dismissal led to a large outflow of intellectual property to tax favourable foreign locations. At the same time, it exposed transfer pricing risks that had previously gone unnoticed. Although these risks have once again been mitigated by the amendment to Regulation 10(1) (c), it does not mean that it is now a thing of the past, best left forgotten. The South African government intends to relax or abolish all exchange control regulations in the future. At present the exact date when this is to take place is not known. Once the exchange control regulations are abolished, the transfer pricing risks associated with intellectual property will once again come to the forefront and will lead to significant loss to South African tax revenue. The three main risks that became apparent during the period before the amendment to Regulation 10(1) (c) are the following: * Transfer pricing risk consisting of mainly: - A lack of a comparables database to enable tax administrators to determine an appropriate arm’s length price for intellectual property. - A lack of the relevant skills, experience and knowledge required to accurately assess transfer prices of intellectual property. * Challenges in obtaining relevant, comprehensive and timely information to accurately determine arm’s length prices for intellectual property transactions. * A lack of understanding the principle of economic substance and legislation in South Africa to define economic substance parameters. * In this mini-dissertation, these weaknesses are discussed in more detail to highlight to SARS the trials it faces when the exchange controls regulations are expelled. Various ways in which these flaws can be challenged head-on are also presented. / MCom (South African and International Tax), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The relative political stability in Uganda resulted In increased Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and growth in several national/multi-national organisations. Furthermore, business leadership in Uganda has experienced change as the older generation hand over the reins to the younger generation of business leaders who are relatively more exposed to the Mrican management philosophy and leadership models which are congruent with African culture and contextual issues. This study investigated within a Ugandan context, leadership attributes that are perceived as contributors to or inhibitors of outstanding leadership. It then determine whether, when analysed by ethnicity (i.e. Bantu speaking versus non-Bantu speaking), the researcher could identify meaningful differences in the culturally endorsed leadership profiles; and link societal cultural attlibutes to preferred leadership attributes. A triangulation method was used to conduct this cross-cultural research, which combined archival data, a quantitative survey and personal interviews. The sample comprised of 163 junior, middle and senior managers from over 15 organisations within Uganda. An adapted version of Project GLOBE questionnaire was used for the quantitative survey, and results showed that out of the nine societal cultural dimensions, only Power Distance and Institutional Collectivism cultural dimensions indicate significant differences between Bantu speaking as compared to non-Bantu speaking managers. Furthermore, out of the six leadership dimensions only Humane Orientation and Charismatic / Value Based leadership dimensions, indicated significant differences between the above mentioned. However, these results contrasted some avers of the personal interviews. The study concludes that societal cultural differences do exist between the Bantu speaking and non-Bantu speaking managers and this may require some marginal differences In the leadership attributes that a leader portrays. Nevertheless, irrespective of ethnicity, the most preferred leaders' attributes in Uganda are Decisiveness, Performance Oriented and Charisma 2: Inspirational; whilst the least preferred leaders' attributes were Face-Saver, Self Centred and Malevolent. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / D. Econ. (Business Leadership)

目前世界跨國公司在全球進行擴張，日益成為世界經濟的主體，研究全球某跨國會計師事務所的企業社會責任的推行計畫，具有相當高的學術價值和實際意義。企業社會責任已經成為管理學、經濟學、社會學等學科共同研究的焦點問題。但在理論上企業社會責任的研究缺乏像主流企業理論那樣成熟的理論基礎和研究方法。 市場環境正在走向成熟，要求企業承擔社會責任已經有了相當的經濟條件。隨著越來越多的跨國公司來大中華經濟圈(涵蓋大陸與香港)投資，研究在大中華經濟圈跨國公司企業社會責任方面的履行狀況，成為建構出永續發展社會的關鍵性需求。 本研究運用利害關係人理論對企業社會責任的履行施以問卷調查，研究在大中華經濟圈跨國公司社會責任應該履行的水準，然後透過CSR相關人士之質化訪談，同時借鏡於問卷調查統計資料，對在大中華經濟圈全球某跨國會計師事務所如何規劃及推行企業社會責任加以深入的量化分析以得出結論，並輔以研究建議模型來做一般性的推廣。 / Nowadays, the multi-national companies are expanding globally and becoming the main axis of the world economy. The research of the implementation of corporate social responsibility in the accounting firms has the high level academic values and the practical meanings. CSR has become the interdisciplinary focus of the management science, economics and sociology, but the research of CSR is lack of the mature theoretical foundations and research method. More and more multi-national companies invest in the greater Chinese economic zone, including Mainland China and Hong Kong. The research on CSR implementation status of the multi-national companies has become the key demand in construction of the sustainable development society. This article uses questionnaires to study the multi-national companies' social responsibility in China according to the stakeholders' theory. Through the indepth interview with CSR related persons and the quantitative statistical survey to get to the conclusion, then generate the conclusion with the suggested model.

The relative political stability in Uganda resulted In increased Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and growth in several national/multi-national organisations. Furthermore, business leadership in Uganda has experienced change as the older generation hand over the reins to the younger generation of business leaders who are relatively more exposed to the Mrican management philosophy and leadership models which are congruent with African culture and contextual issues. This study investigated within a Ugandan context, leadership attributes that are perceived as contributors to or inhibitors of outstanding leadership. It then determine whether, when analysed by ethnicity (i.e. Bantu speaking versus non-Bantu speaking), the researcher could identify meaningful differences in the culturally endorsed leadership profiles; and link societal cultural attlibutes to preferred leadership attributes. A triangulation method was used to conduct this cross-cultural research, which combined archival data, a quantitative survey and personal interviews. The sample comprised of 163 junior, middle and senior managers from over 15 organisations within Uganda. An adapted version of Project GLOBE questionnaire was used for the quantitative survey, and results showed that out of the nine societal cultural dimensions, only Power Distance and Institutional Collectivism cultural dimensions indicate significant differences between Bantu speaking as compared to non-Bantu speaking managers. Furthermore, out of the six leadership dimensions only Humane Orientation and Charismatic / Value Based leadership dimensions, indicated significant differences between the above mentioned. However, these results contrasted some avers of the personal interviews. The study concludes that societal cultural differences do exist between the Bantu speaking and non-Bantu speaking managers and this may require some marginal differences In the leadership attributes that a leader portrays. Nevertheless, irrespective of ethnicity, the most preferred leaders' attributes in Uganda are Decisiveness, Performance Oriented and Charisma 2: Inspirational; whilst the least preferred leaders' attributes were Face-Saver, Self Centred and Malevolent. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / D. Econ. (Business Leadership)

Magister Legum - LLM