The aim of this study was to evaluate employee commitment to achieve the primary objective, which was to evaluate employee commitment towards product and process quality. Employees who are engaged in their work and committed to their organisations give companies crucial competitive advantages – including higher productivity, better quality products and lower employee turnover. A thorough literature study was conducted by using the views of different authors and combining them. The concept of quality was defined by making use of the five quality gurus; Deming, Juran, Feigenbaum, Crosby and Ishikawa. The fourteen principles of quality, developed by Deming, were presented in Table 2.1. These principles had the goal of increased productivity, with less rework, less waste of manpower and material resources, resulting in a reduction of costs, to in turn give the organisation greater market share and ultimately better competitive position, by improving the overall quality of an organisation’s work processes. The concept of employee and organisational commitment was defined, and from this study it is evident that employee commitment towards the company is positive and therefore should have a positive effect on their operating environment. The product process flow for this manufacturing concern were discussed to give an overall view of the production processes used in this organisation. An empirical study was completed using a questionnaire survey to determine employee commitment at a manufacturing concern in Gauteng. The questionnaire used for this study was designed to focus on commitment towards internal quality only, to specifically evaluate employee perspective towards product quality, as well as the commitment towards the organisation. Analysis of the responses showed the questionnaire to be reliable and valid. Respondents indicated that they are committed towards the organisation in general across all constructs, but a lack in management trust was a predominant sentiment. The quantitative analysis showed that after a factor analysis was done on the two sections of the questionnaire, four factors for each section were considered as meaningful. These factors were: Affinity, quality awareness, autonomy and corporate image (employee commitment - section B) and employee commitment, task performance, job satisfaction and contextual performance (company relationship – section C). This indicated strong employee commitment towards the organisation. The qualitative results had four areas that all respondents felt needed some attention, and loaded negative towards the organisation. These were HR (trust in management, competency, communication and company culture), skills development, employee development and BBBEE. Thus, drawing conclusions from quantitative results alone could give a company a false sense of employee commitment towards the company and therefore overlook the importance of the roles that employees play in executing strategic plans. Conclusions regarding the findings of the research study were presented and recommendations for this organisation were made. These recommendations are merely a guideline that correlates directly to the empirical analysis made. The research study was evaluated against the primary and secondary objectives with the conclusion that both were achieved. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka och skildra några studenters motiv, motivation och upplevelser kring högre studier. I bakgrunden ingår forskning kring studentidentiteter (Bron m. fl., 2013), men efter hand tillkommer andra begrepp och teorier som bidrar till att belysa undersökningsmaterialet. Studien är grundad på kvalitativ metod, med semistrukturerade intervjuer av sex studenter i åldrarna 25-30 år. Resultatet av de sex studenterna redovisas som personporträtt, där både likheter och skillnader mellan studenternas motiv, motivation och upplevelser i relation till högre studier framgår. Några studerar för att kunna få ett arbete, andra för att bevisa för sig själva att de kan. I några fall återfann vi det som kallas för det transformativa lärandet enligt Mezirow (1997). / The aim of this study is to explore motives, motivation and experiences reported by some students in relation to higher education. The study is inspired by previous research (Bron et al, 2013) about students´ identities, and after the collection of data other theories and previous research were added. The method used is qualitative, specifically semi-structured interviews, based on six interviews with students aged 25-30. Similarities as well as differences in students´ motives and motivation for higher education appear. Some students attend higher education mainly in order to get a job/profession while a few also want to prove to themselves that they are competent enough to succeed in higher education. Occationally, transformative learning (Mezirow, 1997) emerge in data.

Traditionally, much criminological research has focused on male complexities of confinement, sidelining the experiences of federally and especially provincially incarcerated women in Canada. This thesis seeks to capture some of the experiences and challenges faced by incarcerated women as they attempt to negotiate agency and maintain choice and control over their health and bodies while inside correctional institutions. In order to do so, this study draws from Foucaultian-inspired concepts of discipline, governance, regulation, power, and resistance as a means to theoretically analyze the daily, often strategic, actions of women prisoners. This research is qualitative, and emerges from the data secured through in depth interviews with twelve previously incarcerated women, who were asked to speak of their experiences inside Canadian prisons with respect to issues of choice and control over hygiene, diet, exercise, and access to over-the-counter medication. The data were coded and organized into three substantial themes: opportunity for choice or learned dependence, the ‘layering’ of punishment, and creating space for agency. The analysis revealed that incarcerated women attempt to manage and maintain control over their health but meet ongoing punitive carceral responses when making decisions about their bodies that conflict with institutional mandates, discourses, or goals. Without the opportunity to perform culturally accepted norms of health and femininity, women in prison fail to achieve a positive or ‘good’ womanly status, which comes to impact their self-worth, self-esteem, and identity. These findings create direct implications for Corrections, as they inevitably produce docile and institutionally dependent women rather than responsible and productive citizens, the stated rehabilitational goal of correctional services.

The purpose of this study is that through a discourse theoretical perspective, analyze young girls 'statements about living with self-injuring by sexual behavior. The aim is to locate the discourses that surround them, visualize how discursive constructions affect these young girls' identity as victims and/or actors in relation to self-injury, the sexual violence and in meetings with the professionals within the health authorities. In addition discourse theory as an analyze method, the authors also use Nils Christie's (2001) theory of the ideal victim and Ingrid Landers (2003) theoretical perspectives on normative femininity. The authors of the study show a diversity of discourses that surround the young girls. All discourses contain normative actor- and victim’s positions that young girls constantly are obliged to relate to, which partially conflict with social constructions of the idea of victim and femininity. These positions are assigned, claimed or opposition to, and characterizes not only the young girls self-image, but also how professionals within the health authorities look at them and what support and assistance that’s offered or deprived. Finally, the authors argue for a broader approach to young girls who self-injuring by sexual behavior, they can be both victims and actors and advocates a questioning of oppressive norms to detect and identify the young girls who self-injure by sexual behavior, when it is a prerequisite to widen their options and discretion.

La politique de coopération au développement représente une part très importante de l'action extérieure de l'Union européenne, ne serait-ce qu'en termes budgétaires. Cette thèse s'interroge sur la manière dont les valeurs inscrites dans les traités européens (démocratie, droits de l'homme et Etat de droit) sont promues par le biais de la coopération au développement. Pour ce faire, le concept de " puissance normative " (Manners, 2002) a été mobilisé comme idéaltype afin d'analyser la façon dont l'Union conduit sa politique de coopération au développement. La politique de coopération au développement est étudiée dans sa dimension globale, à travers l'analyse des méthodes européennes, et dans sa dimension concrète, c'est-à-dire par l'étude des projets de terrain financés par l'UE dans ses pays partenaires. Le cas des projets de soutien à la réforme pénitentiaire a été choisi, afin de comprendre comment se déroule la diffusion des normes sur le terrain, dans un domaine régalien, et dans lequel l'UE ne dispose pas d'une compétence interne. En définitive, l'UE ne dispose pas d'une spécificité normative permettant de la distinguer des autres acteurs du système international en tant que puissance normative. La coopération au développement apparaît subordonnée à la politique extérieure, les préoccupations stratégiques l'emportant alors sur l'objectif de diffusion des normes. Sur le terrain, les projets financés par l'UE répondent à des considérations bureaucratiques portées par les délégations de l'UE. Plus qu'un moyen de diffusion des normes, les projets sont considérés par les agents européens comme un moyen de faire vivre la coopération, quels que soient, au final, leurs résultats. Reste alors l'espace d'échange qu'auront ouvert de tels projets, permettant aux experts étrangers et aux fonctionnaires de l'Etat bénéficiaire de confronter leurs pratiques administratives, et d'envisager, éventuellement, de nouvelles " solutions " d'action publique.

In view of the latest corporate collapses globally, the purpose of this thesis is an attempt to investigate and to theorise how managers make decisions when faced with an ethical dilemma.Philosophers over the years have proposed different moral theories. For example, Kantian’s Categorical Imperative (O’Neil 2001, Peters, 1971) suggests that there are laws that should apply universally. However, its principles are too abstract to guide action, in that it does not provide a detailed set of instructions for following them. Others such as Baier, (2001) suggest that people behave to satisfy their own self-interest. The literature review shows that there is no consensus to define what constitutes ethical behaviour. Kohlberg (1981) divides childhood moral development into six stages. He theorises that greater moral development will be related to the highest social responsibility of an individual. Lagon (2000), Seabright and Moberg (1998), Logsdon and Yuthas (1997) extrapolate Kohlberg’s model to incorporate into organisational and individual moral development.Based on the literature review, research questions were developed. The research methodology is qualitative, based on the realism paradigm using a case research design (Yin 1994). Face to face interviews were conducted with fourteen participants using critical incidents and the findings were triangulated using a semi-structured focus group.The research data analysis is based on grounded theory proposed by Glaser and Strauss (1967). The findings confirm that there is no single theory or approach to business ethics. The findings indicate that a person’s ethical behaviour changes when his/her self-interest is affected. Whilst participants believed that business and ethics can be reconciled, most agreed that they can only be reconciled if the individual’s interest or business profit is not affected. Based on the findings, a new model is proposed in an attempt to theorise an individual’s business ethical behaviour and his/her ethical decision making process.This research also identifies important areas that require further research. These are:• Conflicts between personal values and business values• Should ethics be taught? And if so how?• Should an ethical programme be developed and incorporated in a company’s strategic plan?

In view of the latest corporate collapses globally, the purpose of this thesis is an attempt to investigate and to theorise how managers make decisions when faced with an ethical dilemma.Philosophers over the years have proposed different moral theories. For example, Kantian’s Categorical Imperative (O’Neil 2001, Peters, 1971) suggests that there are laws that should apply universally. However, its principles are too abstract to guide action, in that it does not provide a detailed set of instructions for following them. Others such as Baier, (2001) suggest that people behave to satisfy their own self-interest. The literature review shows that there is no consensus to define what constitutes ethical behaviour. Kohlberg (1981) divides childhood moral development into six stages. He theorises that greater moral development will be related to the highest social responsibility of an individual. Lagon (2000), Seabright and Moberg (1998), Logsdon and Yuthas (1997) extrapolate Kohlberg’s model to incorporate into organisational and individual moral development.Based on the literature review, research questions were developed. The research methodology is qualitative, based on the realism paradigm using a case research design (Yin 1994). Face to face interviews were conducted with fourteen participants using critical incidents and the findings were triangulated using a semi-structured focus group.The research data analysis is based on grounded theory proposed by Glaser and Strauss (1967). The findings confirm that there is no single theory or approach to business ethics. The findings indicate that a person’s ethical behaviour changes when his/her self-interest is affected. Whilst participants believed that business and ethics can be reconciled, most agreed that they can only be reconciled if the individual’s interest or business profit is not affected. Based on the findings, a new model is proposed in an attempt to theorise an individual’s business ethical behaviour and his/her ethical decision making process.This research also identifies important areas that require further research. These are:• Conflicts between personal values and business values• Should ethics be taught? And if so how?• Should an ethical programme be developed and incorporated in a company’s strategic plan?

Zugl.: Frankfurt a. M., Universiẗat, Diss., 2008.

This study aims to investigate and comprehend the movements and functionings that make emerge the heterogeneity in the discourse that preface the grammar, that is, how the different is presented in the same , in the normative grammar. The object that was selected to be analyzed is made up of four editions of the Normative Grammar of Portuguese Language (NGPL), by Carlos Henrique da Rocha Lima, as corpus. The proposal is developed according to the theoretical - methodological perspective of Discourse Analysis, placed in relation with some proper notions to the carried out studies under the aegis of the History of Linguistic Ideas. The study is sub-divided into three parts, named and constituted as: In Part I, The different in the same : the object of look under a discursive point of view , the theme and the theoretical research conducted are presented, electing the concepts and the references that support the analytical device. In Part II, And the Normative Grammar is arising... , the ircumstantialization process of the analysis object is set out, considering so the historical-discursive elements, as an attempt to bring out the theoretical over turns of the NGPL production and the conditions of production in which the grammatical subject is inserted. In Part III, Returning from Rocha Lima to Normative Grammar , we developed our gesture of interpretation into two movements of analysis. We started by the covers reading of our object of study, observing the differences and similarities among the imagetic compositions and how they transform themselves into the time line, in a regressive way, returning to its appearance. In the second movement, we saved space to what preface the NGPL in verb and no longer in image, observing and analyzing how the different moves itself and functions in the same . In a succinct way, we can say that in relation to the analyzed discursivities, we observed the functioning of the different in the same in several moments: in the covers we have the verbal regularization as well as the graphic-imagetic renewal which show the functioning of the different directions, affected by the production conditions of the doing grammatical normative in Brazil; in the texts that compose the prefacing of NGPL, we identified marks of resistance and memory as well. The different shows itself by the resistance marked by the position of the grammatical subject in relation to the Brazilian Grammatical Nomenclature (BGN); and by the entrance of the Linguistic science knowledge. The same shows itself by the maintenance, by the grammatical regularity of the discourse where the memory of knowledge about the language emerges. The analyze of these discursive materialities shows us that the imaginary project of the normative grammar also constitute itself by the failures in the language, as the heterogeneous appears, slips and functions, therefore moves in the same , since the different is constitutive of the language grammar. / O presente trabalho tem por objetivo investigar e compreender os movimentos e funcionamentos que fazem emergir a heterogeneidade no discurso que prefacia a gramática, ou seja, como se apresenta o diferente no mesmo , na gramática normativa. O objeto que selecionamos para análise constitui-se de quatro edições da Gramática Normativa da Língua Portuguesa (GNLP), de Carlos Henrique da Rocha Lima, enquanto corpus. A proposta é desenvolvida de acordo com a perspectiva teórico-metodológica da Análise de Discurso, posta em relação com algumas noções próprias aos estudos realizados sob a égide da História das Ideias Linguísticas. O trabalho está subdividido em três partes, assim nomeadas e constituídas: na Parte I, O diferente no mesmo : o objeto do olhar sob um ponto de vista discursivo , apresentamos o tema e a pesquisa teórica realizada, elegendo os conceitos e as referências que sustentam o dispositivo analítico. Na Parte II, E a Gramática Normativa vai surgindo... , explicitamos o processo de circunstancialização do objeto de análise, considerando para tanto elementos histórico-discursivos, numa tentativa de resgatar os entornos teóricos de produção da GNLP e as condições de produção nas quais se insere o sujeito gramático. Na Parte III, Remontemo-nos de Rocha Lima à Gramática Normativa , desenvolvemos nosso gesto de interpretação em dois movimentos de análise. Iniciamos pela leitura das capas de nosso objeto de estudo, observando as diferenças e semelhanças entre as composições imagéticas e de como elas se transformam na linha do tempo, de maneira regressiva, remontando ao seu surgimento. No segundo movimento, reservamos espaço para o que prefacia a GNLP em verbo e não mais em imagem, observando e analisando como o diferente movimenta-se e funciona no mesmo . De modo sucinto, podemos dizer que, em relação às discursividades analisadas, observamos o funcionamento do diferente no mesmo em vários momentos: nas capas tem-se a regularização verbal e renovação gráfico-imagética que mostram o funcionamento de sentidos diferentes, afetados pelas condições de produção do fazer gramática normativa no Brasil; nos textos que compõem o pré-faciamento da GNLP, identificamos marcas de resistência e de memória. O diferente mostra-se pela resistência marcada pela posição do sujeito gramático em relação à Nomenclatura Gramatical Brasileira (NGB); e pela entrada dos saberes da ciência Linguística. O mesmo mostra-se pela manutenção, pela regularidade do discurso gramatical em que emerge a memória do saber sobre a língua. A análise dessas materialidades discursivas mostra-nos que o projeto imaginário de gramática normativa também se constitui pelo o que falha na língua, pois o heterogêneo emerge, desliza e funciona, logo, movimenta-se no mesmo , uma vez que o diferente é constitutivo da gramática da língua.

Nous abordons dans cette thèse le problème de la conception d’un système informatique de soutien évaluatif, pour soutenir et évaluer en temps réel l’activité collaborative dans le cas particulier "d'une activité régie par des process issus d'organisations différentes". Nous définissons un process comme un ensemble de règles, de politiques, de plans, de normes ayant pour vocation de guider et de servir de référence à la réalisation d’une activité collaborative. Nous positionnons notre recherche dans le cadre applicatif de l’entrainement à la gestion de crise, et dans le cadre technologique de l’interaction tangible.Pour mettre en place un soutien évaluatif flexible et intelligible, nous proposons un système socio-technique capable d’apporter aux acteurs une conscience organisationnelle partagée et distribuée.Dans ce cadre, trois verrous essentiels sont considérés : (1) représentation et gestion de contextes liés à l’activité soutenue et aux interactions entre acteurs, (2) représentation et gestion des différents process liés à l’activité soutenue et à l’interaction, et (3) articulation entre l'activité soutenue et l'interaction.Pour répondre à ces verrous, nous proposons le système OrA s’appuyant sur trois groupes de principes relatif à l'activité soutenue et à l’interaction : modularité et représentation des process et contextes, gestion autonome et faiblement couplée des process et des éléments de contexte, coordination flexible entre ces mécanismes de gestion de process et de contextes.Ces principes sont mis en oeuvre au sein d’un système informatique s’appuyant sur les modèles des collecticiels, et en particulier CLOVER, des modèles de traces, des systèmes multi-agents normatifs.Ce système est évalué en démontrant la possibilité de modéliser les process d’un cas pratique d’exercice de gestion de crise, puis en proposant une utilisation en situation d’un exercice réel d’entrainement à la gestion de crise. / We discuss in this thesis about designing an computer system for an evaluative support , to support and evaluate in real-time the collaborative activity in the particular case of "an activity governed by processes from different organizations". We define a process as a set of rules, policies, plans, standards which aim to guide and be a reference for the realization of a collaborative activity. Our research is applied to training in crisis management, and situated in the technological context of tangible interaction.To implement a flexible and comprehensible evaluative support, we propose a socio-technical systemfor bringing the actors shared and distributed organizational consciousness.In this context, three key issues are considered: (1) representation and management of the contexts associated with the sustained activity and the interactions between the involved stakeholders, (2) representation and management of various processes associated with the sustained activity and the interaction and (3) the articulation between the sustained activity and the interaction.To answer these issues, we offer the OrA system based on three groups of principles, both about sutained activiy and interaction : modularity and representation of processes and contexts, autonomous management and loosely coupled processes and contextual elements, flexible coordination between these process and context management mechanisms.These principles are implemented in a computer system based on the model of groupware, especially CLOVER, a traces models, and normative multi-agent systems.This system is evaluated by demonstrating the ability to model the process of a practical case of crisis management exercise, and by providing a use situation of a real exercise training in crisis management.