Thesis (MA (Public administration))-University of Pretoria, 2004. / Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 194-200). Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2007. / Branislav Vidakovic, Committee Member ; Chip White, Committee Member ; Amy Pritchett, Committee Member ; Ken Boff, Committee Member ; William B. Rouse, Committee Member.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 141-181).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on September 19, 2007) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2007. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Oct. 18, 2007). Directed by Gerald Ponder; submitted to the School of Education. Includes bibliographical references (p. 387-417).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1986. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 110-122). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2007. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 149-161). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Future Search is a new concept in Namibia. This study looks at the application of a Future Search Conference (FSC) with the Nursing Board of Namibia with a view to investigating participants' experiences and perceptions of the FSC as an organizational change strategy. I conducted a case study in the interpretive paradigm, since I was interested in understanding the subjective experience and individual perceptions of five respondents with regard to the FSC. To obtain in-depth information on how participants felt about the FSC, I employed two data gathering tools: un-structured individual interviews and observation. The findings confirmed that the Future Search is a new concept in the Ministry of Health in particular and in Namibia as a whole. Participants are of the opinion that leaders and managers are key figures in the success or failure of the Future Search. They showed a tremendous interest in the process and are willing to embrace and master the tool so they could try it in their various areas of work. Emphasis was put on the need to get the FSC introduced to leaders and higher management cadres on a wider scale, because they are decision makers and can decide whether or not the Future Search could be institutionalized. This study concludes with an appeal from respondents to be exposed to the Future Search again in a better time frame than the short time we had.

In order for organisations to grow and maintain their competitive advantage, change has become the norm. The healthcare industry and especially private healthcare organisations, is no exception. Organisational change often implies a change in organisational culture. The concept of culture refers to the ways of thinking, values and ideas of things rather than the concrete, objective and more visible part of the organisation. Organisational culture is not to be viewed in isolation as culture and leadership are intertwined. Leaders shape cultures and their fundamental role is affecting others and making changes that increase organisational efficiency and performance. Patient safety, cost-effective care based on the best available evidence and patient satisfaction are top priorities of healthcare organisations, especially intensive care units where critically ill patients are cared for. Alignment of the organisational culture and leadership with a hospital‘s vision, namely to deliver quality patient care, is thus essential. A positivistic research paradigm, with a quantitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual approach was used to conduct the study. The study explored whether transformational organisational culture, leadership and desired organisational change outcomes existed in private intensive care units in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan and East London areas. It aimed at exploring the relationship between selected demographic variables, culture, leadership and organisational change outcomes. Lastly, the relationship between organisational culture and leadership (independent variables) and organisational change outcomes (dependent variable) was explored. The sample comprised 130 professional nurses who were selected from all the adult intensive care units in the private healthcare industry in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan and East London areas. A structured questionnaire with a Cronbach‘s alpha of more than 0.8 was used to collect data. The empirical results indicated that transformational leadership and a conducive organisational culture existed in the private intensive care units sampled. However, it was found that innovation and innovative care practices could be improved. Care practices were not necessarily aligned with the latest, available innovative techniques, procedures and practices. Reflective practices and in-service training to improve care practices and encourage and promote innovative care practices were not always optimised. Recommendations related to the findings were made for managers, as well as for research, education and practice. Ethical principles were maintained throughout the study.

As the result of technological advances, changes in production techniques, consumer behavior, economics, globalization, societal pressure, regulations, increased complexity of markets, and a cultural moral revolution, many organizations are now experiencing vast change. Organizations are compelled to change what they do and how they do it. Overwhelmingly, research demonstrates that change initiatives often fail because of poor management. This study identifies effective practices of transformative change used by a sample of overtly Christian marketplace leaders. The field of change management uses a broad range of methods and approaches. W. Edwards Deming, “the father of the third wave of the Industrial Revolution,” developed a change management theory he called the System of Profound Knowledge, which includes four interrelated fields (theories of systems, variation, knowledge and psychology). This study, demonstrates that successful organizational transformation in the marketplace by Christian leaders is applied from a biblical foundation and includes the principles of Deming’s System of Profound Knowledge, either directly or indirectly. The purpose of this study was to understand how Christian leaders in the marketplace could create an environment fostering a continual, relentless, perpetual search of improvement for human flourishing. Finally, the presentation demonstrates that executive leaders whose faith and hope are in God are compelled by the love of Christ to intentionally strive to be stewards of God’s grace by creating an environment that promotes real continuous improvement for human flourishing.