M.Comm.

Decreasing defense funds are forcing defense contractors to adhere to tight budgets. In an effort to reduce costs and improve performance, many defense contractors are developing performance management programs for measuring, planning, evaluating, and improving organizational performance. This study examines the Software Engineering and Maintenance organization (SWEM) of General Electric's Military and Data Systems Operations and attempts to initiate a performance management program for SWEM by developing two key tools: a performance measurement plan and a COCOMO model for software maintenance cost and effort estimation. The study includes a detailed systems analysis of SWEM, discussion of performance management concepts, and development of equations, data collection procedures, and worksheets for implementing performance management tools. Both the performance measurement plan and COCOMO model are illustrated through SWEM examples and results used to perform cost and sensitivity analyses. The study concludes with an evaluation of study methodologies and recommendations for future applications of study findings. / Master of Science

Presents a practical conceptual framework designed to determine the cost of quality based on nonconformance to a set of quality standards. This framework was implemented in a manufacturing environment. It utilizes an "open" system architecture which stresses a customer orientation. In this context, customer influence determines what is important in terms of quality. Standards are established for these elements which are used to gauge the performance and efficiency of the manufacturing process. Poor performance is then quantified in terms of relevant costs. The framework is designed to go beyond conventional cost of quality and nonconformance models, as it offers a solution path which utilizes employees to improve areas of nonconformance. Cultural, informational and technical organizational requirements needed to implement the framework advocated here are outlined.

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One of the most controversial questions in public administration today is the question of effectiveness and how well it is achieved by public and private organizations. Some studies hold private enterprise up as more effective; however, some others have argued the case in favor of the public sector. In examining the question, theorists have largely neglected the issue of quality of service. This study generates an effectiveness rating that takes into account quality as a major factor in addition to costs. This research uses the largest manpower training program in America, Job Corps, as a model for study. Job Corps encompasses both the public and private sectors, with a majority of the 107 Job Corps centers managed by private enterprise under contract to the United States Government. Two public and two private Job Corps centers were compared. Data were compiled from the following sources: 1) direct personal observation; 2) in-depth interviews; 3) Job Corps financial reports; and 4) student survey results. An effectiveness quotient for each center was developed from the data. Results show that each of the four centers has its own characteristic strengths and weaknesses. The public centers offered somewhat better quality of services as well as lower costs, and therefore noticeably better effectiveness than did the private centers. The public centers also surpassed the private centers in successfully meeting the job satisfaction needs of their employees. Unexpected findings included the fact that the centers that kept their costs the lowest also had the highest quality, and thus were scored as more effective. We conclude that the differentiating factor between public and private Job Corps centers is not their ownership, public or private, but rather how well-managed a center or class of centers is. In order to improve Job Corps operations, this study recommends a change in the assessment procedures for Job Corps, emphasizing quality of services and effectiveness of services rather than statistics on cost and average length of stay. It also suggests that continuing attention be paid to program management systems, including elements as diverse as communication among staff and control of students. / Ph. D.

The organizational effectiveness and strategic management areas of organizational theory are the general focus of this study. Organizational effectiveness is defined as the extent to which an organization by the use of certain resources fulfills its objectives without depleting its resources and without placing undue strain upon its members and/or society. Strategic management is defined as an array of processes which leads to the development of an effective approach to achieve the organization's objectives. Little agreement appears to exist on how to evaluate organizational effectiveness and to what extent strategic management impacts organizational effectiveness. This is the problem this study addressed. This study presents an extensive review of the literature, formulates some syntheses and utilizes a questionnaire to gather pertinent data. The sample of respondents consisted of a group of key administrators from all the Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States. The questionnaire had a ninety percent response rate. This study was primarily a correlation study which emphasized the perceptions of the respondents regarding the elements and/or processes of strategic management and the concepts of organizational effectiveness. The Chi-Square and Spearman rank order tests were utilized for statistical measures. The analysis of data revealed any significant relationships between (1) the elements and/or processes of strategic management and (2) the concepts related to organizational effectiveness.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Science in Industrial Engineering. October 2016 / The research project aimed at determining employees’ experiences of the application of the flow efficiency methodology. The flow efficiency methodology was the selected management methodology from the broader scope of process-focused methodologies. The significance of the flow efficiency approach is that it’s an alternative approach to the traditional management approach of optimising resource efficiency, but rather focuses on improving the flow of the process in which the resources work. The research was conducted in the context of the labour-intensive, South African manufacturing sector using a case study approach. The purpose of the research was to understand front-line employees’ and supervisors’ perceptions during the application of the flow efficiency approach. The assessed perceptions came from four selected change factors that stemmed from the Lean change iceberg model commonly found in literature. The motivation for research was two-fold: (1) prior research of the flow efficiency methodology in the socio-technical environment focused on operational improvement impact, and not on the impact on people; and (2), most research of improvement approaches and methods in South Africa tended to focus on success factors and pre-requisite maturity levels of various methods. The chosen flow efficiency approach required no pre-requisite culture requirements. The researcher was of the view that gaining an insight (through a case study) into employees’ perceptions of change factors during a flow efficiency approach, could lead to benefits of development and empowerment of employees and management in the labour-intensive, manufacturing sector of South Africa. The case study selected was a flow efficiency-based, improvement initiative in a multinational dairy plant in South Africa. The researcher used an unstructured, group-administered questionnaire to assess operational and supervisory employees’ perceptions of the selected change factors after process changes were made in the process where they work. The four selected process-improvement change factors derived from the Lean change iceberg were: Leadership Behaviour; Social System Change; Effectiveness of Change; and Employee Involvement & Empowerment. Content validity was conducted with external and internal experts to refine the questions and sequence of the questionnaire. A trained research assistant facilitated the multiple questionnaire sessions. Thematic content analysis was used to categorise participant’s responses into themes and sub-themes for each question. The occurrence of themes and sub-themes per question was tallied up and discussed for operational and supervisory employees with respect to the research objectives. The research did not yield a broad-based view on the impact of the flow efficiency management approach on employees’ perceptions in the greater industry context. However, it did give an insight, through the case study, into some universally applicable perceptions of changes experienced by South African, front-line and supervisory employees when the flow efficiency management approach was used. Perceptions of: leadership commitment and coaching, improved teamwork, simplification of jobs, improved flow, and improvements in individual performance, and employee empowerment were prevalent perceptions felt by most employees at both levels. / MT2017

Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / The overall aim of the study was to investigate the factors contributing to RAL’s performance on roads infrastructure delivery in Limpopo Province for the first ten years since its inception. The study also sought to assess RAL’s steadiness, looking at its current practices and processes versus key external and internal developmental challenges facing the construction industry, in particular the civil engineering profession. Descriptive explorative research design using an instrumental case study was used in this research project to achieve the aim of the study. The population comprised all the people and companies involved with the RAL projects in Limpopo Province, including RAL staff, CIBD active registered Civil Engineering Contracting and consulting firms. Unstructured telephonic interviews and a structured questionnaire assisted the researcher to understand factors contributing to RAL’s performance in roads. The study revealed several strengths and weaknesses contributing to RAL’s performance, which concerned the agency‘s nature and composition, level of implementation of its strategies, policies and plans. A clear and implementable quality assurance system must be developed to mitigate all risks associated with project management processes and procedures. Strategies should also be identified on how the agency’s performance will progress despite the economic instability and political interferences. Proper strategic planning has thus far proved to be prudent in identifying risks and ways to mitigate them. According to the study RAL, an organisation of its own type specialising in roads infrastructure, its nature and size, its vast experience and knowledge of construction and project organisation and Project managers’ experience, competence and commitment to finishing the project with time ,cost and budget, have emerged as key ingredients assisting it in becoming an organisation with its proven record. The study also demonstrated RAL’s strength in terms of its communication, control and dedication in managing projects. However too many tenders are issued within a short space of time which makes contractors unable to adequately respond to them. RAL has demonstrated that it is negatively affected by an unstable economic environment. As a result construction materials are always aligned to inflation. To that end RAL should constantly monitor market conditions to synchronize its activities to 5 rightfully position themselves as these are external factors that are unavoidable, but require a hands-on approach

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Social Sciences