Global ETD Search

241	Internationalization of Chinese Construction Equipment Firms : “Take-off Drivers & Entry Strategies” Halak, Michael, Reinke, Charlene January 2011 (has links) This master thesis investigates how Chinese construction equipment firms internationalize (i.e. how they enter new markets and how they are driven to exit their own). For this, the institutions of China and Brazil are comparatively analyzed, Porter’s five forces model is used to analyze the Chinese construction equipment industry, while distinct resources, capabilities and key success factors are defined and analyzed for Sany and Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group (XCMG). After careful analysis, the authors bring to light various take-off drivers, patterns and strategies of Chinese construction equipment firms when internationalizing or venturing abroad. Chinese construction equipment firms are beginning to follow their Western counterparts, focusing their efforts on product quality and extensive customer service. Warranties, parts centers, aftermarket service and strategically placed research and development facilities are becoming more greatly utilized, expanding the quality and offerings of Chinese firms, while adding to the customers perception of overall value. These key insights expand the knowledge base associated with Chinese construction equipment firms in developing markets, while unlocking new theoretical perspectives for supplementary research. Interntionalization Globalization Mulinational China Brazil XCMG Sany Construction Equipment Take-off Drivers Entry Strategy Porter's 5 Forces Uppsala Process Model Terpstra's Model Grant Jansson Industry Based View Resource Based View Institutional Based View Triad Based View Business studies Företagsekonomi
242	Supporting flexible workflow processes with a progression model Stavness, Nicole Ann 02 March 2005 (has links) <body>Users require flexibility when interacting with information systems to contend with changing business processes and to support diverse workflow. Model-based user interface design can accommodate flexible business processes by integrating workflow modelling with other modelling approaches. We present a workflow model, the progression model, to help in developing systems that support flexible business processes. <p> The progression model tracks a users interaction with an application as a set of data elements we refer to as a workflow transaction. The steps a user takes to create a workflow transaction and the state of the workflow transaction at each step is made explicit. By making the workflow status and workflow transaction state explicit, the user can change the order of the steps in a process, manage multiple workflow transactions, keep track of data as it is accumulated, and so on. The intent is to provide the user with a mechanism to deal with partial information, interrupted and concurrent workflow transaction entry, and the processing of multiple workflow transactions. <p> This thesis describes the progression model, an XML-compliant notation to specify the progression model, and a prototype system. </body> Process Model Information System Model-based User Interface Design Use Case Task Model Workflow Model Software Engineering User Interface Description Language Interactive System Data Model Workflow XML Business Process
243	The face-in-the-crowd and anxiety and cognition Lahti, Dawn 05 March 2008 (has links) Hansen and Hansen (1988) found that angry targets in happy crowds were found more quickly and accurately than happy targets in angry crowds. This finding, they dubbed the Face-in-the-Crowd effect. Gilboa-Schechtman and colleagues (1999) found that high anxious participants show a greater enhancement of detecting angry versus happy targets. The purpose of the current studies was to replicate these findings, and to determine whether Rational and Experiential decision-making styles play a role in target detection (Study One) and crowd searching (Study Two), and if these decision-making styles interact with affective predisposition for both reaction time and galvanic skin response in the face-in-the-crowd task. In Study One, I replicated the anger superiority effect and the Anxiety x Target interaction. I also found that the Rational Group tended to be faster than the Experiential Group overall. I found that the High Trait Anxious group had higher GSR than the Low Trait Anxious group averaged over both target conditions. The Rational group had higher GSR when presented with happy targets than when presented with angry targets whereas the Experiential group did not show this difference. In Study Two, I failed to replicate the anger inferiority effect of crowd searching, but I did find that the Rational group tended to be faster than the Experiential group, especially for angry crowd searching. I also found that the Low-State-Anxious-Rational group had lower galvanic skin responses than all other groups across all analyses. The most exciting finding of these two studies was that he Rational Group demonstrated a facility for the face-in-the-crowd task, validating decision-making style as an important dimension to be considered in future face-in-the-crowd research. The research also provided support for network theories and it is hoped that future studies might endeavor to explore facial processing with this theoretical framework in mind. affect infusion model galvanic skin response face recognition emotion rational experiential decision-making style affect reaction time angry happy neutral cognitive experiential self theory rational experiential inventory network theory dual process model
244	Policy agenda-setting and the use of analytical agenda-setting models for school sport and physical education in South Africa Desai, Anver January 2011 (has links) This study focused on policy agenda-setting models for school sport and physical education in South Africa. The primary objective was to assess and propose options for improved agenda-setting by focussing on the use of agenda-setting models and by applying it to physical education and school sport and the policy agenda of the national government. The study has shown that pertinent school sport and physical education policy issues, as supported by key role-players and principal actors, were initially not placed on the formal policy agenda of government during the research investigation period (2005-2009). However, during 2010 and 2011 the issue of school sport and physical education received prominent attention by authorities and these developments were subsequently included in the study. The study aimed at contributing to existing policy agenda-setting models and by recommending changes to the Generic Process Model.The study also made a contribution by informing various role-players and stakeholders in education and school sport on the opportunities in policy agenda-setting. The study showed that policy agenda-setting is a vital step in the Generic Policy Process Model. Policy agendasetting in South Africa is critical, as it is important to place new and emerging policy issues on the policy agenda and as a participative public policy process is relatively new in this young democracy. The reader should not confuse the study as one dealing with school sport and physical education primarily, but rather as a research investigation dealing with policy agenda-setting models as applied to school sport and physical education.The secondary objectives of the study included the development of a historical perspective on trends and tendencies in education and sport in South Africa. A second objective was to provide theoretical perspectives on public policy and specifically on policy agenda-setting. From these theoretical perspectives, the Generic Policy Process Model was selected to use as a model that provided guidance on the overall policy process normally followed in South Africa. The Issue Attention Cycle and Principal Actor Models on Agenda-Setting were selected to apply to the case study to specifically ascertain important factors related to policy agenda-setting such as the identification of key role players as well as key policy issues. The Generic Policy Process Model provided for both a comprehensive set of phases as well as specific requirements and key issues to be addressed during each phase of the policy process.In terms of findings the study found that a number of specific agenda-setting elements or phases needed to be added to the Generic Policy Process Model, which includes a problem stage, triggers, initiator, issue creation and actors or policy stakeholders.The Principal Actor Model to agenda-setting was selected for application to the case as different actors have different levels of success at each policy stage. In the South African experience it is important to look at who sets the policy agenda and why, who can initiate agenda-setting and the role played by these principal actors in the agenda-setting process.Issue emergence often places policy issues on the policy agenda. The public is initially involved in issues, but in the long term public interest declines. The government realizes the significant costs involved in placing policy issues back on the agenda. This leads to a decline in issue attention by policy-makers and the public. The Issue Attention Cycle Model of agenda setting was used to analyse this phenomenon in South African Education policy.The study provides a case assessment of the South African experience. From the research findings, a set of conclusions and recommendations were developed for improved policy agenda-setting models and implications for school sport and physical education, as well as tools to place it on the national policy agenda were identified. The research findings suggest that pertinent school sport and physical education policy issues, as supported by key roleplayers,stakeholders and principal actors were not placed on the formal policy agenda of the government as a vital step in the policy process between 2005 and 2009. Ever since, principal policy actors, civil society NGOs, and government officials placed sufficient pressure on the Minister of Basic Education to place Physical Education on the agenda. Subsequently,Minister Angie Motshega has placed physical education in the school Curriculum under the subject Life Orientation and Lifeskills. It has become evident from the research that agendasetting is both necessary to, and a complex phase in, the policy-making process.This study has shown that major policy issues such as physical education and school sport were neglected during the period 2005 and 2009 despite reformed and advanced policy cycles in government. It has also shown that the role of policy agenda-setting in the overall policymaking process was revisited by government in the subsequent period 2010/2011 and placed on the policy agenda. Specific lessons of experience emanated from this process.The study recommends that the triggers of the agenda-setting phases be added to the Generic Policy Process Model, which should include the problem stage, triggers, initiators, issue creation, actors and policy stakeholders. Principal actors in the agenda-setting model in South Africa want the issue of physical education and school sport to be part of the school curriculum, and therefore be placed back on the policy agenda by the Government on its institutional agenda. Furthermore, the study showed that actors wanted it to be compulsory in all phases of the school (Foundation, Intermediate, Senior, GET, FET) and that it should have the same legal status as other subjects.The important findings include that: Comprehensive policy process models such as that of Dunn, Wissink and the Generic Process model may need to be reviewed to incorporate more fully the policy-agenda setting stages of the overall process; Current policy agenda setting models in use are relevant and valuable in identifying key role players as well as key issues and considerations regarding the policy process; Institutional arrangements to strengthen the role of NGOs and lower level institutions,such as schools to participate in policy agenda setting are important; and the study has shown that a number of key factors have been identified that had a key influence on policy agenda-setting in the case of physical education and school sport in South Africa. These included the influence of changing political leadership, the competency of policy capacities in government, the profile of issues in the media etc. The key findings of the study have shown that further potential exists to improve monitoring and evaluation and policy analysis.The study made a set of recommendations to principal actors such as the Minister of Education, Minister of Sport and Recreation, non-governmental organisations, interest groups,department officials and pressure groups. A set of research topics was also identified for future research. / Philosophiae Doctor - PhD Agenda-setting Curriculum Education Policy Policy processes Generic policy process model Public policy Policy agenda-setting Policy agenda-setting models Physical education School sport Principal actor model Issue attention cycle Results-based monitoring and evaluation
245	以資訊化涉入探究政府組織流程再造李致杰, Lee, Zhi-Jie Unknown Date (has links) 隨著環境的快速變革以及資訊科技的突飛猛進，一般民眾對政府單位服務水準的要求日趨嚴苛，傳統的作業流程在作業品質以及反應時間上似乎漸漸無法滿足於民眾，是故流程再造的風潮日益蔓延於政府單位當中。而在資訊科技(以下簡稱IT)被日益重視的當今，在流程再造裡亦扮演越來越重要的角色，IT從之前支援性角色，乃至今日已漸漸成為主導推動再造之關鍵因素。透過探究IT的應用性，可以達成大刀闊斧功效的全面性變革，而IT可如何、於何發揮再造效益，則可透過流程模型清楚地描繪出。因此，本研究提出一以流程模型與IT為主軸之流程再造方法，並舉一政府事業單位之個案為例，透過IDEF0、IDEF3等流程模型勾勒現有模型，再透過深入探討現有流程之斷層與缺口，進而思索IT可發揮之處，從而進行全面而又具流程合理性之流程調整。此外，並透過流程圖學之基礎，來推論BPR前後之相對效益，以做為落實推動流程再造時之量化效益參考。最後，期此方法能讓欲進行流程再造者有參考依循之對象，以解決許多人在茫茫再造學說之中而不知如何進行之窘境。政府再造企業流程企業流程再造企業流程模型 Government Reengineering Business Process Business Process Reengineering Business Process Model IDEF
246	Managing variability in process-aware information systems La Rosa, Marcello January 2009 (has links) Configurable process models are integrated representations of multiple variants of a process model in a given domain, e.g. multiple variants of a shipment-to-delivery process in the logistics domain. Configurable process models provide a basis for managing variability and for enabling reuse of process models in Process-Aware Information Systems. Rather than designing process models from scratch, analysts can derive process models by configuring existing ones, thereby reusing proven practices. This thesis starts with the observation that existing approaches for capturing and managing configurable process models suffer from three shortcomings that affect their usability in practice. Firstly, configuration in existing approaches is performed manually and as such it is error-prone. In particular, analysts are left with the burden of ensuring the correctness of the individualized models. Secondly, existing approaches suffer from a lack of decision support for the selection of configuration alternatives. Consequently, stakeholders involved in the configuration of process models need to possess expertise both in the application domain and in the modeling language employed. This assumption represents an adoption obstacle in domains where users are unfamiliar with modeling notations. Finally, existing approaches for configurable process modeling are limited in scope to control-flow aspects, ignoring other equally important aspects of process models such as object flow and resource management. Following a design science research method, this thesis addresses the above shortcomings by proposing an integrated framework to manage the configuration of process models. The framework is grounded on three original and interrelated contributions: (i) a conceptual foundation for correctness-preserving configuration of process models; (ii) a questionnaire-driven approach for process model configuration, providing decision support and abstraction from modeling notations; (iii) a meta-model for configurable process models covering control-flow, data objects and resources. While the framework is language-independent, an embodiment of the framework in the context of a process modeling language used in practice is also developed in this thesis. The framework was formally defined and validated using four scenarios taken from different domains. Moreover, a comprehensive toolset was implemented to support the validation of the framework. EPC, C-EPC, YAWL, C-YAWL
247	Towards a business process model warehouse framework Jacobs, Dina Elizabeth 31 March 2008 (has links) This dissertation focuses on the re-use of business process reference models, available in a business process model warehouse, to enable the definition of more comprehensive business requirements. It proposes a business process model warehouse framework to promote the re-use of multiple business process reference models and the flexible visualisation of business process models. The critical success factor for such a framework is that it should contribute to minimise to some extent the causes of inadequate business requirements. The proposed framework is based on an analogy with a data warehouse framework, consisting of the following components: usage of multiple business process reference models as source models, the conceptual design of a process to extract, load and transform multiple business process reference models into a repository, a description of repository functionality for managing enterprise architecture artefacts, and motivation of flexible visualisation of business process models to ensure more comprehensive business requirements. / Computer Science (School of Computing) / M.Sc. (Information Systems) Comprehensive business requirements Enterprise architecture Repository Data warehouse Business process model warehouse Business process reference models Business process models 658.4038011 Software engineering Business -- Data processing System design -- Data processing Management information systems Data warehousing
248	Uso de sistema de gerência de workflow para apoiar o desenvolvimento de software baseado no processo unificado da Rational estendido para alcançar níveis 2 e 3 do modelo de maturidade / Using a workflow management system to support software development based on extended rational unified process to reach maturity model levels 2 and 3 Manzoni, Lisandra Vielmo January 2001 (has links) Este trabalho descreve a avaliação do Processo Unificado Rational (RUP) realizada com base no Modelo de Maturidade da Capacitação (CMM ou SW-CMM), e a utilização de um sistema de gerência de workflow comercial, Exchange 2000 Server, na implementação de um protótipo de um ambiente de apoio a este processo, chamado de Ambiente de Gerenciamento de Projetos (AGP). O Processo Unificado Rational (RUP) foi avaliado com relação às práticas-chave descritas pelo Modelo de Maturidade da Capacitação (CMM) do Software Engineering Institute (SEI), da Carnegie Mellon University. A avaliação identificou o suporte fornecido por este modelo de processo às organizações que desejam alcançar níveis 2 e 3 do CMM. A avaliação resultou na elaboração de propostas para complementar as macro-atividades (Core Workflows) do RUP, visando satisfazer as práticas-chave do CMM. O CMM apresenta um modelo de avaliação de processo que busca atingir a maturidade dos processos da organização, é específico para o desenvolvimento de software, os aspectos de melhoria contínua são fortemente evidenciados e várias organizações já estão utilizando-o com sucesso. O RUP surgiu como uma proposta de unificar as melhores práticas de desenvolvimento de software. Foi experimentada a utilização de um sistema de gerência de workflow, de fato um servidor de colaboração, para apoiar o processo de desenvolvimento de software. A ferramenta desenvolvida foi avaliada com base em requisitos considerados, por alguns autores da área, desejáveis em um ambiente de apoio ao processo de desenvolvimento. O protótipo do ambiente de gerenciamento de projetos é uma ferramenta de suporte baseada na Web, que visa auxiliar os gerentes de projeto de software nas atividades de gerenciamento e controle, e ajudar na interação e troca de informações entre os membros da equipe de desenvolvimento. O Processo Unificado apresenta uma abordagem bem-definida dos processos de engenharia de software e de gerenciamento de projetos de software, mas não se concentra em atividades de gerenciamento de sistemas. Ele apresenta lacunas em atividades envolvendo gerenciamento de recursos humanos, gerenciamento de custos e gerenciamento de aquisição. AGP é uma ferramenta flexível que pode ser acessada pela Internet, suporta a colaboração entre os membros de uma equipe, e oferece os benefícios da Web, como navegação intuitiva através de links e páginas. Esta ferramenta ajuda no suporte ao gerenciamento, fornecendo opções para planejar e monitorar o projeto, e suporta eventos, como mudança de estados, e comunicação aos usuários de suas novas tarefas. / This master dissertation describes the assessment of the Rational Unified Process (RUP) based on the Capability Maturity Model for Software (SW-CMM or CMM), and the implementation of a prototype tool to support this process based on of-the-shelf Workflow Management System, Exchange 2000 Server. The prototype developed is called Project Management Environment (PME). Rational Unified Process (RUP) was assessed based on the key practices described for the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) at the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute. The assessment identified the facilities that RUP offers to support an organization aiming at CMM levels 2 and 3. The assessment resulted in the elaboration of propositions to complement the Rational Unified Process in order to satisfy the key process areas of CMM. CMM shows a process model that is far fetched to reach the process maturity of an organization, is specific for the software development, and strongly emphasizes the aspects of continuous improvement and several organizations already used it with success. RUP describes how to apply best practices of software engineering. It was experimented the use of a Workflow Management System, in fact a collaboration server, to support the software development process. The experimental environment was assessed considering the requirements identified by various researchers for an environment to effectively support a software development process. The prototype software development environment is a web-based process support system, which provides means to assist the management of software development projects and help the interaction and exchange of information between disperse members of a development. The Rational Unified Process presents a well defined approach on software project management and software engineering processes, but it is not an approach centered on systems management concerns. Therefore it lacks activities involving issues as cost management, human resource management, communications management, and procurement management. PME is a flexible tool that can be accessed through the Internet, supporting the collaboration between team members, and offering the benefits of the Web, with intuitive navigation through of links and pages. It helps to support management control, providing options to plan and monitor the project, and supports events of the process, as changing states, and communicates users of their attributed tasks. Engenharia : Software Avaliacao : Software Processo : Software Gerencia : Workflow Capability maturity model Rational unified process Software process model Software process assessment Software engineering software Workflow management system Exchange 2000 Server
249	A model for the visual representation of the coherence of facts in a textual document set Engelbrecht, Louis January 2016 (has links) A large amount of information is contained in textual records, which originate from a variety of sources such as handwritten records and digital media like audio and video files. The information contained in these records is unstructured and to visualise the content of the records is not a trivialtask.In order to visualise information contained in unstructured textual records, the information must be extracted from the records and transformed into a structured format. This research aimed to visualise the coherence of facts contained in textual sources in order to allow the user who make use of the visualisation to make an assumption about the validity of the textual records as a set. For the purpose of the study, it was contemplated that the coherence of facts contained in a document set was indicated by the multiple occurrences of the same fact over several documents in the set. The output of this research is a model that abstracts the process required to transform information contained in unstructured textual records into a structured format and the visual representation of the multiple occurrences of facts in order to support the process of making an assumption about the coherence of facts in the set. This assumption enables the user to make a decision.based on the coherence theory of truth.about the validity of the document set. The modelprovides guidance and practices for performing tasks on similar textualdocument sets containing secondary data. The development of the model was informed by a phased construction of three specific software solution instantiations.namely an initial information extraction, an intermediate visual representation and a final information visualisation instantiation. The final solution instantiation was demonstrated to research participants and was evaluated as well. A pragmatic design science research approach was followed in order to solve the research problem. In conducting the research an adaption of the Peffers et at. (2006) design research process model was followed. The result of the research is a model for the visual representation of the coherence of facts in a textual document set. Expert review of the model is added through a process of peer review and academic scrutiny by means of conference papers and a journal article. It is envisaged that the results of the research can be applied to a number of research fields such as Indigenous Knowledge, History and Law. / School of Computing / M. Sc. (Computing) Visualisation Information visualisation Knowledge visualisation Data visualisation Document visualisation Design science research Design science research process model Information extraction Indigenous knowledge Coherence theory of truth 001.42260285 Information visualization Visual analytics
250	A methodology for integrating legacy systems with the client/server environment Redelinghuys, Melinda 06 1900 (has links) The research is conducted in the area of software methodologies with the emphasis on the integration of legacy systems with the client/server environment. The investigation starts with identifying the characteristics of legacy systems in order to determine the features and technical characteristics required of an integration methodology. A number of existing methodologies are evaluated with respect to their features and technical characteristics in order to derive a synthesis for a generic methodology. This evaluation yields the meta primitives of a generic methodology. The revised spiral model (Boehm,1986; DuPlessis & Vander Wah,1992) is customised to arrive at a software process model which provides a framework for the integration of legacy systems with the client/server environment. The integration methodology is based on this process model. / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems) Methodology Integration Legacy system Client/server environment Object-orientation Software process model Software development life-cycle Mainframe environment Integration trends Project management 004.36 Project management Computer software -- Development Client/server computing

Search results