M.Ing. / The aim of this research is to develop a Project Management Maturity Measurement Model to evaluate project management efficiency in a large Parastatal such as Eskom Distribution. This model will identify areas of improvement to assist a large Parastatal in improving their project management performance. It will eventually assist the organisation to build a culture of project management excellence. The hypotheses for the study were that firstly, the Parastatal does implement project management practice processes as advocated by project management bodies of knowledge. Secondly, a Project Management Maturity Measurement Model can be successfully implemented at a large Parastatal and help the Parastatal to identify project management grey areas that require improvement. Thirdly, a Project Management Maturity Measurement Model could assist a large Parastatal with project management improvement as a result of areas of recommendations. The method used to collect the required data for analysis and interpretation was the descriptive survey method. A customised survey questionnaire was developed to obtain data from research sample. Data was analysed using appropriate statistical techniques. The research sample was defined as the people who are primarily responsible for project, programme and portfolio management at a large Parastatal. The results of the data analysed pin pointed project management process weaknesses and possible improvement opportunities. Three main areas of improvement have been identified, namely applying lessons learned from previous project into future project, performing benchmarking to improve performance and project control processes. The findings of this study support the abovementioned hypotheses, and the insights provided and recommendations made will be of great help to a large Parastatal on its road to continuous improvement and building a culture of project management excellence.

Nos tempos atuais, cada vez mais as organizações têm investido em equipamentos e infra-estrutura de educação a distância (EAD). Grande parte dos estudos até hoje realizados dizem respeito a aspectos pedagógicos relacionados a esse tipo de sistema produtivo. Contudo, há poucos estudos dedicados a sua gestão. Esta dissertação busca, por meio de uma pesquisa à literatura pertinente, seguida de uma pesquisa de campo, sistematizar o conhecimento sobre a gestão de um sistema de operações de EAD, buscando formas para otimizar sua disponibilidade operacional. Ao longo do trabalho, a disponibilidade é tratada com um indicador de resultado de duas diferentes funções da organização: função gestão de contratos e função manutenção. A primeira diz respeito ao acordo de nível de serviço (SLA) firmado entre a organização foco deste estudo e um fornecedor de serviços de telecomunicações. A segunda função compreende a forma como são adotadas abordagens ou políticas de manutenção para os equipamentos utilizados para a execução desse tipo de serviço. Assim, descreve-se o contexto em que se inserem a disponibilidade e as duas funções a ela relacionadas e buscam-se formas para coordenar essas funções com o objetivo de otimizar a disponibilidade operacional do sistema produtivo. Algumas proposições foram estruturadas e verificadas numa organização, através da metodologia científica pesquisa-ação. Um instrumento referencial foi elaborado para amparar a pesquisa de campo visando facilitar a verificação das proposições propostas, além de colaborar para melhor atingir os objetivos propostos. A conclusão da pesquisa revela que as proposições de estudo não se confirmaram de forma plena, apontando para um sensível distanciamento entre teoria e pratica organizacional, deixando, assim, espaço aberto para novos estudos. / In present days, organizations are investing increasingly in equipment and infrastructure for distance education (DE). Great part of the studies carried out until today focus on the pedagogical aspects related to this type of productive system. However, there are few studies dedicated to its management. It is the goal of this study, through research in specific literature followed by a field research, to systemize the knowledge on management of an operational system for DE, searching for ways to optimize its operational availability. Throughout the work, the availability is considered a result indicator for two different functions of the organization: contract management function and maintenance function. The former one says respect to the service level agreement (SLA) firmed between the organization, focus of this study, and a supplier of telecommunications services. The latter is concerned with the ways that maintenance approaches and politics for the equipment involved in the execution of this type of service are adopted. Thus, the context in which the availability and both related functions are enclosed has been described and ways to co-ordinate these functions with the goal of optimizing the productive system operational availability is searched. The framework of some proposals was developed and verified in an organization through the scientific methodology ?Action Research?. A reference instrument was elaborated to support the field research aiming to ease the verification of the proposals that have been made, besides helping to achieve the proposed goal. The research conclusion discloses that the study proposals weren?t fully confirmed, leading to a considerable withdraw between organizational theory and practice, leaving, thus, an open space for new studies.

Nos tempos atuais, cada vez mais as organizações têm investido em equipamentos e infra-estrutura de educação a distância (EAD). Grande parte dos estudos até hoje realizados dizem respeito a aspectos pedagógicos relacionados a esse tipo de sistema produtivo. Contudo, há poucos estudos dedicados a sua gestão. Esta dissertação busca, por meio de uma pesquisa à literatura pertinente, seguida de uma pesquisa de campo, sistematizar o conhecimento sobre a gestão de um sistema de operações de EAD, buscando formas para otimizar sua disponibilidade operacional. Ao longo do trabalho, a disponibilidade é tratada com um indicador de resultado de duas diferentes funções da organização: função gestão de contratos e função manutenção. A primeira diz respeito ao acordo de nível de serviço (SLA) firmado entre a organização foco deste estudo e um fornecedor de serviços de telecomunicações. A segunda função compreende a forma como são adotadas abordagens ou políticas de manutenção para os equipamentos utilizados para a execução desse tipo de serviço. Assim, descreve-se o contexto em que se inserem a disponibilidade e as duas funções a ela relacionadas e buscam-se formas para coordenar essas funções com o objetivo de otimizar a disponibilidade operacional do sistema produtivo. Algumas proposições foram estruturadas e verificadas numa organização, através da metodologia científica pesquisa-ação. Um instrumento referencial foi elaborado para amparar a pesquisa de campo visando facilitar a verificação das proposições propostas, além de colaborar para melhor atingir os objetivos propostos. A conclusão da pesquisa revela que as proposições de estudo não se confirmaram de forma plena, apontando para um sensível distanciamento entre teoria e pratica organizacional, deixando, assim, espaço aberto para novos estudos. / In present days, organizations are investing increasingly in equipment and infrastructure for distance education (DE). Great part of the studies carried out until today focus on the pedagogical aspects related to this type of productive system. However, there are few studies dedicated to its management. It is the goal of this study, through research in specific literature followed by a field research, to systemize the knowledge on management of an operational system for DE, searching for ways to optimize its operational availability. Throughout the work, the availability is considered a result indicator for two different functions of the organization: contract management function and maintenance function. The former one says respect to the service level agreement (SLA) firmed between the organization, focus of this study, and a supplier of telecommunications services. The latter is concerned with the ways that maintenance approaches and politics for the equipment involved in the execution of this type of service are adopted. Thus, the context in which the availability and both related functions are enclosed has been described and ways to co-ordinate these functions with the goal of optimizing the productive system operational availability is searched. The framework of some proposals was developed and verified in an organization through the scientific methodology ?Action Research?. A reference instrument was elaborated to support the field research aiming to ease the verification of the proposals that have been made, besides helping to achieve the proposed goal. The research conclusion discloses that the study proposals weren?t fully confirmed, leading to a considerable withdraw between organizational theory and practice, leaving, thus, an open space for new studies.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for Degree of Master of Management Sciences: Human Resource Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / The study presented in this thesis is centred around three research questions: (1) How have labour standards changed in South Africa over time? (2) What is the relationship between labour standards and performance? (3) What is the causal direction of the relationship between labour standards and performance? In addition to these questions the study tests the hypothesis that there is a relationship between retail performance and labour costs. To address the research questions and to test the hypothesis the study empirically examines South African labour productivity and labour costs data covering the years 1970-2014. The study utilises 184 data points pulled from 1967 to 2014. Analysis is done using the linear regression method (OLS), Ordinary Least Squares and error correction time series model. The study highlights the connectedness between productivity, performance and labour standards within the South African context. Productivity is used through-out the document as a proxy for performance. The findings show that labour costs drive (performance) in the retail sector. The study also showed that there is statistically significant and positive relationship between labour standards and performance. The policy implications of this study is prioritisation of incentives that are tied to labour standards that motivate employees in the retail sector. / M

Thesis (MBA (Graduate School of Business))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Globalisation, constant innovations and well-informed customers have made modern business environments dynamic and complex. Organisations, with their ever-changing business models, are striving to improve the quality of their products and services. Congruently, several management theories have evolved. Total Quality Management (TQM),Just in Time (JIT), Benchmarking, Lean Management, Balanced Scorecard and Six Sigma are some of the more well known. Each movement with its own life span, its share of popularity and level of acceptance has the same basic goal – improvement in quality by measuring performance. Recent years have seen an upsurge in the approaches and contributions to the field of performance measurement. Are these management theories just a flavour of the month or do they add value. The object of this study is to provide industry specific manufacturing business with a Manufacturing Performance Measurement Matrix Model, which can be used over time to measure improvement and serve as a basis for Knowledge Management. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Globalisering, konstante inbring van veranderinge en goed ingeligte kliënte het die moderne besigheidsomgewing dinamies en kompleks gemaak. Organisasies, met hulle ewig veranderende besigheidsmodelle, streef daarna om die kwaliteit van hulle produkte en dienslewering te verbeter. Verskeie bestuursteorieë het as gevolg hiervan ontwikkel. Die mees bekende bestuursteorieë is onder andere: Total Quality Management (TQM), Just in Time (JIT), Benchmarking, Lean Management, Balanced Scorecard en Six Sigma. Elkeen van hierdie planne, met sy eie leeftyd, porsie van die gewildheid en vlak van aanvaarding, het dieselfde basiese doel – verbetering van kwaliteit deur die meet van prestasie. Onlangse jare het ‘n opvlam gesien in die benaderings en bydraes tot die veld van prestasiemeting. Is hierdie bestuursteorieë net ‘n nuutjie of is hulle waardevol vir die besigheidswêreld? Die doel van hierdie studie is om industrie spesifieke vervaardigingsbesighede met ‘n Vervaardigings Prestasiemetings Matriks Model te voorsien wat deur die verloop van tyd verbeterings kan meet en kan dien as ‘n basis vir die bestuur van kundigheid.

No abstract available.

by Chow Yue-Hin, Terence, Xie Ming-An. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 65-66). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND TABLES --- p.v / Chapter / Chapter I --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter II --- BALANCED SCORECARD --- p.3 / Origin of Balanced Scorecard --- p.3 / What is Balanced Scorecard? --- p.5 / Four Perspectives of Balanced Scorecard --- p.4 / Strategy and Balanced Scorecard --- p.8 / Balanced Scorecard and traditional management --- p.11 / Chapter III --- DEVELOPING A BALANCED SCORECARD - GETTING STARTED --- p.14 / Preparation Tasks --- p.14 / Balanced Scorecard Team --- p.15 / Chapter IV --- PRESENT SITUATION IN THE RETAIL JEWELLERY INDUSTRY --- p.18 / Hong Kong Retail Jewellery Industry --- p.18 / Changes in the External environment --- p.19 / Company Background --- p.21 / Chapter V --- COMMENCEMENT OF BSC --- p.24 / Beginning Stage --- p.24 / Meetings --- p.27 / First Meeting --- p.28 / Second Meeting --- p.29 / Third Meeting --- p.30 / Fourth Meeting --- p.31 / Interviews --- p.32 / Executive Questionnaire --- p.34 / Finalizing Measures --- p.36 / Chapter VI --- CONCLUSION --- p.38 / Limitations of Balanced Scorecard Program --- p.38 / Chapter VII --- ACTION PLANS AND FUTURE OUTLOOK --- p.42 / Setting up Targets/Initiatives --- p.42 / Prioritizing different measures/initiatives --- p.43 / Creating a Balanced Scorecard Measure Dictionary --- p.43 / Feedback from employees --- p.44 / APPENDIX AND FIGURES --- p.46 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.65

No abstract available.

Mental health problems are associated with significant losses in work productivity and, consequently, have significant ramifications for business entities and the general economy. Several instruments have been developed to measure productivity-related constructs such as absenteeism and presenteeism. The current study examines the utility of the Outcome Questionnaire-45 (OQ), a commonly used mental health questionnaire, in predicting work productivity. This relationship is explored as a preliminary step in assessing the degree to which changes in mental health brought about by psychotherapy will improve work productivity. Forty-nine participants were recruited from a call center in a small market research firm based in the Western United States. Work productivity was measured using four subscales of the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire as well as an objective measure. The OQ and WPAI were administered on a weekly basis over the course of five weeks. Participant characteristic variables and work-time variables were also measured. A mixed models analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with repeated measures showed that the Social Role (SR) Scale, a subscale of the OQ, was a significant predictor of Presenteeism, Overall Work Impairment, and Activity Impairment subscales. Latent growth modeling (LGM) was used to examine the relationship between the variables while accounting for individual trajectory differences. Although the results suggested that an unconditional model of Overall Work Impairment with SR as a time-varying covariate provided a good fit for the data, standardized regression weights between the variables were not significant. Implications of findings, limitations, and recommendations for future research are discussed.

No description available.