Master's thesis deals with the intradepartmental informative system in firm Pavel Šálek. The work includes the analysis of current state and the suggestions to implementation of new intradepartmental informative system to achieve improvement in the sphere of intradepartmental leading.

Thesis (MBA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / This research examines the effect of human capital investment on the firm’s performance in South African companies. This research is important given that the human asset has been proven to be one of the most important assets in the organisation and therefore this research set out to examine whether human assets actually contribute to the performance of the firm in the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Social Responsible index (SRI). Therefore the objective of this research was to examine the relationship between human capital investment and firm performance in terms of sales turnover, share price and net profit. Secondary data on human capital investment and companies’ performance (sales turnover, net profit and share price) were collected from integrated report archives of the 28 best performing companies in the JSE SRI Index for the six years from 2010 to 2015. The theoretical foundation was on the human capital theory and related previous literature. The research adopted a quantitative paradigm and applied the regression statistics, which were analysed with the aid of the excel software. Findings from the regression analysis indicate p value of 0.04 for HCI and sales turnover, p value of 0.69 for HCI and the share price and p value of 0.16 for HCI and net profit. This therefore, means that, within the sample of companies, there is a significant relationship between human capital investment and sales turnover of firms and no significant relationship between human capital investment and share price, and net profit of companies. This finding indicates that the result may change from negative to positive with a longer period of data. Over the long term companies that invest in HC would experience profitability (within a range of 10 to 13 years) (Blundell et al, 1999).This means that future research should use a longer period of data and include more companies outside of the JSE SRI Index companies. The research recommends that there is a need for companies to invest in human capital to improve companies’ performance and to win customers’ confidence.

Between 2007 and 2009, the United States experienced a financial crisis. Many businesses experienced difficulties obtaining funds for projects and working capital due to the great recession. As a result, many business owners filed for bankruptcy. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that some small business owners in the construction industry used when implementing internal control processes to improve profits. The study population entailed 6 individuals in the southeast region of the United States who successfully implemented internal control processes to improve profits. The data collected were from face-to-face interviews, analysis of company documents, and observation. The data analysis process included coding the information to develop patterns and themes. The themes identified in the study included operational strategies, methods to measure the effectiveness of internal controls, barriers to implementing internal controls, and ways internal controls improved profits. The implications for positive social change include the potential to provide construction business owners with effective strategies to implement internal control processes that may lead to increasing employment opportunities for individuals in local communities.

This dissertation uses original datasets from the U.S. and Japan to explore issues in spatial economics and public finance. In the first chapter, I study how the relocation of inventors affects local and aggregate growth through technological diffusion across U.S. cities. I propose a quantitative spatial theory of growth and knowledge diffusion through internal migration. My model highlights two mechanisms by which productivity growth can be higher in one city than in another: (1) agglomeration forces and (2) knowledge inflows through internal migration. Using data on US cities, I find that knowledge diffusion explains approximately 40 percent of the spatial variation in productivity changes, and agglomeration forces explain the rest. I quantify the dynamic effects of place-based policies and find that reducing the costs of migrating to a small number of cities can improve aggregate efficiency while reducing disparities in productivity across cities. Growing spatial inequality has led policymakers to enact tax breaks to attract corporate investment and jobs to economically peripheral regions. In the second chapter, co-authored with Cameron LaPoint, we demonstrate the importance of multi-plant firms’ physical capital structure for the take-up and efficacy of place-based policies by studying a national bonus depreciation scheme in Japan which altered the relative cost of capital across locations, offering high-tech manufacturers immediate cost deductions from their corporate income tax bill. Combining corporate balance sheets with a registry containing investment by plant location and asset type, we find the policy generated big gains in employment and investment in building construction and in machines at pre-existing production sites, with an implied partial equilibrium fiscal cost per job created of $16,000. The policy produced a welfare gain of $56.72 billion, or roughly 40% of one year’s worth of average annual corporate profits. For eligible firms, plant-level hiring in ineligible areas outstripped that in eligible areas, suggesting reallocation of resources within firms’ internal capital and labor markets mitigates the spatial misallocation inherent in subsidizing low-productivity areas. How governments should choose the frequency of payments has received little attention in the literature on the optimal design of benefits programs. In the third chapter, co-authored with Cameron LaPoint, we propose a simple model in which the government chooses the interval length between payments, subject to a tradeoff between the costs of providing more frequent benefits and welfare gains from mitigating consumption non-smoothing. Using a high-frequency retail dataset that links consumers to their purchase history, we apply the model to the Japanese National Pension System. Our evidence suggests suboptimal intra-cycle consumption patterns with negligible retailer price discrimination. Model calibrations support the worldwide prevalence of monthly payment systems.

The Securities and Exchange Conunission (1974) has stated that the one of the fundamental underpinnings of federal securities law is the external auditor opinion of registrant financial statements. The SEC believes that the corporate practice of voluntary auditor change may be perceived by the investing public as attempted opinion shopping. The monitoring hypothesis of Jensen and Meckling (1976), on the other hand, posits that companies may change auditors in an attempt to control net agency costs. The objective of this dissertation is determine if the monitoring hypothesis is descriptive of the phenomenon of voluntary auditor change. The monitoring hypothesis posits that changes in net agency costs are related to the change in auditor quality at the time of an auditor change. and that both changes in agency costs and change in auditor quality are related to the market reaction to the auditor change. Auditor changes from 1980 to 1986 for New York Stock Exchange and American Stock Exchange companies were analyzed. The results indicate that changes in agency costs are related to change in auditor quality, as measured by the difference, from the old auditor to the new, in the auditor's share of the industry audit fees for the company that is changing auditors. Significant variables that measure changes in agency costs aregrowth in company sales, change in long-term compensation plans, and change in the dividend payout ratio. The results also indicate that changes in agency costs are related to market reaction to a change in auditors, but that the change in auditor quality is not. Variables that are significant in explaining the relationship are change in the debt ratio, change in the holdings of the largest stockholder, and prior receipt of a qualified opinion or disclosure of a disagreement between the company and the previous auditor. The results provide strong support for the monitoring hypothesis and weak support for the opinion shopping hypothesis. / Ph. D.

Trust is essential for individuals. We want others to keep their promises and meet our expectations (Dan der Cruijsen et al., 2020, p.680-681). This also applies to banks. For many individuals, trusting their bank is essential to ensure financial security. The interest rate increases between 2022 and 2023, and the increased bank profits, as a result, caught the attention of many individuals. Could two events like these possibly disrupt individuals' trust toward banks? As a result of the high inflation in Sweden in recent years, interest rates increased significantly between 2022 and 2023 which shocked many individuals. Furthermore, banks' profits increased because of the increased interest rates. While banks are profit-making companies, they need to be cautious not to lose the trust of their customers.  This study is based on theories fundamental to answering the study's research questions and purpose. The purpose is to provide an understanding of the factors that affect individuals trust toward their main bank. In addition, the study analyzes factors that may influence the disruption of trust toward banks. The focus will be on whether the interest rate increases and banks' increased profits between 2022 and 2023 have disrupted individuals' trust. The theories used to respond to the purpose are the anchoring effect, point of reference, financial literacy, asymmetric information, and overconfidence.  A quantitative method was adapted for this study to collect data through a questionnaire. By building the questionnaire on appropriate theories, we could examine how our results were consistent with previous research. Later, a linear regression analysis was conducted in Stata based on our collected data. Correlation, multicollinearity, and heteroscedasticity were tested to obtain proper values.  The results from this study show several factors that affect individuals' trust toward banks. Also, it indicates that the sudden interest rate increases and the increased bank profits between 2022 and 2023 disrupt individuals' trust toward banks. Some factors that affect the level of trust are whether the individual has experience of incorrect financial advice, lives in a small city, and feels that they do not receive enough information from the bank. These factors can be linked to previous research on asymmetric information. Other factors that affect trust are how easily individuals generally trust other people and whether individuals visit a bank office for banking affairs. These factors can be linked to previous research on point of reference. Furthermore, individuals having an elementary school degree as the highest education level and unemployed individuals are factors affecting trust that can be linked to financial literacy. These mentioned factors are only a few, the remaining ones are to be found in the result.  This study provides a better insight into trust and trust disruption because of the two events, increased interest rates, and increased bank profits. The results are beneficial both for individuals and banks.

This research tests for persistence in tax generated earnings changes. Earnings persistence is indicated by the capitalization of earnings by securities markets. This research disaggregates accounting earnings and examines the security markets’ evaluation of the relative permanence or transience of the component of earnings resulting from revenue law changes. Two proxies for tax generated earnings changes are evaluated though an examination of earnings response coefficients. The results indicate that tax generated earnings changes are not expected to persist beyond two accounting periods, and may reflect the ability of firms to manage tax earnings. / Ph. D.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Ongoing business sustainability today is one of the major issues facing the management of organizations. How to remain in the profit zone, that area where a company will be allowed to make high profit in its industry, is a constant challenge. Continued profitability in a fast changing industry, where the profit zone moves as competitors offer the same solutions, requires constant innovation, implementation of new ideas and heavy financial commitments. The key is to identify clear and rational business design choices that are responsive to customers and that will ensure profitability. This document will illustrate how the four major food retail companies in South Africa, and their visionary leaders, have reinvented their business designs in ways that kept or returned them to the profit zone. Shoprite's target market is the middle to lower income group. The company has built up core competencies within its business to serve this segment. There are currently a number of issues facing Shoprite's core market, and as a result the company is diversifying its income streams to be less dependant on a vulnerable target market. . The visionary leadership of Raymond Ackerman, who applied principles of customer sovereignty long before his peers, has resulted in one of the best-run companies in South Africa. Pick 'n Pay's ability lies within the middle to upper segment of the market. The company has built its business on one core element - the customer, and has adapted the company business design to meet the needs of the customer and capture value . .Spars' philosophy of giving the small retailer the power to compete with the larger retailer, who buys in bulk, has proved to be a successful formula and is threatening the traditional hierarchy. Owners who are in close contact to customers have the flexibility to align their businesses with the customer requirements. 'Woolworths has one of the strongest brands in the South African retail industry. However, the company has in recent years been in serious trouble having lost its way because it lost touch with its customers. Concentrating back on the core customers and building back confidence in its goods, have taken considerable focus. Each of the business designs are built on a deep understanding of what the customer needs are of the target market they serve and how they will be allowed to make a profit. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Een van die grootste knelpunte vir organisasies vandag is volhoubare besigheidsbestuur. Die uitdaging is om in die area te bly waar die organisasie toegelaat sal word om hoë wins te maak. Voortgesette winsgewendheid in 'n industrie waar die wins area veskuif as gevolg van mededingers wat oplossings naboots, vereis voortdurende vernuwing en strawwe finansiële verpligtinge. Die sleutel is om duidelike en rasionele besigheidsontwerpbesluite te neem wat kliente behoeftes aanspreek en wat na 'n wins sal lei. Hierdie dokument beskryf hoe die vier groot voedselhandelaars en hulle leiers hul besighede herontwerp het sodat hulle winsgewend kan bly. Shoprite se teiken mark is die middel - tot lae inkomste groep. Die firma het kern bevoegdhede binne sy besigheid ontwikkel om hierdie segment te bedien. Shoprite diversifeer huidiglik sy inkomste stroom as gevolg van die kwesbaarheid van sy teiken mark. Pick 'n Pay word as een van Suid Afrika se beste bestuurde firmas beskou. Die sukses word toegeskryf aan die leierskap van Raymond Ackerman wat die beginsels van kliënte soewereiniteit lank voor sy portuurgroep geïmplimenteer het. Pick 'n Pay se fokus is die middel - tot hoë inkomste groep. Die firma is op een kern element gebou, die kliënt, en sy besigheids ontwerp is aangepas om die behoeftes van die kliënt te bevredig. Spar se filosofie is om die kleiner handelaar in 'n posisie te stel om met die groot handelaar, wat in grootrnaat aankoop, te kan meeding. Die groei wat Spar toon bedreig die traditionele hiërargie en bewys die sukses van hierdie formule. Winkel eienaars wat noue kontak met kliënte het, kan hulle besighede aanpas om in kliënte se behoeftes te voorsien. Woolworths het een van die sterkste handelsmerke in die Suid Afrikaanse handels industrie. Die firma was in die laaste paar jaar in groot moeilikheid omdat hy tred verloor het met sy kliënte. Deur weer te konsentreer op die kern kliënt en om vertroue op te bou in sy goedere het beduidende fokus vereis. Elk van die besigheids ontwerpe is gebou op 'n intieme begrip van die behoeftes van die teiken mark wat bedien word en hoe die firma toegelaat sal word om 'n wins te maak.

Flera rapporter visar på att hälsofrämjande insatser inom organisationer kan leda till positiva resultat på hälsa, effektivitet och kvalitet. Arbetsgivare ses som centrala aktörer i att förebygga hälsa genom hälsofrämjande åtgärder. Tidigare studier har pekat på att åtgärderna bör innefatta såväl individen som organisationen samt att både medarbetare och ledare måste vara delaktiga. Därmed är det aktuellt att undersöka vilka förutsättningar som är viktiga för att uppnå en hälsofrämjande arbetsplats. Syftet med studien var att bidra med kunskap om hur den hälsofrämjande arbetsplatsen uppfattas och fungerar, både utifrån medarbetare och ledares perspektiv. På så sätt avsåg studien bidra till organisationer som vill arbeta för att skapa effektiva och hållbara arbetsplatser. En kvalitativ fallstudie har genomförts där semistrukturerade intervjuer har utförts för att samla in empirisk data om deltagarnas uppfattningar. Dessutom har viss sekundärdata samlats in i form av information om den studerade organisationen. Vidare har en litteratursökning genomförts för att undersöka tidigare forskning inom ämnesområdet. Där framkom att en investering i en hälsofrämjande arbetsplats skapar förutsättningar för ökad produktivitet och effektivitet. Tidigare forskning har även fokuserat mycket på ledarskapet då det anses vara en viktig faktor. Resultatet av denna studie visade på att den hälsofrämjande arbetsplatsen handlar om många olika delar inom både hälsa och arbetsmiljö. Både medarbetarna och ledarna menade att insatserna gynnade både individen och organisationen på flera nivåer. Att integrera det hälsofrämjande arbetet i organisationens befintliga system ansågs som en viktig faktor. Vidare poängterades att tid, resurser, positivt ledarskap samt delaktighet från hela organisationen var de viktigaste förutsättningarna för att uppnå en hälsofrämjande arbetsplats. Studiens resultat analyserades och visade på att en investering i humankapital i form av hälsofrämjande åtgärder skapar förutsättningar för en positiv resultatkedja inom organisationen, vilken slutligen bör resultera i en effektiv och hållbar arbetsplats. Vidare analyserades att ledarna har en viktig roll i att förebygga riskfaktorer och främja friskfaktorer, vilket också Arbetsmiljöverket tydliggjort i och med den nya föreskriften om organisatorisk och social arbetsmiljö. / Several reports show that health promotion efforts within organizations can lead to positive results in health, efficiency and quality. Employers are seen as key players in the prevention of health through health promotion. Previous research has indicated that the activities should include both the individuals and the organization, and both employees and managers need to be involved. This shows that it is relevant to examine which conditions that are essential to achieve a workplace health promotion. The purpose of the study was to contribute to the knowledge about how the workplace health promotion is perceived and how it works, both from employees and leaders' perspective. Thereby, the study aimed to contribute to organizations that want to create effective and sustainable workplaces. A qualitative case study was conducted and semi-structured interviews were carried out to collect empirical data on participants' perceptions. Additionally, some secondary data was collected in the form of information about the studied organization. Furthermore, a literature research was conducted to examine previous research in the field. It showed that an investment in a workplace health promotion creates conditions for increased productivity and efficiency. Previous research has also focused a lot on leadership as it is considered as an important factor. The results of this study showed that workplace health promotion involves many different elements within both health and working environment. Both the employees and the leaders argued that efforts benefited both the individual and the organization on several levels. Integrating the workplace health promotion in the organization's existing systems was considered an important factor. It was further argued that time, resources, positive leadership and involvement of the whole organization was the most important conditions for achieving a workplace health promotion. The study's results were analyzed and showed that an investment in human capital in the form of health promotion creates the conditions for a positive chain of results within the organization, which in the end finally should result in an effective and sustainable workplace. Further analysis showed that the leaders have an important role in preventing risk factors and promoting health factors, which the Swedish Work Environment Authority also made clear in the new provisions about organizational and social work environment.

Le phénomène d'incertitude, dont les sources sont variées, est rencontré dans plusieurs domaines et on devrait y faire face. Cette incertitude est due essentiellement à notre incapacité à prédire avec exactitude le comportement futur d'une partie ou de la totalité d'un système. Dans les dernières décades, plusieurs techniques mathématiques ont été développées pour maitriser cette incertitude, afin de réduire son impact négatif, et par conséquent, l'impact négatif de notre méconnaissance. <br />Dans le domaine du « Supply Chain Management » la source principale d'incertitude est la demande future. Cette demande est, en général, modélisé par des lois de probabilité paramétrées en utilisant des techniques de prévision. L'impact de l'incertitude de la demande sur les performances de la « Supply Chain » est important: par exemple, le taux mondial de rupture de stock, dans l'industrie de distribution était en 2007 de 8.3%. De l'autre côté, le taux mondial de produits invendus, dans la grande distribution, était en 2003 de 1%. Ces deux types de coûts, qui sont dus essentiellement à l'incertitude de la demande, représentent des pertes significatives pour les différents acteurs de la « Supply Chain ».<br />Dans cette thèse, on s'intéresse au développement de modèles mathématiques de planification de production et de gestion de stock, qui prennent en compte ce phénomène d'incertitude sur la demande, essentiellement pour de produits à courte durée de vie. On propose plusieurs modèles de planification de production, à petit horizon de planification, qui prennent en compte les différents aspects de notre problématique, tels que les capacités de production, la remise à jour des prévisions de la demande, les options de réservation de capacité, et les options de retour « Payback » des produits. On souligne, dans ces modèles, un aspect important qui prend de l'ampleur à cause de la mondialisation, et qui est lié à la différence entre les coûts de production des différents fournisseurs. On propose à la fin de la thèse, un modèle généralisé qui pourrait être appliqué à des produits à longue durée de vie, et qui exploite quelques résultats obtenus pour les produits à courte durée de vie. Tous ces modèles sont résolus analytiquement ou bien numériquement en utilisant la programmation dynamique stochastique.