The current trend in project management is the ability to use the talent of project manager without the need to hold the position long term in the organization. In analogy to model anything as a service the concept of project management as a service was created. Since this concept is relatively new the definition is not yet formally introduced in specialized methodologies standards and norms. Mentions of Project Management as a Service are mainly in analytical articles, interviews and trends of expert web portals and magazines. The objective of this work is to introduce the topic of project management including related terms and identify possible definition of Project Management as a Service. Another objective is to define project management services, which can be converted into a model Project Management as a Service. Constructed theoretical definitions and designed services are presented to respondents engaged in project management in multiproject environment of large companies in the practical part of work. The semi-structured interviews with the aim of validation of the accuracy and suitability of these theories are conducted subsequently.

This study is a qualitative review to identify factors impacting on the management and provision of student development and support in higher education in a developing country. For the purpose of the study student development and support includes all developmental and supportive services and interventions for students within an institution of higher learning, regardless of the current structuring of the functions. The study first contextualises the scenario of a developing country in terms of the socioeconomic, political, higher education, labour and other factors that set the scene for student development and support and then continues with a systematic exposition of factors that have direct relevance and impact on the future of student development and support. A systematic investigation in the higher education sector by means of interviews with national policy makers, institutional and unit managers as well as focus groups with practitioners make it possible to identify factors that have direct relevance and impact on the future management and provision of student development and support. The result of the study is a construction of the specific factors identified on the macro/international, meso/national and micro/institutional levels as well as the intricate relationships between the various factors. This research provides a potential framework for future management and provision of strategic focus areas for student development and support functions within higher education in a developing country to ensure that it effectively positions the function within higher educ as a key component of the core business. Copyright / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

The rapid growth of universities in the Least Developing Countries (LDCs) is aimed at enhancing access to tertiary education, which has resulted in a sharp increase in the enrolment rate. However, the quantitative increase has been marred with a correspondingly continuous decline in the quality of education. This is attributed to a wide range of limiting factors mainly classified as institutional problems. Some of these problems include a shortage of resources, limited skills and incompetent human capital, lack of ICT infrastructure, and the ineffective use of existing ICT resources. These problems and others have adversely affected how national education and research network can improve research output and quality of education. In this study, a survey, in the form of an exploratory quantitative research design is used. A descriptive non-experimental quantitative approach was also chosen, and a questionnaire was administered to approximately one hundred and seventy-two (172) participants drawn from twenty-nine (29) Ethiopian Public Universities. The results of the analysis show that the study variables namely NREN service for education, EthERNet, electronic device and research output have a significant and positive impact on the Quality of Education (QE) to differing degrees. Also, the study variables such as NREN service for research, high-performance computing, and remote computing facilities indicated that they had a significant and positive impact on Research Output (RO) to differing degrees. The study explored the impact of EthERNet in improving the quality of education and research output by examining the existing network infrastructure and NREN services. The study employed the use of the Actor-Network Theory (ANT) to assess the existing network infrastructure and NREN services to determine that a reliable network can improve the quality of education and research output. Besides, Structural Equation Model (SEM) was used to identify the positive and negative factors that impact on the roles, relationships, and formation of quality of education and research output. Furthermore, a three-step design science approach was applied to propose and justify the theoretical framework, which is used as a base to develop a service portfolio and roadmap conceived to design the required NREN service for EthERNet. This research contributed to the body of knowledge by finding the missing link between the quality of education and research outputs. From a theoretical perspective, the research contributed a theoretical framework by developing the construct and their measures that can be used in assessing the adoption and usage of technology. Furthermore, the study contributes to the literature by demonstrating an analytical process which could be used as a guide for future NREN service requirement to improve the quality of education and research output with the existing findings being used as a reference point. / School of Computing / Ph. D. (Computer Science)

Der Zusammenhang zwischen Dienstleistung und dem zu ihrer Erbringung notwendigen Verkehr stellte in den vergangenen Jahren ein nur wenig diskutiertes und analysiertes Themenfeld dar. Als Teilelement des Wirtschaftsverkehrs, also jener Verkehre, die sich aus den produzierenden, handelnden und dienstleistenden Aktivitäten in einem Raum ergeben und in Ausübung des Berufs und zur Erbringung erwerbswirtschaftlicher Tätigkeiten durchgeführt werden, stellen Verkehre im Kontext der Dienstleistungserstellung eine bedeutende Größe hinsichtlich Verkehrsaufkommen und -leistung dar. Dieser Personenwirtschaftsverkehr, welcher die unterschiedlichen Aspekte des durch Dienstleistungen verursachten Verkehrs zusammengefasst und erklärt, bildet den thematischen Schwerpunkt der vorliegenden Arbeit. Abgeleitet aus den generellen Eigenschaften und Merkmalen von Dienstleistungen wird in der Arbeit theoretisch dargelegt, welche grundlegenden verkehrlichen Schlussfolgerungen aus der notwendigen Interaktion zwischen dem Erbringer einer Dienstleistung und dem Kunden resultieren. Aufbauend auf dem umfangreichen Datensatz des Forschungsprojekts „Dienstleistungsverkehr in industriellen Wertschöpfungsprozessen“ werden inner- und zwischenbetrieblich erbrachte Dienstleistungen, die jeweils zum Einsatz kommende Form der Interaktion und der resultierende Personenwirtschaftsverkehr analysiert. Damit ist es mit den Ergebnissen der Arbeit möglich, Betrieben unterschiedlicher Branchen und Größenklassen nicht nur ein Portfolio an Dienstleistungen zuzuweisen, sondern darüber hinaus diese Dienstleistungen auch hinsichtlich der verkehrlichen Kennwerte zu differenzieren. Die Analysen stellen u. a. sektoral differenzierte Modal Split Werte für betriebliche Wege bereit. Auf dieser Grundlage können insbesondere für Städte und Metropolregionen neue Ansatzpunkt für Maßnahmen und Strategien zur verträglichen Gestaltung des Personenwirtschaftsverkehrs abgeleitet werden. Hier anzusetzen und die bestehenden Potenziale zukünftig zu realisieren, kann einen entscheidenden Beitrag zur Erhaltung der Qualität insbesondere städtischer Verkehrssysteme darstellen. / The interconnection between services and the required transport processes to provide these services has been a poorly addressed and analysed topic. As an element of commercial transport, therefore the traffic generated by professional or business activities, service related transport represents a significant amount of traffic and traffic volume. Service traffic, which refers to the German “Personenwirtschaftsverkehr”, serves as a main category that combines possible characteristics of service related transport. This service traffic is the thematic focus of the presented study. Derived from general qualities and characteristics of services, the study theoretically describes which conclusions for transport processes can be drawn from the interaction between the provider of a service and the customer during the production process and which are necessary. Based on extensive empirical datasets gathered within the research project “Service Traffic” the study covers questions about services internally produced and acquired from external sources just like the specific patterns of interaction during the service production process. With the study’s findings it will become possible to assign a specific service portfolio to companies, independent of economic section or company size. Furthermore a distinction in terms of characteristic transport related values for these services is possible. The results of the analyses provide, inter alia, the modal split for business activities differentiated by economic sectors. Upon this, cities and metropolitan regions may identify new approaches for measures and coherent strategies for an economical and ecologically sound organization of service traffic. To realize these existing optimization potentials in future will hopefully make a decisive contribution to maintain the high quality of urban transport infrastructure.

This study aims to identify business opportunities created by digitalization. The purpose is to evaluate how these opportunities could be utilized, by identifying areas of improvements in the service portfolio. This study is a qualitative case study with an abductive approach, mainly using semi-structured interviews to collect data. The case study was conducted at ABB Industrial Automation Services, where the new Collaborative Operations Center was studied. The data was analyzed from a systems thinking perspective, using a Rich Business Framing sessions as an evaluation platform. The results illustrate how difficult the transition towards a more digitalized industry is. This stems from how different customers have reached different levels of automation in their plants. Therefore, the service portfolio must be flexible and agile, in order to cater to the different customer segments. This case study identified three customer segments, one focusing on internal activities, while the other two consist of customers that have reached different levels of maturity within digitalization. Different value potentials were identified, leading to a proposal of a service portfolio. The systems thinking approach was then evaluated, leading to the conclusion that it is a useful tool, but a time-consuming process. / Denna studie går ut på att identifiera affärsmöjligheter skapade av digitalisering. Syftet är att utvärdera hur dessa möjligheter kan utnyttjas, genom att identifiera förbättringsområden i serviceportföljen. Denna studie är en kvalitativ fallstudie med en abduktiv karaktär, där huvudsakligen semistrukturerade intervjuer användes för att samla data. Fallstudien genomfördes på ABB Industrial Automation Services, där det nya Collaborative Operations Center studerades. Den samlade informationen analyserades från ett systemtänk perspektiv, där en Rich Business Framing session användes som utvärderingsverktyg. Resultatet illustrerar hur svår övergången mot en mer digitaliserad industri är. Denna svårighet har sin grund i hur olika kunder har nått olika nivåer av automationsgrad i deras anläggningar. Detta leder till att serviceportföljen måste uppfylla vissa krav, som att vara flexibel och anpassningsbar, för att nå de olika kundsegmenten. Denna fallstudie identifierade tre kundsegment, där en fokuserar på interna aktiviteter och de andra två består av kunder som kommit olika långt inom digitalisering. Olika värdepotentialer har identifierats, vilket ledde till ett förslag av en serviceportfölj. Systemtänk synsättet har sedan utvärderats, vilket resulterade i slutsatsen att det är ett användbart verktyg, även om processen är tidskrävande.