This study investigates the impact of consumer sophistication on emerging market firms’ ability to innovate. Three constructs, namely, innovation capabilities, sources of information and strategies, were identified as critical factors in the innovation process. By leveraging off these factors emerging market firms may gain sustainable competitive advantages in a highly competitive environment. The context of the study was South African based software development firms competing in more developed markets (wealthier), less developed markets (poorer) and domestic markets only (middle income). Data collection took place via telephonic survey. It was found that the size of the firm as measured by the number of employees is related to the consumer sophistication. Firms in less developed markets tend to be significantly larger than firms in more developed markets and the domestic market. Suppliers and clients as sources of information that impact the firms’ innovation development were found to be statistically significant. Firms in the more developed markets made considerable use of international clients for innovation ideas whereas firms in the domestic market leveraged ideas off local suppliers. The firms’ resource strategy was found to be significantly different across the three groups. Domestic market firms considered themselves ahead of the industry compared to less developed markets who considered themselves average with regard to having the latest equipment. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Studiens syfte var att undersöka om inre motivation hos projektmedlemmar inomIT/mjukvarubranchen kan predicera upplevd arbetstillfredsställelse. Därför sågenomfördes en kvantitativ enkätstudie som skickades ut till respondenter inomstudiens valda urvalsgrupp. Det som undersöktes var inre motivation baserat på detre behovsområdena inom självbestämmandeteorin. Det resulterade i att studiensoberoende variabler blev självbestämmande, kompetens och tillhörighet och hur dekan predicera arbetstillfredsställelse. Insamlad data från 84 respondenteranalyserades genom en multipel regression. Där visade sig att i modellen så kundeoberoende variablerna med statistisk signifikans predicera 69% av variansen i denberoende variabeln. Den oberoende variabeln som visade sig ha störst uniktsignifikant predicerande förmåga var självbestämmande. Studien visar att deanalyserade oberoende variablerna har en stark förmåga att prediceraarbetstillfredsställelse. / The aim of the study was to examine whether intrinsic motivation among projectmembers in the IT/software industry can predict perceived job satisfaction.Therefore, a quantitative questionnaire study was conducted and sent out torespondents within the study's selected sample group. What was examined wasintrinsic motivation based on the three psychological need areas in the selfdetermination theory. This resulted in the study's independent variables beingautonomy, competence and belonging and how they can predict job satisfaction. Collected data from 84 respondents was analysed through a multiple regression. This showed that in the model, the independent variables could predict 69% of thevariance in the dependent variable with statistical significance. The independentvariable that proved to have the greatest uniquely significant predictive power wasautonomy. The study shows that the analysed independent variables have a strongability to predict job satisfaction.

Este trabalho procurou unir dois temas que, embora sejam muito relevantes, parecem trilhar caminhos independentes na administração: a avaliação de desempenho organizacional e as empresas brasileiras de desenvolvimento de software. Se, por um lado, a avaliação de desempenho organizacional pretende fornecer ferramentas e processos que auxiliem os gestores na condução de seus negócios, por outro lado, o desenvolvimento de software é tido como um setor que gera empregos de alta qualificação e que exporta um produto ou serviço com margens reais bem mais altas que aquelas registradas pela pauta tradicional de exportação. Nesse cenário, uma pesquisa de interesse é entender como é que as empresas brasileiras de desenvolvimento de software fazem avaliação de desempenho organizacional. Para cumprir com os objetivos deste trabalho exploratório, foi utilizada uma abordagem tanto qualitativa (dois estudos de caso) quanto quantitativa (16 respondentes de survey). Como resultados preliminares, há indicação de que existe um processo de amadurecimento da avaliação de desempenho das empresas de desenvolvimento de software e esse amadurecimento inclui a diminuição da importância atribuída ao curtíssimo prazo e o aumento da importância do médio e longo prazos. Estágios mais avançados desse amadurecimento devem incluir níveis cada vez maiores de sistematização das práticas de avaliação de desempenho e também devem privilegiar determinadas dimensões de avaliação. Em relação à percepção e à prática, também como resultados preliminares, percebe-se que as empresas não consideram importante preocuparem-se com as dimensões sociais e de meio-ambiente e não acreditam que eles gerem impactos positivos nos indicadores financeiros e, talvez, por esse motivo, as práticas são pouco maduras. Por fim, e talvez o resultado preliminar mais importante (até surpreendente), as empresas consideram que ter inovação e pessoas motivadas e desenvolvidas tecnicamente são as dimensões mais importantes e as que geram mais impactos positivos nos indicadores financeiros, mas elas não sabem ou não conseguem implementar indicadores para mensurá-las adequadamente. / This study has tried to bind two subjects of utmost importance but that seems to have independent pathways in Management: organizational performance measurement and Brazilian software development companies. On the one hand, organizational performance measurement intends to offer tools and processes so that managers can improve the way they run their businesses; on the other hand, the software development industry generates highly qualified jobs and exports goods and services with higher margins when compared to the Brazilian traditional export basket. As a result, a research of interest should ask how Brazilian software development companies are conducting organizational performance measurement. In order to comply with the goals of this exploratory study, both qualitative (two study cases) and quantitative (16 respondents of a survey) approaches were applied. Preliminary findings show that evidences lead to the existence of a performance measurement maturation process that software development companies undergo. According to this maturation process, companies shift their focus from the short term to the medium and long terms. More matured companies may experience a growing performance measurement systematization, even if it is non-declared at the beginning, and they should also privilege certain measurement perspectives. Regarding perception and practice, preliminary results show that companies do not perceive social and environmental perspectives as important, and they believe these perspectives do not have positive impacts on financial indicators. Consequently, practices related to these perspectives are not matured. Finally, the most important-even surprising-preliminary findings show companies believe that producing innovation and having motivated and well-trained employees are the most important perspectives to their businesses and they have positive impacts on financial indicators. Nevertheless, they do not know or they are unable to adequately implement performance measurement indicators of these perspectives.

Este trabalho procurou unir dois temas que, embora sejam muito relevantes, parecem trilhar caminhos independentes na administração: a avaliação de desempenho organizacional e as empresas brasileiras de desenvolvimento de software. Se, por um lado, a avaliação de desempenho organizacional pretende fornecer ferramentas e processos que auxiliem os gestores na condução de seus negócios, por outro lado, o desenvolvimento de software é tido como um setor que gera empregos de alta qualificação e que exporta um produto ou serviço com margens reais bem mais altas que aquelas registradas pela pauta tradicional de exportação. Nesse cenário, uma pesquisa de interesse é entender como é que as empresas brasileiras de desenvolvimento de software fazem avaliação de desempenho organizacional. Para cumprir com os objetivos deste trabalho exploratório, foi utilizada uma abordagem tanto qualitativa (dois estudos de caso) quanto quantitativa (16 respondentes de survey). Como resultados preliminares, há indicação de que existe um processo de amadurecimento da avaliação de desempenho das empresas de desenvolvimento de software e esse amadurecimento inclui a diminuição da importância atribuída ao curtíssimo prazo e o aumento da importância do médio e longo prazos. Estágios mais avançados desse amadurecimento devem incluir níveis cada vez maiores de sistematização das práticas de avaliação de desempenho e também devem privilegiar determinadas dimensões de avaliação. Em relação à percepção e à prática, também como resultados preliminares, percebe-se que as empresas não consideram importante preocuparem-se com as dimensões sociais e de meio-ambiente e não acreditam que eles gerem impactos positivos nos indicadores financeiros e, talvez, por esse motivo, as práticas são pouco maduras. Por fim, e talvez o resultado preliminar mais importante (até surpreendente), as empresas consideram que ter inovação e pessoas motivadas e desenvolvidas tecnicamente são as dimensões mais importantes e as que geram mais impactos positivos nos indicadores financeiros, mas elas não sabem ou não conseguem implementar indicadores para mensurá-las adequadamente. / This study has tried to bind two subjects of utmost importance but that seems to have independent pathways in Management: organizational performance measurement and Brazilian software development companies. On the one hand, organizational performance measurement intends to offer tools and processes so that managers can improve the way they run their businesses; on the other hand, the software development industry generates highly qualified jobs and exports goods and services with higher margins when compared to the Brazilian traditional export basket. As a result, a research of interest should ask how Brazilian software development companies are conducting organizational performance measurement. In order to comply with the goals of this exploratory study, both qualitative (two study cases) and quantitative (16 respondents of a survey) approaches were applied. Preliminary findings show that evidences lead to the existence of a performance measurement maturation process that software development companies undergo. According to this maturation process, companies shift their focus from the short term to the medium and long terms. More matured companies may experience a growing performance measurement systematization, even if it is non-declared at the beginning, and they should also privilege certain measurement perspectives. Regarding perception and practice, preliminary results show that companies do not perceive social and environmental perspectives as important, and they believe these perspectives do not have positive impacts on financial indicators. Consequently, practices related to these perspectives are not matured. Finally, the most important-even surprising-preliminary findings show companies believe that producing innovation and having motivated and well-trained employees are the most important perspectives to their businesses and they have positive impacts on financial indicators. Nevertheless, they do not know or they are unable to adequately implement performance measurement indicators of these perspectives.

This research study makes a comparison of solo programming, pair programming, and mob programming on collaboration, knowledge sharing, stress levels, productivity, and efficiency. The study draws insights from the analysis of data from other research papers and articles, and an experiment, which was conducted simulating a real life developing environment for each programming approach. The findings reveal that pair and mob programming are more effective in promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing than solo programming, with the latter having an edge over the former. Mob programming stands out in terms of teamwork, problem-solving, and celebrating team achievements. In contrast, solo programming is characterized by low levels of active participation and collaborative problem-solving. While solo programmers may also exchange knowledge, pair and mob programming are better suited for fostering knowledge sharing. Regarding stress, the experiment shows that solo programmers feel more stressed by accumulating difficulties. Mob programmers experience stress in task management, while pair programmers report lower stress levels. Productivity and efficiency vary across programming practices, with mob programming displaying high quality and efficiency and solo programming achieving higher scores but with lower efficiency. These findings underscore the significance of taking into account task nature, desired outcomes, and team dynamics in selecting programming practices. Additional research is imperative to explore the lasting implications, effectiveness in diverse environments, and impact on productivity and wellbeing in the technology domain.

The aim of this diploma thesis is to analyse the advantages and disadvantages of different types of description of cyberphysical systems. It also concerns a description of the selected method that meets most of the current requirements for CPS design. In the practical part, attention is paid to the elaboration of an example for the specification of a selected cyberphysical system.