Title: Digital business strategy - The driver for change in internal and external business environment Authors: Sumera Magsi and Sarah Shaaban Advisor: Andrea Fried Master thesis, 30 credits Background:The effects resulting from a more intense use of digital technologies in companies is visible in the integration between business and IT strategies which creates an urge for digital business strategies to emerge. Thesis aim: The aim is to investigate the current state of digital business strategies which includes highlighting benefits and challenges. By doing that we also are aiming towards answering, in what way ITBA can be questioned due to DBS. Methodology: A qualitative research based on a multiple case study by conducting semi- structured interviews. All the selected case companies are using digital business strategies as a part of their internal and external business environment (IEBE). The respondents have a role in the chosen case companies of being responsible for the implementation and use of strategies, digital business strategies and digital technologies. Findings: This study identifies that their exits a linkage between business strategy and ITBA. The main finding about the current state of DBS involves both internal and external DBS activities. Further findings show that benefit of digital business strategy to be the opportunity to levering costumers and challenges to be connected to the different IT maturity levels of the employees. The way that digital business strategy can question ITBA is based on that it is the driver for change for the case companies.

Na região de Puno-Peru, existe suficiente recurso hídrico para a criação de trutas arco-íris, mas apesar do potencial não há suficiente exploração da atividade. Existem produtores agrupados dedicados empiricamente, que vêm desenvolvendo a indústria pesqueira, e para isso algumas estratégias industriais são adotadas pelos criadores, para viabilizar sustentabilidade. As estratégias industriais revisadas foram competitivas e cooperativas, de integração horizontal, de integração vertical, supply chain e economia de custos de transação. O método utilizado para desenvolver a pesquisa foi o exploratório, através do estudo de caso, envolvendo quatro empresas pertencentes a quatro agrupamentos, um de cada. Neste estudo constatou-se que os agrupamentos estão conformados por micro e pequenas empresas na sua maioria, cuja rentabilidade não é satisfatória, devido à falta de economias de escala e a escasso recurso financeiro, principalmente. Há relacionamento de parceria formal entre o produtor e o cliente atacadista nas áreas econômica, controle de qualidade e marketing, sob estrito parâmetro de responsabilidade; não há parceria formal com fornecedores de insumos, apenas relações comerciais guiadas pela cultura de responsabilidade e confiança entre os membros deste estágio. Quanto às estratégias competitivas e cooperativas, há como destaque diferenciação na pigmentação da carne e responsividade no atendimento ao cliente, sendo o mercado foco o intermediário regional e empresa exportadora. Ressalta-se a coordenação de atividades de compra e venda conjunta, ajuda mútua e empréstimos entre participantes dos agrupamentos. Foi identificado também apoio efetivo por uma organização não governamental, no processo de criação de peixes, porém falta incentivo por parte das instituições públicas. As informações coletadas permitiram contextualizar a estrutura industrial da truta nessa região. Finalmente, se propõe um modelo de estratégias de organização industrial baseado no relacionamento de agrupamentos de micro e pequenas empresas, como resultado das melhores estratégias utilizadas. Conclui-se que devem ser priorizados: relacionamentos horizontais entre os produtores, sob a filosofia de cooperação e competitividade, relacionamentos verticais com o fornecedor e cliente, em qualidade de parceiros, relacionamento com instituições públicas e privadas, como estratégias de suporte. / In the region of Puno-Peru, sufficient exists water resource for the creation of trouts rainbow, but although the potential does not have sufficient exploration of the activity. They exist empirically producing grouped dedicated, that they come developing the fishing industry, and for this some industrial strategies are adopted by the creators, to make possible support. The revised industrial strategies had been competitive and cooperative, of horizontal integration, of vertical integration, supply chain and economy of transaction costs. The used method to develop the research was the exploratory, through the case study, involving four pertaining companies four groupings, one of each. In this study it was evidenced mainly that the groupings are conformed by micron and small companies in its majority, whose yield is not satisfactory, due to lack of scale economies and the scarce financial resource. It has relationship of formal partnership between the producer and the wholesale customer in the areas economic, quality control and marketing, under strict parameter of responsibility; it does not have formal partnership with suppliers of inputs, only commercial relations guided by the responsibility culture and confidence enters the members of this period of training. How much to the competitive and cooperative strategies, it has as it has detached differentiation in the pigmentation of the meat and responsiveness in the attendance to the customer, having been the market focus the regional intermediary and exporting company. It is standed out coordination of activities of purchase and joint sales, mutual aid and loans between participants of the groupings. Effective support for a not governmental organization was also identified, in the process of creation of fish; however it lacks incentive on the part of the public institutions. As informações coletadas permitiram contextualizar a estrutura industrial da truta nessa região. Finally, if it considers a model of strategies of industrial organization based in the relationship of micron groupings and small companies, as resulted of the best used strategies. One concludes that they must be prioritized: horizontal relationships between the producers, under the philosophy of cooperation and vertical competitiveness, relationships with the supplier and customer, in quality of partners, relationship with public and private institutions, as support strategies.

Uma grade de dados (datagrid) é um ambiente computacional distribuído destinado a agregar e compartilhar recursos de armazenamento que estão geograficamente separados. As grades de dados provêm infra-estrutura e serviços para descoberta, transferência, manipulação e gerenciamento de grandes quantidades de dados armazenados em repositórios distribuídos. As grades de dados possuem características em comum com redes peer-to-peer, bancos de dados distribuídos e redes de distribuição de conteúdo (CDN). Muitas das políticas de replicação, substituição e busca utilizadas nestas redes são comuns com as de grades de dados. O foco deste trabalho é estudar a influência das políticas (replicação, substituição e busca), topologias de rede e interação entre políticas no desempenho para armazenamento, busca de arquivos, sobrevivência de réplicas e tráfego de rede. O estudo também considera as interações das diversas políticas com estrutura topológicas da rede e falhas em nós. A metodologia adotada para realizar avaliações no trabalho foi a simulação. Com o simulador foi possível concentrar os estudos nas relações entre as políticas e topologias de rede, evitando complexidade de uma grade como heterogeneidade de recursos. Nos resultados foram encontrados efeitos importantes de características topológicas em redes e sua interação com políticas utilizadas no desempenho da grade. / A datagrid is an distributed computing environment designed to aggregate and share storage resources that are geographically distant. Datagrids provides infrastructure and services for discovery, transfer, handling and managing large amounts of data stored in distributed repositories. The datagrids share characteristics with peer-to-peer networks, distributed databases and content distribution networks (CDN). Many of the replication, placement and search policies used in these networks are common with datagrids. The focus of this work is to study the influence of policies (replication, placement and search), network topologies and their interaction on the performance for storage, file searching, replica survival and network traffic. This research also considers the interactions of various policies with topologies of networks under node failures. The methodology adopted to carry out the evaluation in this work is the use of simulation. With a simulator it is possible to concentrate studies on the relationships between policies and network topologies, avoiding the complexity of a grid with heterogeneous resources. Results show significant effects on grid performance of topological features of the networks and its interaction with policies.

This small scale action research explored the use of guided written reflection as a means to assist learners to gain self-awareness of their social and affective strategic behaviours during classroom speaking tasks, to improve collaboration, and to increase oral output. Four research questions addressed: (1) the social and affective strategies learners use to complete classroom speaking tasks, (2) the changes in social and affective strategies that learners demonstrate in written reflections over four weeks, (3) whether there is a difference in the amount of oral output produced by the experimental group (EG) and the comparison group (CG), and (4) the EG group members’ perceptions of the reflection process. Two groups of English as an additional language (EAL) learners completed eight dyadic classroom speaking tasks. Immediately after completing each task, five EG participants responded in writing to questions in a reflection journal addressing emotions, vocabulary, interactions with interlocutors, and strategic goals; the six CG participants were not provided with the same opportunity to reflect. In the EG, over four weeks, the strategy justifying performance decreased, while complimenting increased. Although EG participants’ oral production did not increase, part E of Oxford’s (1989) SILL showed a significant increase in I encourage myself to speak. Of fourteen participants who completed a final anonymous questionnaire, 64% felt that the reflection process helped them to speak more, and 93% felt that it helped them to work effectively with their classmates. / Graduate / 290 / 525 / 633

It is desirable that language learners develop their strategic competence, which allows them to communicate the intended meaning when facing breakdowns in communication. One of the manifestations of strategic competence is the use of communication strategies. The present thesis aims to observe the use of communication strategies by Czech learners of English. It focuses on the types of communication strategies used in learner language and on the relationship between their use and proficiency, fluency and task types. The data were extracted from 14 transcripts of interviews with students of English philology recorded for the purposes of the multinational learner corpus of advanced spoken English LINDSEI (2010). The proficiency of the recorded subjects ranged from B2- to C2. 319 instances of communication strategies extracted from the transcripts were categorized on the basis of an adapted taxonomy, forming two main categories: compensatory strategies (55 instances), which compensate the lack of linguistic resources, and indirect strategies (264 instances), which enhance the effectiveness of communication and keep the channel of communication open. Compensatory strategies were further divided into analytic (36), holistic (3), linguistic (6) and cooperative strategies (10). Analytic strategies were the...

Uma grade de dados (datagrid) é um ambiente computacional distribuído destinado a agregar e compartilhar recursos de armazenamento que estão geograficamente separados. As grades de dados provêm infra-estrutura e serviços para descoberta, transferência, manipulação e gerenciamento de grandes quantidades de dados armazenados em repositórios distribuídos. As grades de dados possuem características em comum com redes peer-to-peer, bancos de dados distribuídos e redes de distribuição de conteúdo (CDN). Muitas das políticas de replicação, substituição e busca utilizadas nestas redes são comuns com as de grades de dados. O foco deste trabalho é estudar a influência das políticas (replicação, substituição e busca), topologias de rede e interação entre políticas no desempenho para armazenamento, busca de arquivos, sobrevivência de réplicas e tráfego de rede. O estudo também considera as interações das diversas políticas com estrutura topológicas da rede e falhas em nós. A metodologia adotada para realizar avaliações no trabalho foi a simulação. Com o simulador foi possível concentrar os estudos nas relações entre as políticas e topologias de rede, evitando complexidade de uma grade como heterogeneidade de recursos. Nos resultados foram encontrados efeitos importantes de características topológicas em redes e sua interação com políticas utilizadas no desempenho da grade. / A datagrid is an distributed computing environment designed to aggregate and share storage resources that are geographically distant. Datagrids provides infrastructure and services for discovery, transfer, handling and managing large amounts of data stored in distributed repositories. The datagrids share characteristics with peer-to-peer networks, distributed databases and content distribution networks (CDN). Many of the replication, placement and search policies used in these networks are common with datagrids. The focus of this work is to study the influence of policies (replication, placement and search), network topologies and their interaction on the performance for storage, file searching, replica survival and network traffic. This research also considers the interactions of various policies with topologies of networks under node failures. The methodology adopted to carry out the evaluation in this work is the use of simulation. With a simulator it is possible to concentrate studies on the relationships between policies and network topologies, avoiding the complexity of a grid with heterogeneous resources. Results show significant effects on grid performance of topological features of the networks and its interaction with policies.

Na região de Puno-Peru, existe suficiente recurso hídrico para a criação de trutas arco-íris, mas apesar do potencial não há suficiente exploração da atividade. Existem produtores agrupados dedicados empiricamente, que vêm desenvolvendo a indústria pesqueira, e para isso algumas estratégias industriais são adotadas pelos criadores, para viabilizar sustentabilidade. As estratégias industriais revisadas foram competitivas e cooperativas, de integração horizontal, de integração vertical, supply chain e economia de custos de transação. O método utilizado para desenvolver a pesquisa foi o exploratório, através do estudo de caso, envolvendo quatro empresas pertencentes a quatro agrupamentos, um de cada. Neste estudo constatou-se que os agrupamentos estão conformados por micro e pequenas empresas na sua maioria, cuja rentabilidade não é satisfatória, devido à falta de economias de escala e a escasso recurso financeiro, principalmente. Há relacionamento de parceria formal entre o produtor e o cliente atacadista nas áreas econômica, controle de qualidade e marketing, sob estrito parâmetro de responsabilidade; não há parceria formal com fornecedores de insumos, apenas relações comerciais guiadas pela cultura de responsabilidade e confiança entre os membros deste estágio. Quanto às estratégias competitivas e cooperativas, há como destaque diferenciação na pigmentação da carne e responsividade no atendimento ao cliente, sendo o mercado foco o intermediário regional e empresa exportadora. Ressalta-se a coordenação de atividades de compra e venda conjunta, ajuda mútua e empréstimos entre participantes dos agrupamentos. Foi identificado também apoio efetivo por uma organização não governamental, no processo de criação de peixes, porém falta incentivo por parte das instituições públicas. As informações coletadas permitiram contextualizar a estrutura industrial da truta nessa região. Finalmente, se propõe um modelo de estratégias de organização industrial baseado no relacionamento de agrupamentos de micro e pequenas empresas, como resultado das melhores estratégias utilizadas. Conclui-se que devem ser priorizados: relacionamentos horizontais entre os produtores, sob a filosofia de cooperação e competitividade, relacionamentos verticais com o fornecedor e cliente, em qualidade de parceiros, relacionamento com instituições públicas e privadas, como estratégias de suporte. / In the region of Puno-Peru, sufficient exists water resource for the creation of trouts rainbow, but although the potential does not have sufficient exploration of the activity. They exist empirically producing grouped dedicated, that they come developing the fishing industry, and for this some industrial strategies are adopted by the creators, to make possible support. The revised industrial strategies had been competitive and cooperative, of horizontal integration, of vertical integration, supply chain and economy of transaction costs. The used method to develop the research was the exploratory, through the case study, involving four pertaining companies four groupings, one of each. In this study it was evidenced mainly that the groupings are conformed by micron and small companies in its majority, whose yield is not satisfactory, due to lack of scale economies and the scarce financial resource. It has relationship of formal partnership between the producer and the wholesale customer in the areas economic, quality control and marketing, under strict parameter of responsibility; it does not have formal partnership with suppliers of inputs, only commercial relations guided by the responsibility culture and confidence enters the members of this period of training. How much to the competitive and cooperative strategies, it has as it has detached differentiation in the pigmentation of the meat and responsiveness in the attendance to the customer, having been the market focus the regional intermediary and exporting company. It is standed out coordination of activities of purchase and joint sales, mutual aid and loans between participants of the groupings. Effective support for a not governmental organization was also identified, in the process of creation of fish; however it lacks incentive on the part of the public institutions. As informações coletadas permitiram contextualizar a estrutura industrial da truta nessa região. Finally, if it considers a model of strategies of industrial organization based in the relationship of micron groupings and small companies, as resulted of the best used strategies. One concludes that they must be prioritized: horizontal relationships between the producers, under the philosophy of cooperation and vertical competitiveness, relationships with the supplier and customer, in quality of partners, relationship with public and private institutions, as support strategies.

This study aims to seek answers to what type of motivation strategies serve the development of foreign language learning in an effective way. Motivation is a complex concept and therefore there are no absolute answers to what kind of strategies are preferable, but there are plenty of recommendations and research about motivation. One of the main issues in foreign language learning is students lack of self-confidence, which often leads to motivational issues and loss of interest. In today`s globalized society, knowing a foreign language can lead to new opportunities, both in social and professional life. The teacher has a crucial role in finding ways to reach out to each student and finding a motivational strategy suited for every individual. On the other hand, applying strategies such as for example an ”open class environment”, is more adequate when teaching multiple students at the same occasion. It is important to understand the combined use of different types of motivational strategies, depending on the circumstances, is one of the corner stones in improving the students results.

Background: The study described the perspectives and experiences of women and health care providers with regard to use of postnatal care and reasons why some women do not attend postnatal care in order to identify strategies for improving postnatal care services. Methods: An explorative, descriptive, and contextual research design was used. In step one data was collected with semi-structured interviews with seventeen (17) women who attended postnatal care. The second sample consisted of ten (10) women who did not attend postnatal care but brought their babies for well-baby clinic. Focus groups were conducted with midwives who offered postnatal care to women. The midwives of the first focus group worked in the hospital while the second focus group worked at a filter clinic. Results: In step one, some women indicated positive experiences but most women had negative experiences about postnatal care. The positive experiences were related to the satisfaction of the women with good services received and not encountering problems with staff's care. Common concerns mentioned in step one and two about postnatal care were shortage of skilled midwives, need for staff to be trained on postnatal care services, lack of confidentiality, poor infrastructure and non-integration of maternal and child services. Reasons for not attending postnatal care that were mentioned by women in step three were inaccessibility of the health care facilities, poor roads infrastructure, lack of knowledge about postnatal services and socio-cultural factors. Conclusion: Based on the findings, strategies to improve postnatal care were developed: Firstly, the midwives need to be trained on postnatal care and highlighted on current postnatal policies and guidelines. Secondly, woman and baby should attend the postnatal care at the health facility. Thirdly, community health nurses and trained community health workers should visit the women at home soon after birth of the babies. Fourthly, postnatal care should be provided at the family and community level by a trained and skilled midwife during the early postnatal period. Fifthly, combination of care facility and home visit - when the woman and baby are discharged from the hospital, follow- up need to be done at home by the midwife. Lastly, a comprehensive integration of postnatal services with other programmes needs to be enforced and supported by the programme management and policy makers. / MCur, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Background: The study described the perspectives and experiences of women and health care providers with regard to use of postnatal care and reasons why some women do not attend postnatal care in order to identify strategies for improving postnatal care services. Methods: An explorative, descriptive, and contextual research design was used. In step one data was collected with semi-structured interviews with seventeen (17) women who attended postnatal care. The second sample consisted of ten (10) women who did not attend postnatal care but brought their babies for well-baby clinic. Focus groups were conducted with midwives who offered postnatal care to women. The midwives of the first focus group worked in the hospital while the second focus group worked at a filter clinic. Results: In step one, some women indicated positive experiences but most women had negative experiences about postnatal care. The positive experiences were related to the satisfaction of the women with good services received and not encountering problems with staff's care. Common concerns mentioned in step one and two about postnatal care were shortage of skilled midwives, need for staff to be trained on postnatal care services, lack of confidentiality, poor infrastructure and non-integration of maternal and child services. Reasons for not attending postnatal care that were mentioned by women in step three were inaccessibility of the health care facilities, poor roads infrastructure, lack of knowledge about postnatal services and socio-cultural factors. Conclusion: Based on the findings, strategies to improve postnatal care were developed: Firstly, the midwives need to be trained on postnatal care and highlighted on current postnatal policies and guidelines. Secondly, woman and baby should attend the postnatal care at the health facility. Thirdly, community health nurses and trained community health workers should visit the women at home soon after birth of the babies. Fourthly, postnatal care should be provided at the family and community level by a trained and skilled midwife during the early postnatal period. Fifthly, combination of care facility and home visit - when the woman and baby are discharged from the hospital, follow- up need to be done at home by the midwife. Lastly, a comprehensive integration of postnatal services with other programmes needs to be enforced and supported by the programme management and policy makers. / MCur, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015