The South African public service, like many organisation, is embracing information and communication technology (ICTs) and the main aim is to improve and better their services. Frenzel (1999:18) indicates that this is because ICT has the potential to reduce costs, improve internal efficiency, capture economies of scale and bring organisations even closer to their customers and suppliers. Significant initiatives have been taken in the last couple of years. These include the need to address the coordination of ICT initiatives in the public service, through the establishment of the Office of the Government Chief Information Officers (OGCIO) within the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA). The South African public service also established State Information Technology Agency (SITA) responsible for the provision of information technology, system and related services. However, although ICT has the potential to infuse every area of the public service and improve service delivery, ICT is a management task that should be addressed in the overall context of an organisation and its environment. It is therefore in the best interest of this study to investigate the role of ICT in the South African public service. A number of aspects of ICT were investigated, including the challenges facing government in the implementation of ICT, critical success factors of ICT and the role of ICT in the public service. Among the challenges indentified include leadership instability, lack of common shared vision and strategy, lack of skills, training and development and poor communication and decision making processes are significant organizational factors constraining the successful implementation of ICT in government. Lack of ICT infrastructure, integration and interoperability issues are cited as technical challenges to successful implementation. Key findings from the study were that ICTs should integrate service delivery across government. It should also facilitate business efficiency and effectiveness and contribute towards socio-economic development. It is therefore necessary that ICT must be driven by government‘s developmental agenda, rather than technology. It is recommended that this could be achieved through a sustained shared, common vision across government, adequate resources and strategic partnerships with the business community. / Master of Public Administration, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

The South African public service, like many organisation, is embracing information and communication technology (ICTs) and the main aim is to improve and better their services. Frenzel (1999:18) indicates that this is because ICT has the potential to reduce costs, improve internal efficiency, capture economies of scale and bring organisations even closer to their customers and suppliers. Significant initiatives have been taken in the last couple of years. These include the need to address the coordination of ICT initiatives in the public service, through the establishment of the Office of the Government Chief Information Officers (OGCIO) within the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA). The South African public service also established State Information Technology Agency (SITA) responsible for the provision of information technology, system and related services. However, although ICT has the potential to infuse every area of the public service and improve service delivery, ICT is a management task that should be addressed in the overall context of an organisation and its environment. It is therefore in the best interest of this study to investigate the role of ICT in the South African public service. A number of aspects of ICT were investigated, including the challenges facing government in the implementation of ICT, critical success factors of ICT and the role of ICT in the public service. Among the challenges indentified include leadership instability, lack of common shared vision and strategy, lack of skills, training and development and poor communication and decision making processes are significant organizational factors constraining the successful implementation of ICT in government. Lack of ICT infrastructure, integration and interoperability issues are cited as technical challenges to successful implementation. Key findings from the study were that ICTs should integrate service delivery across government. It should also facilitate business efficiency and effectiveness and contribute towards socio-economic development. It is therefore necessary that ICT must be driven by government‘s developmental agenda, rather than technology. It is recommended that this could be achieved through a sustained shared, common vision across government, adequate resources and strategic partnerships with the business community. / Master of Public Administration, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

The main purpose of this master graduation work is to estimate managers-leaders role in public administration under conditions of knowledge economy as well as to provide suggestions for development of future leaders. In order to achieve main goal common theories of leadership were discussed, current management environment analyzed, abilities to use leadership concept in public sector under context of public management reform studied, problem of efficient public administration in Lithuania analyzed.

This study examines the perceptions and operational assumptions of university representatives with regard to the new higher education policy-making in Kurdistan. It attempts to explore the development and implementation of the policy’s first priority, the aim to bridge the gap between quality and quantity in higher education. A mixed-methods case study research is employed by applying qualitative methods in a series of interviews carried out with nine faculty members from a University in the Kurdistan Region. The interviews were followed by a survey of a representative sample of 305 faculty members from all faculties of the university, with responses from 148. Both research methods explored the implementation of quality assurance initiatives under the quality teaching reforms. The aim is to identify what type of quality culture in higher education is being encouraged and if it will enable higher education to serve as a bridge for Kurdistan to the global knowledge economy.

This study examines the perceptions and operational assumptions of university representatives with regard to the new higher education policy-making in Kurdistan. It attempts to explore the development and implementation of the policy’s first priority, the aim to bridge the gap between quality and quantity in higher education. A mixed-methods case study research is employed by applying qualitative methods in a series of interviews carried out with nine faculty members from a University in the Kurdistan Region. The interviews were followed by a survey of a representative sample of 305 faculty members from all faculties of the university, with responses from 148. Both research methods explored the implementation of quality assurance initiatives under the quality teaching reforms. The aim is to identify what type of quality culture in higher education is being encouraged and if it will enable higher education to serve as a bridge for Kurdistan to the global knowledge economy.

This thesis examines policy documents relating to the knowledge society of six Asia-Pacific countries (India, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Fiji and New Zealand). I employ Norman Fairclough’s version of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to explore the discursive construction of knowledge-related policies within a comparative case study methodology. Leximancer – a computer software for text analysis is used to assist in operationalising parts of the CDA. The general conclusions drawn from the study indicate that the evolving knowledge policy discourse in the Asia-Pacific is not based on any robust theoretical framework but on international and country-specific paradigms of the knowledge society. In the policy discourses, the knowledge society is posited as a desired outcome in light of external (global) imperatives - economic globalisation, technological knowledge and innovation flows, and ICT revolution – which are married to context-specific developmental imperatives arising from geography, culture, history and polity. This hybridisation process gives shape to unique knowledge society paradigms of each country. My CDA analysis shows that the ideology of neoliberalism is a key discursive influence on the knowledge society paradigms and is mutated by differences in contexts across different countries. In the discourses, neoliberalism operates via an emphasis on policy restructuring (privatisation, deregulation and liberalisation), and streamlining of governance mechanisms relating to key knowledge and information policy sectors. The resulting knowledge society constructions are context and time-dependent frameworks and exhibit two core arguments of convergence in all the case studies: (1) ICT and Science & Technology as vehicles for knowledge-based development need to grow in an enabling policy environment and; (2) the twin imperatives of globalisation and technological revolution mean that knowledge policy should have a competitive and innovation orientation, and should be continuously readjusted in tune with global economic changes. In addition to convergence, there are two major issues of divergence, namely: (1) emphasis on affirmative action in knowledge-related policies of India, Malaysia, and Fiji; (2) the promotion of cultural production and creative industries in Singapore, New Zealand, and more recently in Korea. The original contribution of this thesis is that it provides a reassessment of the role of neoliberalism in knowledge society. The study is novel both in the selection of the problem and the methodology. Comparative case studies using CDA have not been attempted at the regional scale and not with this level of documentary data. The use of Leximancer improves the management of textual data and increases the validity of the interpretations. A study of this magnitude has not been attempted for the Asia-Pacific region previously. Finally, the conclusions drawn from applying the CDA are both persuasive and creative in terms of analysing policy discourses of the knowledge society.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die tesis handel oor die volgende: Hoofstuk 1 dek die agtergrond, probleemstelling en ‘n kort oorsig oor die vaardigheidsgapings wat opgemerk kan word binne die konteks van die kennis-ekonomie. Hoofstuk 2 handel oor kernkonsepte, naamlik “kritiese denkvaardighede”, die kenniskonomie en wersvaardighede. Hoofstuk 3 sit ‘n gevallestudie uiteen. Dit beskryf die metode wat gekies is, die monster asook die uitvoering van die projek. Hoofstuk 4 bied ‘n ontleding aan van die data. Die laaste hoofstuk bespreek die resultate en hulle implikasies. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The thesis covers the following chapters Chapter 1: Background and Research Objectives This chapter focuses on the background, the problem and its setting and also includes the overview of the knowledge economy and the existing gap in skills. Chapter 2: Critical thinking and Employability Skills The focus is on an introduction and definitions of key concepts, namely critical thinking skills, the knowledge economy, and employability skills. Chapter 3: The Case Study This chapter offers the chosen research method and design, as well as the reasons for selecting this design, and will describe the methods. The discussion will include the research approach, sampling and data management. Chapter 4: Presentation and Discussion of the Findings The discussion includes data interpretation, specific techniques employed and reasons for such strategies. Chapter 5: Aspects of the Skills Gap This is the final chapter and it discusses the findings, makes recommendations, and concludes the study.

The aim of the diploma thesis called "Education and human resources development in selected companies" is to highlight the prevalent forms of education in selected companies, to analyze them with regard to human resources development and to propose changes leading to improve the future knowledge economy. Two companies have been selected for research: Schwan Cosmetics CR, Ltd., based in Český Krumlov, which produces wooden cosmetic pencils, and Leifheit, Ltd., based in Blatná, producing domestic utensils and fabrics. The thesis is divided into a theoretical and an experimental part. The theoretical part required a number of relevant scholarly treatises to be studied. In this part, the basic terminology pertaining to human resource management, education of employees and knowledge economy is explained. The following part first describes the selected companies and then it focuses on the analysis of education of employees and the human resources development in these companies, by means of questionnaires and unguided interviews with heads of personnel departments. In the closing part, a summary of acquired data, together with recommendations and suggestions for possible improvements are included.

O estudo trata da descentralização de políticas públicas de Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (CT&I) do governo federal para os municípios. As políticas públicas de CT&I são, cada vez mais, essenciais para o desenvolvimento economicamente viável e sustentável de uma nação. Assim, governos ao redor do mundo investem em empresas e sistemas de inovação como forma de manter a competitividade em uma economia cada vez mais global. Paradoxalmente, apesar da crescente relevância política, social e econômica das cidades no mundo, seu papel tem sido subestimado nas políticas nacionais de CT&I no Brasil. No plano teórico, o presente estudo apoia-se em duas vertentes temáticas: o desenvolvimento regional na economia do conhecimento e a descentralização federativa. Nesse contexto, o estudo interroga sobre como inserir o município nas políticas nacionais de CT&I. O estudo busca evidências empíricas nas relações intergovernamentais da descentralização e em dois estudos de caso, nas cidades brasileiras de Porto Alegre e São Leopoldo, ambas do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, escolhidas pelos bons resultados na promoção de sistemas empresariais de inovação. A pesquisa chegou a alguns resultados como: (a) a mobilização dos governos em torno de políticas públicas em CT&I continua sendo crucial para o desenvolvimento de empresas e sistemas empresariais de base tecnológica; (b) os municípios mostram capacidade de criar políticas públicas de CT&I, como marcos regulatórios, estruturas organizacionais, mecanismos de incentivo e sistemas de governança; (c) a descentralização via municípios pode melhorar a capilaridade e a eficácia de programas nacionais, fortalecendo sistemas regionais de inovação e complementando políticas federais de CT&I; (d) os municípios são entes federados plenos que têm poder político e econômico para influir e promover ajustes nas políticas públicas federais de CT&I. / This thesis discusses decentralization of national public policies on Science, Technology and Innovation (ST&I) from the federal to the city government. Governments around the world have been supporting companies and innovation systems because of their relevance to economic viability and national sustainable development. However, despite the increasing political, social and economic relevance of cities worldwide, their role has been underestimated in national ST&I policies. In this context, this study considers how municipal decentralization of national ST&I policies enhances capillarity, efficiency and the strengthening of regional systems of innovation. The study offers empirical evidence of intergovernmental relationships of decentralization through the case studies of two Brazilian cities: Porto Alegre and São Leopoldo, which were selected because of their comparatively good results in promoting companies and systems of innovation in comparison to other Brazilian cities. The main conclusions of the study are: (a) federal government public policy promotion in ST&I remains crucial to the development of entrepreneurial technologically-based systems; (b) municipalities are capable of mobilizing resources, structuring incentive mechanisms, articulating actors, and organizing governance systems; (c) decentralization via municipalities can improve capillarity and effectiveness, strengthening regional innovation systems and consequently complementing national ST&I policies; (d) increased political and economic power of city governments can promote improvements in federal policies of ST&I.

This diploma thesis deals with the characteristic of the corporate culture of the chosen enterprise. Specifically, the thesis focuses on the desirable state of the corporate culture. In the methodology, the criterion of desirable functionality of corporate culture is determined according to the cultural dimensions by G. Hofstede. This criterion requires an enterprise to operate on bases of knowledge economy with focus on new innovative approaches and competitiveness. The data was obtained through three conducted investigations. The first two were closest to the questionnaire survey. The first one was called the "Questionnaire - The Power of Corporate Culture" and the other one was called Values Survey Module 2013 (VSM 2013). The third research was quantitative with qualitative elements - Colour Semantic Differential Test. Finally, changes that can help to move to the entirely desirable state of enterprise culture are proposed.