This doctoral research is a contribution to the understanding of social activism and its socio-cultural formation in postcolonial Okinawa. It is based on eighteen months of fieldwork including participant observation and interviews at a public women’s organisation, Women’s Organisation Okinawa (WOO). This project centres on the lived practices of staff who attempted to produce and encourage gender equality in the public sector under neoliberal governance. I demonstrate through ethnographic analysis how the practice of law and social movements is distinct from the ideals of such movements as well as the particular individuals involved in them. WOO was established in the public sector by local government in alliance with various grassroots groups in Okinawa in the late 1990s. WOO embraced the dreams, hopes and anticipations of various actors - users and workers - who had been involved in the establishment, but in reality, it also contained various contradictions. First, WOO was a new workplace for those who wanted to work in activism and be paid for their work, but also reproduced precarious, low-waged, gendered labour. Second, WOO was a site which put law into practice, but it revealed that law internalised the inconsistency between what people had originally expected of the law and what law enacted as a result of institutionalisation. Third, WOO unexpectedly became a focal point of contact between neoliberal and feminist governance through public services and the requirements of performing accountability for citizens and for feminist activism. Thus frontline practitioners attempted to bridge the gap between ideal, reality, law and practice and to negotiate with neoliberal and feminist governance in the labour process. This thesis demonstrates how the inconsistencies between ideal and reality arose in the daily working practices of staff positioned between citizens, laws and social movements. More precisely, it explores how staff attempted to negotiate, accommodate and struggle with the gap between ideal and reality through their lived experience, rather than fiercely resisting or merely being subject to a form of governance or reality. In doing so, the thesis reveals how unstable and problematic the notion of ‘gender equality’ was as it was deployed at WOO.

Bakgrund: Processorientering kommer ursprungligen från den tillverkande industrin och är en förbättringsåtgärd som det har fokuserats på i den offentliga sektorn den senaste tiden. Den traditionella organisationsstrukturen i sjukvården är särskiljande på flera sätt. Processorientering anses kunna lösa problem som finns i den traditionella sjukvårdsorganisationen, däremot kan andra problem med processorientering i sjukvården uppstå. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att analysera processorienteringens tillämpningsmöjligheter i sjukvården. Vi ämnar därmed studera i vilken utsträckning processorientering är tillämpbar i svensk sjukvård. Kunskapsbidrag: Studien kommer bidra med att öka kunskapen om det processorienterade arbetssättet i sjukvården. Resultatet kommer att vara till nytta för landsting och regioner som arbetar med eller funderar på att implementera processorientering. Metod: Denna studie har tillämpat en kvalitativ fallstudiedesign. Fallet processorientering i svensk sjukvård har undersökts genom att studera sjukvården i tre regioner, där elva intervjuer har genomförts. Tre förutsättningar av processorientering har identifierats och sedan analyserats i en sjukvårdskontext för att undersöka tillämpbarheten i svensk sjukvård. De tre förutsättningarna är kundfokus, standardisering och helhetsbild. Slutsats: Processorientering i sin helhet är ej tillämpbar i svensk sjukvård. Kundfokus går ej att uppnå på grund av svårigheter att identifiera vad som skapar värde för kunden samt uppfylla och överträffa kundens behov. Standardisering kan inte uppnås på grund av arbetsprocessernas komplexitet. Förutsättningen helhetsbild av processer går att uppnå genom att skapa en förståelse för hur processen hänger ihop. Däremot kan processorientering vara tillämpbar i vissa delar av en sjukvårdsorganisation samt att utvalda aspekter av processorientering kan vara fördelaktiga i sjukvården. / Background: Process orientation originates from the manufacturing industry and is an improvement measure that has been in focus over the past few years in the public sector. The traditional organizational structure of health care is distinctive in several ways. Process orientation is often considered the solution to problems found in the traditional health care organization however, process orientation may also create other problems. Contribution: This study will increase knowledge about process orientation in health care. The results of the study will be useful for county councils and regions that work with process orientation or are considering implementing it. Aim: The aim of this study is to analyze the applicability of process orientation in health care. We intend to study in what extend process orientation is applicable in Swedish health care. Methodology: This study has a qualitative case study design. The case of process orientation in Swedish health care has been investigated by studying health care in three regions, where eleven interviews have been conducted. Three qualifications of process orientation have been identified and then analyzed in a health-care context, in order to investigate the applicability to Swedish health care. The three qualifications are customer focus, standardization and an overall picture of the process. Conclusion: Process orientation is not applicable to the Swedish health-care system. Customer focus cannot be achieved due to difficulties in identifying what creates value for the customer as well as fulfilling and exceeding the customer's needs. Standardization cannot be achieved because of the complexity of the work processes. An overall picture of the process can be achieved by creating an understanding of how the process is interrelated. However, process orientation can be applied to some areas of a health care organization and selected aspects of process orientation may be beneficial in health care.

The aim is to study the empirical relevance of performance management systems in the public sector, based on the performance management systems framework. A qualitative approach was chosen, making three case studies of Swedish municipalities by conducting personal interviews. The municipal chief executive, municipal CFO and a financial manager at a department were chosen at every municipality, providing us with diversified as well as accurate information. The interviews were based on the PMSs framework developed by Ferreira and Otley (2009), giving a broad and detailed description of the systems. This information, together with the theoretical framework, was then processed, leading up to the analysis and conclusions. Pursuant to the new public management, performance management is a relatively new concept in the public sector. The three studied municipalities all have relatively new PMSs, showing that this area is empirically relevant to study. As expected, the municipalities displayed both positive and negative sides of their systems, described in more detail in the paper. The PMSs framework is considered a useful tool in this study, making it relevant in the public sector. Still, both benefits and drawbacks are found, presented together with possible improvements.

Magister Legum - LLM / The legacy of apartheid may be likened to a Hydra. This mythical beast was rumoured to be large in stature, with poisonous breath. However, the trait it was better known for was that it possessed many heads and for every one head that was cut off, two would grow in its place. The elimination of the apartheid system effectively cut off the head of this hydra, severely wounding the beast but giving birth to various other terrors. Public sector corruption is one of those terrors. As an individual who was too young to be a part of the battle against apartheid, I have recognised that there is still a battle that needs to be won. As corruption continually thwarts the efforts of those who died for the liberation of South Africa and hinders the upliftment and development of the State, it becomes necessary to combat this scourge. However, before going into battle one must first understand the battle arena. Thus, the purpose of this dissertation is to gain understanding as to how the South African Government has attempted to combat corruption by means of policy and legislation. The information gained during this process may be used to identify areas of weakness, which may be considered in restrategising anti-corruption efforts. This battle against corruption needs to include all South Africans as public sector corruption has a negative impact on all who find themselves within our boarders. Thus, we cannot call ourselves truly liberated before this enemy of good governance is defeated.

Magister Commercii (Information Management) - MCom(IM) / The aim of this study is to investigate why the implementation of Enterprise Architecture (EA)in the Provincial Government of the Western Cape (PGWC)adopted in 2006,failed to be ineffective to address application duplication.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Over the last two decades, budgetary allocations to both the Health and Education sectors have been on the increase in Nigeria, while a counter-factual feedback on its effects for various economic groups and distributional effect for different population households has not been defined and well known. The resultant effect has been gross inefficiency and sub-optimality in terms of observed outcomes of the fiscal framework. In-addition, there have been a continuous quest by the citizenry for increased allocations to these sectors because of its supposed impact on the poverty index and standard of living. Although this is a compelling reason, but what is worrisome and equally troubling, is that the increasing incidence of poverty and expanding inequality in the Nigerian society have not mitigated, despite the scaling up of funding on the social sectors. Furthermore, the current level of socioeconomic development in Nigeria is not in tandem with the distributive outcome targets set by the 2004 reforms. Thus, understanding the current structure of poverty in Nigeria as well as beneficiaries of public sector spending provides a sound basis for tackling inequality and redesigning the current pro-poor frameworks. However, our analysis is focused on the distributional spread of beneficiaries from services and the counterfactual reciprocity of expenditure benefits rather than measuring the exact value to recipients of government-sponsored services. Our research methodology used the 2004 Nigerian Living Standard Survey; 2010 Harmonized Nigerian Living Standard Survey; Recent Cros-sectional data (2014) in South East Nigeria and secondary sources. Econometric methods (Error Correction Method); Marginal Odds estimation techniques, Concentration Curves and Ordered Logistic Regression were used for our analysis. Statistical and Econometric Software’s (E-Views; SPSS; DAD and STATA) were used for estimations. Econometric results showed misalignments between population dynamics and public sector expenditure on education, health and economic services. The government consumption expenditure was not sensitive to demographic changes. The derived adjustment coefficients of -1.38, -1.51 and 0.51 respectively, for education, health and economic services indicate huge gaps in terms of what optimal spending should have been, giving the population dynamics. Our benefit incidence analysis indicates that substantive gains have been made at the primary education and health care level, at the state level for SE Nigeria but there is a gross misapplication of funds at the secondary and tertiary levels of both education and health sectors. Results show that the state governments’ is subsidizing the rich at the levels of both secondary and tertiary for education and health care. In addition, country wide results indicate that apart from public primary education and health care for urban residents, no other level of social service was absolutely progressive in general terms, by gender or by location while the tertiary level of both services were regressive as shown by the 2010 survey results, in comparism to the 2004 survey results. Using the Ordered Logistic Regression, our result inclines to the lifecycle hypothesis which maintains that poverty oscillates depending on the age. At a younger age, it tends to be on the high side and decreases during the middle ages and increases with age. Our results discards the feminization of poverty general framework that women or female headed households are more prone to poverty due principally to low education and lack of opportunity to own assets such as land amongst others. This wasn’t the case for the South East Region of Nigeria. Estimates indicate that education status, health status and access to health facilities affected the category of welfare of head of households and invariable, the entire household. In general, our analysis shows misalignment of social expenditure for various population groups, both at the federal and state levels; making doubtful the realization of basic MDGs. Nigeria has to combine growth policies and assuring that demographics count, with the poor fully participating in economic development. Also, the need for a refocusing in resource allocation taking into cognizance gender dimensions cannot be overemphasized. A general re-allocation of spending going to females and the poorer households would lead to improvement in gender equality and health status of women and children. Expediting actions towards qualitative education will lead directly to an acceleration of many of the other MDGs, especially those focusing on the reduction of poverty and inequality. To attain MDG targets (post 2015) within a shorter period of time, there is the need to improve the quality of social infrastructure and services. Furthermore, research should be focused on improving knowledge and understanding of what policies, technologies and investments matter for sustained growth in the country. This will create the much needed multiplier effect on other aggregates. The degree to which the poor participate in the growth process and share in its proceeds matter; both in the pace and pattern of growth. It is therefore important to have categorization of the population into economic groups when formulating a developmental framework for poverty reduction programmes. The study recommends sequencing of interventions, strengthening of institutions and other several interrelated areas to attain effectiveness of public sector spending.

Sous l’effet des réformes successives auxquelles il a été affronté, le secteur public marocain a connu plusieurs changements stratégiques et organisationnels au cours des vingt dernières années. Ces réformes, aussi ambitieuses qu’elles soient, n’ont pu atteindre leurs objectifs sans une participation active des acteurs civils. La place qu’occupe les cadres intermédiaires dans l’implantation des changements imposés à ce secteur est primordiale, la mise en oeuvre desréformes publiques nécessite de leur part un double rôle d’experts et de managers que seule une GRH performante peut garantir. Cette thèse se propose d’analyser la participation des cadres intermédiaires à la mise en oeuvre des réformes publiques sous l’angle du rôle de la GRH publique sur le cas du Plan Maroc Vert comme terrain d’étude. Quelles réformes publiques au Maroc, quelles attentes des cadres intermédiaires et quelles GRH pour accompagner efficacement ces réformes, tels sont les principaux axes autour desquels s’articule cette étude. / Under the influence of the successive reforms in which he was faced, the public sector knew several strategic and organizational changes. However ambitious they are, these reforms were not able to reach their goals without an active participation on of the civil actors, the place that occupies the intermediate frames in the setting-up of the change compulsory for the public sector within the framework of these reforms is essential, the implementation of the public reforms requires from them a double role of experts and managers whom only a successful Human Resources Management can guarantee. This thesis suggests analyzing the participation of the intermediate frames in the implementation of the public reforms under the angle of the role of the public Human Resources Management and in the era of the new public management, the case of the Plan Green Morocco as ground of study. Which public reforms in Morocco, which expectations of the intermediate frames and which Human Resources Management to accompany effectively these reforms, such are main axes all around of which articulates this study.

The main purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of social capital on organizational performance of local government and whether the effect varies across national cultures. The study hypothesized that organizational level social capital in a public sector organization has a positive influence on organizational performance. To investigate the relationship, surveys were sent to public officials of local government organizations in the city of Omaha in the United States and Wonju city in South Korea. Based on Hofstede’s definition of national culture, these two countries contrast strongly on important cultural characteristics. The two cities were selected as typical representatives of each country. Social capital was operationalized as structural, relational, and cognitive, and organizational performance was measured in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, responsiveness, and equity. The surveys were distributed to public officials working in various city departments. The departments were chosen to represent the three main policy types (as defined by Lowi): regulatory policies, distributive policies, and redistributive policies. Out of 407 surveys sent, 294 usable and valid responses were received. The data were analyzed using SPSS computer software and included descriptive statistics, ANOVA, Pearson’s simple correlation, t-test, factor analysis, linear regression analysis, dummy regression analysis, and moderator regression. The results showed that organizations with higher levels of structural, relational, and cognitive social capital achieve higher levels of organizational performance. However, the effect of social capital in a public sector organization on organizational performance did not differ across cultures. Rather, within a given culture, the relationship varied by policy type. The findings provide some practical guidelines to government leaders on how to increase social capital to enhance organizational performance. By integrating public organizational theories with social capital literature, this study suggests the determinants of public sector performance.

This thesis is an exploratory study that measured the alignment of corporate risk management practices in six organizations in the Government of Canada with best practices described in the 2009 ISO 31000, as well as five independent variables believed to influence risk management practices in an organization. The objective was to determine if risk management practices vary from one organization to another in a single government, and if so why, as well as building a number of testable hypotheses for future research. The thesis found that risk management practices do vary significantly from one organization to another. It also found that there is a strong correlation between an organization’s budget, total workforce and the policy instruments it uses, and the alignment of its corporate risk management practices with ISO 31000:2009. This study furthers our understanding of how risk management is implemented in public sector organizations.

Government of Canada communications professionals work in an increasingly challenging environment, characterized by an intrusive 24/7 media cycle, a frenetic pace of evolving communication technologies, layered accountability requirements, political tension, and waning public trust. Scholars call on professional communicators to help rebuild public trust, which is intrinsic to a healthy democratic government. The Three-dimensional Model for Transparency in Government Communication developed by Fairbanks, Plowman and Rawlins (2007) serves as the theoretical framework for investigating the Government of Canada’s approach to transparent citizen-focused communications from the perspective of communications professionals. The model’s adaptability to the Government of Canada context is tested through 23 qualitative semi-structured interviews with Government of Canada senior communications advisors, managers and executives. The data is analysed using constant comparative thematic analysis. The findings demonstrate that Government of Canada communicators strongly value transparency. Furthermore, the key components of the transparency model – communications practices, organizational support and provision of resources – encapsulate the factors that influence the practice of transparent citizen-focused communications by the Government of Canada. The study concludes by offering recommendations for future research and practical applications.