Information systems, by nature, are open to interpretation from a number of viewpoints. This thesis emphasizes that information systems are not 'technical' systems that have behavioural and social consequences, they are 'social systems' that rely to an increasing extent on information technology for their functions. Hence any systems development methodologies used cannot deal simply with the problem of how one designs technically reliable and cost effective information systems. Instead it regards systems development as an example of multidimensional social change, the application of technology may not be a desirable solution to the situation. The choice of a development methodology should therefore take into account its sensitivity to the cultural, social, and political aspects of systems design. The aims of the thesis are three-fold. The first aim is to transform an idea or perception of needs into actionable drivers for change in a public sector organisation in Brunei Darussalam. The second aim is to identify and diagnose the problems associated with the management of information. Finally, the study aims to identify a suitable methodology that can be used to investigate a number of organisational issues. This work incorporates a practical case study of a problem situation at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the sole government agency responsible for perpetuating and disseminating Islamic teaching in Brunei Darussalam. The methodology used to investigate the problem situation is Checkland's Soft System Methodology (SSM). This is well chosen as the case study deals with human activity systems that are not well defined. Systems intervention via a semi-structured and informal discussion interviews were used to identify the unstructured problem situation (stage 1) of the SSM. The SSM progressed through to the recommendation of actions that constitute culturally feasible and desirable change. In fact, although manual systems are less efficient and effective than their computer-based counterparts, they are preferred in the first instance. Only when the manual system has reached maturity should a computer-based replacement be considered.

This thesis discusses an action-research (AR) project which investigated the problem of information management for housing maintenance. The research commenced with the intention of developing an expert system for housing maintenance management. The first step in this process is to understand the environment and user requirements, and it was this quest for understanding which subsequently became the focus for the research. A systemic approach was adopted to re-examine the problem situation holistically, as opposed to the more traditional reductionist view. Checkland's softsystems methodology (SSM) provided the framework for systematic enquiry. SSM offers an approach which can be used for accurate problem recognition and definition in messy, ill-structured and often complex human activity systems. The necessity for accurate and appropriate problem identification techniques when attempting to manage information was crucial in the shaping of this project. Upon reflection, the project consisted of five clearly defined phases which emerged in response to events and opportunities faced by the researcher. These phases can be categorised as either 'diagnostic' or 'therapeutic' and each consisted of a cyclical process of enquiry. This thesis comprises four parts which mirror this cyclical learning process in each phase of the AR. Part 1, Problem Recognition, deals with the subject matter and introduces the conceptual framework used for Information System (IS) analysis. Part 2, Action Planning, details the research approach and methodology; and the development of the research strategy, design and choice of data collection techniques. Part 3, Action Taking, presents the fieldwork and describes the AR data collection and analysis process. Part 4, Evaluation, provides a critical review of the research approach, details the research contribution and a methodological reevaluation. The research contribution is considered in three areas, (a) specific substantive contribution to an understanding of housing management information systems, (b) theoretical contribution to an understanding of a soft-systems approach to participative IS analysis and evaluation, and, remembering the origins of the study (c) the utility and immediate benefits to housing maintenance practice. These combine in the creation of a participative methodology and integrated framework to identify information requirements for housing maintenance management. The re-evaluation and research review identifies how AR and SSM could be developed by utilizing aspects of action learning.

Magister Commercii (Information Management) - MCom(IM) / The Public Sector encounters great challenges in its attempts to strengthen its public services. Public servants are in need of accurate and up-to-date information that can be readily accessible. They need information to be made available for effective and efficient decision-making. In order to improve service delivery, the Public Sector must aim to reach its objectives by increasing and improving accountability, transparency, efficiency, productivity and quality of services. This study focuses on factors, which influence information management in a Public Sector Department in an effective way to manage information properly. An extensive literature review was conducted of information, the role of information management, the possible critical failure and success factors of information management. This led to the discovery of four main categories for critical failure factors: (i) people; (ii) process; (iii) policy and; (iv) technology; and three categories for critical success factors: (i) organizational culture; (ii) top management support; and (iii) strategies. A conceptual model was then developed for these categories with seventeen factors. This model was subsequently tested in the empirical setting of the studied Public Sector Department in South Africa by utilising a qualitative approach through the case-study method. The findings suggest that the following factors would impact the successful implementation of an information management initiative for this Public Sector Department: information management; change management and communication strategies; culture; roles of responsibility for information; information lifecycle process; and information management policy. The intended audience for this study includes both academics and practitioners, as it introduces a conceptual model, as well as guidelines to implement these factors for information management in a Public Sector Department.

0 / SPK / specialcollections@tulane.edu

This thesis investigates the Teachers' League of South Africa's (TLSA, League or Teachers' League) ideas and practice of non-collaboration. It seeks to ascertain whether these ideas and practices continued after the organisation merged with several public sector unions in the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW) at the end of the last century. The thesis tracks the emergence and changing dynamics of the TLSA from the early decades of the twentieth century, as it developed and grew in the Western Cape, a region that was its nerve centre and where it was most active. There is a focus on the endeavours of the League to adapt and grow during the political and educational tumult of the 1990s, a period characterised by negotiations, reconciliatory and consensual politics that centred on nation building, and which was unreceptive if not clearly hostile to the organisation's non-collaborationist stance. The thesis employs an historical approach to contextualise the development of the League's non-collaborationism, and to elucidate the impact of South Africa's changing political, economic and educational landscape on the organisation. Extensive interviews were conducted, therewith giving a voice to the writing of history from below, embracing the experiences and perceptions of League members and the teacher activists who interacted with them before, but more so during and even beyond the 1990s. Documentary material of the TLSA and its umbrella body, the Unity Movement, dating back to the 1940s, provides the key primary sources for the study, while secondary information on the development of South Africa's political economy and the liberation movement offers valuable insights and alternative perspectives on the TLSA and Unity Movement. The thesis endorses the notion that appearances are at times intermingled with the opposite of what is being perceived, and thus challenges assumptions that the League's policy of non-collaboration was fixed and timeless. Instead, the thesis seeks to uncover the incongruities, nuances and complexity of this distinctive quality of the organisation, in an attempt finally, to elucidate its transformative potential in the present period.

Proposes to determine the relative importance of factors on which people rely in choosing a place to live and their assessments of a local area in the Southeastern USA. Presents recommendations to aid local authorities in improving quality of life in the region. Concludes that this should be done in partnership with non-governmental entities such as Parent/Teacher Associations or trustees of local art councils for effective changes to be made.

This research project addresses the issues affecting information technology development and deployment. The issues represented in this study are addressed in the context of IT implementation processes, especially with regard to the question of the needs and perceptions of administrators from the local government arena. In addition, this study will provide an exploratory look at the problematic issues surrounding IT implementation and how local government administrators--in particular--perceive them. More specifically, this study provides the following: a discussion of management and organizational issues that have a direct relationship to IT and local government implementation needs; a discussion of the problems which are specific to local government executives with regard to IT implementation; a comprehensive view of the overriding problems associated with the IT development and deployment process in local government; descriptive data revealing local government executive's perceptions about the issues surrounding IT development processes; and a basis for development of an IT implementation framework for local government. Each of these provisions is integral to developing a comprehensive understanding of the problems associated with the planning, acquisition, and implementation of ITs in local government. These provisions lay the foundations for future development of an IT implementation framework for local government. The research in this study suggests that there are three primary results, which are shown here. The first is that strategic planning for IT is fundamental to the ultimate effectiveness of IT implementation. Planning with regard to IT acquisition and deployment has proven to be a difficult accomplishment regardless of organization type or sector. This study specifically addresses many of the issues surrounding this problem, as it is integral to the implementation process as a whole. Secondly, it is shown that interdepartmental coordination has proven to be a major factor in effective IT implementation. Previous studies in this area have shown a propensity over the course of the development of IT towards decentralization of the acquisition and management of technologies. This trend speaks directly to the issue of interdepartmental coordination and the difficulties local government managers face when attempting to implement ITs in their organizations. Finally, it is shown that the expertise levels of executives with regard to IT has proven to be a contributing factor to effectiveness of the IT development and deployment process. / Ph. D.

This is a conceptual paper whose aim is to relate the development of ‘individualization’ (Beck and Beck-Gernsheim 2002) to organizational leadership. It does this by examining individualization alongside the implicit assumption on which orthodox approaches to leadership are founded, namely that leadership is an individualized phenomenon. Despite the expanding literature on these topics, particularly that on leadership, these concepts have not been examined in relation to one another. This paper seeks to do this in two ways. Firstly, it highlights the increased attention given to leadership in the UK public sector, locating leadership as a continuation of public sector managerialism. Secondly, it discusses the development of the trend of individualization more broadly. The paper’s main discussion focuses on leadership as an individual activity and of the consequences of that approach. In particular, it argues that individualized leadership presents a restrictive perspective which does not allow for exploration of a broader range of leadership approaches, particularly that of distributed leadership, which have especial relevance for public sector organizations.

No / This paper aims to describe the development of a wholly new model of transformational leadership and its applications in practice. The paper provides a description of a wholly new, inclusive model of transformational leadership and the way in which it can be applied in practice, in the context of embedding good leadership within the culture of an organisation and ensuring "best practice" in 360-degree feedback. The paper finds that the Transformational Leadership Questionnaire (TLQ)¿, which is both gender- and ethnicity-inclusive measure of "nearby" leadership, differs fundamentally from the kind of "heroic" models that have emanated from the USA and which have dominated the literature. Comparative data are presented of the mean scores on the TLQ, based on direct reports' ratings of their line manager, across a wide range of public sector organisations, including local government, the NHS, schools, and two central government agencies. Patterns emerge in areas of strength and developmental need, and the implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the impact of leadership behaviour and its effect on the psychological safety and well-being at work of staff. The following needs are identified: - to adopt a model of leadership that is relevant to the needs of organisations in the twenty-first century; to embed good leadership practices at all levels; to ensure that, when 360-degree feedback is given, it is done so in a way that conforms to the principles of 'best practice'. The following model of "nearby" leadership that is described is relevant to leaders at all levels in public and private sector organisations. It points to the consequences of poor leadership behaviour, and the need for the adoption of a model of leadership that is relevant to the needs of the twenty-first century.

In an age of austerity, specifying how governance and innovation interact is an important issue on the agenda of policymakers and scholars when discussing the role of government in dealing with 'wicked problems'. This trend of public sector spending cuts continues unabated in G20 countries, such as the US, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, and is driven by the concurrence of austerity measures and increasing citizen demands for quality public services. As a way to tackle this dilemma, governments have specifically sought, explicitly or implicitly, to urge public sector organisations to become more effective, which calls for innovation in public organisations, which is inextricably linked to performance. For example, Saudi Arabia launched an unprecedented major economic transformation, Vision 2030, which is considered a huge challenge to the public sector, which employs over two-thirds of Saudi nationals, to be innovative. Although several scholars have tried to prescribe ways to make the public sector more innovative, the theoretical frameworks used explained the effects of governance in unexpectedly parochial terms, and also neglected human capital dynamics, offering scarce insights into why some organisations thrive through innovativeness while others struggle. This study, which extends beyond the traditional high-performance models, examines whether the emphasis on the complementarities between a holistic approach of governance (rather than HRMP) and human capital can drive up human capital's value to produce a relative advantage; in this case, innovativeness. This study breaks from the traditional, agency conflict between stakeholders and managers and uses a combination of theories (social capital theory, stakeholder theory and institutional theory) to describe where and how organisations' governance drives human capital value creation towards innovativeness. This study suggests that different governance mechanisms may work together in a complementary manner, rather than as substitutes, towards higher organisation performance. The conceptual framework uncovers previously overlooked circumstances, such as underestimating the strategic value of the public organisations' human capital, and offers a new approach to the conceptualisation of governance by developing a cooperation (rather than conflict) model, whereby multi governance mechanisms are intertwined. This research adopts a quantitative methodology, along with the positivist philosophical approach, to investigate the hypothetical relationships within the conceptual framework. To analyse and validate the data, this study applies the structure equation model by using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) AMOS V. 23. Based on data gathered from 713 public employees in Saudi Arabia, the findings indicate that public employees' innovativeness is driven by an organisation's complementarities between governance and human capital. In particular, the findings show that the amount of damage caused to trust within public organisations by a poor ethical work climate is greater, whereas good ethical work climate contributes to employees' trust which in turn positively facilitates the effect of psychological ownership on subsequent innovativeness. The findings also suggest that satisfied internal needs are key capabilities that organisations must possess in order to increase the capacity for innovation. Moreover, this study finds a variety of networks modes which provide opportunities for public employees to innovate. These research outcomes yield several theoretical and practical implications. As a preliminary study, designed to address a complicated phenomenon in the public sector, the results of this study should be considered in the light of some limitations.