As the point of integrated time and cost, the research is to study the project management by way of EVMS(Earned Value Management System). With case study the research explore the feasibility and value of EVMS applied project management The research explores the integration between time and cost by way of project-managerial technique. The purposes are as follows: l To explore the techniques of project management. 2 To study the theory, function and target about EVMS. 3 With case study, to compare the difference between traditional project management and EVMS. 4 Elementarily to evaluate to introduce EVMS into government project management. To fulfill previous purposes, the research design is adopted case study and paper investigation. The findings are as below: l EVMS has a better explanatory ability to the difference analysis of project management. 2 If time and cost control system adopt the same measurement unit, it can avoid confusion of information expression. 3 One of core information is to accurately measure the progress of the project. 4 EVMS has a good ability to forecast EAC(Estimate At Completion).It signals an early warning. 5 EVMS is suitable for government project management. The level of integration depends upon how to adjust the accounting system.

Abstract Today, too many construction projects are delayed and deviates from the budget. A good project management is the basis for successful construction project. The most common planning methods in the construction industry is currently Gantt chart and CPM. The problem with these is that focus is only at the time of the project and doesn’t handle the budget. A project management method which connects the time and cost is Earned Value Management. Earned Value Management enables calculations of different metrics for cost and time that can be used early to see trends in project implementation. The aim of our study is to describe the project managenment in the construction industry and to explain the criteria needed to implement project management methodology Earned Value Management in a construction company. The EVM is unproved at the construction company we chose to do a case study about. We have in a completed building projects in ByggSjögren in Halmstad, Sweden, examined the criteria that exist, and are required to apply Earned Value Management. Through interviews with Annarell Malmberg and Martin Bengtsson, responsible for calculations and purchase of ByggSjögren, and Insa Ostendorf, project manager at Ramböll, we were using the information they gave us to do our study. Based on empirical evidence and data we collected, we have made estimates and proposals for ByggSjögren could proceed at an implementation of Earned Value Management. We have from a completed project studied the criteria that exist today, and what is missing to be able to use Earned Value Management. Finally, we concluded that the criteria that are important to implement Earned Value Management in construction industry is particularly close monitoring. Much of what is included in the Earned Value Management is already being done today in many construction companies, but they have no name for it. / Idag blir alltför många byggprojekt försenade och håller inte budget. Därför är en bra projektstyrning grunden för lyckade byggprojekt. De vanligaste planeringsmetoderna inom byggbranschen är idag Gantt-schema och Critical Path Method. Problemet med dessa är att fokus endast ligger på tiden för projektet och hanterar inte budgeten. En projektstyrningsmetod som kopplar samman tid och kostnad är Earned Value Management. Earned Value Management möjliggör beräkningar av olika nyckeltal för kostnad och tid som kan användas för att i ett tidigt skede kunna se trender i projektgenomförandet. Syftet med vår studie är att beskriva projektstyrning inom byggbranschen samt att förklara vilka kriterier som krävs för att implementera projektstyrningsmetoden Earned Value Management på ett byggföretag. I och med att Earned Value är oprövad på byggföretag valde vi att göra en fallstudie. Vi har utifrån ett avslutat byggprojekt på ByggSjögren i Halmstad undersökt vilka kriterier som finns, och krävs för att tillämpa Earned Value Management. Genom intervjuer med Annarell Malmberg och Martin Bengtsson, ansvariga för kalkyler och inköp på ByggSjögren, och Insa Ostendorf, projektledare på Ramböll kunde vi med hjälp av den information de gav oss utföra vår studie. Utifrån den empiri och data vi samlat har vi gjort beräkningar och förslag på hur ByggSjögren skulle kunna gå till väga vid en implementering av Earned Value Management. Vi har utifrån ett avslutat projekt studerat vilka kriterier som idag finns, och vilka som saknas för att kunna använda sig av Earned Value Management. Slutligen kom vi fram till att de kriterier som är viktiga för att kunna implementera Earned Value Management i byggbranschen är framförallt en noggrann uppföljning. Metoden består av tio viktiga steg, vilka utgör de kriterier som krävs för en implementering. Mycket av det som ingår i Earned Value Management görs redan idag på många byggföretag fast de har inget namn på det.

Utbildning är en central del av samhället. På senare år har offentlig sektor genomgått en rad förändringar vad gäller styrreformer samt förändrade huvudmannaskap, främst inom skolverksamheter. Genom det fria skolvalet har den kommunala verksamheten mött nya utmaningar. Den kommunala skolan drivs då av förändring och av att genom positionering utnyttja sina gränser samt även anpassa sitt förhållningssätt gentemot samhället.   I denna studie undersöks hur en kommunal grundskola genererar positivt värde för elever och personal med syftet att urskilja faktorer som är betydelsefulla för en skolas värdeskapande. Metoden för studien har varit att intervjua chefer samt lärare om deras syn på vad i skolans verksamhet som är värdeskapande samt hur en skola kan utveckla sitt handlingsutrymme. Studien har genomförts på den kommunala grundskolan Odenskolan, belägen i Odensbacken, Örebro Kommun.   I den teoretiska referensramen behandlas kännetecken för offentliga organisationer samt koncepten New Public Management samt Public Value Management. Vidare behandlas även en modell som synliggör en skolas möjligheter till handlingsutrymme.   Empirin presenterar den studerade organisationen Odenskolan samt de övergripande mål som reglerar skolans verksamhet. Sedan följer resultatet av de genomförda intervjuerna.   Vår analys visar på att det finns ett flertal faktorer som är centrala för att en skola skall generera värde mellan eleven, brukaren, personalen och organisationen. Främst är det aspekter av legitimitet och förhållningssätt mot det övergripande samhället som är centralt för värdeskapande arbetssätt. Det framkommer att skolans arbete genererar värde men att flertalet faktorer kan utvecklas hos organisationen. Vidare synliggörs att dessa faktorer är beroende av givna förutsättningar för att kunna utnyttja och tänja organisationens gränser.   Vår studie visar att det finns ett flertal faktorer som kan urskiljas när det gäller värdeskapande aktiviteter mellan elever, personal och organisationen. De främsta faktorerna är samarbete, samhällsperspektiv samt värdesättande av individen som resulterar i en pedagogisk och organisatorisk modell som är betrodd och förankrad både inom organisationen och i det lokala samhället. / Education is a central part of society. For a long time the operating actor has been the local government. In recent years the public sector has undergone a series of changes and reforms in terms of governance and power structure. Moreover, the local school units have been facing challenges with the introduction of the free school choice. Public schools are therefore challenged to manage their new position, expand their capacity and adapt to society.   The present study examines how a local school unit generates positive value for students and staff in order to identify factors that are important to a schools value creation. The methodology for this study has been to interview the managers and teachers, and elicit their views regarding which schools activities create value and how a school can develop its capacity and acting space. The study has been carried out at the local elementary school Odenskolan, located in Odensbacken,Örebro  Municipality.   In the theoretical framework we are discussing characteristics of public organizations, and the concepts New Public Management and Public Value Management. We are also looking at a model which depicts a school's ability to capacity and acting space development. The empirical study presents the studied organization Odenskolan and the overall objectives of the school. The results of our interviews are following thereafter. Our analysis shows that there are several factors which are central to a school in order to generate value for the student, the staff and the organization. These are mainly issues of legitimacy and society-oriented approaches. It turns out that the schools work generates value, but most factors can be developed in the organization. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that these factors are dependent on given conditions in order for the organization to exploit and stretch its boundaries.   Our study shows that there are several distinctive factors in terms of value creation activities between students, staff and organization. The main factors are collaboration, social-oriented mindset and appreciation of the individual, which together result in a trusted and deeply rooted educational and organizational model both within the organization and in the local community.

O desempenho superior do investimento em ações de valor é um fenômeno largamente documentado na literatura e tema de discussão desde o trabalho de Nicholson (1960). Autores como Fama e French (1992, 1998) afirmam que na verdade as ações value apresentam riscos maiores, e por isso seu desempenho é superior. No entanto, esse risco não é capturado pelos modelos tradicionais de precificação de ativos, como o CAPM. Esta dissertação testou uma estratégia de investimento em valor para o mercado brasileiro, usando critérios para a seleção de ações sugeridos por Benjamin Graham (2007), de modo que fossem eliminadas as empresas de desempenho inferior que apresentassem riscos não capturados pelos modelos tradicionais. Buscou-se verificar (i) a validade do modelo de Graham para selecionar ações no mercado brasileiro, (ii) dos filtros de Graham quais possuem maior relevância, (iii) qual a composição ideal de uma carteira de investimentos orientada pelo value investing para o mercado brasileiro no período de 2005 a 2014. Em comparação com o Ibovespa verificou-se que as carteiras obtidas foram capazes de oferecer retornos equivalentes certos superiores ao do índice no período, além de betas inferiores. Concluiu-se que é possível se obter um portfólio com retornos acima do índice de mercado sem incorrer em riscos maiores utilizando-se os filtros de Graham. Os resultados atestaram a validade da estratégia de value investing no mercado nacional. / The outperformance of value stocks is a widely documented phenomenon in literature and matter of discussion since Nicholson (1960). Authors such as Fama and French (1992, 1998) claim that in fact value shares present higher risk, thus justifying its superior performance. However, this risk is not captured by the traditional models of asset pricing (like CAPM). This work tested a value investing strategy in the Brazilian market selecting stocks through the criteria suggested by Benjamin Graham (2007) so that lower quality companies, that potentially would present risks not captured by traditional risk models, are eliminated. It was attempted to verify (i) the validity of the Graham model for stock selection in the Brazilian market, (ii) which filters present greater relevance, (iii) what is the ideal composition of a value investing portfolio in the Brazilian market for the period of 2005 - 2014. As the portfolios were able to offer higher certainty equivalent returns than Ibovespa in the period, as well as lower betas, it was concluded that it is possible to obtain a portfolio that offers above market average returns without incurring in greater risks using Graham criteria. The results confirmed the validity of the value investing strategy in the domestic market.

O desempenho superior do investimento em ações de valor é um fenômeno largamente documentado na literatura e tema de discussão desde o trabalho de Nicholson (1960). Autores como Fama e French (1992, 1998) afirmam que na verdade as ações value apresentam riscos maiores, e por isso seu desempenho é superior. No entanto, esse risco não é capturado pelos modelos tradicionais de precificação de ativos, como o CAPM. Esta dissertação testou uma estratégia de investimento em valor para o mercado brasileiro, usando critérios para a seleção de ações sugeridos por Benjamin Graham (2007), de modo que fossem eliminadas as empresas de desempenho inferior que apresentassem riscos não capturados pelos modelos tradicionais. Buscou-se verificar (i) a validade do modelo de Graham para selecionar ações no mercado brasileiro, (ii) dos filtros de Graham quais possuem maior relevância, (iii) qual a composição ideal de uma carteira de investimentos orientada pelo value investing para o mercado brasileiro no período de 2005 a 2014. Em comparação com o Ibovespa verificou-se que as carteiras obtidas foram capazes de oferecer retornos equivalentes certos superiores ao do índice no período, além de betas inferiores. Concluiu-se que é possível se obter um portfólio com retornos acima do índice de mercado sem incorrer em riscos maiores utilizando-se os filtros de Graham. Os resultados atestaram a validade da estratégia de value investing no mercado nacional. / The outperformance of value stocks is a widely documented phenomenon in literature and matter of discussion since Nicholson (1960). Authors such as Fama and French (1992, 1998) claim that in fact value shares present higher risk, thus justifying its superior performance. However, this risk is not captured by the traditional models of asset pricing (like CAPM). This work tested a value investing strategy in the Brazilian market selecting stocks through the criteria suggested by Benjamin Graham (2007) so that lower quality companies, that potentially would present risks not captured by traditional risk models, are eliminated. It was attempted to verify (i) the validity of the Graham model for stock selection in the Brazilian market, (ii) which filters present greater relevance, (iii) what is the ideal composition of a value investing portfolio in the Brazilian market for the period of 2005 - 2014. As the portfolios were able to offer higher certainty equivalent returns than Ibovespa in the period, as well as lower betas, it was concluded that it is possible to obtain a portfolio that offers above market average returns without incurring in greater risks using Graham criteria. The results confirmed the validity of the value investing strategy in the domestic market.

Over the past several decades, local governments have provided public services through a dynamic process including direct public delivery and market contracts. These public service delivery modes have been influenced by the dominant paradigms in contemporary public administration such as New Public Management (NPM) and Public Value Management (PVM). This study aims to examine factors influential in choosing public service delivery modes in local governments. Influential factors are divided into three main categories. The first category is public values as perceived by public managers. The second category is related to organizational environments. The third category is associated with characteristics of public services. This study focuses on public service delivery in County and City governments in Virginia. In order to test hypotheses, I use two sets of data: a survey and the U.S. Census. First, the survey measures public values, organizational environments, and public service characteristics. The survey population consists of 95 Counties and 39 Independent Cities in Virginia. The total number of County Administrators and City Managers who responded to the survey was 70. Second, the U.S. Census provides demographic information. In analyzing data to address research questions, I use descriptive analysis and a binary logistical regression model. Findings indicate that the more County Administrators and City Managers perceive the importance of efficiency and customer orientation values from New Public Management in determining public service delivery modes, the more local governments choose contracting out. In contrast, the more County Administrators and City Managers perceive the importance of fairness, political accountability, and employee safety values from Public Value Management in determining public service delivery modes, the more local governments choose delivery by public. / Ph. D.

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of New Public Management on Välfärd Gävle through its reforms. Method: This qualitative study has been conducted through eight semi-structured interviews, three of the respondents worked in management whereas the other five was coworkers. Result & Conclusions: Although NPM has a clear impact on the organisation it is considered to have flaws because of its failure to make the management more effective. The conclusion is that management tools such as PVM should have a complementary impact on the organisation based on the flaws of NPM. Suggestions for future research: For future research in NPM, a normalized framework that describes the attributes of NPM is needed. This would make future studies more comparable and will hence improve the understanding of NPM. Contribution: This study contributes to the opportunity of further understand how NPM can be used optimally in the public sector, through a comparison with PVM. / Syfte: Studiens syfte är att undersöka NPMs påverkan på Välfärd Gävles förvaltning genom dess reformer. Metod och genomförande: Denna kvalitativa studie har utförts genom åttasemistrukturerade intervjuer, varav tre respondenter på chefsnivå och fem respondenter var medarbetare. Resultat och Slutsats: Trots att NPM har en tydlig påverkan på organisationen så upplevs vissa aspekter av NPM bristfälliga då det misslyckas effektivisera styrningen. Slutsatsen är att ideologier och tankesätt likt PVM bör finnas i styrningen av offentliga myndigheter som komplement till bristerna från NPM. Förslag till vidare forskning: Genom vidare forskning inom NPM krävs det ett normaliserat ramverk för vad som NPM kännetecknar. Detta skulle göra framtida studier mer jämförbara vilket kan komma att utveckla förståelsen av NPM. Uppsatsens bidrag: Denna studie bidrar till en möjlighet att ytterligare förstå hur NPM kan utnyttjas optimalt inom en offentlig myndighet utifrån en jämförelse med PVM.

Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this study is to increase the knowledge about how Earned Value Management can be used and be implemented for project management in the construction industry. In order to achieve the study’s purpose, two research questions has been formulated: [1] How can Earned Value Management be used for management of construction projects? [2] What is required to implement Earned Value Management in the construction industry? Method – The questions were answered with the help a case study where qualitative data was collected through interviews and a document study. 42 of the case company’s internal documents were studied in parallel with five interviews. The theoretical framework of the study was formulated through a literature study where relevant theories were studied. The study has adopted an inductive approach since a construction company is studied to create an explanatory model for how earned value management can be used and implemented in the construction industry. Empirical data were analyzed in relation to the study’s theoretical framework to answer the study’s purpose and research questions. Findings – Earned value management can to some extent be adapted to the complexity of the project. However, there are steps in the method which must always be carried out thoroughly for the control tool to be useful in the construction industry. The results of the study show that earned value management can be used for project management in two dimensions, partly as a problem-solving function and partly as a prognostic function. For earned value management to be used and implemented in the construction industry, a detailed design is required where the organization must allocate sufficient resources. The study also shows that the main implementation requirement for earned value management in the construction industry is education as the industry lacks knowledge of the control tool and its benefits. Implications – In essence, the study supports several existing theories. The study'sunique contribution is a knowledge that some adaptation of earned value management is possible with some regulation. The results of the study can be a support for companies in the construction industry in project management because it shows the impact of the steps on the next step and how it then affects the forecast calculations in the final step. It also shows effective ways of dealing with common problems in the industry. Limitations – There is a certain limitation regarding the generalizability of the result as the study only covers one case. The study is completed over a limited period, which is significantly shorter than the completion time for the study case. The result could have been more reliable if the study had been expanded with a completed project / Sammanfattning Syfte – Studien syftar till att öka kunskapen om hur earned value management kananvändas och implementeras för projektstyrning i byggbranschen. För att besvara syftet har två frågeställningar formulerats: [1] Hur kan earned value management användas för styrning av byggprojekt? [2] Vad krävs för att implementera earned value management i byggbranschen? Metod – Frågeställningarna har besvarats med hjälp av en fallstudie där kvalitativa data samlades in genom intervjuer och en dokumentstudie. 42 av fallföretagets interna dokument studerades parallellt med att fem intervjuer genomfördes. Studiens teoretiska ramverk formulerades genom en litteraturstudie där relevanta teorier studerades. Studien har antagit en induktiv ansats då ett byggföretag studeras för att skapa en förklaringsmodell till hur earned value management kan användas och implementeras i byggbranschen. Empiriska data analyserades i relation till studiens teoretiska ramverk för att besvara studiens syfte och frågeställningar. Resultat – Earned value management kan till vis del anpassas till projektets komplexitet. Däremot visar studien att det finns steg i metoden vilka alltid måste genomföras grundligt för att styrverktyget ska vara användbart i byggbranschen. Studiens resultat visar att earned value management kan användas för projektstyrning i två dimensioner, dels problemlösande, dels prognostiserande. För att earned value management ska kunna användas och implementeras i byggbranschen krävs en utförlig projektering där organisationen måste tillsätta tillräckliga resurser för att möjliggöra detta. Studien visar också att det främsta implementeringskravet för earned value management i byggbranschen är utbildning då branschen saknar kunskap om styrverktyget och dess fördelar. Implikationer – I huvudsak stödjer studien flera befintliga teorier. Studiens unika bidrag är en kunskap om att viss anpassning av earned value management är möjlig med viss reglering. Studiens resultat kan vara ett stöd för företag inom byggbranschen vid projektstyrning eftersom det visar stegens påverkan på nästkommande steg och hur det sedan påverkar prognosberäkningarna i slutsteget. Det visar också effektiva arbetssätt för hantering av vanligt förekommande problem inom branschen. Begränsningar – Det finns en viss begränsning gällande generaliserbarheten av resultatet då studien endast omfattar ett fall. Studien är genomförd under en begränsad tidsperiod, vilken är betydligt kortare än genomförandetiden för studiens fall. Resultatet kan ha blivit mer tillförlitligt om studien utökats med ytterligare ett fall i form av ett avslutat projekt.

There has recently been considerable concern regarding the degradation of the environment caused by depletion of natural resources, air pollution, global warming and the lack of consideration paid to the earth's ecosystem. The principles of sustainable construction are thus being widely adopted by many countries all over the world. This quest towards sustainable development throughout the world has put a spotlight on the construction industry. Sustainable construction is a major concept underlying a variety of efforts to ensure a good quality of life for the present and future generations. Most developing countries have experienced a fast uptake of urbanisation and the acceleration of infrastructure development, all of which fuel the necessity of establishing sustainable construction principles; this is true in Saudi Arabia as in other countries. This research has carefully investigated the current situation of Value Management (VM) and Sustainable Construction (SC) in the Saudi construction industry in terms of their application, clients' attitudes, barriers to implementation, identification of enablers that could overcome these barriers and improve their implementation, and determination of the level of existent knowledge about both subjects among people who work in the Saudi public sector. It has also defined Sustainable Construction principles in three dimensions, in Saudi Arabia: environmental, economic and social. The research findings have revealed that SC principles are not a major consideration in the Saudi construction industry and many people who work in the Saudi public sector have little or no experience in sustainable development. On the contrary, VM has been applied in the Saudi construction industry for more than three decades and its application is mandatory in all governmental projects funded by the Saudi government. This enables those people who work in the VM sector to possess great experience, skills and knowledge. However, there are a number of barriers that could impede or affect the VM performance in the Saudi construction industry which were taken into account in this research. (Continues...).

Este trabalho apresenta um estudo, conceitual e empírico, objetivando examinar a gestão da marca do produto ao longo da cadeia, desde o fabricante até o consumidor final, sob a intermediação do canal varejista. A revisão da literatura abordando os conceitos relevantes à estratégia de marketing do fabricante e do varejista permitiu um melhor entendimento sobre os aspectos que interferem na gestão da marca. A pesquisa empírica exploratória, estudo de caso, investigou a marca Votomassa da Votorantim Cimentos por meio de vinte e sete entrevistas pessoais, com executivos do fabricante, varejistas, balconistas e clientes dos lojistas e, através da observação nos pontos de venda. Foram identificados pontos estudados na literatura, principalmente no que se refere ao desenvolvimento de relacionamentos, a gestão de canais e a venda ao consumidor final, todos com possíveis interferências na gestão da marca. Particularmente, foram identificadas as implicações que percepções dos atores que integram os vários elos da cadeia podem gerar. O trabalho contribui para avançar nos conceitos e processos pertinentes ao tema em estudo, tendo por foco a cadeia fabricante ? intermediário ? comprador no ramo de material de construção, a partir de uma perspectiva consolidada e holística, evidenciando uma série de ferramentas de marketing que permitem aprimorar o processo estratégico da gestão da marca pelo fabricante. / The study presents a conceptual and empiric vision examining the product brand management throughout the value chain, from the manufacturer to the end consumer, with the intermediation of the retail channel. The theory that supported the study was based on manufacturer and retailer marketing strategy concepts, leading to a better understanding of aspects that may interfere on brand management. An exploratory research was made, as a case study on Votomassa from Votorantim Cimentos, using twenty seven personal interviews with manufacturers\' executives, retailers and their employees, consumers and point of sale observations. This research resulted in the identification of some aspects studied on the literature review, mainly referring to relationship development, marketing channels management, and selling to final consumers, all with possible effects on brand management. It pointed out particularly the implications that perceptions from players on different links of the chain can generate. The main contribution of the present study is the improvement of the concepts and processes related to the theme, focusing on the chain manufacturer ? intermediate ? buyer in the building industry, from a consolidated and holistic perspective, highlighting the marketing tools that can make the strategic brand management process more efficient for the manufacturer.