Settlement upgrading in Kenya :the case for environmental planning and management strategies

PhD ThesisEnvironmental degradation from problems of the 'Brown Agenda' is an everyday reality in Kenya's rapidly growing urban centres; and it is the low-income majority who are most affected. Deficient water supply and sanitation, inadequate solid waste disposal, and poor drainage are among the foremost problems that characterize informal settlements in which indigent urbanites are compelled to live. Analysis of environmental problems at settlement and household level can provide vital information about the appraisive environmental perceptions and cognitions of inhabitants of informal settlements, as well as their satisfaction with the infrastructural services to which they have access and their housing conditions, in general. Such information is essential to the formulation of apposite strategies for sustainable improvement of environmental conditions in informal settlements. Based largely on a comprehensive review of theoretical perspectives on the urban housing question in the South, international policy responses and experiences with settlement upgrading, this thesis seeks a better understanding of the socioeconomic and physio-environmental dynamics of urban low-income informal settlements and the formulation and implementation of upgrading policies. A comparative analysis of two majengos in Kenya-one of which has been upgraded while the other has not-serves to contextualize the study. The central thesis in the present study is that settlement upgrading is the most rational approach to improving the residential circumstances of the urban poor majority in Kenya. Applying a fundamentally liberal approach, the development of pragmatic opportunities is discussed, and pursuable policies and programmes, which are realistic and implementable, for effective environmental planning and management of urban low-income informal settlements in Kenya are proposed.British Council: University of Nairobi

Study of evolution in human resources management programs in organizations. Application of "Path Dependence" and "Cladistics"

Tesis por compendio[EN] This doctoral thesis analyses human resources management evolution in organizations. That is, changes introduced throughout people management. The key objective is to analyze how organizations evolve and change over time by means of human capital. Recent years have demonstrated that levels of adjustment and change required by organizations in order to adapt to a changing environment, are increasingly high. One of the main drivers behind this organizational change, is the introduction of new programs and tools that help organizations to improve their business performance. This work is focused on the identification and analysis of such programs in the field of human resources management. In particular: what sort of HRM practices are implemented, in what sort of organization, at which point in time, and finally, in which order. Although there are numerous studies to date analyzing HRM practices, none of them introduce methodologies that consider order or time factor within the management process of HR. This is the reason why 'path dependence' and 'cladistics' approaches are introduced in this doctoral thesis. 'Path dependence' approach shows how certain management decision taken at a certain point of time, influence future decisions. This makes it all the more essential to press ahead with analysis of where we come from and which path we have followed before being designed the future strategy of the organization. According to this approach, throughout this doctoral thesis, cladistics is used as methodology for analyzing organizations from a different perspective of people management compared to the habitual viewpoints. Cladistics is a methodology that can be used in the decision-making process; moreover, it allows identifying the expected result of implementing certain bundles of HRM practices, taking also into account HRM practices already implemented. It considers therefore, also prior organization history. This methodology, for the analysis and classification, has been commonly used in the field of biology for many years. Throughout this doctoral thesis, the transference of this methodology to HRM is shown. Biologist use Cladistics in order to build evolutionary maps termed as cladograms. Cladograms are graphic representations of animal species evolution. This methodology has already been used in fields other than biology, such as linguistics or astronomy among others. In management, it has not yet been developed sufficiently; in particular, the most relevant examples in this field are in operations management area. The purpose of this work is to extrapolate the basics of Cladistics to HRM field. In doing so, HRM practices have been analyzed, such as personnel selection, rewards systems, appraisal systems, training, etc¿ The bundle of HRM practices that certain organization has been implemented at certain point of time will determine what kind of organization is. Thus, a evolutionary map is built. It can be use as a benchmarking tool in order to analyze what sort of HRM practices has been implemented by competitors, haw far they have gone, and in what sort of organization have become. In this work, a simple example of evolution in time of Spanish manufacturing companies is shown. The organization growth in size (number of employees) has been considered as evolutionary factor. This is due to the fact that, as number of employees increase, HRM programs have to be different. Furthermore, a preliminary application of Cladistics is offered in hospitality sector.[ES] La presente tesis estudia la evolución del sistema de gestión de recursos humanos en las organizaciones. Es decir, cambios introducidos a través de la gestión de personas. El objetivo principal de la tesis es analizar cómo las empresas van evolucionando y cambiando en el tiempo a través del capital humano. En los últimos años se ha demostrado que los niveles de adaptación y cambio que requieren las organizaciones para adaptarse a su entorno cambiante, son cada vez más elevados. Uno de los motores que facilitan este cambio organizacional, es la introducción de nuevos programas de gestión y herramientas que ayuden a las organizaciones a mejorar sus resultados empresariales. Este trabajo se centra en la identificación y análisis de estos programas en el ámbito de la gestión de RRHH. En particular: qué prácticas de RRHH se implementan, en qué tipo de empresas, en qué momento y, por último, en qué orden. Aunque ya existen numerosos estudios que analizan las prácticas de RRHH, hasta el momento, no existen herramientas que introduzcan el factor orden o tiempo en este proceso gestión de RRHH. Ésta es la causa por en esta tesis se utilizan los enfoques de 'path dependence' y 'cladistics'. El concepto de 'Path dependence', muestra cómo las decisiones de gestión que son tomadas en un momento determinado, influyen en las decisiones futuras. Este hecho hace que, antes de diseñar la estrategia a seguir en el futuro, se haya de analizar de dónde venimos y que camino se ha seguido para llegar hasta aquí. Bajo este enfoque, a lo largo de esta tesis, se utiliza la cladística como metodología de análisis de las organizaciones desde una perspectiva de gestión de personas diferente a las habituales en este ámbito. La Cladistica es una metodología que puede ser empleada como herramienta de toma de decisiones, y que permite identificar qué resultado se obtendría tras implantar un conjunto determinado de prácticas de gestión de RRHH, en función de las que ya se han implantado previamente (y por tanto de la historia previa de la organización). Esta metodología de análisis y clasificación ha sido comúnmente empleada en el ámbito de la biología y a lo largo de la presente tesis, se muestra cómo puede transferirse a la gestión de RRHH. Los biólogos, emplean la Cladística para la construcción de mapas evolutivos denominados cladogramas. Éstos son representaciones gráficas de la evolución de las especies animales. Si bien esta metodología se ha empleado ya en otros ámbitos diferentes a la biología, tales como la lingüística o la astronomía entre otros; en el área de management se ha desarrollado poco aún estando enmarcados los ejemplos más relevantes en el área de la gestión de operaciones. En este trabajo se extrapolan los conceptos básicos de la Cladistica al área de la gestión de recursos humanos. Para ello se estudian las prácticas de recursos humanos, tales como la selección de personal, sistemas de retribución, sistemas de evaluación, formación, etc¿ El tipo de prácticas de RRHH que ha seguido una determinada organización a lo largo del tiempo, es lo que determinará a qué tipo de organización pertenecen. Así, se construye un mapa evolutivo que puede emplearse como herramienta de benchmarking para ver qué practicas han implementado otros, dónde han llegado con ello y en qué tipo de organización se han convertido. En esta tesis se muestra un ejemplo sencillo de evolución en el tiempo de empresas en el sector manufacturero español, considerando como factor evolutivo el crecimiento en tamaño de organización (número de empleados). Entendiendo que, a medida que se incrementa el número de empleados, los programas de gestión de personas han de ser diferentes. Así mismo, se presenta una aplicación preliminar de la Cladistica al sector hospitality.[CA] Aquesta tesi estudia l'evolució del sistema de gestió de recursos humans a les organitzacions. És a dir, els canvis realitzats a través de la gestió de persones. L'objectiu principal de la tesi és analitzar com les empreses estan evolucionant i canviant en el temps a través de la capital humà. En els darrers anys s'ha demostrat que els nivells d'adaptació i canvi que requereixen les organitzacions a adaptar-se al seu entorn canviant, són cada cop més elevats. Un dels motors que facilita aquest canvi organitzacional és la introducció de nous programes de gestió i ferramentes que ajuden les organitzacions a millorar els seus resultats de negoci. Aquest treball es centra en la identificació i anàlisi d'aquests programes en l'àmbit de gestió de recursos humans. En particular: quines pràctiques RRHH estan implementades, a quin tipus d'empreses, quan i, finalment, en quin ordre. Encara que hi ha nombrosos estudis que analitzen les pràctiques RRHH, fins ara, no hi ha cap ferramenta que introdueixen el factor ordre o temps en aquest procés de gestió de recursos humans. Aquesta és la raó per la cual s'utilitzen en aquesta tesi els enfocaments de "dependència del camí' i 'cladística'. El concepte de "Path dependence", mostra com les decisions de gestió que es prenen en un moment donat, influencien les decisions futures. Això significa que, abans de dissenyar l'estratègia a seguir en el futur, cal analitzar d'on venim així com el camí que s'ha seguit per arribar fins ací. Davall este enfocament, al llarg d'esta tesi, s'utilitza la cladística com a metodologia d'anàlisi de les organitzacions des d'una perspectiva de gestió de persones diferent de les habituals en este àmbit. La Cladistica és una metodologia que pot ser empleada com a ferramenta de presa de decisions, i que permet identificar què resultat s'obtindria després d'implantar un conjunt determinat de pràctiques de gestió de RRHH, en funció de què ja s'han implantat prèviament (i per tant de la història prèvia de l'organització). Esta metodologia d'anàlisi i classificació ha sigut comunament empleada en l'àmbit de la biologia i al llarg de la present tesi, es mostra com pot transferir-se a la gestió de RRHH. Els biòlegs, usen la Cladística per a la construcció de mapes evolutius denominats cladogramas. Aquests són representacions gràfiques de l'evolució d'spècies animals. Si bé esta metodologia s'ha utilitzat ja en altres àmbits diferents de la biologia, com ara la lingüística o l'astronomia entre altres; en l'àrea de management s'ha desenvolupat poc encara, estant emmarcats els exemples més rellevants en l'àrea de la gestió d'operacions. En aquest treball s'extrapolen els conceptes bàsics de la Cladistica a l'àrea de la gestió de recursos humans. Per a això s'estudien les pràctiques de recursos humans, com ara la selecció de personal, sistemes de retribució, sistemes d'avaluació, formació, etc... Les pràctiques de recursos humans que ha seguit una organització particular al llarg del temps, és el que determinarà a quin tipus d'organització pertanyen. Així, es construïx un mapa evolutiu que es pot utilitzar com a ferramenta de benchmarking per a veure què practiques ha implementat la competnecia, a on han arribat amb això, i en quin tipus d'organització s'han convertit. A aquesta tesi es mostra un exemple senzill d'evolució en el temps d'empreses en el sector manufacturer espanyol, considerant com a factor evolutiu el creixement en grandària de l'organització (nombre d'empleats) . Entenent que, a mesura que s'incrementa el nombre d'empleats, els programes de gestió de persones han de ser diferents. Així mateix, es presenta una aplicació preliminar de la Cladistica al sector hospitality.Perelló Marín, MR. (2015). Study of evolution in human resources management programs in organizations. Application of "Path Dependence" and "Cladistics" [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/54110TESISCompendi

Economic evaluation of the impact of the privatisation policy on animal health delivery services in africa: a case study of Zimbabwe

In many countries in Africa, the delivery of animal health services, especially in rural areas, is far from adequate. These services therefore need restructuring. An analysis of these systems indicates that the development of an appropriate analytical framework for evaluating them would prove to be extremely valuable. Such a framework should be able to identify, qualify and quantify, the various segments of the population, their spatial distribution, and specific health care needs, as well as permit the prediction and evaluation of the socio-economic impact of policies and interventions on the delivery system. In order to develop such a framework, a project was undertaken using the concept of Precision Service Delivery (PSD), with the objective of developing a robust analytical framework which is universally applicable to all health care delivery systems. PSD is aimed at adjusting and "fine-tuning" the delivery of services, so as to meet the specific health care needs of the different segments of the population, in the context of their geographical location. The animal health care delivery system in Zimbabwe was used as a case study. The PSD framework was used in this study, to analyse the economic and social impact of different scenarios of the current privatisation oriented policy reforms. This involved the use of statistical techniques, a geo-spatial modelling technique and Linear Programming mathematical models. A questionnaire survey of 145 livestock producers was conducted with representation from all four livestock production systems in Zimbabwe. The objective was to evaluate the socio-economic and health care variables that characterise the production systems. From fourteen putative variables identified, eight were extracted using Principal Component Analysis, as a bases for characterising the existing livestock production systems. Using Multiple Discriminant Analysis, the validity of the different production systems as distinct classes was confirmed

From Warriors to Wingtips: The Leadership Transition of Retired Officers into the Public Sector

For personal and financial reasons some retired military officers seek second careers in the public sector. In entering local government, they are leaving a unique organization, and encountering a very different organizational culture. This study used grounded theory methodology to identify the key military leadership strategies and behaviors learned by military officers and to examine their applicability to local government. It focused on eleven retired naval and marine officers who served twenty or more years, attained a rank of lieutenant commander or major and above, and had worked in local San Diego government at the mid-management or executive level less than six years. Findings were triangulated with literature and other research. Participant data described rapid leadership development as a military priority shaped by early responsibility, education, mentoring and command experiences. Leadership practices include using a contingency leadership style, firm discipline, a controlled environment, straightforward communications, training and development, values, camaraderie building, a command presence, standard operating procedures and centrally-mandated change. Retired officers needed to adjust some military leadership practices to respond to the organizational systems and culture of local government. In addition, each encountered stereotypes of retired military officers that affected their image and capacity to influence their organization. The retired officers interviewed identified strategies that aided them in succeeding in the public sector. These included: using a coaching style to lead staff, following up on directives, actively managing performance, adopting a less direct communications style, improving employee selection and development, creating ownership, actively working to change systems, building influence and political relationships, introducing change by influence, consciously developing their reputation and countering stereotypes of military officers. Some retired officers used strategies that were less successful. These included: using a direct communication style, using military jargon, assuming compliance, accepting and criticizing the status quo, developing an inner circle, expecting the executive to initiate career development and direct change, becoming frustrated, and failing to react to stereotypes

Eye quietness and quiet eye in expert and novice golf performance: an electrooculographic analysis

Quiet eye (QE) is the final ocular fixation on the target of an action (e.g., the ball in golf putting). Camerabased eye-tracking studies have consistently found longer QE durations in experts than novices; however, mechanisms underlying QE are not known. To offer a new perspective we examined the feasibility of measuring the QE using electrooculography (EOG) and developed an index to assess ocular activity across time: eye quietness (EQ). Ten expert and ten novice golfers putted 60 balls to a 2.4 m distant hole. Horizontal EOG (2ms resolution) was recorded from two electrodes placed on the outer sides of the eyes. QE duration was measured using a EOG voltage threshold and comprised the sum of the pre-movement and post-movement initiation components. EQ was computed as the standard deviation of the EOG in 0.5 s bins from –4 to +2 s, relative to backswing initiation: lower values indicate less movement of the eyes, hence greater quietness. Finally, we measured club-ball address and swing durations. T-tests showed that total QE did not differ between groups (p = .31); however, experts had marginally shorter pre-movement QE (p = .08) and longer post-movement QE (p < .001) than novices. A group × time ANOVA revealed that experts had less EQ before backswing initiation and greater EQ after backswing initiation (p = .002). QE durations were inversely correlated with EQ from –1.5 to 1 s (rs = –.48 - –.90, ps = .03 - .001). Experts had longer swing durations than novices (p = .01) and, importantly, swing durations correlated positively with post-movement QE (r = .52, p = .02) and negatively with EQ from 0.5 to 1s (r = –.63, p = .003). This study demonstrates the feasibility of measuring ocular activity using EOG and validates EQ as an index of ocular activity. Its findings challenge the dominant perspective on QE and provide new evidence that expert-novice differences in ocular activity may reflect differences in the kinematics of how experts and novices execute skills

The concept of strategic leadership in the development and improvement of higher education in the Republic of Benin : a qualitative case study of an African university

This study explored the appropriateness of the concept of strategic leadership in the development and improvement of higber education in an African university called, for the purposes of tbis study, the AU3. It examined whether strategic leadership as it emerged in Western countries-had any resonance and relevance for the AU3, and explored the ways in which strategic leaders (SLs) interpreted and gave meanings to their roles. The study adopted a phenomenological approach with a qualitative case study design. A purposive sample of 20 strategic leaders was selected. The data collection instrument was semi-structured interviews. The research findings suggested that to enact strategic leadership the individual in the role should: be able to provide clarification of what helshe does and be able to understand the context in which he/she operates. The study contended that: strategic leadership requires three characteristics: elucidation - the ability to identify with their roles and responsibilities and link these to the strategic goals and mission of AU3; externalisation - the ability to consolidate their role tasks, provide evidence, and evaluate job tasks; and realisation - the ability to understand the complexity of their roles. The study further argued that SLs develop a distinctive shape of values and beliefs which impacted on the decisions they made. The study concluded with three types of leader: the 'emollient leader', who is concerned with 'hanging on in there', making the situation calmer in the hope of averting confrontation; the 'hypochondriac leader', who assumes constantly that something is wrong with their approach in performing their role, who is distracted by the environment and its constituencies; and the 'mirroring leader', who cannot see beyond their technical expertise. This study aims to help policy makers and those in charge of SLs' recruitment, selection, and development to better understand what competences are required to lead the university

Defining the Phenomenon of Teaching Christianly at a Christian College: A Study Conducted at Dordt College

Despite the high value that Christian colleges place on teaching, there is scant literature on teaching christianly in higher education. Pedagogy that promotes Christian beliefs resides in the K-12 literature. Using the work of Van Brummelen (1988) and Van Dyk (2000) originally developed for teaching christianly at the K-12 level, a conceptual framework was developed. This study investigated what it means to teach christianly at a small Christian college. A qualitative, phenomenological approach was used to explore teachers’ perceptions and beliefs about teaching christianly in higher education. A criterion sampling strategy was used in selecting 10 participants who had the following characteristics: experienced the phenomenon of teaching christianly, exhibited a commitment to teaching christianly, and considered to be outstanding Christian teachers by the college administration and the researcher. The semi-structured interviews were based on the following four foci: (a) who students are and why teachers teach christianly, (b) the aim of teaching christianly in higher education, (c) the impact of Dordt College’s mission on how its teachers teach, and (d) how teachers at Dordt College have learned to teach christianly. The process of horizonalization resulted in the emergence of four themes, which provided insight into how participants perceived, explained, and iv made meaning of teaching christianly. The four emergent themes were (a) students as image bearers of God, (b) the call to teach christianly, (c) teaching christianly, and (d) the mission mindedness of Dordt College. Participants determined that persons who teach christianly view their students as fellow image bearers of God and view themselves as having been called by God to teach christianly which includes educating students for serviceable insight, worldview clarification and/or transformation, and discipleship. The characteristics and teaching methodologies used by teachers who teach christianly may be quite similar to those held by most good teachers with the difference lying in motivation, aims, and outcomes. Teachers at Dordt College have learned in varying degrees how to teach christianly, but need assistance in learning more. The conceptual framework of Van Brummelen and Van Dyk has relevance for teachers who desire to teach christianly at a Christian college