An ethnographic investigation into the relationship between mental models and the implementation of total quality management

Includes bibliography.The objective of my project was to find the reasons why the Quality Improvement Process (QIP) which started enthusiastically in Old Mutual in 1987, has lost momentum. Its initial implementation was characterised by success, but later, certain shortcomings became evident. In brief, the initial success of Crosby's QIP programme was attributable to its organised implementation throughout the organisation. It created a general awareness of key quality principles and gave a common understanding of a uniform language and standards throughout the organisation. However, after some years, senior management realised that this process was too simplistic, and that more was needed. A 'second phase' was implemented. This phase built onto the foundations laid by the QIP and focused on achieving client-orientated improvements in all business processes within the organisation. But this phase gradually lost momentum, as it failed to take into account the fact that lasting and continuous improvement in an organisation requires fundamental changes in almost every facet or part of the organisational whole. These fundamental changes include changes to the organisational structure, its management practices, its work processes and systems , changes in the way that managers view the organisation (that is, their mental models) and not merely a focus on process improvement within the organisation. The hypothesis propounded in this thesis would attempt to prove or disprove a component of the aforementioned, namely that a certain dominant mental model, that is, a belief of how the organisation works, is needed amongst the management of an organisation to bring about genuine improvements. This hypothesis propounds that a high-performing organisation would exhibit a strong correlation between the mental model implied by quality improvement and the organisation's managers' dominant mental model of how their organisation works

Some issues on the relationship between a co-operative support organisation and its client co-operatives

The distinction between ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ approaches to co-operative development is critically examined. In the context of evaluating the effectiveness of cooperative support organisations (CSOs), the problems associated with both approaches are analysed, and are found to be very similar. The key problem identified is the management of the relationship between the CSO and its client co-operatives. The problems of the management of this relationship are elaborated in a detailed case study of the management problems encountered in the development of a textile cooperative. It is argued that ‘top-down’ is a misleading label because it fails to distinguish between initiating and controlling, and that the term ‘pro-action’ is more useful, as it implies initiation by the CSO, but that the CSO can then involve the client co-operative in decisions about objectives. As CSOs strive to be more pro-active, more selective in whom they work with, and more resource-conscious and effective, it is argued that effective development work requires clearly set objectives, responsible resourcing in relation to these objectives and an implementation strategy. Related to the issue of pro-action, the ‘contracting’ approach is advocated as a basis for understanding and managing CSO-client relations. Its advantages and implications are discussed, particularly in relation to the skill needs of development workers

Leadership characteristics in an organizational transformation

The objective of this study was to determine if key leadership characteristics would be evident in leaders who exercised successfully an organizational transition. In reviewing the literature, an understanding was established that allowed the separation of Leadership versus Management and shared insight in situations where both are merged. Also developed was an extensive list of Leadership Characteristics. The study used the Delphi Method to obtain consensus from a selected group of General Managers within the Conference Center population. This study identified a limited set of key Leadership Characteristics required at the General Managers level for achieving successful organizational changes. The key characteristics identified profoundly illustrated that humanistic skills, flexibility, adaptability, integrity and honesty values are paramount for a successful organizational transition at the General Manager\u27s level

The application of market share objectives in directing, planning and monitoring marketing activity at corporate, divisional and brand levels

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.The main criterion of measuring the success of a marketing oriented company is the market share that it can achieve over its competitive rivals. The main objective of this study is to investigate the application of market share in the direction and control of the marketing activity for a brand or a product. To understand such applications.it is therefore necessary to consider the managerial use of this objective in the strategy formulation and control function at different managerial levels of an organisation. The differences of objectives, responsibilities, and type of decisions undertaken by managers at various levels require different definitions of a product's market. A higher level of market aggregation can be expected to take place at the higher managerial level to match the longer time span of the decision, and a greater responsibility. At the other end, segmenting the market by different criteria implies identifying these segments employed for measuring the share level of product. In addition, the constraints of a company's ultimate long term objective (Rol) over strategy formulation may affect the level of commitment of various marketing managers towards market share objective. A larger market share may not always produce higher profitability, and the product life cycle concept is used to identify conditions under which different results may be obtained. Finally, the study investigates the effects of factors "such as product characteristics and inflation rates on a manager's choice in selecting the marketing sales figure (sales value, or volume) for assessing the share level of a product. All the above factors generate the study hypotheses that will be tested by the postal questionnaire approach. The product/brand managers of heavily advertised fast moving consumer goods or of durable consumer products marketed by British or foreign companies in ttie UK market, will be surveyed. Since the collected data will tnko a number of forms, both non-parametric statistics, such as chi-square test, and mrametric statistics, such as Student's t-test, will be used for the purpose of analysis. In addition, to test the practical application and validity of the study findings, some of the senior marketing managers who responded to the questionnaire survey will be interviewed

Scientists, engineers and managers - Partners in space

Management practices in aerospace industr

The investment decision-making process in small manufacturing enterprises: with particular reference to printing and clothing industries.

This research is concerned with the investment decision making process in small manufacturing enterprises in the printing and clothing industries. The focus is on the actual decision-making behaviour of owner-managers. The study uses' Insider accounts' as a qualitative and innovative methodology, which involves in-depth, semi-structured interviews and direct observation,conducted longitudinally in 8 case study companies. It is a research method which includes detailed accounts from the actors themselves, incorporating the actual motives and behaviour of owner-managers based on the philosophy that the 'objects' studied are in fact 'subjects', who produce accounts of their world. The results of the study suggest that owner-manager use 'bootstrapping’ techniques for their investment appraisal instead of formal methods such as those recommended in the financial management literature. Bootstrapping represents an approach to decision making that is grounded in previous experience of key decision-makers and their organisations and the largely informal routines that they develop from this. These techniques include a combination of experience judgement and gut-feeling,budgets and forecasts and the tendering process. The concept of bootstrapping is not simply a way of owner-managers finding a solution to a problem or a sort of 'fire-fighting’ it is a concept of actions grounded in experiential leaming. In this sense, bootstrapping is a particular form of learning behaviour. It is essentially a trial and error learning process which brings knowledge, skills, values and attitudes together and provides owner-managers with an opportunity to evaluate outcomes associated with investment based on previous experience. Therefore, the researcher believes that conceptualising small firm investment decision making within the context of an organisational learning approach holds promise as an explanatory framework for investment behaviour in small firms

Consequences of Using Fear as a Motivator and Its Effects on the Employer / Employee Relationship

The following work is an in-depth analysis of the consequences of using fear as a motivator, specifically, in the workplace, and the effects fear has on employees. The empirical research identifies the successful, and often, unsuccessful components of the employer/employee relationship. For many, using fear would seem to be a powerful way of getting employees to produce more, work harder, increasing motivation. This is not always the answer. The study provides reasons why fear can be a negative motivator and detrimental to an organization

Gas and grain : the conservation of networked industrial landscapes

This thesis examines the networked industrial landscapes of Cape Town's nineteenth century gas supply industry, and South Africa's twentieth century grain elevator system. The thesis takes the view that, although created in very differing circumstances, both networks were explicitly constructed with the purpose of social and economic development, albeit for narrowly defined constituencies. In both cases, important component sites of these networks came to the end of their working lives during the course of this research. The Woodstock gas works has since been demolished, and the Cape Town grain elevator stands derelict. The principle question of this thesis asks whether the networks of which these sites formed an integral part, can be conserved with the purpose of future social and economic development within the broad framework of Agenda 21. Working within a methodological framework informed by the Kerr's Conservation Plan work, research was conducted which would provide a thorough understanding of the networks, allowing for an assessment of cultural significance, an awareness of issues that might affect that significance, and the formulation of policies for retention. Extensive desk-based study, archival research, and fieldwork was carried out at the Woodstock gas works, the Cape Town grain elevator, and the surviving country grain elevators that comprise the respective networks. Both the key sites were recorded during their final days of operation, with a detailed site inventory being created for the Cape Town grain elevator, together with an inventory of sites for the country elevators. It was found that the attitude to industrial heritage is changing rapidly, but that it is heavily influenced by aesthetic and economic considerations. The Woodstock gas works was demolished, and the site cleared, with very little active consideration being given to its conservation. By way of contrast, the Cape Town grain elevator, now derelict, has been the subject of a draft Conservation Plan, albeit one prepared without public participation. The process has stalled as the developer attempts to reconcile aesthetic and economic drivers with a publicly held commitment to the conservation, and marketing, of 'heritage'. The thesis concludes by proposing a new approach to dealing with networked industrial landscapes. It suggests that the surviving country elevators can not only be put to good use for the purpose of sustainable development in terms of Agenda 21, but that the network which historically links them to the Cape Town elevator could itself be re-established in the cause of social transformation