Systems for the future: Proceedings of the Australian systems conference

The depth and variety of papers in this volume are a testament to the applicability of systems thinking to a wide range of problems. The complexity of modern management demands approaches that take into account not only difficult technical challenges, but also the various views and perceptions of those involved in the problem situation. The following papers are a small subset of the work being done to rise to this challenge. Systems methodologies and techniques will shape the future. They provide an avenue to attempt to solve the myriad of environmental, social, business, and technical problems that face us. Systems approaches help us to understand the basis of many present dilemmas. This understanding plus associated techniques make system science a discipline for the future

Semantic discovery and reuse of business process patterns

Patterns currently play an important role in modern information systems (IS) development and their use has mainly been restricted to the design and implementation phases of the development lifecycle. Given the increasing significance of business modelling in IS development, patterns have the potential of providing a viable solution for promoting reusability of recurrent generalized models in the very early stages of development. As a statement of research-in-progress this paper focuses on business process patterns and proposes an initial methodological framework for the discovery and reuse of business process patterns within the IS development lifecycle. The framework borrows ideas from the domain engineering literature and proposes the use of semantics to drive both the discovery of patterns as well as their reuse

The role of tacit knowledge in knowledge intensive project management

The traditional doctrine of project management, having evolved from operations management, has been dominated by a rationalist approach in terms of planning and control. There is increasing criticism that this prescriptive approach is deficient for the management of dynamically complex projects which is a common characteristic for modern-day projects. In response to this and the relative lack of scholarly literature, this study uses an emergent grounded theory design to discover and understand the softer, intangible aspects of project management. With primary data collected from twenty semi-structured personal interviews, this study explores the lived experiences of project practitioners and how they ‘muddle through’ the complex social setting of a knowledge intensive financial services organisation. The model which evolved from the research portrays the project practitioner as being exposed to multiple cues, with multiple meanings around five causal themes: environmental, organisational, nature of the task, role and knowledge capability. In response to these cues, the practitioner reflects upon their emotions and past experiences in order to make sense of the uncertain situation to determine their necessary course of action. As a coping strategy the project practitioner takes on the role of bricoleur, by making do by applying combinations of the resources at hand, in order to facilitate the successful delivery of their projects

Proceedings of the Salford Postgraduate Annual Research Conference (SPARC) 2011

These proceedings bring together a selection of papers from the 2011 Salford Postgraduate Annual Research Conference(SPARC). It includes papers from PhD students in the arts and social sciences, business, computing, science and engineering, education, environment, built environment and health sciences. Contributions from Salford researchers are published here alongside papers from students at the Universities of Anglia Ruskin, Birmingham City, Chester,De Montfort, Exeter, Leeds, Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores and Manchester

The role of the institutional environment as a barrier or an enabler to entrepreneurial and innovation activity; the case of the South African green economy industry

This thesis examines the relationship between the institutional environment and entrepreneurial and innovation activity within SMEs operating in South Africa's green economy, with a focus on the energy, agriculture, water and sanitation, and waste and recycling sectors. The aim is to investigate how entrepreneurs navigate the institutional environment by utilising entrepreneurial orientation and managerial discretion to achieve entrepreneurial output. By examining the implications of South Africa's post-apartheid legacy on present-day entrepreneurship in these sectors, the study yields valuable insights from the entrepreneurs' perspectives. The methodology adopted in this study is phenomenological, which utilises qualitative research methods, cross-validated with some quantitative evidence in the form of statistical analysis and case studies. The study includes 55 participants, comprising 47 entrepreneurs and 8 stakeholders from government departments, government agencies, NGOs, and incubators. The study highlights the regulatory mechanisms in place to promote small business participation in South Africa's economy and transition to a more environmentally conscious one. However, the outcomes suggest that these measures may not be achieving their intended objectives, and the institutional environment and cultural views may pose significant obstacles to entrepreneurship and the adoption of greener practices. The research emphasises the importance of addressing these issues to promote sustainable economic growth in South Africa. The study recommends a more coordinated effort by all stakeholders to target pertinent socio-economic challenges specific to South Africa's context