Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Group decision making. Decision support systems. Performance'

This research was concerned with the collection of empirical data necessary to estimate the effects of decision support tools on the performance of distributed groups. Data was collected in a controlled experimental environment that simulated a geographically-dispersed meeting through the use of videoconferencing and group communication support (GCSS) technology. Results of the use of a Group Decision Support System (GDSS) on group process and outcome variables were mixed. As predicted by the literature the use of a GDSS by distributed groups improved overall group consensus, decision accuracy, and decision effectiveness. The use of a GDSS also increased perceived process structure. Contrary to previous studies, the use of a GDSS increased decision time, and decreased overall satisfaction with the group process. No significant effects were found for perceived consensus, cooperation, amount of information exchange, or confidence in the decision. A strong correlation was found between decision quality and decision time. An even stronger correlation was found between perceived structure of the process and satisfaction with the process. The lack of feedback about the process and its outcomes could explain the lack of a GDSS effect on perceptions of consensus, cooperation, and confidence in the decision. Perception of subjective measures of the process may depend on the presence of the appropriate types of feedback. The results suggest that an increase in structure without a perceived improvement in decision quality (confidence in the decision) tends to reduce group satisfaction. A richer taxonomy for Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) systems is proposed whereby three orthogonal dimensions of group support are defined. These three dimensions of group support are: Communication support, decision support, and presence support. This new taxonomy suggests a number of research directions aimed at the empirical identification of contextual and design factors relevant to distributed group performance and decision making performance in general.
Master of Science

Thesis (M.S. in Systems Technology)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 1990.
Thesis Advisor(s): Lacer, Donald A. Second Reader: Zviran, Moshe. "June 1990." Description based on title screen as viewed on March 23, 2010. DTIC Identifier(s): Decision Support Systems, Military Procurement, Decision Making. Author(s) subject terms: Acquisition, Group Decision Support System. Includes bibliographical references (p. 64). Also available in print.

This thesis explores different group decision making methods using the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) applied to the multi-criteria decision making problem of selecting a preferred "site" and develops a support system for group decision making. The group members consider sites to have alternative and often conflicting uses. It is imperative for decision makers in the responsible group to have an appropriate combination of tools, computer software and decisions support systems in order to make the most preferred decisions as a group despite potential inherent conflict among members of the decision making group. To support this idea and facilitate decision making, alternative group multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) evaluation techniques are examined. These include; AHP, Weighted Sum Method (WSM), Weighted Product Method (WPM), AHP Combined Method, Group Evaluation Method, Fuzzy AHP, Fuzzy AHP Combined, and Fuzzy AHP Group. A web-based comparison framework is developed as a prototype to facilitate model use. These methods are applied to the evaluation of coastal zone sites for alternate marine use including aquaculture or fish farming. Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing activities among coastal nations. At the same time, companies, researchers, and coastal communities are seeking assistance in identifying appropriate coastal zone sites for commercial fishing and aquaculture activities, habitat reserves, and marine recreation. The aquaculture case study evaluates four possible fish sites in the Grand Marian Island area of Atlantic Canada.

This research compared the use of an electronic meeting system tool to a manual group process in large and small groups in a controlled laboratory experiment. Outcomes measured include the quality of decision, the time taken in various stages of the decision making process, and group member satisfaction. A research model of the variables influencing group decision making was developed. The six independent variables included in this model are group size, the rule by which the group makes a decision, the incentives driving the group, the distribution of useful information within the group, the task complexity, and the meeting support (electronic or manual). In this research group size and method of support were manipulated, while the other variables were controlled. A decision-making task was developed for this research to specify and manipulate the six independent variables. The task described a product mix problem in which information on each product was given to group members. The group shared information and jointly determined an outcome. The group used an unanimous decision rule to choose a solution. A numerical outcome was used to objectively measure decision quality. Each member of the group received a cash payoff determined by the group's solution as incentive in accomplishing the task. All groups found the optimal solution. The simplicity of the task may have minimized the differences found between groups. There was no significant difference in general member satisfaction or time to decision. Prior knowledge was found to influence general member satisfaction and the time needed for the group to share information. Members of large groups perceived more uneven distribution of participation than members of small groups. Voting differences were very large: large groups took significantly more votes than small groups, and electronic groups took significantly more votes than manual groups. "Conjunctive" and "disjunctive" task descriptions are used to discuss task/tool interaction.

Knowledge acquisition is not only the most important but also most difficult task knowledge engineers face when they begin to develop expert systems. One of the first problems they encounter is the need to identify at least one individual with appropriate expertise who is able and willing to participate in the development project. They must also be able to use a variety of techniques to elicit the knowledge that they require. These include such traditional knowledge acquisition methods as interviewing, thinking-aloud protocol analysis, on-site observation, and repertory grid analysis. As expert system applications have become more complex, knowledge engineers have found that they must work with and tap the domain knowledge of not one but several individuals. They have also discovered that the traditional methods do not work well in eliciting the knowledge residing in a group of individuals. The complexity of the systems, the difficulties inherent in working with multiple experts, and the lack of appropriate tools have combined to make the knowledge acquisition task even more arduous and time consuming. Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS) have been proven to be useful tools for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of a multiplicity of group activities. It would appear that by bringing experts together in a GDSS environment and using computer-based tools to facilitate group interaction and information exchange, a knowledge engineer could eliminate many of these problems. This research was designed to explore the possibility of using a GDSS environment to facilitate knowledge acquisition from multiple experts. The primary research question was "Does A GDSS environment facilitate the acquisition of knowledge from multiple experts?" The principle contributions of this research are (1) demonstration of the first use of a GDSS environment to elicit knowledge from multiple experts; (2) establishment of a methodology for knowledge acquisition in a GDSS environment; (3) development of process models for acquiring knowledge; (4) development of guidelines for designing and evaluating group support tools; and (5) recognition of some implications of using a computer-supported cooperative approach to extract knowledge from a group of experts. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)

Organizations must consider increasing their decision-making capabilities in order to remain viable in a post-industrial society that Huber characterized as having "more and increasing knowledge, more and increasing complexity, and more and increasing turbulence" (1984). He sees the challenge for managers in the post-industrial environment as learning to make decisions in less time using greater quantities of more complex information. Group Decision Support Systems (GDSSs) represent a computer-based technology that has the potential to increase an organization's decision-making capabilities, and to meet this post-industrial challenge. This dissertation investigated a specific GDSS to study how GDSS technology affects group decision making compared to the more traditional face-to-face group decision making. The research was conducted through the use of a laboratory study comparing face-to-face groups of size six to GDSS groups of the same size. The decision process was the same for both types of groups, i.e., the sequence of steps used to solve the problem was consistent for both. Additionally, all of the groups were given the same task. Process and decision outcomes were measured for the six sets of treatments considered feasible for the manipulation of the communication condition, leadership, and anonymity. The process outcomes included satisfaction, time to decision, consensus, participation and uninhibited comments. The quality of a group's decision was the decision outcome measurement. The major findings of this study are: (1) Decision quality was equivalent for both face-to-face and GDSS groups; (2) Time to decision was greater for GDSS; (3) Consensus was less likely to occur in GDSS groups; (4) Satisfaction was lower in GDSS groups; (5) Participation was more equitable in GDSS groups.

There has been increasing research interest in recent years in using the power of computers to support group work. There have been two main areas of research: experimental research into GDSS supported group work in laboratory settings, and research designed to develop GDSSs which are effective, efficient and acceptable to their users. However, there have been some contradictory findings from these two areas of research. The developmental effort has shown great promise in relatively controlled developmental settings. At the same time, experimental research has indicated that GDSSs may not provide the hoped for increases in effectiveness and efficiency while being accepted by their users. This study has attempted to clarify this situation by using a field study to assess the implementation of a GDSS in an operational environment. The setting for this study was a large engineering and manufacturing site of a large electronics company. A GDSS which had been developed at the University of Arizona was installed at the host company's site, and it was assessed for the first nine months of its use. Results indicate that the system was perceived to be effective, efficient and acceptable for use by its intended users.

Group Support Systems (GSS) are systems, normally involving the use of Information Technology, that have been designed to support groups of people meeting to undertake some task. By providing an additional channel of communication, GSS attempt to reduce group process losses, such as domination of the group by one or more members, and to enhance positive aspects of the group process, for example a group member thinking of a new and useful idea as a result of awareness of the contribution of other group members. A number of different types of GSS have been developed involving different levels of IT support. However, the majority of research has been targeted at GSS involving networked personal computers, where each member of the group uses an individual personal computer to enter opinions and values. Another type of GSS involves a single personal computer, a large screen that can be viewed by all members of a group, and a number of personal handsets that can be used to send numeric information to the personal computer. Relative to networked personal computer based GSS, there has been far less research on the effectiveness of handset based GSS in supporting a group of people meeting on some task. Additionally, there is conflicting evidence between studies of GSS that have been undertaken in the laboratory, and studies that have been undertaken in the field. Laboratory studies have found little evidence to suggest that the group process is improved through the use of a GSS, whilst field studies have identified benefits. The evaluation of the validity of a GSS is a complex issue, and can be considered from a number of perspectives and approaches. This portfolio of projects concerns the development and evaluation of a type of k-GSS in organisational settings. The portfolio includes an account of the background to the development of the GSS and an initial evaluation of the usefulness of the system through a number of field studies. Two field applications of the GSS are the subject of an in-depth evaluation, and include evaluation of both process variables and output variables. The evaluation of the GSS in these applications suggests that an important factor in improving the group process through using a GSS is the extent to which dialogue is encouraged in the group. Additionally, a GSS Design Framework and GSS Design Guidelines are identified which should be reviewed when an application using this type of technology in an organisational context is being considered.

A software architecture for strategic-management support-systems is developed, with an underlying principle that new additions to the library of planning tools in such support systems should not have to be new programming efforts. The current status of group decision support is surveyed and the lack of a software architecture for such systems is noted. The software architecture that has been developed is intended to guide the development of such support systems and is based on a library of procedural abstractions called elemental-engines. Selected sets of elemental-engines are assembled into synthesized support drivers which support an even higher level of abstraction, that of the generic logic supporting a family of planning tools. Thus, a family of planning tools may be expanded by the simple creation of text files, containing the dialog of the new tool. The work looks first at the nature of strategic management decision-making, then to work done in group decision support systems. A framework for software development, particularly in the area of list-processing is presented. A data structure to support such list processing is developed and discussed. An example of the software architecture is presented via the code for the initial planning-tool developed. This code was then generalized into the library of elemental-engines and a set of synthesized support drivers. This library of planning-tools, built around the architecture is described, and the use of the tools in a planning session is evaluated. Some possible extensions with respect to a decision laboratory are suggested. The laboratory incorporates features developed in the evolution of using computers to support human decision-making, with software written according to the architecture presented.

The increasing complexity of decision situations has required organizations to integrate more types of expertise and consider more criteria for effective group decision making. Researchers have begun to examine how computer based support in the form of a Group Decision Support System (GDSS) can enhance the process and outcomes of decision making groups. This dissertation investigated the impact of GDSS for strategic planning impact analysis. The GDSS was based on the Stakeholder Identification and Assumption Surfacing Model. A controlled laboratory experiment was used to compare the process and outcomes of 4-person groups which had GDSS support, comparable manual support, and no support. The experimental task was a policy statement requiring undergraduates to have a personal computer for admittance to a business college. Groups were asked to determine a list of the most critical stakeholders who would be impacted by the policy, and their assumptions regarding the policy statement. Measures were taken on decision outcomes (decision quality, decision time, and satisfaction with the outcomes) and decision process variables (quantity of unique alternatives, distribution of individual participation, and satisfaction with the process). Additionally, observational data was recorded through the use of videotape recordings of the sessions. The major findings of the study are: (1) Decision quality is enhanced when groups use a structured methodology; (2) Decision time was shortest in the unstructured groups, with GDSS groups finishing somewhat faster than manual structured groups; (3) Satisfaction with the outcomes was not different between structured and unstructured groups, however it was higher in the GDSS groups compared to the structured manual groups; (4) Quantity of unique alternatives was much higher in the groups using a structured methodology; (5) Distribution of individual participation was more equal in groups using a structured methodology; and (6) Satisfaction with the process was not different between structured and unstructured groups, however the GDSS groups were more satisfied than the structured manual groups.

Memory is a complex cognitive process which has been widely researched within the field of neuropsychology. In clinical studies of adults, the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) is widely used. At this time there is no comparable clinical tool within the child literature pertaining to memory. There are studies which have extended the age limits of the WMS, but the youngest sample ranged from 10 to 14 years of age. The present research was conducted in two studies. The first study concerns the development of a memory scale for use with children aged six to twelve. This scale, Wilson's Adapted Memory Scale for Children (WAMS-C), was constructed utilizing the basic structure and subtests of the WMS. The scale was administered to 33 normal children, ranging in age from 6 to 12 years. It was hypothesized that the scale would reflect the developmental nature of memory as well as the relationship between memory and intelligence. The second study compared the memory skills of a learning disabled (LD) sample of children to those of a sample of normal learning (NL) children. A specific profile of academic achievement was used to define the LD children who participated in this study. (Reading and Spelling impaired, and relatively better Arithmetic skills). Research conducted by Rourke and his associates identified this subtype of LD children and provided predictions pertaining to their differential performance on verbal and visual tasks. The WAMS-C contains both verbal and visual memory tasks. It was predicted that these children would (1) do less well than NL children on the memory scale and (2) that these LD children would be impaired on the verbal memory portion of the WAMS-C, compared to NL children, but would exhibit equivalent performance on the visual memory tasks. The results of the studies showed the WAMS-C to reflect the developmental nature of memory and the relationship with intelligence. Also, LD children had significantly lower scores on the WAMS-C. However, neither the verbal or visual subtests differentiated between groups. Rather, subtests which may reflect short-term memory deficits and/or attentional problems appeared responsible for the differences found.

This dissertation develops the Focus Theory of Group Productivity, describes the use of the theory to guide development of several electronic group support tools, and reports the results of experiments testing whether the tools yield the predicted productivity gains. Focus theory posits that to be productive group members must divide their attention between three cognitive processes: communication, Deliberation, and information access. Communication, Deliberation, and information access are, in turn, constrained by limited attention and fading memory. Finally group members are only willing to engage their attention resources to the extent that the group goal is congruent with their individual goals. Electronic tools can reduce the attention demand of each of the three cognitive processes, and focus participant attention on appropriate problem-solving behaviors. Electronic tools can foster goal congruence under some circumstances. This dissertation describes how Focus Theory guided the development of the several electronic tools to support the needs of real groups experiencing real productivity problems. It reports the results of several laboratory experiments to test the goal-congruence hypothesis of Focus Theory. The first experiment frames social loafing and social comparison as goal congruence issues, showing that subjects using a real-time graph to compare their own performance to that of an average group generated more unique ideas than a group with no basis for comparison. Facilitation techniques boosted the salience of the comparison, further increasing performance. The second study frames affective reward as a goal congruence issue and develops and validates a measure for the construct. The third study frames user interface design in terms of goal congruence and demonstrates the strengths (pointing, selecting, moving, fine motor control) and weaknesses (handwriting recognition) of pen-based interfaces in those terms. The fourth study frames the classroom as a group-productivity setting and demonstrates that group support systems can be used to improve classroom interactions.

One of the most significant keys to value creation comes from placing emphasis on producing knowledge. The production of knowledge must a major part of the production strategy. This study aims to harness the concept of knowledge management (KM) as an essential element in the creation of sustainable competitive advantage for organisations. Accordingly, this research seeks to highlight the concept of knowledge management systems (KMS) as an essential element, in which the decision support system (DSS) and organisational performance (OP) are elements that control the survival of organisations in the marketplace. The industry requires creative thinking to generate innovation, learning and excellence in knowledge cognition and knowledge inertia, as well as knowledge acquisition (KA), and spending in three types of DSS: the group decision support system (GDSS), executive support system (ESS) and the expert system (ES). It also requires investment in experience inertia and in work teams for the purpose of access to cross-pollination of the information between the employees and to find new ideas about the industry. This study aims to investigate the issues and factors which affect the utilisation of KM as a tool for effective decision-making (DM).Therefore, decision models and DSSs which enhance effective utilisation of this approach will be investigated. Accordingly, a conceptual model based on the literature review and consultations with knowledge workers was developed. Studies of collaborating organisations which are active in manufacturing in Iraq and the UK were performed to validate the conceptual model and facilitate exploratory investigation regarding the relationships. Data was collected using personal interviews with managers and knowledge workers at the enterprises, in addition to use of the questionnaire which was distributed to samples within these firms. A case study method was used in the data collection stage. These case studies could also be implemented for the mechanical, systems engineering, and manufacturing industries. This is because the findings have been tested where the primary objectives of this study investigate KM gaps in the manufacturing industries generally. This study has also addressed the examined objectives by providing an explanation of several issues, identifying the key sources of KM and the corresponding factors. According to the study, KM is found to occur most strongly over the stages of manufacturing and on which high level KM mainly occurs. Furthermore, this study ties together the concepts of KM, DSS and performance as a way of creating sustinable competitive advantage for the firms. Similarly, the study examines the current use of KM tools and assesses the most prominent methods. This study explores the role of KM in industrial firms and the limitation of obstacles to avoid the gaps. Thus, this study proposes a businesslike framework and creative method, explaining comprehensively how KM must adjust in order to align employees' ideas with the firm's larger goals effectively and strategically, which will reduce the lack of harmonisation between the polarisation and implementation of KMS to those firms. The study identifies high correlation between KM and OP, in addition to identifying high correlation between computer-based DSS and OP.

This study examines the impact of organisational culture and GSS (Group Support Systems) on small group decision-making as measured by group decision outcomes. Laboratory experiments were designed to investigate how two types of groups selected on the basis of having apparently different organisational cultures make decisions on a preference task, in situations where they were given one of two different means of support (face-to-face GSS support or manually structured support) to aid their decision-making. Organisational culture and GSS are the independent variables, whilst the dependent outcome variables were perceived decision quality, decision process satisfaction, decision satisfaction, unified commitment, collaborative climate, and group cohesiveness. The research results showed that manually-supported groups, those who were given simple physical decision-support aids and worked face-to-face, had higher perceived decision quality and decision process satisfaction but no significant differences in unified commitment, decision satisfaction, collaborative climate, and group cohesiveness were found when compared to face-to-face GSS???supported groups who were given electronic aids. One of the two groups drawn from environments where organisational culture was expected to be quite different, that is the Kensington Campus group had higher perceived decision quality, decision process satisfaction, unified commitment, and group cohesiveness but no significant differences in decision satisfaction and collaborative climate when compared with groups drawn from a campus of the same university, ADFA (Australian Defence Force Academy) Campus, one which is attended only by military students. Whilst compared with those of manually structured support on group outcomes, the impacts of GSS on group outcomes weakened when they performed a preference task, organisational culture was found to have a significant impact on group outcomes when both face-to-face GSS and manual settings were considered.

[EN] The main objectives of this research are the following. First, to analyse the models and methods in Decision Support Systems (DSS) for forest management, taking into account the important features which allow forestry related problems to be categorized. Second, to define strategic criteria for the sustainable management of Mediterranean forests, as well as to elicit and aggregate the stakeholders' preferences. Third, to propose a robust methodology to implement collaborative management focused on ESS and to develop indicators for the main functions of ESS. The methodology is based on a workshop and surveys to elicit the decision makers', experts' and other stakeholders' preferences. Several techniques were then used to aggregate individual judgements and determine social preferences, in particular, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Goal Programming (GP). In addition, a PROMETHEE based method has been developed to provide indicators of the ESS, classified into provisioning, maintenance and direct to citizens services. The analysis of DSS for forest management has shown that the best choice of approach to solve a given problem depend on its nature, which can be characterized by the temporal scale, spatial context, spatial scale, number of decision makers or stakeholders, objectives and finally goods and services involved. A decision hierarchy for strategic management of Valencian forests has been developed by involving experts during the design phase. This was later validated in consultation with the stakeholders in a workshop and provides the base from which to obtain the social preferences. The results show greater importance for environmental and social criteria and lesser relevance for economic criteria, valid for both public and private Mediterranean forests. This result is the same regardless of which preference aggregation technique was used and takes into account the preferences of the majority of the stakeholders and also the minority opinions furthest from the consensus. New products and services such as rural tourism, renewable energies, landscape, hydrological regulation and erosion control, biodiversity and climate change mitigation are relevant. This research also proposes a robust methodology to implement collaborative management focused on ESS provided by protected areas and aggregated indicators for their main functions. Decision makers, technical staff and other stakeholders are included in the process from the beginning, by identifying ESS and eliciting preferences using the AHP method. Qualitative and quantitative data are then integrated into a PROMETHEE based method in order to obtain indicators for provisioning, maintenance and direct to citizens services. This methodology, which has been applied in a forest natural park, provides a tool for exploiting available technical and social data in a continuous process, as well as graphical results, which are easy to understand. This approach also overcomes the difficulties found in prioritising management objectives in a multiple criteria context with limited resources and facilitates consensus between all of the people involved. The new indicators define an innovative approach to assessing the ESS from the supply perspective and provide basic information to help establish payment systems for environmental services and compensation for natural disasters.
[ES] Los principales objetivos de esta investigación son los siguientes. En primer lugar, analizar los modelos y los métodos de los sistemas de ayuda a la toma de decisiones para gestión forestal, teniendo en cuenta las características relevantes que permiten clasificar los problemas forestales. En segundo lugar, definir los criterios estratégicos para la gestión forestal sostenible del bosque mediterráneo, así como obtener y agregar las preferencias de los decisores y otras partes interesadas. En tercer lugar, proponer una metodología robusta para implementar una gestión colaborativa centrada en los servicios del ecosistema y desarrollar indicadores para las principales funciones de estos servicios. La metodología se fundamenta en una jornada de trabajo con decisores, expertos y otros grupos de personas interesadas, así como en encuestas a todos ellos. Después se han utilizado varias técnicas para agregar las preferencias individuales y determinar las preferencias de los distintos grupos sociales, en particular el proceso analítico jerárquico y la programación por metas. Adicionalmente, se ha desarrollado un método basado en PROMETHEE que permite obtener indicadores de los servicios del ecosistema, clasificados en servicios de producción, mantenimiento y directos a los ciudadanos. El análisis de los sistemas de ayuda a la toma de decisiones para gestión forestal ha puesto de manifiesto que los mejores enfoques para resolver los problemas forestales dependen de su naturaleza, caracterizada por la escala temporal, el contexto espacial, la escala espacial, el número de decisores o personas interesadas, el número de objetivos y por último los bienes y servicios involucrados. Se ha desarrollado una jerarquía de decisión para la gestión estratégica de los bosques valencianos involucrando a expertos en la fase de diseño. Este modelo fue validado posteriormente por las partes interesadas en una jornada organizada con esta finalidad y ha sido la base para obtener las preferencias sociales. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto la mayor importancia de los criterios medioambientales y sociales y la menor relevancia de los económicos, tanto para el monte mediterráneo público como privado. Este resultado es independiente del método de agregación utilizado y tiene en cuenta tanto las preferencias de la mayoría como de la minoría más alejada del consenso. Son relevantes los nuevos productos y servicios tales como el turismo rural, las energías renovables, el paisaje, la regulación hidrológica y el control de la erosión, la biodiversidad y la mitigación del cambio climático. Esta investigación también propone una metodología robusta para implementar una gestión colaborativa centrada en los servicios del ecosistema que proporcionan las áreas protegidas e indicadores agregados para sus principales funciones. Los responsables de las decisiones, el personal técnico y otras personas interesadas han participado desde el inicio del proceso, identificando los servicios del ecosistema y proporcionado sus preferencias mediante la técnica del proceso analítico jerárquico. Después se integran los datos cualitativos y cuantitativos en un método basado en PROMETHEE con la finalidad de obtener indicadores para los servicios de producción, mantenimiento y directos a los ciudadanos. Esta metodología, que se ha aplicado en un parque natural, facilita la explotación de los datos técnicos y sociales en un proceso continuo y proporciona resultados gráficos muy fáciles de entender. Este enfoque también permite superar las dificultades que surgen al priorizar los objetivos de gestión en un contexto multicriterio con recursos limitados y facilita el consenso entre todas las personas involucradas. Los nuevos indicadores representan un enfoque innovador para la valoración de los servicios del ecosistema desde el punto de vista de la oferta y proporcionan información básica para establecer sistemas de pagos por
[CAT] Els principals objectius d'aquesta recerca són els següents. En primer lloc, analitzar els models i els mètodes dels sistemes d'ajuda a la presa de decisions per a gestió forestal, tenint en compte les característiques rellevants que permeten classificar els problemes forestals. En segon lloc, definir els criteris estratègics per a la gestió forestal sostenible del bosc mediterrani, com també obtenir i agregar les preferències dels decisors i altres parts interessades. En tercer lloc, proposar una metodologia robusta per a implementar una gestió col·laborativa centrada en els serveis de l'ecosistema i desenvolupar indicadors per a les principals funcions d'aquests serveis. La metodologia es fonamenta en una jornada de treball amb decisors, experts i altres grups de persones interessades, i també en enquestes a tots ells. Després s'han utilitzat diverses tècniques per a afegir-hi les preferències individuals i determinar les preferències dels diferents grups socials, en particular el procés analític jeràrquic i la programació per metes. Addicionalment, s'ha desenvolupat un mètode basat en PROMETHEE que permet obtenir indicadors dels serveis de l'ecosistema, classificats en serveis de producció, manteniment i directes als ciutadans. L'anàlisi dels sistemes d'ajuda a la presa de decisions per a la gestió forestal ha posat de manifest que els millors enfocaments per a resoldre els problemes forestals depenen de la naturalesa d'aquests problemes, caracteritzada per l'escala temporal, el context espacial, l'escala espacial, el nombre de decisors o persones interessades, el nombre d'objectius i, finalment, els béns i serveis involucrats. S'ha desenvolupat una jerarquia de decisió per a la gestió estratègica dels boscos valencians involucrant experts en la fase de disseny. Aquest model ha sigut validat posteriorment per les parts interessades en una jornada organitzada amb aquesta finalitat i ha sigut la base per a obtenir les preferències socials. Els resultats posen de manifest la major importància dels criteris mediambientals i socials i la menor rellevància dels econòmics, tant per a la muntanya mediterrània pública com privada. Aquest resultat és independent del mètode d'agregació utilitzat i té en compte tant les preferències de la majoria com de la minoria més allunyada del consens. Són rellevants els nous productes i serveis, com ara el turisme rural, les energies renovables, el paisatge, la regulació hidrològica i el control de l'erosió, la biodiversitat i la mitigació del canvi climàtic. Aquesta recerca també proposa una metodologia robusta per a implementar una gestió col·laborativa centrada en els serveis de l'ecosistema que proporcionen les àrees protegides i indicadors agregats per a les seues funcions principals. Els responsables de les decisions, el personal tècnic i altres persones interessades hi han participat des de l'inici del procés, identificant els serveis de l'ecosistema i proporcionant les seues preferències mitjançant la tècnica del procés analític jeràrquic. Després s'integren les dades qualitatives i quantitatives en un mètode basat en PROMETHEE amb la finalitat d'obtenir indicadors per als serveis de producció, manteniment i directes als ciutadans. Aquesta metodologia, que s'ha aplicat en un parc natural, facilita l'explotació de les dades tècniques i socials en un procés continu i proporciona resultats gràfics molt fàcils d'entendre. Aquest enfocament també permet superar les dificultats que sorgeixen a l'hora de prioritzar els objectius de gestió en un context multicriteri amb recursos limitats i facilita el consens entre totes les persones involucrades. Els nous indicadors representen un enfocament innovador per a la valoració dels serveis de l'ecosistema des del punt de vista de l'oferta i proporcionen informació bàsica per a establir sistemes de pagaments per serveis ambientals i compensacions per desastres naturals.
Segura Maroto, M. (2015). ASSESSMENT OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES BASED ON MULTIPLE CRITERIA AND GROUP DECISION MAKING [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/57955
TESIS

This study explored the dynamics of delayed time and real time computer-mediated communication (CMC) when small groups use text-based computer communication programs to reach closure on a priority setting problem task. This study was a preliminary investigation into the effects of computer-mediated communication mode on several measures: decision quality, gain-loss scores and utilization resources, time to solution, text sequencing, and text readability. The problem related to identifying mode of transmission (delayed time and real time) as a variable that can directly impact computer-mediated discourse. Prior studies involving CMC and group decision making were performed using either delayed time or real time computer-mediated communication mode (Kiesler, Siegel, & McGuire, 1984; Sproull and Kiesler, 1986). This study investigated group communication under both modes. Thirty two (N=32) three-person member groups completed a priority setting problem online in a unix* environment that supports computer-mediated communication in delayed and real time modes. Ninety six participants were randomly assigned to one of two computer- mediated communication modes (delayed time or real time). All participants completed the task from their home locations, communicating via modem connection to Nova University's VAX 8550 mini-computer running DEC's version of Unix, "Ultrix" Version 2.3. Participants were physically, and potentially geographically and time-zone dispersed from others with whom they participated with in the experiment. There was no face-to-face interaction among group members. Transcripts of electronic mail (delayed time) activities and recordings of "Phone" (real time) computer conversation program activities were made during the experiment and later analyzed. It was hypothesized that there would be a difference between CMC mode and group decision making performance and that coordination of communication would be reduced more under delayed time CMC than under real time CMC. Additionally, it was hypothesized that delayed time groups would take longer to reach closure on the task than real time groups. It was also hypothesized that delayed time groups would prepare and share more text than real time groups. It was also hypothesized that delayed time groups would produce higher text readability grade levels than real time CMC groups. Two of four hypotheses were supported. Bonferroni protected univariate F analyses were performed at the .01 level of significance. Results indicated that while patterns of group process to reach closure were unique according to respective CMC modes, there were no significant differences between groups in regard to decision making quality (score on task). Group decision making is achievable through CMC despite time delays and absence of face-to-face or voice communication. Delayed time groups took longer to reach closure on the task than real time groups. Real time groups exchanged more messages than delayed time groups. There were no significant differences between CMC groups in regard to the number of sentences and words exchanged. Delayed time groups produced text that was of higher readability quality. However, it was discovered that short text exchanges by groups from both CMC modes influenced the readability analysis, thus misleading true text readability grade levels under CMC modes. It was recommended that future research is needed to provide further insight as to why users would choose to use delayed time computer communication versus real time computer communication. This will become increasingly important to ascertain as more end-users increase their utilization of interactive computer mediated communication, now a standard feature offered under multi-user and multi-tasking operating system environments.

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics
This Work Project (WP) addresses the challenges faced by companies, particularly software houses, in reporting, decision making and controlling project performance activities. It focuses on issues regarding design and implementation of management control systems to support those activities and help achieve strategic goals. The WP suggests courses of action to be followed to improve the quality of information provided by such systems for budgeting and costing projects, and evaluate their performance. A case study approach (Ryan et al. 2002) was followed, applying Pinheiro’s (2007) control plan to a real company. The findings may apply to other companies facing similar constraints.

The mobile phone has been regarded as one of the most significant inventions in the field of communications and information technology over the past decade. Due to the rapid growth of mobile phone subscribers, hundreds of phone models have been introduced. Therefore, customers may find it difficult to select the most appropriate mobile phone because of information overload. The aim of this study is to investigate web support for customers who are selecting a mobile phone. Firstly, all the models of mobile phones in the New Zealand market were identified by visiting shops and local websites. Secondly, a list of all the features of these mobile phones was collated from local shops, websites and magazines. This list was categorised into mobile phone properties and performance criteria. An experiment then compared three different selection support methods: A (mobile phone catalogue), B (mobile phone property selection) and C (mobile phone property and performance criteria selection). The results of the experiment revealed that selection support methods B and C had higher overall satisfaction ratings than selection support method A; both methods B and C had similar satisfaction ratings. The results also suggested that males and females select their mobile phones differently, though there was no gender preference in selection support methods.

A necessidade de investimento em saneamento no Brasil é essencial, pois está vinculada à melhoria da qualidade de vida da sociedade. Os projetos de saneamento exigem altos investimentos e, para garantir a prestação dos serviços, é necessário um sistema complexo de infraestrutura. Os elevados custos envolvidos e a limitação de recursos financeiros fazem com que seja preciso estabelecer prioridades para execução de projetos de saneamento. Com efeito, o objetivo desta pesquisa é propor um modelo multicritério de decisão para apoiar decisões de hierarquia de projetos de abastecimento de água e esgotamento sanitário. A pesquisa abordada tem enfoque qualitativo, sendo também vista como metodológica, pois sua finalidade é envolver métodos e procedimentos adotados como científicos. Assim, traz como escopo apoiar e estruturar o processo de decisão em que são definidos: os elementos (intervenientes, alternativas potenciais, critérios, problemática); tipos de decisão em grupo; escolha dos métodos multicritérios (PROMETHEE II & GAIA e ELECTRE IV); modelagem de preferência; sistemas de apoio à decisão (D-SIGHT e ELECTRE III-IV); avaliação de resultados e análise de sensibilidade. Procura-se garantir que a pesquisa tenha caráter prático, razão por que foi realizada a aplicação numérica do modelo no contexto da bacia dos rios Piracicaba, Capivari e Jundiaí, região sudeste do Brasil.
The need of investment in water supply and sewage projects in Brazil is substantial to improve the quality of life. These projects require high investments and, mostly, to ensure the provision of these services it is necessary a complex infrastructure. Due to the high costs associated with the lack of resources, it is relevant to prioritize projects. Thus, the purpose of this research is to propose a multicriteria decision model to support decisions hierarchy of water supply and sewage projects. This work has a qualitative and methodological approach; the goal is to inquire a scientific procedure. The object is to structure the decision-making process defined by its main concepts (actors, potential alternatives, criteria, problems), group decision making; selection of multiple criteria methods (PROMETHEE II & GAIA, ELECTRE IV); preference modeling, decision support systems (D-SIGHT and ELECTRE III-IV), evaluation and sensitivity analysis. This study seeks a practical purpose, so the proposed model, is applied in the basin of Piracicaba, Capivari e Jundiaí. The contribution here to aid similar situations where is necessary to establish priorities of sanitation projects.

O departamento de gestão de pessoas tem deixado de atuar de forma meramente burocrática, passando a ser considerado como uma unidade estratégica nas organizações, desta forma, é crescente a necessidade por estudos relacionados à atuação da gestão de recursos humanos, os quais devem propor novos debates teóricos, modelos e abordagens para as práticas de gestão. Neste sentido, a presente dissertação teve como objetivo principal, desenvolver um modelo de avaliação de desempenho organizacional para apoiar a diretoria de desenvolvimento de pessoal da Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul - UFFS, por meio da metodologia multicritério de apoio à decisão – construtivista. Este estudo de caso, de natureza exploratória e descritiva, foi desenvolvido com o auxílio de dois instrumentos de intervenção, o ProKnow-C, por meio do qual realizou-se: (i) a seleção de artigos científicos relevantes sobre o tema em estudo; (ii) a análise bibliométrica, sendo extraído os artigos, autores, periódicos e palavras-chave mais relevantes sobre o tema; e, (iii) a análise sistêmica dos artigos permitiu construir conhecimento no pesquisador e identificar lacunas na literatura sobre com foco no desenvolvimento de pessoal em instituições públicas de ensino. Utilizando o segundo instrumento de intervenção, a MCDA-C, foi possível construir o modelo de avaliação de desempenho organizacional, por meio de interação direta com o decisor, sendo possível descrever os objetivos, metas, aspectos desejáveis, indesejáveis, os problemas e as preocupações do mesmo em relação ao contexto em análise, organizando-os em uma estrutura que possibilitou realizar a mensuração, avaliação global da situação atual e propor ações de aperfeiçoamento. Os principais resultados obtidos da análise sistêmica foram: (i) nenhum trabalho identifica o decisor no trabalho e o tem em conta para a construção integral do modelo; (ii) menos de 4% dos trabalhos reconhecem que o modelo é válido somente para contexto em análise; (iii) a totalidade dos artigos não atendem a teoria da mensuração; (iv) apenas 3 dos 29 artigos analisados realizam a integração dos critérios para obter uma avaliação global do desempenho; e, (v) nenhum trabalho apresenta ações de aperfeiçoamento. Os principais resultados da construção do modelo de avaliação de desempenho organizacional foram: (i) construção de 75 indicadores de desempenho; (ii) permitiu obter a avaliação global de desempenho, possibilitando visualizar os pontos fracos e fortes do desempenho da gestão, a qual encontra-se atualmente com 55 pontos; (iii) possibilita visualizar o impacto das ações sobre o desempenho global; e, (iv) possibilitou elencar 13 ações para promover o aperfeiçoamento, de forma que o desempenho geral alavancasse de 55 para 79 pontos. Desta forma, o estudo é suma importância para a gestão de recursos humanos da UFFS, visto que: (i) supre a dificuldade de afirmar que determinado resultado se deve a uma determinada prática adotada pela gestão de recursos; (ii) supre a dificuldade da organização em definir indicadores organizacionais de gestão de recursos humanos que possam ser comparáveis antes e depois de intervenções; e (iii) preenche uma lacuna na literatura, de estudos que considerem a singularidade do contexto, tendo o decisor em conta para a construção integral do modelo.
The human resource management department has been not to act in a purely bureaucratic way anymore, and then it is considered as a strategic unit in organizations. Therefore, there is a growing need for studies related to action management on the human resources, what should propose new theoretical debates, models and approaches to the management practices. In this sense, the present work points out to develop a performance evaluation model to support the department of development of people of the Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul - UFFS, through Methodology Multiple-criteria Decision Analysis – Constructivist. This case study, exploratory and descriptive, was developed with the help of a couple intervention tools, the ProKnow-C, through it was held: (i) the selection of relevant scientific papers on the subject under study; (ii) the bibliometric analysis, being extracted the most relevant articles; authors; journals and keywords on the topic; and, (iii) the systemic analysis of the articles allows to build knowledge in Researcher and identify gaps in the literature of the performance evaluation focused on the development of people in public educational institutions. Using the second policy instrument, the MCDA-C, it was possible to build the organizational performance assessment model, through direct interaction with the decision maker what makes possible describe the objectives; goals; the desirable and the undesirable aspects; problems and concerns on this issue in relation to the context of this inquire; organizing them into a structure that enabled perform the measurement, overall assessment of the current situation and propose improvement actions. The main results of the systemic analysis were: (i) no work identifies the decision-maker at work and take into account for the full construction of the model; (ii) less than 4% of the work recognize that the model is valid only for context in analysis; (iii) all the articles don’t meet the theory of measurement; (iv) only 3 of 29 analyzed articles realize the integration of the criteria for an overall assessment of performance; (v) no work shows improvement actions. The main results of the construction of performance evaluation model were: (i) building of 75 performance indicators; (ii) allowed to obtain the overall performance evaluation, making it possible to visualize weaknesses and strengths of management performance, which is currently 55 points; (iii) allows one to view the impact of actions on the overall performance; and, (iv) made it possible to list 13 actions to promote improvement, so that overall performance leaped from 55 to 79 points. Thus, the study is extremely important for the management of human resources of the UFFS, since: (i) supplies the difficulty of stating that certain result is due to a practice of resource management; (ii) supplies the difficulty of the organization in defining organizational indicators of human resource management that are comparable, before and after interventions; and, (iii) fills a gap in the literature of the studies that consider the uniqueness of the context, taking the decision maker into account for the full construction of the model.

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The use of fuzzy logic and fuzzy sets theory applied to decision making process was initially proposed by Bellman and Zadeh (1970). Since then, the arisen of unstructured problems associated with multi-criteria characteristics and group decision making changed the way of dealing with these problems. The evolution of Decision Support Systems (DSS) allowed them, not only to provide data and information, but also to propose solutions to these problems. The goal of this work is to present a framework for the development of DSS that deal with Multi-Criteria Group Decision Making (MCGDM) problems through fuzzy rules. In this approach, we propose a method capable of automatically generating a Fuzzy Rule Base with multi-criteria characteristics for group decision making, that is, different influence degrees for each decider and different importance degrees assigned to each variable are considered in the model. This framework also contains a structural model of a Fuzzy System for Group Decision Support aiming at adding DSS characteristics found in literature to Fuzzy Systems. These characteristics include user/system interactivity and Model Management Subsystem (MMS) described in this work. Finally, a case study designed to validate the model is presented.
O uso da lógica fuzzy e da teoria de conjuntos fuzzy aplicadas ao processo de tomada de decisão foi proposto inicialmente por Bellman e Zadeh (1970). Desde então, os problemas não estruturados associados às características multicritério e de tomada de decisão em grupo alteraram sua forma de tratamento. A evolução presente nos Sistemas de Apoio à Decisão (SAD) fez com que estes sistemas deixassem de fornecer somente dados e informações e passassem também a propor soluções aos problemas analisados. O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar um framework para o desenvolvimento de SAD que tratem problemas classificados como Multi-Criteria Group Decision Making (MCGDM) com o uso de regras fuzzy. Dentro desta abordagem é apresentado um método capaz de gerar automaticamente uma Base de Regras Fuzzy com características multicritério para tomada de decisão em grupo, ou seja, os diferentes graus de influência de cada decisor e os diferentes graus de importância atribuídos por eles a cada variável são considerados no modelo. Este framework ainda contempla um modelo estrutural de um Sistema Fuzzy para Apoio à Decisão em Grupo com o objetivo de agregar aos sistemas fuzzy as características dos SAD descritas na literatura como, por exemplo, a capacidade de interatividade usuário/sistema e a presença do Subsistema de Gestão de Modelos (SGM), descritos neste trabalho. Por fim, um estudo de caso é realizado para validar o modelo apresentado.

Past research has demonstrated that individual and group judgments are subject to systematic biases. Although much effort has been devoted to the debiasing of individual judgments, no corresponding work to date has been found on the debiasing of group judgments. Complicating this research gap is the fact that group and team work is gaining increasing importance in organizational settings. The current study examines the usefulness of group support systems (GSS) in addressing two important judgment biases, namely, representativeness bias and availability bias. Representativeness bias refers to the bias incurred in posterior-probability estimation by not properly utilizing information sources such as base rate. Availability bias occurs when events of higher availability to the memory are correspondingly judged as occurring more frequently. The formation of a judgment is seen from the perspective of an information integration process. Two orthogonal dimensions of information integration -- interpersonal and intrapersonal -- are involved in group judgments. Interpersonal information integration concerns the aspect of information sharing among group members, and can be supported with the electronic communication channel of GSS. Intrapersonal information integration deals with the information processing capacities and capabilities of individuals, and is supportable using cognitive-support tools of GSS. A laboratory experiment with a 2x2 factorial design was conducted. One hundred and twenty subjects took part in the experiment. They were randomly allocated to 40 groups. Two experimental tasks, designed to examine the two judgment biases of interest, were solved by each group. Data pertaining to both processes and outcomes were collected and analyzed. Representativeness bias was reduced by the use of cognitive support, in the form of a problem representation tool. Groups with the problem representation tool made fewer references to diagnostic information versus base rate, leading to the use of more correct strategies which combined these two information sources. The use of the problem representation tool was found to be responsible for causing this chain of events. On the other hand, electronic communication did not lead to a similar change in the pattern of group processes, and, correspondingly, did not reduce the representativeness bias. Although electronic communication is capable of improving the interpersonal aspect of information integration, the representativeness bias is primarily a result of cognitive limitations, and benefits little from improved communication among group members. Availability bias was reduced by both cognitive support and communication support. Cognitive support, in the form of electronic brainstorming, increased the information search scope of issues, especially those issues of relatively low availability to the memory. Electronic communication allows parallel input and has a lower social presence than verbal communication. These features helped to reduce the extent of groupthink and widened the range of alternative solutions proposed. Some interaction effects were observed on group members’ perceptions of the group process. For example, communication medium had an effect on group members’ satisfaction in groups without cognitive support, but not those with cognitive support. Correspondingly, cognitive support affected some perceptual variables in verbally-communicating groups, but not electronically-communicating groups. Examples of such effects include an increase in perceived socio-emotional behavior and perceived informal leadership.

Medication is vital in treating chronic disease. Increasing use of medication, however, can lead to (potentially preventable) medication-related adverse events. Medication management offers a means of addressing such adverse events and pharmacists have an important role in this solution, especially in terms of reviews of patient medication. Improved availability and sharing of patient-related information are critical factors in medication management, so that providing access to this information becomes a major factor in effective medication reviews. Although clinical decision support tools can significantly assist doctors in accessing relevant point-of-care information for greater patient safety, it has proven difficult to ensure the availability and appropriate structure of patient-related information for such support tools. These information access and input problems are further exacerbated by a lack of existing research into suitable decision support solutions for pharmacists. This research project explored the suitability of an essential information model to support an electronic document solution to support clinical documentation and allow effective communication between pharmacists and doctors for medication reviews. The project investigated whether this approach could improve safety, quality and efficiency in the medication review process; as well as more generally identifying factors influencing development and uptake of document-based support tools in the Health sector. The project used a qualitative Design Research approach and iterated through three scenarios. The first, information-rich, hospital scenario developed an information model of essential medication management components, which underpinned the development of a digital document prototype implemented using XForms technology. In the second scenario, accredited pharmacists evaluated the digital document to enable refinement of the information model and its associated digital document for the broader community context. The third scenario involved field studies which evaluated the digital document (and thus the underlying information model) within the community, assessing its contribution to quality, safety and efficiency throughout the medication review process. The investigation identified a number of themes which guided design and development of the prototype; and which appeared likely to have a broader impact on successful uptake of decision support tools. Missing information proved to be a constant and serious problem for health professionals although, in this project, it also became a way of determining the value of an information element and thus its inclusion in the information model. Conversation played a significant role in the hospital environment to help supply pharmacists information needs. Information granularity, the language of health professionals; and their time constraints were major factors influencing design. Health professionals extensive use of their personal knowledge also suggested decision support tools in this sector should be systems for experts rather than expert systems, i.e. the decision support tool and its users personal knowledge should complement one another. The results of this proof-of-concept project suggest practice improvement in medication management is possible, with perceived improvements in safety, quality and efficiency of the medication management process. These benefits, however, now need to be affirmed in larger field studies. The contributions of this research are two-fold: firstly, it is possible to develop a model of essential medication-related information which is succinct, relevant and can be understood and shared by health professionals in conjunction with the individuals personal knowledge. Secondly, a document metaphor is a natural fit with health professionals for representing and communicating information. Expressing this metaphor as digital document overcomes the main problems of paper-based documents sharing and communication; and the dynamic properties of digital documents assist in decision-making.

Modern civil commercial transport aircraft provide the means for the safest of all forms of transportation. While advanced computer technology ranging from flight management computers to warning and alerting devices contributed to flight safety significantly, it is undisputed that the flightcrew represents the most frequent primary cause factor in airline accidents. From a system perspective, machine actors such as the autopilot and human actors (the flightcrew) try to achieve goals (desired states of the aircraft). The set of activities to achieve a goal is called a function. In modern flightdecks both machine actors and human actors perform functions. Recent accident studies suggest that deficiencies in the flightcrew's ability to monitor how well either machines or themselves perform a function are a factor in many accidents and incidents. As humans are inherently bad monitors, this study proposes a method to automatically assess the status of a function in order to increase flight safety as part of an intelligent pilot aid, called the AgendaManager. The method was implemented for the capture altitude function: seeking to attain and maintain a target altitude. Fuzzy systems were used to compute outputs indicating how well the capture altitude function was performed from inputs describing the state of the aircraft. In order to conform to human expert assessments, the fuzzy systems were trained using a genetic algorithm (GA) whose objective was to minimize the discrepancy between system outputs and human expert assessments based on 72 scenarios. The resulting systems were validated by analyzing how well they conformed to new data drawn from another 32 scenarios. The results of the study indicated that even though the training procedure facilitated by the GA was able to improve conformance to human expert assessments, overall the systems performed too poorly to be deployed in a real environment. Nevertheless, experience and insights gained from the study will be valuable in the development of future automated systems to perform function assessment.
Graduation date: 1998

This research aims at evaluating the level at which GIS is currently performing as a Decision Support Tool in Land Use Management Systems in KwaZulu Natal. Research was conducted amongst all ofthe district municipalities (in survey format, with a seventy percent response rate), as well as amongst representatives of three local municipalities, and representatives of the only Metropolitan municipality (all in the form of in-depth inten1iews). The results of the research were certainly revealing, and at points, significantly concerning. This research illustrates that despite the fact that the municipal LUMS should be in place, in most instances, the local municipalities have not completed their LUMS, and many districts have not finalised their specific components of the LUMS (namely the Land Use Framework, or LUF). Reasons for the difficulties experienced in developing the municipal LUMS were mainly capacity related, although there were a few additional impediments worth noting. Due to this, it was difficult to successfully evaluate the role that GIS is playing in LUMS as a Decision Support Tool. Despite this difficulty, it was still possible to evaluate the current use of GIS in the development of LUMS, as well as its perceived use in the future. Furthermore, the general perceptions regarding GIS as a Decision Support Tool were open for examination, along with how it will be used as such in LUMS This research confirms that GIS has been used to some extent in the development of the municipal LUMS, and that it will be used extensively in the future, particularly in Decision Support. This research concludes by offering various solutions or recommendations to the problems being experienced by the municipalities. These solutions originate both from points mentioned in the literature review, as well as from the responses to the questionnaires and interviews; and could assist in resolving the noteworthy problems revealed during the research.
Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

During the last decade, the integration of management systems (this includes any management system that is used to achieve the goals of an organisation example PASCAL, ISO standards and enterprise resource planning), has become an increasingly important strategy adopted by organisations, as it represents an alternative to operating with multiple management systems in parallel (Abad, Cabrera & Medina, 2014:860). Despite the established need for the integration of management systems, research on how to carry out integration has yet to be developed fully and an elaborated methodology of integration needs full realisation (Bernardo, Casadesús, Karapetrovic & Heras, 2012; Rocha, Searcy, Karapetrovic, 2007; Wilkinson & Dale, 1999a; Zeng, Shi & Lou, 2007). The aim of the current study was to develop a framework for organisations that could be used for the integration of management systems in a structured manner. This study was undertaken by exploring the views and opinions of senior management through fourteen face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Thereafter, an online survey collected 220 responses from four South African multinational organisations involved with management system development and implementation. The research instrument used a seven-point Likert-type scale for the respondents to rate each question. The data was analysed statistically primarily using factor analysis to confirm the significant factors and then structural equation modelling to test the relationships between the factors, which ultimately confirmed the developed framework. The beneficiaries of this research are primarily organisations that have three or more management systems in an organisation. The framework will also be valuable to management in industry and policymakers since it addresses key integration issues, such as employee performance, organisational culture, employee motivation and policy as factors when considering integration of management systems.
Business Management
D.B.L.