Determinants of salary in nonprofit organizations: A study of executive compensation in symphony orchestras

This thesis presents the development of a demand equation for symphony orchestras and a three equation, simultaneous model examining factors which influence nonprofit executive compensation. Results from the demand equation demonstrate that nonprofit orchestras operate in the inelastic portion of the demand curve. Thus, ticket sales generate negative marginal revenues and attendance is increased at the expense of profit. If total revenue is less than total cost, the orchestra must be subsidized by contributions from private and public sectors. The compensation model indicates that salary is positively correlated with the ability to increase contributions and improve organizational quality. Therefore, administrators seeking to enhance income and marketability would do well to focus their energies on these two critical areas. Additionally, private contributions and quality respond positively to executive pay. Organizations seeking to enhance their reputation by increasing their level of service will bid up the salary of superior managers

Design and development of a hybrid control system for flexible manufacturing : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Technology in Manufacturing and Industrial Technology at Massey University

Irregular Pagination MisnumberedFlexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS) appeared upon the manufacturing scene in the early 1970s, installations presently number in the thousands. However, many current installations in fact lack flexibility, do not operate in real-time and are prohibitively expensive. Therefore there are obvious benefits to be gained from making improvements to existing flexible manufacturing systems. Research conducted for this thesis focused on two major areas. The implementation of the FMS control system on a SCADA package and the development of an auction based scheduling system. This entailed the development of a hybrid control model composed of three distinct layers; factory, cell and intelligent entity. Key portions of both the factory and cell controllers were then implemented so as to create a minimal system. This has been completed to the point where the auction algorithm has been implemented and tested in an appropriate framework. In achieving the goals mentioned above a number of novel design concepts have been utilised. There are two which are most important, these are the use of low cost modules for the construction of a flexible co-operative manufacturing system, and the ability of this system to operate in a physically distributed area via a Local Area Network. Meaning it is inherently adaptable and resistant to failure. These novel design concepts were ingrained throughout the entire three layered control model. It is felt that this research has succeeded in demonstrating the possibility of implementing a FMS control system on a low cost SCADA package using low cost software and computing elements. The ability of the distributed, auction-based approach to operate successfully within this system, has also been demonstrated through simulation

A model for evaluating the institutional costs and benefits of ICT initiatives in teaching and learning in higher education

Significant investments are being made in the application of new information and communications technologies (ICT) to teaching and learning in higher education. However, until recently, there has been little progress in devising an integrated cost‐benefit model that decision‐makers can use to appraise ICT investment options from the wider institutional perspective. This paper describes and illustrates a model that has been developed to enable evaluations of the costs and benefits of the use of ICT. The strengths and limitations of the model are highlighted and discussed