M.Phil / MS
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://repository.cuilahore.edu.pk/handle/123456789/48
This collection archives the complete set of theses produced by students of the COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus.
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Item Effect of Team Mental Model on Project Performance: Mediating Role of Information Utilization in Software Industry of Punjab Pakistan(Library Information Services COMSATS University Islamabad Lahore Campus, 2014-02-04) Mahwish Bukhari; FA11-MSPM-009; Dr. Yahya Rashid; LHR TP 4435The primary objective of this study is to explore the effect of team mental model on project performance with mediating role of information utilization. The focus is to evaluate the relationship between the factors of team mental model. I am going to examine the effect of team mental model factors that are team interaction, teammates, job/task, and technology/equipment on project performance. Moreover the mediation effect of information utilization on it, the data collected from 60 software project teams of software projects which include software engineers, system analysts, developers, managers, supervisors, programmers, coders. The study will be using quantitative method of analysis and well designed questionnaire to be filled by target sample. The analysis will be done by using statistical software SPSS.The hypotheses will be tested by using the data taken from the sample. This study concluded that team interaction has no effect or relationship with project performance in software projects. Moreover, teammates have also no effect on project performance they have to perform their individual tasks on the basis of their ability and experience. They work properly without teammate‘s guidance in developing software. But technology and job has a positive relationship with project performance. If technology advances it affect the project performance. Job or performing tasks in project has an effect on project performance. If the task will be done properly the project completion will be successful. If any gap found in a project in performing tasks it will affect the project performance. Information utilization as a mediator is tested in this study that team mental model (TMM) has an effect on project performance with mediating role of information utilization. Team interaction and teammates proved to be insignificant so it cannot be tested for mediation. Technology has no effect on project performance with mediating role of information utilization it‘s proved to be insignificant. Job/task has a positive relationship with information utilization, it effect the project performance if information properly utilize between performing tasks the project will be successful and successfully ended. So it‘s proved that some factors of team mental model have an effect on project performance moreover with the mediating role of information utilization also.Item Impact of Corporate Governance on Firm Performance: A Case of Insurance Industry of Pakistan(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2014) Hafiz Muhammad Raheel Arif; FA11-MSMS-013; Dr. Talat Azfa; LHR TP 4385The study is aimed to investigate the outcome of the influence of corporate governance on financial performance of two-tiered insurance industry of Pakistan i.e. Non-life insurance companies and life insurance companies for the period 2005-2012. The study has used four dimensions of corporate governance mechanisms including board composition, board compensation, ownership structure, and audit quality. The study uses twelve corporate governance variables which are categorized under three categories making corporate governance indices which are; corporate governance index of board structure, corporate governance index of ownership structure, and corporate governance index of audit quality. Each category includes variables (i) corporate governance board index, (a) board size, (b) board independence, (c) chief executive officer duality, (d) board diversity, and (e) executive remuneration, (ii) corporate governance ownership index, (a) institutional ownership, (b) ownership concentration, and (c) family ownership, (iii) corporate governance audit index, (a) audit committee size, (b) audit fees, (c) audit committee independence, and (d) independence of audit committee chairman and a set of control variables including premiums growth, liquidity, firm size for both life and non-life insurance companies and firm age for non-life and leverage for life insurance companies. Both accounting and marketing measures are used as financial performance variables viz. return on assets, return on equity as accounting measures, and Tobin’s Q as marketing measure of financial performance. The study separately gives the results of the non-life and life insurance companies while making a comparison between the both. Findings of the study insinuate that index of board structure and index of audit has positive and significant relationship with the both type of financial performance variables of non-life and life insurance companies, governance index of ownership structure has negative effect with all performance measures. While in control variables, size, age and liquidity has positive and premiums growth has negative effect on financial performance variables of non-life insurance companies. And leverage and liquidity of life insurance firms have negative effect with all three performance variables; firm size has positive with return on assets and return on equity but negative with Tobin’s Q and premiums growth has negative association with return on assets and return on equity but positive with Tobin’s Q. The study concludes that return on assets and return on equity are the most suitable variables of measuring financial performance.Item Effect of Big Five Personality Model on Employees’ Job Performance Considering the Mediating Role of Employees’ Behavior & Attitudes: A Study on the Banking Sector of Pakistan(Library Information Services COMSATS University Islamabad Lahore Campus, 2013-02-04) Iqra Abdullah; FA11-MSMS-016; Dr. Yahya Rashid; LHR TP 4392Intensive competition among the banks of Pakistan, have highlighted a need to pay close attention to the job performance of employees. After globalization and privatization phase, culture of the banks has been transformed into performance based culture. Now the major challenge for the banks’ management is to hire the employees who can perform at their full potential and to maximize the performance of existing employees. Unstructured interviews from recruiters of banks indicated that there are very few questions, asked about the personality traits of the candidate. But previous studies on the personality show that there are number of different employees’ behavior and attitudes that can be predicted through the personality analysis. So to highlight the importance of personality evaluation during recruitment process, this study has investigated the direct impact of personality traits on the job performance of employees. But the next question is that how to measure the personality of an employee accurately. So through the intensive review of literature, Big Five Personality model is discovered that is comprised of five personality traits that are Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism and Openness to Experience. Two categories of job performance are considered in this study i.e. task and contextual performance. Further the role of innovative behavior and three components of organizational commitment that are affective commitment, continuance commitment and normative commitment; is discussed in the relation of personality and performance. The importance of innovative behavior of workforce in highly competitive industries cannot be denied. Moreover it is found in the literature that committed workforce of an organization can take it on the peak of its success so realizing the importance of innovative behavior and organizational commitment, the role of these both variables are studied. To investigate and confirm the relations among the above discussed variables, questionnaires were distributed in approximately 700 banking sector employees, belong from the Public, Private, Islamic and Foreign bank branches of different regions of Pakistan. 384 completed and accurate questionnaires were got back from the ten different cities of Pakistan. Data analysis of these responses show that banking sector employees think that their performance is better in the assigned task as compare to the extra role duties. Moreover high innovative behavior is found in the employees and in the commitment constructs, employees are x found more affectively committed as compare to continuance and normative commitment. The relationship analysis show that personality traits can significantly predict both of the job performance constructs that are task and contextual performance.Item Antecedents of New Product Development Performance: An Empirical Evidence from Electronic Sector of Pakistan(Library Information Services COMSATS University Islamabad Lahore Campus, 2014-02-03) Khuram Shahzad; FA11-MSPM-007; LHR TP 4448; Dr. Faisal Tehseen ShahThis thesis explores the nexus among various project characteristics and new product development performance. These project characteristics include project uncertainty and project complexity whereas other independent variables are technology novelty and supplier integration. The research also analyzed the impact of moderations of cross-functional team integration in this study. Data collection procedure involved collection of responses from project managers working on various projects of electronic industry in Lahore. Self explanatory questionnaires were given to the respondents through email and as well as hardcopy. Data analysis was done by using simple and multiple regression. This study also performed reliability and validity analysis through Chronbach’s Alpha and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Findings of this study reveal that project uncertainty and project complexity negatively influence the new product development performance. Technology novelty has positive impact on new project development. Similarly, supplier integration represents a positive impact on new product development. This research also explores moderating impact of cross-functional team integration on new product development performance. Findings also reveal that cross-functional team integration statistically moderates all relationships.Item Impact of Leverage, Dividend Payouts and Ownership Concentration on Firm Value Creation in Presence and Absence of Growth Opportunities(Library Information Services COMSATS University Islamabad Lahore Campus, 2013-02-03) Marriam Rao; FA11-MSMS-037; Prof. Dr. Ahmad Kaleem; LHR TP 4444This study examines the impact of firm’s financial decisions i.e. leverage, dividend payouts and corporate ownership concentration on firm market value, while dependent on absence or presence of growth opportunities. Ownership concentration is analyzed to be an important determinant of shareholder’s wealth under agency cost of theory. Theoretical background supports a dual impact of leverage, dividend payout and ownership concentration on firm value based on availability and non-availability of growth opportunities. The study would benefit firms to build optimal financial policy based on tradeoff between underinvestment and overinvestment costs under firm value maximization goal in Pakistan. A sample of 164 non-financial firms listed on Karachi stock exchange of Pakistan for the period of 2004 to 2011 is studied. Using Panel data methodology, Generalized system of Estimating Equations is attempted to be applied for results demonstrating dual impact of leverage, cash dividends and ownership concentration in presence and absence of growth opportunities. Leverage indicates a negative relationship in presence of growth opportunities while sign turn to be positive in absence of growth opportunities. Furthermore, leverage effect is checked based on subdivision with short term debt and long term debt. Cash dividends and bonus shares are found to have uncertain relation in presence of growth opportunities and positive relation in absence of growth opportunities. The results also demonstrate corporate ownership concentration relevancy in alteration of firm financial decision policies indicating presence of agency costs in Pakistan.Item Impact of Task and Contextual Performance Behaviors on Project Success: An Empirical Study on Mass House Building Projects of Punjab- Pakistan.(Library Information Services COMSATS University Islamabad Lahore Campus, 2013-02-03) Muhammad Ahsan Chughtai; FA11-MSPM-010; LHR TP 4457Improved methods of (HRM) through the use of performance indicators which are recognized as the most important elements of competitiveness and improving the organization (Villa, 1992). Now a days in HRM, the development and identification of suitable indicators is widely seen as the only viable option for the evaluation criteria against which the performance management enabled can be maintained and confirmed (Conway, Managerial performance development constructs and personality correlates, 2000); (Abraham, Karns, Shaw, & Mena, 2001); (Ford, 2004). Therefore, in project-based organization such as construction, performance is a measurement as a possible option for growth in the superior performance level of project manager’s (Cheng, Dainty, & Moore, 2005). To this end, the current understanding is practicing an appropriate model represent a potentially viable option for the development of relevant indicators to develop the right professional development of PM (Dainty, Cheng, & Moore, Competency-based model for predicting construction project managers’ performance, 2005); (Cheng, Dainty, & Moore, 2005); (ARJ Dainty, A competency‐based performance model for construction project managers, 2004)Item Antecedents and Consequences of Project Changes: An Empirical Study on Construction Projects of Punjab-Pakistan(Library Information Services COMSATS University Islamabad Lahore Campus, 2013-02-03) Rashid Maqbool; FA11-MSPM-029; Dr. Yahya Rashid; LHR TP 4446The objective of the present study was to explore the causes of the project changes in construction Projects of the Punjab province of Pakistan. The effects of the project changes on the construction projects were also measured. Moreover, a set of change controls were identified for minimizing the intensity of negative effects of project changes. A structured questionnaire was administered to collect the data from construction industry located in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Linear Regression and Structural Equation Model (SEM) were applied as statistical techniques to analyze the data and to draw the inference. It was found that client associated project changes were most critical in the construction projects and their intensity was more than other change factors, whereas the cost associated effects were the most common results of the construction project changes. It was also found that project changes did not have significant relation with reputation associated effects. Moreover the “Freezing design” and “Clarify change order procedures” were found to be the most important change control methods to minimize the severity of the project variations. The study is expected to provide significant insights to the project managers so that they can formulate the strategies to address the change and its effects in construction projectsItem Conventional Vs Innovative Agro-Production businesses on Dunes: An Economic Analysis from the Thal Region of Pakistan(Library Information Services COMSATS University Islamabad Lahore Campus, 2014-02-03) Ghulam Abbas; FA11-MSMS-012; LHR TP 4427Agriculture is central to economic growth and development of Pakistan. It plays a vital role and lays down the foundation for economic development and growth in this country. Being the prominent sector, it contributes 21.4 percent to GDP, employs 45 percent of the country’s labor force and contributes in the growth of other sectors of the economy. It also earns about 60 % of the total value of exports (Economic Survey of Pakistan 2012-013). It provides raw material to the industrial sector on one side and is a market of industrial products on the other side. Thus, agriculture plays a multidimensional role in the economy of Pakistan. Therefore, development of agriculture is directly proportional to the development of the countryItem The Impact of Corporate Governance Structure on Mutual Fund Fees(Library Information Services COMSATS University Islamabad Lahore Campus, 2014-02-03) Irsah Zafar; FA11-MSMS-033; LHR TP 4437; Dr. Talat AfzaThe purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of corporate governance structure as measured by board composition, ownership structure and audit committee quality on mutual fund fees. The panel data for the period of 2007-2012 is used for all open and close end funds registered with Mutual Fund Association of Pakistan (MUFAP). Generalized least square (GLS) random effect model is used to measure the impact of governance structure on mutual fund fees. The results of this study indicates that board composition i.e. smaller board, high proportion of independent directors, independent chairman, low proportion of insider and directors from asset management on the board act as effective governance mechanism and mitigate conflict of interest between managers and investors. High managerial ownership and external block-holders ownership enhance fund governance and discourage managers to charge high fee from investors. This study also analyze the audit committee quality by presence of independent directors in audit committee and find that disclosure of fund all expenditures become more transparent to investor if more independent directors in audit committee. The findings of this study suggest that funds gain experience with age and become more efficient in managing their cost due to economies of scale. This study provides evidence that fund fee declined with average increase in fund size. Results show that income funds, index funds, money market fund and fund of funds have low fees as compare to equity and asset allocation funds. Overall, this study explores that mutual funds with good corporate governance structure perform their fiduciary duties and act in the best interests of their shareholders.Item Quality of Work Life (QWL): Impact on Employees’ Satisfaction, Involvement, Commitment and Retention(Library Information Services COMSATS University Islamabad Lahore Campus, 2013-02-03) Summia Saleem; FA11-MSMS-035; LHR TP 4388; Dr. Tajammal HussainThe employees’ satisfaction, involvement, commitment and retention are considered as the critical factors to determine the success or failure of the Quality of Work Life programs. For the determination of employees’ satisfaction, involvement, commitment and retention, the Quality of Work Life practices are under study. The problem statement of the research study was established as about exploring the level of Quality of Work Life at the workplace in Software Houses and to see its effect on human capital’s job satisfaction, involvement, commitment and retention of Software Developers. To address the main problem statement for the Software-houses of Pakistan, the research three research questions are planned. Firstly the research activity has the hypothetical and realistic knowledge about the concepts, principles, practices and issues in the implementation of Quality of Work Life in the context of organization. The research study also discussed the management approaches to develop the research structure in the software-houses of Pakistan. Secondly, the research study also discussed the empirical interrelationships of the Quality of Work Life practices in the software-houses of Pakistan. Thirdly, the research activity was to identification of relationship of Quality of Work Life techniques. In addressing the research issue 1, the findings showed that the moderate level of Quality of Work Life techniques is implemented in the software-houses of Pakistan. The Quality of Work Life techniques are receiving significant response by the software-developers in the software-houses of Pakistan. In addressing the research issue 2, the findings shows that the Quality of Work Life techniques has positive effect on the employees’ job satisfaction, employees’ job involvement, employees’ job commitment and job retention. It also addressed that the improvement in the Quality of Work Life techniques improves the level of employees’ job satisfaction, employees’ job involvement, employees’ job commitment and employees’ job retention. The study concluded that the results show by improving working environment and organizational culture, employee relation and cooperation, employees training and developmental opportunities, rewards and compensation, adequacy of resources and facilities, employee job security, employee empowerment and flexible working hours software-houses of Pakistan are able to improve employees’ job satisfaction, employees’ job involvement, employees’ job commitment which ultimately improves employees’ job retention.