Exploring the role of supervisors in developing employee commitment in a Namibian Public Institution from the subordinates’ perspective
- Authors: Daniel, Anna
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: Supervisors -- Namibia -- Case studies , Leadership -- Namibia -- Case studies , Employee motivation -- Namibia -- Case studies , Employee loyalty -- Namibia -- Case studies , Supervision -- Namibia -- Case studies , Management -- Employee participation -- Namibia -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/170770 , vital:41958
- Description: Over the years, scholars have noted the importance of organisations managing the performance of their employees by effectively maintaining their commitment. Hence, l ite rature highlighted that employee s have the potential to be recognised as a source of competitive advantage for an organisation and not a resource of an organisation. The main aim of the study was to explore the role of supervisors in developing employee commitment in a Namibian Public Ins titution from the subordinates’ perspective. The focus of this research was to understand how subordinates were included in decision making and were supported by their supervisors , and on how subordinates received feed b ack on role fulfilment and performance from their supervisors. Furthermore, the study described how subordinates viewed the leadership behaviour of their supervisors and how this i nfluenced employee commitment. The data was collected using qualitative me t hods through semi - structured face - to - face interview s with the subordinates of the selected institution. During this study, a sample of 15 subordinates taken from a population of 266 within the institution’s structure was inte rviewed . The interview quest ion s were based on how supervisors included subordinates in decision making, developed subordinates ’ support and delivered feedback on role and performance. The study used secondary data to determine the level of performance against set targets of the inst itu tion, using the annual performance report of the institution. In addition , the study used the staff access control syste m to determine the work time s of employees Lastly, the study analysed the data regarding staff resignation for the last five years to a ssess the level of staff turnover rate of the institution. The study f ound that the subordinates felt the re should be greater subordinate inclusion in decision making, increased levels of re gular feedback and higher levels of support shown by supervis ors t o subordinates when e xecuting their jobs. The study further highlighted the importance of supervisors to develop the ability of shifting from one leadership style to another depending on the situation at hand. The study reviewed six leadership style s that could influence commitment . Therefore, the study recommend s th at the institution direct its attention towards developing the situational leadership skills of their supervisors and developing their skills to enable them to better harmonise teamwork, increas e regular communication and give regular feedback to their subordinates . The results from this research will be beneficial to public institutions within the region and will, in add ition, enhance the academic body of literature in this field . The s tudy will draw the attention of supervisors to the importance of their behaviour, conduct, and their subsequent impact on employee commitment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
- Authors: Daniel, Anna
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: Supervisors -- Namibia -- Case studies , Leadership -- Namibia -- Case studies , Employee motivation -- Namibia -- Case studies , Employee loyalty -- Namibia -- Case studies , Supervision -- Namibia -- Case studies , Management -- Employee participation -- Namibia -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/170770 , vital:41958
- Description: Over the years, scholars have noted the importance of organisations managing the performance of their employees by effectively maintaining their commitment. Hence, l ite rature highlighted that employee s have the potential to be recognised as a source of competitive advantage for an organisation and not a resource of an organisation. The main aim of the study was to explore the role of supervisors in developing employee commitment in a Namibian Public Ins titution from the subordinates’ perspective. The focus of this research was to understand how subordinates were included in decision making and were supported by their supervisors , and on how subordinates received feed b ack on role fulfilment and performance from their supervisors. Furthermore, the study described how subordinates viewed the leadership behaviour of their supervisors and how this i nfluenced employee commitment. The data was collected using qualitative me t hods through semi - structured face - to - face interview s with the subordinates of the selected institution. During this study, a sample of 15 subordinates taken from a population of 266 within the institution’s structure was inte rviewed . The interview quest ion s were based on how supervisors included subordinates in decision making, developed subordinates ’ support and delivered feedback on role and performance. The study used secondary data to determine the level of performance against set targets of the inst itu tion, using the annual performance report of the institution. In addition , the study used the staff access control syste m to determine the work time s of employees Lastly, the study analysed the data regarding staff resignation for the last five years to a ssess the level of staff turnover rate of the institution. The study f ound that the subordinates felt the re should be greater subordinate inclusion in decision making, increased levels of re gular feedback and higher levels of support shown by supervis ors t o subordinates when e xecuting their jobs. The study further highlighted the importance of supervisors to develop the ability of shifting from one leadership style to another depending on the situation at hand. The study reviewed six leadership style s that could influence commitment . Therefore, the study recommend s th at the institution direct its attention towards developing the situational leadership skills of their supervisors and developing their skills to enable them to better harmonise teamwork, increas e regular communication and give regular feedback to their subordinates . The results from this research will be beneficial to public institutions within the region and will, in add ition, enhance the academic body of literature in this field . The s tudy will draw the attention of supervisors to the importance of their behaviour, conduct, and their subsequent impact on employee commitment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
How the leaders of an Eastern Cape development agency experienced a transition from specialist roles to the leadership roles and how this shaped their leadership identity
- Authors: Mbokoma, Noxolo Patricia
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: Economic development projects -- Managemenat -- South Africa -- Case studies , Organizational change -- South Africa -- Case studies , Organizational behavior -- South Africa -- Case studies , Leadership -- South Africa -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/171997 , vital:42147
- Description: This study sought to investigate the experiences of leaders involved in a transition from specialist role to leadership role at the Eastern Cape Development Agency, South Africa. A qualitative case study within a constructivist paradigm was adopted. Bridges’ (1991) theory of transition was used in this study to understand and analyse the process of transition in this study. The study used purposive sampling technique, where six leaders were selected and interviewed. The data was analysed through inductive and content analysis techniques. The findings are presented thematically and supported with participants verbatim. The study established that as specialists transition to leadership roles they experience lack of role clarity, stress (role strain), resistance, inadequate support, shock, increased work load (role strain) and role conflict. These experiences influence on their role identity, expertise, peer relationships and financial status. The study also established that for smooth and successful transition, consultation, participation, proper succession planning, and training is vitally important. This was necessary to ease the tension between management, leadership, specialist responsibilities, and resistance from specialists. The study recommends adequate support and preparation in all stages of transition to ensure that the organization benefits from the transition.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
- Authors: Mbokoma, Noxolo Patricia
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: Economic development projects -- Managemenat -- South Africa -- Case studies , Organizational change -- South Africa -- Case studies , Organizational behavior -- South Africa -- Case studies , Leadership -- South Africa -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/171997 , vital:42147
- Description: This study sought to investigate the experiences of leaders involved in a transition from specialist role to leadership role at the Eastern Cape Development Agency, South Africa. A qualitative case study within a constructivist paradigm was adopted. Bridges’ (1991) theory of transition was used in this study to understand and analyse the process of transition in this study. The study used purposive sampling technique, where six leaders were selected and interviewed. The data was analysed through inductive and content analysis techniques. The findings are presented thematically and supported with participants verbatim. The study established that as specialists transition to leadership roles they experience lack of role clarity, stress (role strain), resistance, inadequate support, shock, increased work load (role strain) and role conflict. These experiences influence on their role identity, expertise, peer relationships and financial status. The study also established that for smooth and successful transition, consultation, participation, proper succession planning, and training is vitally important. This was necessary to ease the tension between management, leadership, specialist responsibilities, and resistance from specialists. The study recommends adequate support and preparation in all stages of transition to ensure that the organization benefits from the transition.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
The relationship between organisational leadership and job satisfaction of three generational age groups in a school context
- Haasbroek, Juan Gert Diedericks
- Authors: Haasbroek, Juan Gert Diedericks
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: Educational leadership -- South Africa , High Schools -- Administration -- South Africa -- Western Cape , Management , High school teachers -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Case studies , High school teachers -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Job satisfaction , High school teachers -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Attitudes
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/170802 , vital:41961
- Description: With multiple generations in education, there are different leadership styles preferred by schoolteachers that affect their job satisfaction (Cufaude and Riemersma, 1999:1-3). Schools should ensure that leadership works toward satisfied teachers to reach sustainable organisational performance. The resource-based view argues that organisations should look within the organisation, particularly human resources, to find sources that lead to improved organisational performance (Jurevicius, 2013:1). Therefore, organisations should equip themselves with the required leadership style(s) to meet employee expectations. Furthermore, it is imperative to look at different generations within the school’s context, as it will strengthen or weaken the relationship between organisational leadership and job satisfaction. The study adopted a quantitative approach, using the Multiple Leadership Questionnaire and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire as instruments for collecting primary data. The population consists of high school teachers in the Eden District, Western Cape that work at affluent schools, which are declared as quantile 4 and 5 model schools. There is a total of 13 high schools that fall within this specification with a total population of 220 teachers. In total, 111 questionnaires were distributed, of which 73 were returned. Sixty-eight were considered usable. Both sample parameters specified by the research instruments were met. The primary purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between leadership within the organisation (referring to transformational, transactional, and passive-avoidant organisational leadership styles) and employee job satisfaction of high school teachers in the Eden District. Different generations, from the age group perspective, is composed as a moderating variable in the relationship between organisational leadership and job satisfaction. The empirical study established that the independent variables, the leadership styles employed by the organisation, are directly related to employee job satisfaction. Of the three independent variables, transformational leadership and, to a lesser extent, transactional leadership proved to have a positive association with job satisfaction. In contrast, passive-avoidant leadership has a negative relationship with job satisfaction. It is also established that the relationship is stronger or weaker based on generations, positioning generations from the age group perspective as satisfactory moderator. It was found that Millennials prefer the transactional leadership style as this will strengthen the relationship between organisational leadership and job satisfaction. Baby Boomers prefer transformational leadership for the greatest positivity. To a lesser extent, transactional leadership will also contribute to the relationship’s strength between organisational leadership and job satisfaction. Generation X is indifferent to transactional or transformational leadership.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
- Authors: Haasbroek, Juan Gert Diedericks
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: Educational leadership -- South Africa , High Schools -- Administration -- South Africa -- Western Cape , Management , High school teachers -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Case studies , High school teachers -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Job satisfaction , High school teachers -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Attitudes
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/170802 , vital:41961
- Description: With multiple generations in education, there are different leadership styles preferred by schoolteachers that affect their job satisfaction (Cufaude and Riemersma, 1999:1-3). Schools should ensure that leadership works toward satisfied teachers to reach sustainable organisational performance. The resource-based view argues that organisations should look within the organisation, particularly human resources, to find sources that lead to improved organisational performance (Jurevicius, 2013:1). Therefore, organisations should equip themselves with the required leadership style(s) to meet employee expectations. Furthermore, it is imperative to look at different generations within the school’s context, as it will strengthen or weaken the relationship between organisational leadership and job satisfaction. The study adopted a quantitative approach, using the Multiple Leadership Questionnaire and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire as instruments for collecting primary data. The population consists of high school teachers in the Eden District, Western Cape that work at affluent schools, which are declared as quantile 4 and 5 model schools. There is a total of 13 high schools that fall within this specification with a total population of 220 teachers. In total, 111 questionnaires were distributed, of which 73 were returned. Sixty-eight were considered usable. Both sample parameters specified by the research instruments were met. The primary purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between leadership within the organisation (referring to transformational, transactional, and passive-avoidant organisational leadership styles) and employee job satisfaction of high school teachers in the Eden District. Different generations, from the age group perspective, is composed as a moderating variable in the relationship between organisational leadership and job satisfaction. The empirical study established that the independent variables, the leadership styles employed by the organisation, are directly related to employee job satisfaction. Of the three independent variables, transformational leadership and, to a lesser extent, transactional leadership proved to have a positive association with job satisfaction. In contrast, passive-avoidant leadership has a negative relationship with job satisfaction. It is also established that the relationship is stronger or weaker based on generations, positioning generations from the age group perspective as satisfactory moderator. It was found that Millennials prefer the transactional leadership style as this will strengthen the relationship between organisational leadership and job satisfaction. Baby Boomers prefer transformational leadership for the greatest positivity. To a lesser extent, transactional leadership will also contribute to the relationship’s strength between organisational leadership and job satisfaction. Generation X is indifferent to transactional or transformational leadership.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
Evaluation of the role of ethical leadership development on organisational performance: the case of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe
- Authors: Chakonza, Hawkins
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Econet Wireless Zimbabwe , Leadership , Leadership -- Case studies , Business ethics
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/146723 , vital:38551
- Description: The study evaluated the role of ethical leadership development on the performance of the organisation. Econet Wireless Zimbabwe was employed as a case study. The objectives of the study were to: understand the role of ethical leadership development at Econet Wireless Zimbabwe on the day to day running of the business, understand the nature of the ethical leadership development at Econet Wireless, examine the factors influencing ethical leadership development at Econet Wireless, ascertain the role of ethical leadership development in enhancing organisational perfomance and efficiency and to investigate leaders’ perceptions on ethical leadership development on the organisation’s effectiveness. Social learning and social exchange theory informed the study. The research employed a qualitatve approache to improve the validity,reliability and credibility of the research findings. key informnat intervews and focus group of discussion and in-depth interviews were used as data collection instruments. The study found that ethical leadership development programmes improve the perfomance of orgnisations. That is, ethical leadeship development enbaled Econet Wireless Zimbabwe to achive disticinive competence, increase profit, have a large number of subscribers and also expanded among others. Furthermore, the study shows that an ethical leadership development approach brings significant value to the organisation and, suggests that ethical leaders are more influential in organizations than currently understood. The study found that leaders could influence ethics related outcomes in the organisation by engaging in behaviours that makes them perceived as credible, attractive and legitimate by their followers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Chakonza, Hawkins
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Econet Wireless Zimbabwe , Leadership , Leadership -- Case studies , Business ethics
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/146723 , vital:38551
- Description: The study evaluated the role of ethical leadership development on the performance of the organisation. Econet Wireless Zimbabwe was employed as a case study. The objectives of the study were to: understand the role of ethical leadership development at Econet Wireless Zimbabwe on the day to day running of the business, understand the nature of the ethical leadership development at Econet Wireless, examine the factors influencing ethical leadership development at Econet Wireless, ascertain the role of ethical leadership development in enhancing organisational perfomance and efficiency and to investigate leaders’ perceptions on ethical leadership development on the organisation’s effectiveness. Social learning and social exchange theory informed the study. The research employed a qualitatve approache to improve the validity,reliability and credibility of the research findings. key informnat intervews and focus group of discussion and in-depth interviews were used as data collection instruments. The study found that ethical leadership development programmes improve the perfomance of orgnisations. That is, ethical leadeship development enbaled Econet Wireless Zimbabwe to achive disticinive competence, increase profit, have a large number of subscribers and also expanded among others. Furthermore, the study shows that an ethical leadership development approach brings significant value to the organisation and, suggests that ethical leaders are more influential in organizations than currently understood. The study found that leaders could influence ethics related outcomes in the organisation by engaging in behaviours that makes them perceived as credible, attractive and legitimate by their followers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Exploring situational leadership as a key competence in driving the implementation of the integrated development plan of a South African municipality
- Authors: Nkosimbini, Aphiwe
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Leadership -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Corporate culture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Organizational behavior -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Situational leadership , Integrated development plan
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/145302 , vital:38426
- Description: Situational leadership is relevant to any organisation responsible for the delivery of services. Senior public sector leaders must cultivate the characteristics necessary to drive the implementation of initiatives geared towards meeting the developmental objectives of local government. The introduction of the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) of the municipality for the political term beginning in August 2016 provided a prospect of investigating the management of the implementation of this strategic blueprint in the context of the type of leadership styles prevalent in the local government environment. This dissertation therefore elucidates the idea of situational leadership as a key competence in driving the implementation of the IDP. This is through an examination of the understandings of twelve managers involved in driving this implementation. This research took the form of an evaluation case study. The critical incident technique was used to establish from the managers, as part of the interviews, a particular incident relevant to the delivery of services in line with the IDP. The focus in engaging with research participants was on their exercise of leadership as managers through the various contexts/ situations that arise within their working environment. The perspective gleaned from the participants is one which demonstrates the application of the model of situational leadership in a given sector. Furthermore, the study pinpointed the need to consider situational leadership through situation-specific lenses that take on board the role of relationships, organisational culture and its perceived impact on the performance of the organisation. The Case Study of the application of situational leadership provides insight into the myriad of challenges faced by local government leaders in driving service delivery imperatives. This is achieved through interviews with participants and the use of inductive thematic analysis as a tool of analysis. It provides an example of the value to be derived from situational leadership for leaders wanting to reach new frontiers in the work that they do. Ultimately, the service delivery expectations must be satisfied by those on whom this responsibility falls.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Nkosimbini, Aphiwe
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Leadership -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Corporate culture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Organizational behavior -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Situational leadership , Integrated development plan
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/145302 , vital:38426
- Description: Situational leadership is relevant to any organisation responsible for the delivery of services. Senior public sector leaders must cultivate the characteristics necessary to drive the implementation of initiatives geared towards meeting the developmental objectives of local government. The introduction of the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) of the municipality for the political term beginning in August 2016 provided a prospect of investigating the management of the implementation of this strategic blueprint in the context of the type of leadership styles prevalent in the local government environment. This dissertation therefore elucidates the idea of situational leadership as a key competence in driving the implementation of the IDP. This is through an examination of the understandings of twelve managers involved in driving this implementation. This research took the form of an evaluation case study. The critical incident technique was used to establish from the managers, as part of the interviews, a particular incident relevant to the delivery of services in line with the IDP. The focus in engaging with research participants was on their exercise of leadership as managers through the various contexts/ situations that arise within their working environment. The perspective gleaned from the participants is one which demonstrates the application of the model of situational leadership in a given sector. Furthermore, the study pinpointed the need to consider situational leadership through situation-specific lenses that take on board the role of relationships, organisational culture and its perceived impact on the performance of the organisation. The Case Study of the application of situational leadership provides insight into the myriad of challenges faced by local government leaders in driving service delivery imperatives. This is achieved through interviews with participants and the use of inductive thematic analysis as a tool of analysis. It provides an example of the value to be derived from situational leadership for leaders wanting to reach new frontiers in the work that they do. Ultimately, the service delivery expectations must be satisfied by those on whom this responsibility falls.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Factors influencing parents’ decisions when choosing a private school
- Authors: Arendse, David
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: School choice -- South Africa -- Case studies , Competition -- South Africa , Private schools -- South Africa , Consumer behavior , VRIO framework (Valuable, Rare, Imitable and Organized) , St. Stithians College
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/92628 , vital:30738
- Description: Purpose: Consumers make decisions based on multiple factors that influence their decision-making process. These decisions can be influenced by deep personal reflection to the simple impulsive purchase done to fulfil a need or want. This research study explored the relationship between the resource-based view and the factors considered by parents when selecting a school for their child/children. The Valuable, Rare, Imitable and Organized (VRIO) framework as developed by Barney, J. (1991) outlines the framework through which an organisations resources can be assessed in terms of their potential competitive advantage. The research study was interested in understanding how an educational institution can identify and then leverage its resources to create a competitive advantage. Methodology: Each family that has one or more child enrolled at St Stithians College, which is a private school in Gauteng, South Africa, was invited to participate in the study. This represented a potential population size of 1 700 families, however a sample of 334 was used. The educational institution caters to both boys and girls from Grade R to 12 (Matric). Each family was requested to participate in the study as they had already chosen to have at least one child enrolled. A self-administered close-ended questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection and the questionnaire was broken into two sections. Section A focused on building a profile of the respondent while section B assessed the level of influence the factors had on a parent’s decision. Section B’s questions were structured as Likert-Scale questions requiring a response between 1 and 5, with 5 being the highest influence, and 1 being the lowest. The responses to the questions were then grouped into the factors they spoke to and the average results per factor were assessed via an ANOVA table to test the null hypothesis that parents do not consider factors when choosing a school for their children. Findings: As a paper, this study set out to discover what the competitive advantage was of a private education institution in South Africa. It did so by identifying what the key factors were when parents selected the school of their choice and then analysed these findings against the resources of the given institution. The ANOVA table analysis of the responses identified that parents do consider factors and that the factor that they were most influenced by was convenience factor, represented by location of the institution and the distance to it. While there are multiple private education suppliers in South Africa, no other provider has the location that St Stithians College has, and as such, its location is its competitive advantage. Significant: This research study will expand the existing but limited competitive advantage body of knowledge in the South African education sector. South African educational institutions will be able to develop similar studies which will then assist in identifying their own competitive advantages. This can better enable education providers to entice consumers to their education services.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Arendse, David
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: School choice -- South Africa -- Case studies , Competition -- South Africa , Private schools -- South Africa , Consumer behavior , VRIO framework (Valuable, Rare, Imitable and Organized) , St. Stithians College
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/92628 , vital:30738
- Description: Purpose: Consumers make decisions based on multiple factors that influence their decision-making process. These decisions can be influenced by deep personal reflection to the simple impulsive purchase done to fulfil a need or want. This research study explored the relationship between the resource-based view and the factors considered by parents when selecting a school for their child/children. The Valuable, Rare, Imitable and Organized (VRIO) framework as developed by Barney, J. (1991) outlines the framework through which an organisations resources can be assessed in terms of their potential competitive advantage. The research study was interested in understanding how an educational institution can identify and then leverage its resources to create a competitive advantage. Methodology: Each family that has one or more child enrolled at St Stithians College, which is a private school in Gauteng, South Africa, was invited to participate in the study. This represented a potential population size of 1 700 families, however a sample of 334 was used. The educational institution caters to both boys and girls from Grade R to 12 (Matric). Each family was requested to participate in the study as they had already chosen to have at least one child enrolled. A self-administered close-ended questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection and the questionnaire was broken into two sections. Section A focused on building a profile of the respondent while section B assessed the level of influence the factors had on a parent’s decision. Section B’s questions were structured as Likert-Scale questions requiring a response between 1 and 5, with 5 being the highest influence, and 1 being the lowest. The responses to the questions were then grouped into the factors they spoke to and the average results per factor were assessed via an ANOVA table to test the null hypothesis that parents do not consider factors when choosing a school for their children. Findings: As a paper, this study set out to discover what the competitive advantage was of a private education institution in South Africa. It did so by identifying what the key factors were when parents selected the school of their choice and then analysed these findings against the resources of the given institution. The ANOVA table analysis of the responses identified that parents do consider factors and that the factor that they were most influenced by was convenience factor, represented by location of the institution and the distance to it. While there are multiple private education suppliers in South Africa, no other provider has the location that St Stithians College has, and as such, its location is its competitive advantage. Significant: This research study will expand the existing but limited competitive advantage body of knowledge in the South African education sector. South African educational institutions will be able to develop similar studies which will then assist in identifying their own competitive advantages. This can better enable education providers to entice consumers to their education services.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The influence of leadership styles on employee commitment in the retail industry
- Authors: Mqomboti, Sakhile
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Retail trade -- Management -- South Africa , Retail trade -- Employees -- South Africa , Employee loyalty -- South Africa , Leadership -- Case studies -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/93811 , vital:30947
- Description: Purpose – Companies operating in the South African retail industry have been experiencing a high staff turnover, reported to be standing at 36% (Kelly, 2016). The Edcon Retail Group and Taste Holdings have already indicated their strategic focus on staff turnover reduction in order to achieve their business objectives (Crotty, 2017; Laing, 2017). This research study explained the relationship between the three leadership styles of the Full Range Leadership Theory (FRLT) model developed by Bass and Avolio and three types of commitments from the three component model of Meyer and Allen. The research study was interested in the leadership style that contributes the most to commitment. The effective leadership style may be developed to improve the level of employee commitment in the South African Retail industry. Methodology – The research study used the total population of 300 subordinate employees from four stores of a retail company in the Rustenburg region in the North-West Province of South Africa. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ 5X) instrument was adopted for leadership questionnaire data collection, the three-component model of commitment was adopted for data collection of the commitment questionnaire. Pearson Correlations quantitative data analysis was adopted to explain the relationship of the independent and dependent variables. Multiple Regression quantitative data analysis was adopted to test the strength of the leadership styles on commitment. Findings – The statistical analysis results of Pearson Correlations found weak but significant positive relationship between Transactional leadership style and both Normative and Continuance commitment. A weak but significant positive relationship was found between Transformational leadership style and Normative commitment. A weak but significant positive relationship was found between Passive/Avoidant leadership and continuance commitment. Transformational leadership style showed more strength in contribution to commitment, followed by the Transactional leadership style. Significant – This research study will expand the existing but limited leadership style and commitment body of knowledge in the South African retail industry. The South African retail companies will be able to develop the preferred leadership style by its employees and develop this leadership style in their managers to improve the commitment of their employees.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Mqomboti, Sakhile
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Retail trade -- Management -- South Africa , Retail trade -- Employees -- South Africa , Employee loyalty -- South Africa , Leadership -- Case studies -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/93811 , vital:30947
- Description: Purpose – Companies operating in the South African retail industry have been experiencing a high staff turnover, reported to be standing at 36% (Kelly, 2016). The Edcon Retail Group and Taste Holdings have already indicated their strategic focus on staff turnover reduction in order to achieve their business objectives (Crotty, 2017; Laing, 2017). This research study explained the relationship between the three leadership styles of the Full Range Leadership Theory (FRLT) model developed by Bass and Avolio and three types of commitments from the three component model of Meyer and Allen. The research study was interested in the leadership style that contributes the most to commitment. The effective leadership style may be developed to improve the level of employee commitment in the South African Retail industry. Methodology – The research study used the total population of 300 subordinate employees from four stores of a retail company in the Rustenburg region in the North-West Province of South Africa. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ 5X) instrument was adopted for leadership questionnaire data collection, the three-component model of commitment was adopted for data collection of the commitment questionnaire. Pearson Correlations quantitative data analysis was adopted to explain the relationship of the independent and dependent variables. Multiple Regression quantitative data analysis was adopted to test the strength of the leadership styles on commitment. Findings – The statistical analysis results of Pearson Correlations found weak but significant positive relationship between Transactional leadership style and both Normative and Continuance commitment. A weak but significant positive relationship was found between Transformational leadership style and Normative commitment. A weak but significant positive relationship was found between Passive/Avoidant leadership and continuance commitment. Transformational leadership style showed more strength in contribution to commitment, followed by the Transactional leadership style. Significant – This research study will expand the existing but limited leadership style and commitment body of knowledge in the South African retail industry. The South African retail companies will be able to develop the preferred leadership style by its employees and develop this leadership style in their managers to improve the commitment of their employees.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
A review of the re-structuring of the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital through the change management approach
- Authors: Nodikida, Mzulungile
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Organizational change -- Case studies , Organizational change -- Management , Reengineering (Management) -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Leadership -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Organizational behavior -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Corporate culture -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/58339 , vital:27236
- Description: The research used a change management approach to analyze the restructuring of the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital from a tertiary to a central hospital. The study was underpinned by two objectives. Firstly, to analyze the restructuring of the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital from a tertiary to a "central" hospital using the Core Elements Framework of change management developed by Antwi and Kale (2014). Secondly, to use the knowledge gained through literature review combined with the experiences of the managers at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital to inform future healthcare reforms in general and particularly in the restructuring of hospitals. The Core Elements Framework by Antwi and Kale (2014) identifies six fundamental change elements from both emergent and planned change management approaches. The six elements are regarded by theorists from the two different schools of thought i.e. emergent change and planned change as key for successful change. The Core Elements Framework by Antwi and Kale, (2014) demonstrates the strength of not viewing the two approaches to change management as mutually exclusive but as complementing each other when the other is falling short. The study identified the following: ■ The change was prompted by clearly identifiable external factors more than internal factors. ■ There was notable lack of organizational harmony which may have negatively impacted the change process. ■ The Private Public Partnership (PPP) funding model which was aimed at delivering the central hospital collapsed, after a study discovered that it benefited the private sector more than the public sector. ■ There was no proper consultation of major stakeholders for preparation of the change. ■ Resources in all material forms were not made available for the change to take off, this means that there was no organizational capacity to execute the change. The study draws the conclusion that lack of organizational capacity, organizational harmony and a proper consultation process for stakeholders are the main reasons why the restructuring of the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital is not yielding the desired results. The study recommends that organizations should implement a multidimensional approach for any change initiative to be successful and that organizations must ensure the availability of the necessary resources when embarking on change.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Nodikida, Mzulungile
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Organizational change -- Case studies , Organizational change -- Management , Reengineering (Management) -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Leadership -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Organizational behavior -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Corporate culture -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/58339 , vital:27236
- Description: The research used a change management approach to analyze the restructuring of the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital from a tertiary to a central hospital. The study was underpinned by two objectives. Firstly, to analyze the restructuring of the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital from a tertiary to a "central" hospital using the Core Elements Framework of change management developed by Antwi and Kale (2014). Secondly, to use the knowledge gained through literature review combined with the experiences of the managers at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital to inform future healthcare reforms in general and particularly in the restructuring of hospitals. The Core Elements Framework by Antwi and Kale (2014) identifies six fundamental change elements from both emergent and planned change management approaches. The six elements are regarded by theorists from the two different schools of thought i.e. emergent change and planned change as key for successful change. The Core Elements Framework by Antwi and Kale, (2014) demonstrates the strength of not viewing the two approaches to change management as mutually exclusive but as complementing each other when the other is falling short. The study identified the following: ■ The change was prompted by clearly identifiable external factors more than internal factors. ■ There was notable lack of organizational harmony which may have negatively impacted the change process. ■ The Private Public Partnership (PPP) funding model which was aimed at delivering the central hospital collapsed, after a study discovered that it benefited the private sector more than the public sector. ■ There was no proper consultation of major stakeholders for preparation of the change. ■ Resources in all material forms were not made available for the change to take off, this means that there was no organizational capacity to execute the change. The study draws the conclusion that lack of organizational capacity, organizational harmony and a proper consultation process for stakeholders are the main reasons why the restructuring of the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital is not yielding the desired results. The study recommends that organizations should implement a multidimensional approach for any change initiative to be successful and that organizations must ensure the availability of the necessary resources when embarking on change.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
An investigation of the leadership practices and organizational culture at a private Christian school
- Authors: Babu, Bithun
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Church schools -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Leadership , Corporate culture
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62155 , vital:28133
- Description: The purpose of this study is to investigate the leadership practices and organizational culture at a private Christian school in the Eastern Cape. A preliminary review of leadership literature suggested that traces of servant leadership may be apparent at the organization. Thus servant leadership will form a key focus area for exploration in this study. An analysis of this nature can make one aware of the influence leadership has in shaping the organizational culture of an institution. This in turn can be used to inform the future thinking around leadership efforts with respect to culture formation within an organization. The issue was addressed by consulting various articles to view the issue from different perspectives. The school served as a vehicle to explore the tenets of leadership and organizational culture. The study will take the form of a descriptive quantitative study. It was concluded that leadership plays a significant role in establishing the culture at an organization. However, leadership is not the only factor that shapes the organizational culture of an institution. The beliefs and values of the organization also has a role in shaping the overall culture and identity of an organization.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Babu, Bithun
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Church schools -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Leadership , Corporate culture
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62155 , vital:28133
- Description: The purpose of this study is to investigate the leadership practices and organizational culture at a private Christian school in the Eastern Cape. A preliminary review of leadership literature suggested that traces of servant leadership may be apparent at the organization. Thus servant leadership will form a key focus area for exploration in this study. An analysis of this nature can make one aware of the influence leadership has in shaping the organizational culture of an institution. This in turn can be used to inform the future thinking around leadership efforts with respect to culture formation within an organization. The issue was addressed by consulting various articles to view the issue from different perspectives. The school served as a vehicle to explore the tenets of leadership and organizational culture. The study will take the form of a descriptive quantitative study. It was concluded that leadership plays a significant role in establishing the culture at an organization. However, leadership is not the only factor that shapes the organizational culture of an institution. The beliefs and values of the organization also has a role in shaping the overall culture and identity of an organization.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Historical analysis of leadership styles of headmasters at Kingswood College from 1993 to 2017
- Authors: Howden, Ryan Bradley
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Educational leadership -- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Case studies , Kingswood College -- History , Educational change -- South Africa -- Makhanda , School principals-- South Africa -- Makhanda , Transformational leadership -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Private schools -- Business management , Full Range Leadership
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62133 , vital:28131
- Description: A significant interest in school educational leadership has developed over the past two decades, whereby effective leadership is required in a continually changing educational environment. This study is a historical analysis of leadership styles of headmasters at Kingswood College in Grahamstown (Eastern Cape, South Africa) from 1993 to 2017. The aim is to identify leadership style(s) of headmasters using the Full Range Leadership (FRL) model as a guiding framework; to describe and interpret these style(s) in relation to the headmaster’s tenure; and to compare the headmasters’ leadership styles, noting key similarities and differences. The research method consists of interviews and a historical archival analysis. The researcher’s expectation is that headmasters will elicit a transformational leadership approach. Key findings were somewhat consistent with this hypothesis, as headmasters exhibit a general trend towards transformational leadership; although each headmaster identifies with a unique facet of transformational leadership, together with relevant supporting leadership style(s) that emerged from the data. Upon comparing headmasters, their primary leadership styles were as follows: Wilkinson identified with transactional, transformational and servant leadership; Hawke showed evidence of a transformational servant leader; Arguile elicited transformational and principle-based leadership; and Trafford depicted transformational and participative leadership. The researcher found that multiple factors in an ever-changing educational environment promoted the need for transformational leadership. The relationship between business management and educational leadership emerges as a key reflection, thus further research is required in this regard.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Howden, Ryan Bradley
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Educational leadership -- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Case studies , Kingswood College -- History , Educational change -- South Africa -- Makhanda , School principals-- South Africa -- Makhanda , Transformational leadership -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Private schools -- Business management , Full Range Leadership
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62133 , vital:28131
- Description: A significant interest in school educational leadership has developed over the past two decades, whereby effective leadership is required in a continually changing educational environment. This study is a historical analysis of leadership styles of headmasters at Kingswood College in Grahamstown (Eastern Cape, South Africa) from 1993 to 2017. The aim is to identify leadership style(s) of headmasters using the Full Range Leadership (FRL) model as a guiding framework; to describe and interpret these style(s) in relation to the headmaster’s tenure; and to compare the headmasters’ leadership styles, noting key similarities and differences. The research method consists of interviews and a historical archival analysis. The researcher’s expectation is that headmasters will elicit a transformational leadership approach. Key findings were somewhat consistent with this hypothesis, as headmasters exhibit a general trend towards transformational leadership; although each headmaster identifies with a unique facet of transformational leadership, together with relevant supporting leadership style(s) that emerged from the data. Upon comparing headmasters, their primary leadership styles were as follows: Wilkinson identified with transactional, transformational and servant leadership; Hawke showed evidence of a transformational servant leader; Arguile elicited transformational and principle-based leadership; and Trafford depicted transformational and participative leadership. The researcher found that multiple factors in an ever-changing educational environment promoted the need for transformational leadership. The relationship between business management and educational leadership emerges as a key reflection, thus further research is required in this regard.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
An analysis of organisational culture in a restaurant in Grahamstown, South Africa
- Authors: Kamona, Oabona Bonnie
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Corporate culture -- Case studies , Corporate culture -- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Case studies , Restaurants-- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Management , Saints Bistro (Makhanda, South Africa)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/8178 , vital:21363
- Description: This study investigates organisational culture and shared values that currently exist at Saint’s Bistro in Grahamstown along with the desired organisational culture and desired values. In particular it explores possible discrepancies between the two using the reliable and valid Competing Values Framework (CVF) and its matched scale, the Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) and the Shared Values Survey. McDonald and Gandz (1992: 64-67) discovered 24 shared values that correlate with modern business and where each value ties in with one of the four quadrants of the CVF. The researcher found a study conducted by Burchell and Saele (2011: 512) which is a cultural study based on the CVF working in conjunction with shared values survey to analyse a situation and it presented an improved means of investigating culture and values related facets within an organisation. The aim of this study is to examine the existing culture and subsequently make recommendations that can create alignment between what is currently experienced and what is desired in the organisation, if it is found that misalignment exists. This research presents a study using a paper based survey conducted in a restaurant in Grahamstown, South Africa. The results are based on the use of the OCAI in conjunction with organisational shared values profiles. The study revealed that there is no significant gap between the current organisational culture and the desired organisational culture within the organisation. Due to these findings, the research established that a structured strategy for maintaining the organisational culture should be developed in order to sustain the existing organisational culture that can be used when recruiting and on-boarding new employees in the future. The research is significant in that it highlighted a link between the competing values framework and the shared values survey and this will contribute to the effective analysis of organisational culture in future culture research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Kamona, Oabona Bonnie
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Corporate culture -- Case studies , Corporate culture -- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Case studies , Restaurants-- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Management , Saints Bistro (Makhanda, South Africa)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/8178 , vital:21363
- Description: This study investigates organisational culture and shared values that currently exist at Saint’s Bistro in Grahamstown along with the desired organisational culture and desired values. In particular it explores possible discrepancies between the two using the reliable and valid Competing Values Framework (CVF) and its matched scale, the Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) and the Shared Values Survey. McDonald and Gandz (1992: 64-67) discovered 24 shared values that correlate with modern business and where each value ties in with one of the four quadrants of the CVF. The researcher found a study conducted by Burchell and Saele (2011: 512) which is a cultural study based on the CVF working in conjunction with shared values survey to analyse a situation and it presented an improved means of investigating culture and values related facets within an organisation. The aim of this study is to examine the existing culture and subsequently make recommendations that can create alignment between what is currently experienced and what is desired in the organisation, if it is found that misalignment exists. This research presents a study using a paper based survey conducted in a restaurant in Grahamstown, South Africa. The results are based on the use of the OCAI in conjunction with organisational shared values profiles. The study revealed that there is no significant gap between the current organisational culture and the desired organisational culture within the organisation. Due to these findings, the research established that a structured strategy for maintaining the organisational culture should be developed in order to sustain the existing organisational culture that can be used when recruiting and on-boarding new employees in the future. The research is significant in that it highlighted a link between the competing values framework and the shared values survey and this will contribute to the effective analysis of organisational culture in future culture research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
An evaluation of clinical governance within a private radiology organisation in Durban KwaZulu-Natal
- Wedderburn-Maxwell, Morgan Keir
- Authors: Wedderburn-Maxwell, Morgan Keir
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/40884 , vital:25036
- Description: South African health care organisations are required to adhere to the National Health Act, 61 of 2003 which contains the national core standards. Clinical governance is a key domain within the national core standards and is directly involved with a health care organisation’s ability to deliver quality care services. It can be described as a framework that ensures doctors and health care employees collaborate to provide superior quality health care services and create clinical accountability. The aim of this research was to evaluate the role of clinical governance within a private radiology organisation in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The goals of this research was to identify and explore the challenges that are associated with clinical governance within a private health care organisation in Durban, KZN. Furthermore, to evaluate the importance and implications of clinical governance for a private radiology organisation in Durban, KZN. The objectives of this research was to investigate how the private radiology organisation is managing clinical governance and to identify whether there is a common understanding of the concept among its members. The research adopted a qualitative approach where semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain the data that enabled the goals and objectives of this research to be attained. The results indicated that clinical governance is a key factor to the private radiology organisations long-term sustainability. Clinical governance is vital for health care organisations to deliver quality health care services. The private radiology organisation places a significant emphasis among its members to deliver superior quality health care services. As a result, the organisation utilises the key elements within the clinical governance framework to continuously increase the quality of care that it provides and abide to the legally binding standards. The results support the notion that there is a need for the clarity of the definition, roles and responsibilities of clinical governance. The findings of this research suggest that further research is required to identify the contribution that clinical governance makes to improving the quality of care within South African health care organisations. Furthermore, research identifying employees’ perceptions of clinical governance within the private health care sector in South Africa is recommended.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
An evaluation of clinical governance within a private radiology organisation in Durban KwaZulu-Natal
- Authors: Wedderburn-Maxwell, Morgan Keir
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/40884 , vital:25036
- Description: South African health care organisations are required to adhere to the National Health Act, 61 of 2003 which contains the national core standards. Clinical governance is a key domain within the national core standards and is directly involved with a health care organisation’s ability to deliver quality care services. It can be described as a framework that ensures doctors and health care employees collaborate to provide superior quality health care services and create clinical accountability. The aim of this research was to evaluate the role of clinical governance within a private radiology organisation in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The goals of this research was to identify and explore the challenges that are associated with clinical governance within a private health care organisation in Durban, KZN. Furthermore, to evaluate the importance and implications of clinical governance for a private radiology organisation in Durban, KZN. The objectives of this research was to investigate how the private radiology organisation is managing clinical governance and to identify whether there is a common understanding of the concept among its members. The research adopted a qualitative approach where semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain the data that enabled the goals and objectives of this research to be attained. The results indicated that clinical governance is a key factor to the private radiology organisations long-term sustainability. Clinical governance is vital for health care organisations to deliver quality health care services. The private radiology organisation places a significant emphasis among its members to deliver superior quality health care services. As a result, the organisation utilises the key elements within the clinical governance framework to continuously increase the quality of care that it provides and abide to the legally binding standards. The results support the notion that there is a need for the clarity of the definition, roles and responsibilities of clinical governance. The findings of this research suggest that further research is required to identify the contribution that clinical governance makes to improving the quality of care within South African health care organisations. Furthermore, research identifying employees’ perceptions of clinical governance within the private health care sector in South Africa is recommended.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
An evaluation of change communication in ensuring the sustainability of change at Barclays Africa's first "green" building
- Authors: Magubane, Nokuzola
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Barclays Bank , Sustainable buildings -- South Africa -- Johannesburg , Organizational change -- South Africa -- Johannesburg , Communication in organizations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:849 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017517
- Description: The purpose of the study was to conduct an evaluation on the effectiveness of the change communications distributed to the occupants of Barclays Towers West, Barclays Africa‟s first green building, in ensuring the sustainability of the change after the move into the building. In addition, recommendations are made to improve the change communications directed towards the building occupants to ensure the sustainability of the change and for future moves to green buildings. The research paper is made up of the following three distinct sections: Section One – Evaluation Research Report: this section outlines the organisational and research context for the study, the objectives of the research and rationale for conducting the research. A brief overview of the key theories and models on change communication that were utilised in the study are discussed, and definitions of important terms are presented. The research methodology is also described which includes an explanation on the evaluation research approach utilised as well as the use of both qualitative and quantitative data in the study. In addition, the results from the research conducted are presented, based on three data collection methods utilised: document analysis, semi-structured interviews and a survey. The results are then analysed and discussed in relation to the literature reviewed on change communication. Recommendations are made on improvements that can be made to the change communications to ensure the sustainability of the change. Section Two – Literature Review: the literature, theories and important concept definitions of organisational change management, change sustainability, change communication and green buildings which are relevant for the research topic and have been used as the theoretical base of the study are explored in this section. A key component of the literature review is the description of the change communication theories and models: communication theory, Armenakis, Harris and Field (2007) Model, and the Barrett (2002) Model. An understanding of the theories and models is imperative, as the effectiveness of the change communications after the move into Barclays Towers West is assessed based on the elements of the change communication theories and models. Section Three – Research Methodology: the research methodology for the study is described in this section. Specifically, the research aims and objectives, the research paradigm, the population and sampling, data collection, data analysis and ethical considerations are outlined. A key component of the section is the explanation on how the data was collected and analysed in the study and the sequence. The post move communications and artefacts and meeting presentations were collected first. The qualitative data was analysed and used to determine the questions for the semi structured interviews. Semi-structured one on one interviews were then conducted. The qualitative data and the change communication theories and models used in this study were used to determine the questions for the online survey. An online survey tool was used to administer a predominantly five point Likert scale questionnaire with an invitation to participate emailed to the building occupants. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistical analysis. Research Findings: The key research findings revealed that the messages communicated to the occupants after the move into the building have been mainly focused on operational matters and rarely on educating occupants on the green aspects of the building. A large majority of the survey respondents were aware of the building facilities, details and required behaviour. However it was found that the occupants, Line Managers and Senior Management are not displaying the required behaviour for a green building and do not know how to use some of the building facilities. A major gap was found in communicating with people moving into the building. In addition it was found that some of the information communicated to occupants is outdated. Written communications are used extensively and face to face communication is rarely used to communicate with the occupants. As a result, a number of changes are required to improve the effectiveness of the change communications to the occupants of Barclays Towers West. The improvements include communicating to new occupants; utilising additional communication channels; focusing communication messages on educating occupants on the strategic objectives for the building; rationale for building features and facilities; how to use the facilities and the impact of their behaviour on the building objectives being achieved.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Magubane, Nokuzola
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Barclays Bank , Sustainable buildings -- South Africa -- Johannesburg , Organizational change -- South Africa -- Johannesburg , Communication in organizations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:849 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017517
- Description: The purpose of the study was to conduct an evaluation on the effectiveness of the change communications distributed to the occupants of Barclays Towers West, Barclays Africa‟s first green building, in ensuring the sustainability of the change after the move into the building. In addition, recommendations are made to improve the change communications directed towards the building occupants to ensure the sustainability of the change and for future moves to green buildings. The research paper is made up of the following three distinct sections: Section One – Evaluation Research Report: this section outlines the organisational and research context for the study, the objectives of the research and rationale for conducting the research. A brief overview of the key theories and models on change communication that were utilised in the study are discussed, and definitions of important terms are presented. The research methodology is also described which includes an explanation on the evaluation research approach utilised as well as the use of both qualitative and quantitative data in the study. In addition, the results from the research conducted are presented, based on three data collection methods utilised: document analysis, semi-structured interviews and a survey. The results are then analysed and discussed in relation to the literature reviewed on change communication. Recommendations are made on improvements that can be made to the change communications to ensure the sustainability of the change. Section Two – Literature Review: the literature, theories and important concept definitions of organisational change management, change sustainability, change communication and green buildings which are relevant for the research topic and have been used as the theoretical base of the study are explored in this section. A key component of the literature review is the description of the change communication theories and models: communication theory, Armenakis, Harris and Field (2007) Model, and the Barrett (2002) Model. An understanding of the theories and models is imperative, as the effectiveness of the change communications after the move into Barclays Towers West is assessed based on the elements of the change communication theories and models. Section Three – Research Methodology: the research methodology for the study is described in this section. Specifically, the research aims and objectives, the research paradigm, the population and sampling, data collection, data analysis and ethical considerations are outlined. A key component of the section is the explanation on how the data was collected and analysed in the study and the sequence. The post move communications and artefacts and meeting presentations were collected first. The qualitative data was analysed and used to determine the questions for the semi structured interviews. Semi-structured one on one interviews were then conducted. The qualitative data and the change communication theories and models used in this study were used to determine the questions for the online survey. An online survey tool was used to administer a predominantly five point Likert scale questionnaire with an invitation to participate emailed to the building occupants. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistical analysis. Research Findings: The key research findings revealed that the messages communicated to the occupants after the move into the building have been mainly focused on operational matters and rarely on educating occupants on the green aspects of the building. A large majority of the survey respondents were aware of the building facilities, details and required behaviour. However it was found that the occupants, Line Managers and Senior Management are not displaying the required behaviour for a green building and do not know how to use some of the building facilities. A major gap was found in communicating with people moving into the building. In addition it was found that some of the information communicated to occupants is outdated. Written communications are used extensively and face to face communication is rarely used to communicate with the occupants. As a result, a number of changes are required to improve the effectiveness of the change communications to the occupants of Barclays Towers West. The improvements include communicating to new occupants; utilising additional communication channels; focusing communication messages on educating occupants on the strategic objectives for the building; rationale for building features and facilities; how to use the facilities and the impact of their behaviour on the building objectives being achieved.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
An evaluation of the implementation of Mercedes Benz production system (MPS) and the employee change readiness at Mercedes Benz commercial vehicles South Africa
- Authors: McAllister, Rozane Ronardo
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft , Organizational change -- South Africa , Organizational behavior -- South Africa , Employees -- Attitudes , Continuous improvement process -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:850 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017518
- Description: The evaluation report section describes the evaluation of the implementation of Mercedes Benz Production System (MPS) at Mercedes Benz Commercial Vehicles, which is a division of Mercedes Benz South Africa’s manufacturing plant situated in East London. The section evaluates the changes the implementation of MPS brought to the Key Performance Indicators (KPI’S) of the division and evaluates the change readiness of the employees in the division prior to the change. The change implementation was initiated by the management of MBCV as a strategic organisational change to bring about continuous improvement to the KPI’s of the organisation. These KPI’s are Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and Morale (SQDCM). The reason behind the change at the time was deemed critical to MBCV in order to meet the annual KPI targets and remain cost competitive and sustainable. The evaluation report further describes the results of the change with regards to the organisational KPI’s and the level of employee change readiness which was conducted through a questionnaire survey. A brief literature review is included in the Evaluation Report under section one describing key concepts about Production Systems, Lean Manufacturing and Change Management. The evaluation section includes recommendations based on the results of the research findings and ends with a conclusion. The literature review section explores the literature that supports production systems, lean manufacturing and change management concepts, its definitions, importance and benefits. The literature review describes and critiques key concepts of the research such as productions systems, MPS in particular, lean manufacturing concepts and related change management topics relevant to the research. The literature review defines production systems and the concepts of lean manufacturing, highlighting the benefits of the concepts to enhance organisations’ manufacturing capabilities. An integrated part of lean manufacturing is people and the implementation of lean manufacturing into an organisation requires change management theories therefore key understanding in this particular research was to discuss change management concepts, in particular, employee change readiness. The literature will discuss different tools to assess employee change readiness and from this develop an employee change readiness tool. The change management concepts evaluated change readiness and the consequences if organisations are not ready for change. The research methodology section describes how that the research was conducted in two phases, one to evaluate the implementation of MPS with regards to the organisational KPI’s (SQDCM). This was assessed through reports from projects and presentations made by the project teams on improvements of the organisational KPI’s. The second phase evaluated the change readiness of the employees prior to the implementation of MPS. This phase of the research was intended to retrieve quantitative data with an adapted questionnaire which was distributed to employees. To evaluate the change readiness, a change model known as ADKAR was used as an evaluation instrument. The modified ADKAR questionnaire was distributed to employees in hard copies and completed during a weekly team meeting. The results were summarised and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the final results. Microsoft Excel (2010 version) was used to illustrate and display the graphs. Section three discussed the research methodology in more detail. The study shows that although there were some positive changes that came from the implementation of MPS in MBCV, especially to the following KPI’s (Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost), real consideration should be given to employee morale and the level of change readiness of MBCV employees.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: McAllister, Rozane Ronardo
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft , Organizational change -- South Africa , Organizational behavior -- South Africa , Employees -- Attitudes , Continuous improvement process -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:850 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017518
- Description: The evaluation report section describes the evaluation of the implementation of Mercedes Benz Production System (MPS) at Mercedes Benz Commercial Vehicles, which is a division of Mercedes Benz South Africa’s manufacturing plant situated in East London. The section evaluates the changes the implementation of MPS brought to the Key Performance Indicators (KPI’S) of the division and evaluates the change readiness of the employees in the division prior to the change. The change implementation was initiated by the management of MBCV as a strategic organisational change to bring about continuous improvement to the KPI’s of the organisation. These KPI’s are Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and Morale (SQDCM). The reason behind the change at the time was deemed critical to MBCV in order to meet the annual KPI targets and remain cost competitive and sustainable. The evaluation report further describes the results of the change with regards to the organisational KPI’s and the level of employee change readiness which was conducted through a questionnaire survey. A brief literature review is included in the Evaluation Report under section one describing key concepts about Production Systems, Lean Manufacturing and Change Management. The evaluation section includes recommendations based on the results of the research findings and ends with a conclusion. The literature review section explores the literature that supports production systems, lean manufacturing and change management concepts, its definitions, importance and benefits. The literature review describes and critiques key concepts of the research such as productions systems, MPS in particular, lean manufacturing concepts and related change management topics relevant to the research. The literature review defines production systems and the concepts of lean manufacturing, highlighting the benefits of the concepts to enhance organisations’ manufacturing capabilities. An integrated part of lean manufacturing is people and the implementation of lean manufacturing into an organisation requires change management theories therefore key understanding in this particular research was to discuss change management concepts, in particular, employee change readiness. The literature will discuss different tools to assess employee change readiness and from this develop an employee change readiness tool. The change management concepts evaluated change readiness and the consequences if organisations are not ready for change. The research methodology section describes how that the research was conducted in two phases, one to evaluate the implementation of MPS with regards to the organisational KPI’s (SQDCM). This was assessed through reports from projects and presentations made by the project teams on improvements of the organisational KPI’s. The second phase evaluated the change readiness of the employees prior to the implementation of MPS. This phase of the research was intended to retrieve quantitative data with an adapted questionnaire which was distributed to employees. To evaluate the change readiness, a change model known as ADKAR was used as an evaluation instrument. The modified ADKAR questionnaire was distributed to employees in hard copies and completed during a weekly team meeting. The results were summarised and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the final results. Microsoft Excel (2010 version) was used to illustrate and display the graphs. Section three discussed the research methodology in more detail. The study shows that although there were some positive changes that came from the implementation of MPS in MBCV, especially to the following KPI’s (Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost), real consideration should be given to employee morale and the level of change readiness of MBCV employees.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
An evaluation of the delivery of the Eskom Customer Safety Education Programme in the Queenstown Customer Services Area.
- Authors: Mtyalela, Kanyisa Highly
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Eskom (Firm) , Customer relations -- Management , Safety education -- South Africa -- Queenstown , Safety education -- Evaluation , Safety consultants -- Rating of -- South Africa -- Queenstown , Public safety -- South Africa -- Queenstown
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:839 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013569
- Description: The aim of this research is to evaluate the Eskom customer safety education programme in the Queenstown Customer Services Area. The research focuses on the implementation of the programme with the aim of assessing whether there is need for optimisation in the way that the customer education and training is delivered. The paper consists of three sections. Section one is directed to Eskom and is made up of (i) a review of the literature that is relevant to the Eskom safety education programme, (ii) the findings made from the study and (iii) recommendations from the author. Section two is a review of the key concepts which were identified for this paper and these are: (i) education and training, (ii) consumer education, (iii) citizenship education, (iv) training programme development, and (v) training programme evaluation. Section three provides detail on and justifies the research methodology that was followed for this paper. The author adopted the deductive approach and collected data from literature sources and Eskom documents as well as face-to-face interviews with the Eskom trainers and customers. Qualitative data was collected from the interviews and is presented in section one of the report in the form of (i) narratives, (ii) graphs and (iii) tables. The research has identified some shortcomings in the delivery of the training and recommendations have been made on how these shortcomings can be addressed. Trainer skills, training evaluation and training tools are amongst the issues that require attention in the Queenstown Customer Services Area. The results revealed that 67 percent of the trainers have not received training related to conducting customer forums. Inconsistencies with regard to the evaluation of the training interventions were also identified and there were differences in terms of the training tools that are utilised at the forums. The recommendations made by the author are based on the literature that was reviewed as part of this study and are aimed at addressing the delivery of the training. The respondents all displayed an understanding of the objectives of the Eskom safety education programme and made recommendations in terms of how Eskom can reduce the tampering of Eskom equipment. The recommendations made included the involvement of the community as well as unannounced door-to-door audits aimed at identifying damaged and tampered Eskom equipment. These recommendations are in line with the guiding principles of safety education presented in McWhirter (2008: 32) which include the involvement of young people in real decisions to help them stay safe, as well as the use of active approaches in addressing safety issues. A review of the electrical contact incidents which were reported to Eskom in 2011/12 revealed that in 61,5 percent of the cases that occurred in the Eastern Cape, Eskom had conducted electricity safety education before the incidents occurred. The recommendations in terms of the training delivery should be implemented to improve the delivery of the training. The author however recommends further research on how Eskom can reduce the number of electrical contact incidents that occur, as it has been proven through previous studies that safety education “has an impact on knowledge, behaviour, risk and skills and no papers have provided evidence of the impact of safety education on injury rates” (Mulvaney, Watson and Errington, 2012: 27).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Mtyalela, Kanyisa Highly
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Eskom (Firm) , Customer relations -- Management , Safety education -- South Africa -- Queenstown , Safety education -- Evaluation , Safety consultants -- Rating of -- South Africa -- Queenstown , Public safety -- South Africa -- Queenstown
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:839 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013569
- Description: The aim of this research is to evaluate the Eskom customer safety education programme in the Queenstown Customer Services Area. The research focuses on the implementation of the programme with the aim of assessing whether there is need for optimisation in the way that the customer education and training is delivered. The paper consists of three sections. Section one is directed to Eskom and is made up of (i) a review of the literature that is relevant to the Eskom safety education programme, (ii) the findings made from the study and (iii) recommendations from the author. Section two is a review of the key concepts which were identified for this paper and these are: (i) education and training, (ii) consumer education, (iii) citizenship education, (iv) training programme development, and (v) training programme evaluation. Section three provides detail on and justifies the research methodology that was followed for this paper. The author adopted the deductive approach and collected data from literature sources and Eskom documents as well as face-to-face interviews with the Eskom trainers and customers. Qualitative data was collected from the interviews and is presented in section one of the report in the form of (i) narratives, (ii) graphs and (iii) tables. The research has identified some shortcomings in the delivery of the training and recommendations have been made on how these shortcomings can be addressed. Trainer skills, training evaluation and training tools are amongst the issues that require attention in the Queenstown Customer Services Area. The results revealed that 67 percent of the trainers have not received training related to conducting customer forums. Inconsistencies with regard to the evaluation of the training interventions were also identified and there were differences in terms of the training tools that are utilised at the forums. The recommendations made by the author are based on the literature that was reviewed as part of this study and are aimed at addressing the delivery of the training. The respondents all displayed an understanding of the objectives of the Eskom safety education programme and made recommendations in terms of how Eskom can reduce the tampering of Eskom equipment. The recommendations made included the involvement of the community as well as unannounced door-to-door audits aimed at identifying damaged and tampered Eskom equipment. These recommendations are in line with the guiding principles of safety education presented in McWhirter (2008: 32) which include the involvement of young people in real decisions to help them stay safe, as well as the use of active approaches in addressing safety issues. A review of the electrical contact incidents which were reported to Eskom in 2011/12 revealed that in 61,5 percent of the cases that occurred in the Eastern Cape, Eskom had conducted electricity safety education before the incidents occurred. The recommendations in terms of the training delivery should be implemented to improve the delivery of the training. The author however recommends further research on how Eskom can reduce the number of electrical contact incidents that occur, as it has been proven through previous studies that safety education “has an impact on knowledge, behaviour, risk and skills and no papers have provided evidence of the impact of safety education on injury rates” (Mulvaney, Watson and Errington, 2012: 27).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A teaching case study of the strategic alignment of business strategy and information technology strategy at Nedbank
- Authors: Tsoaeli, Tebalo
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Nedbank Banks and banking -- South Africa Business planning Information technology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:720 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001883
- Description: In today’s business world, a lot of organizations are investing heavily in Information Technology (IT) in order to develop a competitive edge. According to Loukis, Sapounas and Milionis (2009:85) “firms all over the world make significant investments in IT aiming to increase their efficiency and effectiveness”. According to Cline and Guynes (2001:10), “during the last 30 years, IT has become an increasingly integral part of business operations”. Most of the times, organizations fail to get real value from the investments made in IT. This is mainly due to the fact that organizations fail to realize the value brought about by aligning IT strategy with Business strategy. Hu and Huang (2004:60) state that “each year organizations invest in IT to improve their competitive advantage and ultimately their business performance; however, more often than not, the anticipated benefits of IT investments fail to materialize due to misalignment of or lack of alignment, between the business and IT strategies”. Henderson and Venkatraman (1999:475) emphasize that “alignment is a desired state for organizations investing in IT that is not always achieved, as it often entails a radical change in the way managers consider IT”. It is through the alignment of IT strategy and Business strategy that organizations are able to realize the value brought about by investing in IT. Papp (2001:20)illustrates that “misalignment can cause problems with not only the development and integration of business and IT strategies, but can actually prevent IT from being fully leveraged to its maximum potential within an organization”. An organization that realizes the value of aligning IT strategy and Business strategy is able to develop a competitive advantage over its competitors. According to Daneshvar and Ramesh (2010:1) “each organization is aware of the special effects, benefits and implication of IT in business performance and also its capacity in building sustainable competitive advantages”.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Tsoaeli, Tebalo
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Nedbank Banks and banking -- South Africa Business planning Information technology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:720 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001883
- Description: In today’s business world, a lot of organizations are investing heavily in Information Technology (IT) in order to develop a competitive edge. According to Loukis, Sapounas and Milionis (2009:85) “firms all over the world make significant investments in IT aiming to increase their efficiency and effectiveness”. According to Cline and Guynes (2001:10), “during the last 30 years, IT has become an increasingly integral part of business operations”. Most of the times, organizations fail to get real value from the investments made in IT. This is mainly due to the fact that organizations fail to realize the value brought about by aligning IT strategy with Business strategy. Hu and Huang (2004:60) state that “each year organizations invest in IT to improve their competitive advantage and ultimately their business performance; however, more often than not, the anticipated benefits of IT investments fail to materialize due to misalignment of or lack of alignment, between the business and IT strategies”. Henderson and Venkatraman (1999:475) emphasize that “alignment is a desired state for organizations investing in IT that is not always achieved, as it often entails a radical change in the way managers consider IT”. It is through the alignment of IT strategy and Business strategy that organizations are able to realize the value brought about by investing in IT. Papp (2001:20)illustrates that “misalignment can cause problems with not only the development and integration of business and IT strategies, but can actually prevent IT from being fully leveraged to its maximum potential within an organization”. An organization that realizes the value of aligning IT strategy and Business strategy is able to develop a competitive advantage over its competitors. According to Daneshvar and Ramesh (2010:1) “each organization is aware of the special effects, benefits and implication of IT in business performance and also its capacity in building sustainable competitive advantages”.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Understanding Generation Y : an investigation of how Hilton College can use technology for communication
- Authors: Wyngaard, Richard Clive
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Generation Y -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal Cell phones -- Social aspects Mobile communication systems -- Social aspects Information technology -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:796 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004332
- Description: Background to the academic research. Hilton College is an all boys private school in the Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands. Since the beginning of 2012 boys have been permitted to carry their phones during the school day, (Thomson, 2012). Wireless internet access was also extended across the campus to allow boys and staff to bring their own devices to class and have access to the internet (Machlachlan, 2012). In the past, communication between staff and boys was either verbal or through the use of a daily notice, called the Daily Routine Order (DRO). The DRO is placed at the dining room tables each day and boys are expected to check for any notices that may pertain to them. These notices are emailed to a secretary who prints them out and places them in the dining room each day at lunch. 2. Objectives to the research. This research sought to establish whether current communication methods were effective or whether the prevalence of mobile phones and wireless devices had presented the school with a more effective method. It was important therefore, to investigate what devices were on campus, how those devices were used and when they were used. In addition to this, the research sought to establish communication preference among staff and boys. 3. Research Methodology. The research was conducted through the use of a qualitative survey that was conducted among both staff and boys. Staff and boys were surveyed to establish generation, device prevalence, device usage and device preference. This data was collected using an anonymous qualitative survey that was administered through the use of Google docs in the school labs. 187 Boys in 3 grades 8 and 9 participated in the survey along with 18 staff members. The data was then analysed and compared to data from similar research that had been conducted elsewhere in the world. Because of significant age differences between boys and staff it was critical to establish whether device usage among staff and boys was tied to their generation. Of particular interest were the device behaviours associated with the Millennial generation, who were born between 1982-2002 (Strauss 2005:10). This generational ‘benchmark’ allowed the researcher to compare the Hilton College cohort to those whose device behaviours and usage had occurred and been discussed in generational research elsewhere. It also allowed for certain assumptions to be made about staff and boys based on their generational profile. 4. Findings It was found that staff and boys exhibited communication traits that were consistent with their generation and consistent with other research in this field. It was also found that staff and boys preferred mobile and digital forms of communication over verbal announcements and the DRO system. For this reason, it was recommended that the Hilton College establish a system that took advantage of technology to improve on communication. Various recommendations were given by the researcher that took advantage of current technologies. These included the use of SMS, Instant Messaging, Social Networks and email. It was also recommended that the school consider prescribing devices that allow for communication between staff and boys.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Wyngaard, Richard Clive
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Generation Y -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal Cell phones -- Social aspects Mobile communication systems -- Social aspects Information technology -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:796 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004332
- Description: Background to the academic research. Hilton College is an all boys private school in the Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands. Since the beginning of 2012 boys have been permitted to carry their phones during the school day, (Thomson, 2012). Wireless internet access was also extended across the campus to allow boys and staff to bring their own devices to class and have access to the internet (Machlachlan, 2012). In the past, communication between staff and boys was either verbal or through the use of a daily notice, called the Daily Routine Order (DRO). The DRO is placed at the dining room tables each day and boys are expected to check for any notices that may pertain to them. These notices are emailed to a secretary who prints them out and places them in the dining room each day at lunch. 2. Objectives to the research. This research sought to establish whether current communication methods were effective or whether the prevalence of mobile phones and wireless devices had presented the school with a more effective method. It was important therefore, to investigate what devices were on campus, how those devices were used and when they were used. In addition to this, the research sought to establish communication preference among staff and boys. 3. Research Methodology. The research was conducted through the use of a qualitative survey that was conducted among both staff and boys. Staff and boys were surveyed to establish generation, device prevalence, device usage and device preference. This data was collected using an anonymous qualitative survey that was administered through the use of Google docs in the school labs. 187 Boys in 3 grades 8 and 9 participated in the survey along with 18 staff members. The data was then analysed and compared to data from similar research that had been conducted elsewhere in the world. Because of significant age differences between boys and staff it was critical to establish whether device usage among staff and boys was tied to their generation. Of particular interest were the device behaviours associated with the Millennial generation, who were born between 1982-2002 (Strauss 2005:10). This generational ‘benchmark’ allowed the researcher to compare the Hilton College cohort to those whose device behaviours and usage had occurred and been discussed in generational research elsewhere. It also allowed for certain assumptions to be made about staff and boys based on their generational profile. 4. Findings It was found that staff and boys exhibited communication traits that were consistent with their generation and consistent with other research in this field. It was also found that staff and boys preferred mobile and digital forms of communication over verbal announcements and the DRO system. For this reason, it was recommended that the Hilton College establish a system that took advantage of technology to improve on communication. Various recommendations were given by the researcher that took advantage of current technologies. These included the use of SMS, Instant Messaging, Social Networks and email. It was also recommended that the school consider prescribing devices that allow for communication between staff and boys.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Waste management in the pharmaceutical industry : an evaluation report of Dr Reddy's Laboratories
- Authors: Letsitsi, Ezekiel Tebogo
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Pharmaceutical industry -- Waste disposal -- Case studies Hazardous wastes -- Management -- South Africa Hazardous wastes -- Management -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Dr Reddy's Laboratories
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:718 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001872
- Description: The pharmaceutical industry must worry about managing pharmaceutical waste as it poses a health risk to human beings and its presence in the environment can also contribute to loss of biodiversity. Ngwuluka, Ochekpe, and Odumosu (2011: 11259) state that “Pharmaceuticals, though used to treat and manage diseases, are poisons, which justify the growing concerns about their presence in the environment.” Various forms of pharmaceutical waste exist, Ngwuluka et al. (2011) identified the following forms of pharmaceutical waste: Expired dosage forms, non-reworkable formulations, spilled pharmaceuticals, rejected active pharmaceutical ingredients, expired active pharmaceutical ingredients, and wastewater resulting from the water used for process operations during manufacturing and could come from the water used to clean equipment, pipes and floors, and would contain amongst other materials, chemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). A review on the pharmaceutical industry and the progress they have made in environmental management by generating health, safety and environmental programs, preventing pollution, waste minimization, recycling and reusing materials, investing in projects and facilities to ensure environmental sustainability have been established (Berry & Rondinelli, 2000). Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories is an Indian based pharmaceutical company which imports, markets and sells medicines in South Africa. Dr. Reddy’s has plans to set up a manufacturing plant in South Africa. The purpose of this study is to research waste management practices at Dr. Reddy’s plant in India and to draw parallels between India’s and South Africa’s waste legislation. This is to enable Dr. Reddy’s to review all aspects of its waste management systems, in order to revise where necessary and to improve the overall achievement of its waste management objectives in order to become a more sustainable organisation and to meet South African Waste legislation before setting up a plant in South Africa. 3 ii. Objective of the Evaluation Report The purpose of this research is to evaluate and analyse the development and implementation of a waste management system in a pharmaceutical company, specifically Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. This is primarily to enable the company to review and analyse all aspects of waste management pertaining to pharmaceutical manufacturing and to revise or improve where necessary to ensure adherence to waste regulations as outlined by government. The following research goals have been also been identified: To identify and describe waste management practices at Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, on the inherent assumption by the researcher that the company has a successful waste management strategy that would need to be reviewed to identify areas of improvement before expanding manufacturing facilities into South Africa. To evaluate, assess and compare similarities and/or differences between the identified South African Legislation for Waste Management with those identified during research conducted at Dr. Reddy’s iii. Importance of the Research Conducted Waste Management is important in that it not only removes from the environment, substances that can be harmful to humans and animals but it also enables an organisation to be more sustainable. According to Seadon (2010: i) “Integrated waste management is considered from a systems’ approach, with a particular emphasis on advancing sustainability”. The study will provide guidance to senior management, shop floor managers and employees who work in Dr. Reddy’s manufacturing plants as well as overall employees at Dr. Reddy’s on how to successfully implement a Waste Management programme to enhance sustainability at the organisation and realise the benefits to the organisation of being more sustainable. Weybrecht (2010) identified the following benefits that companies could gain by adopting sustainable waste management practices: reduced costs, resource preservation, keeping up with legislation, enhanced reputation, business differentiation from competitors, and attraction and retention of quality employees, and customer need satisfaction amongst many other benefits. This research needs to address the gap in analysing waste management practices (with more emphasis on waste treatment, waste minimisation, re-use, recycling and disposal), and implementation and understanding of waste management in the pharmaceutical industry as prior research was done mostly in other chemical industries and not to a large scale in the pharmaceutical industry. South African Waste Legislation, Indian Waste Legislation (as Dr. Reddy’s is based in India), as well as International Pharmaceutical Waste Management Guidelines, and International Pharmaceutical Good Manufacturing Practices provide a framework and benchmark of leading pharmaceutical waste management practices that can guide Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories’ leadership into integrating their waste management practices into their plans of setting up a manufacturing plant in South Africa. 5. Research Methodology This is evaluation research in the form of a case study and the data collection method employed is the conduction of a survey through questionnaires. The evaluation research also involves a document analysis of the organisation’s 2011 and 2012 annual reports, Dr. Reddy’s 2010 Sustainability Report as well as literature compiled by the organisation’s Corporate Communications Division. The research would also include review of existing literature on waste management. v. Structure of Dissertation This dissertation consists of three sections. Section 1: The Evaluation Report The section introduces the research area, provides the objectives of the research, provides contextual background information and describes the rationale for conducting the research. This section further describes Dr. Reddy’s waste management practice as outlined in relevant company documentation; it is also intended to highlight the specific waste management processes that were followed in the formulation and implementation of the waste management strategy. This section further describes the sample and presents the results of the survey, where the results are collated and reviewed in the context of the criteria set in the South African Waste Legislation, Indian Waste Legislation, as well as in International Pharmaceutical Waste Management Guidelines, and International Pharmaceutical Good Manufacturing Practices. The overall findings of this case study suggest that although management at Dr. Reddy’s are satisfied with waste management practices and results achieved at it manufacturing plant, there is however dissatisfaction amongst employees who believe the organisation has not successfully disseminated information and sufficiently trained them on waste management policies, processes and practices. There is therefore a desire amongst employees to be trained and to see the company improve on its waste management processes, this desire is a very important attribute as it indicates that employees at Dr. Reddy understand and are committed to the importance of waste management. Future research should be conducted to measure the legal impact of non-compliance to legislation governing waste management in the pharmaceutical company. Section 2: Literature Review The objective of the literature review is to provide a critical assessment and evaluation of previous research in the field of waste management in general as prior research was done mostly in other industries and not to a large scale in the pharmaceutical industry. The literature review evaluates the key elements of an effective waste management strategy implementation and is followed by a review of literature pertaining to the description of Pharmaceutical waste. Section 3: Research Methodology This section presents a description of how the work in this research was conducted. It presents the research process followed in compiling this case study, represented by the aims and objectives, research methodology and design, data collection techniques and data analysis.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Letsitsi, Ezekiel Tebogo
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Pharmaceutical industry -- Waste disposal -- Case studies Hazardous wastes -- Management -- South Africa Hazardous wastes -- Management -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Dr Reddy's Laboratories
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:718 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001872
- Description: The pharmaceutical industry must worry about managing pharmaceutical waste as it poses a health risk to human beings and its presence in the environment can also contribute to loss of biodiversity. Ngwuluka, Ochekpe, and Odumosu (2011: 11259) state that “Pharmaceuticals, though used to treat and manage diseases, are poisons, which justify the growing concerns about their presence in the environment.” Various forms of pharmaceutical waste exist, Ngwuluka et al. (2011) identified the following forms of pharmaceutical waste: Expired dosage forms, non-reworkable formulations, spilled pharmaceuticals, rejected active pharmaceutical ingredients, expired active pharmaceutical ingredients, and wastewater resulting from the water used for process operations during manufacturing and could come from the water used to clean equipment, pipes and floors, and would contain amongst other materials, chemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). A review on the pharmaceutical industry and the progress they have made in environmental management by generating health, safety and environmental programs, preventing pollution, waste minimization, recycling and reusing materials, investing in projects and facilities to ensure environmental sustainability have been established (Berry & Rondinelli, 2000). Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories is an Indian based pharmaceutical company which imports, markets and sells medicines in South Africa. Dr. Reddy’s has plans to set up a manufacturing plant in South Africa. The purpose of this study is to research waste management practices at Dr. Reddy’s plant in India and to draw parallels between India’s and South Africa’s waste legislation. This is to enable Dr. Reddy’s to review all aspects of its waste management systems, in order to revise where necessary and to improve the overall achievement of its waste management objectives in order to become a more sustainable organisation and to meet South African Waste legislation before setting up a plant in South Africa. 3 ii. Objective of the Evaluation Report The purpose of this research is to evaluate and analyse the development and implementation of a waste management system in a pharmaceutical company, specifically Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. This is primarily to enable the company to review and analyse all aspects of waste management pertaining to pharmaceutical manufacturing and to revise or improve where necessary to ensure adherence to waste regulations as outlined by government. The following research goals have been also been identified: To identify and describe waste management practices at Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, on the inherent assumption by the researcher that the company has a successful waste management strategy that would need to be reviewed to identify areas of improvement before expanding manufacturing facilities into South Africa. To evaluate, assess and compare similarities and/or differences between the identified South African Legislation for Waste Management with those identified during research conducted at Dr. Reddy’s iii. Importance of the Research Conducted Waste Management is important in that it not only removes from the environment, substances that can be harmful to humans and animals but it also enables an organisation to be more sustainable. According to Seadon (2010: i) “Integrated waste management is considered from a systems’ approach, with a particular emphasis on advancing sustainability”. The study will provide guidance to senior management, shop floor managers and employees who work in Dr. Reddy’s manufacturing plants as well as overall employees at Dr. Reddy’s on how to successfully implement a Waste Management programme to enhance sustainability at the organisation and realise the benefits to the organisation of being more sustainable. Weybrecht (2010) identified the following benefits that companies could gain by adopting sustainable waste management practices: reduced costs, resource preservation, keeping up with legislation, enhanced reputation, business differentiation from competitors, and attraction and retention of quality employees, and customer need satisfaction amongst many other benefits. This research needs to address the gap in analysing waste management practices (with more emphasis on waste treatment, waste minimisation, re-use, recycling and disposal), and implementation and understanding of waste management in the pharmaceutical industry as prior research was done mostly in other chemical industries and not to a large scale in the pharmaceutical industry. South African Waste Legislation, Indian Waste Legislation (as Dr. Reddy’s is based in India), as well as International Pharmaceutical Waste Management Guidelines, and International Pharmaceutical Good Manufacturing Practices provide a framework and benchmark of leading pharmaceutical waste management practices that can guide Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories’ leadership into integrating their waste management practices into their plans of setting up a manufacturing plant in South Africa. 5. Research Methodology This is evaluation research in the form of a case study and the data collection method employed is the conduction of a survey through questionnaires. The evaluation research also involves a document analysis of the organisation’s 2011 and 2012 annual reports, Dr. Reddy’s 2010 Sustainability Report as well as literature compiled by the organisation’s Corporate Communications Division. The research would also include review of existing literature on waste management. v. Structure of Dissertation This dissertation consists of three sections. Section 1: The Evaluation Report The section introduces the research area, provides the objectives of the research, provides contextual background information and describes the rationale for conducting the research. This section further describes Dr. Reddy’s waste management practice as outlined in relevant company documentation; it is also intended to highlight the specific waste management processes that were followed in the formulation and implementation of the waste management strategy. This section further describes the sample and presents the results of the survey, where the results are collated and reviewed in the context of the criteria set in the South African Waste Legislation, Indian Waste Legislation, as well as in International Pharmaceutical Waste Management Guidelines, and International Pharmaceutical Good Manufacturing Practices. The overall findings of this case study suggest that although management at Dr. Reddy’s are satisfied with waste management practices and results achieved at it manufacturing plant, there is however dissatisfaction amongst employees who believe the organisation has not successfully disseminated information and sufficiently trained them on waste management policies, processes and practices. There is therefore a desire amongst employees to be trained and to see the company improve on its waste management processes, this desire is a very important attribute as it indicates that employees at Dr. Reddy understand and are committed to the importance of waste management. Future research should be conducted to measure the legal impact of non-compliance to legislation governing waste management in the pharmaceutical company. Section 2: Literature Review The objective of the literature review is to provide a critical assessment and evaluation of previous research in the field of waste management in general as prior research was done mostly in other industries and not to a large scale in the pharmaceutical industry. The literature review evaluates the key elements of an effective waste management strategy implementation and is followed by a review of literature pertaining to the description of Pharmaceutical waste. Section 3: Research Methodology This section presents a description of how the work in this research was conducted. It presents the research process followed in compiling this case study, represented by the aims and objectives, research methodology and design, data collection techniques and data analysis.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
The strategic alignment maturity of business and information technology at Volkswagen South Africa
- Authors: Naidoo, Lavendra
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Industrial management -- South Africa Industrial management Business enterprises -- Information technology -- Management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:789 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003910
- Description: During the past three decades Information Technology (IT) has been constantly evolving and has emerged into a significant component and enabler of most organisations strategy, to the point that modern day organisations are intrinsically dependent on IT (Peppard and Ward, 2004). Henderson and Venkatraman (1993) advocate that for an organisation to be successful in a dynamic and competitive business environment it is imperative that there is an effective and efficient IT strategy that enables the business strategy and processes. Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA)in 2007 launched its corporate strategy, 1:10:100 – 2010 At the end of this stated period 2010, VWSA achieved several of its objectives, namely surpassing its competitors in passenger vehicle sales volume, improving its customer satisfaction, achieving a higher level of local parts content per unit, developing its people and improving its infrastructure and processes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Naidoo, Lavendra
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Industrial management -- South Africa Industrial management Business enterprises -- Information technology -- Management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:789 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003910
- Description: During the past three decades Information Technology (IT) has been constantly evolving and has emerged into a significant component and enabler of most organisations strategy, to the point that modern day organisations are intrinsically dependent on IT (Peppard and Ward, 2004). Henderson and Venkatraman (1993) advocate that for an organisation to be successful in a dynamic and competitive business environment it is imperative that there is an effective and efficient IT strategy that enables the business strategy and processes. Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA)in 2007 launched its corporate strategy, 1:10:100 – 2010 At the end of this stated period 2010, VWSA achieved several of its objectives, namely surpassing its competitors in passenger vehicle sales volume, improving its customer satisfaction, achieving a higher level of local parts content per unit, developing its people and improving its infrastructure and processes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
A critical analysis of the management of climate change risk among short-term insurers in South Africa: evidence from company annual reports
- Authors: Banda, Musale Hamangaba
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Insurance companies -- South Africa -- Case studies Risk (Insurance) -- South Africa Risk management -- Evaluation -- South Africa Insurance companies -- South Africa -- Management South Africa -- Economic conditions -- 1991 -- Environmental aspects Climatic changes -- Risk assessment -- South Africa Disaster insurance -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:792 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003943
- Description: This study investigates the extent to which South African short-term insurance companies manage climate change risk, as evidenced in their annual and sustainability reporting. The study context takes into account the fact that the world’s climate has been changing at a more accelerated rate since the early 1970s, causing disasters that have negatively affected world economies in the last ten years. Insurers, due to their huge financial resource base, long history of spurring innovation around risk and encouraging loss-reducing behaviour as well as high levels of vulnerability, have been identified as one industry that could lead societies in finding solutions to climate change risk. A key element of such a corporate resolve involves taking a leadership position which makes business sense for insurers. As such, this research analyses how innovative solutions to change-related problems could result in reduced exposure to climate change in line with corporate triple bottom line objectives. Based on a purposive sampling of short-term insurance companies operating in the South African market during the 2007 financial year, the study uses the companies’ annual and sustainability reports in order to critically assess evidence of climate change-related performance. The assessment is undertaken against the best practice indicators of climate change risk management, as defined by Ceres – a global researcher on climate change management in the business context. The data analysis is largely qualitative, consisting of a narrative presentation of the results and a conceptual application of the results to the triple bottom line which forms the theoretical framework of this study. The study finds that the South African short-term insurers were generally not living up to the climate change management ideals, in comparison to their multinational counterparts. For the South African short-term insurers, corporate strategic product innovation and planning was insignificant. Also negligible was board involvement, as well as CEO involvement, though in at least one case of the 4 local short-term insurance, there was evidence of extensive CEO involvement in climate change risk management. On the whole, these findings represent a lapse in corporate governance inasmuch as climate change risk management is concerned. Local short-term insurers generally performed well in the area of public disclosure, with their scores ranging from insignificant to extensive. In contrast, multinational short-term insurers’ performance with regard to climate change risk intervention ranged from insignificant tointegrated, across the five governance areas of board oversight, management execution, public disclosure, emissions accounting and strategic planning. As such, the study broadly recommends that short-term insurers in South Africa should make climate change part of their overall risk management strategies in order for them to remain competitive in an environment of increased climate change-related risk. More specifically, the research project recommends that the local insurers should proactively lead climate change mitigation measures through, for instance, investing in clean energy projects and incentivising their clients’ participation in the carbon market to prepare themselves for possible regulatory restrictions after the Copenhagen climate change conference planned for December 2009. This study also challenges insurers to help communities and as well as other businesses in their value chain to reduce their negative impacts on the world’s climate and to be more resilient against disasters which may arise from the high levels of greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere. Further, it recommends that insurers should create internal board and executive level climate change-related structures, as these will facilitate the integration of the proposed initiatives into their overall sustainability strategies. Above all, the study recommends that insurers should enhance the reporting of their climate change-related risk, opportunities and initiatives to improve their integrity.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Banda, Musale Hamangaba
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Insurance companies -- South Africa -- Case studies Risk (Insurance) -- South Africa Risk management -- Evaluation -- South Africa Insurance companies -- South Africa -- Management South Africa -- Economic conditions -- 1991 -- Environmental aspects Climatic changes -- Risk assessment -- South Africa Disaster insurance -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:792 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003943
- Description: This study investigates the extent to which South African short-term insurance companies manage climate change risk, as evidenced in their annual and sustainability reporting. The study context takes into account the fact that the world’s climate has been changing at a more accelerated rate since the early 1970s, causing disasters that have negatively affected world economies in the last ten years. Insurers, due to their huge financial resource base, long history of spurring innovation around risk and encouraging loss-reducing behaviour as well as high levels of vulnerability, have been identified as one industry that could lead societies in finding solutions to climate change risk. A key element of such a corporate resolve involves taking a leadership position which makes business sense for insurers. As such, this research analyses how innovative solutions to change-related problems could result in reduced exposure to climate change in line with corporate triple bottom line objectives. Based on a purposive sampling of short-term insurance companies operating in the South African market during the 2007 financial year, the study uses the companies’ annual and sustainability reports in order to critically assess evidence of climate change-related performance. The assessment is undertaken against the best practice indicators of climate change risk management, as defined by Ceres – a global researcher on climate change management in the business context. The data analysis is largely qualitative, consisting of a narrative presentation of the results and a conceptual application of the results to the triple bottom line which forms the theoretical framework of this study. The study finds that the South African short-term insurers were generally not living up to the climate change management ideals, in comparison to their multinational counterparts. For the South African short-term insurers, corporate strategic product innovation and planning was insignificant. Also negligible was board involvement, as well as CEO involvement, though in at least one case of the 4 local short-term insurance, there was evidence of extensive CEO involvement in climate change risk management. On the whole, these findings represent a lapse in corporate governance inasmuch as climate change risk management is concerned. Local short-term insurers generally performed well in the area of public disclosure, with their scores ranging from insignificant to extensive. In contrast, multinational short-term insurers’ performance with regard to climate change risk intervention ranged from insignificant tointegrated, across the five governance areas of board oversight, management execution, public disclosure, emissions accounting and strategic planning. As such, the study broadly recommends that short-term insurers in South Africa should make climate change part of their overall risk management strategies in order for them to remain competitive in an environment of increased climate change-related risk. More specifically, the research project recommends that the local insurers should proactively lead climate change mitigation measures through, for instance, investing in clean energy projects and incentivising their clients’ participation in the carbon market to prepare themselves for possible regulatory restrictions after the Copenhagen climate change conference planned for December 2009. This study also challenges insurers to help communities and as well as other businesses in their value chain to reduce their negative impacts on the world’s climate and to be more resilient against disasters which may arise from the high levels of greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere. Further, it recommends that insurers should create internal board and executive level climate change-related structures, as these will facilitate the integration of the proposed initiatives into their overall sustainability strategies. Above all, the study recommends that insurers should enhance the reporting of their climate change-related risk, opportunities and initiatives to improve their integrity.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
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