A framework to enhance the appreciation and motivation of employees in an automotive factory
- Authors: Parsons, Paul Benjamin
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Employee motivation , Work ethic Incentive awards Employees|xRating of Motor vehicle industry -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/23059 , vital:30402
- Description: Manufacturing in South Africa is constantly under pressure to produce more for less, and the automotive industry is no exception. Well known initiatives like “just-in-time” (JIT) manufacturing; “flexible manufacturing systems” (FMS); and “lean manufacturing”, are some of the strategies that manufacturing adopted to increase productivity. Due to the comparative extremely high capital investments that need to be spent before a single unit is built, manufacturing can only be competitive by exploring economics of scale; in doing this, manufacturers recoup capital outflow and start showing profit. Should this require that an employee be treated in the same way: used as an input into the production process? Human capital theory has been around for many decades, proclaiming that employees are more than just labourers. Gone are the days when work was an exchange between labour and money. Both parties demand more from each other. Employers want more commitment, efficiency and flexibility; employees, on the other hand, want more autonomy, purpose and appreciation. Employees are a company‟s biggest assets if treated and motivated correctly. Employee motivation is not a new concept – theorists and likeminded people have tried to dissect and understand the topic over millennia. It seems, however, that whenever a theory is formulated people‟s perception changes (almost like trying to hit a moving target). Some theorists claim that a totally new rule set is required to motivate employees in the information age. The bottom line seems to be that in order for companies to gain advantage from human capital, the area-specific motivational environment needs to be understood. Only when this is accomplished, can policies and incentives be aligned, resulting in a more committed, efficient and flexible employee. It is therefore imperative for an employer to understand both what motivates his or her employees, and what these employees recognise as appreciation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Parsons, Paul Benjamin
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Employee motivation , Work ethic Incentive awards Employees|xRating of Motor vehicle industry -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/23059 , vital:30402
- Description: Manufacturing in South Africa is constantly under pressure to produce more for less, and the automotive industry is no exception. Well known initiatives like “just-in-time” (JIT) manufacturing; “flexible manufacturing systems” (FMS); and “lean manufacturing”, are some of the strategies that manufacturing adopted to increase productivity. Due to the comparative extremely high capital investments that need to be spent before a single unit is built, manufacturing can only be competitive by exploring economics of scale; in doing this, manufacturers recoup capital outflow and start showing profit. Should this require that an employee be treated in the same way: used as an input into the production process? Human capital theory has been around for many decades, proclaiming that employees are more than just labourers. Gone are the days when work was an exchange between labour and money. Both parties demand more from each other. Employers want more commitment, efficiency and flexibility; employees, on the other hand, want more autonomy, purpose and appreciation. Employees are a company‟s biggest assets if treated and motivated correctly. Employee motivation is not a new concept – theorists and likeminded people have tried to dissect and understand the topic over millennia. It seems, however, that whenever a theory is formulated people‟s perception changes (almost like trying to hit a moving target). Some theorists claim that a totally new rule set is required to motivate employees in the information age. The bottom line seems to be that in order for companies to gain advantage from human capital, the area-specific motivational environment needs to be understood. Only when this is accomplished, can policies and incentives be aligned, resulting in a more committed, efficient and flexible employee. It is therefore imperative for an employer to understand both what motivates his or her employees, and what these employees recognise as appreciation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
A model for smart factories in the automotive sector
- Authors: Leo, Jo-Anne Ronell
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Internet of things , Manufacturing processes -- Automation Labor supply -- Effect of technological innovations on Cloud computing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/22531 , vital:29997
- Description: The manufacturing industry is on the brink of transformation, with smart factories and digitalisation at the forefront. New challenges such as globalisation, cost pressure and consumer demands are imminent in the current environment. In order to overcome these challenges, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known as Industry 4.0 has emerged. Industry 4.0 promotes the computerisation of manufacturing facilities and emphasises an end-to-end digitalisation of physical resources and integration of processes through the entire value chain. The smart factory, a component of Industry 4.0, is a self-organised, modular, highly flexible and reconfigurable factory that enables production of customised products at low cost, therefore maximising profitability. Manufacturing processes are driven by technologies such as cyber-physical systems, big data, collaborative robots and the Internet of Things. This allows autonomous communication throughout the value chain between machine-to-machine and human-to-machine. Organisations consider automation and technology as strategic business tools which are used to increase short and long term profits and realise operating objectives. In contrast, the implementation of automation and technology in the workplace raises labour concerns, fear of layoffs and redundancies among the workforce. This unease, in turn, influences the employees’ attitude towards technology which could lead either to its acceptance or refusal thereof. The purpose of this research is to enhance the understanding of smart factories in the automotive industry by conducting a systematic analysis of the factors which influence the attitude of those involved towards a smart factory implementation. This study focuses on the perceptions among employees and management. The research is an quantitative study consisting of a literature review of the key concepts related to Industry 4.0, smart factories and technology-acceptance theories. The empirical study consisted of surveys completed by management and employees of one of the automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), in South Africa. The questionnaire used in this research consists of questions regarding demographic data and questions regarding the perception of change and factors influencing the attitudes towards the acceptance of technology within the OEM. To summarise the data into a more condensed form which could simplify the identification of patterns in the data, descriptive statistics were used. Inferential statistics were used to validate if the conclusions made from the sample data could be inferred to a larger population. Various factors influence the perception about ease of use and usefulness, which then in turn influences the attitude and the intention to use technology. These factors have been examined by numerous authors in the technology acceptance literature. Recommended factors based on the statistical analysis of the questionnaire results were identified. A model identified the following factors as having an influence on the Attitude towards the Positive Impact of Smart Factories within the OEM: Skills and Training, Individual Characteristics, Trust, Organisational Culture, Resources and Costs and Job Security. The importance of each factor was identified to understand its function in how to improve the implementation of smart factories. This research suggested improvements for the automotive OEM based on the statistical analysis of the survey results. Inconclusive results were indicated on three variables and these should be improved, namely, Organisational Culture, Job Security and Security and International / National Standards. Two sub-groups were defined by different job levels and different perceptions were found concerning the factors that were measured. People at different job levels in the OEM perceived medium to large significant differences in all the factors comprising the proposed model of the Attitude towards a Smart Factory. The smart factory model developed in this study specified the factors which influence the Attitude towards a Smart Factory within the automotive sector and the effect these factors have on technology acceptance.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Leo, Jo-Anne Ronell
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Internet of things , Manufacturing processes -- Automation Labor supply -- Effect of technological innovations on Cloud computing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/22531 , vital:29997
- Description: The manufacturing industry is on the brink of transformation, with smart factories and digitalisation at the forefront. New challenges such as globalisation, cost pressure and consumer demands are imminent in the current environment. In order to overcome these challenges, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known as Industry 4.0 has emerged. Industry 4.0 promotes the computerisation of manufacturing facilities and emphasises an end-to-end digitalisation of physical resources and integration of processes through the entire value chain. The smart factory, a component of Industry 4.0, is a self-organised, modular, highly flexible and reconfigurable factory that enables production of customised products at low cost, therefore maximising profitability. Manufacturing processes are driven by technologies such as cyber-physical systems, big data, collaborative robots and the Internet of Things. This allows autonomous communication throughout the value chain between machine-to-machine and human-to-machine. Organisations consider automation and technology as strategic business tools which are used to increase short and long term profits and realise operating objectives. In contrast, the implementation of automation and technology in the workplace raises labour concerns, fear of layoffs and redundancies among the workforce. This unease, in turn, influences the employees’ attitude towards technology which could lead either to its acceptance or refusal thereof. The purpose of this research is to enhance the understanding of smart factories in the automotive industry by conducting a systematic analysis of the factors which influence the attitude of those involved towards a smart factory implementation. This study focuses on the perceptions among employees and management. The research is an quantitative study consisting of a literature review of the key concepts related to Industry 4.0, smart factories and technology-acceptance theories. The empirical study consisted of surveys completed by management and employees of one of the automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), in South Africa. The questionnaire used in this research consists of questions regarding demographic data and questions regarding the perception of change and factors influencing the attitudes towards the acceptance of technology within the OEM. To summarise the data into a more condensed form which could simplify the identification of patterns in the data, descriptive statistics were used. Inferential statistics were used to validate if the conclusions made from the sample data could be inferred to a larger population. Various factors influence the perception about ease of use and usefulness, which then in turn influences the attitude and the intention to use technology. These factors have been examined by numerous authors in the technology acceptance literature. Recommended factors based on the statistical analysis of the questionnaire results were identified. A model identified the following factors as having an influence on the Attitude towards the Positive Impact of Smart Factories within the OEM: Skills and Training, Individual Characteristics, Trust, Organisational Culture, Resources and Costs and Job Security. The importance of each factor was identified to understand its function in how to improve the implementation of smart factories. This research suggested improvements for the automotive OEM based on the statistical analysis of the survey results. Inconclusive results were indicated on three variables and these should be improved, namely, Organisational Culture, Job Security and Security and International / National Standards. Two sub-groups were defined by different job levels and different perceptions were found concerning the factors that were measured. People at different job levels in the OEM perceived medium to large significant differences in all the factors comprising the proposed model of the Attitude towards a Smart Factory. The smart factory model developed in this study specified the factors which influence the Attitude towards a Smart Factory within the automotive sector and the effect these factors have on technology acceptance.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
A performance management model for organisational performance excellence in the South African railway industry
- Authors: Mtati, Tabisa
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Performance -- Management , Success in business -- South Africa Railroads -- South Africa -- Track
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/33043 , vital:32501
- Description: The South African railway industry has seven times more of labour productivity than its counterparts within Sub-Saharan Africa. Though, when compared to countries in Europe, the United States of America, and China, the South African railway industry is non-competitive. The National Railway Safety Regulator of South Africa (NRSR) has been gradually considering novel ways of measuring organisational performance which encompass a broad approach that goes beyond infrastructure. To that end, a business excellence model adoption is proposed for an integrated agile performance management system. Performance management is viewed as a method that involves measuring goals against a set of standards within an organisation so as to evaluate whether or not the intended objectives have been (successfully) accomplished. Management quality systems (MQS) is one seamless system which integrates the Individual Performance Assessments, ISO-Systems, and Total Quality Management (TQM) in order to achieve the operational distinction in pursuit of the organisational performance excellence. Similarly, organisational excellence is continuous efforts made to build an internal framework of standards and processes intended to involve and motivate employees to deliver products and services within organisational expectations. Various business excellence models, such as the European Framework of Quality Management (EFQM), Common Assessment Framework (CAF), Malcolm Bridge National Quality Awards (MBNQA), International Standard Organisation (ISO) 9000/1/4 and South African Excellence Models (SAEM) have been proposed as continuous improvement (CI) tools. Embedded within these frameworks are areas such as leadership, strategic planning, total quality human resources management, CI, communications, culture, process management and organisational results. Even though attention has been paid to quality performance management in literature, limited empirical research has been conducted on the impact of these models to organisational performance in the railway industry. Moreover, few studies have been conducted to investigate this within the South African context. In this study, the difference in perceptions regarding the envisioned model will be measured to determine the level of employee awareness on quality management. Secondly, the impact of the implementation of MQS factors on organisational performance is investigated to determine critical success factors. Lastly, the barriers to effective MQS implementation are explored and discussed. The study focuses on enablers (i.e. leadership, strategy planning, total quality human resources management, CI, communications, culture and process management) and their impact on organisational performance. An empirical survey has been conducted in this study to examine the influence of the identified factors on business performance. In order to measure the impact of the above factors on improving of organisational performance, the MQS model has been used. The data collected has been statistically analysed using descriptive statistics, correlational relationships and regression analysis. The results of the study indicate that the MQS is useful and effective for the improvement of organisational performance in pursuit of organisational excellence. Furthermore, the critical success factors that, when prioritised, will directly influence organisational performance have been identified. Also, all the measured factors are correlated with organisational performance. It has been proven that though there are signs of implementation of MQS, the employees have not yet owned the process and do not implement quality practises in their daily operations. It is recommended that for future studies a more representative sample be sought in order to validate the relationship between strategy planning; communication and organisational performance, and the overall impact of implementing of MQS in the rail industry.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Mtati, Tabisa
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Performance -- Management , Success in business -- South Africa Railroads -- South Africa -- Track
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/33043 , vital:32501
- Description: The South African railway industry has seven times more of labour productivity than its counterparts within Sub-Saharan Africa. Though, when compared to countries in Europe, the United States of America, and China, the South African railway industry is non-competitive. The National Railway Safety Regulator of South Africa (NRSR) has been gradually considering novel ways of measuring organisational performance which encompass a broad approach that goes beyond infrastructure. To that end, a business excellence model adoption is proposed for an integrated agile performance management system. Performance management is viewed as a method that involves measuring goals against a set of standards within an organisation so as to evaluate whether or not the intended objectives have been (successfully) accomplished. Management quality systems (MQS) is one seamless system which integrates the Individual Performance Assessments, ISO-Systems, and Total Quality Management (TQM) in order to achieve the operational distinction in pursuit of the organisational performance excellence. Similarly, organisational excellence is continuous efforts made to build an internal framework of standards and processes intended to involve and motivate employees to deliver products and services within organisational expectations. Various business excellence models, such as the European Framework of Quality Management (EFQM), Common Assessment Framework (CAF), Malcolm Bridge National Quality Awards (MBNQA), International Standard Organisation (ISO) 9000/1/4 and South African Excellence Models (SAEM) have been proposed as continuous improvement (CI) tools. Embedded within these frameworks are areas such as leadership, strategic planning, total quality human resources management, CI, communications, culture, process management and organisational results. Even though attention has been paid to quality performance management in literature, limited empirical research has been conducted on the impact of these models to organisational performance in the railway industry. Moreover, few studies have been conducted to investigate this within the South African context. In this study, the difference in perceptions regarding the envisioned model will be measured to determine the level of employee awareness on quality management. Secondly, the impact of the implementation of MQS factors on organisational performance is investigated to determine critical success factors. Lastly, the barriers to effective MQS implementation are explored and discussed. The study focuses on enablers (i.e. leadership, strategy planning, total quality human resources management, CI, communications, culture and process management) and their impact on organisational performance. An empirical survey has been conducted in this study to examine the influence of the identified factors on business performance. In order to measure the impact of the above factors on improving of organisational performance, the MQS model has been used. The data collected has been statistically analysed using descriptive statistics, correlational relationships and regression analysis. The results of the study indicate that the MQS is useful and effective for the improvement of organisational performance in pursuit of organisational excellence. Furthermore, the critical success factors that, when prioritised, will directly influence organisational performance have been identified. Also, all the measured factors are correlated with organisational performance. It has been proven that though there are signs of implementation of MQS, the employees have not yet owned the process and do not implement quality practises in their daily operations. It is recommended that for future studies a more representative sample be sought in order to validate the relationship between strategy planning; communication and organisational performance, and the overall impact of implementing of MQS in the rail industry.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
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
A risk based engineering maintenance and spare parts planning model for a generic pharmaceutical company in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Fourie, Gerhard Claris
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Pharmaceutical industry -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Engineering maintenance Engineering repairs
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/29838 , vital:30784
- Description: The Pharmaceutical Industry is facing substantial challenges due to the continuous evolving world of technologies, global competitiveness, price regulation, environmental and safety requirements. In this environment asset maintenance evolved and became increasingly important in business over the last couple of decades. Traditionally industry favoured a reactive maintenance strategy but over the years changed to proactive maintenance strategy due to the advancement of technology and skills of maintenance personnel. With increasing automation and mechanisation, production processes are becoming highly complex and the cost associated with asset maintenance has increased consistently over the decades. Studies have shown that about 15-70% of production costs can be attributed to asset maintenance and one-third of maintenance costs are wasted due to inefficiencies in planning. Furthermore, the selection of an effective maintenance strategy is a challenge due to maintenance output that is difficult to measure and quantify. This treatise will investigate the application of a risk based strategy on asset maintenance planning and spare part management of a pharmaceutical company and compare it to best practices. The theory of risk analysis was reviewed and risk analysis pertaining to maintenance planning and spare part management in the Pharmaceutical industry explored. Questionnaires were sent to selected engineering and relevant departments in order to analyse the challenges and good practices in the company relating to spare part management and maintenance planning. A risk based model for the pharmaceutical company was developed after the information gathered in the research. The recommendations were made in a practical approach by presenting the solution in the form of a flow chart. This model will enable the Maintenance Managers, Inventory Managers and Maintenance Planners to identify critical equipment, optimise maintenance schedules and plan spare parts purchasing more accurately.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Fourie, Gerhard Claris
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Pharmaceutical industry -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Engineering maintenance Engineering repairs
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/29838 , vital:30784
- Description: The Pharmaceutical Industry is facing substantial challenges due to the continuous evolving world of technologies, global competitiveness, price regulation, environmental and safety requirements. In this environment asset maintenance evolved and became increasingly important in business over the last couple of decades. Traditionally industry favoured a reactive maintenance strategy but over the years changed to proactive maintenance strategy due to the advancement of technology and skills of maintenance personnel. With increasing automation and mechanisation, production processes are becoming highly complex and the cost associated with asset maintenance has increased consistently over the decades. Studies have shown that about 15-70% of production costs can be attributed to asset maintenance and one-third of maintenance costs are wasted due to inefficiencies in planning. Furthermore, the selection of an effective maintenance strategy is a challenge due to maintenance output that is difficult to measure and quantify. This treatise will investigate the application of a risk based strategy on asset maintenance planning and spare part management of a pharmaceutical company and compare it to best practices. The theory of risk analysis was reviewed and risk analysis pertaining to maintenance planning and spare part management in the Pharmaceutical industry explored. Questionnaires were sent to selected engineering and relevant departments in order to analyse the challenges and good practices in the company relating to spare part management and maintenance planning. A risk based model for the pharmaceutical company was developed after the information gathered in the research. The recommendations were made in a practical approach by presenting the solution in the form of a flow chart. This model will enable the Maintenance Managers, Inventory Managers and Maintenance Planners to identify critical equipment, optimise maintenance schedules and plan spare parts purchasing more accurately.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
A service delivery framework to unlock the revenue potential of the SME segments of commercercial banks in South Africa
- Authors: Mahlati, Mphenduli Mncedi
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Small business -- Finance , Financial services industry -- Information technology Banks and banking Technological innovations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/31633 , vital:31639
- Description: Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) are a vital driver to the world economy. They provide more than 60% of overall employment globally and approximately 80% of jobs in developed economies. This segment however remains underserved by banks who have struggled to serve SMEs effectively. Nevertheless banks are still perfectly placed to capture the needs of SME customers and to provide them with greater value adding services that address their needs. However, this must be done in a cost-effective manner to ensure long-term portfolio and banking profitability. SME Banking faces several challenges centred on the high cost to serve and profitability. For the banking sector to overcome these challenges and still meet increasing and changing customer needs, significant investment in digital technology is required. The literature reviewed identified that in order to unlock the revenue potential embedded within the SME segment; banks need ground-breaking solutions to solve their revenue and profitability conundrum. This study mentions that such solutions will need to be focused around placing banks as market enablers, by way of providing SMEs with a growth platform and not just financial transaction services. The study also identified a hybrid service delivery model and a digital ecosystem approach to SME banking as being pivotal to unlocking the revenue potential embedded within the segment. Through a digital ecosystem approach, banks can leverage their intra and inter banking network to assist SMEs to grow their businesses. In the process, this will serve as a way of increasing penetration into this underserved segment. In addition, such an approach to banking necessitates an acceptance of how interconnected business relationships have the capacity to enable business growth and subsequently to address SME banking risk. To also consider that banks in South Africa continue to view SMEs as being too risky and costly to serve. This study attempts to address this perceived riskiness by presenting a service delivery framework, which consists of key factors that would influence the revenue potential of the SME segments of Commercial Banks in South Africa. The empirical part of the research evaluated banking official’s awareness and understanding of key concepts that is likely to influence their views with regards to the revenue potential of the SME market.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Mahlati, Mphenduli Mncedi
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Small business -- Finance , Financial services industry -- Information technology Banks and banking Technological innovations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/31633 , vital:31639
- Description: Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) are a vital driver to the world economy. They provide more than 60% of overall employment globally and approximately 80% of jobs in developed economies. This segment however remains underserved by banks who have struggled to serve SMEs effectively. Nevertheless banks are still perfectly placed to capture the needs of SME customers and to provide them with greater value adding services that address their needs. However, this must be done in a cost-effective manner to ensure long-term portfolio and banking profitability. SME Banking faces several challenges centred on the high cost to serve and profitability. For the banking sector to overcome these challenges and still meet increasing and changing customer needs, significant investment in digital technology is required. The literature reviewed identified that in order to unlock the revenue potential embedded within the SME segment; banks need ground-breaking solutions to solve their revenue and profitability conundrum. This study mentions that such solutions will need to be focused around placing banks as market enablers, by way of providing SMEs with a growth platform and not just financial transaction services. The study also identified a hybrid service delivery model and a digital ecosystem approach to SME banking as being pivotal to unlocking the revenue potential embedded within the segment. Through a digital ecosystem approach, banks can leverage their intra and inter banking network to assist SMEs to grow their businesses. In the process, this will serve as a way of increasing penetration into this underserved segment. In addition, such an approach to banking necessitates an acceptance of how interconnected business relationships have the capacity to enable business growth and subsequently to address SME banking risk. To also consider that banks in South Africa continue to view SMEs as being too risky and costly to serve. This study attempts to address this perceived riskiness by presenting a service delivery framework, which consists of key factors that would influence the revenue potential of the SME segments of Commercial Banks in South Africa. The empirical part of the research evaluated banking official’s awareness and understanding of key concepts that is likely to influence their views with regards to the revenue potential of the SME market.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
A survey of organizational culture and organizational performance in a manufacturing company
- Authors: Dom, Veliswa Virginia
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Corporate culture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Organizational behavior -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Factories -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Analysis of variance , Shift systems -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Employees -- Rating of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Competing Values Framework (CVF)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61861 , vital:28069
- Description: The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between organizational culture and organizational performance in a manufacturing company. This company supplies metal products to the motor vehicle manufacturing industry, where the quality and quantity of parts produced is of paramount importance, since the buyers of these products are quality conscious. The organization has three production shifts that rotate each week. Anecdotal observations are that irrespective of the time that a shift operates over the course of the month, the different shifts tend to perform at different levels in terms of quality and quantity of output. This study therefore sought to investigate if these differences between shifts are statistically significant, and if so, whether these shifts also have differences in organizational culture. Components of organizational culture include values, norms, beliefs, attitudes, principles and expectations that give the organization a unique personality and differentiate it from other organizations. While the literature indicates that qualitative or quantitative approaches can be used in organizational culture research, this research adopted the quantitative approach, making use of the Competing Values Framework (CVF). The CVF is a four-category organizational culture typology established by Cameron and Quinn (2006). The framework is based on two dimensions: stability or flexibility of the organization, and external or internal focus. In this research, the CVF was used as a measurement tool to evaluate organizational culture. In order to determine differences in organizational culture between shifts, a survey was undertaken (N=138) which measured employee perceptions pertaining to the existing organizational culture of each of the three production shifts at the company. Secondly, differences in performance between the shifts were examined by using the performance data for a three-month period for each shift in terms of quantity and quality. This data was obtained from the management of the production process at the company. Statistical analysis was done using ANOVA to analyse the differences between the shifts. The findings indicated that the dominant existing organizational culture at the company under investigation is a clan culture. Furthermore, there is a statistically significant difference between the cultures of all the three shifts at the manufacturing company. The results also indicated that there is a statistically significant difference in the quantity and quality of production between the three shifts. In conclusion, the research indicated there are differences in culture and in performance, but given the nature of the data, it was not possible to statistically analyse the relationship between shift culture and performance. However, it is conceivable that cultural differences between shifts may be contributing to performance differences. With regards to further research, it is recommended that this research be extended to other branches of the manufacturing company in other regions, in order to determine whether there are any significant differences in culture and performance between these branches and their shifts. Research could also be extended to other South African organizations to create a sufficiently large sample of shift and/or business units, so as to be able to do statistical analysis of the relationship between culture and performance.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Dom, Veliswa Virginia
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Corporate culture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Organizational behavior -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Factories -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Analysis of variance , Shift systems -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Employees -- Rating of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Competing Values Framework (CVF)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61861 , vital:28069
- Description: The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between organizational culture and organizational performance in a manufacturing company. This company supplies metal products to the motor vehicle manufacturing industry, where the quality and quantity of parts produced is of paramount importance, since the buyers of these products are quality conscious. The organization has three production shifts that rotate each week. Anecdotal observations are that irrespective of the time that a shift operates over the course of the month, the different shifts tend to perform at different levels in terms of quality and quantity of output. This study therefore sought to investigate if these differences between shifts are statistically significant, and if so, whether these shifts also have differences in organizational culture. Components of organizational culture include values, norms, beliefs, attitudes, principles and expectations that give the organization a unique personality and differentiate it from other organizations. While the literature indicates that qualitative or quantitative approaches can be used in organizational culture research, this research adopted the quantitative approach, making use of the Competing Values Framework (CVF). The CVF is a four-category organizational culture typology established by Cameron and Quinn (2006). The framework is based on two dimensions: stability or flexibility of the organization, and external or internal focus. In this research, the CVF was used as a measurement tool to evaluate organizational culture. In order to determine differences in organizational culture between shifts, a survey was undertaken (N=138) which measured employee perceptions pertaining to the existing organizational culture of each of the three production shifts at the company. Secondly, differences in performance between the shifts were examined by using the performance data for a three-month period for each shift in terms of quantity and quality. This data was obtained from the management of the production process at the company. Statistical analysis was done using ANOVA to analyse the differences between the shifts. The findings indicated that the dominant existing organizational culture at the company under investigation is a clan culture. Furthermore, there is a statistically significant difference between the cultures of all the three shifts at the manufacturing company. The results also indicated that there is a statistically significant difference in the quantity and quality of production between the three shifts. In conclusion, the research indicated there are differences in culture and in performance, but given the nature of the data, it was not possible to statistically analyse the relationship between shift culture and performance. However, it is conceivable that cultural differences between shifts may be contributing to performance differences. With regards to further research, it is recommended that this research be extended to other branches of the manufacturing company in other regions, in order to determine whether there are any significant differences in culture and performance between these branches and their shifts. Research could also be extended to other South African organizations to create a sufficiently large sample of shift and/or business units, so as to be able to do statistical analysis of the relationship between culture and performance.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
An analysis of foreign market entry strategy for Discovery Limited
- Authors: Terblanche, Gaynor
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Export marketing , Foreign exchange International trade
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/35841 , vital:33852
- Description: The Discovery Limited is a key player in the South African Insurance Industry, which is well regulated. The Insurance Industry is of a world class standard and compares favourably with economies such as BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries. The South African economy continues to show a decline with a negative growth in gross domestic product (GDP), for two consecutive quarters (last quarter of 2016 and first quarter of 2017). The current dampened expected growth rates, with a highly penetrated insurance market in South Africa, are strong incentives to look for growth beyond the borders of South Africa. This study, therefore, explores the potential impact on investor confidence, when Discovery Limited enters Foreign Markets. The research objectives, namely Industry-Based considerations, institution-based considerations, resource-based considerations and recommendations, were used to draw linkages between the Discovery Shared Value Insurance Model and the Business Model Framework. Internationalisation models were introduced, yet Peng’s Comprehensive Model of Foreign Market Entry in conjunction with Discovery Limited’s Shared-Value Insurance Model, provides a greater scope to assess the foreign market entries The study seeks to propose a strategy for when firms enter foreign markets and explores investor confidence when doing so. The findings of the study will be able to be generalised in the market amongst firms who seek to enter foreign markets and provides insight and recommendations to all stakeholders upon taking the move. In pursuing this study, a qualitative approach was conducted. A review of the literature making use of academic resource, annual financial reports of the company and country reports available in the public domain, were used. Interviews were conducted using semi-structured questions with the Partner Market Executives of Discovery to gain deeper insight and understanding. An invitation to interview six (6) participants, was distributed and only five (5) were interviewed. This constitutes a (5/6) 83.3% response rate. These Partner Market Executives were best positioned to answer questions related to Foreign Market Entry (Partner Markets) for Discovery Limited. The questions were informed by the literature. A Thematic Analysis was conducted on the data collected to identify core themes that strongly resonated with participants. The research findings are credible, and the subject of the research was correctly identified, from the view point of both the researchers and the participants. The participation was voluntary and record keeping of audio and transcriptions were done. Based on the key themes identified for each of the three foreign market entry considerations, the study concluded that: ‘Vitality becomes core to the solution’, ‘the intellectual property that sits behind the Shared Value Model’, ‘Can’t run away from regulatory approval’, ‘Timing to enter a market’, and ‘infrastructure to enter a foreign market’ are crucial considerations that an investor would like to see, and Discovery Limited must be mindful of this when targeting growth in its share price. Therefore, Discovery will have to consider advice on infrastructure development for Africa and they will have to set an unobstructed vision and timeline to expand into Africa. Discovery Limited, being a South African Company, is still challenged with a product that must be compatible with the rest of the African market. Entering into Africa might not be a priority now, but the lack of knowledge on what the product for the African market would look like, left room for future research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Terblanche, Gaynor
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Export marketing , Foreign exchange International trade
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/35841 , vital:33852
- Description: The Discovery Limited is a key player in the South African Insurance Industry, which is well regulated. The Insurance Industry is of a world class standard and compares favourably with economies such as BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries. The South African economy continues to show a decline with a negative growth in gross domestic product (GDP), for two consecutive quarters (last quarter of 2016 and first quarter of 2017). The current dampened expected growth rates, with a highly penetrated insurance market in South Africa, are strong incentives to look for growth beyond the borders of South Africa. This study, therefore, explores the potential impact on investor confidence, when Discovery Limited enters Foreign Markets. The research objectives, namely Industry-Based considerations, institution-based considerations, resource-based considerations and recommendations, were used to draw linkages between the Discovery Shared Value Insurance Model and the Business Model Framework. Internationalisation models were introduced, yet Peng’s Comprehensive Model of Foreign Market Entry in conjunction with Discovery Limited’s Shared-Value Insurance Model, provides a greater scope to assess the foreign market entries The study seeks to propose a strategy for when firms enter foreign markets and explores investor confidence when doing so. The findings of the study will be able to be generalised in the market amongst firms who seek to enter foreign markets and provides insight and recommendations to all stakeholders upon taking the move. In pursuing this study, a qualitative approach was conducted. A review of the literature making use of academic resource, annual financial reports of the company and country reports available in the public domain, were used. Interviews were conducted using semi-structured questions with the Partner Market Executives of Discovery to gain deeper insight and understanding. An invitation to interview six (6) participants, was distributed and only five (5) were interviewed. This constitutes a (5/6) 83.3% response rate. These Partner Market Executives were best positioned to answer questions related to Foreign Market Entry (Partner Markets) for Discovery Limited. The questions were informed by the literature. A Thematic Analysis was conducted on the data collected to identify core themes that strongly resonated with participants. The research findings are credible, and the subject of the research was correctly identified, from the view point of both the researchers and the participants. The participation was voluntary and record keeping of audio and transcriptions were done. Based on the key themes identified for each of the three foreign market entry considerations, the study concluded that: ‘Vitality becomes core to the solution’, ‘the intellectual property that sits behind the Shared Value Model’, ‘Can’t run away from regulatory approval’, ‘Timing to enter a market’, and ‘infrastructure to enter a foreign market’ are crucial considerations that an investor would like to see, and Discovery Limited must be mindful of this when targeting growth in its share price. Therefore, Discovery will have to consider advice on infrastructure development for Africa and they will have to set an unobstructed vision and timeline to expand into Africa. Discovery Limited, being a South African Company, is still challenged with a product that must be compatible with the rest of the African market. Entering into Africa might not be a priority now, but the lack of knowledge on what the product for the African market would look like, left room for future research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
An analysis of stakeholder engagement in the integrated development planning process: a case of Blue Crane Route Local Municipality
- Authors: Marambana, Nonkululeko
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Stakeholder management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- Public relations -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Political participation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Public administration -- Citizen participation , Government publicity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Blue Crane Route Local Municipality , Integrated Development Plan (IDP)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63659 , vital:28466
- Description: Stakeholder engagement in local government is a legislated function that should be implemented by appointed and elected government officials. The 2015/16 financial year report of the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA), revealed challenges pertaining to stakeholder engagement processes by the Blue Crane Route Municipality (BCRM), in that stakeholder inputs were not incorporated in the municipal Integrated Development Plan (IDP) of the 2016/17 financial year. The concern is that there is a gap regarding stakeholders’ engagement processes within BCRM and that affects the quality of IDP which serves as the municipal strategic document. The aim and objectives of this study are to understand stakeholder engagement processes on the IDP formulation by the BCRM in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The research questions are: How does BCRM conduct stakeholder engagement processes during IDP formulation? What institutional arrangements are in place for stakeholder engagement? And recommendation on how stakeholder engagement processes can be improved within the BCRM? The research questions were answered through a qualitative study, where data was collected through face-to-face interviews, focus groups and a document review. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with the municipal manager and the managers responsible for IDP as well as the officer responsible for public participation. Focus group sessions were conducted with the community leaders and the departmental leadership. Documents that were reviewed included IDP and process plans, minutes from community consultation meetings, public participation policies, and intergovernmental relations terms of reference. The responses received showed gaps in the following: institutional arrangements related to the integration of stakeholder engagement in municipal key performance indicators and procedures; communication between the municipality and stakeholders; community education related to the impact on community stakeholder engagement, and management processes related to the stakeholder database, capacity development, records management, collaboration and cooperation. Further research on how the municipality communicates and imparts knowledge to its stakeholders is recommended as it could contribute significantly to the body of knowledge.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Marambana, Nonkululeko
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Stakeholder management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- Public relations -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Political participation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Public administration -- Citizen participation , Government publicity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Blue Crane Route Local Municipality , Integrated Development Plan (IDP)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63659 , vital:28466
- Description: Stakeholder engagement in local government is a legislated function that should be implemented by appointed and elected government officials. The 2015/16 financial year report of the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA), revealed challenges pertaining to stakeholder engagement processes by the Blue Crane Route Municipality (BCRM), in that stakeholder inputs were not incorporated in the municipal Integrated Development Plan (IDP) of the 2016/17 financial year. The concern is that there is a gap regarding stakeholders’ engagement processes within BCRM and that affects the quality of IDP which serves as the municipal strategic document. The aim and objectives of this study are to understand stakeholder engagement processes on the IDP formulation by the BCRM in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The research questions are: How does BCRM conduct stakeholder engagement processes during IDP formulation? What institutional arrangements are in place for stakeholder engagement? And recommendation on how stakeholder engagement processes can be improved within the BCRM? The research questions were answered through a qualitative study, where data was collected through face-to-face interviews, focus groups and a document review. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with the municipal manager and the managers responsible for IDP as well as the officer responsible for public participation. Focus group sessions were conducted with the community leaders and the departmental leadership. Documents that were reviewed included IDP and process plans, minutes from community consultation meetings, public participation policies, and intergovernmental relations terms of reference. The responses received showed gaps in the following: institutional arrangements related to the integration of stakeholder engagement in municipal key performance indicators and procedures; communication between the municipality and stakeholders; community education related to the impact on community stakeholder engagement, and management processes related to the stakeholder database, capacity development, records management, collaboration and cooperation. Further research on how the municipality communicates and imparts knowledge to its stakeholders is recommended as it could contribute significantly to the body of knowledge.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
An assessment of female and management perceptions of factors moderating leadership mobility at Logistic (PTY) LTD
- Authors: Rippon, Marion Magdelyn
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Transformational leadership Leadership in women
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/17897 , vital:28480
- Description: Senior management positions at a South African-based logistics company Logistic (Pty) Ltd (pseudonym) are predominantly occupied by males which led to the primary question: why are females not better represented at senior levels within the organisation and why do promotion into these senior managerial positions appears difficult? The objective of this study was to determine factors impacting female advancement and to develop strategies based on identified influencing factors. Based on an interpretivist paradigm, the study used a phenomenological approach which was based on an appreciative enquiry research to understand experiences perceived and interpreted by individuals within the organisation. Various findings emerged in terms of the research questions of how management perceive and support female advancement, the perception of barriers experienced by females and the perception of the potential of the organisation promoting females in terms of providing an enabling environment. Findings which were not conducive to female advancement were identified as non-supporting organisational culture due to the inherent history of the organisation, tokenism by trying to rectify the phenomenon, transparent barriers experienced by females trying to ascend the corporate ladder and the lack of a pool of suitable candidates in the junior levels of the organisation which could be caused by the industry in which the organisation does business. Conclusions surrounding organisational intentions and actions were reached, which included recommendations for progressing towards the goals as agreed by the Commission for Employment Equity (CEE) and its strategic and sectoral stakeholders.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Rippon, Marion Magdelyn
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Transformational leadership Leadership in women
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/17897 , vital:28480
- Description: Senior management positions at a South African-based logistics company Logistic (Pty) Ltd (pseudonym) are predominantly occupied by males which led to the primary question: why are females not better represented at senior levels within the organisation and why do promotion into these senior managerial positions appears difficult? The objective of this study was to determine factors impacting female advancement and to develop strategies based on identified influencing factors. Based on an interpretivist paradigm, the study used a phenomenological approach which was based on an appreciative enquiry research to understand experiences perceived and interpreted by individuals within the organisation. Various findings emerged in terms of the research questions of how management perceive and support female advancement, the perception of barriers experienced by females and the perception of the potential of the organisation promoting females in terms of providing an enabling environment. Findings which were not conducive to female advancement were identified as non-supporting organisational culture due to the inherent history of the organisation, tokenism by trying to rectify the phenomenon, transparent barriers experienced by females trying to ascend the corporate ladder and the lack of a pool of suitable candidates in the junior levels of the organisation which could be caused by the industry in which the organisation does business. Conclusions surrounding organisational intentions and actions were reached, which included recommendations for progressing towards the goals as agreed by the Commission for Employment Equity (CEE) and its strategic and sectoral stakeholders.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
An assessment of Organisational Culture at an Information and Technology Company during a period of change
- Authors: Nzimande, Prosper Thelumusa
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Organizational change , Corporate culture Organization -- Research Customer relations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/22935 , vital:30150
- Description: Orientation: Change is inevitable, yet many organisational change efforts are not successful due to the culture of the organisation not supporting change. As a result,change objectives are not met and employees are left with a poor change experience. Research objective: The main objective of the study was therefore to determine the extent to which the organisational culture of a selected South African Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) organisation was ready for change, and supported goal alignment, team work, a customer focus and employee talent optimisation to attain desired Change Outcomes. Research design: The study adopted a quantitative method using a random sample method and survey as the data collecting instrument, which was administered to employees at a selected ICT organisation. Factor analysis resulted in a refinement of the initial cultural elements investigated. Main findings/results: The results revealed that the ICT organisation did reflect a customer orientation, change readiness, collaboration for continuous improvement and an environment that enabled performance, but that there was room for improvement. The results indicated that the respondents had doubts about whether the Change Outcomes were attained. All the cultural factors correlated positively with each other and positively correlated with Change Outcomes. A significant positive link was found between Collaboration for Continuous Innovation and Change Outcomes. Practical/managerial implications: Organisational change requires much effort from senior leaders, managers and employees and it is therefore more likely that, during change, attention will be focused on operational changes rather than on organisational culture. However, the study demonstrated that culture in general is very important, as it influences behaviour and provides identity to employees, and that culture is especially important during a period of change. During a period of change, culture can either enhance or hinder change. In addition, change often implies a change in culture. The study showed that during a period of change, team work is very important and that opportunities must be created for sharing ideas, collaboration and stretching goals, thus for innovation, and for finding better ways to serve customers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Nzimande, Prosper Thelumusa
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Organizational change , Corporate culture Organization -- Research Customer relations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/22935 , vital:30150
- Description: Orientation: Change is inevitable, yet many organisational change efforts are not successful due to the culture of the organisation not supporting change. As a result,change objectives are not met and employees are left with a poor change experience. Research objective: The main objective of the study was therefore to determine the extent to which the organisational culture of a selected South African Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) organisation was ready for change, and supported goal alignment, team work, a customer focus and employee talent optimisation to attain desired Change Outcomes. Research design: The study adopted a quantitative method using a random sample method and survey as the data collecting instrument, which was administered to employees at a selected ICT organisation. Factor analysis resulted in a refinement of the initial cultural elements investigated. Main findings/results: The results revealed that the ICT organisation did reflect a customer orientation, change readiness, collaboration for continuous improvement and an environment that enabled performance, but that there was room for improvement. The results indicated that the respondents had doubts about whether the Change Outcomes were attained. All the cultural factors correlated positively with each other and positively correlated with Change Outcomes. A significant positive link was found between Collaboration for Continuous Innovation and Change Outcomes. Practical/managerial implications: Organisational change requires much effort from senior leaders, managers and employees and it is therefore more likely that, during change, attention will be focused on operational changes rather than on organisational culture. However, the study demonstrated that culture in general is very important, as it influences behaviour and provides identity to employees, and that culture is especially important during a period of change. During a period of change, culture can either enhance or hinder change. In addition, change often implies a change in culture. The study showed that during a period of change, team work is very important and that opportunities must be created for sharing ideas, collaboration and stretching goals, thus for innovation, and for finding better ways to serve customers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
An assessment of own revenue management for financial sustainability of the Eastern Cape municipalities
- Authors: Majikijela, Vuyolwethu
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Revenue management , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Finance , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Cost effectiveness , Municipal services -- Finance
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61445 , vital:28027
- Description: The purpose of the research is to assess the financial viability of municipalities in the Eastern Cape. Municipalities that are not financially viable and sustainable will always struggle to deliver basic services to communities. Without sound financial management systems, municipalities will be forced to discontinue their operations. Municipalities, particularly small and rural ones, are not self-sufficient thus cost benefit theory emphasises that municipality must adopt cost recovery revenue management. The application of cost recovery revenue management requires that municipalities take into account internal and external revenue management challenges that will be factored on user charges. Cost recovery also requires governance to lead the process through capacitation, transparency and communication with all stakeholders. This research highlights that municipalities in the province have not matured to a level wherein they are able to adopt cost recovery revenue management because of prevalent external revenue management challenges caused by high unemployment rate in the province and the slow economic growth. Municipalities in the province are thus financially unsustainable. This research therefore proposes that a phase in approach to cost recovery should be adopted in line with the changes in unemployment and economic growth. Increased transparency and consultation with intergovernmental relations should also be promoted to enable financial sustainability of municipalities in the province.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Majikijela, Vuyolwethu
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Revenue management , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Finance , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Cost effectiveness , Municipal services -- Finance
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61445 , vital:28027
- Description: The purpose of the research is to assess the financial viability of municipalities in the Eastern Cape. Municipalities that are not financially viable and sustainable will always struggle to deliver basic services to communities. Without sound financial management systems, municipalities will be forced to discontinue their operations. Municipalities, particularly small and rural ones, are not self-sufficient thus cost benefit theory emphasises that municipality must adopt cost recovery revenue management. The application of cost recovery revenue management requires that municipalities take into account internal and external revenue management challenges that will be factored on user charges. Cost recovery also requires governance to lead the process through capacitation, transparency and communication with all stakeholders. This research highlights that municipalities in the province have not matured to a level wherein they are able to adopt cost recovery revenue management because of prevalent external revenue management challenges caused by high unemployment rate in the province and the slow economic growth. Municipalities in the province are thus financially unsustainable. This research therefore proposes that a phase in approach to cost recovery should be adopted in line with the changes in unemployment and economic growth. Increased transparency and consultation with intergovernmental relations should also be promoted to enable financial sustainability of municipalities in the province.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
An exploratory study of barriers and enablers of strategy execution in the Eastern Cape Department of Education in South Africa
- Authors: Vena, Nomava Vinolia
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Strategic planning South Africa Eastern Cape , Business planning South Africa Eastern Cape , Public administration South Africa Eastern Cape , Corporate governance South Africa Eastern Cape , Government accountability South Africa Eastern Cape , South Africa. Department of Education
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63649 , vital:28465
- Description: Effective strategy execution is very important for the achievement of an organisation’s goals. Because it is a difficult task to translate a strategy into action, itis imperative for leadership to prioritize its strategic plan to ensure its success. The purpose of this study is to identify barriers and enablers of strategy execution in Basic Education in the Eastern Cape; its focus is on strategic goal number six: “Efficient administration ensured through good corporate governance and management”. The effectiveness of the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE) is measured by its service delivery, how strategy is executed in providing quality education. These are guided by the norms and standards like the National Education Policy Act: Norms and Standards for educators, as set by the National Department of Basic Education and the Treasury Acts. The motivation for the study was the Department’s poor performance as reported by the Auditor General (AG) in his 2015 audit report, that there has been a lack of good governance and accountability in the ECDoE. The study is qualitative: a sample of twenty-five (25) ECDoE senior managers were interviewed as the custodians of the execution of the strategic plan. Purposive sampling method selected the twenty-five from a total of forty-five (45) senior managers, some of whom were in Head Office and some in the twenty-three (23) districts. Data was collected through questionnaires and interviews and responses were captured on Excel Spreadsheet, and analysed with the Thematic Analysis. Major findings relating to barriers were on Human Resource Management, Poor Leadership, Resourcing (Tools of Trade), Improper Budgeting Systems, Poor Communication, and Organisational Structure. Some variables were interchangeably identified both as barriers and enablers, such as budgeting and resourcing. There were many recommendations, but for this study one, the Finance Section, will suffice: and that is that the Finance Section should analyse each directorate’s spending for each year before the new budget is allocated.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Vena, Nomava Vinolia
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Strategic planning South Africa Eastern Cape , Business planning South Africa Eastern Cape , Public administration South Africa Eastern Cape , Corporate governance South Africa Eastern Cape , Government accountability South Africa Eastern Cape , South Africa. Department of Education
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63649 , vital:28465
- Description: Effective strategy execution is very important for the achievement of an organisation’s goals. Because it is a difficult task to translate a strategy into action, itis imperative for leadership to prioritize its strategic plan to ensure its success. The purpose of this study is to identify barriers and enablers of strategy execution in Basic Education in the Eastern Cape; its focus is on strategic goal number six: “Efficient administration ensured through good corporate governance and management”. The effectiveness of the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE) is measured by its service delivery, how strategy is executed in providing quality education. These are guided by the norms and standards like the National Education Policy Act: Norms and Standards for educators, as set by the National Department of Basic Education and the Treasury Acts. The motivation for the study was the Department’s poor performance as reported by the Auditor General (AG) in his 2015 audit report, that there has been a lack of good governance and accountability in the ECDoE. The study is qualitative: a sample of twenty-five (25) ECDoE senior managers were interviewed as the custodians of the execution of the strategic plan. Purposive sampling method selected the twenty-five from a total of forty-five (45) senior managers, some of whom were in Head Office and some in the twenty-three (23) districts. Data was collected through questionnaires and interviews and responses were captured on Excel Spreadsheet, and analysed with the Thematic Analysis. Major findings relating to barriers were on Human Resource Management, Poor Leadership, Resourcing (Tools of Trade), Improper Budgeting Systems, Poor Communication, and Organisational Structure. Some variables were interchangeably identified both as barriers and enablers, such as budgeting and resourcing. There were many recommendations, but for this study one, the Finance Section, will suffice: and that is that the Finance Section should analyse each directorate’s spending for each year before the new budget is allocated.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
An institutional framework for expanding into Africa: a focus on global multinational companies
- Authors: Dipha, Lazola
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: International business enterprises -- Management , Globalization -- Economic aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/29984 , vital:30804
- Description: Global multinational companies (MNCs) continue to face unique challenges in expanding into African emerging markets (AEMs). The biggest contributor to this is their lack of understanding and unwillingness to embrace the exceptional dynamics that exist in these countries, which has resulted in the majority of them defaulting to execute their own country’s domestic market strategies, resulting in failure to realise sustainable businesses. A misaligned and inappropriate strategy will fail dismally in terms of long-term sustainability of businesses. Urban & Hwindingwi (2016) took a diverse view in evaluating emerging markets, which will also be implemented in this study. They argued that “[they] see these features of emerging markets as symptoms of underlying market structures that share common, important and persistent differences from those in developed economies. Emerging markets reflect those transactional arenas where buyers and sellers are not easily or efficiently able to come together. The institutional voids make a market ‘emerging’ and are a prime source of the higher transaction costs and operating challenges in these markets”. “Market structures are the products of idiosyncratic historical, political, legal, economic and cultural forces within any country. All emerging markets feature insti-tutional voids, however, although the particular combination and severity of these voids varies from market to market”. In the previous years, corporate leaders and investors globally have pinned their hopes on the African growing story of promise becoming a reality. With a youthful, urbanising inhabitants, plentiful natural resources and a rising middle class; it looks like the continent has the correct components required for long-standing growth, possibly outshining the so-called tiger economies of East-Asia a generation ago. According to the McKinsey Global Institute titled Lions on the Move 2010 report; they forecasted consumer spending within the continent to grow by 40% and move GDPs by $1 trillion between 2008 to 2020. However, there are plenty multinationals that have become disheartened in their pursuit of operating in Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Dipha, Lazola
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: International business enterprises -- Management , Globalization -- Economic aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/29984 , vital:30804
- Description: Global multinational companies (MNCs) continue to face unique challenges in expanding into African emerging markets (AEMs). The biggest contributor to this is their lack of understanding and unwillingness to embrace the exceptional dynamics that exist in these countries, which has resulted in the majority of them defaulting to execute their own country’s domestic market strategies, resulting in failure to realise sustainable businesses. A misaligned and inappropriate strategy will fail dismally in terms of long-term sustainability of businesses. Urban & Hwindingwi (2016) took a diverse view in evaluating emerging markets, which will also be implemented in this study. They argued that “[they] see these features of emerging markets as symptoms of underlying market structures that share common, important and persistent differences from those in developed economies. Emerging markets reflect those transactional arenas where buyers and sellers are not easily or efficiently able to come together. The institutional voids make a market ‘emerging’ and are a prime source of the higher transaction costs and operating challenges in these markets”. “Market structures are the products of idiosyncratic historical, political, legal, economic and cultural forces within any country. All emerging markets feature insti-tutional voids, however, although the particular combination and severity of these voids varies from market to market”. In the previous years, corporate leaders and investors globally have pinned their hopes on the African growing story of promise becoming a reality. With a youthful, urbanising inhabitants, plentiful natural resources and a rising middle class; it looks like the continent has the correct components required for long-standing growth, possibly outshining the so-called tiger economies of East-Asia a generation ago. According to the McKinsey Global Institute titled Lions on the Move 2010 report; they forecasted consumer spending within the continent to grow by 40% and move GDPs by $1 trillion between 2008 to 2020. However, there are plenty multinationals that have become disheartened in their pursuit of operating in Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
An integrated talent-management approach for competitive advantage at a selected company
- Authors: Maxongo–Banzana, Ayanda
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Employees -- Recruiting , Organizational effectiveness Personnel management Career development
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/31995 , vital:31907
- Description: This study aims to explore the concept of talent management that has received attention since a group of McKinsey Consultant coined the phrase “the War for Talent” in 1997. In the 21 century, businesses are continually confronted with pressure of aligning employee talent with broader organizational strategies. This research explores key interventions and activities in order to get a better understanding of best practices and approaches to managing talent. The specific contribution of this treatise is developing a talentship model to enable integrated approach to managing talent in order to achieve competitive advantage at Company X. Through a single case study approach, this study examines the current talent management approach at Company X, and the author develops an Integrated Talent management model, named “The Max- Banz Talentship House Model” to address key challenges confronting the company from a talent management perspective in order to achieve competitive advantage.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Maxongo–Banzana, Ayanda
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Employees -- Recruiting , Organizational effectiveness Personnel management Career development
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/31995 , vital:31907
- Description: This study aims to explore the concept of talent management that has received attention since a group of McKinsey Consultant coined the phrase “the War for Talent” in 1997. In the 21 century, businesses are continually confronted with pressure of aligning employee talent with broader organizational strategies. This research explores key interventions and activities in order to get a better understanding of best practices and approaches to managing talent. The specific contribution of this treatise is developing a talentship model to enable integrated approach to managing talent in order to achieve competitive advantage at Company X. Through a single case study approach, this study examines the current talent management approach at Company X, and the author develops an Integrated Talent management model, named “The Max- Banz Talentship House Model” to address key challenges confronting the company from a talent management perspective in order to achieve competitive advantage.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
An investigation into the effectiveness of financial management systems in the public service: a case study of the department of health, Eastern Cape Province
- Authors: Galada, Unathi Luthando
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Financial management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Finance, Public -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Performance -- Measurement -- Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/30227 , vital:30904
- Description: The aim of this study is to investigate the effective and efficient of the financial management systems and its translation into good governance in the Department of Health in order to meet all the compliance requirements as contained in legislations. Financial management is a critical element for good governance. It requires a great deal of attention with parallel internal systems and control that support it for optimal performance. To that, the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 (Act 1 of 1999) and National Treasury Regulations require all government departments to ensure accountability on resource allocated yet able to measure value for money in relation to the delivery of goods and services. The Eastern Cape is one of five provinces with at least 60% of its population living in rural parts serviced by small towns. There is a total of 72 small towns in the province. The province has a legacy of endemic rural poverty and is characterized by the historical neglect of rural areas. The Eastern Cape still has many people moving to other provinces and to the two main cities of East London and Port Elizabeth, in search of employment. (ECSECC, 2006). The compliance to all key financial management legislation and policies has been a constant challenge faced by the Department of Health and the province, which has been largely caused by high levels of corruption, poor financial management systems, poor management tools, poor internal resource controls and maladministration practices (Auditor General Report, 2013/14). As a result, several incidents of dissatisfaction by members of the communities has been on the public domain, calling for government to deliver on quality health services throughout the province. The Public Finance Management Act, Act No. 1 of 1999, with regards to government’s utilisation of financial resources outlines the following objectives: Modernise the system of financial management in the public sector; Enable public sector managers to manage, but at the same time be held more accountable; Ensure the timely provision of quality information; and Eliminate the waste and corruption in the use of public assets. The Auditor General, as the supreme audit institution of the Republic, must, in terms of section 4(1) of the Public Audit Act (Act No. 25 of 2004), audit and report on the accounts, financial statements and financial statement of all government entities. Based on the 2014/15 Consolidated General Report issued by the Auditor General, various government entities were found not to have complied with the legislation relating to the payment of suppliers. The Constitution Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) makes a provision that all the three government spheres to be developmental-oriented in nature with clear accountability and transparency lines towards service delivery. On the same note , The Public Finance Management Act of 1999 (PFMA) is meant “To regulate financial management in the national government and provincial governments; to ensure that all revenue, expenditure, assets and liabilities of those governments are managed efficiently and effectively; to provide for the responsibilities of persons entrusted with financial management in those governments; and to provide for matters connected therewith”. Based on these legislations, the department of health is not isolated from the responsibility as it forms part of the provincial government, which is the provincial sphere. With the above introductory contentions from different authors and researchers, this study will provide more detail on the policy documents namely; PFMA so to establish the nature and extent to which effective and efficient Financial Management System has improved good governance in the Department of Health, Eastern Cape Province.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Galada, Unathi Luthando
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Financial management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Finance, Public -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Performance -- Measurement -- Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/30227 , vital:30904
- Description: The aim of this study is to investigate the effective and efficient of the financial management systems and its translation into good governance in the Department of Health in order to meet all the compliance requirements as contained in legislations. Financial management is a critical element for good governance. It requires a great deal of attention with parallel internal systems and control that support it for optimal performance. To that, the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 (Act 1 of 1999) and National Treasury Regulations require all government departments to ensure accountability on resource allocated yet able to measure value for money in relation to the delivery of goods and services. The Eastern Cape is one of five provinces with at least 60% of its population living in rural parts serviced by small towns. There is a total of 72 small towns in the province. The province has a legacy of endemic rural poverty and is characterized by the historical neglect of rural areas. The Eastern Cape still has many people moving to other provinces and to the two main cities of East London and Port Elizabeth, in search of employment. (ECSECC, 2006). The compliance to all key financial management legislation and policies has been a constant challenge faced by the Department of Health and the province, which has been largely caused by high levels of corruption, poor financial management systems, poor management tools, poor internal resource controls and maladministration practices (Auditor General Report, 2013/14). As a result, several incidents of dissatisfaction by members of the communities has been on the public domain, calling for government to deliver on quality health services throughout the province. The Public Finance Management Act, Act No. 1 of 1999, with regards to government’s utilisation of financial resources outlines the following objectives: Modernise the system of financial management in the public sector; Enable public sector managers to manage, but at the same time be held more accountable; Ensure the timely provision of quality information; and Eliminate the waste and corruption in the use of public assets. The Auditor General, as the supreme audit institution of the Republic, must, in terms of section 4(1) of the Public Audit Act (Act No. 25 of 2004), audit and report on the accounts, financial statements and financial statement of all government entities. Based on the 2014/15 Consolidated General Report issued by the Auditor General, various government entities were found not to have complied with the legislation relating to the payment of suppliers. The Constitution Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) makes a provision that all the three government spheres to be developmental-oriented in nature with clear accountability and transparency lines towards service delivery. On the same note , The Public Finance Management Act of 1999 (PFMA) is meant “To regulate financial management in the national government and provincial governments; to ensure that all revenue, expenditure, assets and liabilities of those governments are managed efficiently and effectively; to provide for the responsibilities of persons entrusted with financial management in those governments; and to provide for matters connected therewith”. Based on these legislations, the department of health is not isolated from the responsibility as it forms part of the provincial government, which is the provincial sphere. With the above introductory contentions from different authors and researchers, this study will provide more detail on the policy documents namely; PFMA so to establish the nature and extent to which effective and efficient Financial Management System has improved good governance in the Department of Health, Eastern Cape Province.
- 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
Analysing the role of enterprise and supplier development within Mercedes Benz South Africa in improving their B-BBEE scorecard
- Authors: Silinga, Zukiswa
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Affirmative action programs -- South Africa , Business enterprises, Black -- South Africa , Blacks -- South Africa -- Economic conditions , Employee empowerment -- South Africa , South Africa -- Economic policy
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/23208 , vital:30455
- Description: This research is born out of the realisation of the unique challenges that the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policy required from the private sector in South Africa, with Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) being one of the components of the B-BBEE’s economic empowerment strategy. Over the years, the B-BBEE’s role has been one of ensuring that economic empowerment of historically disadvantaged individuals was addressed. The role of the B-BBEE policy is described as the framework that targets the reform of the economy, reduction of poverty and inequality and empowerment of those individuals that were historically disadvantaged (Patel & Graham, 2012, p. 194). The automotive industry is South Africa’s most important and largest sector, making a great contribution to the country’s GDP. It is responsible for the employment of many people in the country, including employment in the component manufacturers and tyre industry. With these linkages throughout the economy, the government has identified the automotive industry as a vital growth sector. Government is certain that this sector will address one of the major challenges for economic growth in South Africa, which is unemployment. In the year 2015, the B-BBEE Act was amended with new compliance requirements and this changed the B-BBEE rating of Mercedes Benz South Africa (MBSA), resulting in a reduction of the company’s rating. The changes to the standard, particularly the ownership component, resulted in challenges for multinational companies such as MBSA, and an opportunity to improve the rating was identified in the ESD component sector. If these new compliance requirements were not addressed by MBSA, a predictable reduction in B-BBEE status would occur, resulting in a loss of business with government and provision of government incentives. The objective of this research study was to analyse the role that ESD plays within MBSA in improving their B-BBEE scorecard, as part of its overall B-BBEE strategy. This study was sculpted on the concept that the role of ESD at MBSA is related to (a) preferential procurement, (b) skills transfer, and (c) mentoring and a detailed literature review was conducted for these variables as well as for ESD. In testing the above research objective, the researcher utilised statistical analysis methods to reach a conclusion with regard to the relationship of ESD to these variables. A positivistic research paradigm (quantitative) was selected in order to test the objective by using hypothesis testing. An empirical study was undertaken by means of a survey with a questionnaire utilised as a data collecting tool and distributed using the supplier database of MBSA. The aim of the questionnaire was to validate the outcomes obtained from the theoretical overview. Out of a sample of 116 respondents employed at the suppliers, only 92 responses were received, thus representing a 79% response rate, which is considered acceptable. The key findings of the study indicated that preferential procurement, skills development and mentoring play a significant role in the promotion of ESD. Preferential procurement indicated a stronger association than the other variables, and thus it was recommended that MBSA place importance on this variable. Based on these findings, recommendations were made to the management of MBSA in an effort to improve the ESD component of the B-BBEE score of the company. As a way of addressing some of the challenges automotive manufacturers face, suggestions for future research were made.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Silinga, Zukiswa
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Affirmative action programs -- South Africa , Business enterprises, Black -- South Africa , Blacks -- South Africa -- Economic conditions , Employee empowerment -- South Africa , South Africa -- Economic policy
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/23208 , vital:30455
- Description: This research is born out of the realisation of the unique challenges that the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policy required from the private sector in South Africa, with Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) being one of the components of the B-BBEE’s economic empowerment strategy. Over the years, the B-BBEE’s role has been one of ensuring that economic empowerment of historically disadvantaged individuals was addressed. The role of the B-BBEE policy is described as the framework that targets the reform of the economy, reduction of poverty and inequality and empowerment of those individuals that were historically disadvantaged (Patel & Graham, 2012, p. 194). The automotive industry is South Africa’s most important and largest sector, making a great contribution to the country’s GDP. It is responsible for the employment of many people in the country, including employment in the component manufacturers and tyre industry. With these linkages throughout the economy, the government has identified the automotive industry as a vital growth sector. Government is certain that this sector will address one of the major challenges for economic growth in South Africa, which is unemployment. In the year 2015, the B-BBEE Act was amended with new compliance requirements and this changed the B-BBEE rating of Mercedes Benz South Africa (MBSA), resulting in a reduction of the company’s rating. The changes to the standard, particularly the ownership component, resulted in challenges for multinational companies such as MBSA, and an opportunity to improve the rating was identified in the ESD component sector. If these new compliance requirements were not addressed by MBSA, a predictable reduction in B-BBEE status would occur, resulting in a loss of business with government and provision of government incentives. The objective of this research study was to analyse the role that ESD plays within MBSA in improving their B-BBEE scorecard, as part of its overall B-BBEE strategy. This study was sculpted on the concept that the role of ESD at MBSA is related to (a) preferential procurement, (b) skills transfer, and (c) mentoring and a detailed literature review was conducted for these variables as well as for ESD. In testing the above research objective, the researcher utilised statistical analysis methods to reach a conclusion with regard to the relationship of ESD to these variables. A positivistic research paradigm (quantitative) was selected in order to test the objective by using hypothesis testing. An empirical study was undertaken by means of a survey with a questionnaire utilised as a data collecting tool and distributed using the supplier database of MBSA. The aim of the questionnaire was to validate the outcomes obtained from the theoretical overview. Out of a sample of 116 respondents employed at the suppliers, only 92 responses were received, thus representing a 79% response rate, which is considered acceptable. The key findings of the study indicated that preferential procurement, skills development and mentoring play a significant role in the promotion of ESD. Preferential procurement indicated a stronger association than the other variables, and thus it was recommended that MBSA place importance on this variable. Based on these findings, recommendations were made to the management of MBSA in an effort to improve the ESD component of the B-BBEE score of the company. As a way of addressing some of the challenges automotive manufacturers face, suggestions for future research were made.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Assessing process safety action in selected South African oil companies
- Mashiloane, Mosebetsi Stanley
- Authors: Mashiloane, Mosebetsi Stanley
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Industrial safety -- South Africa -- Management , Manufacturing processes -- South Africa -- Safety measures Petroleum industry and trade -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/22596 , vital:30017
- Description: The study was triggered by the number of process safety incidents that are taking place in South African oil companies. The impact of these process safety incidents has resulted in multiple fatalities, revenue loss, fires and explosions in the past. The problem is so immense that the process safety actions, coming from the process safety studies to prevent and mitigate these incidents have been ignored, not attended to, not implemented or not understood by the oil industries for the past 15-20 years. Hence the process safety incidents are still happening and the oil industry has not learnt from previous incidents.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Mashiloane, Mosebetsi Stanley
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Industrial safety -- South Africa -- Management , Manufacturing processes -- South Africa -- Safety measures Petroleum industry and trade -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/22596 , vital:30017
- Description: The study was triggered by the number of process safety incidents that are taking place in South African oil companies. The impact of these process safety incidents has resulted in multiple fatalities, revenue loss, fires and explosions in the past. The problem is so immense that the process safety actions, coming from the process safety studies to prevent and mitigate these incidents have been ignored, not attended to, not implemented or not understood by the oil industries for the past 15-20 years. Hence the process safety incidents are still happening and the oil industry has not learnt from previous incidents.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Assessing the impact of the Employment Equity Act on the employee satisfaction in the manufacturing sector
- Authors: Gina, Mondli
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Job satisfaction -- South Africa , Employee motivation -- South Africa Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa South Africa -- Employment Equity Act, 1998 , Manufacturing industries -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/30150 , vital:30845
- Description: It has been observed that the workplace environment affects the performance and job satisfaction of employees. Employees are more than the most important asset for an organisation, they play an essential role in current operational performance and future competitive advantage. Employees spend a major part of their life in the organisation within which they work. Managing the diversity of human capital in an organisations is key towards organisational sustainability in the manufacturing sector. The main objective of this study was to determine the degree of employees’ job satisfaction towards the implementation of Employment Equity Act in the manufacturing sector. One of the most important and broad-based challenges currently facing organisations in various sectors is adapting to people who are different. The term used for describing this challenge is workforce diversity. Workforce diversity means that organisations are becoming a more heterogeneous mix of people in terms gender, age, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. The main aim of the Employment Equity Act is the creation of a diverse workforce within South African organisations. If the organisation wants to remain competitive in the environment that its operating, it requires an effective management of diversity. The South African manufacturing sector is facing a major challenge regarding the attainment of workforce diversity in terms of implementing Employment Equity Act legislation, hence this study was an exploratory field study with the aim of understanding what impact the implementation of Employment Equity has on the employee job satisfaction in manufacturing sector. The study further investigated whether variables such as, workplace diversity, organisation culture, change management, leadership style and employee engagement do affect employee job satisfaction. A detailed questionnaire was distributed to a convenience sample of employees who are working in the manufacturing organisations. The data collected from this study was analysed by the statistician consultant provided by the Nelson Mandela University. In this iv study, the collected data was analysed using the latest Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) which reflects the data as graphical representations. The results of the study revealed that over 60% of organisations in the manufacturing sector, and represented in the study are creating a ‘great place to work’ and their employees are satisfied with their jobs. Although, overall results of the study illustrate that employees in the manufacturing sector are satisfied with their organisations and which results in job satisfaction, an interesting finding was discovered in the study and which might have implications for manufacturing organisations in the way change management processes are carried out. The study findings revealed that the level of involvement as perceived by respondents was limited to adequate information and not necessarily total participation in the decision process. The study recommends that change management processes should include the participation of all employees in the organisation. Conclusions and recommendations were drawn from the literature and the findings of the study.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Gina, Mondli
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Job satisfaction -- South Africa , Employee motivation -- South Africa Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa South Africa -- Employment Equity Act, 1998 , Manufacturing industries -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/30150 , vital:30845
- Description: It has been observed that the workplace environment affects the performance and job satisfaction of employees. Employees are more than the most important asset for an organisation, they play an essential role in current operational performance and future competitive advantage. Employees spend a major part of their life in the organisation within which they work. Managing the diversity of human capital in an organisations is key towards organisational sustainability in the manufacturing sector. The main objective of this study was to determine the degree of employees’ job satisfaction towards the implementation of Employment Equity Act in the manufacturing sector. One of the most important and broad-based challenges currently facing organisations in various sectors is adapting to people who are different. The term used for describing this challenge is workforce diversity. Workforce diversity means that organisations are becoming a more heterogeneous mix of people in terms gender, age, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. The main aim of the Employment Equity Act is the creation of a diverse workforce within South African organisations. If the organisation wants to remain competitive in the environment that its operating, it requires an effective management of diversity. The South African manufacturing sector is facing a major challenge regarding the attainment of workforce diversity in terms of implementing Employment Equity Act legislation, hence this study was an exploratory field study with the aim of understanding what impact the implementation of Employment Equity has on the employee job satisfaction in manufacturing sector. The study further investigated whether variables such as, workplace diversity, organisation culture, change management, leadership style and employee engagement do affect employee job satisfaction. A detailed questionnaire was distributed to a convenience sample of employees who are working in the manufacturing organisations. The data collected from this study was analysed by the statistician consultant provided by the Nelson Mandela University. In this iv study, the collected data was analysed using the latest Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) which reflects the data as graphical representations. The results of the study revealed that over 60% of organisations in the manufacturing sector, and represented in the study are creating a ‘great place to work’ and their employees are satisfied with their jobs. Although, overall results of the study illustrate that employees in the manufacturing sector are satisfied with their organisations and which results in job satisfaction, an interesting finding was discovered in the study and which might have implications for manufacturing organisations in the way change management processes are carried out. The study findings revealed that the level of involvement as perceived by respondents was limited to adequate information and not necessarily total participation in the decision process. The study recommends that change management processes should include the participation of all employees in the organisation. Conclusions and recommendations were drawn from the literature and the findings of the study.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018