Abstract
M.Tech. (Construction Management)
This research provides an overview of intra-organisational centralised/decentralised structures
and inter-organisational consortia. It then aims to provide a theoretical explanation of
Management Shared Services, prior to providing case study evidence of management shared
services performance and proposed areas of improvement, comprising business units and
services departments of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. The research
provides empirical evidence of the proposed improvement areas of selected processes of
management shared services as a viable structural option for improving services provided to
the business units and a starter to currently untapped reservoir of potential research. It
suggests an additional improvement options to be considered in determining the optimum
management shared services model and to provide business case evidence and suggestions for
optimum usage of the management shared services.
The research assessed the actual level of performance of Management Shared Services Unit in
order to provide a basis on which to identify potentials for efficiently improving and
optimising existing Management Shared Services Unit. The research identified two areas as
success areas in the current set-up and six other areas as requiring improvement if
Management Shared Services Unit is to serve the purpose of providing non-core services to
the Business Units. The first area of success is the organisation, governance and compliance
in the Management Shared Services Unit. The second is in the area systems and technology.
The areas identified by research as requiring improvement are strategy, customer relations,
human resources, business processes, performance management and continuous
improvement.