Abstract
M.Comm.
"While discovery focuses on the new and unique, research is the process
of re-examining something we already know a great deal about. The
fundamental purpose of research is to confirm what we know and believe is in
fact true and to develop a more knowledgeable understanding of its essence."
(The Global Logistics Research Team at Michigan State University,1995:1).
Organisations need a better way of changing, a way of involving large
percentages of their people in making the shift from a "business as usual"
scenario to one of real time strategic change. Jacobs (1995:18) clearly states
that in a real time strategic change scenario, all members of the organisation
are meaningful involved in deciding upon and responsible for delivering the
organisation's results. In essence, real time strategic change is about a new
way of understanding organisations, how they operate, the role individual
people can play in making a difference in their organisational lives, and how
they can become aligned with each other as a motivated, empowered, total
organisation. To be "World Class" means that a firm has successfully visualised and applied a combination of logistical practices capable of serving selected customers
better than competitors. The management, employees, systems, technologies
and operations of world class firms are finely tuned and synchronised to
efficiently meet and exceed customer expectations. For a firm to perform
consistently at a world class level means that its employees possess
knowledge of what constitutes best practice and know how to implement that
behaviour successfully. With this study it is hoped that some of the findings
may be of practical benefit to the Cadbury (Pty) Ltd top management team in
making strategic decisions on putting the company on the road to become
"World Class".