'n Organisasiestelsel vir 'n multidissiplinêre onderneming in die boubedryf
- Authors: Van Eeden, André
- Date: 2015-09-29
- Subjects: Building trades - Management , Industrial management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:14211 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/14658
- Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , Arising from the increasing complexity in the building industry, the co-ordination between the various disciplines becomes the primary problem. With the integration of disciplines into one organization, it seems that the proper structuring of the organization tend to obstruct coordination and effective collaboration. Because of the need to address this problem, this study was undertaken to present management of a multidisciplinary organization in the building industry with the necessary theoretical background regarding all the organizational aspects in order to accomplish the effective structuring of their activities ...
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'n Teoretiese beskouing van die bedingingsmagrol van verbruikers as komponent van die mededingende voordeelmodel van Porter
- Authors: Coetzer, Gerbadus Johannes
- Date: 1995
- Subjects: Strategic planning - South Africa , Industrial management , Customer services - South Africa - Management
- Language: Afrikaans
- Type: Masters Thesis
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/21153 , uj:16117
- Description: Abstract: Please refer to full text to view abstract , M.Com. (Business Management)
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A case study on project initiation, implementation and termination in a heavy industry
- Authors: Cathey, Steve William
- Date: 2011-11-21
- Subjects: Project management , Industrial management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:1705 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/4049
- Description: M.Ing. , The emphasis in this dissertation will thus be to apply a case study to project initiation, implementation and termination theoretical steps and practically apply these steps to a brick making plant environment so as to guide project managers in systematic steps of nmning their own heavy industry project. To familiarise the reader with the following issues is the main objective. Vital components include project planning of works, project time and cost control, monitoring and control of designed work, monitoring and control of on and off-site work, quality control and expediting operational commissioning. These issues will be discussed under the abovementioned headings of project initiation, implementation and tennination. The appendices contain a practical application and set format that could be used to run a project of small scale and adjusted to suite larger projects. The format and plmming tools of the case study has been developed by the author and is free to be used if so needed.
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A comparative investigation into the management style and culture of a 2nd wave organisation and a 4th wave organisation
- Authors: Carneiro, H.
- Date: 2010-10-04T08:36:24Z
- Subjects: Organizational change , Management , Industrial management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:6917 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3428
- Description: M.Comm. , The aim of this research is to determine the difference between Ericsson South Africa and Ericsson Sweden in terms of wave management, leadership and management style, culture and change management. The research proposes to determine what behaviours are exhibited in Ericsson South Africa versus the behaviours exhibited in Ericsson Sweden and how this affects the organisation. This will then be used to provide the management team of Ericsson South Africa with feedback in terms of what the current issues are in the organisation and the proposed changes. A thorough literature study of wave management, leadership and management style, culture and change management was undertaken. The study revealed that there is a distinct difference in 2nd wave and 4th wave organisations in relation to leadership and management, culture and change management. It emphasised that organisations in 4th wave are far more advanced in all the elements which allows the organisations to be very successful. The research was conducted by a using qualitative approach. The benefit of qualitative research is that it allows for a greater understanding of the concept as well as to learn more about the concept. A questionnaire was used which was sent out to employees in Ericsson South Africa and Ericsson Sweden. The data was then analysed which allowed for certain conclusions to be drawn. It raised some pertinent issues that the management team in Ericsson South Africa need to focus on. The research has indicated that currently Ericsson South Africa is a 2nd wave organisation and that the key focus areas for the organisation is the leadership and management style, culture and change management.
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A knowledge management strategy for a multinational telecommunications company
- Authors: Mahlangu, Thabo George
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Knowledge management , Telecommunication - Management , Industrial management
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/451525 , uj:39792
- Description: Abstract: The knowledge economy refers to a system in which the economy’s growth and the creation of employment are primarily based on knowledge intensive activities. It is the economy that creates knowledge, disseminates and uses knowledge in order to enhance knowledge production for economic growth and development. The existence of a knowledge economy provides more reasons for organisations to have knowledge management strategy. A knowledge management strategy is an approach which details how an organisation intends to manage its information and knowledge better for the benefit of the employees and all stakeholders. While there has been a shift from an industrial economy to a knowledge economy, many organisations do not have a knowledge management strategy which enables them to manage their knowledge effectively and use it to benefit themselves. There are mainly two knowledge management strategies, and these are the personification and the codification strategies. The personification strategy uses people to people methods to exchange knowledge and the codification strategy uses a system where the knowledge is documented, retrieved and shared with other people... , M.Com. (Business Management)
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An engagement model for collaborative outsourcing relationships
- Authors: Delport, Reinet , Mkhwanazi, Sipho
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Logistics - Management , Contracting out , Industrial management
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/55463 , uj:16294
- Description: Abstract: The modern world represents a turbulent and ever-changing environment. Business organisations strive to achieve efficient and effective logistics management processes within the value chain and increasingly appreciate the need for logistics specialists or expert partners to support their value chain or supply chain activities. Thus, the consideration of outsourcing non-core activities in the value chain has become paramount to organisations, with the ambition to optimise organisational structure towards sustainable competitive advantage. This is a business need which Logistics Service Providers (LSPs) have grasped over the years, and resultantly, have expanded their service offering in supply chain activities. Simultaneously, collaborative relationships between LSPs and their clients have become vital to achieve successful delivery of supply chain activities. The rationale of the study was to provide guidance on how collaborative relationships in an outsourced logistics function can be achieved both strategically and operationally. The aim of the study was to determine the foundation - associated key elements which enable optimal value from relationships between an LSP and its clients. The study was conducted on Imperial Logistics (IL), a division of Imperial Group (Proprietary) Limited. The key objectives of the study were to: i) provide guidance on an optimal strategic engagement model for a collaborative relationship in outsourcing, including suggesting a suitable performance measurement tool to measure such a relationship, and ii) to consider how well the current operational status quo in IL aligns to the engagement model. The study was conducted using a mixed-method approach; quantitative data , M.Com. (Business Management)
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An entrepreneurial entity’s experience with opportunity realisation
- Authors: Nel, Le Roi
- Date: 2013-12-09
- Subjects: Entrepreneurship , Industrial management , Organizational change
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7871 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8763
- Description: M.Comm. (Business Management) , Over the past ten years the insurance industry has been subject to extreme losses due to dual exposure in both underwriting and investments. Financial survival was the number one priority for many insurance firms in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attack in America in 2001, the natural catastrophe losses across the USA, and most recently the global financial crisis. Multinational European and North American insurance firms have been forced to focus on core business activities, and this has necessitated improvement of holistic risk and capital management of global and regional operations. Against this evolving microeconomic and managerial backdrop, multinational insurance firms withdrew from the South African insurance market in an attempt to improve financial performance by recapitalising funds to their core operations in Europe and America, and to mitigate their international risk exposure in developing countries. This study explores the phenomenon of how an entrepreneurial entity experienced opportunity realisation within the South African insurance industry when multinational insurance firms withdrew from the South African market. This research employed qualitative case study methodology to illustrate the phenomenon under investigation. Participants of this study included a purposefully selected group consisting of 12 candidates who have been directly involved in the opportunity realisation of the entrepreneurial entity. Grounded Theory analysis allowed for insightful descriptions of opportunity realisation within the South African insurance industry. The empirical evidence suggest opportunity realisation to be impacted by five dominant forces, namely, the South African insurance market, an entrepreneurial entity, opportunity identification, strategic development, and organisational design. Collectively, these five forces constitute the Inductive Opportunity Realisation (IOR) theory. This study focuses on entrepreneurial behaviour to realise opportunities within the South African insurance industry. The IOR theory also highlights the important role of constructive and deconstructive entrepreneurial behaviour in realising opportunities.
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Aspekte van finansiële bestuur wat fokus op waardetoevoeging en produktiwiteitsverhoging
- Authors: Booysen, Dawid Jacobus Louw
- Date: 2015-03-18
- Subjects: Industrial management , Business enterprises - Finance
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/369386 , uj:13467 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13501
- Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , Please refer to full text to view abstract
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Building and validating a competency model delivered by a corporate university
- Authors: Brits, David Wilhelmus
- Date: 2013-07-10
- Subjects: Industrial management , Success in business , Competency-based educational tests
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7600 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8466
- Description: D.Phil. (Leadership in Performance & Change) , Over the past four to five years, the role of central banks has grown increasingly important globally in respect of national and international financial and economic stability. The recent financial crises have emphasised the critical role that central banks, in particular their bank supervisors and regulators, could and should play in stabilising the financial sector to curb the potential spread of economic and financial instability internationally. Though many central banks agree on what the core functions of a central bank should be, there is little or no consensus globally about what constitutes a “competent central banker”. It is for this reason that this study was undertaken. More specifically, the study was intended to enable central banks to have a “common language” for describing central banker competencies. A validated central banker competency model could also help to align and create in central banks a common focus on ensuring effective human resources management. Furthermore, there is a need in central banks for an integrated learning and development delivery model which could deliver the critical competencies required by central bankers, in particular the use by central banks of the corporate university model as the principal learning and development delivery mechanism. In this regard, the study discusses the core features that underpin the principles on which most corporate universities are based, namely (a) a learning business driven by and focusing proactively on real-time business needs; (b) the custodian of the intellectual equity of the organisation as expressed in its core organisational competencies and its people’s skills, knowledge and expertise; (c) the seamless merging of learning/teaching and business action into a single, connected process; (d) the adoption of a comprehensive, integrated learning/teaching perspective on the business and its respective role players; and (e) a key enabler to, catalyst of, and institutor of organisation-wide change at the strategic, managerial and operational levels. Against the above background, the two-fold problem statement of the study was, firstly, to develop and validate a central banker competency model for central bankers; and secondly, to identify and assess a suitable learning and development delivery model which could effectively deliver these competencies, and more specifically the suitability of a corporate university in playing this delivery role for central banks.
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Challenges facing small, medium and micro-size built environment professionals in South Africa
- Authors: Reddy, Kamashan
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Consulting engineers - South Africa , Engineering firms - South Africa - Management , Industrial management
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/233678 , uj:23867
- Description: M.Phil. (Engineering Management) , Abstract: Engineering Consultants play a very important role in the delivery of infrastructure projects in South Africa. Infrastructure spend constitutes a significant percentage of the total South African national treasury spend every year, with government institutions and state owned entities being the biggest spenders. Small, Medium and Micro-Sized Enterprises (SMMEs) are seen as large contributors to employment and economic growth in the country, yet these entities seem to be restricted in growth and development. The study identified the challenges affecting the engineering consulting industry in South Africa. Various organisations governing and supporting the engineering consulting industry have been identified and the challenges experienced by engineering consultants through research was obtained. Further to this, challenges faced by SMMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa were also researched to determine the commonality in challenges. The study identified four key challenges, the impact of which was investigated against SMME engineering consultants in South Africa. These four challenges are namely, access to finance, the management of change order requests by government entities, the scoping of work by government entities and procurement of consulting engineering services by state owned organisations. These four challenges were routed to SMME engineering consulting firms through a survey questionaire. The respondents comprised both SMME firms and Large firms. The criterion used to differentiate SMME firms from Large firms was the firms annual turnover. The findings from SMME firms attested that in order of ranking: access to finance ranked as having the highest negative effect on their businesses, followed by the management of change order requests, then poor scope definition and lastly procurement of consulting engineering services by public sector clients. Large firms concurred with this order of ranking. The conclusions drawn from the findings were that public sector clients were largely responsible for the challenges experienced by the SMME firms. Access to finance requires interventions by both government and private banking instutions to assist SMME firms with applications and obtaining loans and grants. Management of change order requests, scoping challenges and procurement of consulting engineering services requires government interventions to address inefficiences in public sector entities to enable the effective growth and development of SMMEs in South Africa.
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Complexity factors affecting the duration of research and development projects
- Authors: Molepo, P.M.
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Project management - Research , Engineering - Management , Technological complexity , Industrial management
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/393908 , uj:32611
- Description: Abstract : Research and development (R&D) plays an important role in the development of the economy. Organisations are encouraged to strive for innovative ways to survive due to worldwide competition, constant changes of customer needs and technological advancements. Today R&D projects are fast becoming the core business of many organisations and are used to increase profitability and growth. These projects have a time based competition and fast technological development. Therefore, the time it takes to get an innovation into the market becomes a very significant and critical index of global competition. Despite being the core business of many organisations, R&D projects are beset with time and cost overrun and thus are terminated before achieving the objectives. These projects are characterised by high uncertainties and complex properties. As a result, organisations are faced with the challenges of effectively managing these projects. The core objective of this study is to identify the complexities of the R&D project management process and their impact on project duration. This research study is executed through literature review and a single case study conducted on the R&D team in an engineering organisation. The case study was conducted using questionnaires and interviews. The questionnaires were sent to the R&D technical specialists whereas the interviews were conducted with the managers. Literature review identified eight sources of R&D project complexity as technological, organisational, intraorganisational, technical, development, marketing, dynamic and uncertainty. Under each complexity, there are different factors contributing to the source of project complexity. In terms of the impact the complexity has on project duration; the results show that lack of competent resources is the main reason why projects end up delayed. Again, the change in project scope involves addition of project activities to the project, requiring more time to complete the project. The main findings of the research show that the R&D technical specialists and the managers have different perspectives regarding the factors that contribute to R&D project complexity. According to the technical specialists, changes in process management and scope variation are the highest complexity contributors. However, the results from interviews with the managers indicate that lack of top management support is the cause of complexities in projects. Although the identified list of R&D complexity factors might differ depending on the project type and industry, the results of this research will benefit the project managers of R&D ... , M.Phil. (Engineering Management)
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Critical success factors for the implementation of lean thinking in South African manufacturing organisations
- Authors: Vermaak, Theodorus Daniel
- Date: 2010-10-25T06:34:09Z
- Subjects: Organizational effectiveness , Organizational change , Industrial efficiency , Industrial management , Manufacturing industries
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:6938 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3448
- Description: D.Comm. , The point of departure of this study is that South African manufacturing organisations are far from being competitive in world-class terms, and that lean thinking has become a strategic necessity for many South African manufacturing organisations that want to compete successfully in today’s globalised economy which is characterised by fierce competition. However, even amongst the pioneers and advocates of lean thinking there is uncertainty as to the reasons why lean sometimes fail or do not achieve the same results as is the case at Toyota, the organisation that pioneered lean thinking as a business management strategy. Given the former stated problem the primary objective of this study is to identify the critical success factors for the successful implementation of lean thinking in South African manufacturing organisations. The literature study conducted identified the theoretical critical success factors, the independent variables in this study, as mindset and attitude; leadership; ordinary employees; strategic driver; basic stability; promotion office; lean tools and techniques; and integration. The indicators of lean thinking success, the dependent variables of this study, were identified as cost reduction and customer satisfaction. A convenient sample was used to collect primary data by means of a self developed questionnaire or measuring instrument. A factor analysis of the data yielded 5 critical success factors, which were labelled as philosophy and principles; people or soft issues; basic stability; strategic driver; and promotion office. The research further revealed that lean thinking has a very low success rate in South African manufacturing organisations (thereby justifying the reason for this study); that senior leadership has the biggest impact or influence on the sustainable success of lean thinking; and that trade unions are considered to have a limited positive impact on successful lean implementation. The emerged factors were interpreted and operationalised, and translated into practical recommendations for the successful implementation of lean thinking in South African manufacturing organisations. The most important recommendations relate to the role of people and leadership in a lean transformation; finding of an experienced facilitator; and lean thinking as a strategic driver. Recommendations for further research include the role of, and skills required by the human resources function and practitioners in a lean thinking organisation; and lean thinking training on tertiary level in South Africa. The study thus has theoretical, practical and methodological value for successful lean thinking implementation in South African manufacturing organisations.
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Developing an information fluency framework for business decision making in the fourth industrial age
- Authors: Muller, Beulah Matilda
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Business - Decision making , Industrial management , Information literacy , Fake news
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/271666 , uj:28898
- Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , Abstract: Current situation deems information is a fundamental and vital asset in any organisation, especially in the decision making process as it allows business decision makers to analyse feasible alternatives based on opportunities and threats as well as reduce uncertainty. Studies indicate some managers lack the necessary skills when assessing the quality, authority, trustworthiness, relevance, and currency of information. This research explored how information fluency, as a post information literacy skill, aids the decision making capabilities of senior managers. The research objective was to develop an information fluency framework for business decision making in the fourth industrial age. Literature describes on the forefront of the fourth industrial age, information literacy is now more than ever an integral part in the application of quality information. It is the age of digital information abundance, fraught with uncharted and unfamiliar territories and filled with questions and challenges. The fourth industrial age is potentially creating a threat to humankind; humans seem to be becoming less capable of processing or making sense of the vast amounts of information in this age of digital information. The digital age requires more than just traditional critical thinking skills. It requires humans to advance to a higher level of information fluency with the ability to evaluate all assumptions and to understand fully the new technologies and the information environment within it as well as the biases found in information per se. Research methodology was an exploratory qualitative study with a deductive research approach to assess senior managers’ information literacy proficiency based on a theoretical framework and deduced their proficiency levels and ability to be information fluent. The research design was multi-method, consisting of an interactive interview with memos (reflective note taking) combined with observation for data collection. The non-probability, homogenous purposive sampling technique was applied. Twelve participants were selected for this research based on their roles as senior managers from the main Johannesburg Stock Exchange sectors. All interviews were transcribed, coded, and categorised according to the thematic categories identified in the theoretical framework. Key findings revealed that exposure or non-exposure to information literacy do not have significant impact on senior managers’ ability to search and evaluate information. Results show that the application of basic information literacy skills is an intuitive activity mainly based on their experience framework and is self-taught; information must not be confined and defined through its conduit, but rather by its context, and intermediate information literacy skills such as critical thinking is applied unconsciously...
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Die belangrikheid en rol van korporatiewe identiteit vir 'n motorvervaardiger
- Authors: Mans-Combrinck, M
- Date: 2014-08-27
- Subjects: Industrial management , Automobile industry and trade - Management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:12175 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/11917
- Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , Please refer to full text to view abstract
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Die bestuur en opleiding van SABS ISO 9000 reeks
- Authors: Gerber, Gert Robert Stephen
- Date: 2014-05-08
- Subjects: Industrial management , Competition, International - Case studies , Quality of products - South Africa - Management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:10941 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/10514
- Description: With the lifting of sanctions, South African businesses are faced with a new challenge to compete against their international counterparts on the international and domestic markets. Competing on the international markets is dependant on conforming to a recognised quality management system standard such as ISO 9000 (ISO International Standards Organisation). The South African equivalent for this standard is SABS ISO 9000. (SABS - South African Bureau of Standards). It is thus important for South African companies to conform to the requirements of the recognised quality management system and to deliver quality goods by adopting a quality improvement plan. The subject of quality has been studied and put into effect the early 1950's. The four most well known gurus on this subject are Deming, Juran, Crosby and Ishikawa. All of them have different philosophies on how to implement quality. Deming has developed fourteen points for management; Juran concentrated on the planning for quality based on the needs of the customers; Crosby has been the father of the cost of quality, but has since changed his stance to the cost of non-eonformity; Ishikawa, a student of Deming, has developed the cause and effect diagram for determining the root cause of problems. The importance of the above is to evaluate the organisation to determine the .quality needs and then to adopt a philosophy which can be used. The quality needs of an organisation can be determined by means of this diagram. Based on these results a usable philosophy can be adopted. The implementation of quality and a quality management system should take place simultaneously. Both these systems are dependant on each other for successful functioning. Both should be managed as a unit to ensure total quality management. The implementation of a total quality management system is a four step process. These steps are: 1. Awakening 2. Involvement, 3. Commitment, 4. Ownership. The different aspects of the implementation of quality and a quality management system must be addressed in each of the above steps to ensure the success of the quality management system. An important aspect which needs to be addressed when implementing quality management system, is training. This should take place during each of the above mentioned steps. Training for quality is related to on-the-job training and training with regard to new technology. Training for a quality management system should be directed to the development of quality documentation such as procedures and work instructions.
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Die bestuur van groepe in 'n prestasiegedrewe werksomgewing
- Authors: Olivier, Fourina Frederika
- Date: 2015-09-28
- Subjects: Industrial management , Personnel management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:14197 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/14640
- Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , Today's organizations are operating in a continually changing business environment. To be a growing and profitable business, it is important that management have a vision of where and how they want to direct the company to the desired future business outcome. Management must be in touch with both the internal and external factors that may influence the outcome of the changing environment ...
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Die bestuur van verandering : 'n teoretiese beskouing
- Authors: Volschenk, Carel Gabriel
- Date: 2014-04-14
- Subjects: Industrial management , Organizational change - South Africa , Organizational behavior - Research - South Africa
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:10605 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/10128
- Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , Please refer to full text to view abstract
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Die ontleding van die tendense vir handhaafbare groei by geselekteerde ondernemings
- Authors: Louw, Tobie
- Date: 2014-05-08
- Subjects: Industrial management , Strategic planning - South Africa - Case studies
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:10984 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/10557
- Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , The fact that growth is important for the survival of a business cannot be contradicted. It is however, necessary to plan the growth of a business and to keep it within the means of the business. To measure this growth in a meaningful manner, poses a problem. Various definitions for the ideal growth rate, referred to as sustainable growth, do exist. In essence it is the ability of the company to grow without any negative effects on the resources of the company. In managerial and financial literature, models on the aspect of sustainable growth have been developed. In this study these models have been critically analysed and applied to eleven companies quoted on the J.S.E. A comparison of the results, derived from these models, were made and it was found that there were substantial differences in the proposed growth rates. None of these models mentioned, allowed for the effect of inflation. An additional model was developed to eliminate the effect of inflation on growth. The principle of this model was to calculate the growth necessary to maintain business activities at the same levels. All funds in excess of, the financing needed to maintain current activity levels, were available for expansion and growth. This new proposed model was also applied to the same companies for the years investigated. The results were compared and the calculated growth rates from the existing models were not indicative of the real situation, regarding the after inflation growth potential of the companies. It was obvious in the results of the new model, that much less funds were available for growth. Should a company exceeds this proposed level of growth, the company is actually depleting the existing resources and become more dependent on additional borrowed funds. Investors and managers can use this model as a mechanism to predict, plan, manage and monitor the sustainable growth of a business.
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Environmental and social reporting as a tool for dialogue with stakeholders in the Highveld region
- Authors: Mboshane, Makoma Maureen
- Date: 2010-11-09T06:24:19Z
- Subjects: Industrial management , Corporate governance , Business communication , Social responsibility of business
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/369839 , uj:6955 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3464
- Description: M.Comm. , Challenges to businesses have become ever more complex and unpredictable in a fast changing and globalised world. Businesses continuously have to find ways to respond to pressing challenges that were not on the agenda in the past two decades. The traditional stakeholder base has broadened and includes diverse groups of interested parties inside and outside the boundaries of business. The business imperative is now the ability to balance the conflicting demands of its various stakeholders. Businesses are anxious to protect their reputation and to comply with legislation, however, growing stakeholder activism signals emerging gaps or barriers between organisational methods and stakeholder expectations. Broader stakeholder engagement and collaboration to find a win-win solution to these concerns, while valuing stakeholder relationships is key to unlocking value in today’s ramified network based economy. Businesses need to establish meaningful collaborative communication with stakeholders. The possibility to enter into dialogue and advocate greater transparency and information disclosure per stakeholder group is highly recommended. It is also recommended that business consider a shift from stakeholder management to stakeholder collaboration practices.
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Exploring the elements and dynamics of transformational change
- Authors: Mdletye, Mbongeni Andile
- Date: 2013-05-01
- Subjects: Transformational change , Industrial management , Problem solving , Theory of constraints (Management) , Decision trees - Computer programs
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7501 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8359
- Description: D.Phil. (Leadership in Performance and Change) , The desire for organisational competitiveness as a result of factors such as the changing and increasing needs of customers, deregulation, the globalisation of the economy and work, the increasing competition due to globalisation, the need to control costs and increase efficiency, as well as the fast pace of technological advancement, has compelled organisations to embark on changes that take place at a fast and ever-increasing rate. However, it was noted that organisations are not at all succeeding in implementing and institutionalising change initiatives effectively. There is a high failure rate in the implementation of transformational change efforts, and this is attributed to the fact that managers are not well-equipped to deal with challenges associated with the implementation of transformational changes in organisations. As a result of the high failure rate in change implementation, there had been a number of empirical studies conducted, which investigated reasons behind this low success rate. Unfortunately very few studies have focused on the human side of transformational change. Most of the researches have dwelt more on the technical side of change. This quantitative study was then conducted in order to identify and explore the elements and dynamics of transformational change, which can be regarded as constituting the human dimension of transformational change. Specifically, the main objective of this study was to determine the extent to which the elements and dynamics of transformational change (that is, perceptions, reactions, experiences, personal impact, and organisational impact) relate to the status of the change process. This research adopted a two-pronged approach, which incorporated a literature study first, and thereafter an empirical study. The literature study contextualised the elements and dynamics of transformational change within the Correctional Services environment. An overview of transformational change in the Department of Correctional Services was also provided. Based on the results of the literature study, a theoretical model, which hypothesised the relationships between perceptions and experience on one side, and the status of change on the other, was developed and empirically tested. The empirical data was collected by means of two survey questionnaires – one for correctional officials and the other for offenders, which were administered to 1000 correctional officials and 500 offenders. Methodologically, the study was guided by an exploratory, survey, descriptive, correlational and explanatory research designs, which were underpinned by ontological and epistemological perspectives. All completed and returned questionnaires were computed to analyse the responses of the respondents. The results of the analysis of data showed that the DCS change was characterised by positive perceptions; positive, negative and introspective-anxious experiences; negative responses in terms of emotional reactions and resistance; negative personal impact at intrapersonal and interpersonal levels; and positive organisational impact as the key aspects of the elements and dynamics of transformational change. The discussion in this thesis revolves around the above-named elements and dynamics of transformational change. Through performing exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, a three-factor measurement model which encompassed perception, experience and the status of change, was identified and confirmed. The structural equation modelling found that both perceptions and experiences were the predictors of the status of change.
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