Showing items 1 - 20 of 38

Your selections:

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)
  • Full Text:

Exploring the factors affecting implementation of enterprise resource planning in South African small and medium enterprises

  • Authors: Phutsisi, Tankiso Pearl
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Enterprise resource planning , Management information systems , Manufacturing resource planning , Industrial management
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/424647 , uj:36323
  • Description: Abstract: Enterprise resource planning (ERP) structures are one among the key instruments that data systems use to encourage fast decision-making, cost minimization, and comprehensive internal control. South African Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have begun to acknowledge ERP systems as a vital tool within this marked improvement in Information Technology (IT). However, literature on this subject indicates that structure expectations and wishes don't seem to be met by the overall public on the implementation of ERP. Over one half of the ERP implementations in SMEs have recently been evidenced to fail, as revealed by research studies. Essentially, the components linked to the accomplishment of ERP execution are not fully studied in South African SMEs. In addition, the excessive failure of ERP implies a threat to South Africa, because SMEs are the foundation of the South African economy. To achieve the abovementioned goal, this study adopted a two-sided approach; firstly, the researcher critically analysed a set of previous studies that were conducted on ERP implementation within various business organisations. This helped in identifying gaps existing in the current literature. A questionnaire approach was used with three different firms located in South Africa, particularly in the province of Gauteng. The respondents were chosen by means of a convenience sampling approach, because it enabled the researcher to select participants that were easily accessible. , M.Tech.
  • Full Text:

Exploring the understanding of strategic management by the proprietors of small and medium engineering companies in Polokwane city of Limpopo province

  • Authors: Ezomo, Odion Taiwo
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Engineering firms - South Africa - Limpopo - Management , Industrial management , Strategic planning
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/424687 , uj:36328
  • Description: Abstract: Strategic management is a mainstay to every organization and can be adapted for the effective management of Small Medium Engineering (SME) companies. The area of interest of this study was to explore the understanding of the proprietors of SME companies in Polokwane city of Limpopo province about the use of strategic management principles in the operation of their organizations. It was primed by three objectives, firstly, to investigate the understanding and use of strategic management principles by the proprietors of SME companies in Polokwane city; secondly, to determine the impact of the application of strategic management principles on the progress or otherwise of SME companies. Thirdly, to understand the perception of the proprietors of SME companies on their knowledge of strategic management. To achieve these objectives, a structured questionnaire was sent to 155 respondents, proprietors of SME industries and 149 usable questionnaires were returned and acknowledged. This gave a response rate of approximately 96%. Statistical software SPSS (version 22) was used to analyse the quantitative data and results was represented on the frequency tables and figures. The exploratory factors analysis was adopted in order to explore the connections between the variables responded to in the questionnaire. The outcome of the analysis facilitated the identification of the most essential factors or variables and provision of group name for the associated variables. The Cronbach alpha was used to test the internal consistency of the empirical factors and were found satisfactory. The study established that proprietors’ knowledge and competence in management skills are means of growing SME companies, development of knowledge skills is key in the impact of application of strategic management principles needed for developing SME industries. Furthermore, the knowledge of strategic management principles is used to resolve business problems and offer significant benefits for SME industries. Therefore, the study recommended that proprietors of SME companies should embrace strategic management principles by investing sufficient resources to boost the holistic development of the capacity of their employee, in order to support the growth of SME companies. , M.Ing. (Engineering Management)
  • Full Text:

Systematic innovation : a comprehensive model for business and management with treatment on a South African case

  • Authors: Krüger, Louis L.S.J.
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Industrial management , Information technology - Management , Business enterprises , Continuous improvement process
  • Language: English
  • Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/413098 , uj:34789
  • Description: Abstract: This thesis addresses innovation of business and management with the purpose of advancing innovation in South Africa. A Design Science Research methodology is utilised to evaluate the current knowledge base of business and management innovation and construct a high level model for Management Innovation that pertains to all management areas of business including technology and innovation management. This thesis evaluates Learn-by-Experimentation (Trial and Error), Van Gundy’s Structured Creative Processes and Mann’s model constructed in practice. The Learn-by-Experimentation is a methodology only suited for physical innovation. The Structured Creative Processes are found to be of a generic nature which is not suitable for Innovation of Business and Management. Mann’s model is a projection of TRIZ onto business and management that addresses a subset of the business areas. The literature study in this thesis showed the identification of innovation opportunities was explicitly addressed by Van Gundy and implicitly treated by Mann. The “General Internet Access” for South Africans, as envisioned in the National Development Plan to stimulate economic growth, has been analysed for systematic innovation potential and did not render the desired outcome. The NDP will require further development to enable systematic innovation. In the course of this research a spiral innovation model for systematic business and management is developed through intensive literature analysis to cover the identified gaps. The model consists of the following steps: 1. Identification 2. Analysis and Definition 3. Select Approach 4. Create Potential Solutions 5. Verify and Validate Solutions 6. Implement the best Verified and Validated Solution with the idea to converge towards an Ideal Final Result. The results of this study is a contribution to the knowledge base of business and management innovation. , D.Ing. (Engineering Management)
  • Full Text:

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)
  • Full Text:

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...
  • Full Text:

Identification of stakeholders in the capital project life cycle for a state owned enterprise

  • Authors: Maphanga, Penny
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Engineering - Management , Industrial management , Project management , Technological innovations - Management
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/393703 , uj:32584
  • Description: Abstract : The aim of this study was to identify stakeholders in Capital projects and to assess the process of identification of stakeholders in capital projects. The stakeholder identification process was assessed throughout the stages of a project cycle in a State Owned Enterprises (SOE). The research followed a case study approach and it was conducted in a bulk water supplier SOE. The study found that identification of stakeholders is a known phenomenon in the organization however it has not fully matured. This study has also formed a foundation for academics who want to study and advance stakeholder identification within the SOE environment. It has thus recommended that the organization advance their stakeholder identification processes to ensure that project delays due to unhappy stakeholders is minimized. The advantage of proper stakeholder identification is that it will minimize project variations and improve projects completion time as stakeholder identification will be part of the organization project management processes. , M.Phil. (Engineering Management)
  • Full Text:

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.
  • Full Text:

Factors influencing Business-to-Business loyalty at a mobile services provider

  • Authors: Hlefana, Mpho Sophia
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Customer loyalty , Customer relations - Management , Industrial management , Mobile Telephone Networks
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/272091 , uj:28951
  • Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , Abstract: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is an integral tool for maintaining long-term relationships with customers. Customers’ continual engagement with the organisation is dependent upon their satisfaction with the quality of the rendered service. In a Business-to-Business (B2B) environment, this usually means satisfying multiple stakeholders as B2B transactions involve more than one individual. Satisfying customers means that the service provider meets or exceeds customer expectations. We measure these outcomes by assessing how customers perceive the organisation’s image, the quality of services provided, the level of customisation of the service, whether they think they receive returns, and whether they trust the service provider. When customers are satisfied with the afore-mentioned assessment tools, they are likely to continue to engage with the service provider, demonstrating loyalty. This research’s aim is to determine the influence that the factors of corporate image, service quality, perceived value, customisation and trust have on customer satisfaction, and how all ultimately enhance customer loyalty at a mobile service provider. The research gathered data from MTN Business customers who had purchased and made use of MTN Business solutions and services. Although studies have been conducted on the proposed factors of corporate image, service quality, perceived value, customisation, trust, their influence on customer satisfaction and ultimately on customer loyalty, no research appears to have been conducted exploring the influence of these factors on a mobile service provider in South Africa. The study makes use of the positivistic research paradigm. Through this research paradigm, the researcher could interpret social interactions of business customer relationships with MTN Business South Africa. The methodological approach is descriptive and quantitative in nature. Data was gathered by means of a self-administered questionnaire, and distributed to a sample of 500 MTN Business customers. Seven response categories ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree” were used for respondents to indicate their level of agreement or disagreement with a set of statements, and measured using the Likert Scale. Non-probability sampling was used as the researcher selected elements to be included in the study from a customer database. The sample drawn from the MTN Business database focuses on customer billing. The researcher made use of judgement sampling to select sample emblements. SPSS version 22 was used to analyse the data and produced statistical reports from which results were interpreted and conclusions drawn. Simple regression analysis was used to determine whether the independent variables (corporate image, service quality, perceived value, customisation and trust), the intervening variable (customer satisfaction) and the dependent variable (customer loyalty) were correlated. These variables were all tested in previous studies by Tu, Li and Chih (2011); Bojei, Julian, Wel and Ahmed (2013); Roberts-...
  • Full Text:

Sustainable supply chain initiatives in reducing greenhouse gas emissions

  • Authors: Makan, Hemisha
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Industrial management , Greenhouse gas mitigation , Greenhouse gases - Environmental aspects , Business logistics
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/246234 , uj:25521
  • Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , Abstract: A radical change in the global economy has resulted in a paradigm shift whereby the supply chain has evolved from a traditional simple supply chain to one that is filled with complexities and uncertainties. Five forces, namely globalisation, technological advancements, empowered consumers, organisational consolidation and government regulations have driven this reformation within the supply chain. As a result, organisations within the supply chain have been forced to re-engineer their processes and strategies in order to remain competitive and operative. This change has created an over-production of products and hence an imbalance between demand and supply. With the increased production, there has also been an upsurge in the movement of goods by different modes of transportation, particularly within the road freight industry. The increase in road freight transportation has resulted in an escalation in the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere, resulting in climate change. The adverse effects of these gases have intensified concerns of various stakeholders, consumers and society and as a consequence organisations have been pressurised to implement sustainable supply chain initiatives to reduce GHG emissions. Hence, the objective of this study is to establish a framework of sustainable supply chain initiatives in reducing GHG emissions within the road freight transport industry. The sub-objectives are to identify different drivers that led to the adoption of sustainable supply chain initiatives in reducing GHG emissions; to identify the effectiveness of these sustainable supply chain initiatives in reducing GHG emissions; and to determine the benefits and challenges realised when implementing sustainable supply chain initiatives in reducing GHG emissions. The conceptual framework for this research is derived from the literature review which was used to construct the questionnaire, used in the collection of the empirical data for this research. The data from the self-administered questionnaire was analysed by using SPSS software package installed by a consultant from Statkon. The results of the findings demonstrate that organisations are placed under enormous pressure to implement sustainable practices. The top three drivers identified within this study are pressure from consumer and brand protection; pressure from top management; and cost...
  • Full Text:

The benefits of asset management in improving manufacturing performance in an explosives manufacturing plant

  • Authors: Phindela, Bonga
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Assets (Accounting) - Management , Asset-liability management , Industrial management
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/269267 , uj:28605
  • Description: M.Phil. (Engineering Management) , Abstract: Asset Management provides care for equipment in a factory, which will ensure that the equipment delivers the required volume, at the expected quality, in the safest way possible, and still reach the expected lifespan within cost. Any manufacturing facility, however big or small, has a goal to deliver the compelling business needs within a required timeframe, and still allow for effectiveness in the day to day running of the processes that contribute towards the overall growth of the business. Without full engagement of all people in a company’s spectrum, an asset management strategy can fail. It is therefore essential to ensure that satisfaction of the workforce is met to allow total productivity and ensure that any organisation can maximise on its compelling business needs’ outputs. People are the company’s best assets and just like machinery, without proper care, the performance of a manufacturing facility can be adversely affected. If asset management is applied as a strategy to improve the performance of production machinery, can it have a direct, positive impact on the availability of equipment, production output, overall safety, quality, cost efficiency, and employee morale? This paper aims to observe the impact that an asset management strategy can have on the performance of an explosives manufacturing organisation. It explores the ways in which South African manufacturing industries can implement asset management as a strategy for improving their performance, and undertakes observation of an organisation prior to asset management implementation, and then post asset management implementation. The observations are compared to confirm asset management as a significant element in the organisation’s results.
  • Full Text:

The importance of knowledge sharing as a strategic management tool in the public sector

  • Authors: Tebakang, Sechaba Abram
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Industrial management , Knowledge management
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/272397 , uj:28993
  • Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , Abstract: This research was conducted at the Gauteng Department of Economic Development (GDED). The aim of the study was to explore the importance of knowledge sharing (KS) between employees at middle and senior management in the public sector within the GDED. A literature study was done on the importance of KS in public sector institutions and on how KS could be integrated into modern public sector institutions. Due to the focus of this study, it was more pertinent and important to see how KS can be infiltrated into the GDED, to potentially enable more effective delivery on its provincial mandate of facilitating and promoting economic growth and development in the Gauteng province. The study used a purposive sampling technique, which is also known as judgemental, selective or subjective sampling to identify respondents. Open-ended and closed-ended questions were used to elicit information from respondents. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and the researcher used an audio recording device to record the interviews which were then transcribed into text and analysed using codes. Many authors write that the concept of knowledge management (KM) in the public sector is of relevance and of importance. This study investigates KS and KM processes within the public sector and focuses on how knowledge is created, stored, transferred and retained. This study also addresses the barriers to effective KS in the public sector and the effect of a bureaucratic structure within the public service on KS. Consequently, invaluable organisational knowledge is easily lost, making the continuity and sustainability of knowledge a challenge. On the contrary, KS has been linked with many progressive results in the past such as organisational effectiveness, organisation innovation capability; improved productivity and team performance. In turn, these results contribute to the sustainability of an organisation. The study analyses the valuable inputs of respondents from the GDED and these contributions were used to make recommendations on how KS can be applied at the GDED. Special emphasis was also placed on how the GDED can make productive use of its existing knowledge repository system called Livelink. A final recommendation is made to the GDED to apply retention strategies in order to sustain its mandate of economic growth, development and inclusivity in the Gauteng Province...
  • Full Text:

Managing changeover waste in manufacturing plants when using single minute exchange of dies

  • Authors: Madhav, Rushil
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Lean manufacturing , Production management , Industrial management , Process control
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/213270 , uj:21127
  • Description: Abstract: The research aimed to determine how single minute exchange of dies (SMED) is implemented in practice when considering the critical success factors (CSFs) of lean. It also aimed to determine what effect these factors had on waste generated within changeover processes and the possible savings that could be generated when considering these factors during the implementation of SMED. Six case studies across two production lines were conducted in order to investigate the importance and the impact of considering the CSFs of lean when implementing SMED in an organization. It helped determine that the CSFs of lean form a part of SMED’s implementation process and its prerequisites. The consideration and presence of the CSFs are critical and the analysis conducted between the two production lines indicated that these factors influence the implementation process of SMED. These factors also have a direct impact on the waste and helped manage the levels of wastes, which in turn reduced the costs of changeovers. It provided practical guidelines that integrated the soft and technical areas to achieve a fully integrated management and manufacturing system that resulted in efficient changeover processes. The result ultimately provides organizations with the required flexibility to satisfy customers as changeovers can take place more frequently with better quality, reasonable delivery periods, affordable rates, smaller lot/batch sizes and lower inventory levels. , M.Ing. (Engineering Management)
  • Full Text:

Optimisation in process plants

  • Authors: Nenzhelele, M.P.
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Centrifugal pumps - Testing , Pumping machinery - Performance , Industrial management , Power-plants
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/233660 , uj:23864
  • Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Abstract: In industries, engineers and managers are faced with the conundrum of which method to use to improve the reliability and subsequent availability of their manufacturing processes. This research aimed to develop a tool to assist process plants with deciding on the best approach to use between increasing the redundancy of bottleneck equipment or to improve on the management of integrated logistic support principles like supply support, maintenance strategy and inventory management. It also made use of a case study process plant to analyse and improve the maintenance system around bottleneck centrifugal pumps. A decision making tool (framework) was developed and presented to assist with decision making around the stated problem. A survey conducted also affirmed the need for such a tool in industry. The decision of installing an extra pump per set to increase redundancy or to improve on the ILS of maintenance is split between 48% against the installation and 43% supporting the idea. This is an indication of how contentious this issue is without doing the proper analysis and using the right tools of decision making. Most decisions in industry are made on an emotional viewpoint based on the “head-aches” certain equipment gives. It was discovered that the case study plant utilises a run-to-failure philosophy on bottleneck pumps. This philosophy lead to production losses of 14 days over a 23 months span, equating to R33, 2 million rand loss compared to R2, 2 million sample period cycle cost of increasing redundancy.
  • Full Text:

'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 ...
  • Full Text:

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 ...
  • Full Text:

Measuring leader reputation within the South African business context : a study in two financial industry organisations

  • Authors: Lumadi, Ndamulelo Innocentia
  • Date: 2015-05-06
  • Subjects: Leadership , Industrial management , Leadership - Executive management
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:13591 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13734
  • Description: M.A. (Strategic Communication) , In today’s increasingly competitive business environments, one of the greatest challenges that continue to face organisations extends beyond financial performance, market share, and attracting and retaining employees and customers, to now include the reputation of the individual that heads up or leads the organisation – in most instances the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The leader’s reputation has become increasingly important for a number of reasons, one of which includes customers making purchasing and contracting decisions based on the reputation of the CEO and no longer on the products and services offered by organisations only. It is no surprise then that leaders who have a solid leadership stature, reputation or ‘personal brand’, attract more customers. The CEO’s reputation impacts on all aspects of organisational existence – from internal communication to branding, from customer service to the external image and reputation and media exposure. The aim of this study was to develop a measurement scale with which to measure leader reputation in the South African business context by using two high profile organisations in the financial industry. In order to do so, a conceptually relevant set of leader reputation criteria were developed from a comprehensive review of available literature. Eight key dimensions of leader reputation were developed, which served as the framework for measuring leader reputation within the South African business context, namely; Individual Accountability, People Alignment, Brand Citizenship, Communication Competence, People Management, Personal Charisma, Ethical Leadership and Adaptability. This study adopted a quantitative research design which used a survey questionnaire, descriptive analysis and multivariate research techniques. The survey questionnaire was completed by 122 respondents from two financial industry organisations. The results of the statistical analysis suggest that the survey questionnaire was a reliable and valid instrument, and that there are very few differences between various subsets (based on biographical data) of the sample.
  • Full Text:

Aspekte van finansiële bestuur wat fokus op waardetoevoeging en produktiwiteitsverhoging

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)
  • Full Text:

Incentive schemes : driving the right behaviour amongst staff translated into improved business performance

  • Authors: Morrison, Yoliswa Thando
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Incentive awards , Incentives in industry , Industrial management
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/55334 , uj:16281
  • Description: Abstract: Staff incentive schemes have become increasingly popular in influencing staff to perform more efficiently in the interests of the organisations for which they work. Research has proven that recognition and incentive programmes are indeed a powerful and effective tool for enhancing company performance and profits, contributing to the fact that companies that implement such incentive schemes perform significantly better than their peers who do not have such schemes. Staff incentive schemes however tend to fall short when it comes to driving the right behaviour amongst the staff for whom it is meant for. Gaining a competitive edge in the banking sector is very challenging, given that the South African banking industry is a highly competitive industry and many of the major banks offer similar services and products, making it difficult to distinguish themselves from the competition. Offering exceptional customer service to clients has increasingly become the only way in which banks can differentiate and distinguish themselves from their competitors. The incentive scheme at Absa was implemented in order to drive exceptional customer service. Excellent customer service should benefit the business as a whole with improvements in key measures such as profit and customer acquisition. However, there are various factors such as administrative flaws, industry conditions, as well as the composition of the incentive scheme itself, which may render the scheme ineffective if these are not carefully considered. A mixed-method approach was taken in conducting the research, including quantitative inputs from Absa’s data repository, and qualitative inputs from the research questionnaire. The research found that branch staff opined very strongly about the need to influence the design of the incentive; entry criteria should be more achievable, staff PD ratings not being used as a qualifying criterion, and that management should ensure that the communication around the incentive scheme is always consistent across the entire branch network. The research concludes with recommendations of considerations to be made for future incentive schemes to be implemented. , M.Com. (Business Management)
  • Full Text:
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • Copyright
  • Contact