The FirstRand Founders’ story : exploring synergistic relationships
- Authors: Fourie, Christel
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: First National Bank of Southern Africa , Performance - Management , Banks and banking - South Africa , Organizational effectiveness - Measurement
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/82418 , uj:18955
- Description: Abstract: The study explores and describes the FirstRand founders’ efforts and influence in how a business success story unfolded. The research is driven by a desire to understand what made this story. FirstRand is one of South Africa’s largest and foremost financial services groups. The group is made up of world-class companies such as Rand Merchant Bank, First National Bank and WesBank. Hallmarks of all its companies, present and past, include a track record of innovation, strong values and an ownermanager philosophy. The group’s entrepreneurial history can be traced back to 1977 and the founding partnership of GT Ferreira, Laurie Dippenaar and Paul Harris. Over several decades the founders, together with a stable management team, built the group through a series of strategic acquisitions and mergers. The research question was formulated as: What did the three founders contribute individually and collectively to FirstRand’s success? Accordingly, a qualitative mode of enquiry was adopted and a case study design applied. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the founders and key role players such as chief executives, supplemented with other data sources. Data were analysed using narrative analysis. The goal was to describe the research setting comprehensively so as to enable readers to see the case study as the writing of history. The researcher’s insights clustered into four main interpretation themes: firstly, the founders’ partnership and complementarity as a success factor, secondly, how leadership worked in the founders’ eyes, thirdly, the founder-leaders as architects of culture formation and fourthly, how the founders created the conditions for emergence. What these insights mean was explored in the section on sensemaking by drawing links to theory that offer plausible perspectives on the FirstRand story. The study’s findings are relevant in revealing theories-in-use from three of the most highly regarded business leaders. There is no similar example to be found. The study’s key contribution is of a theoretical nature. The researcher’s overall impressions point to the founders having contributed a significant leadership and culture perspective that was lived and time-tested over more than three decades. Herein lie the true value-add and uniquely original contribution from this study. In addition several practical and life lessons came to the fore with possible application to readers’ own situations. The... , D.Phil.
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- Authors: Fourie, Christel
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: First National Bank of Southern Africa , Performance - Management , Banks and banking - South Africa , Organizational effectiveness - Measurement
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/82418 , uj:18955
- Description: Abstract: The study explores and describes the FirstRand founders’ efforts and influence in how a business success story unfolded. The research is driven by a desire to understand what made this story. FirstRand is one of South Africa’s largest and foremost financial services groups. The group is made up of world-class companies such as Rand Merchant Bank, First National Bank and WesBank. Hallmarks of all its companies, present and past, include a track record of innovation, strong values and an ownermanager philosophy. The group’s entrepreneurial history can be traced back to 1977 and the founding partnership of GT Ferreira, Laurie Dippenaar and Paul Harris. Over several decades the founders, together with a stable management team, built the group through a series of strategic acquisitions and mergers. The research question was formulated as: What did the three founders contribute individually and collectively to FirstRand’s success? Accordingly, a qualitative mode of enquiry was adopted and a case study design applied. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the founders and key role players such as chief executives, supplemented with other data sources. Data were analysed using narrative analysis. The goal was to describe the research setting comprehensively so as to enable readers to see the case study as the writing of history. The researcher’s insights clustered into four main interpretation themes: firstly, the founders’ partnership and complementarity as a success factor, secondly, how leadership worked in the founders’ eyes, thirdly, the founder-leaders as architects of culture formation and fourthly, how the founders created the conditions for emergence. What these insights mean was explored in the section on sensemaking by drawing links to theory that offer plausible perspectives on the FirstRand story. The study’s findings are relevant in revealing theories-in-use from three of the most highly regarded business leaders. There is no similar example to be found. The study’s key contribution is of a theoretical nature. The researcher’s overall impressions point to the founders having contributed a significant leadership and culture perspective that was lived and time-tested over more than three decades. Herein lie the true value-add and uniquely original contribution from this study. In addition several practical and life lessons came to the fore with possible application to readers’ own situations. The... , D.Phil.
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Enterprise risk management as a business enabler
- Du Plessis, Julian Lesley Nebreska
- Authors: Du Plessis, Julian Lesley Nebreska
- Date: 2012-06-05
- Subjects: Enterprise risk management , Risk management , First National Bank of Southern Africa , Financial risk management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:2424 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/4884
- Description: M.Phil. , The premise of this research study was to study the phenomenon of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) in order to understand the processes and practices of risk management within First National Bank (FNB). Risk management became a favourite topic for discussion in the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). Some analysts, chief financial officers and observers have noted that risk management is to blame for the economic recession and myriad of bank failures that ensue. However, the intention of this research study was not to analyse the GFC or to devote itself entirely to defend risk management and risk managers.
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- Authors: Du Plessis, Julian Lesley Nebreska
- Date: 2012-06-05
- Subjects: Enterprise risk management , Risk management , First National Bank of Southern Africa , Financial risk management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:2424 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/4884
- Description: M.Phil. , The premise of this research study was to study the phenomenon of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) in order to understand the processes and practices of risk management within First National Bank (FNB). Risk management became a favourite topic for discussion in the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). Some analysts, chief financial officers and observers have noted that risk management is to blame for the economic recession and myriad of bank failures that ensue. However, the intention of this research study was not to analyse the GFC or to devote itself entirely to defend risk management and risk managers.
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Riding the wave of change : the transition process of FNB
- Authors: Craven, Chantell
- Date: 2012-08-15
- Subjects: Organizational change , First National Bank of Southern Africa
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:9309 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5750
- Description: M.Comm. , Riding the wave of change is a challenge that companies often take on but just as often fail in. First National Bank decided to take on such a challenge when they merged with FirstRand Ltd. Moving from a second to a third wave company was a challenge not only management faced, but all the employees of First National Bank. The wave change required changes in various aspects of the company, for example management styles, company structure and culture of the company. A performance decline was experienced during the process of restructuring. Therefore management had to ensure that employees were motivated and focused throughout the period of change. However is it possible to keep employees motivated and focused? During this process of change the atmosphere among employees was tense and stressful. How does management assure their employees that the change is beneficial for them as well as for the company? Managing the change and ensuring that it is successful is a responsibility that lies heavily on management's shoulders. How does management guarantee successful change management? The aim of this study is to examine how First National Bank and FirstRand ensured a successful third wave change.
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- Authors: Craven, Chantell
- Date: 2012-08-15
- Subjects: Organizational change , First National Bank of Southern Africa
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:9309 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5750
- Description: M.Comm. , Riding the wave of change is a challenge that companies often take on but just as often fail in. First National Bank decided to take on such a challenge when they merged with FirstRand Ltd. Moving from a second to a third wave company was a challenge not only management faced, but all the employees of First National Bank. The wave change required changes in various aspects of the company, for example management styles, company structure and culture of the company. A performance decline was experienced during the process of restructuring. Therefore management had to ensure that employees were motivated and focused throughout the period of change. However is it possible to keep employees motivated and focused? During this process of change the atmosphere among employees was tense and stressful. How does management assure their employees that the change is beneficial for them as well as for the company? Managing the change and ensuring that it is successful is a responsibility that lies heavily on management's shoulders. How does management guarantee successful change management? The aim of this study is to examine how First National Bank and FirstRand ensured a successful third wave change.
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The implementation of the balanced scorecard within a commercial bank
- Authors: De Necker, Johannes Andreas
- Date: 2011-11-24
- Subjects: First National Bank of Southern Africa , Performance measurement , Organizational effectiveness measurement
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:1742 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/4090
- Description: M.Comm.
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- Authors: De Necker, Johannes Andreas
- Date: 2011-11-24
- Subjects: First National Bank of Southern Africa , Performance measurement , Organizational effectiveness measurement
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:1742 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/4090
- Description: M.Comm.
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