An overview of change management : the identification of the critical success factors that will ensure the survival and progression of an organisation
- Authors: Robinson, Hannelize
- Date: 2012-09-10
- Subjects: Organizational change - Management , Organizational learning , Leadership , Corporate culture
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:9884 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7283
- Description: M.Comm. , The average life expectancy of a multinational corporation is somewhere between 40 and 50 years, according to Arie de Geus, author of "The Living Company: Habits for Survival in a Turbulent Business Environment" (De Geus, 1997) In fact, one-third of the companies listed on the 1970 Fortune 500 had disappeared just 13 years later, thanks to mergers, acquisitions or being broken apart. Like the single-cell amoeba, which continually changes its shape and direction based on external influences, long-lived companies are sensitive to their environment and know how to adapt and evolve to fit ever-changing conditions, (Caudron, 2000:54). While adaptability is a key contributor to corporate longevity, there are other factors that help companies live long, healthy and profitable lives. In his book, "The Living Company", Arie de Geus explores the factors that allow large companies to thrive over a long period. After studying 27 long-lived companies, he reveals that four common factors explain their success: Long-lived companies were sensitive to their environment. Whether they had built their fortunes on knowledge or natural resources, they remained in harmony with the world around them. As wars, depressions, technologies and political changes surged and ebbed, they always seemed to excel at keeping their feelers out, tuned to whatever was going on. They did this despite the fact that there was little data available, let alone the communications facilities to give them a global view of the environment. Long-lived companies were cohesive, with a strong sense of identity. No matter how widely diversified they were, their employees, and even their suppliers at times, felt they were all part of one entity. Long-lived companies were tolerant of activities, experiments and eccentricities that kept stretching their understanding of possibilities. Long-lived companies were conservative in financing. They were frugal and did not risk their capital gratuitously. They understood the meaning of money in an oldfashioned way; they knew the usefulness of having spare cash. Having money in hand gave them flexibility and independence. They could pursue options that their competitors could not. They could grasp opportunities without first having to convince third-party financiers of their attractiveness. More than anything else, managers in adaptable companies realize they can no longer conduct business the old-fashioned way. Gone are long-range plans, task-oriented job descriptions, rigid functional divisions and top-down decision-making. (Caudron, 2000: 54) Instead, in adaptable companies: Employees are given more freedom. The primary source of adaptability in organizations is the employees. For this reason, adaptable organizations treat people differently. They allow greater participation from employees and give them the freedom to decide how they will react to change. Management sets broad goals and objectives. Because executives in adaptable rganizations recognize that employees are capable of making good decisions, the executives themselves make far fewer day-to-day decisions. Executives in adaptable companies may articulate a direction for the organization, but they don't dictate what needs to be done. By setting broad goals and objectives, as opposed to determining specific tasks, these executives allow employees the room to respond to an opportunity in a way that makes the best sense for that opportunity at that time. The trick with setting broad goals instead of defining specific tasks is that executives must know how to maintain the balance between complete control and total unpredictability. Adaptable executives must learn to provide enough guidance so that people aren't floundering, but not so much guidance that employees lose their creativity and initiative. Executives regularly conduct scenario planning. Companies used to be able to plan projects five and 10 years ahead of time and then outline the specific steps needed to make those projects happen. But this is no longer possible in today's business environment.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Robinson, Hannelize
- Date: 2012-09-10
- Subjects: Organizational change - Management , Organizational learning , Leadership , Corporate culture
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:9884 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7283
- Description: M.Comm. , The average life expectancy of a multinational corporation is somewhere between 40 and 50 years, according to Arie de Geus, author of "The Living Company: Habits for Survival in a Turbulent Business Environment" (De Geus, 1997) In fact, one-third of the companies listed on the 1970 Fortune 500 had disappeared just 13 years later, thanks to mergers, acquisitions or being broken apart. Like the single-cell amoeba, which continually changes its shape and direction based on external influences, long-lived companies are sensitive to their environment and know how to adapt and evolve to fit ever-changing conditions, (Caudron, 2000:54). While adaptability is a key contributor to corporate longevity, there are other factors that help companies live long, healthy and profitable lives. In his book, "The Living Company", Arie de Geus explores the factors that allow large companies to thrive over a long period. After studying 27 long-lived companies, he reveals that four common factors explain their success: Long-lived companies were sensitive to their environment. Whether they had built their fortunes on knowledge or natural resources, they remained in harmony with the world around them. As wars, depressions, technologies and political changes surged and ebbed, they always seemed to excel at keeping their feelers out, tuned to whatever was going on. They did this despite the fact that there was little data available, let alone the communications facilities to give them a global view of the environment. Long-lived companies were cohesive, with a strong sense of identity. No matter how widely diversified they were, their employees, and even their suppliers at times, felt they were all part of one entity. Long-lived companies were tolerant of activities, experiments and eccentricities that kept stretching their understanding of possibilities. Long-lived companies were conservative in financing. They were frugal and did not risk their capital gratuitously. They understood the meaning of money in an oldfashioned way; they knew the usefulness of having spare cash. Having money in hand gave them flexibility and independence. They could pursue options that their competitors could not. They could grasp opportunities without first having to convince third-party financiers of their attractiveness. More than anything else, managers in adaptable companies realize they can no longer conduct business the old-fashioned way. Gone are long-range plans, task-oriented job descriptions, rigid functional divisions and top-down decision-making. (Caudron, 2000: 54) Instead, in adaptable companies: Employees are given more freedom. The primary source of adaptability in organizations is the employees. For this reason, adaptable organizations treat people differently. They allow greater participation from employees and give them the freedom to decide how they will react to change. Management sets broad goals and objectives. Because executives in adaptable rganizations recognize that employees are capable of making good decisions, the executives themselves make far fewer day-to-day decisions. Executives in adaptable companies may articulate a direction for the organization, but they don't dictate what needs to be done. By setting broad goals and objectives, as opposed to determining specific tasks, these executives allow employees the room to respond to an opportunity in a way that makes the best sense for that opportunity at that time. The trick with setting broad goals instead of defining specific tasks is that executives must know how to maintain the balance between complete control and total unpredictability. Adaptable executives must learn to provide enough guidance so that people aren't floundering, but not so much guidance that employees lose their creativity and initiative. Executives regularly conduct scenario planning. Companies used to be able to plan projects five and 10 years ahead of time and then outline the specific steps needed to make those projects happen. But this is no longer possible in today's business environment.
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Eliciting, sharing and shaping tacit knowing and being for strategic innovation : living theory accounts towards creating a learning and innovation process model to inform transformation practices in a 21st century university
- Authors: Jacobs, Hannelize
- Date: 2015-09-16
- Subjects: Creative ability in business , Creative thinking , Technological innovations , Organizational learning
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:14124 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/14561
- Description: D.Com. , Innovation mostly happens tacitly. Organisations do not usually explicate innovative thinking and behaviour in business processes and models. The thesis stresses the importance of seeing learning and innovation as dynamically linked processes consisting of different episodes. Innovators and innovation managers should be able to identify the unintended and intended messages in the different episodes of the learning and innovation process and decide upon the usefulness by further eliciting, sharing and shaping tacit knowing and being for innovation...
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- Authors: Jacobs, Hannelize
- Date: 2015-09-16
- Subjects: Creative ability in business , Creative thinking , Technological innovations , Organizational learning
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:14124 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/14561
- Description: D.Com. , Innovation mostly happens tacitly. Organisations do not usually explicate innovative thinking and behaviour in business processes and models. The thesis stresses the importance of seeing learning and innovation as dynamically linked processes consisting of different episodes. Innovators and innovation managers should be able to identify the unintended and intended messages in the different episodes of the learning and innovation process and decide upon the usefulness by further eliciting, sharing and shaping tacit knowing and being for innovation...
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Employee perceptions of workplace learning
- Authors: Cassiem, Ally
- Date: 2011-11-21
- Subjects: Organizational learning , Training of employees
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:1703 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/4047
- Description: M.Phil. , This study was aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of employees' perceptions of workplace learning. It furthermore represents a documentation of these perceptions in the form of this report. The essay examines perspectives on workplace learning, literature on "learning organisations", as well as the current legislative framework for workplace learning, as provided by the Skills Development Act. This report highlights aspects of the Act that are congruent with learning organisation theory. A qualitative research design was utilised for exploring the perceptions of employees for this study. The primary data collection instrument was semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted with participants in the workplace context. Thereafter, data was analysed using the constant comparative method in order to search for recurring themes and patterns. Findings which emerged from the data analysis reveal that Human Resources, which is currently an outsourced function of the organisation in question, needs to be an integral part of organisational life to coordinate and account for learning. Furthermore, a more coordinated system of knowledge management is required within the workplace in order to encourage learning, and provide information and serve as institutional memory. The third finding involves the creation of an enabling environment that will enhance learning within the workplace. The creation of a knowledge base, as well as having someone in the workplace responsible for learning, concurs with aspects of the Skills Development Act, as well as learning organisation theory.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Cassiem, Ally
- Date: 2011-11-21
- Subjects: Organizational learning , Training of employees
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:1703 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/4047
- Description: M.Phil. , This study was aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of employees' perceptions of workplace learning. It furthermore represents a documentation of these perceptions in the form of this report. The essay examines perspectives on workplace learning, literature on "learning organisations", as well as the current legislative framework for workplace learning, as provided by the Skills Development Act. This report highlights aspects of the Act that are congruent with learning organisation theory. A qualitative research design was utilised for exploring the perceptions of employees for this study. The primary data collection instrument was semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted with participants in the workplace context. Thereafter, data was analysed using the constant comparative method in order to search for recurring themes and patterns. Findings which emerged from the data analysis reveal that Human Resources, which is currently an outsourced function of the organisation in question, needs to be an integral part of organisational life to coordinate and account for learning. Furthermore, a more coordinated system of knowledge management is required within the workplace in order to encourage learning, and provide information and serve as institutional memory. The third finding involves the creation of an enabling environment that will enhance learning within the workplace. The creation of a knowledge base, as well as having someone in the workplace responsible for learning, concurs with aspects of the Skills Development Act, as well as learning organisation theory.
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Graduate identity development in the first year of work
- Authors: Dunne, Ilka N.
- Date: 2013-12-09
- Subjects: College graduates - Employment , College graduates - Life skills guides , Professional employees - Training of , Organizational learning
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7828 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8721
- Description: D.Phil. (Personal and Professional Leadership) , For most graduates, entry into the working world is the start of everything they have aimed for through school and university. (Holden & Hamblett, 2007). They arrive with an intense desire to prove themselves, along with often unrealistic expectations of what the organisation will deliver. The organisation, driven by deadlines, profits, and promises to shareholders, has its own aims, and all this is situated “in a time of vast changes – changes so epochal that they may dwarf those experiences in earlier eras… changes that call for new educational forms and processes.” (Gardner, 2006, p.11). Add to this South Africa’s specific issues around quality of education, historical inequalities, and culturally disparate workforces, and you have multiple reasons for why both business and graduates could “fail to achieve their real goals” (Schein, 1964, p. 68). In order to better support graduates, it is necessary to more deeply understand the nature of the graduate transition from university to the world of work. As identity is critical to the process of adapting to new professional roles, I focused on the graduate identity journey in the first year of work (Ibarra, 1999). Using constructivist grounded theory, I tracked a group of 20 graduates over a one-year period, in a graduate development programme in a financial insitiution in Johannesburg, South Africa. Comparing the data I collected to Holmes’s (2001) Claim-affirmation Model of Emergent Identity, I provide insight into the identity issues that graduates need to overcome during this first year, how these issues impact their self-esteem, personal agency, and self-efficacy, and which coping methods they choose to employ during this time. The results suggest that by providing graduates with a liminal temporary identity, the graduate identity, they are better able to manage the transition from student identity to professional identity. The temporary graduate identity allows them to play with their identity rather than work at their identity while on the graduate programme (Ibarra & Petriglieri, 2011). In order to create the temporary graduate identity it is suggested that graduate development programmes need to be reconceptualised as rites of passage, filled with ritualised activities that enable graduates to experience communitas with other graduates on the programme (Turner, 2008). Various graduate rituals are suggested to this end. Within the graduate rite of passage, graduates need to be supported in developing their interpersonal, intrapersonal and technical skills. To help graduates develop deeper insight into self and others, a graduate self development model is proposed. In order to support the development of technical skills, rotational technical skills programmes and fixed role programmes are explored. A framework is suggested for how to develop rotational programmes that maximise the pros and minimise the cons of rotational programmes. In order for the graduate programme managers to best support graduates during their time on the programme I recommend that they need to become more sensitive to the needs of the graduates, I adapt the graduate self development model and offer this as a tool for programme managers self development. This model will help graduate programme managers to begin to uncover some of their own stereotypes and unconcious biases, and more deeply develop their coaching, mentoring and supporting skills. Many of the graduate issues that arise while on the graduate programme involve graduates and managers leaping to conclusions based on faulty assumptions about each other. This often results in an impasse between graduates and their managers. I suggest that graduate programme managers take on the added role of mediator in order to point out to graduates, and their managers, how they might be misconstruing each other, therefore helping to avert some of the issues graduates experience. The findings of this study therefore have implications for graduate programme managers, and provides insight into how to better design and develop future graduate programmes.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Dunne, Ilka N.
- Date: 2013-12-09
- Subjects: College graduates - Employment , College graduates - Life skills guides , Professional employees - Training of , Organizational learning
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7828 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8721
- Description: D.Phil. (Personal and Professional Leadership) , For most graduates, entry into the working world is the start of everything they have aimed for through school and university. (Holden & Hamblett, 2007). They arrive with an intense desire to prove themselves, along with often unrealistic expectations of what the organisation will deliver. The organisation, driven by deadlines, profits, and promises to shareholders, has its own aims, and all this is situated “in a time of vast changes – changes so epochal that they may dwarf those experiences in earlier eras… changes that call for new educational forms and processes.” (Gardner, 2006, p.11). Add to this South Africa’s specific issues around quality of education, historical inequalities, and culturally disparate workforces, and you have multiple reasons for why both business and graduates could “fail to achieve their real goals” (Schein, 1964, p. 68). In order to better support graduates, it is necessary to more deeply understand the nature of the graduate transition from university to the world of work. As identity is critical to the process of adapting to new professional roles, I focused on the graduate identity journey in the first year of work (Ibarra, 1999). Using constructivist grounded theory, I tracked a group of 20 graduates over a one-year period, in a graduate development programme in a financial insitiution in Johannesburg, South Africa. Comparing the data I collected to Holmes’s (2001) Claim-affirmation Model of Emergent Identity, I provide insight into the identity issues that graduates need to overcome during this first year, how these issues impact their self-esteem, personal agency, and self-efficacy, and which coping methods they choose to employ during this time. The results suggest that by providing graduates with a liminal temporary identity, the graduate identity, they are better able to manage the transition from student identity to professional identity. The temporary graduate identity allows them to play with their identity rather than work at their identity while on the graduate programme (Ibarra & Petriglieri, 2011). In order to create the temporary graduate identity it is suggested that graduate development programmes need to be reconceptualised as rites of passage, filled with ritualised activities that enable graduates to experience communitas with other graduates on the programme (Turner, 2008). Various graduate rituals are suggested to this end. Within the graduate rite of passage, graduates need to be supported in developing their interpersonal, intrapersonal and technical skills. To help graduates develop deeper insight into self and others, a graduate self development model is proposed. In order to support the development of technical skills, rotational technical skills programmes and fixed role programmes are explored. A framework is suggested for how to develop rotational programmes that maximise the pros and minimise the cons of rotational programmes. In order for the graduate programme managers to best support graduates during their time on the programme I recommend that they need to become more sensitive to the needs of the graduates, I adapt the graduate self development model and offer this as a tool for programme managers self development. This model will help graduate programme managers to begin to uncover some of their own stereotypes and unconcious biases, and more deeply develop their coaching, mentoring and supporting skills. Many of the graduate issues that arise while on the graduate programme involve graduates and managers leaping to conclusions based on faulty assumptions about each other. This often results in an impasse between graduates and their managers. I suggest that graduate programme managers take on the added role of mediator in order to point out to graduates, and their managers, how they might be misconstruing each other, therefore helping to avert some of the issues graduates experience. The findings of this study therefore have implications for graduate programme managers, and provides insight into how to better design and develop future graduate programmes.
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Organisational change towards building a learning organisation
- Authors: Botha, Gustav Jacobus
- Date: 2008-08-15T07:55:04Z
- Subjects: Organizational learning , Organizational change
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7867 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/875
- Description: South African Technical (SAT) is an Aircraft Maintenance and Repair Organisation. SAT provides a wide range of services to its customers, ranging from minor- to major maintenance schedules. Technological advances in the global aircraft repair and maintenance industry combined with the transition to a democratic government and the resultant effects of globalisation introduced the organisation to a process of change with an impetus on efficiency and competitiveness. The focus of this study is to understand how the SAT training department could contribute to organisational change towards a learning organisation. This research articulates that only employees who are educationally, socially and mentally prepared for a changing workplace will be able to reap the benefits from global integration. It is further reasoned that the best-placed organisations in the global context will be those that are able to adapt to the learning organisation vision. People in learning organisations continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, they nurture new and expansive patterns of thinking and they continually explore learning together. This study was placed within a qualitative research paradigm. A phenomenological design presented the study with opportunities to analyse, interpret, and describe the perceptions, feelings and experiences of the participants. Eight semi-structured individual interviews provided data for the purposes of this study. The data was analysed to identify categories, themes and sub-themes. The five main themes discussed were organisational learning, organisational culture, organisational change, globalisation and knowledge management. They were linked to the theory of learning organisations and were based on the findings of the data. , Dr. K. Steenekamp Prof. K.C. Moloi
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- Authors: Botha, Gustav Jacobus
- Date: 2008-08-15T07:55:04Z
- Subjects: Organizational learning , Organizational change
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7867 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/875
- Description: South African Technical (SAT) is an Aircraft Maintenance and Repair Organisation. SAT provides a wide range of services to its customers, ranging from minor- to major maintenance schedules. Technological advances in the global aircraft repair and maintenance industry combined with the transition to a democratic government and the resultant effects of globalisation introduced the organisation to a process of change with an impetus on efficiency and competitiveness. The focus of this study is to understand how the SAT training department could contribute to organisational change towards a learning organisation. This research articulates that only employees who are educationally, socially and mentally prepared for a changing workplace will be able to reap the benefits from global integration. It is further reasoned that the best-placed organisations in the global context will be those that are able to adapt to the learning organisation vision. People in learning organisations continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, they nurture new and expansive patterns of thinking and they continually explore learning together. This study was placed within a qualitative research paradigm. A phenomenological design presented the study with opportunities to analyse, interpret, and describe the perceptions, feelings and experiences of the participants. Eight semi-structured individual interviews provided data for the purposes of this study. The data was analysed to identify categories, themes and sub-themes. The five main themes discussed were organisational learning, organisational culture, organisational change, globalisation and knowledge management. They were linked to the theory of learning organisations and were based on the findings of the data. , Dr. K. Steenekamp Prof. K.C. Moloi
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Organisational factors affecting learning transfer in the public service
- Raliphada, Nditsheni Jennifer
- Authors: Raliphada, Nditsheni Jennifer
- Date: 2013-11-25
- Subjects: Continuing education , Organizational learning , Personnel management - Study and teaching
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7787 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8681
- Description: M.Phil. (Human Resources Management) , The objective of this study was to identify and describe organisational factors that affect learning transfer in the South African Public Service. The study was conducted utilising a mixed method approach with both qualitative and quantitative methods enjoying equal status and implemented concurrently. 5 participants (Managers) from the department were interviewed using semi structured interview methodology as part of the qualitative methods and the findings were interpreted using the thematic content analysis technique and various themes were identified. It was found that factors that affect learning transfer include resource availability, supervisor role, mentorship and coaching, non-alignment of training goals with organisational goals, poor organisational planning and weak controls, management and leadership change, resistance to change and organisational culture. The above factors confirmed that there was a link between organisational context and transfer of learning, this being one of the questions that the study sought to respond to. A survey questionnaire was distributed to 150 respondents and 90 questionnaires were received back, this constituted a 60% response rate. The data from the questionnaires was interpreted using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Factors that were identified as affecting learning transfer include opportunity to practice, positional power and peer support, resource availability, performance culture, management support, feedback and reward and organisational monitoring mechanisms. The findings from the two methods were integrated and corroborated each other which strengthened the value add of utilising mixed method approach. A description of the organisational factors affecting learning transfer was provided in addition to them being identified. The study proposed that governmental institutions like Palama conduct a large scale research throughout the public service utilising a mixed method approach as part of impact analysis, this study will provide the basis on which to initiate the project.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Raliphada, Nditsheni Jennifer
- Date: 2013-11-25
- Subjects: Continuing education , Organizational learning , Personnel management - Study and teaching
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7787 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8681
- Description: M.Phil. (Human Resources Management) , The objective of this study was to identify and describe organisational factors that affect learning transfer in the South African Public Service. The study was conducted utilising a mixed method approach with both qualitative and quantitative methods enjoying equal status and implemented concurrently. 5 participants (Managers) from the department were interviewed using semi structured interview methodology as part of the qualitative methods and the findings were interpreted using the thematic content analysis technique and various themes were identified. It was found that factors that affect learning transfer include resource availability, supervisor role, mentorship and coaching, non-alignment of training goals with organisational goals, poor organisational planning and weak controls, management and leadership change, resistance to change and organisational culture. The above factors confirmed that there was a link between organisational context and transfer of learning, this being one of the questions that the study sought to respond to. A survey questionnaire was distributed to 150 respondents and 90 questionnaires were received back, this constituted a 60% response rate. The data from the questionnaires was interpreted using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Factors that were identified as affecting learning transfer include opportunity to practice, positional power and peer support, resource availability, performance culture, management support, feedback and reward and organisational monitoring mechanisms. The findings from the two methods were integrated and corroborated each other which strengthened the value add of utilising mixed method approach. A description of the organisational factors affecting learning transfer was provided in addition to them being identified. The study proposed that governmental institutions like Palama conduct a large scale research throughout the public service utilising a mixed method approach as part of impact analysis, this study will provide the basis on which to initiate the project.
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Principles of building a learning organisation in the public sector
- Ngqulana, Arthur Junior Vuyisile
- Authors: Ngqulana, Arthur Junior Vuyisile
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Executives - Training of , Employee empowerment , Knowledge management , Organizational learning
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/225864 , uj:22822
- Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , Abstract: The development and building of learning organisation principles have become the cornerstone and focus of many leading organisation both in public and private sector. Senge (2006) states that a learning organisation as a place where people continually expand their capacity to create results they truly desire where new exposure patterns of thinking are outward, where collective aspirations are part of the organisation drive to success. Senge (2012) explains that the five principles of a learning organisation as systems thinking, personal mystery, shared vision, mental models and team learning which drive the organisation to a future focus in dealing with organisational challenges both internally and externally. This demonstrated that organisations in the public sector to be able to deliver on strategy and sustainability these principles serve as a foundation for long term success. The first two principles of systems thinking and shared vision evolve around the overall organisation strategic themes and direction. Driven by leadership across the overall organisation by facilitating decisions and alignment based on building a learning organisation. The learning organisation principles create the basis for the organisation strategic deliverables. The other three principles of personal mystery, mental models and team learning focus on the individuals and groups within an organisation which ensure the execution of the strategy, management of changes and most critically facilitating learning in the organisation across individual and teams. The qualitative study was conducted at SARS which is one of the public sector organisations in South Africa. Two hundred people who participated in the study who are in management roles. A questionnaire was used as means of collecting data. The researcher applied and used the principles of content analysis to analyse for patterns and trends by looking at each question’s response based on questionnaire. Descriptive statistics was also used in the study by the researcher to highlight themes based on the data collected.
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- Authors: Ngqulana, Arthur Junior Vuyisile
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Executives - Training of , Employee empowerment , Knowledge management , Organizational learning
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/225864 , uj:22822
- Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , Abstract: The development and building of learning organisation principles have become the cornerstone and focus of many leading organisation both in public and private sector. Senge (2006) states that a learning organisation as a place where people continually expand their capacity to create results they truly desire where new exposure patterns of thinking are outward, where collective aspirations are part of the organisation drive to success. Senge (2012) explains that the five principles of a learning organisation as systems thinking, personal mystery, shared vision, mental models and team learning which drive the organisation to a future focus in dealing with organisational challenges both internally and externally. This demonstrated that organisations in the public sector to be able to deliver on strategy and sustainability these principles serve as a foundation for long term success. The first two principles of systems thinking and shared vision evolve around the overall organisation strategic themes and direction. Driven by leadership across the overall organisation by facilitating decisions and alignment based on building a learning organisation. The learning organisation principles create the basis for the organisation strategic deliverables. The other three principles of personal mystery, mental models and team learning focus on the individuals and groups within an organisation which ensure the execution of the strategy, management of changes and most critically facilitating learning in the organisation across individual and teams. The qualitative study was conducted at SARS which is one of the public sector organisations in South Africa. Two hundred people who participated in the study who are in management roles. A questionnaire was used as means of collecting data. The researcher applied and used the principles of content analysis to analyse for patterns and trends by looking at each question’s response based on questionnaire. Descriptive statistics was also used in the study by the researcher to highlight themes based on the data collected.
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Strategic organisational transformation: the role of learning, leadership and culture
- Authors: Viljoen, Karen
- Date: 2012-08-28
- Subjects: Organizational change , Organizational learning , Strategic planning , Leadership , Corporate culture
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/385716 , uj:3333 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/6734
- Description: M. Comm. , South Africa finds itself in the midst of a turbulent environment. Organisations are seeking ways and methods to achieve better results for its stakeholders by being more competitive through for example addressing customer needs. Furthermore, organisations are focusing on adapting to the changing economic and social environment. Suddenly, after many years where the political dispensation only provided protection and benefits to certain groups, organisations now have to comply with the requirements of new legislation such as the Labour Relations Act, the Basic Condition of Employment Act, the Skills Development Act and the Employment Equity Act. Although the influence of these Acts are not under the discussion their existence do have an impact on the way South African organisations do business. Words and phrases such as empowerment, transparency and equal opportunity have quickly and almost unnoticeably become part of the South African vocabulary. Furthermore, South Africa has now also become part of the global arena. Its global competitiveness therefore might be the single most important factor in ensuring South Africa's survival. Information technology has opened up a world of e-commerce and a large number of foreign companies have now moved their focus to the so-called emerging markets of which South Africa is one, bringing along more companies to compete with in the limited local market. Organisations in South Africa therefore have to empower themselves in adapting to the new challenges and the changing environment. Possibly the best way will be to gear itself for continuous change. However, South Africa's top management teams will have to take cognisance of factors that will ensure successful strategic organisational transformation. Here, the role of leadership, learning and culture will proof significant to enable strategic organisational transformation in the South African organisation. With this study it is hoped that some findings will assist organisations faced with the reality of change, to understand the important determinants in organisational change.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Viljoen, Karen
- Date: 2012-08-28
- Subjects: Organizational change , Organizational learning , Strategic planning , Leadership , Corporate culture
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/385716 , uj:3333 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/6734
- Description: M. Comm. , South Africa finds itself in the midst of a turbulent environment. Organisations are seeking ways and methods to achieve better results for its stakeholders by being more competitive through for example addressing customer needs. Furthermore, organisations are focusing on adapting to the changing economic and social environment. Suddenly, after many years where the political dispensation only provided protection and benefits to certain groups, organisations now have to comply with the requirements of new legislation such as the Labour Relations Act, the Basic Condition of Employment Act, the Skills Development Act and the Employment Equity Act. Although the influence of these Acts are not under the discussion their existence do have an impact on the way South African organisations do business. Words and phrases such as empowerment, transparency and equal opportunity have quickly and almost unnoticeably become part of the South African vocabulary. Furthermore, South Africa has now also become part of the global arena. Its global competitiveness therefore might be the single most important factor in ensuring South Africa's survival. Information technology has opened up a world of e-commerce and a large number of foreign companies have now moved their focus to the so-called emerging markets of which South Africa is one, bringing along more companies to compete with in the limited local market. Organisations in South Africa therefore have to empower themselves in adapting to the new challenges and the changing environment. Possibly the best way will be to gear itself for continuous change. However, South Africa's top management teams will have to take cognisance of factors that will ensure successful strategic organisational transformation. Here, the role of leadership, learning and culture will proof significant to enable strategic organisational transformation in the South African organisation. With this study it is hoped that some findings will assist organisations faced with the reality of change, to understand the important determinants in organisational change.
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The effect of knowledge sharing on employee engagement
- Authors: Naicker, Thilgavathie
- Date: 2013-12-09
- Subjects: Knowledge management , Organizational learning , Personnel management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7864 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8757
- Description: M.Comm. (Human Resources Management) , The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of knowledge sharing as an intervention geared toward improving employee engagement. In the process of pursuing this purpose, literature on employee engagement and knowledge sharing was reviewed. The literature reviews culminated in the development of operational models for both employee engagement and knowledge sharing and an illustration of the link between these two multi-dimensional constructs. The employee engagement research instrument consisting of a 12-item questionnaire and a 5-point Likert scale was developed in line with theoretical requirements. The research was located within an undisclosed provincial government department in Gauteng, South Africa. This was done to ensure the confidentiality of the participants and the specific government department concerned as disclosure could possibly compromise the political sensitivity of the activities of the department. A sample of one-hundred 100 employees was selected from an available population of 189. The research consisted of three phases; a baseline survey, which sought to establish the existing level of employee engagement, an intervention phase, conducted over a three day period consisting of eight knowledge sharing interventions, and a post-assessment phase, which endeavoured to establish if any differences to the level of engagement would be evident, when compared to the pre-assessment state of engagement. The study found no significant difference between the pre and post test scores of the experimental group and concluded that knowledge sharing does not have a significant impact on increasing the level of employee engagement. It further concluded that despite not being significant that the greatest impact was evident in the cognitive dimension of employee engagement. This study goes on to recommend that further longitudinal intervention research studies are needed to establish the impact of the different motivators that drive fluctuations in the level of employee engagement. The study also recommended that a theoretically reliable instrument be developed, which targets all dimensions of employee engagement (the physical, emotional and cognitive components). The instrument will allow for the establishment of existing levels of employee engagement and an indication of areas of improvement to ensure targeted interventions are conceived.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Naicker, Thilgavathie
- Date: 2013-12-09
- Subjects: Knowledge management , Organizational learning , Personnel management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7864 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8757
- Description: M.Comm. (Human Resources Management) , The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of knowledge sharing as an intervention geared toward improving employee engagement. In the process of pursuing this purpose, literature on employee engagement and knowledge sharing was reviewed. The literature reviews culminated in the development of operational models for both employee engagement and knowledge sharing and an illustration of the link between these two multi-dimensional constructs. The employee engagement research instrument consisting of a 12-item questionnaire and a 5-point Likert scale was developed in line with theoretical requirements. The research was located within an undisclosed provincial government department in Gauteng, South Africa. This was done to ensure the confidentiality of the participants and the specific government department concerned as disclosure could possibly compromise the political sensitivity of the activities of the department. A sample of one-hundred 100 employees was selected from an available population of 189. The research consisted of three phases; a baseline survey, which sought to establish the existing level of employee engagement, an intervention phase, conducted over a three day period consisting of eight knowledge sharing interventions, and a post-assessment phase, which endeavoured to establish if any differences to the level of engagement would be evident, when compared to the pre-assessment state of engagement. The study found no significant difference between the pre and post test scores of the experimental group and concluded that knowledge sharing does not have a significant impact on increasing the level of employee engagement. It further concluded that despite not being significant that the greatest impact was evident in the cognitive dimension of employee engagement. This study goes on to recommend that further longitudinal intervention research studies are needed to establish the impact of the different motivators that drive fluctuations in the level of employee engagement. The study also recommended that a theoretically reliable instrument be developed, which targets all dimensions of employee engagement (the physical, emotional and cognitive components). The instrument will allow for the establishment of existing levels of employee engagement and an indication of areas of improvement to ensure targeted interventions are conceived.
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The identification of characteristics and learning capabilities of a professional South African services organisation to sustain competitive advantage in the global market
- Authors: Watson, Bronwen
- Date: 2010-10-04T08:44:53Z
- Subjects: Deloitte (South Africa) , Organizational change , Organizational learning , Training of employees
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:6921 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3431
- Description: M.Comm. , The general purpose of this study is to determine whether a professional South Africa services organisation has in general adapted to the principles of the fifth discipline as identified by Peter Senge. An empirical study was conducted to determine to what extent the organisation is implementing each of the five learning organisation disciplines, namely: (i) personal mastery, (ii) mental models, (iii) shared vision, (iv) team learning and (v) system thinking. A non-probability sampling design method was chosen to determine the research group of which 242 individuals from the chosen organisation responded. The statistical procedures utilised in the data analyses included the analysis of frequencies, reliabilities, significance, correlations as well as a factor analysis. The research indicated that the chosen organisation has to a large extent adapted to the first three principles of a learning organisation. The fourth discipline was moderately to a large extent implemented while the fifth discipline was in a small to moderate extent implemented. The organisation can therefore not be classified as a learning organisation. This research group was selective and is not representative of other professional services organisations. It is therefore not possible to generalize the findings of this study. Recommendations made to the organisation included: ensuring continuous employee learning opportunities; ensuring a culture where learning is encouraged and embraced; performance review practices to ensure goal setting; as well as measuring of progress towards goals and implement knowledge management databases to ensure data, information and knowledge are stored for future reference. Management should furthermore encourage employees to participate in worthwhile dialogue and discussions to ensure optimal learning. Continuous feedback need to be established in order to ensure further team learning and to enhance system thinking.
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- Authors: Watson, Bronwen
- Date: 2010-10-04T08:44:53Z
- Subjects: Deloitte (South Africa) , Organizational change , Organizational learning , Training of employees
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:6921 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3431
- Description: M.Comm. , The general purpose of this study is to determine whether a professional South Africa services organisation has in general adapted to the principles of the fifth discipline as identified by Peter Senge. An empirical study was conducted to determine to what extent the organisation is implementing each of the five learning organisation disciplines, namely: (i) personal mastery, (ii) mental models, (iii) shared vision, (iv) team learning and (v) system thinking. A non-probability sampling design method was chosen to determine the research group of which 242 individuals from the chosen organisation responded. The statistical procedures utilised in the data analyses included the analysis of frequencies, reliabilities, significance, correlations as well as a factor analysis. The research indicated that the chosen organisation has to a large extent adapted to the first three principles of a learning organisation. The fourth discipline was moderately to a large extent implemented while the fifth discipline was in a small to moderate extent implemented. The organisation can therefore not be classified as a learning organisation. This research group was selective and is not representative of other professional services organisations. It is therefore not possible to generalize the findings of this study. Recommendations made to the organisation included: ensuring continuous employee learning opportunities; ensuring a culture where learning is encouraged and embraced; performance review practices to ensure goal setting; as well as measuring of progress towards goals and implement knowledge management databases to ensure data, information and knowledge are stored for future reference. Management should furthermore encourage employees to participate in worthwhile dialogue and discussions to ensure optimal learning. Continuous feedback need to be established in order to ensure further team learning and to enhance system thinking.
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The implementation of knowledge cafés as a technique for knowledge sharing
- Authors: Lefika, Pheladi Tracy
- Date: 2013-07-18
- Subjects: Knowledge management , Knowledge sharing , Knowledge cafés , Organizational learning
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7647 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8517
- Description: M.Phil. (Information Management) , Given the current knowledge economy, knowledge sharing has become a vital process in contributing to the success of any given organisation, whether academic or industry related. It is therefore essential for organisations to be aware of and to understand the various knowledge sharing techniques that exist. Consequently it is also relevant to acknowledge the potential contribution that knowledge sharing can make between peers, for educational purposes. An in-depth literature review was conducted which focused on knowledge sharing, and the various concepts associated with knowledge sharing. A sequential mixed-methods research methodology was followed in order to contribute to the lack of literature pertaining specifically to knowledge cafés. A qualitative Delphi study was conducted to document the guidelines, criteria and potential contribution of knowledge cafés as a knowledge sharing application. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the application of knowledge cafés as a technique for knowledge sharing. The quantitative component of the mixed-methods research was initiated by implementing three knowledge cafés using univariate quantitative data analysis on structured questionnaires to measure participant’s views towards knowledge cafés as a knowledge sharing technique. Essentially this study firstly gathered and documented information on knowledge cafés as a knowledge sharing technique and recommended that knowledge cafés can be used effectively as a technique for knowledge sharing, when appropriate criteria and guidelines are applied.
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- Authors: Lefika, Pheladi Tracy
- Date: 2013-07-18
- Subjects: Knowledge management , Knowledge sharing , Knowledge cafés , Organizational learning
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7647 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8517
- Description: M.Phil. (Information Management) , Given the current knowledge economy, knowledge sharing has become a vital process in contributing to the success of any given organisation, whether academic or industry related. It is therefore essential for organisations to be aware of and to understand the various knowledge sharing techniques that exist. Consequently it is also relevant to acknowledge the potential contribution that knowledge sharing can make between peers, for educational purposes. An in-depth literature review was conducted which focused on knowledge sharing, and the various concepts associated with knowledge sharing. A sequential mixed-methods research methodology was followed in order to contribute to the lack of literature pertaining specifically to knowledge cafés. A qualitative Delphi study was conducted to document the guidelines, criteria and potential contribution of knowledge cafés as a knowledge sharing application. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the application of knowledge cafés as a technique for knowledge sharing. The quantitative component of the mixed-methods research was initiated by implementing three knowledge cafés using univariate quantitative data analysis on structured questionnaires to measure participant’s views towards knowledge cafés as a knowledge sharing technique. Essentially this study firstly gathered and documented information on knowledge cafés as a knowledge sharing technique and recommended that knowledge cafés can be used effectively as a technique for knowledge sharing, when appropriate criteria and guidelines are applied.
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The learning organisation : a literature synthesis to show the link between learning and performance
- Authors: Loedolff, Dané
- Date: 2012-01-25
- Subjects: Organizational change management , Organizational learning
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:1955 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/4313
- Description: M.Comm. , The world is changing. That is the one thing that managers can be sure of Business oftoday will not be the same the next day. Amidst these changes, organisations struggle to survive. Many of them will not see the tomorrows. Many have failed, and the ever-increasing unemployment rates and crime rates in South Africa are the sad testimony to this fact. Managing change is not an easy task. It is complex, and managers need to consider many things at the same time. It is however critical. Some managers confess that they do not know what to do or how to manage change. There is a need for a management idea consistent with human nature that will help organisations face change and adapt to the turbulent business world in order to maintain their competitive advantage and survive into the 21st century. Learning and the capacity to manage change are directly related. Could learning be the one strategy that will help organisations to stay competitive and to survive? This study shows that learning and performance of organisations are related and finds a management idea to apply learning in an organisation that will achieve the desired effect on the organisation's performance. Learning is a natural human activity that cannot take place without action or without experiencing the results of action. Empirical evidence in literature shows the established link between learning and performance. A variety of definitions for the concept of a learning organisation appear in academic and business writings. Writers define the concept of a learning organisation at different levels. From merely defining a learning organisation as the sum of the learning of its members, or defining a learning organisation as an organisation that focuses on improving its processes, products and services, to defining a learning organisation as an organisation able to create what it desires.~ ..... Senge' s learning organisation is then described. What Senge calls the fifth discipline is at the heart of the idea of the learning organisation. The fifth discipline is systems thinking, 4 which is described as a discipline for seeing wholes. The other four core disciplines of building a learning organisation are personal mastery, mental models, shared vision and team learning. Managers often want to know if their organisations could be classified as learning organisations. They also want to know what they must do to tum their organisations into learning organisations and what they must avoid in the process. Chapter 4 states research that developed a model for determining to what extent an organisation is a learning organisation. It is concluded that all organisations could be classified as a learning organisation to some extent. There are things that an organisation can do to become more of a learning organisation, or to become a Learning Organisation with capital letters, the five discipline variety. They are discussed in Chapter 4. In the conclusion of this study a few areas that could benefit from further research are identified. The lack of comprehensive empirical research confirming the relationship between learning and improved performance, the opportunity for developing a measuring instrument that could measure learning and the performance of learning organisations, to clearly define learning and the learning organisation, and the possibility of a structured development tool to help organisations become learning organisations.
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The learning organisation : a literature synthesis to show the link between learning and performance
- Authors: Loedolff, Dané
- Date: 2012-01-25
- Subjects: Organizational change management , Organizational learning
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:1955 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/4313
- Description: M.Comm. , The world is changing. That is the one thing that managers can be sure of Business oftoday will not be the same the next day. Amidst these changes, organisations struggle to survive. Many of them will not see the tomorrows. Many have failed, and the ever-increasing unemployment rates and crime rates in South Africa are the sad testimony to this fact. Managing change is not an easy task. It is complex, and managers need to consider many things at the same time. It is however critical. Some managers confess that they do not know what to do or how to manage change. There is a need for a management idea consistent with human nature that will help organisations face change and adapt to the turbulent business world in order to maintain their competitive advantage and survive into the 21st century. Learning and the capacity to manage change are directly related. Could learning be the one strategy that will help organisations to stay competitive and to survive? This study shows that learning and performance of organisations are related and finds a management idea to apply learning in an organisation that will achieve the desired effect on the organisation's performance. Learning is a natural human activity that cannot take place without action or without experiencing the results of action. Empirical evidence in literature shows the established link between learning and performance. A variety of definitions for the concept of a learning organisation appear in academic and business writings. Writers define the concept of a learning organisation at different levels. From merely defining a learning organisation as the sum of the learning of its members, or defining a learning organisation as an organisation that focuses on improving its processes, products and services, to defining a learning organisation as an organisation able to create what it desires.~ ..... Senge' s learning organisation is then described. What Senge calls the fifth discipline is at the heart of the idea of the learning organisation. The fifth discipline is systems thinking, 4 which is described as a discipline for seeing wholes. The other four core disciplines of building a learning organisation are personal mastery, mental models, shared vision and team learning. Managers often want to know if their organisations could be classified as learning organisations. They also want to know what they must do to tum their organisations into learning organisations and what they must avoid in the process. Chapter 4 states research that developed a model for determining to what extent an organisation is a learning organisation. It is concluded that all organisations could be classified as a learning organisation to some extent. There are things that an organisation can do to become more of a learning organisation, or to become a Learning Organisation with capital letters, the five discipline variety. They are discussed in Chapter 4. In the conclusion of this study a few areas that could benefit from further research are identified. The lack of comprehensive empirical research confirming the relationship between learning and improved performance, the opportunity for developing a measuring instrument that could measure learning and the performance of learning organisations, to clearly define learning and the learning organisation, and the possibility of a structured development tool to help organisations become learning organisations.
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The role of the learning organisation paradigm in improving intellectual capital
- Authors: Pienaar, Jaco Johannes
- Date: 2009-04-30T09:26:08Z
- Subjects: Intellectual capital , Knowledge management , Organizational learning , Horse racing (South Africa)
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:8331 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/2458
- Description: M.A. , The purpose of this thesis is to determine to what extent intellectual capital is recognised and developed in the South African horseracing industry. A significant motivation for this study is that, despite the importance of intellectual capital in today’s market environment, no such study has been done in this specific industry. Because of the scope and nature of the horseracing industry, such a study is crucial. The study is divided into a literature review, where theoretical groundwork is discussed, and an empirical study, where the theory is practically applied within the South African horseracing industry context. The industry can be defined as an oligopoly, with Phumelela and Gold Circle as the key organisations. Therefore, Phumelela and Gold Circle’s intellectual capital recognition and development is examined in depth and compared with each other. Other industry role players and factors, such as betting types and racecourses, are also discussed, as it provides an overview essential to the study. The literature review is divided into three sections – intellectual capital, knowledge sharing, and the learning organisation. Intellectual capital is the main focus of the study, with knowledge sharing and the learning organisation seen as key intellectual capital development methods. Intellectual capital is defined according to three categories – human, structural, and relational capital. Intellectual capital’s organisational importance and measurement are also discussed. Knowledge, knowledge sharing, and knowledge sharing methods (formal and informal) are described and placed within organisational and intellectual capital frameworks. The overall importance of knowledge sharing, in addition to its importance to intellectual capital, is discussed. The learning organisation is an essential paradigm in the knowledge economy and refers to an organisational and individual mindset for knowledge improvement, goal achievement, and development. It is defined and discussed in an intellectual capital context. The learning organisation’s importance to the development of intellectual capital, knowledge sharing, and the organisation as a whole, is explained. The qualitative empirical study is conducted primarily by examining the annual reports and financial statements of Gold Circle and Phumelela. Specific structured interviews with key industry role players are also referred to and comparisons of the aforementioned organisations are given. Summaries of findings are presented and recommendations are made to assist in the industry’s task of managing and developing intellectual capital. Areas of future research are also referred to, which include studying intellectual capital on a global horseracing scale as well as the role that knowledge development plays in the international competitiveness of the horseracing industry. The South African horseracing industry is complex and vast, requiring the development of intellectual capital and other intangible assets to compete strongly globally. This thesis shows that this is not done to its full extent as yet and there is still a long way to go for the national industry to realise its full potential.
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- Authors: Pienaar, Jaco Johannes
- Date: 2009-04-30T09:26:08Z
- Subjects: Intellectual capital , Knowledge management , Organizational learning , Horse racing (South Africa)
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:8331 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/2458
- Description: M.A. , The purpose of this thesis is to determine to what extent intellectual capital is recognised and developed in the South African horseracing industry. A significant motivation for this study is that, despite the importance of intellectual capital in today’s market environment, no such study has been done in this specific industry. Because of the scope and nature of the horseracing industry, such a study is crucial. The study is divided into a literature review, where theoretical groundwork is discussed, and an empirical study, where the theory is practically applied within the South African horseracing industry context. The industry can be defined as an oligopoly, with Phumelela and Gold Circle as the key organisations. Therefore, Phumelela and Gold Circle’s intellectual capital recognition and development is examined in depth and compared with each other. Other industry role players and factors, such as betting types and racecourses, are also discussed, as it provides an overview essential to the study. The literature review is divided into three sections – intellectual capital, knowledge sharing, and the learning organisation. Intellectual capital is the main focus of the study, with knowledge sharing and the learning organisation seen as key intellectual capital development methods. Intellectual capital is defined according to three categories – human, structural, and relational capital. Intellectual capital’s organisational importance and measurement are also discussed. Knowledge, knowledge sharing, and knowledge sharing methods (formal and informal) are described and placed within organisational and intellectual capital frameworks. The overall importance of knowledge sharing, in addition to its importance to intellectual capital, is discussed. The learning organisation is an essential paradigm in the knowledge economy and refers to an organisational and individual mindset for knowledge improvement, goal achievement, and development. It is defined and discussed in an intellectual capital context. The learning organisation’s importance to the development of intellectual capital, knowledge sharing, and the organisation as a whole, is explained. The qualitative empirical study is conducted primarily by examining the annual reports and financial statements of Gold Circle and Phumelela. Specific structured interviews with key industry role players are also referred to and comparisons of the aforementioned organisations are given. Summaries of findings are presented and recommendations are made to assist in the industry’s task of managing and developing intellectual capital. Areas of future research are also referred to, which include studying intellectual capital on a global horseracing scale as well as the role that knowledge development plays in the international competitiveness of the horseracing industry. The South African horseracing industry is complex and vast, requiring the development of intellectual capital and other intangible assets to compete strongly globally. This thesis shows that this is not done to its full extent as yet and there is still a long way to go for the national industry to realise its full potential.
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The role of workplace learning in transforming identities of human resources practitioners
- Authors: Arotiba, Adeola Abisola
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Organizational learning , Personnel management
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/271618 , uj:28892
- Description: M.Com. (Human Resource Management) , Abstract: Orientation. This study unravels the role of workplace learning in transforming work identities of human resource practitioners. Research Purpose. The objectives of this dissertation were: ✓ To understand how HR practitioners define themselves in relation to their roles. ✓ To explore how individual, social, organisational and other workplace learning experiences of HR practitioners assist them in fulfilling their roles. ✓ To describe how workplace learning experiences of HR practitioners help them in transforming and expressing their work identities. Motivation for the study: My motive is to know if there are opportunities in what HR professionals learn in developing their work identities; and how what they learn shape who they are, and how they define themselves at work. Research Design, approach and method: I adopted a qualitative approach by capturing the life histories of two female human resource professionals from different organisations. They provided their stories on how workplace learning transforms their work identities through semi- structured interviews, as well as by keeping a research diary. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. Main findings. Both HR practitioners viewed themselves as decision makers, employers as well as human capital developer. They saw themselves as skilful, focused and critical to the business. Their workplace learning experiences, developed and prepared them for higher positions, helped them to make...
- Full Text:
- Authors: Arotiba, Adeola Abisola
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Organizational learning , Personnel management
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/271618 , uj:28892
- Description: M.Com. (Human Resource Management) , Abstract: Orientation. This study unravels the role of workplace learning in transforming work identities of human resource practitioners. Research Purpose. The objectives of this dissertation were: ✓ To understand how HR practitioners define themselves in relation to their roles. ✓ To explore how individual, social, organisational and other workplace learning experiences of HR practitioners assist them in fulfilling their roles. ✓ To describe how workplace learning experiences of HR practitioners help them in transforming and expressing their work identities. Motivation for the study: My motive is to know if there are opportunities in what HR professionals learn in developing their work identities; and how what they learn shape who they are, and how they define themselves at work. Research Design, approach and method: I adopted a qualitative approach by capturing the life histories of two female human resource professionals from different organisations. They provided their stories on how workplace learning transforms their work identities through semi- structured interviews, as well as by keeping a research diary. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. Main findings. Both HR practitioners viewed themselves as decision makers, employers as well as human capital developer. They saw themselves as skilful, focused and critical to the business. Their workplace learning experiences, developed and prepared them for higher positions, helped them to make...
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Transforming the school into a learning organisation : challenges for school principals and educators
- Authors: Moloi, Kholeka Constance
- Date: 2012-08-23
- Subjects: School management and organization , School principals , Educational change , School improvement programs , Organizational learning
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:3103 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/6520
- Description: D.Ed. , One of the central themes that permeate the concept of learning organisations is its focus on individual and collective learning. Learning organisations are characterised as organisations that are capable of creating learning cultures, where acquisition of skill and knowledge is seen as an investment in tomorrow. Individual learning is promoted at personal, interpersonal and professional levels. Collective learning is promoted through conversation, inquiry and relationship building on collaborative cultures. This research focuses on how school principals and educators can transform their schools into learning organisations. This research concentrated on Black schools due to the enormous problems that exist in these schools. Use was made of a two-phase methodology namely the quantitative and the qualitative methods to elicit the perceptions of educators with regard to the school as a learning organisation. In relation to the quantitative method, a structured questionnaire consisting of 88 items was administered to 100 educators, with a return of 74,3%. After two successive factor analyses of the responses the 88 items were reduced to two factors only, namely: a collaborative culture consisting of 74 items, with a Cronbach-alpha reliability coefficient of 0,971; and educator commitment consisting of 13 items with a Cronbach-alpha reliability coefficient of 0,749. The two factors, namely collaborative culture and educator commitment were then used as parameters for the qualitative individual and focus group interviews. Thus the merging of the two traditional methodologies, namely the qualitative and quantitative paradigms, enriched the research. The researcher used one individual interview and two focus group interviews to elicit the opinions of educators concerning the concepts collaborative culture and educator commitment. The responses of the participants were coded and analysed. Eight themes emerged from the analysis namely: personal mastery; mental models; shared vision; team learning; systems thinking; reflection; dialogue; and leadership/management (iv) Categories related to these themes were also identified. The direct quotes of the respondents were transcribed and these together with the themes and categories were discussed in relation to relevant research literature. The results of the data analysis showed that the learning organisation is built around collaborative cultures and educator commitment. There was congruence between the literature review, the structured questionnaire and the individual and focus group interviews in that the themes that make up a learning organisation were personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, team learning, systems thinking, reflection/inquiry, dialogue and leadership/management. The recommendations that are provided in this research are based on the eight themes identified in the individual and focus group interviews, on the findings from the literature review as well as from the findings from the structured questionnaire. Although eight themes were identified these themes are closely related and interactive. The research was concluded with a chapter on the findings, results and recommendations, as well as possible areas that needed further investigation.
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- Authors: Moloi, Kholeka Constance
- Date: 2012-08-23
- Subjects: School management and organization , School principals , Educational change , School improvement programs , Organizational learning
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:3103 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/6520
- Description: D.Ed. , One of the central themes that permeate the concept of learning organisations is its focus on individual and collective learning. Learning organisations are characterised as organisations that are capable of creating learning cultures, where acquisition of skill and knowledge is seen as an investment in tomorrow. Individual learning is promoted at personal, interpersonal and professional levels. Collective learning is promoted through conversation, inquiry and relationship building on collaborative cultures. This research focuses on how school principals and educators can transform their schools into learning organisations. This research concentrated on Black schools due to the enormous problems that exist in these schools. Use was made of a two-phase methodology namely the quantitative and the qualitative methods to elicit the perceptions of educators with regard to the school as a learning organisation. In relation to the quantitative method, a structured questionnaire consisting of 88 items was administered to 100 educators, with a return of 74,3%. After two successive factor analyses of the responses the 88 items were reduced to two factors only, namely: a collaborative culture consisting of 74 items, with a Cronbach-alpha reliability coefficient of 0,971; and educator commitment consisting of 13 items with a Cronbach-alpha reliability coefficient of 0,749. The two factors, namely collaborative culture and educator commitment were then used as parameters for the qualitative individual and focus group interviews. Thus the merging of the two traditional methodologies, namely the qualitative and quantitative paradigms, enriched the research. The researcher used one individual interview and two focus group interviews to elicit the opinions of educators concerning the concepts collaborative culture and educator commitment. The responses of the participants were coded and analysed. Eight themes emerged from the analysis namely: personal mastery; mental models; shared vision; team learning; systems thinking; reflection; dialogue; and leadership/management (iv) Categories related to these themes were also identified. The direct quotes of the respondents were transcribed and these together with the themes and categories were discussed in relation to relevant research literature. The results of the data analysis showed that the learning organisation is built around collaborative cultures and educator commitment. There was congruence between the literature review, the structured questionnaire and the individual and focus group interviews in that the themes that make up a learning organisation were personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, team learning, systems thinking, reflection/inquiry, dialogue and leadership/management. The recommendations that are provided in this research are based on the eight themes identified in the individual and focus group interviews, on the findings from the literature review as well as from the findings from the structured questionnaire. Although eight themes were identified these themes are closely related and interactive. The research was concluded with a chapter on the findings, results and recommendations, as well as possible areas that needed further investigation.
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Value engineering within a changing telecommunication market
- Authors: Geyser, Deon
- Date: 2011-11-30
- Subjects: Consumer satisfaction , Strategic planning , Organizational learning , Value analysis (Cost control) , Reengineering (Management) , Telecommunication management , Organizational change
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:1763 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/4117
- Description: M.Ing. , The telecommunications industry worldwide is experiencing massive downsizing activities as the mobile telecommunications market is flooded with mobile operators. In Europe and other leading countries world wide, fixed line operators are able to cover more than 90% of the population of the country and there is not such a necessity for a mobile service as in a country such as South Africa, where less than 50% of the population is connected to a fixed line operator. Together with many investors, planning to create substantial returns on investments saturated the communication market in these worldleading countries. When mobile data transfer, in the form of GPRS (General Packet Radios Services) and UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System), was developed it was estimated that the amount of mobile data transferred (via mobile operators) per annum would exceed the amount of data transferred by normal fixed line transport (fixed line operators). Many mobile cellular operators worldwide have invested in these technologies but their ROI (Return on Investment) is not nearly as good as was estimated in the initial feasibility study of the technologies. Together, these issues have had a negative impact on all the world leading mobile communication infrastructure suppliers, which had to downsize to accommodate the decrease in world business. Only 3rd world countries (such as in Africa) are still expanding their mobile networks and are creating some business opportunities for the world leading suppliers, but it is unfortunately not sufficient to sustain the current business. With the initial roll out of GSM (Global system for mobile communication) network infrastructure suppliers could ask what they want for the equipment and services supplied, as these were hard to imitate, but as the market grew, more competitors were able to meet their standards in equipment quality and better the price and service.
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- Authors: Geyser, Deon
- Date: 2011-11-30
- Subjects: Consumer satisfaction , Strategic planning , Organizational learning , Value analysis (Cost control) , Reengineering (Management) , Telecommunication management , Organizational change
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:1763 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/4117
- Description: M.Ing. , The telecommunications industry worldwide is experiencing massive downsizing activities as the mobile telecommunications market is flooded with mobile operators. In Europe and other leading countries world wide, fixed line operators are able to cover more than 90% of the population of the country and there is not such a necessity for a mobile service as in a country such as South Africa, where less than 50% of the population is connected to a fixed line operator. Together with many investors, planning to create substantial returns on investments saturated the communication market in these worldleading countries. When mobile data transfer, in the form of GPRS (General Packet Radios Services) and UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System), was developed it was estimated that the amount of mobile data transferred (via mobile operators) per annum would exceed the amount of data transferred by normal fixed line transport (fixed line operators). Many mobile cellular operators worldwide have invested in these technologies but their ROI (Return on Investment) is not nearly as good as was estimated in the initial feasibility study of the technologies. Together, these issues have had a negative impact on all the world leading mobile communication infrastructure suppliers, which had to downsize to accommodate the decrease in world business. Only 3rd world countries (such as in Africa) are still expanding their mobile networks and are creating some business opportunities for the world leading suppliers, but it is unfortunately not sufficient to sustain the current business. With the initial roll out of GSM (Global system for mobile communication) network infrastructure suppliers could ask what they want for the equipment and services supplied, as these were hard to imitate, but as the market grew, more competitors were able to meet their standards in equipment quality and better the price and service.
- Full Text:
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