The lack of succession planning by financial advisers poses a threat to the business continuity and sustainable growth of life assurance and investment companies. This study aims to address this problem by developing a profile of financial adviser exit strategies and succession arrangements in a tied agency environment in relation to trust, socio-emotional wealth and commitment to stakeholders, thereby enabling life assurance and investment companies to more effectively manage the succession of their tied financial advisers. A quantitative study was performed analysing 111 responses from an online survey sent to all tied financial advisers aged 55 and over of a large South African life assurer. The results of the study identify that higher levels of trust, socio-emotional wealth and commitment to clients are related to a stewardship exit strategy which includes succession, with higher levels of trust being related to the existence of succession arrangements. Profiles of exit strategies and succession arrangements were established, enabling the prediction of exit strategies based on trust in non-family and family members and the prediction of succession arrangements based on socioemotional wealth and trust in non-family members. The study contributes to family business and entrepreneurship theory by identifying a dichotomy of tied financial adviser practices into those that demonstrate family business characteristics and those that do not and by developing a model of financial adviser exit strategies and succession arrangements. The study concludes with recommendations to management of life assurance and investment companies for managing the succession and exit strategies of tied financial advisers. / Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / ms2016 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

The rapid growth of data worldwide has highlighted a need to establish data governance in organisations. Furthermore, data related trends such as big data, the Internet of Things and digitisation are indicative of recognition that data is a strategic asset that can be a source of competitive advantage. However, most decision makers still struggling to trust the data they use to make critical decisions and comply to regulation due to a lack of standards and controls in the management of this asset. In light of this, this research paper explores the components, objectives, accountability and factors that either enable or inhibit data governance within the banking in South Africa. A review of existing literature was done to establish current discourse on data governance constructs that form part of this research. Key themes in literature pertaining to these areas were identified and used to frame the research questions on which the findings were based. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted in which eleven semi-structured interviews were done with data governance subject matter experts, data consumers, data creators and consultants within the banking industry in South Africa. In an effort to solicit a balanced view on the state of data governance in the industry, sampling was done across all groups mentioned above. The research found that there was a consistent view on the components, objectives and accountability allocation of data governance. However there were varied views on the classification of factors as enablers and inhibitors of data governance. Therefore a framework has been suggested that incorporates input from existing models found in literature and the findings from the research; especially with regards to factors that influence data governance. / Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / ms2016 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

The literature review has revealed that strategic decisions are complex, ill-structured and require much of organizational resources. Organizations are dependent on strategic decisions for sustained performance or even survival. Strategic decision-making is important in an organization as it is the process used to implement the strategic intent of the firm. Literature has also revealed that managers fail to process optimally, information for effective strategic decision-making due to their cognitive limits. This study set out to explore and understand the enablers and inhibitors of strategic decision-making effectiveness. The study was conducted using an exploratory qualitative method, which consisted of in-depth semi-structured interviews. A total of 14 executives and managers were interviewed from coal mining organizations operating in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. Interviews were recorded then transcribed into text. Directed content and frequency analysis were used to analyze the data and extract common themes. ATLAS.ti was used for the coding process during data analysis. The findings of this study were the enablers and inhibitors of strategic decision-making effectiveness being discussed in detail. An empirically based framework was developed using the findings on ensuring strategic decision-making effectiveness. The factors used for the framework are : having support from the superiors, have a competent team in strategic decision-making, considering the external business environment, considering and involving stakeholders, ensure the quality of data and continuously review strategic decision-making process. / Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / sn2016 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

The research paper investigates consumer intentions of purchasing authentic luxury brands versus counterfeit products in South Africa. The total sample in this study was 138 which consisted of both male and female participants. The sample consisted of individuals who lived in the Gauteng province and worked in various private-sector segments. The online survey measured different psychological factors that would influence consumer purchase intentions for either authentic luxury brands or counterfeits. The data collected from the survey was analysed using STATA version 14 software. The results show evidence that past behaviour, economic and hedonic factors will play a role in consumer intentions to purchase authentic luxury branded products versus counterfeits in South Africa / Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / zk2016 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

Leaders are organisational architects with an ability to influence the inputs and outputs of business performance which includes safety performance. Inputs and outputs in the context of this study include the safe behaviour of employees and the leader s role in creating a safe working environment. Studies in safety leadership have shown that transformational leadership results in high employee safety participation whereas transactional leadership results in increased safety compliance. Recent studies have focused mainly on the impact of the two leadership styles on the safety climate. This study aims to bridge the existing gap in understanding the effect of transformational, transactional leadership and safety culture on safety outcomes. Self-administered and online questionnaires were used to collect data in chemical organisations in Durban. The number of returned valid questionnaires was 250. Analysis included various correlation tests and multiple regression analysis to test the relationships between the three variables. Results revealed that transformational and transactional leadership lead to different safety outcomes. In addition, transactional leadership positively impacts on safety culture when compared with transformational leadership which has demonstrated a negative relationship. / Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / sn2016 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

Hedge fund strategies such as the equity market neutral have provided significant risk adjusted returns in the form of alpha, but their short selling and debt has made them generally costly and prone to failure under changing market conditions. There is a need to isolate the benefits of long short equity hedging without the added costs and dangers associated with short selling and leverage. Isolating the set of lowest possible market beta long equity portfolios that can mimick long short equity hedging can provide investors cost effective hedge fund replication. A systematic procedure involving mean variance optimisation and quantitative analytical techniques was used to characterise the behaviour of targeted beta portfolios on key risk and return metrics and variables as a beta constraint was applied to optimisation on a finely calibrated scale of one down to zero. This research was able to isolate a sample from the JSE/FTSE Top 40 Index into a solution set (P) of low beta portfolio alternatives extending from a target beta value of 0.475 to a beta value of 0.600 which was identified, characterised and disaggregated into definitive solution tuples P1 (beta 0.600, beta 0.575, beta 0.550) and P2 (beta 0.525, beta 0.500, beta 0.475). / Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / vn2016 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

The aim of this study was to identify the key personal and socially orientated drivers of consumption within an emerging economy to provide a useful comparative study to the existing studies done in Western societies. The study explored the co-creation of value process within the luxury goods market and assessed whether the key value drivers differed between male and female luxury consumers in emerging markets. The study further aimed to determine if and how luxury brand organisations in emerging markets could co-create value through the use of the key drivers identified. A qualitative, cross-sectional, exploratory research method was selected and a total of 13 respondents were interviewed, utilising semi-structured in-depth interviews. Findings revealed that all six key value drivers tested were present in both the male and female decision-making process to purchase luxury goods within an emerging market, with differences and similarities in the key value drivers delineated. The findings also demonstrated that emerging market luxury goods consumers seek to be part of a co-creation of value process and are open to two-way communication with the luxury brand organisations. Finally, the results indicated ways in which luxury brand organisations in emerging markets could co-create value by using the key drivers identified in the study. / Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / pa2016 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

Developing leaders and leadership capacity is more important than ever before, and as mindfulness begins to gain attention among organisational psychology and behaviour scholars (Allen & Kiburz, 2011), there is immense value in examining mindfulness and its contributions to leader development (Murphy & Johnson, 2011). Organisations are placing more focus on leader development approaches that are alike and similar to mindfulness (Baron & Cayer, 2011; MacDermott, Kidney & Flood, 2013). Yet there is limited theory on the impact mindfulness has on leaders and their development (Dane, 2011), despite the plethora of growing research on the subject (Roche, Luthans & Haar, 2014; Hall, 2013; Leroy, Anseel, Dimitrova & Sles, 2013). Research on the role mindfulness plays on leader development is therefore useful and will contribute meaningfully to the progress of theory in leader development. To explore the question of mindfulness and its role in leader development in South Africa, twelve transcribed interviews with leaders in the private sector were studied adopting a thematic analysis that generated results presented in the form of six themes. These results suggest that there is a lack of a clear definition of mindfulness; that mindfulness has a profound impact on the perceived development of leaders, and that mindfulness could play a role in developing leaders in South Africa. / Mini-disseration (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / nk2016 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

This study seeks to establish whether the doctor in the private healthcare sector sees their professional identity as being under threat and how this impacts the interrelationships within the organisation in which they work. Healthcare in South Africa is a dynamic, growing industry, in which the private sector accounts for 52% of the total spend, yet there is a disjoint in the relationship between hospital management and the doctor. To combat the trends of increasing costs, competition, customer expectations of quality care and a changing healthcare environment, the doctor and hospital need to improve this relationship. The research involves an exploratory study in the form of twelve doctor semi-structured interviews within the private health sector. A purposive sampling strategy is used to identify doctors who are typical of the identified population so as to gain representative perspectives. This study concludes that a professional identity threat to doctors currently exists. Insight is provided into those characteristics that doctors see as forming their identity and the sources of perceived threats to that identity. Engagement practices that can be considered by the organisational management are proposed with a view to mitigating and managing such changes to the doctor s professional identity. / Mini-disseration (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / nk2016 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

This research sought to understand whether external social capital creation with external stakeholders was indeed a valid management tool that could contribute to increasing an organisation s competitiveness under these circumstances. It also aimed to validate the Opportunity-Motivation-Ability (OMA) model for the creation of social capital in the Information and Communications Technology industry and to provide a framework to guide organisations in their endeavours to ensure optimal social capital creation. The necessary leadership qualities that are associated with social capital creation were also explored. This research adds to the current literature on social capital and organisational competitiveness. This research was conducted using a qualitative and explanatory research methodology and collected data through semi-structured interviews with eleven C-level executives across five ICT organisations. Key findings that contribute to the field of social capital and organisational competitiveness include factors such as informational transfer, influence on external stakeholders and differentiation as part of an organisation s strategy. These are shown to contribute positively to an organisation s competitiveness. The OMA was confirmed as a valid model for the ICT industry and importantly all three elements of the model need to present for the benefits of social capital to be realised. Humility and integrity were overwhelmingly identified as being the key leadership qualities associated with social capital creation. / Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / ms2016 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted