Abstract available in pdf file.

The recession of 2008/09 was the worst decline of global markets since the Great Depression in the 1930's. Some international markets lost 30 - 50% of its value in the period July to October 2008. The main reason for this dramatic drop in investor demand was the sub prime crisis in the USA where growth was fuelled by providing loans to house owners who could not afford the mortgage payments. Platinum, which is the biggest mining sector in South Africa both in terms of revenue and employment, was not spared this sudden decrease in demand. Platinum market price lost more than 50% of its value, free-falling from a level of over $2000/oz to below $1 000/oz in three months. A recession poses a massive challenge to the management teams of companies. Their main task of ensuring shareholder value growth comes under enormous pressure from macro-economic factors outside of their control. Strategic objectives based on high growth and demand scenarios have to be adapted to a low demand and negative growth environment. This study embarks on a journey to determine what strategies the different management teams of the five top South African platinum mining companies implemented and how successful they were in optimising shareholder value during the recession period. The impact of risk and return on investor demand were discussed on a theoretical level and tested on a practical level by evaluating the performances of individual companies and finding correlations between company performance and shareholder value optimisation. Companies who performed well by maintaining good profit margins, maintaining dividend payouts, managing risks well and continuing to build a good platform for future profit growth performed the best in optimising shareholder value during the recession period. Recommendations are made based on theoretical and practical best practices for how to optimise shareholder value during future recessionary times. Opportunities for companies in the platinum mining industry for the next 3 - 5 years are also evaluated and summarized. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011

The recession of 2008/09 was the worst decline of global markets since the Great Depression in the 1930's. Some international markets lost 30 - 50% of its value in the period July to October 2008. The main reason for this dramatic drop in investor demand was the sub prime crisis in the USA where growth was fuelled by providing loans to house owners who could not afford the mortgage payments. Platinum, which is the biggest mining sector in South Africa both in terms of revenue and employment, was not spared this sudden decrease in demand. Platinum market price lost more than 50% of its value, free-falling from a level of over $2000/oz to below $1 000/oz in three months. A recession poses a massive challenge to the management teams of companies. Their main task of ensuring shareholder value growth comes under enormous pressure from macro-economic factors outside of their control. Strategic objectives based on high growth and demand scenarios have to be adapted to a low demand and negative growth environment. This study embarks on a journey to determine what strategies the different management teams of the five top South African platinum mining companies implemented and how successful they were in optimising shareholder value during the recession period. The impact of risk and return on investor demand were discussed on a theoretical level and tested on a practical level by evaluating the performances of individual companies and finding correlations between company performance and shareholder value optimisation. Companies who performed well by maintaining good profit margins, maintaining dividend payouts, managing risks well and continuing to build a good platform for future profit growth performed the best in optimising shareholder value during the recession period. Recommendations are made based on theoretical and practical best practices for how to optimise shareholder value during future recessionary times. Opportunities for companies in the platinum mining industry for the next 3 - 5 years are also evaluated and summarized. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011

This work involves the characterisation of reaction products of transition metals from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd rows of the Periodic Table with guanidines and their lithiated derivatives. Physical methods such as infrared spectroscopy, (^1)H, (^13)C and (^19)F nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, microanalysis, and conductivity measurements have been used to characterise the materials. The transition metal compounds used in this work can be divided into two groups: (i) metal carbonyls and (ii) metal halides. The metal carbonyls group consists of [M(CO)(_5)L] (M = Mn, L = Br; M = Cr, Mo, W, L = CO), [Mo(Cl)L(CO)(_3)] (L = Ƞ-C(_5)H(_5)) and [MoL(CO)(_3)][BF(_4)] (L = Ƞ-C(_7)H(_7) ), and the metal halide group consists of MCl(_2) (M = Pd, Pt), MLCl(_2) (M = Pd and L = C(_8)H(_12)), K(_2)MCl(_4) (M = Pd, Pt) and WCl(_4). Studies have involved two substituted guanidines, 1,2,3-triphenylguanidine and syn-1,2- diphenylguanidine and the Uthiated derivative of 1,2,3-triphenylguanidine.The reactions were undertaken using a variety of conditions. The type of solvent, temperature and molar ratio are important parameters, particularly for the complexes of manganese. Similar conditions were explored for the complexes of palladium, platinum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten and arylmolybdenum derivatives. Carbonyl complexes of the type [Mn(Br)(CO)(_3)L(_2)] (L = 1,2,3- triphenylguanidine), [Mn(Br)(CO)(_4)L] (L = 1,2,3-triphenylguanidine), [Mo(Ƞ-C(_5)H(_5))L(CO)(_2)] (L = 1,2,3-triphenylguanidino) and complexes of the type [M2CI4L2] (M = Pd, Pt; L = 1,2,3-triphenylguanidine, 1,2-diphenylguanidine), [Pt(_2)Cl(_4)L(_3)] (L = syn-1,2-diphenylguanidine), [Pt(_2)Cl(_4)L(_2)L'] (L = syn-1,2-diphenylguanidine, L' = N,N'-diphenylurea), [Pt(_2)Cl(_2)L(_2)L'(_2)] (L = syn-l,2-diphenylguanidino, L(^1) = syn-l,2- diphenylguanidine ), [PtCl(_2)L] (L = HNC(Me)NHC(Me)NH) and [PdCl(_2)(C(_8)H(_12))L] (L = 1,2,3-triphenylguanidine, syn-1,2-diphenylguanidine), were isolated. A product containing BF(_3) was isolated, and the bonding of the BF(_3) studied. The guanidine ligand adopts various bonding modes towards transition metals, and studies have been directed towards determining the mode adopted in each of the new complexes synthesised. Guanidines are found to act as strong o- bonding ligands, having consequences on the remaining ligands. Comparison is made throughout with the related amidine ligands. Mechanisms of reactions, consistent with experimental data, are discussed throughout the thesis.

No description available.

Typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1977. / Bibliography: leaves 100-102. / Microfiche. / x, 102 leaves ill

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Adelaide, 1985. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MScIng)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Case Western Reserve University, 2009 / Abstract Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Title from PDF (viewed on 20 April 2009) Available online via the OhioLINK ETD Center

Thesis (M.Sc.(Earth Science and Practice Management))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Abstract in English. Includes bibliographical references.