Thesis (PhD (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The turbulent and rapidly changing world, including South Africa, has created a society craving for speed and action. Future leaders, therefore, face incredible pressures to deliver immediate results, to do more with less and to manage an ever-increasing personal workload. The pace and urgency of daily demands can make it difficult to be more than the step ahead into the future. But in a world of changing conditions and priorities, leaders and individual contributors alike must be able to look beyond the ‘now’ and take a more strategic leadership approach to their work and responsibilities. Global mega-trends are leading to increasing levels of complexity, dynamism and uncertainty in the corporate environment. In an uncertain economy, organisations need effective strategies that will enable them to thrive. Traditional leadership approaches have been rendered insufficient by the rapid changes in the knowledge economy. Businesses need to practise systemic innovation in this fast-changing, knowledge-driven global business landscape in order to remain competitive. Despite heightened awareness and interest by both scholars and practitioners in the field of strategic leadership, the subject will always be an emerging field of inquiry. Furthermore, limited research has thus far been conducted on the impact of strategic leadership on the operational strategy and performance of business organisations in South Africa. A review of strategic leadership literature revealed a research gap that culminated in the following research question: “What is the impact of strategic leadership on the operational strategy and performance of business organisations in South Africa”? To address the research question stated above, a literature review on the impact of strategic leadership on the operational strategy and performance was conducted, and an empirical study was executed. The literature review emphasised the three interrelated strategic leadership constructs of action, coherence and discipline that explored the relationship between strategic leadership and the organisation’s operational strategy and performance. In this study, operational strategy includes strategic orientation as well as the operational excellence of the organisation. The factors which influence strategic orientation were identified as the organisation’s ability to create and formulate their strategy as well as the discipline of all people in the organisation to execute the strategy. Operational excellence, was influenced by product differentiation, cost management and integration. The literature review also emphasised the influence of adaptive leadership, autonomy, communication, knowledge, processes and systems, and values on self reported organisational performance which was directly related to strategic leadership. To address the research problem, empirical cross-sectional telephone surveys were conducted. The sample selected for the study was the top 200 listed organisations for 2008, as published in the Financial Mail. The key respondent was the chief executive officer (CEO), or a member of the executive team. The sample consisted of 200 organisations of which 118 valid responses were received with a response rate of 59 percent. Measurement instruments were adapted, developed and revised where necessary to ensure the reliability and validity of the data. The collected data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study indicated that strategic leadership is directly and indirectly positively associated with operational strategy and organisational performance. It is positively associated with strategy orientation as well as operational excellence of business organisations in South Africa. Furthermore, strategic leadership can also be related to return on assets (ROA) and earnings per share (EPS). Self reported performance is also associated with higher organisational performance. Strategic leadership is unrelated to the size of the organisation, but is more likely to occur in a turbulent business environment. Product differentiation and cost management were also directly linked to strategic leadership. The most important contribution of this study is based on the testing of successful strategic leadership practices in business organisations in the South African context. Competition in the 21st century’s global economy will be complex, challenging and filled with competitive opportunities and threats. This study asserted that effective strategic leadership practices could help business organisations in South Africa to enhance their performance while competing in turbulent and unpredictable environments. Measurement instruments have also been developed, which may be used by executives, consultants and other researchers to measure these phenomena in future. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die turbulente en vinnig veranderende wêreld, Suid-Afrika inkluis, het ‘n gemeenskap geskep wat gewoond geraak het aan spoed en aksie. Toekomstige leiers is dus blootgestel aan oneindige druk om dadelik te presteer, resultate te lewer, om meer met minder te doen en om ‘n vootdurende en toenemende werkslading te bestuur. Die vinnige pas en dringendheid van daaglikse vereistes kan dit baie moeilik maak om ‘n stap voor die toekoms te wees. Maar, in die wêreld van veranderende omstandighede en prioriteite, moet leiers en individue oor die vaardighede en kennis beskik om verby die ‘huidige’ na die toekoms te kyk en daardeur ‘n meer strategiese leierskapsbenadering te volg ten opsigte van hulle werk en verantwoordelikhede. Die impak van globalisering het aanleiding gegee tot verhoogde vlakke van kompleksiteit, dinamika en onsekerheid in die korporatiewe omgewing. Organisasies het, veral in ‘n onsekere ekonomie, ‘n effektiewe strategie nodig om te presteer. Tradisionele leierskapbenaderings is nie meer voldoende in ‘n kundigheidsekonomie wat vinning besig is om te verander nie. Dit het dus noodsaaklik geword vir leiers in organisasies om effektiewe stelsels en ander innoverende praktyke te implementeer om kompeterend te wees in die toekoms. Nieteenstaande die verhoogde bewustheid en belangstelling van beide studente en persone wat in die praktyk werksaam is teenoor strategiese leierskap, sal dit altyd nodig wees om hierdie vakgebied verder te ontwikkel en te bestudeer. Voorts is daar tot op hede slegs beperkte navorsing gedoen oor die impak van strategiese leierskap op die operasionele strategie en prestasie van besigheidsorganisasies in Suid-Afrika. ‘n Oorsig van strategiese leierskapliteratuur het getoon dat daar ‘n navorsingsgaping bestaan wat aanleiding gegee het tot die volgende navorsingsvraag: “Wat is die impak van strategiese leierskap op die operasionele strategie en prestasie van besigheidsorganisasies in Suid-Afrika”? Om die bogenoemde navorsingsvraagstuk aan te spreek, is daar ‘n omvattende literatuuroorsig asook ‘n volledige empiriese studie gedoen ten opsigte van die impak van strategiese leierskap op die operasionele strategie en prestasie van besigheidsorganisasies. Die literatuuroorsig het beklemtoon dat die drie interafhanklike konstrukte van aksie, samehorigheid en dissipline, (wat strategiese leierskap verteenwoordig), ‘n nou verband het met operasionele strategie en prestasie in besigheidsorganisasies. In hierdie studie het strategiese oriëntasie van die organisasie sowel as die vermoë om die strategie uit te voer die beginsel van operasionele strategie verteenwoordig. Die faktore wat strategiese oriëntasie beïnvloed het, is geïdentifiseer as die organisasie se vermoë om ‘n strategie te ontwikkel en te formuleer, asook om die nodige dissipline te handhaaf om die strategie op alle vlakke suksesvol uit te voer en te implementeer. Operasionele uitnemendheid is beïnvloed deur produkdifferensiasie en die effektiewe bestuur van kostes. Die literatuuroorsig het ook die belangrike invloed van adaptiewe leierskap, outonomie, kommunikasie, kundigheid, effektiewe prosesse en sisteme asook gevestigde waardes bevestig as aspekte wat ‘n direkte en indirekte impak het op die selfgerapporteerde prestasies in besigheidsorganisasies, wat ‘n direkte verband getoon het met strategiese leierskap. Die navorsingsprobleem is aangespreek deur empiriese kruisseksionele telefoononderhoude te voer met gelyste besigheidsorganisasies in Suid-Afrika. Die geselekteerde populasie was die 200 top organisasies vir 2008, soos gepubliseer in die Financial Mail van 2009. As gevolg van die strategiese aard van die studie, was die sleutelrespondente die Hoof Uitvoerende Beampte (HUB), of ‘n lid van die uitvoerende bestuur van die organisasie. Die populasie het bestaan uit al 200 gepubliseerde organisasies waarvan 118 geldige vraelyste geprosesseer is, met ‘n respondentkoers van 59 persent. Die meetinstrument is aangepas, ontwikkel en verander waar dit nodig was om die geldigheid en toepaslikheid van die data te kon verseker. Die versamelde data is met beskrywende en inferensiële statistiek ontleed. Die bevindinge van die studie het aangetoon dat strategiese leierskap direk en indirek positief verbind kan word met operasionele strategie sowel as die self gerapporteerde prestasie van organisasies. Dit kan ook positief geassosieer word met strategiese oriëntasie sowel as operasionele uitnemendheid van besigheidsorganisasies in Suid- Afrika. Voorts kan strategiese leierskap ook verbind word met die opbrengs op bates sowel as die verdienste per aandeel. Selfgerapporteerde prestasie van die deelnemende organisasies kon ook direk verbind word tot verbeterde prestasie van hierdie organisasies. Daar is egter ook bevind dat strategiese leierskap geen verband het met die grootte van die organisasie nie, maar is wel geneig om ‘n positiewe impak te hê op die prestasie van organisasies in ‘n turbulente besigheidsomgewing. Produk- differensiasie en die effektiewe bestuur van kostes kan ook direk geassosieer word met effektiewe strategiese leierskap. Die belangrikste bydrae van hierdie studie is gebaseer op die toetsing van suksesvolle strategiese leierskapspraktyke in besigheidsorganisasies in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Kompetisie in die 21ste eeu in ‘n globale ekonomie gaan kompleks en uitdagend wees, gevul met kompeterende geleenthede en bedreigings. Hierdie studie het empiries bevestig, dat effektiewe strategiese leierskapspraktyke besighede in Suid- Afrika kan help om uitnemend te presteer asook om winsgewendheid te verhoog, alhoewel hulle deel is van ‘n turbulente en onvoorspelbare omgewing. Meetinstrumente is ook ontwikkel wat deur uitvoerende beamptes, konsultante en ander navorsers gebruik kan word om hierdie verskynsels in die toekoms te kan meet.

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / 242 Leaves printed single pages, preliminary pages i-viii and numberd pages. Includes bibliography. Tables and figures. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The aim of the proposed study was to develop an electrical utility organisational performance measure indicator that measures electrical network utilisation (U) for the actual maximum demand and total energy transferred. The scope of the study extended itself to include reliability and exogenous considerations. The scope of the research study included three primary variables with secondary variables as the performance measures. The available data was screened and filtered from outliers, and thereafter, multivariate analysis was applied in deriving the overall linear equation for each of the above primary variables. The statistical process included the application of principal component analysis and factor analysis, a comparison between the two, and the derivation of linear equations. The study produced linear equations relating to the former. The primary variables were presented in the form of a 3-Dimensional scatter plot. Each variable was inspected for linearity and clustering to validate the results and include any previously excluded outliers that complied with linear functionality. A practical application of the research findings was included. This included the extremes of linearity and clustering. The research concludes with further research opportunities in this study direction. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:Die doel van hierdie ondersoek was om 'n maatstaf te ontwikkel wat elektrisiteitsverskaffers in staat stel om die effektiwiteit en benutting van die elektriese transmissienetwerk te meet. Dit sluit die maksimum aanvraag en totale hoeveelheid energie wat deur die transmissienetwerk oorgedra word in. Die omvang van die studie is uitgebrei om ook eksterne faktore en betroubaarheidsoorwegings in te sluit. Die beskikbare inligting is gekeur en gefilter om uitskieters uit te skakel en daarna is multivariate analise gebruik om 'n lineêre vergelyking vir elk van die primêre veranderlikes te ontwikkel. Die statistiese analise het onder andere van hoofkomponente analise en faktor analise gebruik gemaak. 'n Vergelyking tussen die twee metodes is gemaak en liniêre vergelykings is afgelei. Die primere veranderlikes was gesamelik getoon in n’ 3-dimensionele grafik. Die lineariteit en groepering van elke veranderlike is egter ondersoek om die resultate te staaf en enige uitskieters wat voorheen uitgesluit is maar wel aan die lineêre verband voldoen het in te sluit. 'n Praktiese toepassing van die bevindings was uitgevoer en het die uiterstes van lineariteit en groepering ingesluit. Die ondersoek word afgesluit met 'n bespreking van moontlike verdere navorsingsgeleenthede.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Water loss in water distribution systems has been studied for many years in many countries and is continuously leading to the development of new concepts and theories, publications, guidelines and software models. Despite these developments, 45 % of water utilities in South Africa still do not understand the extent of water losses in the distribution systems that they operate (Wegelin et al., 2012:27). It is important, in terms of water services planning, that a realistic estimate of the potential savings from individual water conservation and water demand management (WC/WDM) measures is made as it impacts directly on water security and business matters. If the potential savings were incorrectly or inaccurately calculated, additional resources might have to be developed at short notice to be able to supply in the demand. Advanced software models, such as BENCHLEAK, PRESMAC, SANFLOW, AQUALITE and ECONOLEAK (McKenzie & Bhagwan, 2000) have been developed to quantify the extent of physical and commercial losses in water supply systems. Similar advanced models are available for estimating water demand. Such advanced models require numerous input parameters, each of which needs to be described accurately. The predicament is that such complex models are often simply not applicable in certain areas with limited resources and limited input data. In contrast, robust guidelines that are relatively insensitive to input parameters are useful in developing countries, where all input values for complex water demand models may be unavailable or inaccurate. No robust method has yet been developed for estimating the potential water savings that would result from WC/WDM interventions. A need thus exists to estimate water savings in a robust way with relatively few inputs. This guideline promotes the development of a robust WC/WDM strategy, based on a systematic and pragmatic approach, which requires less initial funding and develops with time. The methodologies developed by the Water Loss Task Force (WLTF) of the International Water Association (IWA), were used to develop six basic steps, which need to be followed to develop a WC/WDM strategy. During the six steps, the minimum requirements for implementing WC/WDM will be defined, the current water losses and efficiencies will be determined, and potential targets will be set based on national and international benchmarks. Once targets have been set, 20 key interventions were identified to address water use efficiency, and commercial and physical losses. The motivation behind each intervention is provided based on best practice, case studies and legal requirements. The model ensures that the potential savings from the various interventions are sufficient to ensure that targets are achieved, and if not, that targets must be revised. The potential savings from interventions are based on literature reviews and new formulas developed as part of this guideline. The results from the various interventions would enable the water utility to prioritise interventions. The guideline concludes with a flow diagram describing the methodology.

published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Master / Master of Science in Construction Project Management

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration