For modern societies to continue to sustain themselves there needs to be a dissociation between economic growth and environmental degradation or else economic growth will decline consistently together with deteriorating environmental and social health. Various sustainability methodologies can be applied to mitigate against environmental and social degradation. This includes cleaner production which is a proven sustainability methodology that is supported by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation and the United Nations Environmental Protection Agency in more than eighty countries worldwide. However application of cleaner production practices amongst SMEs has been below expectations where such practices should have become the norm. We have surveyed SMEs in South Africa, where assessments have been carried out by the local National Cleaner Production Centre, to assess SMEs’ perceptions of a range of barrier typologies. Further the barrier methodologies were evaluated to determine whether social responsibility in itself creates a barrier for successful implementation of sustainable practices. This research established that the barrier typologies are more equally balanced than findings in many developed regions. Furthermore, some barriers such as institutional challenges are not as prevalent compared to other developing regions. It was recognized that regulation can be used as an incentive that has an effect on two groupings or axis of barriers identified in this research. Lastly, it was reputed that structured and clear institutional support and strategies further provide enhanced frameworks that were more beneficial than solely focusing on economics for SMEs. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lmgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

Companies around the world have collected enormous amounts of data at the customer level, and are using different methodologies to understand their customers’ behaviour. However these different methodologies have not been effective in leveraging customer information. In this study, by computing Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) scores for individual customers of a banking organisation, two segments namely high CLV and low CLV are mined. The level of indebtedness among customers in this study is identified based on the two segments mentioned above. Also in this study, a critical analysis of the literature on the association of CLV and Over-indebtedness is provided. The results indicate that the low CLV customers are less likely to end up over-indebted. This finding negates the common viewpoint that low CLV and over-indebtedness variables are associated. A quantitative research design was chosen above a qualitative research design for this study. CLV scores for individual customers are calculated using Hwang (2004) model and a Chi-squared test is used for the hypothesis testing of the research propositions. Based on the findings and conclusions drawn from this study, several recommendations and further future research are made. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

Skills development and training is becoming an increasingly important concern in developing countries. Not only can it impact local economic platforms, but it can also increase international competitiveness, employment and prosperity. Disarticulations of public policy can however undermine public sector delivery of skills development initiatives and opens up opportunities for private provision to be, under certain circumstances, more responsive to the challenges of skills shortages. The purpose of this research is firstly to substantiate the need for a more active engagement by the private sector in the development and training of technical skills. Subsequently, it aims to identify the impacting factors that either promote or inhibit such engagement, specifically within the construction and mining industries of Sub-Saharan Africa. In identifying the most significant factors, a conceptual framework can be compiled and recommended to facilitate a more sustainable approach to the implementation of in-house initiatives, specifically within the private sector of these industries. A descriptive quantitative research approach was implemented for this study. This was facilitated through an online survey questionnaire distributed to a population comprising of top, middle and junior management, as well as general employees, permanently employed within the construction and mining industries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The research results revealed a definite lack of confidence in the public sector’s ability to adequately provide technical skills within these industries, and thus within Sub-Saharan Africa. This stresses the need for a more active participation by the private sector in developing such technical skills. Further analysis also identified the critical inhibitors and benefits associated with current private sector initiatives. It suggests that effective in-house skills development and training initiatives within these industries can not only beneficially impact companies, but also the socio-economic environment in which they operate. Finally, the research concludes with the introduction of a conceptual framework targeting three core areas as a base to implement skills on a sustainable platform within the private sector. These include the concepts of benefits realisation, risk management and government intervention. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

Employee engagement and training & development, as a human resources management practice, has been extensively studied across the world. These studies tested employee engagement and training & developments’ effect on various measures of performance. The bulk of these studies were conducted in North America over the past three decades with more studies emanating from other parts of the world for the better part of the past decade. Studies largely found a positive correlation between these two variables and the specific measure of performance being tracked. This research seeks to determine whether the effect on perceived performance would be similar when testing employee engagement and training & development within the South African context. A quantitative approach was adopted and proved that both training & development and employee engagement has a positive result on perceived performance. The relationship between training & development and employee engagement was ambivalent. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

After events like the global financial crisis and the advent of globalisation, companies have experienced increased competition and pressure to improve performance in the new environments in which business is conducted. This has impacted the world of manufacturing, among others, and has necessitated companies in this industry to adopt improvement methodologies to assist in growing the business. This study looks into the implementation of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) as one of these procedures and highlights that most articles and studies on this process concentrate on the highvolume, low-mix manufacturing environment. On account of this, a gap is left in the application of these techniques in the low-volume, high-mix environment. The literature highlights the differences in the two disciplines that have now evolved into one toolkit that is applied as LSS and how that is achieved. The cases highlighted do not, however, cover the low-volume, high-variety manufacturers, and this paper seeks to use the expertise of LSS practitioners in this environment to get information and derive a framework for successful implementation of LSS in the capital equipment environment. The main contributor to the study is a company that manufactures capital equipment for the mines, with other respondents being practitioners in similar companies and customers in the mines. Respondents were sent a survey to get their opinion on the implementation of LSS in their environment. The survey attempted to gather information through five key questions on how LSS was being applied and its impact on the cost, cycle-time and on-time delivery of the organisation. A quantitative study design was adopted to develop a framework for the successful implementation of LSS in the capital equipment industry. A total of 38 respondents gave feedback, which was analysed, and this showed what - according to the professionals involved in this study - are the vital aspects of this implementation to ensure success. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

The aim of this study was to assess whether a relationship existed between an employee’s attitude toward business ethics and the variables of age, race, gender, level of education, position, tenure and place of work within the South African Motor Industry. The study was conducted using a well-known research instrument, the Attitude Toward Business Ethics Questionnaire (ATBEQ), in order to be able to compare the results with previous studies. The study did not find significant evidence to suggest that the above-mentioned demographic variables were related to an employee’s attitude toward business ethics barring for a few of the measured variables from the questionnaire. In its findings, the study did not support most of the previous studies that have been done in the field of attitude toward business ethics. The suggested area for future research is to include a demographic of culture and upbringing to assess the relationship between that variable and attitude toward business ethics. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

Celebrity endorsement has become a pervasive means of communication strategy by marketing practitioners worldwide. One of the main aims of celebrity endorsement is to utilise the prominent status of the celebrity to positively impact the consumption behaviour of consumers. However, due to globalisation, marketers use internationally renowned celebrities (usually Hollywood stars) to promote products in foreign markets. The costs of using these celebrities are quite significant and as such the objectives of the communication strategy need to be realised if the firm intends to continue with the communication strategy approach. Social Identity plays an important role in mainstream societies as it provides a basis for identification and belonging for people. Individuals who are part of a specific culture or society are positively influenced by the group norms. The sense of identification can be based on race, religion or cultural dimensions. Literature on celebrity endorsement has discussed in depth the source characteristics required by a celebrity to ensure positive consumption behaviour, but it has not explored the role of racial congruency (in the context of Social Identity) between the celebrity and the target market (i.e. race as a source characteristic). As such, the aim of this research is to investigate the relationship between the race of the celebrity endorser and consumer purchase behaviour in multi-racial societies. A quantitative design study was conducted with a sample of 278 respondents across two firms. The data collected from the survey was analysed using non-parametric and descriptive statistical methods. The main finding of the research was that consumers do not outwardly regard the race of the celebrity as an important characteristic in the endorsement process and their subsequent consumption intentions. Interestingly though, the findings showed that consumers have an innate preference for celebrities that are of the same racial profile, which indicates that race plays a role when selecting a celebrity for a specific target market. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

Due to the ever-changing environment that businesses operate in, there is a need to manage people differently to equip firms to avoid extinction. This need means that firms must identify and leverage sources management innovation. This research study investigated management innovation on an individual level by examining eight predetermined characteristics of an individual (age, total employment tenure, organisational tenure, functional role, innovation momentum, management training, educational level and gender) as possible factors that could predispose him/her to being a source of management innovation. Data was collected using nonprobability sampling and employed a self-administered survey. The findings indicated that all factors with the exception of management training are associated with an individual being a source of management innovation. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lmgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

This research study investigated the concept of professional workers’ propensity to embark on industrial action in the context of organisational justice on an individual level; as well as the collective conditions of union commitment and professionalism. The study also made enquiries into the perceived Janus face of professional trade unions in terms of how they aim to be perceived as professional associations, acting as guardians of standards, professionalism and their members’ status, which is contradicted by their organisational mandates to extract concessions from employers through industrial action on a collective level. Data was collected through a quantitative approach, using survey questionnaires which were distributed to scheduled airline pilots in South Africa in their capacity as professional workers. The survey questionnaires elicited 199 responses, which provided valuable insights into professional workers’ propensity to embark on industrial action in the context of organisational justice. The responses, on average, were instructive, aside from the fact that no significance could be attributed to professionalism as a moderator of professional workers’ propensity to embark on industrial action. Contrary to expectations and prior research, it was found that the collective conditions captured by union commitment were statistically more significant than any individual factors, represented by organisational justice constructs, on professional workers’ propensity to embark on industrial action. Professional trade unions are indeed Janus-faced; a duality that presents trade unions with a dichotomy in that on the one hand they have a mandate to extract concessions from employers, but on the other hand are expected to remain professional and uphold the status and standards of the industries that they represent. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the rapid increase in the prevalence of diabetes has resulted in significant public health and socioeconomic liability in the face of scarce resources. Faced with a growing pandemic of non-communicable diseases, developing countries need to be proactive in investigating alternative cost-effective interventions, with the primary aim being to minimize illness and maximize health benefits relative to the limited available resources. The aim of this research study was to quantify the economic impact of an exercise intervention as a preventative strategy for type 2 diabetes in a developing country. The research also sought to investigate if there was an economic case for physical activity as a primary and secondary preventative measure in the management of non-communicable diseases. The study was quantitative in nature and used both primary and secondary data to conduct the cost analysis. A questionnaire was administered to 40 patients at a diabetic clinic in a peri-urban community health care centre. Secondary data, consisting of clinic records and an extensive literature review, was used to source the remaining inputs needed for the cost analysis. Results revealed that the implementation costs of a physical activity intervention exceeded the costs of a pharmaceutical programme. Physical activity resulted in decreased productivity loss, with significant economic implications at a household level. Evidence reviewed in the literature suggested that physical activity could be used in primary prevention as a viable substitute to pharmaceutical therapy. For secondary disease prevention, however, physical activity was complementary in the production of health benefits, limiting disease progression and morbidity caused by illness. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lmgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted