Information technology in mature organisations is viewed as an enabler of teams working together in the product development process. Technology is no longer pursued as an end in itself, but for its contribution to cost control, product quality, and most importantly, time to profit. The focus of this research is the analysis of methodologies used to implement the Teamcenter Engineering Product Data Management (PDM) system at Delta Motor Corporation, which manages all of Delta’s CAD data. The main problem of this research is as follows: How can Delta Motor Corporation successfully implement the “Teamcentre Engineering” Product Data Management System? The main problem will be broken down into three distinct parts, namely the developing of a best practice process, analysing Delta’s implementation and making recommendations for improvement. The literature survey provides the basis for developing a best-practice process, which serves as a benchmark against which to evaluate the methodology used by Delta. Interviews were conducted with selected personnel who were involved in the implementation, and Tesch’s model for content analysis used to analyse the responses. The implementation process of Teamcenter Engineering at Delta was conducted in three phases and only the first was completed at the time of writing this research paper. For this reason, analysis revolves around the first phase of implementation, which was limited to the drawing office, while recommendations are made for the implementation of phase two and three, which roll-out this system to the rest of Delta and it’s supplier base.

HIV/AIDS is undoubtedly the single most important and daunting health problem facing Africa. Globally too, this is one of the most serious health, medical and social preoccupations of our time (Chinery-Hesse, 2000: 1). The aim of this research study is to evaluate the strategic impact of HIV/AIDS on first level component suppliers to the motor industry located in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. To achieve this aim a literature study was undertaken to determine the patterns of development, the infection statistics and to explore strategic options and actions for dealing with the effects of the disease. An empirical study has been conducted to assess the opinions of senior management within first level component suppliers. The results from the study indicate that most companies in the selected group believe that HIV/AIDS will have a serious impact on their organisations. In conclusion, various recommendations have been made with regards to the findings ascertained in the literature review and empirical study.

Today's successful manufacturing organisations require a significant competitive advantage, hence the need to implement and develop a Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) strategy. This research paper addresses the impact of TPM on manufacturing performance at the Colt production facility (DCSA). A literature survey was undertaken into the elements and benefits of TPM. Questionaires were also sent to all levels of people at the Colt production facility for their views on TPM and the impact, they believe, it has had on manufacturing performance. In conclusion, this research paper has also led to the development of recommendations to improve TPM activities at the Colt production facility. From the research, it was shown that top management support for TPM activities is needed and that training is an essential factor for TPM's success in improving manufacturing performance.

Over the past couple of decades traditional manufacturing techniques have been replaced by lean production around the world. This change in production methodology brought about the opportunity for numerous companies to reduce costs and customer lead time through the application of this lean philosophy. The worldwide shift from traditional manufacturing to lean manufacturing can be ascribed to the success of Toyota Motor Company. Lean manufacturing refers to a manufacturing improvement process in order to minimize or eliminate waste while maximizing production flow (Tapping, et al., 2002:30). A value stream includes all the operations and processes to transform raw material into finished products or services. Value stream is a management tool used for the planning of a production process involving lean techniques through systematic data capturing and analysis (Tapping 2002 et al., 41). Value stream is a proven process for planning the improvements that will allow companies to develop lean practices. One key to Toyota’s success that GMSA and many other South African companies have not been able to emulate is the transformation of their suppliers to apply the lean philosophy. This lack of supplier transformation is due to various reasons including supplier proximity, supplier relationships, supplier performance levels, and the ordering policies used for supplied parts. Even though many manufacturing organizations realize the importance of practicing lean manufacturing techniques, few organizations apply lean techniques with the required knowledge and tools to transform their organization from traditional manufacturing to lean manufacturing. This research project is based purely on the lean manufacturing principles and philosophies. The aim of the study is to make GMSA’s suppliers aware of the principles and processes of lean manufacturing and to develop a lean implementation strategy to assist organizations with the successful implementation of lean practices. In order to correctly implement and sustain lean manufacturing practices this study will also focus on supplier support and development and the behavior an organization must exhibit to make this transformation a success. The research methodology comprised the following steps: • A literature study was performed by the researcher to get a better understanding of the principles and philosophies of lean manufacturing; • A second literature study was also performed to get a better understanding of the continuous improvement philosophies of lean manufacturing including supplier support & development; and • To accomplish the objectives of this study, interview sessions were conducted with four senior managers of General Motors South Africa. The researcher selected the interviewees from the following departments within General Motors South Africa: Global Purchasing and Supply Chain; Supplier Quality and Development; Vehicle Assembly Operations and Material Supply. The interviewees from General Motors South Africa were identified as qualified data sources for this research project, as their professional opinions and viewpoints could best address the research questions.

Organisations are constantly expected to be more competitive while working in an environment in which time and cost are limited, thereby preventing such organisations from taking the time required to be responsive. The supply chain provides a critical linkage between various organisations which should seek collective opportunities to improve performance. It is, therefore, important that organisations understand that conventional knowledge and methods will not serve unless there is a concerted focus on improvement of organisational performance toward fulfilling increased expectations, not just maintaining that which is comfortable. A more sustainable approach may be the introduction of supply chain best practice. An optimal supply chain is one that continuously strives to reduce unnecessary cost and eliminate waste, thereby increasing the percentage of time that may be devoted to value-adding activities. Supply chain technology principles were assessed and the application thereof, sought to understand its efficiency and effectiveness. This study was intended to identify supply chain cost dimensions with a focus on the optimal use of supply chain technology. Within the current supply chain context, the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) was explored to identify opportunities. A supply chain audit tool (SCAT) was developed which had proven to be an effective tool to analyse it’s logistics functions. Implementation of remedial tools through the SCAT could result in a leaner, cost optimal and more value-adding process. The result of conducting individual organisational improvements is expected to result in an overall improvement in the total supply chain. These supply chain cost drivers were rooted in cost, quality, safety and product performance. Recommendations on further improvements were also offered.

The automotive component manufacturer's (ACM's) operations are not sustainable due to their competitiveness, only determined by price. for ACM's to be competitive, effective government incentives in the automotive industry need to be present. The study was undertaken to provide a blueprint for change required in government incentives.

The research thesis reflects a positive improvement to the plant efficiency through strategic optimisation planning and controlling systems. It’s important to note that the set goals of the research were achieved, with total employee buy-in contributing to the success and sustainability of these improvements. Purposive sample methods allowed for the twenty employees from a total of 172, to be interviewed for both the pre and post testing. The paradigm of the research contributed to integrative communication between brainstorming and action. The efforts of the total workforce must be commended, for strategically aligning the organizational goals and objectives to realization. The content of the thesis, show a direct relationship between the plant optimisation and the increase in the production volumes. The understanding of the downtime reports for the period specified is a direct reflection to the improvement in quality, and the reduction of the overall poor workmanship graphs indicates positively to the reduction in cost. The last value driver, on-time delivery shows a vast improvement in maintaining the customer satisfaction, when considering the increase to the production volume capacity. These improvements have made further volume increases probable, and the understanding of Ikhwezi Trucktech management to negotiate with realized information for future capacity planning.

This research explores the role, which the construct, service quality plays in an internal marketing setting. This is achieved by evaluating the perceptions and expectations of the production department with regards to the service quality provided by the maintenance department of a South African motor vehicle manufacturer. This was done using the INTSERVQUAL instrument, which was found to be a reliable instrument for measuring internal service quality within this context. A positivist approach has been adopted in conducting this research. There are two main hypotheses for this study: the first hypothesis is concerned with the relationship between the overall internal service quality and the five dimensions of service quality namely: tangibles, empathy, reliability, responsiveness and reliability. The second hypothesis focuses on the relationship between the front line staff segments of the production department and the five dimensions of internal service quality. The results of this research suggest that the perceptions and expectations of internal service customer segments plays a major role in achieving internal service quality. In addition, the importance of the INTSERVQUAL instrument in measuring internal service quality within the motor vehicle manufacturing environment is confirmed.

Cette thèse cherche à comprendre et développer comment les trajectoires institutionnelles émergent, tant empiriquement que théoriquement. Sur la base d’une étude de cas de l’industrie et la culture automobile, elle identifie les trajectoires de PATH DEPENDENCY, historiquement (chap.1) et théoriquement (chap.2). Dans une approche méthodologique qualitative, les chapitres 4 et 5 identifient les effets des conflits environnementaux dans l’industrie que remettent en cause la justification de sa structure même. L’analyse empirique de différents conflits autour des standards des émissions des voitures, les innovations technologiques comme le moteur électrique montrent que l’automobilité de demain, et le secteur, vont évoluer de manière plus pluraliste et hétérogène qu’avant. Si parmi les deux scenarios de développement une trajectoire institutionnelle stable émerge, elle dépend de si un narratif cohérent peut émerger, qui rend compréhensible et évident les relations entre offre, demande et réglementation pour les acteurs. La conclusion (ch.6) identifie les conditions d’émergence de nouvelles trajectoires institutionnelles : dans les conflits où un narratif alternatif est déjà présent, mais sous-jacent, des nouvelles structures organisationnelles et sémantiques peuvent émerger. / This PhD thesis seeks to understand how institutional paths emerge, theoretically and empirically. Taking the case of the European automobile industry and culture it revisits how path dependency can emerge historically (chapter 1) and theoretical patterns of path production (chapter 2). Based on qualitative research design (chapter 3), the case study identifies possibilities of path rupture through environmental conflicts in automobile history (chapter 4 and 5). It shows that through path ruptures and the emergence of new paths following new environmental requirements, 21st century automobility builds pluralistic and more heterogeneous semantic and organizational structures. Geographic and local conditions such as city planning and infrastructure matter in shaping vehicle use and culture in the future, as well does the distribution of decision making power on different political levels. Chapter 6summarize s and reflects the results of my micro-analytical study as parts of an emerging theory of path creation. If the analyzed trajectories of scenarios for the automobile sector become reality, either electrified automobility or electric multimodality, depends on whether they build a coherent narrative that ‘make sense’ of offer, demand and regulation in the sector. The case study showed that these coherent narratives can emerge when conflicts render visible already existing counter-narratives. These counter-narratives emerge in situations of crisis, such as when new environmental regulation determines technological development and behavioural adaptation in automobility. Once accepted, they create a new path – a new semantic and organizational structure in society.

Intrinsic rewards, organisational commitment (OC) and organisational citizenship behaviours (OCBs) are all considered to be positive constructs in today's world of work, which could have a practically beneficial impact on the employee's career, development and success as well as the organisation's bottom line and overall effectiveness. The meaning and purpose provided by one's job combined with commitment to one's organisation as well as the display of positive, helping behaviours have all become constructs of considerable importance whilst at work. The primary objective of this research study was to investigate the relationship between the three constructs of intrinsic rewards, OC and OCBs amongst permanent employees of an automotive manufacturer in South Africa. An additional aim was to establish whether significant differences existed between the three constructs under study across various demographic variables. The researcher made use of a quantitative research method in order to conduct this study using a cross-sectional design. A composite questionnaire was used to gather the necessary data for the study, inclusive of the Intrinsic Work Rewards Scale (IWRS) which is a 25 item scale measuring the dimensions of meaningful work, varied work, flexible work, challenging work and enjoyable work; the Organisational Commitment Scale (OCS) which is an 18 item scale measuring the desire, need and obligation to remain employed by an organisation; the Organisational Citizenship Behaviour Scale (OCBS) which is consistent of 20 items measuring the behaviours of altruism, courtesy, conscientiousness, civic virtue and sportsmanship; as well as a short demographic section. The questionnaire was electronically administered to 700 employees; however, it was only completed by a sample of 250 employees with a response rate of 35.7 percent. The data was analysed by means of both descriptive and inferential statistics consistent of frequency tables, central tendency and dispersion, Cronbach's alpha testing, Pearson's Product Moment Correlations and analysis of variance. The quantitative findings indicated that all three of the measurement scales were reliably used, due to Cronbach's alpha coefficients exceeding the acceptable 0.60. Significant differences existed in terms of the demographic variables included in the study for OC and to a lesser degree for OCBs and intrinsic rewards. The most significant differences were related to job level. The results identified that strong statistically and practically significant and positive correlations are existent between the constructs of intrinsic rewards, OC and OCBs. The strongest correlations were existent between the dimensions of intrinsic rewards and OC in terms of the desire (affective commitment) and obligation (normative commitment) to remain employed by the organisation as well as the organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) dimensions of civic virtue and conscientiousness. The strongest correlations in terms of OCBs and OC were between the OCB dimensions of civic virtue and altruism with affective commitment. The findings of this research study contribute to the literature available in terms of the constructs of intrinsic rewards, OC and OCBs and also provide statistical and practical evidence of the positive correlations between the three constructs. Consequently, the results from this study provided the management of this automotive manufacturer with important information into the intrinsic nature of their employees' jobs, the levels of OC as well as the propensity of their employees to display OCBs at work.