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Introduction: The South African economy has shown very little economic growth and car sales declined steadily from 1988 till they increased slightly in 1999. 2000 saw the economy recovering from a recession, and motor vehicle sales increasing. In order for the South African motor manufacturing industry to remain viable, the manufacturers, who must operate within the framework of the Motor Industry Development Plan, face increasing international competition as the large motor firms from around the world strive to gain a foothold in Africa in anticipation of an “African Renaissance.” South African manufacturers have to develop appropriate strategies to ensure profitability and survival in the new millennium. This entails a thorough analysis of the changing business environment the industry finds itself trading in.

M.Com. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

D.Com. (Economics) / For years the South African Economy emphasised the importance of the agricultural industry in the country. Only relatively recently it seems to have begun to acknowledge the importance of the industrial and manufacturing sectors. A part of the manufacturing sector is made up of the motor and related industries. It is the aim of this thesis to investigate the importance of this sector by developing regional input-output models for the South African motor vehicle and related industries. "The gap between elegant, but non-operational, theory and inadequately structured empirical research has always been serious in economics. Leontief's conception of input-output analysis proposed to eliminate this gap." It is therefore imperative that input-output analysis will be used. This thesis firstly explores input-output analysis and the theory behind it as developed by Polish economist Wassily Leontief; it then researches the current situation in the South African motor vehicle industry using data depicted in graphs and the elaboration of these graphs. Thirdly a comprehensive study of the South African motor vehicle industry follows exploring both its historical origin and recent developments in the field...

M.Com. (Economics) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

by Pak Chui Mei, Pat. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 42-44). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vi / ACKNOWLEDGMENTS --- p.vii / Chapter / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Automobile Industry in China --- p.1 / Passenger Car --- p.2 / Outlook --- p.3 / Research Objectives --- p.4 / Chapter II. --- METHODOLOGY --- p.5 / Chapter III. --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.7 / The Current Passenger Car Market Players --- p.7 / The Overall Market/ Industry --- p.13 / Chapter IV. --- HINDERING FACTORS --- p.18 / Demand Not Encouraging --- p.18 / Impact of WTO Membership --- p.18 / Neglected Component Sector --- p.19 / Aftermarket Is In Disorder --- p.19 / Policy Loophole/Conflicts --- p.20 / Local Protectionism --- p.21 / Smuggling --- p.21 / Debt Default Dilemma --- p.22 / Chapter V. --- GLOBALIZATON POTENTIAL AND VALUE --- p.24 / Market --- p.25 / Cost --- p.27 / Competitor --- p.29 / Government --- p.32 / Chapter VI. --- AREAS FOR CONSIDERATION --- p.34 / Facilitating Consolidation --- p.34 / Promoting Long-term Market Hype --- p.35 / Building Faith in the Beijing Government --- p.36 / 50/50 --- p.37 / Chapter VII. --- LIMITATIONS --- p.38 / APPENDIX --- p.40 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.42

<p>Proponents of lean production (LP) argue that successful implementation is dependent on creating an organisational climate that complements the adoption and implementation of innovation. Transformation of the organisational climate, from a culture of adversarialism (management versus workers) and worker exclusion (in terms of decision making) toward a culture of co-operation and worker participation, is thus a necessary complement to LP. Successful implementation of LP, and associated practices, thus requires the commitment of all stakeholders. This study explores worker attitudes towards transition to LP within a chosen company in the South African auto components sector. The study focuses on understanding worker perceptions of shifts in Human Resource and Industrial Relations practices which are associated with the transition to LP. The research reports on two surveys of workers to better understand their perceptions of the changes to the relationships among workers, and between workers and management.</p>

<p>Proponents of lean production (LP) argue that successful implementation is dependent on creating an organisational climate that complements the adoption and implementation of innovation. Transformation of the organisational climate, from a culture of adversarialism (management versus workers) and worker exclusion (in terms of decision making) toward a culture of co-operation and worker participation, is thus a necessary complement to LP. Successful implementation of LP, and associated practices, thus requires the commitment of all stakeholders. This study explores worker attitudes towards transition to LP within a chosen company in the South African auto components sector. The study focuses on understanding worker perceptions of shifts in Human Resource and Industrial Relations practices which are associated with the transition to LP. The research reports on two surveys of workers to better understand their perceptions of the changes to the relationships among workers, and between workers and management.</p>

The competitive environment for manufacturing firms has changed dramatically over the past few decades. Globalization has resulted in many organizations experiencing market pressures to foster a fundamental rethink of the way business is conducted. It is no longer possible for an organization to only focus on its individual operation in order to gain and sustain a competitive advantage. It is now recognized that the success of the individual organization if dependent, to a large extent, on the performance and reliability of its suppliers and customers. Customers now want a wide range of options where they can configure products in accordance with their unique specifications. Hence, logisitics and supply chain management has been introduced as an alternative strategy for businesses in global competition to meet their customers' rapidly changing requirements. / Thesis (DoctorateofBusinessAdministration)--University of South Australia, 2008.

This portfolio explores lean production implementation and the priority given by companies to adopt lean production technologies and practices. / Thesis (DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2004.