The financial meltdown that started in 2008 has had a severe influence on financial institutions worldwide. Financial sectors, and especially banks, were impacted severely due to bad debts that reached record highs. During this period, it became clear that banks will have to review their client-service strategies, as well as the way that income is generated from their clients. One way is to increase the income earned from existing customers by cross-selling more products to these clients. To increase the income earned from clients by improving the amount of products sold to clients, banks need to retain their client base. In most South African business banks, a customer relationship management (CRM) process is followed. CRM has become an important part of relationship banking; and it plays a significant role in customer acquisition and maintaining a profitable business relationship. Despite much research on cross-selling and satisfaction, no study seems to provide a clear indication on the role of CRM in providing customer satisfaction and cross-selling in the South African business-banking sector. This study will attempt to determine the role of CRM in satisfaction and cross-selling in business banking. For this purpose, the client base of a commercial bank in South Africa will be utilised. The study will focus on business clients in the small, medium and large sectors of the bank. The purpose of this research is to determine the role of multi-level CRM in satisfaction and cross-selling in the business-banking segment. The research objectives driving this research are: • To determine whether those segments serviced through different CRM processes experience different levels of satisfaction; • Investigating whether those segments with higher levels of satisfaction show more cross-selling; • Discovering whether those customers exposed to CRM over longer periods of time have higher levels of satisfaction; • Assessing whether those segments serviced through higher levels of CRM result in higher levels of cross-selling; • Determining whether customers exposed to CRM over longer periods of time demonstrate a higher cross-selling propensity; • To investigate whether customers with high levels of cross-selling have a greater likelihood to recommend their bank to others; • To determine whether a higher likelihood to recommend within segments shows higher levels of cross-selling; • Assessing whether segments differ in their likelihood to recommend their bank to others; and • Investigating whether customers with a longer bank relationship have a higher likelihood of recommending their bank to others. To execute the research, relevant secondary databases need to be sourced. The first database was from a research company, which conducts research for the bank in scope; while the second database would be from the bank in scope’s warehouse. After evaluating the databases for the relevance and quality of the data, the databases were combined into a final dataset – for the purpose of data mining – to address the research objectives. The population for this study consists of small, medium and large business clients of one of the banking groups in South Africa. The results indicated the existence of significant differences between these business segments in terms of their satisfaction experienced; and they confirmed an association between the length of a customer’s relationship with the bank and his/her level of satisfaction experienced. When considering cross-selling and the likelihood to recommend, the results also demonstrate that a positive relationship exists between customers as regards their cross-selling ratio and the likelihood to recommend their bank. The findings from the study should guide managers to distinguish between the satisfaction experienced and the cross-sales generated by the CRM structures used in specific segments in business banking. The study should contribute to the body of knowledge in CRM and cross-selling by adding to the literature knowledge base. / Thesis (DCom)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2013 / Marketing Management / unrestricted

Gender equality and women empowerment are two of the most up-to-date concerns on the international arena today. Several methods are being adopted with the aim to allow women’s equal social, economic and political participation. Entrepreneurship has been highlighted as a useful tool to foster women’s empowerment and hence the promotion of entrepreneurship has become a prominent approach in modern development efforts.   In Uganda, women constitute the majority of the informal labour force and are widely engaged in micro-business activities. Thus, this ethnographically inspired research aimed to assess if entrepreneurship can contribute to increased social power among female entrepreneurs in urban and suburban Kampala, Uganda. To do this, John Friedmann’s (Dis)empowerment model has been used as the main frame of interpretation. To fit into the context of women, it has been complemented with a gender analysis in order to identify the structural inequalities that may constrain the empowering impact of entrepreneurship.   This research was carried out as a field study in Kampala City and in three Kampala suburbs: Kyaliwajjala, Kireka and Kinawataka. It was financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and was conducted during nine weeks in September-November 2014. In total, 45 interviews were carried out with local business women as well as with local representatives and stakeholders in women entrepreneurship and women empowerment.   The conclusions drawn from this study is that entrepreneurship has contributed to increased social power among the women participating in this research, but that traditional gender norms and structures can constrain the empowering process. Greater economic responsibilities have not eased women’s obligations in the domestic sphere and thus created a double burden.

This dissertation critically analyses the business rescue regime, with a specific focus on those attributes of the regime which detrimentally affect creditors. The main aspects which will be critically analysed include, the moratorium, the effect of business rescue on suretyships and the costs of business rescue. Examples will be used to illustrate the ways in which the business rescue regime is disproportionately slanted in favour of debtor companies as opposed to their creditors. Proposals as to how the regime can be developed to balance the competing interests of debtor companies and their creditors will also be made. / Mini Dissertation (LLM (Corporate Law))--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Mercantile Law / LLM (Corporate Law) / Unrestricted

Due to South Africa's history of apartheid the current regime have implemented the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policy to rectify the discrimination against previously disadvantaged groups. The BEE policy gives incentives for companies to hire non-whites in higher positions, like management, and the ambition with this is to create equality. With a qualitative research method and using an abductive approach this study research how South African SMMEs are influenced by the BEE policy when they internationalize. This study concludes that South African SMMEs are differently influenced by the BEE policy when they internationalize. Furthermore, this research shows that the impact is highly dependent on the business owners ethnicity. The influence the BEE policy had on black owned business was predominantly positive. However, the effect the BEE policy had on white owned businesses was more complex. As far as this research shows, the influence the BEE policy had on SMMEs when they internationalize are an extension of how the BEE policy influenced them in the domestic market. The authors recommendation is that the relationship between BEE and internationalization is further investigated and that this study is complemented with a quantitative research.

Thesis (MBA) -- Stellenbosch University, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study project aims at investigating and selecting the most proficient facilitation tools to propel an organisation towards excellence, based on the theory, principles and practices of the South African Business Excellence Foundation Model (SAEM). It focuses on established and documented processes, models and matrices that can serve as a toolkit for organisations to facilitate excellence through simplification of complex business problems and to provide a visual aid when confronted with every day organisational issues. The study shows that the SAEM is structured model and by using it in conjunction with the various models and matrices it provides a solid foundation for facilitating excellence in business. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie identifiseer die modelle en matrikse wat organisasies kan help om 'n vlak van uitmuntendheid te bereik. Die SAEM (South African Excellence Model) word as basis gebruik en die 11 pilare van die SAEM dien as 'n raamwerk vir die ondersoek. Die studie identifiseer slegs die modelle en matrikse wat op deeglike besigheidsbeginsels gegrond is en wat deur erkende navorsers gebruik word om algemene besigheidsprobleme die hoof te bied. Die model en matrikse vereenvoudig die elemente wat vervat is in die SAEM en dien ook as visuele hulpmiddels om sodoende organisasies se strewe na uitmuntendheid te fasiliteer. Die studie toon aan dat die SAEM tesame met die onderskeie modelle en matrikse 'n gestruktueerde benadering bied om organisasies se strewe na uitmuntendheid te fasiliteer.

This study is based on a combination of existing theoretical knowledge and recently conducted empirical research. The analysis of knowledge that has come from the academic world has resulted in an extensive review of budgeting. The review starts at the inception of budgets in the nineteenth century, where it was just a tool to manage cost and cash flows. The study follows the trajectory of the evolution of budgeting from Traditional Budgeting practices that lasted for decades to, what is known today as, Better Budgeting. The evolution of budgeting has been driven by the desire of organisations to mitigate business challenges which result from the economic volatilities of the day as well as to remain competitive. This desire to mitigate business challenges remains relevant today and demands that organisations be equipped with best practice management tools, systems and business processes. In order to manage organisations effectively and efficiently, Management Accounting as a discipline is in a state of constant development. Over the years, a number of new innovations have been introduced in the field of Management Accounting. These include (but are not limited to) concepts such as Activity Based Costing (ABC), Activity Based Management (ABM), Activity Based Budgeting (ABB), Target Costing, Strategic Cost Management and Economic Value Added (Budgeting)(EVA™), Zero Based Budgeting (ZBB), Rolling Budgets and Forecasting (RBF), Balanced-Score Card (BSC) and Beyond Budgeting. These innovations aim to provide business managers with practical value adding solutions for a better understanding of the organisation’s product or service costing and planning strategies. The focus of this study is on innovations relating to the planning strategies of the organisation. Innovations that relate to planning include: Activity Based Budgeting, Zero Based Budgeting and Rolling Budgeting and Forecasting. The budget evolution is not short of academic value; researchers have conducted empirical surveys and have provided a theoretical perspective on the subject matter with fruitful findings. There appears to be a consensus regarding a total overhaul of Traditional Budgeting with the clear intention to move towards Better Budgeting. In the midst of this continued research work, there has been an emergence of a radical view about budgeting. This radical view concerns pursuing an agenda that suggests that organisations must stop preparing budgets. The gist of this radical development can be summed up as the limitations presented by budgeting in organisations. This recent concept has been coined as Beyond Budgeting. To remain globally competitive, South African organisations must keep abreast with the latest developments in management practices. This study therefore provides a good platform for South African organisations to obtain knowledge in what other countries are already doing around the subject of budgeting. The study has a two-pronged problem statement. Firstly, do organisations still budget? Secondly, what do organisations feel is the future for budgeting? Are they keeping with Traditional Budgeting, moving towards Better Budgeting or rather going further and looking Beyond Budgeting? The South African business community is no exception to this global budget debate about Traditional Budgeting, Better Budgeting and Beyond Budgeting. To gather evidence, the study made use of an online survey questionnaire that is attached as Appendix 2. An email invite containing an Internet hyperlink was sent to respondents. Respondents were expected to click on the hyperlink to gain access the pre-designed online survey questionnaire. Upon the analysis of the results, it was concluded that the South African business community still relies on budgeting, with 90% of the respondents saying that budgeting is indispensable, as their organisations will not manage without budgeting. Furthermore, there was a clear-cut move from Traditional Budgeting towards Better Budgeting. The study also concluded that the move towards Better Budgeting is supported by the inability of Traditional Budgeting to keep up with the rapid changes in macro and micro-economic factors. Also interesting to note is the revelation that 0% of the respondents indicated that they had adopted and implemented Beyond Budgeting. This resistance by the South African business community to the adoption of Beyond Budgeting and the resulting slower pace of this new practice's implementation is actually similar to the pace at which global organisations have received this radical budgeting practice. / Dissertation (MCom) University of Pretoria, 2012 / am2013 / Financial Management / unrestricted

This dissertation examines the flow of economic news in Africa, in order to investigate the potential existence of regional hierarchies in international news flow. The research was based on a framework of theories on international news flow. A quantitative and qualitative content analysis of a sample of news articles published in Africa Investor, African Business and Business in Africa during 2007 and 2008 was analysed. The quantitative results showed that South Africa received the highest level of coverage and was covered to a greater extent than any other African country. The qualitative results indicated that there was clear evidence of regional hierarchy in the coverage of African countries: South Africa received extensive coverage probably due to the fact that it is the largest, most advanced and influential economy in the continent. The study showed that inequality in news coverage is not only a global issue, but also a regional one. / Communication Science / M.A. (International Communication)

This dissertation examines the flow of economic news in Africa, in order to investigate the potential existence of regional hierarchies in international news flow. The research was based on a framework of theories on international news flow. A quantitative and qualitative content analysis of a sample of news articles published in Africa Investor, African Business and Business in Africa during 2007 and 2008 was analysed. The quantitative results showed that South Africa received the highest level of coverage and was covered to a greater extent than any other African country. The qualitative results indicated that there was clear evidence of regional hierarchy in the coverage of African countries: South Africa received extensive coverage probably due to the fact that it is the largest, most advanced and influential economy in the continent. The study showed that inequality in news coverage is not only a global issue, but also a regional one. / Communication Science / M.A. (International Communication)