Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / Page 34 of digitised copy may appear cut off due to the condition of the original hard copy. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This report looks at what is important for Matrix Management to be successful in an organisation. After evaluating sixteen articles it was found that eleven elements are critical when implementing Matrix Management. These elements are: • Communication • Strong Leader • Culture • Rewards • Skills in Teams • Clear and Defined Goals • Senior Management Support • Defined Responsibility • Accountability • Procedures and Standards The model that was developed aims to indicate that there are certain fundamentals that an organisation needs to have in place before starting to work in a cross functional manner. These fundamentals are: to understand the goals of the organisation and the team, to develop procedures and standards (these should be communicated on a continuous basis), to define the responsibilities within the organisation and team, and to develop communication channels for internal and external communication. Next the model examines culture, where it differentiates between organisational culture and team culture. Organisation Culture includes innovation, respect for each other, rewarding and accountability. Team culture looks at commitment, cooperation and accountabilities. Then the model examines the three role players namely the senior management and their support, strong team leadership and the team members that are empowered and correctly skilled. All of these are interlinked through communication. It appears that little has changed over the past twenty years with regards to the fundamentals necessary to be successful. It is only the people and the organisations themselves that have changed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie verslag kyk na wat nodig is vir Matriks Bestuur om suksesvol te wees in 'n organisasie. Na die ontleding van sestien artikels is gevind dat elf elemente baie belangrik is tydens die implementering van Matriks Bestuur. Hierdie elemente is: • Kommunikasie • Sterk Leier • Kultuur • Vergoeding • Vaardighede in Spanne • Duidelike Doelwitte • Bemagtigde Lede • Senior Bestuur Ondersteuning • Gedefinieerde Verantwoordelikheid • Toerekenbaarheid • Prosedures en Standaardes Die model wat ontwikkel is probeer om uit te wys dat daar sekere fundamentele elemente is wat 'n organisasie in plek moet he voordat daar kruis-funksioneel begin werk word. Die fundamentele elemente is: verstaan die doelwitte van die organisasie en span, om prosedures en standaarde te ontwikkel (moet op 'n gereelde basis gekommunikeer word), om die verantwoordelikhede binne die organisasie en span te definieer, en om kommunikasie kanale vir interne en eksterne kommunikasie te ontwikkel. Volgende kyk die model na kultuur waar dit onderskei tussen organisasiekuituur en span-kultuur. Innovasie, respek vir mekaar, vergoeding en toerekenbaarheid val onder Organisasie kultuur en verbondenheid, samewerking en toerekenbaarheid val onder Span kultuur. Volgende kyk die model na die drie rolspelers naamlik senior bestuur en hulondersteuning, sterk spanleierskap en spanlede wat vaardig en volmagtig is. AI hierdie word deur kommunikasie verbind. Dit blyk dat nie veel verander het gedurende die laaste twintig jaar ten opsigte van die fundamentele elemente wat nodig is omsuksesvol te wees nie. Dit is slegs die mense en organisasies wat verander het.

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.

Technical report (MBA) -- University of Stellenbosch, 1987. / University of Stellenbosch Business School / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Two methods of inflation adjustments are explained and evaluated to determine which method gives better results for a company with a given capital structure. The objective was to lay down a method to predict, without detai l and difficult ca l culus , the preferred method to use for a company with a known financial structure . The resul ts of the two methods and for differen t companies notated on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange , are shown in the Appendices. / AFRIKAASE OPSOMMING: Twee metodes vir inflasie regstelling is verduidelik en geevalueer ten einde vas te stel watter metode beter resultate lewer vir 'n maatskappy met 'n gegewe kapitaalstruktuur. Die doelwit was om 'n metode daar te stel om te voorspel. sander detail berekeninge. watter metode verkieslik is vir 'n maatskappy met 'n bekende finansiele struktuur. Die resultate van die twee metodes en vir verskillende maatskappye genoteer op die Johannesburgse Effekte Beurs is getoon in bylaagvorm.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 1989. / Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the original hard copy. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: see fulltext for abstract / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: sien volteks vir opsomming

The gaining popularity of Knowledge Management (KM) has been reinforced by the quest for innovation and value creation. Value creation is grounded in the appropriate combination of human networks, social capital, intellectual capital, and technology assets, facilitated by a culture of change. It is indicated that the future of KM tends to focus on the study of the impact on people in terms of value or knowledge value creation. Because of this, the positive relationship between KM and value creation has been discussed extensively in the literature. However, the majority of the studies on knowledge value creation have been widely undertaken to highlight several case studies demonstrating success in developed countries, whilst very few studies have been done in the cultural context of developing countries. These studies in developing economies have identified several distinctive features, in particular socio-cultural factors that have an important role and influence in KM practices. A call has been made for further research to explore KM in different organisational and cultural contexts in developing economies. Thailand is an example of a developing country where a number of distinctive socio-cultural features have been identified. It therefore represents an interesting case to conduct a study on the influence of these cultural features on KM practices within an organisational context. The objective of this empirical study is to explore knowledge value creation practices in a Thai organisation. The research adopts an interpretive stance and employs a case study approach involving multiple data collection methods. It is based on the researcher's personal expertise and close involvement in the selected case study organisation for over a decade. The study characterises Thai distinctive culture in terms of collectiveness, shyness, conscientiousness and seniority, and indicates that these distinctive socio-cultural features critically influence (a) the social network ties and relationships between employees within and across teams, (b) the resulting level of trust between employees, and (c) the ability to share and create knowledge effectively in the organisational socio-cultural environment. The study is limited to a Thai organisation, but can be generalised to other organisations that exhibit similar characteristics. It provides interesting insights into the socio-cultural factors affecting knowledge management adoption in a Thai organisation and a foundation to further the research on the validation of the theoretical model that emerged from this empirical study.

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

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Exploitation of the knowledge generated by university research can bring social and economic benefits; thus, knowledge transfer between universities and industry is an important aspect of public policy. In many countries, including the United Kingdom (UK), universities have been developing the capacity to support the commercialisation of publicly funded research, typically by setting up centralised Knowledge Transfer Offices (KTOs). Previous studies have revealed that KTOs need a wide range of abilities to support the commercialisation of academic research, but our understanding of how these abilities are developed and have evolved over time remains limited. In order to address this identified gap in the literature, this thesis examines the questions: What do KTOs learn? How do KTOs learn? and Why do KTOs learn? To address these questions, the thesis adopts a practice-based view of organisational knowledge and learning. The conceptual framework developed to investigate learning by KTOs assumes that their commercialisation practice is learnt through the interactions of their staff within communities of practice, within networks of practice and across communities of practice, and that this learning can be initiated by KTO staff or by targeted strategies devised by the KTO and the university's management. This conceptual framework guides the case studies of six purposefully selected KTOs in the UK. The selection of KTOs is aimed at identifying cases with different learning patterns in order to maximise insights gained from cross-case comparisons as well as at literal replication of the findings. The analysis is based on data collected from semi-structured interviews with key staff in selected KTOs and on information from relevant documents, and follows the ‘explanation building' technique (Yin, 2009). The findings reveal that KTOs tend to develop one of two types of commercialisation practice – each of which is based on different implicit assumptions about generating science-based innovation, and associated with a different set of abilities. Moreover, the findings demonstrate the processes by which changes in practice come about, highlighting the interplay between situated learning and strategic practices of management. The results presented address the aforementioned gap in the literature on university-industry knowledge transfer and contribute to the developing situated learning theory by shedding light on how incremental and more radical changes in practice emerge. The findings should be useful to policy-makers who seek to support universities to build capability for knowledge transfer.

Thesis (MBA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2015 / The contribution of an MBA degree on career mobility in South Africa is of importance and exhibits strong interest from academics, business and public space. Many people believe that an MBA can help for any managerial position especially in cooperate business set up in terms of upward career mobility and skills acquisition. This study wanted to find out if indeed qualifying with an MBA degree helps graduates to move upward, get better salaries and benefits and feel more skilled.This study was conducted using graduates from the Turfloop Graduate School of Leadership, University of Limpopo, who graduated between 2007 and 2011. A total of 44 participants responded. The results mainly indicated that the MBA qualification does help in helping graduates feel better capacitated and ready for managerial positions. The qualification also helps with higher positions and/or salaries. However, for candidates to realise those better positions they mostly need to move to other organisations or even other provinces.The study recommends that another study focused on more universities that offer MBA in South Africa be carried out to compare the career advancement of graduates from all these universities. Another one that focuses on the reasons why career progression is not mostly realised in organisations within which candidates worked prior to getting an MBA degree is also recommended.

Knowledge Management has captured the attention of management and IT vendors are hastily bringing products to market. The interest in Knowledge Management is understandable given the moves towards knowledge based economies and workplaces. Large organisations have begun to understand the value of the knowledge held within their organisation. Nowadays, the value of an organisation may be based on its intellectual capital and this is demonstrated by organisations being sold for many times its worth in terms of hard assets. The concept of being able to store and use the 'knowledge' that is generated inside an organisation has obvious appeal. However, the management of this 'knowledge' and the ability to use it for an advantage requires careful planning and an understanding of knowledge inside the organisation and its workers. This process requires a mix of organisational, cultural and technology understanding. Current research and vendor interest is focussing on large organisations. However, Small to Medium size Enterprises (SMEs) also have an explicit need to manage their intellectual capital. Research interest in large organisations is strong, but SMEs cannot always use the findings that are targeted to large organisations and will probably be unable to afford the specific Knowledge Management tools offered by vendors. Nevertheless, SMEs can use the knowledge in their organisations to gain an advantage. In particular, the tourism industry has a significant knowledge component and Knowledge Management could provide substantial benefits. Many Knowledge Management principles apply to organisations irrespective of their size. How these can be implemented within a SME is the subject of this thesis.