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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
1

Entrepreneurship : key to organisational performance a case of Volkswagen Group of South Africa

Lechaba, Junior January 2012 (has links)
Intrapreneurship expresses organisational activities aimed at increasing quality of products, reducing production cost, capture or creates new product markets, and/or improving processes and services. This research study covers the investigation of potential influences on the intrapreneurial activity within an established organisation, and the possible outcome on financial performance. In the rapidly changing business environment of today, it has become necessary for the organisations to move from boundary-oriented thinking to continuous improvement in order to provide the disruptive competitive advantages necessary to survive and thrive in an environment where the ‘rules of the game’ change quickly in almost all companies and industries (Voelpel, Leibold and Tekie, 2005). Moreover, the automotive industry is no exception to this rule. In general, established companies deal with two significant challenges. First, they have to adapt to the external challenges of constantly changing and developing markets to keep pace with rapid technological evolution, globalisation, and progressively sophisticated competitors (Kemelgor, 2002; Kuratko, Hornsby and Goldsby, 2004). Second, they must deal with the internal challenges of modernising bureaucratic structures and processes, which can lead to slow development, decision-making and an inability to adapt easily to new situations (Hammer and Champy, 1994). In today's context of increasing market globalisation, companies wishing to maintain their competitiveness must innovate constantly (Carrier, 2001). Recognising the importance of meeting these challenges, organisational leaders must create high performance organisations in order to compete in a global mega-economic world. The old ways of doing business as usual and overwhelmed policies and procedures must be rooted out in order for the organisation to compete by identifying and sustaining diversified employees within a global economy (Kennedy, 2010). Companies generally engage in innovation for achieving an increase in quality of products, a reduction in production cost, capture or create new product markets, and reduce the firm’s reliance upon unreliable factors of production (Webster, 2004). There is a growing consensus that established companies must nurture intrapreneurial activity throughout their operations to continue to compete successfully (Sathe, 2003). Numerous authors have suggested intrapreneurship as a method of stimulating innovation and using the creative energy of employees by giving them the resources and independence they need to innovate within the firm (Carrier, 2001; Amo and Kolvereid, 2005). However, there is a certain amount of ambiguity around the concept of intrapreneurship, and this may lead to questions about the difference between intrapreneurship and intrapreneurship (Carrier, 2001). It is therefore important, before introducing the object of this research, to look more closely at the concept on which intrapreneurship is based, and to examine the trends in the research on intrapreneurship. The research conducted by Eesley and Longenecker (2006) suggest that intrapreneurship is a practice of creating new business products and opportunities in an organisation through proactive empowerment and risk-taking. This is considered a key component to organisational success; especially in organisations that operate in rapidly changing industries (Eesley and Longenecker, 2006). Intrapreneurship can manifest itself at every level of the company and regardless of the nature of the position held. Hence, we could have intrapreneurs in technical or non-technical functions; senior, middle or junior management levels; line or staff functions, and manufacturing or service related roles. Beyond this wide perspective, other authors have suggested that intrapreneurship requires a culture built around emotional commitment, autonomy, empowerment, earned respect, and a strong work ethic (Axtell, Holman, Unsworth, Wall, Waterson and Harrington, 2000). They believed intrapreneurship is inseparably connected with leadership, since it involves mobilising teams of people towards a cause much greater than the individuals involved often in the face of significant resistance from status quo preserving forces within and outside the organisation (Seshadri and Tripathy, 2006). Therefore, the failure of organisations to take members inputs on organisational improvement; sanction, promote and encourage risk-taking, empowerment, and improvement actions; give clear organisational direction, priorities, and objectives; and lack of top management support in risk-taking and improvement initiatives, could stifle intrapreneurship (Eesley and Longenecker, 2006). In light of the scope and the group target, intrapreneurship can be considered beneficial for the revitalisation and performance of companies, both large corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises. Previous research conceptualised intrapreneurship in terms of four dimensions that were somewhat distinct in terms of their activities and orientations (Antoncic and Hisrich, 2001): New business venturing; Innovativeness; Self-renewal; and, Proactiveness. The intended contribution of this study is to make use of a self-constructed measuring instrument to demonstrate that intrapreneurship has had a positive influence on corporate performance within an established organisation, in the automotive industry of South Africa. This study can be viewed as a reciprocal contribution to companies seeking to create an intrapreneurial climate aimed, on the other hand at creating high performance organisation and on the other hand to motivate professionals in these companies requiring a wider portfolio of significant knowledge and skills development.
2

Registered nurses' perception regarding the bureaucratic view of power in health care services in the Tshwane metropolitan region

Moji, Vindi Sarah 30 September 2006 (has links)
This study investigated the registered nurses' perceptions of the bureaucratic view of power in health care services in the Tshwane metropolitan region. The study further sought to describe how power affects the role of registered nurses in an organisation that is perceived to be predominantly bureaucratic in its' approach to management. A quantitative descriptive exploratory approach was adopted. Data was drawn from 121 respondents by random distribution of questionnaires to three selected health care services in the Tshwane metropolitan region. The findings revealed that registered nurses were largely divided in their perception of the bureaucratic view of power in health care services. Almost half of the respondents indicated that great strides had been taken by organisations in transforming health care services in accordance with the White Paper (1997) on Transformation of the Health System in South Africa and the recommendations of the 2001 Health Summit. The others indicated that registered nurses still needed to break out of the restraints of their dependant role towards taking ownership of health care services by equally bearing the burden of the organisation with management. / Health Studies / M.A.(Health Studies)
3

Registered nurses' perception regarding the bureaucratic view of power in health care services in the Tshwane metropolitan region

Moji, Vindi Sarah 30 September 2006 (has links)
This study investigated the registered nurses' perceptions of the bureaucratic view of power in health care services in the Tshwane metropolitan region. The study further sought to describe how power affects the role of registered nurses in an organisation that is perceived to be predominantly bureaucratic in its' approach to management. A quantitative descriptive exploratory approach was adopted. Data was drawn from 121 respondents by random distribution of questionnaires to three selected health care services in the Tshwane metropolitan region. The findings revealed that registered nurses were largely divided in their perception of the bureaucratic view of power in health care services. Almost half of the respondents indicated that great strides had been taken by organisations in transforming health care services in accordance with the White Paper (1997) on Transformation of the Health System in South Africa and the recommendations of the 2001 Health Summit. The others indicated that registered nurses still needed to break out of the restraints of their dependant role towards taking ownership of health care services by equally bearing the burden of the organisation with management. / Health Studies / M.A.(Health Studies)
4

South Africa and Japan - a bureaucratic policy analysis

Magwaza, Mayibuye Matthew 12 1900 (has links)
Thesis (MA)-- Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study applies a modified bureaucratic policy process model to analyse contemporary South African – Japanese relations, particularly in regards to a proposed Economic Partnership Agreement, and the experiences of Japanese agencies within South Africa. South Africa and Japan are major trade partners, and the Japanese government has a significant presence in the African aid scene via the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), and through the works of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). South African – Japanese relations have been documented in a modest but respectable fashion by a range of researchers, including Alden, Skidmore and Osada. The bureaucratic policy process model has been used in an array of studies on international relations and decision making, notably by Graham Allison. However, it has not been previously applied to South African – Japanese relations. As a result, there is a dearth of information on how bureaucratic dynamics affect Japanese – South African relations. In response to this, a modified bureaucratic policy process model is used to analyse contemporary South African – Japanese governmental relations. A literature review of primary and secondary sources is undertaken, consisting of a historical review of South African – Japanese relations. Following this, a brief overview of contemporary literature on South African – Japanese relations is performed. This includes both secondary sources and primary sources relating to government bureaucracies current priorities and strategies. Material on TICAD is included in this section. Interviews with government officials from both the Japanese and South African governments are carried out using a modified snowball sampling system. The interviews provide insights into the different bureaucratic organization’s priorities and programmes, as well as their relationships with other organizations. From this data, two emergent themes are addressed: the failure of a contemplated Free Trade Agreement / Economic Partnership Agreement and the way in which Japanese agencies, particularly JICA, operate within the South Africa context. It is found that the FTA failed due to welfare concerns from the South African Department of Trade and Industry, as well as greater complications relating to trade agreements in general. These greater complications stem from the involvement of regional bodies such as the South African Customs Union. Japanese agencies are found to be constrained within South Africa by a lack of resources as well as by the independent and somewhat sceptical attitude of South African government agencies towards Japanese aid efforts. It is proposed that the relevance of extra national bureaucracies to the decision making process surrounding the FTA has implications for deploying the bureaucratic policy process model, which has generally only considered national bureaucracies in discussing how decisions are made. It is further suggested that South African trade deals are complicated by the country’s location within the South African Customs Union and the South African Development Community, and the consequent need to consult and negotiate with third parties who are likely to be impacted by such deals. Finally, it is suggested that because both South Africa and Japan face significant, but different economic challenges, they should prioritise improving their economic relations. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het ’n aangepaste burokratiese beleidsprosesmodel gebruik om die hedendaagse betrekkinge tussen Suid-Afrika en Japan te ontleed, veral wat betref ’n voorgestelde ekonomiese vennootskapsooreenkoms tussen die twee lande en die ervarings van Japannese agentskappe in Suid-Afrika. Suid-Afrika en Japan is groot handelsvennote, en die Japannese regering handhaaf ’n beduidende teenwoordigheid op die Afrika-hulptoneel deur middel van die Tokiose Internasionale Konferensie oor Afrika-ontwikkeling (TICAD) en die werk van die Japannese Internasionale Samewerkingsagentskap (JICA). Verskeie navorsers, waaronder Alden, Skidmore en Osada, het die betrekkinge tussen Suid-Afrika en Japan al op beskeie dog aansienlike wyse beskryf. Die burokratiese beleidsprosesmodel is al in ’n rits studies oor internasionale betrekkinge en besluitneming gebruik, in die besonder deur Graham Allison. Tog is dit nog nooit voorheen op betrekkinge tussen Suid-Afrika en Japan toegepas nie. Dus bestaan daar weinig inligting oor hoe burokratiese dinamiek die betrekkinge tussen hierdie twee lande raak. In antwoord hierop is ’n aangepaste burokratiese beleidsprosesmodel dus gebruik om die hedendaagse staatsbetrekkinge tussen Suid-Afrika en Japan te ontleed. Eerstens is ’n literatuuroorsig van primêre en sekondêre bronne onderneem wat uit ’n historiese oorsig van betrekkinge tussen Suid-Afrika en Japan bestaan het. Daarná is ’n oorsig van kontemporêre literatuur oor die verhoudinge tussen die twee lande onderneem. Dít het sowel sekondêre as primêre bronne met betrekking tot die huidige prioriteite en strategieë van staatsburokrasieë ingesluit. Hierdie afdeling sluit ook materiaal oor TICAD in. Onderhoude met staatsamptenare van die Japannese sowel as die Suid-Afrikaanse regerings is met behulp van ’n aangepaste stelsel van sneeubalsteekproefneming gevoer. Die onderhoude bied insig in die verskillende burokratiese organisasies se prioriteite en programme, sowel as hul verhoudings met ander organisasies. Twee temas wat uit hierdie data na vore gekom het, is vervolgens bespreek: die mislukking van ’n beoogde vryehandel-/ekonomiese vennootskapsooreenkoms, en die funksionering van Japannese agentskappe, veral JICA, in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Daar word bevind dat die vryehandelsooreenkoms misluk het weens welsynsbesware van die Suid-Afrikaanse Departement van Handel en Nywerheid, sowel as groter komplikasies met betrekking tot handelsooreenkomste in die algemeen. Hierdie groter komplikasies hou verband met die betrokkenheid van streeksliggame soos die Suider-Afrikaanse Doeane-unie. Voorts blyk Japannese agentskappe in Suid-Afrika aan bande gelê te word deur ’n gebrek aan hulpbronne, sowel as Suid-Afrikaanse staatsagentskappe se onafhanklike en effens skeptiese houding jeens Japannese hulppogings. Die studie doen aan die hand dat die relevansie van bykomende nasionale burokrasieë in die besluitnemingsproses oor die vryehandelsooreenkoms bepaalde implikasies inhou vir die gebruik van die burokratiese beleidsprosesmodel, wat meestal slegs rekening hou met enkele nasionale burokrasieë se rol in besluitneming. Voorts blyk dit dat Suid-Afrikaanse handelstransaksies bemoeilik word deur die land se lidmaatskap van die Suider-Afrikaanse Doeane-unie en die Suider-Afrikaanse Ontwikkelingsgemeenskap, en die gevolglike behoefte om oorleg te pleeg met derde partye wat waarskynlik deur sulke transaksies geraak sal word. Laastens word aangevoer dat aangesien Suid-Afrika en Japan met beduidende dog verskillende ekonomiese uitdagings te kampe het, die verbetering van ekonomiese betrekkinge tussen die twee lande nou voorrang behoort te geniet.

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