Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the United States nearly one in every ten households rents a self storage unit and the industry had a gross turn-over of 22.6 billion dollars in 2006 (Self Storage Industry Fact Sheet, 2007). The success of the industry has lead to an extension of the conventional mortar and brick facilities to container-like mobile units. These units are transported to the customers so that customers have the freedom to load their furniture and house appliances, for storage, themselves. The container unit is then collected by truck and transported to a storage facility located in an inexpensive area. The main difference of the mobile Self-Storage facility to conventional facilities is the convenience that it provides the client and the cost benefit to the mobile storage owner. The aim of this research report is to provide the company, Mobile Storage SA (Pty) Ltd, with a practical business plan to be used to as a guide to implement the business and as supporting documentation to raise the necessary capital. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die Verenigde State van Amerika gebruik een uit elke tien huishoudings Self-Stoor fasiliteite en het die industrie n bruto imkomste van 22.6 biljoen dollars gehad in 2006 (Self Storage Industry Fact Sheet, 2007). Die sukses van die industrie het gelei tot die totstandkoming van n toevoeging tot die konvensionele sement en baksteen fasiliteite in die vorm van verskeeping houer tipie mobiele eenhede. Die mobile eenhede word na kliente vervoer sodat die klient the vryheid het om self sy meubels en huisware vir storing te pak. Die verskeepings eenheid word dan by die klient gekolleteer met behulp van n vragmotor en vervoer na n goedkoper storings area. Die groot verkil tussen die mobiele eenheid en die konvensionele eenheid is die gemak wat dit vir die klient bied en die koste besparing vir die mobiele storings besigheid eienaar. Die doel van hierdie navorsings verslag is om die maatskappy, Mobile Storage SA (Pty) Ltd, te voorsien van n besigheidsplan wat gebruik kan word om die besigheid tot stand te bring en as ondersteunende dokumentasie kan dien wanneer kapitaal geleen word.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / The world over, South Africa included, companies are beginning to realise that while success is measured in terms of profits and shareholder return, people and in particular, talented people drive and deliver that success. With this realisation has begun the war for talent, whereby companies now compete with each other for the best people in the pool, knowing that these talented individuals will drive sustainable success both in business ventures and over competitors in the marketplace. With this swiftly becoming the status quo, the strategic role played by human resources (HR) becomes integral to organisational success as a major facet of company strategy now needs to focus on human capital and talent management strategies in order to attract and retain the best talent to deliver business success. With Generation Y professionals entering the workforce by the masses, companies and their HR departments swiftly need to identify effective ways to best engage with Generation Y employees. As Generation Y is the only growing generational population in the current workforces of employers, the need to develop strategies, procedures and policies to address their career needs, desires and wants is becoming increasingly crucial. Companies seeking to be sustainably successful in the long-term need to begin to identify what will need to be incorporated into their current practices to appeal to Generation Y in order to motivate, attract and retain Generation Y talented professionals. While Companies acknowledge that talent is a major driver of business success and sustainability, this acknowledgment does not automatically lead to the development of strategies focused on facilitating Generation Y as the main population in the workforce. Currently little research and literature exists regarding Generation Y career needs and wants. Compounding this is the fact that many companies design and implement HR strategies aimed to address the career needs and wants of older Generations, who are either already exiting or beginning to exit the workforce

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Through the continual pursuit to reduce wastage through converting unmarketable by-products into a form that can be sold or used, it was established that an opportunity was available to refine poor-quality fish oil into a fuel source for internal use by a company. By commissioning a biodiesel refinery at the pelagic fish-processing facility of Pioneer Fishing (Pty) Ltd, it will be possible to refine the fish oil into biodiesel and easily distribute the fuel to the fishing vessels or the trucks used for the catching and transportation of pelagic fish. South African legislation is promoting small-scale biodiesel plants by reducing the taxes and levies payable on biodiesel sold by those refineries. The aim of this research report is to provide Pioneer Fishing (Pty) Ltd with a business plan to motivate the commissioning of a small-scale biodiesel plant to process the waste fish oil into a useable energy source to fuel the fishing vessels and trucks. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die voortdurende strewe na minder vermorsing deur onbemarkbare neweprodukte in ʼn verhandelbare of bruikbare vorm om te sit, het die geleentheid uitgewys om visolie van ʼn swak gehalte tot ʼn brandstof vir interne gebruik deur ‟n maatskappy te raffineer. Deur ʼn biodieselraffinadery by die diepseevisverwerkingsfasiliteit van Pioneer Fishing (Edms) Bpk in gebruik te neem, sal die afvalvisolie van dié aanleg tot biodiesel geraffineer kan word. Die biodiesel sal betreklik maklik beskikbaar gestel kan word aan die vaartuie en die vragmotors wat vir die vangs en vervoer van die diepseevis gebruik word. Heersende Suid-Afrikaanse wetgewing moedig juis kleinskaalse biodieselaanlegte aan deur ʼn korting toe te staan op die belasting en heffings op die biodiesel van sodanige raffinaderye. Hierdie navorsingsverslag het ten doel om Pioneer Fishing (Edms) Bpk van ʼn sakeplan te voorsien ter motivering van die ingebruikneming van ʼn kleinskaalse biodieselaanleg om die afvalvisolie tot ʼn bruikbare energiebron te verwerk waarmee die visvaartuie en -vragmotors aangedryf kan word.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study project addresses the role spirituality in the workplace can play. The conclusion is that although people are different, in the working environment in an organisation, much time is spent together and creating an environment that is a joy to work in, will induce the employees to work with energy and be highly productive. A number of interviews were conducted and factual information was acquired to analyse the effects of spirituality in the workplace. A conclusion is reached that underlines the fact to counter low morale, low productivity and negative attitudes in the workplace it is imperative that we should address the spirituality in the workplace thus ensuring that a positive organisation culture is maintained within the organisation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie projek behandel die rol wat geestelikheid in die werkplek kan speel. Die gevolgtrekking wat gemaak kan word is dat alhoewel mense van mekaar verskil in die werksomgewing binne die organisasie, hulle ‘n groot gedeelte van die dag met mekaar spandeer en vir dié rede is dit van kardinale belang dat ‘n goeie werksklimaat geskep word wat sal bydra dat die werknemer energiek werk en hoë produktiwiteit handhaaf. ‘n Aantal onderhoude was gevoer en feitlike inligting was verkry om die effek van geestelikheid in die werksplek te ondersoek. ‘n Slotsom is bereik dat die feite van lae moraal, lae produktiwiteit en negatiewe ingesteldheid in die werksplek belangrik is om geadresseer te word ten einde te verseker dat geestelikheid in die werksplek toegepas word en dat ‘n positiewe klimaat in die organisasie handhaaf word.

Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / The ability to bring products to market which comply with quality, cost and development time goals is vital to the survival of firms in a competitive environment. New product development comprises knowledge creation and search and can be organised in different ways. New product development requires the close collaboration of virtually all functions within a company. The existence of an effective cross-functional team, with clearly-defined objectives, is thus critical to the successful development of any new product. Furthermore, the success of new products depends mainly on the new product development process. The purpose of this research study is to review literature on new product development processes and the effect it has on organisational performance and also to take a critical look at the new product development and implementation (NPD & I) process applied in Telecom Namibia (TN). This study also provides insights to various TN stakeholders, particularly senior management and relevant individuals involved in product development, enabling individuals to recognise the role product development plays towards sustainability of the company. The study also provides a working guide for managers to identify opportunities for improving the new product development (NPD) process. The primary research objective is to critically audit the effect of new product development processes on TN’s performance. The secondary research objective is to develop frameworks and methodologies for guiding the development of effective strategies that have been tested in numerous businesses. A major finding of this study is that the success of new products depends mainly on the new product development process and that it has a major impact on organisational performance.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Empirical research is done to determine whether trading strategies based on technical analysis can outperform a naive buy-and-hold strategy. A study is made of classical and contemporary academic literature. The central investigation is threefold. Firstly, the degree of randomness of a chosen basket of securities is determined vis-a-vis the Random Walk Hypothesis. Secondly, the effectiveness of stop loss orders is assessed. Lastly, a collection of chosen trading strategies is back-tested on security data ranging over 20 years. Performance of these systems is measured on net average and risk-adjusted gains in the absence of transaction and taxation costs. The finding of this report is that, in the absence of these costs, certain technical trading strategies can indeed outperform a buy-and-hold strategy. Although end-of-day data is used throughout the study, the techniques can also be applied to intra-day trading. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Empiriese navorsing is gedoen om te bepaal of handelstrategiee wat op tegniese ontleding gebaseer is, beter kan presteer as 'n klassieke konserwatiewe koop-en-hou-strategie. Omvattende literatuurstudie is gedoen van klassieke en kontemporere literatuur, en die kruks van die navorsing is drieledig. Eerstens word die toevalligheidsgraad van 'n gekose aandelepakket ten opsigte van die hipotese van ewekansigce koersbeweging bepaal. Tweedens word die effektiwiteit van "stop-verlies" opdragte ontleed en laastens word 'n versameling historiese handelstrategiee getoets met die laaste 20 jaar se aandeledata. Die prestasie van die onledingstelsels word gemeet aan die hand van die netto gemiddelde en risiko aangepaste opbrengste met uitsluiting van die transaksie en belasting kostes. Die bevinding van die studie is dat met uitsluiting van die transakie en belasting kostes, die gebruik van tegniese ontledings inderdaad hoer opbrengste lewer as die klassieke koop-en-hou strategie. Alhoewel dag sluitingsdata deurlopend vir die studie gebruik was, kan die tegnieke ook op intradag data toegepas word.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The ultimate goal of the African Union is full political and economic integration, which includes a monetary union with a common currency for all member states of the African Union. This monetary integration is proposed to take place in two stages: firstly, through five regions, and secondly, through complete integration. This report examines current trade data for member states of the African Union using k means duster analysis to group countries according to trade patterns. Analysis was performed for the actual US dollar value of trade, as well as considering only the presence or absence of trade. There are limitations to the data collected: firstly, they are annual data, which masks fluctuations in trade due to economic conditions or political developments. Secondly, they are subject to missing or under-reported values. The focus of this research report was to consider trade figures for the first time, and the limitations were considered acceptable in view of the aim of achieving a first approximation of results. When considering all solutions, there are overlaps between clusters, but no definite patterns emerge that are common to all analyses. Considering the F and Euclidean distances of all solutions, the best appears to be that for clusters derived from analysing trade figures between Africa and its trading partners outside Africa. Further analysis of this solution failed to demonstrate viable clusters. The final conclusion to be made from this analysis is that k means clustering of trade figures for member states of the African Union does not generate viable clusters that could be used as steps towards full monetary integration in Africa. Given this conclusion it is recommended that the stepwise progression towards full monetary integration be considered by utilising existing economic arrangements, i.e. by using the five Regional Economic Communities proposed by the African Union. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die uiteindelike doel van die Afrika-unie is volledige politieke en ekonomiese integrasie, wat 'n monetere unie met 'n gemeenskaplike geldeenheid vir al die lidstate van die Afrika-unie insluit. Hierdie monetere integrasie word in twee stadiums beoog: eers deur vyf streke, en daarna deur volledige integrasie. Hierdie verslag ondersoek die huidige handelsdata vir lidstate van die Afrika-unie deur k gemiddelde trosanalise te gebruik om lande volgens handelspatrone te groepeer. 'n Analise is ook gedoen van die werklike VS-dollarwaarde van handel, en deur die aanwesigheid of afwesigheid van handel in aanmerking te neem. Daar is beperkings op die data wat ingesamel is: eerstens is dit jaarlikse data, wat skommelings in handel as gevolg van ekonomiese toestande of politieke ontwikkelings verberg. Tweedens is hulle onderworpe aan ontbrekende of ondergerapporteerde waardes. Die fokus van hierdie navorsingsverslag was dus om handelsyfers vir die eerste keer te oorweeg, en die beperkings is aanvaarbaar beskou in die lig van die doel om 'n eerste benadering van resultate te verkry. Wanneer aile oplossings oorweeg word, is daar oorvleueling tussen trosse, maar geen definitiewe patrone ontstaan wat vir alle analises geld nie. Wanneer die F- en Euklidiese afstande van alle oplossings oorweeg word, lyk dit asof die beste die trosse is wat verkry is uit die analise van handelsyfers tussen Afrika en sy handelsvennote buite Afrika. Verdere analise van hierdie oplossing het nie lewensvatbare trosse aangedui nie. Die finale gevolgtrekking wat uit hierdie analise gemaak kan word, is dat k gemidderde trosvorming van handelsyfers vir lidstate van die Afrika-unie nie lewensvatbare trosse genereer wat gebruik kan word as stappe in die rigting van volledige monetere integrasie in Afrika nie. Met die oog op hierdie gevolgtrekking word daar aanbeveel dat die stapsgewyse vordering na volledige monetere integrasie oorweeg moet word deur bestaande ekonomiese reelings te gebruik, d.w.s. deur die vyf Streeksekonomiese Gemeenskappe te gebruik wat deur die Afrika-unie voorgestel is.