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

M.Com. (Business Economics) / The luxury motor-coach industry in South Africa is presently finding it difficult to function on a sound financial basis. International tourists are the main supporters of the industry and this means that financial success is dependent on the flow of these tourists. Effective marketing, however, is lacking and little information about the industry is available. In view of the foregoing, the primary goal of this study is the development of a marketing planning model for the luxury motor-coach industry. In order to attain this goal, it was necessary to collect and analise primary, and, where possible, secondary marketing information about the industry. An important step in effective marketing is the acceptance of the marketing concept in terms of consumer orientation, integrated marketing and profitability. The study not only indicates that this concept is applicable to all marketing variables in the macro-marketing environment, the market environment and the micro-marketing environment but also measures the degree to which it is applied by the industry. Only the critical marketing variables in each of the aforementioned environments ~ere investigated. Since national as well as international tourists go on luxury motor-coach tours in South Africa, the investigation was also undertaken from that point of view. The investigation revealed, firstly, that competition, technology, the economy, social and cultural structures and government actions are critical variables in the macro-marketing environment that are uncontrollable. A proper analysis of these variables from a marketing point of view can lead to the identification of opportunities and/or threats to tour operators. It was also found that tour operators can, through proactive environmental management, endeavour to create favourable situations in the macro-marketing environment...

M.Com. / This dissertation is an attempt at defining the term 'unbundling" within the South African context. Unbundling has developed into a buzzword in the corporate chambers of South Africa. It is an important concept because it cuts through all aspects of business.Chapter 2 investigates recent events on the unbundling stage. Gencor unbundled into various companies, Barlow Rand demolished its conglomerate image. Johannesburg Consolidated Investments was transformed into three companies ...

M.B.A. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The intention of this dissertation is to attempt to project the theoretical concept of Corporate (or Long-Range) Planning into the reality of one of South Africa's major motor vehicle manufacturing company's task environment. It is a sad fact that there are no universally - applicable practical planning "laws" (as are present within the discipline of, say, Physics) amidst the ever-changing hurly-burly world of modern commerce and industry. Accordingly, there are very real distinctions between distilled Corporate Planning theory, as it is propounded in the many available books and articles, and Corporate Planning practice as actually implemented. This is true largely by virtue of the fact that in the same way as persons differ in their physical and mental make-up, so too do individual companies; even to the extent of acquiring a distinct corporate "personality" of their own. Terms of reference, p. 1.

M.B.A. / The last decade has been a period of great transformation in South Africa and many companies have found themselves facing many challenges. Prospering in this environment have lead many companies to embark on programmes of restructuring and refocusing their companies in order to face the new challenges locally and globally. For this reason the purpose of this study is to determine if management in non-listed companies based in Gauteng have a formalised business plan in place to achieve its short-term objectives and a formalised strategy that would synergise the company's short-term objectives with its long-term vision. The reason for undertaking this research was to enable the researcher to provide an in-depth analysis of the strategic planning process used by nonlisted companies in Gauteng when in developing its business strategy in a transformational environment. The researcher relied on quantitative research techniques and the following data collection method was utilised. Email survey questionnaires produced by the researcher on a proprietary software programme to respondents of the sample group. In assessing the research data and the literature review, the researcher provides a wealth of knowledge on strategic planning in non-listed companies in Gauteng and globally. With this insight strategy consultants will be ideally positioned to facilitate a strategic planning session or the development of a strategic business plan/strategy for a non-listed company in Gauteng. The researcher is confident that the literature review, the research data and the recommendations will provide excellent insight into the strategic planning process in non-listed companies based in Gauteng, South Africa.

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

Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Despite the high potential impact of advanced analytics on the performance of businesses around the world, its uptake and application in an integrated and strategically aligned manner has been limited. This problem is more pronounced with specific reference to optimization. Optimization methods lag behind other analytical methods such as data visualization and predictive models in terms of their level of adoption in organizations. This research suggests that part of the problem of limited application and integration lies in an overall inability of companies to develop and implement an effective advanced analytics strategy. The primary objective of this research is therefore to establish an approach for the development of an advanced analytics strategy for a company. Due to the absence of well described examples or published research on the subject it was necessary to generate insight and knowledge using a research approach that allowed for the development, testing, and improvement of a strategy over multiple cycles. Such a research approach presented itself in the form of action research. An initial advanced analytics strategy was developed for one of the subsidiary companies in a group of companies. The subsidiary company specializes in the importation, distribution, and marketing of industrial fasteners and has branches throughout South Africa. The strategy document was presented to the senior decision makers in the holding company for evaluation. The feedback from the evaluation was used to formulate changes to the initial strategy aimed at improving its alignment with the decision makers’ thinking on advanced analytics and increasing the probability of its implementation. The suggested changes from the first research cycle were used to define the second cycle strategy framework. The second cycle strategy framework included a strategy development process that consisted of three main steps: • Establishing business focus and relevance which included an assessment of the value creating potential of the business, identifying and prioritizing of value creating opportunities, and an assessment of key underlying decision processes, • Developing business relevant concept applications which included determining their potential value impact and creating a ranked pipeline of decision optimization applications. • Selecting concept applications and moving them into production. The strategy development process was informed by a number of different models, methods and frameworks. The most important model was a detailed valuation model of the company. The valuation model proved to be invaluable in identifying those aspects of the business where an improvement will result in the highest potential increase in shareholder value. The second cycle strategy framework will be used to develop an improved version of the advanced analytics strategy for the researched company. Moreover, the generic nature of the framework will allow for it to be used in the development of advanced analytics strategies for other companies. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ten spyte van die potensieel omvangryke impak van gevorderde analitiese tegnieke op die prestasie van besighede wˆereldwyd, is die toepassing en strategiese integrasie daarvan beperk. Hierdie probleem is nog meer sigbaar wanneer die aanwending van optimeringsmetodes oorweeg word. Die mate waarin optimeringsmetodes deur besighede aangewend word, is heelwat laer as ander analitiese metodes soos data visualisering en vooruitskattingsmodelle. Hierdie navorsing plaas ’n groot gedeelte van die probleem voor die deur van besighede se onvermo ¨e om effektiewe gevorderde analitiese strategie¨e te ontwikkel en te implementeer. Die primˆere doel van die navorsing is gevolglik om ’n benadering tot die ontwikkeling van ’n analitiese strategie vir ’n maatskappy voor te stel. In die lig van die afwesigheid van gepubliseerde voorbeelde of soortgelyke navorsing op hierdie onderwerp moes insig en kennis gevolglik bekom word deur die aanwending van ’n navorsingsbenadering wat die navorser in staat gestel het om ’n voorgestelde strategie te ontwikkel, te toets en te verbeter oor verskeie navorsingsiklusse. Die navorsingsbenadering wat gebruik is staan bekend as aksienavorsing. Die eerste gevorderde analitiese strategie is onwikkel vir een van die filiaalmaatskappye in ’n maatskappygroep. Die filiaalmaatskappy spesialiseer in die invoer, verspreiding, en bemarking van industri¨ele hegstukke en het takke regoor Suid Afrika. Die strategie dokument is voorgelˆe aan die senior besluitnemers van die houermaatskappy vir oorweging. Op grond van hul terugvoer is veranderings aan die strategie aangebring ten einde hul benadering tot gevorderde analitiese tegnieke te akkommodeer en om die waarskynlikheid van implementering daarvan te verhoog. Die voorgestelde veranderings is gebruik om ’n strategiese raamwerk vir die tweede navorsingsiklus te definieer. Hierdie raamwerk sluit ’n strategiese ontwikkelingsproses in wat bestaan uit drie hoofstappe: • Vestiging van besigheidsfokus en relevansie wat insluit ’n oorweging van die waardeskeppingsvermo ¨e van die maatskappy, identifisering en prioritisering van waardeskeppingsgeleenthede en die oorweging van die onderliggende besluitnemingsprosesse, • Ontwikkeling van besigheidsrelevante konsep oplossings wat insluit die bepaling van die potensi¨ele waarde impak en die skepping van ’n ranglys van besluitoptimeringsoplossings, en • Die verskuiwing van geselekteerde oplossings na ’n produksie omgewing. Die strategiese ontwikkelingsproses maak gebruik van verskeie modelle, metodes en raamwerke. Die belangrikste model was ’n gedetaileerde waardasiemodel van die maatskappy. Die waardasiemodel was instrumenteel in die idenfikasie van die aspekte van die maatskappy waar ’n verbetering die grootste bydrae kan maak tot die skepping van aandeelhouerswaarde. Die tweede siklus strategiese raamwerk sal aangewend word om ’n verbeterde analitiese strategie vir die nagevorsde maatskappy te ontwikkel. Die generiese aard van die raamwerk sal ’n gebruiker daarvan in staat stel om ’n gevorderde analitiese strategie vir ander maatskappye te ontwikkel.

M.B.A. / In this project, the researcher has investigated the factors relevant to competitiveness within the South African Chemicals Industry with the purpose of determining a conceptual framework of the strategic areas important for competitiveness in the South African Chemicals Industry. The challenge of the research problem resided in the fact that this study required the formulation of recommendations that would contribute to the development of competitive strategy for an industry that is diverse and fragmented in its historical development, strategies employed, markets served, technologies used, products manufactured and marketed, and scale of production. An additional challenge was the proprietary and confidential nature of the technology and strategies employed by individual firms within the industry. Given this paradigm, the researcher relied upon qualitative research techniques to address the complexity presented by the research problem. Individual focus interviews were employed to collect data. The data was then analysed and transcribed according to a specific protocol. Subsequently, the data was discussed and compared to literature available on the subject. Finally, conclusions were drawn and recommendations made which the researcher hopes make a positive contribution to the body of knowledge available with which to tackle the formidable problems facing the South African Chemicals Industry.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Business Administration, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Johannesburg, 1992. / The primary purpose of this research was to determine if South African industrial companies have structured themselves appropriately to be able to deal with the increasing environmental uncertainty [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version] / GR2017