Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The role of public transport is to stimulate urban, social, sustainable and economic developments by transport of passengers based on their needs with public transport organizations functioning as operators in this environment. This dissertation reports on the research done on resilience in urban public transport organizations; it presents the guiding principles and the framework of resilience and the ability of public transport organizations to embed this capability. The emerging discipline of resilience studies is multidimensional and multidisciplinary. The phenomenon has been examined to present a holistic perspective on resilience through an extensive review of the literature, supplemented by empirical research in the European public transport sector. Resilience has been defined as the capacity of an organization to survive, adapt and grow in the face of turbulent change. Existing research tends to focus on the relevance of the concept of resilience in a diversity of environments. There is little information or research that reflects the design principles and specific success factors in the public transport sector. The literature research produced several logical conclusions, which were reviewed by using structured interviews with a selected group of specialists in this field. This made it possible to determine guiding principles, to structure the framework, and to develop a unique classification of (i) the most fundamental vulnerability factors that make an organization susceptible to disruptions; and (ii) the capability factors as attributes required for sustained performance or accomplishment. All these findings are synthesised and this research establishes the ability of public transport organizations to implement a resilience approach within the boundaries of their level of advancement and prioritised direction statements. Recommendations for further research include extending the proposed framework empirically to other functions and to other organizations than urban public transport organizations. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die rol van openbare vervoer is om stedelike, sosiale, volhoubare en ekonomiese ontwikkeling te stimuleer deur die vervoer van passasiers op grond van hul behoeftes. Openbare vervoerorganisasies funksioneer as operateurs in hierdie omgewing. Hierdie proefskrif doen verslag oor die navorsing oor veerkrag in stedelike openbare vervoerorganisasies en verskaf die basiese beginsels en die raamwerk van veerkrag en die moontlikheid dat openbare vervoerorganisasies hierdie vermoë insluit. Die opkomende dissipline van veerkragstudies is multidimensioneel en multidissiplinêr en die verskynsel is ondersoek om 'n holistiese perspektief op veerkrag aan te bied deur ’n omvattende oorsig van die literatuur, aangevul deur empiriese navorsing oor die Europese openbare vervoer. Veerkrag word gedefinieer as die vermoë van 'n organisasie om te oorleef, aan te pas en te groei ten spyte van turbulente verandering. Bestaande navorsing neig om te fokus op die toepaslikheid van die konsep van veerkrag in 'n verskeidenheid van omgewings. Min inligting of navorsing weerspieël die ontwerpbeginsels en spesifieke suksesfaktore daarvan in die openbare vervoer. Die literatuurnavorsing het tot verskeie logiese gevolgtrekkings gelei, wat hersien is deur die gebruik van gestruktureerde onderhoude met 'n geselekteerde groep spesialiste in hierdie veld. Dit het dit moontlik gemaak om riglyne op te stel, die raamwerk te struktureer, en 'n unieke klassifikasie te ontwikkel van (i) die mees basiese kwesbaarheidsfaktore wat ’n organisasie vatbaar maak vir ontwrigting, en (ii) die vermoëfaktore as eienskappe wat vereis word vir volgehoue prestasie of vervulling. Al hierdie bevindings word gesintetiseer en hierdie navorsing vestig die vermoë van openbare vervoerorganisasies om ’n veerkragbenadering te implementeer binne die grense van hul vlak van vooruitgang en geprioritiseerde rigtingverklarings. Aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing sluit in die uitbreiding van die voorgestelde raamwerk empiries na ander funksies en na ander organisasies as die van stedelike openbare vervoer.