Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2002. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 486-512). Also available on the Internet.

Globalisation has a significant impact on human resources management policies and procedures in the public service. The driving forces of globalisation have affected human resources management in a variety of ways, for example, the impact of technology demands different skills and competencies from public officials. Globalisation is defined as “the process whereby the world’s people become increasingly interconnected in all facets of their lives, culturally, economically, politically, technologically and environmentally” (Streeten, 2001:169). Kirkbride (2001:14) states that globalisation is the integration of business activities across geographical and organisation boundaries. It is the freedom to conceive, design, produce, buy, distribute and sell products and services in a manner which offers maximum benefit to the organisation without regard to the consequences for individual geographical location or organisational units. This research examines the impact of globalisation on human resources management policies and procedures in the South African public service. The main problem is that the current training and development in the South African public service do not take due cognisance of globalisation to equip public officials to interact internationally effectively and efficiently. An inability exists to adapt to the changing strategic public human resources management needs from an international perspective. The problem of lack of knowledge and understanding by public officials of globalisation results in an inability to manage and execute international human resources management trends. There is a needed skill for achieving, maintaining, enhancing and implementing cutting-edge human resources management theories and practices for globally competitive human resources management. Usually, employees are not expected to work at tasks for which they received no training. In this context, it is necessary to note that with limited training public 7 officials are often placed in positions of having to muddle through as best they can without fully understanding of what is expected of them. Enhanced and continuous training can equip them with skills and knowledge that would create an organisation that is focused on outputs and performance rather than hierarchical control of procedures and processes towards reaching goals and objectives. Once the human resources in an organisation have been properly trained and motivated, they can be utilised effectively and efficiently to perform their tasks with dedication, competence and in the spirit of the Batho Pele principles. The main function of human resources management is to manage the acquisition, training, utilisation and maintenance of a sufficient number of competent personnel responsible for community-oriented service delivery. If training is neglected, then the nature of service delivery will be poor (du Toit & van der Walt, 1991:15). The management and utilisation of human resources in a globalised setting poses a particular challenge. Van Dyk, Nel & Loedolff (1992:15) defines training as the systematic process of changing the behaviour and attitudes of people in a certain direction in order to attain the organisation’s objectives. The changing nature of public service delivery has contributed to certain inadequacies in the public service and since governments are collaborating at a global level for improved service delivery, the public service is obliged to co-operate effectively and efficiently at an international level. In order to achieve this successfully, public officials need to possess relevant and applicable skills. The objectives of the study are to determine the impact of the globalisation process on the training and development of public human resources management policies and to understand how public human resources departments in selected state departments in the South African public service are adapting to the dynamic change in the field of public human resources management. The main finding of the research indicates that the aspect of training is a key element in improving the globalisation of public human resources management. 8 Training and development are essential to ensure that the South African public service is competent to perform effectively and efficiently in the global arena. Employees need to possess the necessary skills to function at an international level. The specific purposes of training are to communicate information that is applicable to practical situations. It is expected after training, for public officials to be able to demonstrate changes in the behaviour or performance that contribute to their abilities to deal skilfully without broader global problems. This, in turn, will have a positive impact on public service delivery.

Informations and Knowlege are getting very important and that is why it is in interest of every Organization to pernamently develop this Knowlege. Knowledge is becoming the most important parts of the capital and are also irreplaceable competitive advantage. The objective of the work is to become if the chosen company is Learning Organization. Evaluation the selected Company was used to study company materials, Analyses of 4E and questionnaire survey.

There are many aspects that govern the performance of an organization. One of the most important thing is their organizational structure. Having a well-planned organizational structure facilitates good internal communication among the employees, which in turn contributes to the success of the organization. Today, company re-structuring is very common in the industry. When various key employees are re-organized (moved to different hierarchical positions), the company might experience certain incidents which can be damaging or beneficial for the company. To leverage the potential gain, having an efficient organizational structure is very important for a company. The primary objective of this study is to analyze the existing organizational structure of the company by the evaluation of email communications between the employees, and if required suggest the need for re-organization. In this case study, we have applied various cluster validation techniques to evaluate the email communications between the employees. The data (email logs) are provided by the company which have been recorded at different time periods. We have analyzed the organizational structure through the analysis of these email logs. We have then simulated various re-organization scenarios. By applying various cluster validation metrics, we have examined the quality of the existing organizational structure. We have also recorded how re-organization (moving employees from one organizational unit to other) effects the overall quality of the existing organizational structure of the company. In this study, we have presented how different cluster validation metrics will be helpful in assessing the quality of the organizational structure by reflecting the different aspects of the organizational structure. We have shown that our approach makes it possible to evaluate the effects of different re-organization scenarios on the internal communication patterns of employees in an organization. All these metrics can be used by the company to improve their existing organizational structure.

The importance of the capital structure as a measure of company growth and performance has been at the core of vigorous debate for many years. With the threat of the recession and global competitiveness to the survival of organizations, what constitutes an optimal capital structure had to be interrogated. The focus of the study is to investigate the factors (with more emphasis on size) that influence the capital structure of manufacturing firms in general and South African manufacturing firms in particular. The aim is to advance recommendations on policy formulation so as to improve the financial performance of the manufacturing sector in South Africa, a developing economy. The study is explained within the theoretical framework which relates elements purported to have an influence on the capital structure to the use of leverage/debt by organizations. Leverage is seen to increase the shareholders‟ interest whilst being exposed to financial risk. The size of the organizations as a comparative element defines the extent of accessing the borrowed funds, hence the distinction between the Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) and large sized enterprises (LSEs). The research evidence indicates that SMMEs are characterized by lower liquidity, use more short-term debt instead of use of long-term debt, and are generally low in debt and basically capital intensive. On the contrary LSEs are highly leveraged. The selected research design is triangulated, with a combination of a case study which is of a qualitative and interpretive nature, as well as a quantitative type survey by means of a structured questionnaire. Twenty five ratios were computed from information derived from the financial statements of organizations and means and medians were determined for comparative reasons. The questions were directed to chief financial officers or managers responsible for the compilation of the financial statements, mainly to expand on the debt policy of iv their respective organizations. The findings confirmed the correlation between gearing and size, asset structure and growth with the exception of profitability. On the relevance of financial policy regarding debt, two factors were proven to be influential to capital structure decisions: the theory and practice of capital structure and the impact of the debt policy, both of which relate to financial flexibility. The study concluded that as much as there are similarities/consistencies between the two size groups, there are fundamental differences confirming that size significantly impacts on the capital structure choice specifically the use of debt. It is, therefore, recommended that the South African government should review its policies with regards to the financial support towards SMME viability.

Fundamental changes in the global economy are changing the basis of organisational competitive advantage. The challenge in attaining a competitive advantage is characterised by factors such as increased competition, market volatility, geographically dispersed operations, customer awareness, raising workforce diversity and stringent regulatory regimes. These factors have driven, and in turn have been driven by, an increasing complexity of products, services and the processes that create value, resulting in changes in the structural and functional dimensions of the organisation. Business executives and academics recognise the shift in value creating assets from the traditional land, labour and capital to intangible assets such as knowledge and information becoming the most important resources an organisation can muster.The combination and integration of intangible assets such as human resources, structural and relational resources has been grouped under the umbrella of intellectual capital. This study comprises of a single descriptive case study analysis to ascertain how intellectual capital is managed strategically to gain a competitive advantage in an organisation in the banking and financial services sector in Zambia. Based on document review and semi-structured interviews, this thesis investigated the extent to which an organisation in the banking and financial services sector in Zambia leveraged intellectual capital to gain competitive advantage. In this study it was found that there is a low level appreciation of the intellectual capital phenomenon as a strategic management tool in the participating organisation. However, the organisation has adopted aspects of intellectual capital and has implemented them successfully accounting for the organisation‘s competitive edge in the market.

Knowledge is now regarded as the most important resource surpassing other resources like land and capital. It is a foregone conclusion that knowledge flows out of organizations through various ways such as resignations, retirement and death yet, it does not seem as if organizations are employing strategies to retain such a vital component of production and service delivery. This study investigated the knowledge retention strategies in three Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) public broadcasting organizations of the South African Broadcasting Corporation in South African (SABC), the Department of Broadcasting Services (DBS) in Botswana and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) in Zimbabwe. The aim of this study was to establish how knowledge is captured and retained at such organizations. The objectives of the study were; to find out the types of strategies the three broadcasting organizations employ to capture and retain knowledge; establish how the three broadcasting organizational cultures enable knowledge acquisition, transfer, sharing and retention; establish the role of ICTs as tools and enablers of knowledge retention, creation, transfer and sharing in the three broadcasting organizations; and to propose recommendations on the best strategies for retention of knowledge in the three public broadcasting organizations as well as suggest areas for further and future research. v The study used the survey method and employed the triangulation design for data gathering. Data were collected from three SADC public broadcasting organizations. The population sample comprised 240 professional staff including 38 managers from different sections of the broadcasting organizations. The researcher collected data by administering a questionnaire to staff, interviews with managers and observations. Documentary analysis was also conducted in order to supplement data and fill in gaps. The researcher was mainly interested in gathering data that would give a comprehensive picture about knowledge retention methods in broadcasting organizations. There were four main findings. First, knowledge management as a relatively new concept and practice has not yet been properly embraced in the public broadcasting organization system in order to capture and retain knowledge that is acquired and generated in the organizations. There are no measures put in place in the organizations to retain the knowledge to ensure that once those who hold vital tacit knowledge are gone, the knowledge may still be available and accessible. Second, the study established that the respective organizational cultures impede on organizational knowledge retention. The study established that there was no culture of knowledge sharing. It also emerged that employees were not free to share their knowledge because of government regulations, prevailing political contexts, mistrust and general lack of incentive to share knowledge. Third, the study established that the organizations have no strategies or systems in place to capture the experts‟ knowledge or the knowledge of experienced staff and vi those approaching retiring age. The Human Resources Departments hold exit interviews that cover issues purely to do with why the person is leaving the organization instead of recording the work experiences and expertise of the departing employees. Fourth, the study revealed that the public broadcasting organizations still lag behind in collaborative and communicative technologies that facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing of tacit knowledge but retention of knowledge generally. The study also found that, some of the organizations studied did not have internet connectivity and websites were not yet functional, which hampered acquisition and sharing of knowledge for retention purposes. The importance of this study is that it has made a contribution and provided literature on knowledge retention strategies for public broadcasting corporations as part of knowledge management practice. On the basis of these findings the study recommended the following: appointment of knowledge management officers, establishment of Communities of Practice, encouraging knowledge sharing between employees, introduction of joint programmes with other broadcasting organizations by managers and their supervision of mentoring programmes; organizations to facilitate acquisition of information and communication technologies that enable knowledge management

M.Com. (Financial Management) / Working capital management (WCM) is considered critical for the success of all business and especially for small businesses. A recession (such as the one that took place in 2009) complicates the working capital management of small businesses. Working capital management of a sample of small and medium enterprises in South Africa were investigated to determine how they manage their working capital during challenging economic conditions. The impact of the 2009 economic recession on WCM was specifically investigated by following a quantitative descriptive research approach. The study sample consisted of 44 companies listed on the JSE Ltd AltX Index. A trend analysis was applied on WCM variables to determine significant changes overthe study period. Because variables were not normally distributed, the Mann Whitney U test was conducted to determine the statistical significance of the WCM mean ranks pre-, during and post-recession phases. The trend analysis of working capital management over the six-year study period exhibited a significant improvement in the working capital management level during the economic recession. This was largely attributed to delaying payment to creditors. The analysis of the WCM variables pre-, during and post-recession phases indicated that there were no significant changes in WCM that can be attributed to the 2009 economic recession. It was concluded that although there were changes in working capital management over the study period, the changes could not only be attributed to the 2009 recession.

Orientador: Timóteo Ramos Queiroz / Resumo: Este trabalho teve por finalidade analisar a dinâmica do capital de giro das empresas do agronegócio pertencentes aos segmentos de Agricultura, Açúcar e Álcool, e Carnes e Derivados, listadas na Brasil, Bolsa e Balcão (B3) frente a crise econômica brasileira de 2015. Para o cumprimento do objetivo a que este projeto se propôs, foi realizada uma análise das demonstrações financeiras referentes ao período de 2011/2018 das 14 empresas pertencentes aos segmentos citados. Tal análise teve como base a utilização do Modelo Fleuriet, ou ainda denominado como Modelo Dinâmico de Análise Financeira. A metodologia utilizada contou com uma abordagem quantitativa de caráter descritivo. Para cumprir com a finalidade proposta neste trabalho, foi realizada uma Análise de Conglomerados por meio do Método Hierárquico Aglomerativo de Ward, em seguida foram efetuados Testes de Hipóteses para Média das Diferenças a partir da técnica estatística Teste de Wilcoxon. Os resultados apontaram para uma mudança não universal na forma de associação das empresas. Desse modo, foi possível inferir, ceteris paribus, que a crise econômica brasileira influenciou na forma de associação das empresas analisadas, devido às variações positivas e negativas no saldo de tesouraria. Enquanto as organizações Biosev, Excelsior e SLC Agrícola passaram a integrar o primeiro cluster durante o período que compreendia a crise financeira, por conta da evolução nos seus respectivos saldos de tesouraria; as empresas Pomifrutas e T... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The purpose of this paper was to analyze the working capital dynamics of agribusiness companies belonging to the Agriculture, Sugar and Alcohol, and Meat and Derivatives segments, listed in Brazil, Bolsa e Balcão (B3) in the face of the 2015 Brazilian economic crisis. In order to achieve the objective of this project, an analysis was made of the financial statements for the 2011/2018 period of the 14 companies belonging to the mentioned segments. Such analysis was based on the use of the Fleuriet Model, or even referred to as the Dynamic Financial Analysis Model. The methodology used had a quantitative approach of descriptive character. To fulfill the purpose proposed in this work, a Cluster Analysis was performed using Ward's Agglomerative Hierarchical Method, then Hypothesis Tests for Differences Mean were performed using the Wilcoxon Test statistical technique. The results pointed to a non-universal change in the way companies associate. Thus, it was possible to infer, ceteris paribus, that the Brazilian economic crisis influenced the form of association of the companies analyzed, due to positive and negative variations in the cash balance. While the organizations Biosev, Excelsior and SLC Agrícola joined the first cluster during the financial crisis period, due to the evolution in their respective cash balances; Pomifrutas and Terra Santa companies showed a worsening in the average of the amounts related to this variable. / Mestre

This master thesis is focused on operating working capital and its implication towards corporate performance in the retail industry in a relevant business framework that takes into account structural changes in the industry. Our results suggest that there is a negative relationship between cash conversion cycle and corporate performance. Therefore, the management of retail companies should focus on shortening the cash conversion cycle to create value. However, in the apparel retail industry, companies with exceptionally long cash conversion cycles are better off keeping working capital investments high as those companies generate on the WC higher profitability than are the opportunity costs for this allocated capital. Finally, we have not found enough evidence to conclude that investment strategies based on the cash conversion cycle are able to generate alpha. However, there seems to be a sign of persistence for value-weighted portfolios. JEL Classification G31, G32 Keywords Working capital, Working capital management, Cash Conversion Cycle, Retail Author's e-mail michael.dibon@gmail.com Supervisor's e-mail ales.cornanic@gmail.com