Business has often been accused of being conspicuous by its absence in addressing socio, political and environmental concerns which are exacerbated within a developing market context like South Africa. Over the past decade, the evolving concept of corporate sustainability has aided in increasing the expectations of companies to incorporate these issues more systematically into their core strategic and decision making processes. This research sought to understand how companies have successfully been able to address this through implementing change management interventions within their organizations. Of specific significance were Beer and Nohria’s (2000) theory of strategies for change, Kotter’s (1996) theory of implementing change in organizations and Bass’s (1999) theory of authentic transformational leadership. The qualitative approach utilised in this exploratory study, employed two research mechanisms including semi-structured interviews as well as an analysis of secondary data to conduct the two phases of this research. Experts were interviewed in the first phase to obtain their views on corporate sustainability as well as to list companies that they considered successful in having implemented corporate sustainability change management interventions. The second phase comprised of interviews with sustainability managers from the top ten companies that were identified by the experts. The results of the research are mostly aligned with the core theories of the research and have confirmed the role that context and leadership play in successfully implement corporate sustainability interventions within organisations. The disparities between the rhetoric and practice bring to light the complex and multidimensional nature of corporate sustainability. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

No description available.

The purpose of this thesis is to theoretically and empirically investigate the effects of institutional inefficiencies on markets and on non-elite groups, and to better understand the factors that prevent efficient institutions from evolving through the process of institutional change. It commences by reviewing the literature relating to institutions and institutional change and presenting a theoretical framework. It then presents three empirical chapters that aim to address the key questions and hypotheses relating to how inefficient institutions affect markets and why inefficient institutions persist. The first two empirical case studies of are of institutionally driven market failures that currently exist in Tanzania’s coffee and maize markets (coffee grading and maize farm gate buying). These chapters demonstrate how these failures contribute to market inefficiency and how they lower the incomes of some of the poorest groups participating in these market chains. The findings demonstrate that there is no automatic welfare maximising process in the functioning or the evolutionary path of institutions because even though these institutions are inefficient, they remain constant and largely unchallenged in the market. In other words, inefficient market institutions do not spontaneously disappear even though they disadvantage large groups. The findings also raise questions about how these inefficient institutions evolved and why they persist. The third case study of Tanzania’s agricultural market liberalisation reforms addresses these questions. It describes shifting alliances and local level resistance and shows how competition between groups around the reform period has changed their respective abilities to influence institutional change over time. Initially, elite power was characterised by the capture of local and village governments by big agricultural cooperatives during the liberalisation reform period. Subsequent to the reforms, private sector traders and processors have become powerful and influential even though they were the market underdogs for many years. This is because they have invested in reducing their influence costs by establishing strong business associations and by building strong relationships with local and village government authorities. It is argued that groups with low influence costs are more powerful and can build the links that are necessary for influencing institutional change more easily. The analysis of Tanzania’s agricultural market reforms also shows that these relative positions of power and influence evolved through a long process of distributional conflict at the micro level. The complexities, contradictions, delays and reversals of Tanzania’s agricultural market liberalisation reforms were largely determined at the most disaggregated level. Massive institutional change was taking place, but its path was steered by a drawn-out process of distributional conflict in rural villages that is still ongoing today. The findings of the coffee and maize chapters are directly linked to this above described process of distributional conflict, relative power and institutional change since the inefficient institutions analysed in the coffee and maize markets emerged as outcomes of the liberalisation reforms. What this thesis shows is that institutional change depends, to a large extent, on the preferences and responses of the most influential interest groups. The historical perspective is also important in that it acts as a clarifying lens for what may otherwise seem to be an opaque set of groups, structures and incentives. This is what this thesis has sought to achieve. By combining quantitative institutional impact investigations with interest group-based political economy and historical analyses, this research has been able to reveal the thread that links current economic outcomes with long-standing group conflict dynamics.

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (M Eng (Technology Management))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM) / unrestricted

No description available.

This treatise is a qualitative study that critically explores a current body of knowledge significant to the development of the female adolescent voice. The female adolescent voice is a field that is relatively under-researched in comparison to the male adolescent voice, although research in this regard has shown an increase in interest in the last two decades (Gackle 2011: 11). However, information related to the male adolescent voice still far outweighs the female adolescent voice. This study, through the use of six secondary objectives, identifies and highlights areas of the female adolescent voice development, where much of the current research lacks depth and insight. It therefore analyses and compares applicable literature in an attempt principally to contribute to a more structured and academic approach in this field. Insight into the auditory effects that occur during physiological mutation is further supported by investigating the functioning of the female voice registers and the respective influences of these on the different phases of vocal development of the female adolescent. The assistance and expertise of the conductor in this process, as well as in common areas such as voice classification, auditioning, voice placement, and repertoire selection are investigated to further consolidate and compare possible interventions for problems pertaining specifically to the female adolescent voice. The study concludes with a summary of the treatise and proposes suggestions for further study in this field.

Against a backdrop of increasing globalisation, deregulation, the rapid pace of technological innovation, a growing knowledge workforce, and shifting social and demographic trends, the primary task of management today is the leadership of organisational change (Graetz, 2000:550). In the words of Lussier and Achua Abstract v (2001:9): “The companies that will survive in the new global competitiveness environment are those that can attract and maintain leaders”. The above emphasises the important role of managers during times when change take place in the organisation. Yet employees are often managed inappropriately in a period of change. There are two reasons for this: (1) managers managing change are under pressure which undermines their own performance, (2) organisations often do not possess managers who are skilful at handling change. It is this second reason that will form the focus of this study. Carnall (1999:105) states that managing change effectively requires an understanding of both what is and seems likely to happen and of how people react to change, and a skilful management performance. Leaders must take on more facilitative roles, as competencies in change management become critical to creating and sustaining effective organisations. The major technological advances of today rely heavily on leaders to facilitate change. Leaders need to encourage people to “collaborate, take risks, take responsibility and be accountable for the change process the organisation must continually undergo to maintain a leadership position in its industry”, according to Moran and Brightman (2000:3). They furthermore argue that “change leaders recognise that they are always trying to balance stability and change. It is a delicate balance to accomplish since employees desire order and stability, while organisations must be ready to adapt to changing conditions quickly”. In this rapidly changing world, organisations must become more flexible, more responsive, and more willing to change and adapt. They must create and assimilate new knowledge at an increasing pace, encourage innovation, and learn to compete in new ways. Dess and Picken (2000:30) argue that the leaders of these organisations must be proactive in facilitating organisational learning and encouraging positive adaptation to external changes. The above shows what an important role leaders/managers have to play in the strategic change process. They need to possess the requisite skills in leadership, problem solving, continuous improvement, team effectiveness, and customer service in order to ensure the long-term growth and stability in the organisation which change can bring about. This research project will identify the various skills needed to successfully manage a change initiative.

In this research, the researcher-consultant together with the management corps of a merged IT organisation, embarked on a process of participative research with the aim to identify the competencies and skills that are required of the management-leadership corps to drive a process of change management and to ensure the organisation will be characterised by sustained growth and development. In using participative research methodology, qualitative data was mainly gathered through informal interviews and focus group sessions to identify the competencies and skills that are defined as important for the change manager-cum-leader role within the merged IT organisation. In addition, a matrix was compiled to enable each manager/leader to undertake a self-assessment of how capable they are in using the identified competencies and skills. The outcome of the assessment provided an indication of the areas of competencies and skills that through various interventions would enable the management-leadership corps to deal with the challenges of change, as well as to guide those that report to them through a process of change. While the management-leadership corps – referred to as the Executive, Senior, and Middle Management cohorts – all require enhancing their change management / leadership competencies and skills capability, it is the Middle Management cohort that is better equipped to perform their change management and leadership role. During the research, focus group sessions enhanced a participative methodology to enable identification of competencies important to the IT Company’s vision, mission and core values, as well as opportunity to identify interventions that will encourage an on-going process of change, growth and development. However, there is indication that the members of the Executive and Senior Management cohorts assessed themselves higher on those competencies that relate directly to their functionary roles, rather than the change management-leadership role. The scope of a treatise limits an in-depth and expanded research endeavour; however, the methodology used provided information on how a platform for participation in a change management process can be enabled. Furthermore, this research gives indication of how a management-leadership strata can ‘buy-in’ to the process of change, growth and development, commencing with the self and, which is aimed to encourage the same in those that share responsibility for sustained growth and development of the IT company. The research is also example of how an applied sociology endeavour can be undertaken.

The intention of this study was to investigate how organisational change was implemented at S.P. Metal Forgings Uitenhage, what the outcomes of the changes were and the effect on the organisational culture. In order to achieve this goal, the following actions were taken: · A literature study was conducted of various texts relating to organizational change and the associated topics with the intention to identify strategies and techniques to aid the successful implementation of organisational change. · An interview was held with the managing director of S.P. Metal Forgings to aid in understanding the need for organisational change at this particular facility and to have insight into how he implemented the changes. · A self administered questionnaire was distributed amongst a number of employees. The survey covered all levels of the organisation, from machine operators to departmental managers, to provide a comprehensive picture of how the employees viewed the changes and associated topics. The questionnaire requested responses from the respondents regarding their demographical details and their individual opinions regarding the organisational change, which covered the lead up to the changes and the manner in which the changes were made. The questionnaire also included sections covering change outcomes, which measured the success of the change efforts and lastly organisational culture on site at the time of the study. The results from the literature study showed that there are a number of accepted change models which can be adopted when implementing change. These models assist in driving the organisational change. The empirical study revealed that for the changes implemented at S.P. Metal Forgings Uitenhage, a change model was not adopted and that a number of vitally important areas associated with the change efforts were inadequately addressed. The organisational changes were introduced on this particular site with the intention of minimizing the loss situation and re-establishing the organisation as a profit generating entity. The empirical study showed a number of positive outcomes associated with the changes but also highlighted areas of concern and points which can be improved. The culture found within an organisation influences the organisation in many ways which include the ability of the organisation to accept change and the ease of implementing new procedures and equipment. The culture also influences the daily operations of a manufacturing facility such as this one. The study revealed that the respondents are not driven to perform at their best as a result of the lack of recognition which they receive and that the relationship between employees and management can improve. It was concluded that organisational change is not easy to introduce and that it needs to be well planned and executed. Change requires transformational leaders, a clear vision, an analysis and well-thought out and properly implemented actions.

Change is inevitable due to organisations operating in a constantly changing environment marked by change and discontinuation. A major challenge for organisations is to obtain buy-in from employees. People generally resist change due to their past experiences of change which are often disjointed, posted with job losses, longer working hours, higher and cumulative stress levels, unethical practices and corporate failures. Perceptions of fairness, trust, and the magnitude to which the change has been conveyed, have been noted as some of the reasons why people resist organisational change. Essentially, people resist change when they think it will cause them to lose something of value to them. It is therefore important for organisations to have well-planned change programmes that make provision for creating buy-in. The purpose of this study was to investigate strategies that organisations can use to foster buy-in. For successful change, it is imperative that change agents find ways to empower employees in the process. Communication, and especially the articulation of the vision, plays a crucial role in creating buy-in. Leadership, the working environment, rewards and recognition interdependently contribute to fostering buy-in behaviours. The empirical study was conducted at the Port Elizabeth plant of Kraftfoods, a confectionery company. In 2010, Kraftfoods acquired Cadbury. This acquisition implied new management, production and process structures and procedures, as well as a restructuring of the employee complement in 2011. The empirical study was both qualitative and quantitative. Interviews were conducted with employees from the shop floor, as well as representatives from the trade union, a representative from human resources and a project manager responsible for transformation, to obtain more organisation-specific information about the transformation and the strategies which were used to create buy-in. For the empirical study, a survey with a questionnaire as the basic data collection tool was used. The survey was administered to 101 employees. The results revealed that the way the vision of the change is articulated and the empowerment of employees are main determinants of buy-in behaviour. It was therefore recommended that management should spend an equal amount of time selling the change as they spend planning the change program. Also management need to allow for more involvement in the design and even implimentation of the change program by change recipients.