Firms compete based on their relative ability to renew as much as they do on their ability to extract profits from product-markets. Drawing from literature and case studies the research explores how renewal is affected in organisations. The main dynamics of the renewal process, and the issues and skills involved in its management, therefore, receive detailed treatment. Relevant data is gathered from a variety of primary and secondary sources. The research begins with an effort to understand the forces that trigger and processes that act to sustain decline in organisations. These findings are contrasted with a number of case studies that serve the identification of underlying characteristics and dynamics common to successful organizations. This comparison serves to uncover principles of successful organisation and that hold the key to renewal and sustained growth. The main objective of this research is to increase the understanding and awareness of the processes, problems and successful means of organisational renewal. Underlying is the concern to develop more formalised models and translate these findings into a useful conceptual framework as a basis and stimulus for further research and as a helpful guideline for management practitioners to handle successfully the problems of entropy and organisational ossification of their business.

M.A. / Aihoewel die tradisionele organisasie oor die algemeen 'n soliede vergoedingstelsel met 'n sterk fokus op koste-effektiwiteit en administratiewe presisie gehad het, het die moderne organisasie, wat gekenmerk word deur platter organisasiestrukture, groter buigsaamheid, 'n meer deelnemende bestuurstyl en 'n groter mate van openheid, ander vereistes gestel aan die tradisionele vergoedingstelsel. Die modeme vergoedingstelsel, wat die modeme organisasie kenmerke ondersteun, word beskou as 'n stelsel wat uitset gerig is, met min salarisvlakke, wat min of geen status simbole bevat, wat groter deursigtigheid bevorder en waar meganistiese beheer stelsels vervang word met analitiese bestuursbeheer. Dit het aanleiding gegee daartoe dat nuwe moderne vergoedingspraktyke, onder meer ook bandverbreding, die lig gesien het. Die verhandeling het ten doel om bandverbreding, wat gedefinieer word as die vermindering van posvlakke en die dienooreenkomstige verbreding van salarisbande, om sodoende 'n platter organisasiestruktuur te skep wat groter aanpasbaarheid en dinamika tot gevolg sal he, te verken en te omskryf. Die fokus val veral op die ontwerp en die proses van implementering van bandverbreding binne 'n Suid-Afrikaanse organisasie. Die tradisionele posevalueringstelsel, wat die hart van enige vergoedingstelsel gevorm het, het sterk onder die vergrootglas gekom nadat die bandverbredingsproses bekendgestel is. Die invloed van bandverbreding op die onderskeie posevalueringstelsels asook op die plek daarvan binne 'n holistiese vergoedingstrategie word van naderby bekyk en beskryf Die teoretiese oorsig dek ook onder andere die redes waarom organisasies bandverbreding implementeer, die gereedheid van organisasies vir die bandverbredingsproses, die praktiese probleme waarmee organisasies gekonfronteer word wanneer bandverbreding geimplementeer word en mites aangaande die proses. Twee Suid-Afrikaanse organisasies binne die finansieledienste bedryf wat bandverbreding in sy voile omvang geimplementeer het, het die basis gevorm van die ondersoek. Die faktore wat aanleiding gegee het tot die implementering van bandverbreding, en wat die gereedheid van die organisasie beinvloed het, die potensiele struikelblokke, die ontwerp van die bandverbredingstrukture asook die implementeringsproses wat beide organisasies gevolg het, het die navorser in staat gestel om 'n aanbeveling to maak aangaande 'n implementeringsmodel. Die implementeringsmodel, wat beskou kan word as 'n opsomming van die bevindinge van die navorsing, beveel aan dat bandverbreding as deel van 'n holistiese vergoedingstrategie geimplementeer word en dat die proses deur 'n vergoedingsfilosofie, wat die bandverbredingsfilosofie komplimenteer, ondersteun word. Dit is egter duidelik dat alhoewel die bandverbredingskonsep 'n groot bydrae kan maak tot die vestiging van die modeme organisasie, die sukses daarvan opgesluit le in die effektiewe implementering en toepassing daarvan.

The purpose of this study was to (1) investigate whether variations in corporate and business level strategies have any impact upon post merger integration practices of firms acquiring food service organizations; and (2) to develop some preliminary explanations as to any relationships that may exist between the two. Four factors which have significantly influenced the development of this study included (1) the current high volume of merger activity; (2) the high degree of merger failures which could be attributed to poor management practices after a firm had been acquired; (3) the increased significance of the service sector within the United states economy; and (4) the high degree of merger and acquisition activity involving foodservice organizations. Although the empirical and conceptual literature on mergers and acquisitions is quite voluminous, very few studies have specifically addressed postmerger integration practices. The relevant empirical literature, derived mainly from manufacturing firms, does suggest that parent firms, engaging in horizontal or highly related mergers do tend to exert a great deal of control and influence over their new subsidiary, while parent firms engaging in concentric, conglomerate or unrelated mergers do not. To investigate this issue in a service sector setting, three sets of conceptual and operational hypotheses depicting different dimensions of corporate and business level strategies and eight post merger managerial decisions were developed and tested. The population for this study consisted of all firms acquiring a foodservice organization during the period from 1976 to 1981. The data were collected via questionnaires sent to executives in the parent organizations. Chi square was used to test all conceptual and operational hypotheses. The results of this study, utilizing service firms in the sample, were quite consistent with the past merger and acquisition literature and the strategy-structure literature. Each suggested that for parent firms engaging in a horizontal or highly related acquisition, a high degree of integration usually took place, while for parent firms engaging in concentric, conglomerate or unrelated acquisitions, a low degree of integration usually took place. This study provided no evidence to suggest that service firms are treated different from manufacturing firms when it comes to integrating a new acquisition. / Ph. D.

A divisive reorganization involves a series of transactions having as effect and purpose the division of the trading activities carried on by a single company or group of companies between two or more companies or groups of companies. This can be achieved by a sale of assets or by a transfer of shares belonging to the corporation to be divided, which would generally give rise to taxable capital gains. / The thesis analyzes the tax implications of these two approaches, with particular focus on the latter, attempting a comparative view over the UK and Canadian relevant provisions. The two substantive chapters present the UK and, respectively, Canadian rules governing the treatment of disposal of corporate assets and shares, the available reliefs from capital gains taxation, as well as the special requirements for achieving tax-free demergers. Conclusions are aimed at suggesting a more simplified approach for Canadian divisive reorganizations, with a greater degree of codification.

No description available.

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of Master of Business Administration, Business Studies Unit, Durban University of Technology, 2008. / South Africa is fast becoming the powerhouse of the African continent, due to its great technological advances in manufacturing, its rich diverse culture, sound business developments and stable economic policies that have seen the country shed the chains of apartheid that had plagued it for more than half a century. The need has become even greater in current economic times, for businesses to find new and innovative ways to improve production and their bottom line. Major corporations are investing heavily in upgrading the skills of their workforce in order to have a more productive workforce. Government legislation has now made it necessary, that all companies acknowledge the previously disadvantaged race groups and make sure that their workforce is fully represented as per the demographics of the country. The term affirmative action is being used more regularly in South African businesses and employees who do not comply with current legislation that seek to redress past disparities, are slapped with hefty fines. This study investigated the preferred as well as the existing culture and employee commitment levels at a South African company. The research reviewed the various types of culture, how culture is created and ways in which culture can be sustained or changed. Ways to cultivate employee commitment and retain skilled employees are also closely explored in this research study. The key results of the research findings revealed that there is a strong achievement culture prevalent at the company, with a good mix of the other culture types like, role culture, power culture and support culture. The employees at Riverview Paper Mill also strongly prefer an achievement and support type, culture. Employee commitment is very low and employees stay with the company out of necessity. Recommendations to improving the culture and commitment levels are also presented in this study.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Restructuring is a fact of modem day life and has a huge impact on the employees of organisations who follow such strategies. It is critical that the change process as well as the surviving employees are managed effectively to ensure a committed and productive workforce. The purpose of the research study was the measure employee perception on the change process and the current environment in the organisation. Background to the organisation was provided to give perspective to the reader. Led by literature a unique questionnaire using a five-point scale was developed to measure employee perception in terms of the change process and current conditions in the organisation. The final questionnaire consisted of 59 items and was analysed according to different aspects of the change process and working environment identified. The arithmetic mean and standard deviation were determined for questions, the aspect identified as well as different demographic groups. The results showed that employees have a positive perception on the need for change, have confidence in the abilities of top management and are positive about the organisation's future prosperity. Employees are divided on the subject of loyalty towards the organisation. Results further show that employees have a negative perception on how the organisation managed the change process and the surviving employees, feel negative about their current working environment, have a negative attitude and commitment towards the organisation, feel insecure about their jobs and do not believe that the organisation is assisting them in their career development. It was lastly found that the majority of employees have not developed an internal drive to take responsibility for their won career development. Conclusions were made based on the results, focus areas were identified and recommendations were made on possible interventions to address the problems identified. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Herstrukturering is deel van die hedendaagse lewe en het 'n massiewe invloed op die lewens van werknemers wat vir organisasies werk wat die besiheidsstrategie volg. Dit is krities dat die veranderingsproses en die oorblywende werknemers effektief bestuur word om 'n toegewyde en produktiewe werksmag te verseker. Die doel van die studie was om werknemer persepsie te meet ten opsigte van die herstrukturerings proses sowel as die huidige omstandighede in die organisasie. Agtergrond tot die organisasie was verskaf om perspektief by die leser te wek. Gegewe die literatuur, is 'n unieke vraelys met 'n vyf-punt skaal opgestel om werknemerpersepsie te meet in terme van die herstruktureringsproses en die huidige omstandighede in die organisasie. Die finale vraelys van 59 vrae is geanaliseer volgens verskillende aspekte van die herstruktureringsproses en werksomstandighede wat geïndetifiseer is. Die wiskundige gemiddeld en standaard afwyking van vrae en aspekte is bepaal sowel as vir verskillende demografiese groepe. Die resultate toon dat werknemers positief is oor die behoefte vir verandering, vertroue in topbestuur het en positief is oor die organisasie se finansiele vooruitsigte in die toekoms. Werknemers is verdeeld op die onderwerp van lojaliteit teenoor die organisasie. Resultate wys verder dat werknemers 'n negatiewe persepsie het oor die wyse waarop die organisasie die hersrtruktureringsproses en oorblywende werknemers bestuur is, voel negatief oor hulle werksomstandighede, het 'n negatiewe houding teenoor die organisasie, voel onseker oor hulle werk en glo nie die organisasie ondersteun werknemers in hulle loopbaanbeplanning nie. Dit is laastens bevind dat die meerderheid van werknemers nog nie 'n interne dryf ontwikkel het om verantwoordelikheid te neem vir hulle eie loopbaan ontwikkeling nie. Gevolgtrekkings was gebaseer op die resultate behaal, fokus areas is geïdentifiseer en aanbevelings is gemaak op moontlike stappe om die geïdentifiseerde probleme op te los.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / This research sought to provide insight into the key leadership skills, competencies and organisational processes required to lead a company from decline to a sustainable turnaround. The study focused on the four attributes of managing a turnaround: organisational values and culture, change leadership and organisational high performance. The research aimed to establish the role and impact of the above four factors, particularly in a corporate turnaround. It further assessed the role of leadership in ensuring the implementation of the four factors. The study revealed that turnaround leaders need to develop a new economy wave of values and a high performance culture as a foundation for creating ownership of the organisation’s objectives, as well as for the necessary alignment of the vision, mission and strategy. It was also noted that a corporate culture is an ever changing issue, hence leadership needs to continually ensure that the culture remains in support of the corporate objectives. The study also revealed the need for leadership to have the necessary emotional, cognitive and spiritual intelligence in order to be proactive in managing both the process and the effects of change. They need to have the transformational leadership abilities to drive the pursuit of organisational excellence as a means to achieving a sustainable turnaround. The research also noted the importance of communication as an integral part of each of the turnaround phases. Also of great importance were leadership attributes such as honesty, trustworthiness, sincerity and commitment, and the fact that leaders tend to believe that people will be driven by the rules and processes of business, forgetting that people gather the inspiration they need to be able to respond emotionally to a challenge, from their leaders’ demonstrated personal attributes.

Catastrophe theory (CT) is a relatively new mathematical theory that comprehensively describes a system exhibiting discontinuous behavior when subjected to continuous stimuli. This study tests the theory using capital-market data. The data is a time series of stock returns on firms that filed for Chapter 11 reorganization during 1980-1985. The CT model used is based on a corporate failure model suggested by Francis, Hastings and Fabozzi (1983). The model predicts 1) as the filing date approaches, there will be a structural shift in the underlying stock-return generating process of the filing firm, and 2) firms with lower operating risk will have a smaller jump than firms with higher operating risk, corresponding to their relative positions within the bifurcation set of the catastrophe cusp.

Corporate diversification is a core topic in Financial Economics. The desire to better understand why a firm elects to diversify as opposed to increase in scale is the motivation of this dissertation. To accomplish this goal I test a number of dynamic models of corporate diversification, with similar predictions, to better understand the dynamic choice to diversify. I find that several previously untested models do indeed provide insight as to why a firm would diversify (Essay One). In particular two firm traits, firm talent which I use the proxy of organization capital and asset specificity which I use the proxy of asset tangibility, are strongly related to propensity of the firm to engage in corporate diversification for the first time. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015 / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection