Assignment (MComm)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Rapid development of asset pricing models, asset return prediction models, information technologies, and the integration and globalisation of world economic markets, require the investor to have a fundamental understanding of the role of asset allocation (diversification) and the various strategies available in achieving investor's risk and return objectives. Assets are allocated across different asset classes in an attempt to optimise the combination of investment returns and investment risk. In this way your investment will not be subject to the volatility of anyone asset class alone. It is important to note that the movements of one class of assets (stocks, bonds or cash) may be somewhat offset by the non-correlated movement of a different class of assets. The intent of asset allocation is not necessarily to increase return as much as it is to fmd the accepted rate of return, while simultaneously reducing risk or maintaining it at a predefined level. This study explores the underlying theories concerning the relative importance of asset allocation in determining portfolio performance, and the three primary asset allocation strategies available. It also discusses relevant theory of how the predictability of asset returns and the investment horizon of a portfolio can have an impact on which asset allocation strategy to utilize in achieving the necessary risk and return objectives of the investor. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die toenemende ontwikkeling van bate prys modelle, modelle wat die opbrengs van bates vooruitskat, informasie tegnologie, asook die integrasie en globalisering van internasionale ekonomiese markte, vereis dat die investeerder 'n omvangryke kennis moet beskik oor die rol van bate allokasie (diversifisering) en die verskillende strategië beskikbaar tot die bereiking van investeerder risiko en opbrengs doelwitte. Bates word geallokeer tussen verskillende bate kategorieë (aandele, effekte of kontant) in die poging om die kombinasie tussen belegging opbrengste en belegging risiko te optimaliseer. Sodoende word die belegging nie blootgestel aan die onbestendigheid van slegs een bate kategorie nie. Daar moet gelet word dat die beweging van een kategorie van bates (aandele, effekte of kontant) teengewerk kan word deur die nie-korrelerende beweging van 'n ander kategorie van bates. Die voorneming van bate allokasie is nie noodwendig die toename van opbrengste nie. Daar word gestreef na die bereiking van 'n aanvaarbare opbrengskoers, terwyl risiko verminder word of volhou word op 'n voorafbepaalde vlak. Hierdie studie ondersoek die onderliggende teorieë rakende die relatiewe belangrikheid van bate allokasie om portefuelje opbrengste te kan bepaal, asook die drie primêre bate allokasie strategieë beskikbaar. Relevante teorie word bespreek, betreffende die vooruitskatting van bate opbrengste en die horison van 'n portefuelje, asook die impak wat beide het op die keuse van 'n geskikte bate allokasie strategie, om sodoende aan die nodige risiko en opbrengs doelwitte van die investeerder te kan voldoen.

Assignment (MEcon)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The field study reported here examined the importance of branding in the low cost retail industry. Two low cost retailers were identified, who sell boys grey school trousers. The one retailer sells the trousers with a brand name, while the other doesn't sell the grey school trousers with a brand name. Sales volumes of both retailers were drawn for a certain period and questionnaires were developed and sent to the different shops to be completed by the customers to determine how important brands were to them. The results of the research indicated that the retailer selling grey school trousers with a brand name sold more units than the retailer selling the grey school trousers without a brand name. Furthermore, the customers indicated that they would buy grey school trousers with a brand name rather than buying grey school trousers without a brand name, / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die navorsing wat hier gerapporteer word, ondersoek die belangrikheid van handelsmerke in die lae-koste kleinhandel industrie. Twee lae-koste kleinhandelaars is geidentifiseer wat grys skool langbroeke vir seuns verkoop. Die een kleinhandelaar verkoop die grys skoollangbroek met 'n handelsnaam, terwyl die ander kleinhandelaar nie die broek met 'n handelsnaam verkoop nie. Verkoopsvolume data vir 'n sekere periode is van beide kleinhandelaars getrek en vraelyste is ontwikkel en na die winkels gestuur. Die klient moes die vraelys voltooi om te bepaal hoe belangrik handelsmerke vir die klient is. Die resultate van die studie het daarop gedui dat die kleinhandelaar wat die grys skool langbroek met die handelsmerk verkoop, meer eenhede verkoop het as die kleinhandelaar wat die grys skool langbroek sonder handelsmerk verkoop. Verder het die klient aangedui dat die grys skool langbroek met 'n handelsnaam eerder gekoop sal word as 'n grys skoollangbroek sonder handelsmerk.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 1996. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sport organisations in the Western Cape are finding it increasingly difficult to survive. The major problem seem to be a lack of financial resources, but the financial position of any sport organisation is the culmination of a number of factors which directly or indirectly influence the financial status of these organisations. It is clear that sport organisations did not develop at the same pace as other business enterprises, with the result that they are still managed on an informal basis and, in many instances, by volunteers. It is therefore easy to realise why virtually no active marketing of sport organisations is currently being undertaken. It is absolutely necessary that sport organisations start applying the principles of the marketing science if they want to ensure their survival. A total transformation of the organisation might be required and the best way to face this possibility, is to undertake a process of strategic planning. The sport organisation will then be forced to look at all aspects of its operations in a scientific manner. Strategies should be devised in terms of each one of the elements of the marketing mix for sport organisations, namely the sport product, price, place, promotion and public relations. It is also clear that co-operation amongst sport organisations is vitally important in terms of the development of the sport industry. In addition, the appointment of professional marketing personnel will ensure the proper implementation of the sport organisation's marketing plan. The key marketing success factors for the marketing of sport are presented in order to provide sport organisations with guidelines which could be of assistance in the planning process. The relevance of these success factors will be determined in each case by the nature and extent of operations of the organisation. The implications of sport marketing for the promotion of tourism in the Western Cape are also considered. This is done primarily in the form of major sport events and its influence on the tourism industry. This study proposes various recommendations for sport marketing and sport tourism. The outstanding feature of these recommendations is the recognition of the need for an organisation to foster co-operation amongst sport organisations and also between the sport industry and the tourism industry. It is generally recognised that tourism in South Africa has potential for enormous growth over the next few years, In this regard, it is important to realise that sport has a unique role to play in the promotion of tourism in the -Western Cape. Sport organisations are seemingly not aware of their current and future contributions to tourism, with the result that there is a lack of interaction and co-operation between sport organisations and the tourism industry. This situation will have to be addressed in order to integrate sport into a tourism strategy for the region. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sportorganisasies in die Wes-Kaap vind dit al moeiliker om te oorleef, hoofsaaklik om finansiele oorwegings. Die finansiele posisie van enige sportorganisasie is die resultaat van die direkte of indirekte invloed van ' n aantal faktore op die finansiele status van sodanige organisasies. Dit is duidelik dat sportorganisasies nie teen dieselfde pas ontwikkel het as ander sake-ondernemings nie, met die gevolg dat hierdie organisasies steeds op 'n informele basis en deur vrywilligers bestuur word. Dit is dus duidelik waarom daar huidiglik byna geen aktiewe bemarking van sportorganisasies plaasvind nie. Dit is absoluut noodsaaklik dat sportorganisasies die beginsels van bemarking op 'n wetenskaplike basis toepas om sodoende hul oorlewing te verseker. Dit mag 'n totale transformasie van die organisasie vereis en die beste manier om hierdie moontlikheid te aanvaar is om 'n proses van strategiese beplanning te onderneem. Die sportorganisasie sal dan verplig word om wetenskaplik na alle aspekte van sy bedrywighede te kyk. Strategie moet dan ontwikkel word in terme van elkeen van die elemente van die bemarkingsmengsel vir sportorganisasies, naamlik die sportproduk, prys, plek, promosie en eksterne betrekkinge. Dit is ook duidelik dat samewerking tussen sportorganisasies uiters belangrik is in terme van die ontwikkeling van die sportbedryf. Daarbenewens sal die aanstelling van professionele bemarkingspersoneel die korrekte implementering van die sportorganisasie se bemarkingsplan verseker. Die belangrikste faktore wat die behoorlike bemarking van sport sal verseker word voorgestel om sodoende riglyne, wat waardevol in die beplanningsproses kan wees, aan sportorganisasies te verskaf. Die toepaslikheid van hierdie faktore word in elke geval bepaal deur die aard en omvang van die bedrywighede van die organisasie. Die implikasies van die bemarking van sport vir toerisme in die Wes-Kaap word ook in oenskou geneem. Dit word hoofsaaklik gedoen na aanleiding van die invloed van groot sportgebeurtenisse op die toerismebedryf. Daar word algemeen aanvaar dat toerisme in Suid-Afrika groot potensiaal vir groei in die volgende jare inhou. In hierdie verband is dit belangrik om te besef dat sport 'n unieke rol het om te speel in die bevordering van toerisme in die Wes-Kaap. Sportorganisasies skyn nie bewus te wees van hul huidige en toekomstige bydraes tot toerisme nie, met die gevolg dat daar 'n gebrek aan interaksie en samewerking tussen sportorganisasies en die toerismebedryf bestaan. Hierdie studie maak sekere aanbevelings ten opsigte van die bemarking van sport en die invloed van sport op toerisme. Die uitstaande kenmerk van hierdie aanbevelings is die besef dat daar 'n behoefte bestaan aan 'n organisasie wat samewerking tussen sportorganisasies, asook tussen die sportbedryf en die toerismebedryf , sal verseker.

Assignment (MComm)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A definite need exists for a measure which can be used to determine the degree of capital intensity of an enterprise. One of the main reasons why it is important to determine if an enterprise is capital or labour intensive is that the two types of enterprises react to changes in the economic environment in different ways. Some changes in the economic factors will have a totally different effect on a capital intensive enterprise than they would have on a labour intensive one. The degree of capital intensity of an enterprise can therefore be used to predict how it will react to economic changes, and it is therefore a valuable source of information for financial decision-making. The measurement of capital intensity, however, presents a major problem. A large number of different measures have been developed and used in the literature. These measures include the measures of total assets to revenue; property, plant and equipment to revenue; property, plant and equipment to total assets; depreciation as a percentage of revenue; as well as property, plant and equipment per employee. A number of measures are also based on value added figures, and these include salaries to revenue; value added per employee; property, plant and equipment to value added; and salaries to value added. In the literature most researchers provide no or little justification for their preferred measure of capital intensity. The main objective of the study is to determine an appropriate method to measure capital intensity. For this purpose the above-mentioned measures, which are generally used to determine capital intensity, are considered critically and evaluated by classifying enterprises listed in the Industrial Sector of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange during the period 1989 to 1996. During this period the South African economy experienced a decline, followed by an upswing in the economic cycle. Principal component analyses (PCA) are used to analyse the data. These analyses are carried out for each year separately as well as for the period as a whole. Biplots are used to provide a multidimensional graphic representation of the results. The results indicate that the five traditional measures of capital intensity which are not based on value added figures are all suitable to use as measures of capital intensity. Only one of the measures based on value added figures, however, are able to indicate capital intensity. The five traditional measures of capital intensity which are not based on value added figures, as well as the measure property, plant and equipment to value added, are therefore included in the principal component analyses. The principal component scores obtained from the first principal component are proposed as a composite measure of capital intensity. These principal component scores represent a linear combination of the six measures of capital intensity. The relative contributions of the various measures to this composite measure are also investigated, and it is found that all six the measures provide an important contribution. The results indicate that a number of enterprises listed in the Stores and Food sectors are relatively less capital intensive, while enterprises listed in the Building and Construction, Engineering, Steel and Allied, and Electronics sectors are relatively capital intensive. A visual evaluation of the results indicates that the proposed method IS able to distinguish between capital and less capital intensive enterprises. The results of the study provide researchers with a more efficient way of measuring capital intensity, and can be used to provide more information about the effect of changes in the economic cycle on the expected financial performance of enterprises. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Duidelike behoefte bestaan VIr 'n maatstaf wat gebruik kan word om die kapitaalintensiteit van 'n onderneming te bepaal. Een van die vernaamste redes waarom dit belangrik is om te bepaal of 'n onderneming kapitaal- of arbeidsintensief is, is die verskillende wyses waarop die twee tipes ondernemings gedurende 'n verandering in die ekonomiese siklus reageer. Sommige veranderinge in die ekonomiese faktore sal die teenoorgestelde effek op 'n kapitaalintensiewe onderneming hê as wat dit op 'n arbeidsintensiewe onderneming mag hê. 'n Onderneming se graad van kapitaalintensiteit kan dus gebruik word om te voorspel hoe die onderneming op ekonomiese veranderinge sal reageer, en is dus 'n belangrike bron van inligting by finansiële besluitneming. Die meting van kapitaalintensiteit is egter 'n belangrike probleem. 'n Groot aantal verskillende maatstawwe van kapitaalintensiteit is ontwikkel en word algemeen in die literatuur gebruik. Hierdie maatstawwe sluit totale bates tot inkomste; eiendom, aanleg en toerusting tot inkomste; eiendom, aanleg en toerusting tot totale bates; depresiasie as 'n persentasie van inkomste; asook eiendom, aanleg en toerusting tot aantal werknemers in. 'n Aantal maatstawwe wat op waarde toegevoeg gebaseer is, is ook ontwikkel, en sluit die maatstawwe salarisse tot inkomste; waarde toegevoeg per werknemer; eiendom, aanleg en toerusting tot waarde toegevoeg; asook salarisse tot waarde toegevoeg in. In die literatuur verskaf die meeste navorsers min of geen motivering vir die spesifieke maatstaf wat hul voorkeur geniet nie. Die primêre doelstelling van die studie is om 'n geskikte metode te vind om kapitaalintensiteit te meet. Ten einde hierdie doelstelling te bereik, word die bogenoemde maatstawwe, wat algemeen gebruik word as maatstawwe van kapitaalintensiteit, krities ondersoek en geëvalueer deur ondernemings wat genoteer is in die Industriële Sektor van die Johannesburgse Aandelebeurs gedurende die periode 1989 tot 1996 te klassifiseer. Gedurende hierdie periode het die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie 'n afname, gevolg deur 'n opswaai in die ekonomiese siklus beleef. Hoofkomponent analises word gebruik om die verskillende maatstawwe te evalueer. Die analises word individueel uitgevoer vir elke jaar, sowel as vir die periode as 'n geheel. Bi-stippings word gebruik om 'n meerdimensionele grafiese voorstelling van die resultate te verskaf. Die resultate toon dat die vyf tradisionele maatstawwe van kapitaalintensiteit wat nie op waarde toegevoeg gebaseer is nie almal geskik is om as maatstawwe van kapitaalintensiteit gebruik te word. Slegs een van die maatstawwe wat op waarde toegevoeg gebaseer is, is egter in staat om kapitaalintensiteit aan te toon. Die vyf tradisionele maatstawwe van kapitaalintensiteit, sowel as die maatstaf eiendom, aanleg en toerusting tot waarde toegevoeg, word derhalwe ingesluit in die hoofkomponent analises, en die hoofkomponenttellings wat verkry word uit die eerste hoofkomponent word as 'n saamgestelde maatstaf van kapitaalintensiteit voorgestel. Hierdie hoofkomponenttellings verteenwoordig 'n liniëre kombinasie van die ses maatstawwe van kapitaalintensiteit. Die relatiewe bydraes van die verskillende maatstawwe tot die saamgestelde maatstaf word ook ondersoek. Die resultate dui aan dat 'n aantalondernemings wat in die Winkels en Voedsel sektore genoteer is relatief minder kapitaalintensief is, terwyl ondernemings wat in die Boubedryf, Ingenieurswese, Staal en Bedrywe, asook die Elektronika sektore genoteer is, relatief kapitaalintensief is. 'n Visuele evaluasie van die resultate toon aan dat die voorgestelde maatstaf in staat is om tussen kapitaalintensiewe en minder kapitaalintensiewe ondernemings te onderskei. Die resultate van die studie stel navorsers in staat om 'n meer effektiewe meting van kapitaalintensiteit te verkry, en kan ook meer inligting verskaf oor die invloed van veranderinge in die ekonomiese siklus op die verwagte finansiële prestasie van ondernemings.

Assignment (MComm)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sponsorship marketing, as part of the integrated marketing communication programme, is a relatively new field of application. There is still a lack of research in many areas of this field, especially in respect of the measurement of the effectiveness of this communication instrument. Although its roots could be traced back to ancient Greece, substantial growth and development in the field of sponsorship marketing have taken place over the past three decades. More recently the concentration of sponsored events has moved away from sports and has been divided between a number of other areas, notably art and entertainment and also charity events. With the increase in sponsorships, an increase in literary research has also been detected. The analysis of the sponsorship strategy of a German insurance company - Cosmos Direkt - has shown that in practice many companies are still not fully exploiting the potential of their sponsorships. This became even more obvious when it was compared to the approach to sponsorships of some of South Africa's largest insurance companies. The comparison indicated that some of the insurance companies had achieved satisfaction with their sponsorship, while others were still battling to establish the right formula for success. The inconsistency of the success of sponsorships could often be ascribed to a large number of companies being uncertain about sponsorships and reluctant to fully integrate these into their marketing strategies. Sponsorships could only be effective when they are supported by other marketing communication tools, rather than being viewed as a completely separate activity. Sponsorships should be used in synergy with the other communication instruments, so that the company may project a uniform message to its customers and the public. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Borgskappe, as deel van 'n geïntegreerde bemarkingskommunikasie, is 'n redelike nuwe veld van aanwending. Navorsing in baie gebiede van hierdie veld is nog uitstaande, veral waar die meting van hierdie kommunikasie-instrument van belang is. Oor die afgelope drie dekades het wesenlike groei en ontwikkelinge op die gebied van borgskappe plaasgevind, alhoewel die oorsprong teruggevolg kan word tot na die antieke Grieke. Meer onlangs het die fokus van geborgde gebeurtenisse wegbeweeg van sport af en is nou meer versprei oor 'n aantal ander gebiede, byvoorbeeld kuns en vermaak, asook liefdadigheidsorganisasies. Met die toename van borgskappe het daar ook 'n toename in literêre navorsing plaasgevind. Die analise van die borgskapstrategie deur 'n Duitse versekeringsmaatskappy - Cosmos Direkt - het aangetoon dat baie maatskappye in die praktyk nog nie die volle potensiaal van hul borgskappe benut nie. Hierdie bevinding is bevestig nadat dit met die benadering tot borgskappe van verskeie Suid-Afrikaanse versekeringsmaatskappye vergelyk is. Die vergelyking het aangetoon dat sommige versekeringsmaatskappye tevredenheid met hulle borgskappe bereik het, terwyl ander nog steeds op soek was na die regte formule vir sukses. Die teenstrydigheid ten opsigte van die sukses van borgskappe is dikwels die gevolg van maatskappye w~t onseker is oor hulle borgskappe en huiwerig is om dit ten volle met hulle bemarkingstrategieë te integreer. Borgskappe kan egter net effektief wees wanneer hulle ondersteun word deur ander bemarkingskommunikasie-instrumente, en nie as iets heeltemal afsonderliks beskou word nie. Borgskappe behoort in sinergie met die ander bemarkingskommunikasie-instrumente gebruik te word sodat 'n maatskappy 'n eenvormige boodskap aan sy klante en die publiek sal stuur.