The study sought to understand the factors that contribute to effective turnaround management of State-owned Enterprises (SOEs), based on the extant determinants of successful private sector turnaround strategies. The purpose was to develop a normative framework for effective turnaround management in SOEs, as well as to provide a conceptual view of the potential cohesions of turnaround strategies in public and private sector management. The study was conducted in two phases. A straw framework was developed based on the literature review, consisting of generic turnaround conceptual themes. This was supplemented by three primary strategies drawn from private sector evidence. The framework was then refined and used as a basis for analysing three published cases of turnaround in SOEs, with a pragmatic view to developing a normative framework for effective turnaround management. The theoretical underpinnings of the resource-based view (RBV) were ruminated throughout the research process, and proved to be a fairly significant enabler for enhancing competitiveness through managerial-orientated competencies, during periods of turnaround. Organisational conditions varied, rendering fluctuating impacts of the ascribed strategies. However, findings indicated that well-conceived adaptions of private sector strategies were broadly effective in improving performance in SOEs. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted