Libya is seen by many investors from across the World as a market of immense potential even though the degree of openness of the Libyan market has until recently remained comparatively limited. There are signs now however, that the government is pursuing a more conciliatory approach towards foreign businesses. The Libyan authorities are now encouraging private-sector involvement and inward investment, but appreciate that a fundamental change in organisational culture will be necessary. Therefore the movement in Libya today, toward improvement in organisations and the Government has introduced liberalisation of the economy, and is creating stronger ties with the Western world, now that sanctions have been lifted. This change is exemplified by the greater scope allowed to private enterprise in the retail trade, small-scale industries and agriculture. There has been previous research carried out, into the ways that the competitive nature of all Libyan organisations can be improved. There is a great need, in order to understand organisation's marketing capabilities and orientations, to investigate their validity in a wide variety of developing countries. However, there are only a few empirical studies which have investigated the development of MO in transitional economies and there is increasing pressure for the MO of organisations in these developing countries, where the process of economic diversification is taking place rather rapidly to be investigated (Anwar, 2008). This is mainly due to the fact that the contemporary research carried out in the West has provided evidence of strong links between MO and performance. There has been very little empirical research to investigate these links in developing countries with transitional economies. The strategy for this research consisted of specific objectives that had been derived from the research questions and it was the nature of these which suggested the use of a non-experimental fixed strategy such as a survey. The survey as a research tool has been widely used by others and is based upon the well-established statistical principles of sampling; additionally a survey offers a relatively simple and straightforward approach to the study of people's attitudes, values and beliefs. The MARKOR questionnaire allowed a tried and tested data collection tool to be used and as the most important aspects of such research are credibility, reliability and validity, the standardisation offered by the questionnaire provided a means to gather consistent answers to consistent questions. A group of these managers were subsequently interviewed at a different time when initial analysis of the quantitative data from the questionnaire prompted a set of follow-up interview questions. From this research it can be concluded that there is evidence of a significant relationship between market orientation and perceived business performance. But there are currently various levels of market orientation being operated within the Libyan manufacturing companies surveyed. Furthermore there are very marked difference in the levels of market orientation present between companies from the different sectors and between companies operating in the private sector compared with those which are under state control.

This study re-conceptualises service quality in an Islamic context. The conceptual framework underpinning this re-conceptualization sees service quality as a process which emanates from the management of an organization and how the philosophy of this organization is operationalized in the delivery of its services. As such, frontline employees are key elements in service delivery, and contributors to the quality of the service. In the Islamic context, in areas such as service quality, banks' management should understand that the perspective of Islam requires other distinctive services to be provided in addition to functional banking services. These are not limited to the narrow view, namely providing the traditional services and being in compliance with the legal side of Islamic law. The wider meaning includes other services such as social responsibility, contribution to the development of society and the distribution of Islamic financial knowledge. With regard to employees, especially frontline employees in the area of service quality, the Islamic philosophy should mean that considering Itqan (quality is the synonym for this term) should be understood as both a functional and religious duty. Employees' dealings with customers should extend beyond the functional aspects to an approach where customers are considered as `friends'. To investigate this framework, the current research was applied to Egyptian Islamic banks. It used mixed method- interviews with frontline employees and questionnaires distributed to customers, as well as support from field notes and examination of banks' websites. Egyptian Islamic banks, including their employees failed to understand, embody or practice the Islamic perspective on service quality. In the case of management, the failure was evident in issues such as an imbalance between providing functional and distinctive Islamic services. Customers' views were positive about the functional aspects of services and the legal side of financial transactions, but their views on the distinctive Islamic services were negative. Although employees confirmed that quality has Islamic roots represented in the term of Itqan (quality is the synonym for this term) as an inherent duty, the practice of this concept was not apparent to customers. To re-conceptualise service quality in the Islamic context, Islamic banks, including their employees should understand that customer praxis, the process by which the Islamic perspective on service quality is translated into action, was the most important dimension from the customer perspective. The instrument suggested to measure service quality generally and apart from the Islamic context, should be a customized scale that is context, country, industry and religion specific at a particular time.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is well understood that the advancement in information technology and increasing globalization has led our business environment to become much more complex and uncertain. Similarly the appropriateness of a firm's strategy can be defined in terms of its fit, match or congruence with the environment or organizational contingencies facing the firm. Thus at the turn of the 21st century, the concepts of industry and organizational fitness playa significant and predominant role in ensuring survival. The study presumed that, although various models and tools related to measuring and building industry and organizational fitness have been contributed by various authors, there exists an absence of comprehensiveness and coherence between them. Thus it aimed at investigating and analyzing different contemporary strategic management approaches and tools, so as to describe the comprehensive nature of industry and organizational fitness and find all-inclusive areas of measuring and building organizational fitness. According to the analysis done it was found that a significant level of overlap components of industry fitness and bewilderment exists in differentiating the elements and and organizational fitness. Moreover, although no considerable disagreement and deviation was detected between the various contemporary approaches and tools related to measuring and building organizational fitness, there is a high degree of replication and disintegration between them. In addition to this most of the approaches have a partial coverage of the important factors that influence organizational fitness and attempt to deal with problems from limited perspectives. On the bases of the analysis and findings, recommendations are provided for improving the understanding of the concepts and the nature of industry and organizational fitness. Moreover, suggestions for integrating and cohering the various strategic management approaches and tools of measuring and building organizational fitness are given. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit is welbekend dat ons sake omgewing baie meer kompleks en onseker geraak het weens die vooruitgang in informasietegnologie en toenemende globalisasie. Die geskiktheid van 'n firma se strategie kan gemeet word aan hoever dit pas by die omgewing en die gebeurlikhede wat die firma mee moet deel. Aan die begin van die 21 ste eeu speel konsepte van industrie en van organisoriese fiksheid 'n oorheersende en betekenisvolle rol in die bepaling van oorlewing. Daar is gevind dat, alhoewel daar al baie geskryf is oor verskillende modelle en metodes om industrie en organisoriese fiksheid te meet en te bou, daar tog 'n gebrek is aan volledigheid en samehangendheid. Dus ondersoek en analiseer hierdie studie die eietydse benadering tot strategiese bestuur en die metodes wat gebruik word. Die doel is om die aard van industrie en die fiksheid van 'n organisasie omvattend te beskryf en om metodes te vind om dit te meet en uit te bou. Die analise toon dat daar 'n groot mate van verwarring en oorvleueling bestaan in die uitkenning van die elemente en komponente van die fiksheid van 'n industrie en 'n organisasie. Alhoewel daar nie groot verskille of afwykings tussen die eietydse benaderings en metodes is nie, is daar wel baie herhaling en disintegrasie. Die meeste benaderings dek ook net gedeeltelik die belangrike faktore wat 'n organisasie beïnvloed en benader die probleme vanaf beperkte perspektiewe. Op die basis van die analise en bevindings word aanbevelings gedoen sodat die konsepte en aard van die industrie en organisoriese fiksheid beter verstaan kan word. Ook is daar voorstelle vir die integrering van die verskillende strategiese bestuursbenaderings en die metodes vir die meet en opbou van organisoriese fiksheid.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study project has as its objectives the analysis and evaluation of people management practices within a broad spectrum of organisations in South Africa, using the Marglen diagnostic model. It also serves to assess the usage and utility of this model during this process. The Marglen model provides a conceptual framework consisting of twenty key issues which organisations can use to assess its people management practices. The model promotes a holistic, integrated and strategic approach to people management, with people management practitioners being considered as strategic partners within the core business activities of the organisation. In the current and foreseeable global economic order where rapid change and turbulence tend to be the only certainties, successful organisations are those who are creative, innovative, highly adaptable and who invent the future. In other words, organisations who leverage their only appreciating assets, namely their people, their human capital. In order to achieve this organisations need to move from traditional human resource management to progressive people management: from controlling and circumscribing staff to managing performance and leading and realising people's potential effectively and efficiently. Our studies show that the majority of organisations in South Africa, especially the bigger and older ones, tend to be reactive when it comes to people management. They largely still use the traditional human resources approach, changing only when forced to, for example, because of competition or legal pressures such as the Employment Equity Act. A small but growing number of organisations, which includes mainly the smaller and newer organisations operating especially in young or volatile industries (e.g. information technology sector) tend to be more proactive and tend to lean toward a more integrated people management system, with flatter structures and lots of positive energies. This is especially true when the leadership are still young/fresh and are hands- on. Because of their flexibility, responsiveness to markets and sensitivity to globalisation these "new generation" organisations most probably will adopt new (and hopefully more progressive) people management practices much quicker than the older, bigger ones. The Marglen model itself proved its worth with the wealth of empirical information generated and the encouragement of a systems approach to the solution of problems. With the necessary adjustments the model can become an even more potent tool for all managers, whether they are formal HR practitioners or not. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie werkstuk is onderneem om die praktyk van mensebestuur in 'n wyd verspreide spektrum van Suid Afrikaanse organisasies te ondersoek met behulp van the Marglen diagnostiese model. Dit dien ook as 'n evaluasie van die bruikbaarheid van die model self. Die Marglen model veskaf 'n konseptuele raamwerk bestaande uit twintig sleutels wat organisasies kan gebruik om hul mensebestuur praktyke te kan ondersoek. Die model bevorder 'n geintegreerde en strategiese nadering van mensebestuur, waar mensebestuur praktisyne beskou word as strategiese vennote deur alle ander bestuurders. In die huidige globale ekonomiese orde waar blitsige veranderinge en onstuimigheid die enigste sekerheid bied is suksesvolle organisasies die' wat kreatief, vernuwend en soepel is: diegene wat die toekoms skep. Met ander woorde, organisasies wat die beste gebruik maak van hul grootste en enigste groeiende bate, hul mense. Om suskesvol to wees en so te bly moet daar 'n wesenlike verandering van mensebestuur filosofie and praktyk wees, van die tradisionele metode van kontrole en verbiedinge na progressiewe metodes waar die persoon se potensiaal gerealiseer word ten bate van beide die persoon self en die organisasie. Ons ondersoek toon dat die meerderheid van organisasies, veral die groter en ouer garde, reagerend is wat mensebestuur betref. Hulle gebruik grootliks die tradisionele personeelbestuur filosofie en praktyke en verander net as hulle gedwing word deur eksterne faktore soos byvoorbeeld erg mededinging (veral van oorsee) en wetgewing. 'n Groeiende minderheid van organisasies wat insluit meesal die kleiner en jonger garde en wat veral in die nuwer en meer onstuimige sektors soos informasie tegnologie gevind word, neig om meer proaktief te wees. Hulle neig ook om 'n meer geintegreerde mensebestuur stelsel te hê met minder vlakke en met volop energie. Dit is veral opvallend wanneer die leierskap nog jonk is en heelhartiglik deelneem in die organisasie. As gevolg van hul soepelheid en hul reponsiewiteit en vatbaarheid vir die globale ekonomiese orde sal hulle heel moontlik die voortou neem met nuwe en hopelik progressiewe mensebestuur praktyke. Die Marglen model het sy self bewys met die inligting wat ontgun was en met die bevordering van 'n stelselmatige nadering van problem oplossing. Met die nodige aanpassings sal die model 'n selfs meer kragtige middel vir alle bestuurders wees, nie net vir personeel bestuurders nie.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Virtual team research is very relevant today as organisations have become more distributed and the use of so-called distributed teams has become more common. These virtual teams allow organisations to combine expertise from almost anywhere through the use of information and communication technology (ICT) across space and time to complete interdependent organisational tasks. To date research efforts have yielded insights into many factors that affect virtual teamwork, but the research has become somewhat fragmented. By means of a case study approach, this research paper aims to provide virtual team leaders with a more holistic understanding of the factors that influence virtual team performance. The researcher interviewed five virtual team leaders who have many years of working experience with virtual teams. All the participants work in the ICT industry sector and make extensive use of distributed teams to perform day-to-day tasks, provide business services and to implement large scale projects. The research assignment was constructed by completing a detailed literature review in order to develop a broad framework to evaluate five broad virtual team perspectives that influence virtual team performance. The five perspectives included organisation design, leadership, human resources, ICT technology and process considerations. The following findings were identified for each of these perspectives. Organisational design perspective: The importance of a clearly defined organisation structure helps to create a better understanding of responsibility and ownership. It was also identified that an additional layer of management within the virtual team structure reduces some of the complexities of virtual team management and simplifies the communication structure. The study also provides further insight into the type of person, and the experience and skills of people suitable to work in the virtual team environment. Leadership perspective: The importance of management controls was identified, like process orientation, practical awareness and management awareness in terms of cultural and importantly emotional awareness. Practical considerations for the performance management and rewards systems include the need for a broader team focus rather than rewarding individualist behaviour and performance. Human resources perspective (people): The clear goals and objectives of the organisation or project create the necessary focus, direction and understanding that guide the individual virtual team members and allow them to self-regulate. This is further supported by the a shared understanding of functional and role requirements that promote ownership and accountability which are considered to be the basis for a successful empowering approach and which allow individual team members to make decisions within the boundaries of their functions. Subsequently, the effect of social and interpersonal factors was identified as having a significant impact on virtual team performance and success. The use of various activities to build relations and to create an informal connectedness improves communication and promotes team commitment, cohesion, knowledge and information sharing. Technology perspective: The use of technologies that share the relevant context and supporting information reduces ambiguity and provides a mechanism to share information. All participants make use of collaborative technologies to facilitate the day-to-day team interaction, with a preference for technologies that promote easy participation and sharing of information in real-time (synchronously). Interestingly, none of the respondents provide ICT tool training to improve the effective use of these communication technologies and they expect their virtual team members to be able to use all the relevant technologies as a basic skill. Process perspective: The reliance on clear and agreed processes is important in virtual teamwork and requires upfront alignment. The study identified that a shared understanding by all team members of the underlying delivery process, including all in-and-output controls is a critical success factor for virtual teamwork and, because of the fragmented nature of the delivery process, there is a greater reliance on the efficient facilitation and coordination of specialised work. It also further supports the additional layer of management, in which a team leader and project manager facilitate and coordinate the facilitation of work that relies on a well-developed communication structure.

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Many organisations are perusing a process improvement programme in order to gain competitive advantage through improved product and service quality, operational efficiencies and customer experience. Whilst Six Sigma adopts a project-oriented, expert-led approach to improving processes, Total Quality Management (TQM), Lean and Operational Excellence (OE) programmes typically promote a culture of Continuous Improvement (CI) where lower-level employees are encouraged and empowered to evaluate and optimise their own working practices and processes. In order to make CI successful and sustainable in an organisation, employees need to have a positive attitude towards CI. Whilst previous research had already established the relationship between CI, Organisational Learning (OL) and company performance, this research set out to establish if any of the five disciplines of the Senge (1994) Learning Organisation (LO) influenced on an employee’s (positive) attitude towards CI. In keeping with the Dimensions of the Learning Organisation Questionnaire (DLOQ), the five disciplines of the LO were structured within individual, team and organisational factors. Through a structured survey and statistical correlation analysis, this research has shown that, whilst the team and organisational factors did not influence on an employee’s attitude to CI, personal mastery does have an influence on an employee’s attitude towards CI. It is therefore recommended that an organisation that wishes to create a culture of CI also actively works to improve the personal mastery of those employees who are expected to be involved in CI.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The discussions on leadership and strategy have attracted considerable interest from academics on one hand and business practitioners on the other. Much of the interest lies in claims that both leadership and strategy are linked to business performance. This research report examines the nature of the relationship between different leadership styles and organisation performance. The research study hypothesised that either authoritative leadership style leads to achievement of the business strategic plan (hypothesis 1) or that participative leadership style leads to achievement of the business strategic plan (hypothesis 2). The research was a quantitative study; data was collected by means of interviews and telephone questionnaires which were administered on 38 randomly selected business owners and senior managers. A linear regression method was used to test the hypothesis. The regression analyses revealed that participative leadership style and performance and authoritative leadership style are not related. These two variables each explain less than one per cent of the variance in performance. As a result, both null hypotheses were not rejected. This research concludes with a number of implications for further research studies. Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za

published_or_final_version / Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration