The author has reviewed World Class Manufacturing and considered the traditional ways of embarking on world class manufacturing initiatives. The reason for the failure of many of these initiatives has been argued. From a systems theory of organisations and the theory of levels of existence, a systemic process to becoming a world class manufacturing organisation has been postulated. This process has been formulated into a Coping Development model. A critique of the model has been included. The critique discusses obstructions to development and draws conclusions regarding the models application.

Large construction projects involve numerous participants, many of whom do not participate for the entire duration of the project. Participants often come from very different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. In the case of many large projects, the levels of education of these participants also vary widely, from graduate professionals to labourers with only a basic education. For a project to be developed, executed and handed over to the owner efficiently, the activities and delivered outputs of the project participants need to be coordinated. This requires effective communication to and feedback from all stakeholders. Project communication systems therefore have to take into account the differing backgrounds and information requirements of the participants. The execution of a high proportion of construction projects is negatively affected due to ineffective project communications. This gives rise to the concern that construction project communications can contribute to late or inappropriate actions by participants that can negatively affect project delivery. This informed the research question: "How can project team communication systems be optimised to ensure that all stakeholders have all the information and understanding required to function efficiently, effectively and timeously?" This research study sets out to answer this question. The first objective of this study was to identify the main factors that cause project communications to be ineffective. The second objective was to develop a theory relating to effective project communications systems that could be useful in developing practical solutions to project communication problems.

Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 75-77).

Bibliography: leaf 96.

Includes bibliographical references. / The contribution of the current work is to appropriate aspects of post-modern philosophy into systems methods that support new knowledge creation in post-industrial business. The author has developed a three-part model of the organization as a knowledge system: The first component is the formative system, which enables or regulates what can be expressed and thought by individuals within a specific business situation. The second component is the individual subject, who has a set of a priori concepts and systems ideas that guide his or her thoughts, utterances, and actions. The last component of the model is the conversation system, which describes the interface between the formative system and the individual subject. Three heuristic methods, which support interventions aimed at specific areas of the model, are developed...

Bibliography: leaves 109-113. / This thesis argues that this slow adoption has partially been due to an under conceptualisation of the theoretical rationale for such an adoption. Using a case study Romago Engineering, a company that was experiencing material supply problems, the thesis develops a theoretica foundation for such management through a conceptualisation of the firm as a system, whose behaviour and characteristics are a result of the interactions of its various sub-systems.

Includes bibliographical references. / The aim of this project was to use soft systems methodology (SSM) in an industrial environment to tackle an unstructured problem. An agreement was made with a local company that the project would be of benefit both to them and the author. Whilst the aims of the project were initially defined (see Appendix 1), the use of SSM entailed surfacing the issues without a pre-defined area of concern. The project involved two main groups from the company. Group 1 was the HR2000 committee (a group that had already been formed by the company to lead the initiative to bring the organisation's human resources towards an, as yet undefined, goal in the year 2000). Group 1 would be directly involved in the project. Group 2, the manufacturing line managers, would be kept fully informed throughout the process.

In South Africa, disasters are a crucial impediment to successful sustainable development in communities. Many communities have insufficient capacity to forecast, check, handle and reduce disaster risk. These communities face a growing range of challenges including economic hardship, technological and social impediments, urbanisation, under-development, wildfire, climate change, flooding, drought, geological hazards and the impact of epidemics such as HIV/AIDS and COVID-19, sometimes termed ‘the burden of disease'. The Western Cape of South Africa is a dynamic province that is disaster-prone, particularly the vulnerable urban communities in and around its environs. Such communities are more vulnerable to wildfire, flooding, drought and other natural and human-made disasters because of poverty and, consequently, poor living conditions such as overcrowding. The inability of these communities to withstand adversities affects the sustainability of initiatives to develop them. This study aims to understand the mechanisms influencing the resilience level of the communities faced with disaster risk, which is defined as the likelihood of a disaster having a negative impact on community resilience. Therefore, the primary research question raised in this study is: ‘What are the underlying mechanisms influencing the resilience of communities faced with disaster risk?' In this study, disaster risk is viewed as a complex adaptive system. This view challenges simple cause and effect assumptions and recognises that components in a system are connected and interact in ways that cannot be predicted. Fieldwork was conducted in an informal settlement in the Western Cape. The main sources of data were observation notes, document analysis and interviews. The research study was conducted in four cycles of data collection and analysis. Grounded theory principles and system dynamics modelling were used to analyse data. The nine emergent themes or mechanisms were described as variables influencing the resilience level of the community faced with disaster risk. The answer to the primary research question is described as a theoretical model of community resilience based on a community vulnerable to disaster risk. The theoretical model consists of four reinforcing feedback loops that explains how the development of community resilience in the informal settlement maps on to the relative achievement systems archetype (success of the successful causal loop diagram). Negative reinforcing behaviour explains the lack of community resilience, while positive reinforcing behaviour would indicate the development of community resilience. While this study has identified that the role of individual resilience is important to developing community resilience in the context of disaster risk (that is, individual resilience has the potential for improving management of the identified community mechanisms), it also provides the explanation for how this development happens and what mechanisms are needed for it to take place.

Bibliography: leaves 255-258. / The thesis as a whole concerns the identification and resolution organisational issues and details research that was undertaken in a manufacturing company producing light access equipment, Castor & Ladder incorporating Forlezer (C&L inc. rorlezer). The content itself is based on 'systems thinking' which endorses a holistic approach to problem solving - as opposed to the traditional reductionist or mechanistic approaches - and it is hoped to demonstrate the value of adopting a Systems Approach in resolving problems of an organisational nature. Particularly, the aim is to incorporate the consideration of underlying issues i.e. 'soft' problems pertinent to organisational dynamics, into a coherent and rigorous problem solving approach. In this regard, the approach taken focuses primarily on generating a holistic perception of the contextual 'problem situation' faced by the organisation. The view held is that in order to achieve effective solutions, a critical requirement is to first gain comprehensive understanding of the situation and its complexity. From a research perspective, the intention is to first enrich the perceived problem situation and then only to develop a concern (or hypothesis) that adequately presents the true issues at hand. Next, the aim is to develop the relevant theory applicable and necessary to the understanding and resolution of the situation, and to subsequently apply this theory to the context. In observing the outcome, the validity of the concern, as well as the theory is verified.

Contemporary universities are increasingly using information technology systems to ensure the smooth and efficient management of a range of administrative and reporting functions. This reliance on data and information systems has particularly become a feature for student enrolment management systems. Within the university sector in South Africa, verifiable data linked to student enrolments, success and throughput, along with staff and infrastructure indices have become a significant mechanism used for national planning, monitoring and funding by the government. Data integrity and the quality of data, especially associated with student enrolment management, means that the role of academic administrators is vital to data management in higher education institutions. Universities have developed increasingly robust and sophisticated information systems to capture and process the varying data required for its reporting and planning activities. However, the crucial role played by academic administrators in ensuring data integrity and quality has been an area of limited concern and research. This study attempts to address this imbalance and explore the current understanding of the role played by academic administrators in ensuring data integrity and quality associated with student enrolment management systems orstudent information systems. The study also seeks to offer insight into how to accentuate internalisation of the crucial role academic administrator's play in data quality and data quality management functions. The research design of this study included an evaluation exercise of a specific programme that involved academic administrators in a faculty at a South African university. The Snyder's model was used to guide and structure the evaluation exercise. This evaluation framework ensured that principles and activities linked to action research and systems thinking were fully incorporated into all aspects of the research design. A participatory approach was adopted by the researcher and the overarching evaluation process sought to address the following research questions; What factors enable the Faculty of Community and Healthy Sciences' academic administrators to enhance data quality and data quality management? and How do the Faculty of Community and Healthy Sciences' academic administrators contribute towards data quality and data quality management? The research is presented as a case study of the Community and Health Science Faculty at a South African university. Data collection strategies included unstructured interviews, focus groups, observations and the reliance on various documentary sources. The thematic analysis approach was used and the findings are presented through the main themes which emerged, namely student enrolment management systems processes such as applications, selection and registration, staff workload and staff training, availability of technology and data accuracy, and effective communication and management changes. The concept analysis presented in each theme shows the interdependence between recognising the vital role played by academic administrators in realising the faculty goals of data integrity and quality, and the need to assist them to internalise their contribution towards ensuring data integrity and quality. The results of the study draw attention to and reaffirms the vital and significant role played by academic administrators who work with student enrolment data and the accompanying information systems used by the university. Also highlighted are some of the key competencies required to ensure that these administrators are able to work in ways that maximize data quality goals and render data quality management systems efficient. Additionally, the study raises interesting insights into the central role that academic programme evaluation, specifically the use of the Snyder's model, can serve in building human resource capacity and enhancing efficiencies in how student enrolment systems can be better managed and improved within a specific faculty at a South African university.