Thesis (DSc (Forest and Wood Science))-- Stellenbosch University, 1954. / No abstract

No description available.

The thesis is an exploration of the current role of the small business forest sector in hinterland forest communities, and the extent to which their economic and social positions correspond to the role envisioned for them by two prevailing visions of the future of the forest industry. One, advocated by Canadian political economists, predicts a continuation, indeed an intensification of corporate concentration, with attendant downsizing and job losses. Corporate restructuring is seen in part to induce small business development, through subcontracting arrangements and local entrepreneurialism, as a response to losses of core forest industry jobs. The second interpretation, advocated by the alternative forestry school, views the current crisis in the forest industry as an opportunity to return to decentralised approaches to ecologically-based forest management which encourage 'democracy in the forests', leading to community and environmental sustainability. Local entrepreneurs are an important part of this new 'value-based' forest economy. Interviews with small forest operators reveal a diversity of economic and social identities that do not conform well to either of the positions ascribed to small business by the Canadian political economy or alternative forestry literatures. The representations of small business found in these two literatures homogenize and suppress this diversity, making it difficult to 'see' small forest operators as anything other than contractors to the conventional system of corporate forestry, or alternative operators in an ecosystem- and community-based forest economy. In the place of these singular, marginalizing representations, I argue, using poststructural and feminist approaches to economic geography, for a 'third way' of exploring small forest operator subjectivities through overdetermined multiple class processes. Exploring small forest operator identity through multiple class processes avoids the essentialism found in fixed representations. It recognizes the transformative potential of small business in the forest economy, without denying the potential for exploitation that exists both within small business and corporate forestry. Class processes rendered invisible in the Canadian political economy and alternative forestry narratives, such as unpaid labour performed by family members and volunteer work in local planning processes, as well as work performed for wages and profit, are considered in this multiple class processes approach.

The objectives of the study were to examine the socio-economic impact of outsourcing on forest-dependent communities, to evaluate the current outsourcing management system in Mondi Forests, and to assess the financial impact (costs savings) of outsourcing on Mondi Forests: Natal Region in KwaZulu-Natal. Participatory Rural Appraisal exercises were used to assess the socio-economic impact of outsourcing on forest-dependent communities. A questionnaire was then used on a sample of Mondi Forests personnel to evaluate the current outsourcing management system in Mondi Forests. Finally, cash-flow trends were used to assess the financial impact (costs savings) of outsourcing on Mondi Forests, Natal Region. Activities that have been outsourced include transport, harvesting operations, silviculture operations, security services, mechanical services, training, payroll services and information systems. Results show that outsourcing has impacted negatively on the livelihoods of some of the forest-dependent communities sampled. The negative impacts are mainly associated with a reduction in hygiene services offered to these communities and an increase in unemployment in some of these villages. Forest-dependent communities perceive outsourcing as the cause of poor relationship between the rural communities, forest companies and contractors as well as being the cause of high unemployment rates. Mondi Forests' personnel perceive that outsourcing goes beyond costs savings to include redirecting scarce resources toward core business activities. Lower morale and insecurity among forest staff members and negative views of the forestry companies by rural communities, unions and government departments were perceived as the disadvantages of outsourcing. Uncertainty with regards to employment continuity and social problems (e.g. increased forest fires, poor relationship with local communities) were perceived as outsourcing risks. Results show that Mondi Forests has implemented a number of strategies in order to reduce some of these risks and disadvantages by giving preference to their ex-employees when offering contracts, by providing start-up capital to emerging black contractors, and by initiating community development programmes in order to uplift the standard of living of the forest-dependent communities. Mondi Forests' personnel suggested that forest management. accounting, conservation management, and human resources are the best candidates for future outsourcing, since most other forest organizations in the world are already outsourcing them successfully. Most of these activities are still kept in-house in Mondi Forests. Results also show that outsourcing can be used with other rationalization methods to save costs. This is because costs savings in Mondi Forests: Natal Region, since 1998 to 2001 were .not only due to outsourcing, but also to some other management decisions such as reduced fertilizer and pesticides use. The total costs savings were R14.5 million from 1998 to 2001. Results support the need to strengthen the current rural development programmes in Mondi Forests, and to the establish Community Liaison Forums to improve communication with rural communities and to start community development programmes. A contractor upliftment programme was also recommended for developing the emerging black contractors. Lastly, company/contractor agreements must be reviewed in order to ensure that social responsibility aspects are appropriately managed. Outsourcing relationships need to consider the economic, environmental and social effects in order to be sustainable. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

The aims of the study were to find out whether or not outsourcing essential to the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. The second aim was to establish how can outsourcing improve the Department's cost structure. And the last one was to develop a viable business model for outsourcing services within the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. The main problem was that the Government opted for outsourcing as a move to save expenditure within the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. This Department has outsourced car and truck financial services, insurance and management to imperial Group. This venture estimated that it would save the Department and the Government approximately R1 Billion on operational costs. This system is currently operational, but already management in the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry have realized that such a venture with huge financial implications should have been based on carefully planned and executed research findings than mere hypothesis about saving. The study research method that will be used is a case study. All the data gathered in the study, is relevant on to the case being studied. Though conclusions allow for inferences to be made, the cases where such generalizations are made or applied to must be similar in all respect. The study's sample consists of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry and the Imperial Group. The two organizations were chosen because the outsourcing strategy could serve as a yardstick to measure similar agreements in the future. The specific area of focus is the agreement on car rental between the two organizations. The documents analyzed include the: • Department of Water Affairs and Forestry Outsourcing Strategy and Outsourcing the Billing Process (January, 2001). • Department of Water Affairs and Forestry Outsourcing Strategy and Outsourcing the Billing Process (February, 2001). • Department of Water Affairs and Forestry Procedural Manual for Official Transport with Imperial Vehicles Outsourcing services for the public agencies is a tool that is being used to offload those non-core functions, such as transport for a period of time. According to theory it is more cost effective to outsource peripheral tasks because the alternative, this is, maintain the same service within the organization is expensive. The findings of this study show that service should be outsourced but it is expensive, the individual factors that lead to this conclusion are far beyond this scope of the study and therefore will not be discussed in great detail. [Refer to the abstract within the thesis for the outsourcing model] The outsourcing model above, developed in this study shows that the profile of task or process aligned with the first (left most) column will call for the outsourcing of the task to a supplier. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

Thesis (MSc)-- Stellenbosch University, 1951. / No abstract.

The thesis is an exploration of the current role of the small business forest sector in hinterland forest communities, and the extent to which their economic and social positions correspond to the role envisioned for them by two prevailing visions of the future of the forest industry. One, advocated by Canadian political economists, predicts a continuation, indeed an intensification of corporate concentration, with attendant downsizing and job losses. Corporate restructuring is seen in part to induce small business development, through subcontracting arrangements and local entrepreneurialism, as a response to losses of core forest industry jobs. The second interpretation, advocated by the alternative forestry school, views the current crisis in the forest industry as an opportunity to return to decentralised approaches to ecologically-based forest management which encourage 'democracy in the forests', leading to community and environmental sustainability. Local entrepreneurs are an important part of this new 'value-based' forest economy. Interviews with small forest operators reveal a diversity of economic and social identities that do not conform well to either of the positions ascribed to small business by the Canadian political economy or alternative forestry literatures. The representations of small business found in these two literatures homogenize and suppress this diversity, making it difficult to 'see' small forest operators as anything other than contractors to the conventional system of corporate forestry, or alternative operators in an ecosystem- and community-based forest economy. In the place of these singular, marginalizing representations, I argue, using poststructural and feminist approaches to economic geography, for a 'third way' of exploring small forest operator subjectivities through overdetermined multiple class processes. Exploring small forest operator identity through multiple class processes avoids the essentialism found in fixed representations. It recognizes the transformative potential of small business in the forest economy, without denying the potential for exploitation that exists both within small business and corporate forestry. Class processes rendered invisible in the Canadian political economy and alternative forestry narratives, such as unpaid labour performed by family members and volunteer work in local planning processes, as well as work performed for wages and profit, are considered in this multiple class processes approach. / Arts, Faculty of / Geography, Department of / Graduate

Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Developing sustainable forests has been acknowledged to be important, not just as a way of averting deforestation and land degradation, but as another opportunity to contribute positively towards rural development, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Forestry development has, however, not received the recognition it deserves. Its importance to economic development and its potential contribution have not been explicitly communicated and thus remain undervalued. The long rotations required for trees to mature, plus the associated risk from fires, pests and diseases has affected the sector’s ability to attract investment. In South Africa this reluctance is evident in both the public and private sectors alike. Access to finance for forestry remains a challenge, which negatively affects the supply to the processing part of the value chain. The objective of the study is to review current forestry funding mechanisms in South Africa, specifically plantations and their contributions to rural economic development. Using secondary data, the study reviewed the current sector funding from the state, development funding institutions and the private sector. The study also looked at alternative sources used in other countries and how they can be customised to the South African economy. In this study it was found that there are gaps between policies aimed at the development of the sector on the one hand, and the resources allocated to the sector on the other hand. The available schemes fail to support the sector policies’ objectives. These discrepancies can be attributed to the poor design of the current offering, the development of which failed to fully consider the dynamics of the sector. The conclusion of the study was that the government needs to play more of a leading role in developing the sector, especially with the small-scale growers who cannot be catered for by both commercial and development banks. The sector also stands to benefit significantly from better collaboration between the public and private sectors. Policies that create an enabling environment would also encourage the private sector to invest more. The study also suggested that, in view of the dynamics of the sector and its contribution to climate change risk mitigation, there is room to tap innovative funding such as that offered by environmental funding.

Abstract not available

Abstract not available. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2000.