M.Com. / Participative management has been hailed as the strategic choice to overcoming problems at the workplace. It has become a buzzword for management in the 1980s, and yet has not become entrenched far enough in South Africa to say that participative management practice is, and has been a success ...

The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which the finance function has evolved from being mere transactional – into one being more value-adding and business-partnering. The main focus of this study is on the role of finance as a business partner. Its main function is to add value to the business and the operations, and to offer the required support, in order for management to be able to make the right decisions. In this role, finance is regarded as part of the management team – and not just an external support function providing number ‘crunching’ – but a member that provides valuable input in the processes that the business follows. They become an in-house consultant for the business, thereby providing technical knowledge, which is aligned to the manner in which the business conducts its operations. The activities that are to be done by finance in this role comprise the following: Alignment of the functions of finance with those of the business, and what is thereby required; Providing information to the business on a timely basis; Providing information that assists and is relevant in the decision-making process of the business; Having a balance between providing governance support, as well as ensuring adequate control of the assets of the organisation. Reducing non-value adding activities that can be outsourced, such as standard reports, which can be developed and housed within a linked IT system. In order to be able to perform these activities effectively, there needs to be adequate support from the organisation’s IT environment, where standard templates can be developed, which are linked, and which lead to the availability of time for the analysis of the data. The resources also needs to have the required soft skills – of which communication and the ability to influence are important aspect – as there would be times when the people in operations would need to align their business decisions to the right finance decision – without becoming an obstruction to the business. A survey was carried out involving the accountants, whose role was to support the business in the South African environment, and which provided information on the following research questions: (i) Are finance professionals moving towards becoming business partners and away from transactional back-office work? (ii) What are the main reasons for the lack of transformation of the finance function? (iii) Is the size of the organisation a factor in its transformation? (iv) Does the fact that a company is a multinational or a South African organisation have any impact on the transition? The results of the survey were used to draw a conclusion on the extent of the change in the role of finance. The research concluded that there had been some change in the role that finance was performing in regard to the business. However, there were still areas where more could be done to move the change along, and to arrive at a position where finance becomes a full business partner.

M.Tech. Business Administration. Business School. / The purpose and scope of the study is defined by the objectives of the study, which are:  To determine the skills level of TUT Programme managers on the financial management system, Integrated Tertiary Software (ITS).  To determine the extent of the use of financial management system (ITS).  To determine to what extend policies and procedures at TUT are complied with by Programme managers.  To determine whether Programme managers understand and can interpret the general ledger content and where and how all the transactions are generated.  To determine the interventions needed to developed and assist Programme managers to improve their management and control of financial activities in their departments and cost centres. A thorough literature study was and quantitative techniques employed. The questionnaire was developed based on the identifying of shortcomings at TUT relating to financial management by programme managers. These areas include the knowledge and ability to use and interpret the financial information system at TUT. Respondents in the survey were programme managers which can be defined as staff members at TUT that has the responsibility to manage and control cost centre (fund allocations) according to the policies and procedures supplied by TUT. All campuses were included in the survey. Respondents in the survey completed the questionnaire where there were several results obtained regarding biographic variables, variable in respect to the ITS General Ledger system, financial training and variables with respect to policies and procedures at TUT. The objectives of the study were attained, and resulted in several recommendations to extend the knowledge, management and control of finances in academic and administrative departments at TUT. Furthermore it was recommended that training sessions on financial management and awareness campaigns regarding policies and procedures should be launched for staff to attend which will enhance reliable financial governance.

During this research, an attempt was made to gain an understanding of management and their employees' perceptions regarding functional and numerical flexibility practices within South African organisations. To achieve this, twenty-six people, comprising of a variability of positions within the organisation, were interviewed in the region of the Western Cape. It was found that, although extensive research on the two forms of flexibility have been globally conducted, South African literature, particularly on the part of numerical flexibility, is limited. It is thus believed that this study will present a valuable basis to pursue in further research. Literature that was consulted was found to be supportive of the theoretical notion that South African organisations, in order to be globally competitive, have had to restructure and redefine themselves by ensuring that they make the most efficient and effective use of their human resources. The study found that whilst functional flexibility practices benefit employees in that they experienced increased job satisfaction and job mobility, it was the area of numerical flexibility which raised many dissatisfactions, including those of immense job insecurity and remuneration, both financial and otherwise. The study findings suggest a need for a more comprehensive and employee integrated approach by combining organisational with individual oriented initiatives, and ensuring the trade union's involvement in all facets of functional and numerical flexibility initiatives. The thesis ends with recommendations of various strategies for addressing the concerns of management, employees and the trade union in order to ensure full and proper utilisation of human resources so that the end product, namely job satisfaction, leads to organisational success.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration)--Cape Technikon, Cape Town, 2003 / Unemployment has economic and social effects. The main social threat is the stability of the family as an economic and social unit as family relationships suffer should basic needs not be met. The most practical way to combat this problem is through entrepreneurship, where small medium and micro enterprises can address issues such as job creation and economic growth. These enterprises are of particular importance to government and donors resulting in numerous studies being done in especially urban environments. Rural areas have, however, been neglected, owing to the lack of knowledge, funds and initiatives on the part of local authorities. Rural development differs from urban development owing to smaller markets, seasonal fluctuations and slower growth rates, especially in coastal towns. This study was therefore undertaken to provide guidelines to local authorities and community leaders, specifically in Hermanus, to enable them to support local small businesses. As a first step, existing government policy and strategies were investigated (Chapter 2), after which available assistance, on government and non-government level, was discussed (Chapter 3). The Department of Trade and Industry is the main role player in terms of small business development There are also institutions providing financial assistance (for example Khula and the Industrial Development Corporation), institutions providing services (such as NEPA, SABS and CSIR), and finally, institutions providing indirect support (such as SACOB and DBSA). Hermanus as the basis of the study has certain poIicies in place, namely the Integrated Development Plan, Spatial Development Framework and two tourism-related studies (Chapter 4). Individual interviews were held with certain role players in the area (Chapter 5) which resulted in the following: • Role players are not aware of government initiatives in terms of small, medium and micro enterprises in the region. • Role players are unsure if hives/craft: markets could contribute to job creation. • Role players are concerned about job creation but not through small, medium and micro enterprises as a vehicle. Chapter 6 concludes with two success stories, namely Stutterheim and Melkhoutfontein, and provides broad guidelines in terms of small business development in Hermanus.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, 2006 / The purpose of this study is to compare the decision styles of business managers in China with those in South Africa, taking cognisance of certain variables such as nationality, gender, and occupational group within a particular homogeneous industry. The first consideration was to conduct on international comparison and compare the similarities and differences of decision styles within a rational decision-making context. The second consideration was to investigate whether decision styles vary between the variables identified above. The survey was conducted in two companies, namely South African Breweries Limited and Tsingtao Co., Ltd who conduct business in South Africa and China, respectively. The research population comprised of 180 business managers in both companies. The research study revealed that there is no significant difference of decision styles between the business managers in both companies. The conclusion drawn from this analysis is that the business managers in South African Breweries Limited and Tsingtao Co., Ltd have considerable flexibility and find little difficulty in changing from one style to another as the situation warrants. This conclusion is supported by the findings submitted by Rowe and Boulgarides in their seminal work published in 1992.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2006. / The purpose of this study is to compare the decision styles of business managers in China with those in South Africa, taking cognisance of certain variables such as nationality, gender, and occupational group within a particular homogeneous industry. The first consideration was to conduct on international comparison and compare the similarities and differences of decision styles within a rational decision-making context. The second consideration was to investigate whether decision styles vary between the variables identified above. The survey was conducted in two companies, namely South African Breweries Limited and Tsingtao Co., Ltd who conduct business in South Africa and China, respectively. The research population comprised of 180 business managers in both companies. The research study revealed that there is no significant difference of decision styles between the business managers in both companies. The conclusion drawn from this analysis is that the business managers in South African Breweries Limited and Tsingtao Co., Ltd have considerable flexibility and find little difficulty in changing from one style to another as the situation warrants. This conclusion is supported by the findings submitted by Rowe and Boulgarides in their seminal work published in 1992.

The study sought to investigate the impact outsourcing had on behaviours and attitudes of remaining employees after outsourcing. It was important to investigate this problem as there was a growing perception that outsourcing could reduce organisational commitment, employee engagement, job performance and threatens career factors in the company. The objective of the study was to contribute towards the understanding of outsourcing as a business strategy in order for managers to implement it and manage it accordingly. The sample consisted of a 100 junior to senior staff members from different companies in South Africa that have recently gone through outsourcing. There were one hundred and five (105) questionnaires issued, but only hundred (100) usable questionnaires were returned (95.2 percent response rate).The empirical results showed that there was a significantly positive correlation between outsourcing (the independent variable) and organisational commitment, employee engagement, job performance and career factors (the dependent variables). The descriptive statistics showed that most employees did not have a positive experience of outsourcing. Males and females did not differ with regard to their perceptions about their experiences of outsourcing. Furthermore, the experience of outsourcing and its outcomes were also not significantly differently experienced across other demographic categories such as age, tenure, job experience and education.

Outsourcing has become a popular trend in the last two decades and has been applied in both non-essential and critical business functions. It has been viewed as a vital source of competitive advantage and is expected to remain an important component in future business strategies. Over the past few years, the outsourcing of logistics functions in particular has shown strong growth. Thus, an abundance of research on the outsourcing of logistics is available. However, there has been little research on the outsourcing of material handling activities as a sub-component of logistics, nor its effect on a company’s operational performance. The purpose of this treatise is to determine the effects of outsourcing a South African automotive company’s material handling activities on its operational performance. It further aims to compare the company’s expected outcomes for outsourcing with actual outcomes. In addition, the factors which contributed positively and negatively to the operation of the outsourced material handling activities at the company, are established. The automotive company in this study is situated in Port Elizabeth, but due to confidentiality reasons the name of the company is not mentioned in the study. The study consists of a literature review on the background of outsourcing, outsourcing theories, outsourcing trends, important outsourcing considerations and gaps in outsourcing research. Primary data, collected through the use of a questionnaire to determine the effects outsourcing has on the company’s operational performance, is collected, reported and analysed in the study. The performance criteria used to determine these effects are: cost; delivery speed and reliability; flexibility; quality; the outsourcing relationship and the management of the outsourcing relationship. The study results reveal that the operational performance of the company remained the same after outsourcing.

A Research Report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Masters of Management in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation / This research investigates perceptions of the SMME community in Johannesburg, Gauteng, on the impact of the Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP) Framework Act (Act No. 5 of 2000) as a Supplier Diversity (SD) tool. The research questions discussed are: 1) Are SMMEs directly benefitting from government as a result of PPP? 2) Are SMMEs indirectly benefitting through the private sector as a result of PPP? 3) How can PPP be improved? and 4) What are the problems with the implementation of PPP? The Osiba Research (2011) found that there was minimal impact from government programs in supporting and improving the majority of black-owned SMMEs and integrating them into the mainstream economy. It was further found that the major shortcomings were not due to insufficient or inaccurate policy, but the government’s inability to implement and support the very programs they designed. Other factors that work against SD in South Africa are corruption and nepotism which have led to lack of transparency in the awarding of tenders (Lodge T, 1998). Weak policy coordination and implementation, funding constraints and the fact that policy benefits were leveraged almost exclusively by medium-sized enterprises, which were often white owned, meant that previously disadvantaged people continue to be economically marginalized (Rogerson, 2013). Another setback is that of set-asides. Government has not been practicing its own policy through public procurement and as a result the private sector has showed little commitment to these set-asides. This is partly because the National Treasury holds that set-asides will inflate the cost of procurement (Timm, 2011). This is a qualitative study and as such an interpretivist research approach was used. Enterprises included in the sample were selected using the City of Johannesburg’s Supplier Database, which is the City’s official database that contains the list of accredited prospective suppliers of different goods and services that are required by the City. The results of this research suggests that while there have been links to increased economic growth and rebalancing of socio-economic inequalities as a result of PPP, there are still major problems to overcome such as lack of transparency in awarding tenders, beneficiaries of government business employing non South African citizens/permanent residents, despondency on set-asides, fronting, lack of access to funding, lack of information and lack of commitment to PPP by large corporates. The study concludes with recommendations on policy, how the problem of rationalisation might be overcome, as well as how closer cooperation between SMMEs, government and large corporates can enhance PPP. Recommendations on potential future research are also made. / MT2016