Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for a Degree of Master of Technology: Human Resource Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / While research has been conducted, with regard to motivational factors impacting service delivery performance globally, not many studies have focused on public sector employees’ motivational factors and how they are perceived by the public, with specific reference to the South African public sector. Therefore, the understanding of these factors are clearly explained and clarified, in order to assist the South African public sector to improve service delivery performance across the board and to attract and retain a motivated, professional workforce. Motivational factors that influence the service delivery performance of employees include, salaries and benefits, training and development, and promotional opportunities, as well as employee recognition, job security and so on. The research sample was selected randomly, using a stratified sampling method and consisted of 100 participants, required to complete a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire in the presence of the researcher, who was present to assist in providing clarity where needed. A combined method of both quantitative and qualitative techniques was employed, while the analysis of data was done using the statistics package SPSS, version 21.0, with the results presented by figures developed in Microsoft Excel and gross tabulation tables. The findings of the study revealed that a lack of employee training and development negatively compromises quality of service delivery performance in the public sector. The study results further discovered that the absence of career development opportunities hinders the improvement of service delivery performance, as employees perceive this as an obstacle to their earning abilities in the long-term. Leadership was identified as a major factor that contributes considerably in influencing employees’ performance in the public sector. Moreover, the study’s results and literature show that the South African government has policies regulating motivational factors, for example the Performance Management System (performance appraisals), as well as the Skills Development Act 97 of 1998 (training and development). Nonetheless, public servants still exhibit signs of poor motivation. Therefore, the findings from this study can assist the public sector to enhance the motivational levels of employees, while improving public service delivery performance, as a whole. / M

The primary objective of the study is to assess whether organisations are using their budgeting, forecasting and financial planning information as a strategic tool in the decision-making process. The research aims to investigate the various factors that hinder the success of the finance department in delivering a quality financial plan, budget or forecast to top management and the rest of the organisation.

This treatise will focus on the review of labour arbitration awards provided for under the oversight of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), bargaining councils, statutory councils, accredited private agencies and approved private arbitration tribunals. The general grounds of review applicable to the arbitration awards of the different bodies are set out. Thereafter the case of Carephone (Pty) Limited v Marcus NO & others (1998) 19 ILJ 1452 (LAC) is analysed and the core principles pertaining to the justifiability test are clarified for the first time in the forum of the Labour Appeal Court. The judicial rationale for the relevance and applicability of the test to CCMA arbitration proceedings and criticisms of the test are examined. The justifiability tests are only applicable to review proceedings in CCMA matters and not available to private arbitration review matters. There are however three approaches which are being suggested for the application of the justifiability tests to private arbitration review. Firstly, it is suggested that the Arbitration Act could be interpreted to include the justifiability test under the statutory review grounds. Secondly, the arbitration agreements could be interpreted to include an implied term that the arbitrator is under a duty to give justifiable awards. Finally, it can be submitted that the law should be developed by reading into all arbitration agreements the ability to arbitrators to give justifiable awards. Since the judgment of Sidumo v Rustenburg Platinum Mines [2007] 12 BLLR 1097 (CC) various critical questions arose in relation to the interpretation and application for the purpose of dealing with subsequent review applications. Firstly, this research paper will seek to establish whether the courts in subsequent matters to the Sidumo judgment have interpreted reasonableness as a test or ground for review. Secondly the research paper will scrutinise case law whether the reviewing court is entitled to rely on and consider reasons other than those provided for by the commissioner in his award to determine inter alia, the reasonableness of his decision arrived at. The Constitutional Court in the Sidumo case rejected the so-called employer’s test, stating that ultimately the commissioner’s sense of fairness is what must prevail and not the employer’s view. Consequently an impartial determination whether or not a dismissal was fair is likely to promote labour peace amongst the labour force. The test arrived at by the Constitutional Court in the Sidumo case for determining whether a decision or arbitration award of a CCMA commissioner is reasonable, is a stringent test that will ensure that such awards are not easily interfered with. The question to be asked in determining whether there has been compliance with the standard is whether the decision of the commissioner is one which a reasonable decision maker could have reached. This approach will underpin the primary objectives of the Labour Relations Act which is the effective resolution of disputes. This finding will be apparent from important cases decided and discussed after the Sidumo landmark ruling.

Increasingly, third-world countries are relying on ecotourism to boost their economies. Similar to other forms of tourism, ecotourism as a business initiative is perceived to contribute positively to economic development. However, tourism service providers generally do not deliver satisfactory services to ecotourists due to misunderstanding the segment’s needs and the customer traits. In emerging countries such as South Africa, which has a conducive economic environment for tourism businesses, some provincial departments such as the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism has set objectives to make the Limpopo province a preferred ecotourism destination. These have been propagated by service providers who passively participate in ecotourism yet claim to be ecotourism service providers. Moreover, the attitude of passiveness by service providers is derived from insufficient knowledge of the ecotourist. This set the foundation for the current study, which sought to provide detailed profiles of ecotourists in the Capricorn District Municipality in order to gain a clear understanding of the ecotourists visiting the Limpopo province. The study reviewed theoretical and empirical works conducted by tourism scholars. The study was developed on a descriptive research design and employed a quantitative approach. It made use of self-administered questionnaires with a sample of 295 participants selected from tourism establishments and attractions in the region, utilising convenience and purposive sampling methods respectively. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 24 and Microsoft Office Excel was used to analyse the data. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, cluster analysis and Chi-square tests were conducted to analyse the data of the study. The findings revealed demographic, psychographic and behavioural descriptors associated with the ecotourists in the Capricorn District Municipality. In addition, information sources preferred by ecotourists in the Capricorn District Municipality were identified. It is envisaged that the findings of the study will be of value to ecotourism service providers as they will provide a sound understanding of ecotourists and thereby help to deliver satisfactory ecotourist experiences. This will ultimately provide valuable input for the planning of the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism in promoting the Limpopo province as a preferred ecotourism destination in South Africa.

MESMEG / Department of Mining and Environmental Geology / The future of energy in South Africa depends on coal as it is one of the cheapest and most affordable sources of energy; however, some of the coal is uneconomical to mine due to the thickness and depth of the coal seams. For many years the coal resources of the Soutpansberg Coalfield remained untapped and limitedly researched and with the coal resources running out in the other coalfields, the Soutpansberg Coalfield remained the bright coalfield of tomorrow in South Africa. Coal seams in the Soutpansberg Coalfield occur within the Madzaringwe Formation. Three coal basins have been identified in this coalfield, are the Venda-Pafuri, Tshipise and Mopane. Sedimentological basin analysis of the coal stratigraphy and characterisation of the Soutpansberg Coalfield in the Makhado area, Limpopo Province was investigated within the farms of Rissik, Fannie, Duel, and Lurkin. The main purpose of the study was to establish the variation of the coal stratigraphy and how coal influenced the stratigraphy within the area. Fieldwork involved core logging and core sampling from the different farms within the Makhado coal area, while laboratory work included petrographic studies, investigation of the physical and chemical properties of coal. Core logging revealed the occurrence of coal zones where coal seams were intercalating with mudstones, but rarely with siltstone that formed the footwall of coal. Rarely was coal intruded by dolerite dyke as was the case along borehole W6610001. Core logging further revealed the sedimentary structures in the lithologies and the depth at which different lithologies were intersected. From these sedimentary structures, the environment of coal deposition was deduced supported by the geochemical analysis of major oxides and trace elements. Correlation of boreholes along the strike showed that the shale and mudrock were the predominant rocks within the coal horizon leading to the conclusion that these were the coal host rocks. Whole rock geochemical analysis was undertaken, using X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy in order to establish the rock types and their trace element contents. The collected samples were analysed at the University of Venda, Department of Mining and Environmental Geology Laboratory, Siza Coal Services in Secunda and Council for Geoscience. The study indicated that the coal seams of the Soutpansberg Coalfield were deposited within the floodplain of a mixed-load fluvio-deltaic (fluvial and braided) systems. This sedimentary channel has been the major influence on the development of the coal seams. Locational changes in sedimentary facies above and below the coal seams within the study area has caused variations in the rates of compaction and subsidence which influenced the coal basin morphology and the coalification pattern. These two parameters (variations in the rates of compaction and subsidence) controlled the coal quality parameters, and coal seam thickness as well as the coal composition. The study confirmed that coal quality and thickness vary markedly from place to place in this coalfield due to varying local depositional environments. Most of the drill holes intersected mainly 3 coal seams, although in some cases either 2 or 5 seams were intersected. The thickest coal seam (borehole F578002) was 8 m. It was concluded that the coal was sub-bituminous to bituminous coal rank class (medium-volatile bituminous coal rank class). The coal had low moisture content ranging from 0.7-0.8%, and ash content ranging from 21.4-32%. The fixed carbon and volatile matter values of the coal samples ranged from 42.5 to 50.4% and from 25.2 to 27.4% respectively. The carbon and hydrogen were the main principal combustible elements in coal, however; carbon is the predominant one based on weight, constituting about 5.3% (the lowest) to 70.3% (highest) of the total. Due to the nature and thickness of the coal seams we conclude that this coal was economical to be mined and can be used for electricity generation and in cement grinding plants. A graph of coal gas concentrations over combustion time showed that methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) had high gas concentrations, amounting to 1.75% and 1.70% respectively. / NRF

Female managers in the mining industry face unique challenges not experienced by their male counterparts. They need to perform identity work to overcome these barriers successfully so that they can create a leadership identity. Leadership development contexts may foster identity construction. To enhance employment equity in historically male-dominated professions and environments, an understanding of women’s leadership identity construction in leadership development contexts is beneficial. The purpose of this research was to explore the identity work of female managers working in a leadership development context in the mining industry, to determine how they construct a leadership identity. This was an exploratory and descriptive qualitative study conducted within the hermeneutic phenomenological research paradigm. A purposive sample consisting of five women working in a mining company was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and data were analysed using the phenomenological hermeneutical method. The main findings indicate that four main identity bases influence how female managers in a leadership development context create a leadership identity. These include: (i) the impact of life spheres, (ii) integrating personal and professional roles, (iii) the role work facets play and (iv) the changing self. Moreover, four leadership identity work strategies are used to counter the effects of the identity bases. These are: (i) being guided by personal philosophies, (ii) balance and negotiation between personal and professional lives, (iii) building relationships both personally and professionally, and (iv) assuming ownership for careers and lives using career management strategies. Based on these findings, a conceptual framework was developed. The findings may guide organisations in developing and implementing effective and well-informed policies, strategies and initiatives geared at the attraction, retention, development and appropriate support of women who are or who wish to be employed as female managers in the mining industry. This study contributes to the knowledge base concerning female leadership in the mining industry in South Africa. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the original hard copy. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The manufacturing industry is an important contributor towards the economic well-being and competitiveness of any country. It is widely accepted that improvement in the standard of living is linked to the improvement in productivity, and that this can be achieved through the manufacturing sector of a country. The level of business excellence of manufacturing organisations in the Western Cape is not currently known. It was the aim of this research to determine the level of business excellence of manufacturing organisations in the Cape Metropolitan Area, to determine the content of manufacturing strategy, and to investigate the linkages of manufacturing strategy and levels of business excellence. The research was conducted amongst manufacturing organisations in the Cape Metroplitan Area with an annual turnover of at least R50 million rand. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to organisations. Twenty responses were received and analysed. Due to the small sample, this study can only be regarded as exploratory in nature. The main results of the research indicated that the respondent organisations tended to overscore themselves, with an . average level of business excellence of 73.6%. Furthermore, there is a significant difference in the perception of the SAEF model criteria weights between the surveyed organisations and the SAEF. Although it was not possible to identify a 'right' or the 'best' manufacturing strategy, important trends were identified. Furthermore, the research indicated that there are several manufacturing strategy related factors that can positively contribute towards higher levels of business excellence. One area is the focus on overall organisational strategy development, and another is the implementation of several manufacturing practices such as '5-S' and 'selfdirected work teams', 'balanced score card', and 'TQM', amongst others. Several recommendations were made, addressing issues such as specific actions for manufacturing organisation, policy makers, and the SAEF, but also recommendations regarding research methodology and future research areas. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die vervaardigingsindustrie is 'n belangrike bydraende faktor tot die ekonomiese welstand en kompeterendheid van 'n land. Dit word wyd aanvaar dat verbetering in produktiwitiet tot verbetering in lewenstandaarde lei, en dat dit deur middel van die vervaardigings sektor van 'n land bereik kan word. Die vlak van besigheids uitnemendheid van vervaardigings organisasies in die Wes-Kaap is nie tans bekend nie. Dit was die doel van hierdie navorsing om die vlak van besigheids uitnemendheid van vervaardigingsorganisasies in die Kaapse Metropolitaanse Area te bepaal, om die inhoud van vervaardigingstrategieë te bepaal, en om die verband tussen vervaardigingstrategie en vlakke van besigheidsuitnemendheid te ondersoek. Hierdie navorsmg was uitgevoer onder vervaardigingsorganisasies in die Kaapse Metropolitaanse Area met 'n omset van ten minste R50 miljoen. 'n Vraelys is ontwerp en versprei aan organisasies. Twintig response is ontvang en geanaliseer. Weens die klein steekproef, kan hierdie studie slegs as verkennend van aard beskou word. Die hoofresultate van die navorsing het getoon dat die organisasies geneig is om hulself te oorskat, met 'n gemiddelde waarde van die vlak van besigheids uitnemendheid van 73.6%. Verder is daar 'n beduidende verskil tussen die organisasies en die SAEF in die persepsie van die kriteria gewigte van die SAEF model. Alhoewel dit nie moontlik was om die 'regte' of 'beste' vervaardigingstrategie te bepaal nie, is belangrike tendense geïdentifiseer. Die navorsing het getoon dat daar verskeie vervaardigingstrategie faktore is wat positief bydra tot hoër vlakke van besigheids uitnemendheid. Een area is die fokus op algehele organisasie strategiese ontwikkeling, en 'n ander is die implementering van verskeie vervaardigingspraktyke soos onder andere '5-S', 'self-gerigte werkspanne', 'balanced score card', en 'TQM'. Verskeie aanbevelings is gemaak, wat kwessies aanspreek soos spesifieke aksies VIr vervaardigingsorganisasies, beleidmakers, en die SAEF, maar ook aanbevelings rakende navorsingsmetodologie en areas vir toekomstige navorsing.

Although private family organisations are prevalent role players in both the South African and international economies, limited research has been performed with regard to them. In terms of regulatory requirements, South African private organisations are neither legally required to comply with corporate governance principles, nor are they required to make their financial data available to the general public. Lack of available data, and limited available research, have resulted in an absence of clarity with regard to whether governance structures in private family organisations add any value to these organisations. This study therefore explores, through the use of a multiple-case study, how the individual private family organisations have structured their governance mechanisms, and the reasons as to why they chose to implement these structures. Both case studies revealed that governance structures, in general, add value. The implemented governance structures may even have contributed to the increase in financial performance over time. / Management Accounting / M. Phil. (Accounting Sciences)

Thesis (M. Tech.(Tourism and Hospitality Management)) -- Central university of Technology, Free State, 2010 / Globally, tourism is increasingly referred to as the world's biggest industry. As tourism increases so the consumer’s demand for quality in all its related products and services increase. Superior customer service can therefore be viewed as one of the most effective strategies to create a sustainable competitive advantage. The delivery of excellent service is crucial if a tourism destination such as the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area in the Northern Cape, South Africa, is to enhance its visitors’ experience and ensure their extended stay. One of the key constraints to tourism growth that has been identified is the lack of product and service quality. The primary goal of the study therefore was to investigate the perceptions of tourists on the quality of tourism service in the Sol Plaatje Area. Another primary goal was to determine the quality of service by conducting unstructured interviews with role-players in the local tourism industry. Secondary objectives were set, namely to determine the service needs of foreign and domestic tourists, and to make recommendations and suggestions to increase service quality in the Sol Plaatje Area. A questionnaire was used as a measuring instrument and distributed to domestic and foreign tourists. Three sampling points were selected to conduct the survey (250 questionnaires), namely the departure hall of Kimberley Airport, the Big Hole and the McGregor Museum. Results indicated that although the majority of tourists (83.4% of domestic and 93.8% of foreign respondents) were generally satisfied with the service they received and would promote the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area as a tourist destination, a large number of respondents (32.1%) rated their satisfaction with service delivery as average to poor. This is an indication that improvement is needed in the delivery of quality service. Unstructured interviews (conducted by the researcher) with 20 major role-players in the local tourism industry indicated that the majority (60%) perceived the service delivery in the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area as average to poor and not exceeding the expectations of tourists. Overall, the results indicated the need for the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area to improve its tourism service delivery in order to exceed tourist expectations and compete with other destinations locally and abroad. The findings of this study contribute valuable information and insights into the quality of service delivery in the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area. It will therefore be beneficial to all tourism stakeholders to provide visitors with the best service experience in the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area.

The purpose of this study was to find out problems encountered by Foskor Mine workers in Phalaborwa with the use of personal protective equipment and also to find out how these problems can be prevented or solved. A quantitative research study was done using a questionnaire as a data gathering tool on workers who are exposed to occupational injuries and illnesses and who use personal protective equipment for their protection. The findings revealed that even though workers were using personal protective equipment they still got occupational injuries and illnesses. They also had problems with their protective equipment like incompatible types of personal protective equipment, such as weight where heavy personal protective equipment like boots were issued and very hot or cold personal protective equipment incompatible with the temperature of the environment. Some personal protective equipment like gloves were of a wrong size and caused allergy. In some instances unavailability of or unsuitable personal protective equipment posed challenges to these workers. / Health Studies / M. A. (Health Studies)