Supply chain management is emerging as an important source of competitive advantage for agribusinesses globally and in South Africa. The objective of this study was to describe and analyse the emerging governance structures in agribusiness supply chains. Governance structures are the formal and informal institutions that prohibit, permit, or require certain actions and provide the incentives for exchange. Agribusiness managers can choose from a continuum of governance structures which include spot or cash markets, specifications contract, relation-based alliance, equity-based alliance and vertical integration. These structures are distinguished by the composition of market and managed control of the transaction processes. In this study the constructivist and positivist inquiry paradigms were adopted to address the complexity and interrelation of factors involved in the choice of governance structure. The study was conducted in two stages. The first stage entailed a survey of agribusiness managers to elicit their opinions and perceptions on the strategic direction, preferred present and future coordination mechanisms, strategic focus, the future shape of the agro-food industry and the major factors driving these trends in the South African agribusiness complex. These were compared with global trends. This section was conducted in the positivist paradigm to extend the validation and generalisation of the second stage which was conducted in the constructivist paradigm. The second stage entailed the analysis of three case studies to identify the drivers for supply chain formation and the expression of these drivers, strategic considerations and transaction characteristics in appropriate governance structures. The choice of governance structure is influenced by the drivers of change, product characteristics, processes of the supply chain, transaction characteristics and costs. The most significant drivers of change were company competency, consumer behaviour and technology. The perishable nature of most agricultural products, in particular, requires special control and traceability systems to ensure chain transparency in order to certify and assure consumer safety and product quality. These drivers, product characteristics and systems determine the characteristics of the required transaction to facilitate the creation of customer value. Key concepts that emerged in the description of transaction costs are bounded rationality, opportunism, asset specificity and information asymmetry. The optimal governance structure maximises desired transaction requirements while minimising the costs of exchange. The analysis of the case studies showed that these factors cannot be considered in isolation. In each of the cases a different factors was instrumental in the determination of the optimal governance structure. The study identifies a six step decision process for agribusiness managers and researchers to relate drivers of competitiveness to appropriate governance structures. The emergence of supply chains is driven by evolving consumer demands and societal values on the one hand and the need for agribusiness and inter-agribusiness competency to transform these needs and values into consumer value on the other hand. South African agribusiness are employing technology and closer vertical coordination to improve production processes, quality assurance, traceability and process transparency. In line with global trends South African agribusiness will have to establish ever more sophisticated systems to satisfy consumer needs and societal values as these evolve to include less tangible needs and values such as environmental and ethical concerns. / Thesis (PhD ( Agricultural Economics))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / unrestricted

Orientation: The level of CEO compensation and its relationship with organisational performance has generated considerable interest worldwide. In light of compromised mining productivity as a result of the recent labour unrest in South African, some commentators have questioned the justification of certain CEO compensation in the country’s mining industry. Research purpose: The primary purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between CEO compensation and organisation performance in the South African mining industry. Motivation for the study: A deeper understanding of the relationship would enhance knowledge when developing optimal CEO reward systems to ensure sustainability of the mining industry within the South African context. Research design, approach and method: The research was a quantitative, archival study involving 30 mining companies over a five year period. The statistical analysis techniques used in the study included analysis of normality variance and multivariate regression. Main findings/results: The main finding of the research was that there was a moderate to strong relationship between CEO compensation and organisational performance in the South African mining industry. However, operating expenses have progressively increased, putting performance under pressure. Furthermore, it was also found that company size plays an influential role in CEO compensation levels. Practical/managerial implications: While the CEO compensation appears to be generally aligned with the organisational performance, the findings suggest that boards of directors should focus on structuring reward systems more optimally to mitigate managerial rent seeking in large companies and unsustainability in smaller companies. Contribution/value-add: This study has contributed to the body of existing knowledge on executive pay for performance in the context of the South African mining industry. In addition, the study has demonstrated that the other non-performance related measures need to be considered in executive compensation design. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lmgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

Thesis (LLM. (Management and Development Law)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / Previously the concept of ownership has played a role in the development of Minerals right and was regarded as an absolute right of the owner to do what he desired with property. It is nowadays accepted that ownership is not an absolute and unlimited but the concept is still undergoing transformation. Since the enacted of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) now vest on the State as the Custodian of all minerals in South Africa. The vesting of the Mineral right does however interfere with the common law right private ownership, and the investor as expressed in the constitution. The term Custodian as used in the Bill is a misnomer, in that the Bill proposes not mere Custodianship, but an actual vesting in the State by giving effect to the universally accepted right of the State to exercise permanent Sovereignty to all minerals resources. The new Mining legislation regime with specific reference Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act and National Environmental Management Act are precisely paced to ensure optimal exploitation of natural resources while promoting sustainable development.

Bibliography: pages 134-147. / Pollution control regulations directed at the land-based factories of the Southern African fish processing industry do not appear to promote the required level of investment in pollution control systems. Two self-administered mail-questionnaires comprising undisguised fixed-alternative and open-ended questions were constructed to survey the opinions and viewpoints of a census consisting of twenty-seven senior managers responsible for making pollution control investments in the demersal and pelagic sectors of the fish processing industry. The first questionnaire was directed at establishing the relative importance of factors that influence waste and pollution control investment decisions as well as the perceptions and preferences of managers with regard to various pollution control policy options. Descriptive statistics such as the modal class were used to summarize the distribution of opinions and viewpoints within the research population. Rank ordered preference data was analyzed using a multidimensional unfolding computer algorithm. This structural multivariate statistical method is a special case of non-metric multidimensional scaling that generates perceptual maps which can aid in the discovery of the hidden structure underlying multidimensional decisions. Investments in waste and pollution control do not appear to have a high priority when compared to other strategic investments that the fish processing industry managers may make. The relative importance of factors that could influence the managers of the industry to invest in waste control equipment appear to be determined by the perceived financial returns that can be expected from such investments. Findings suggest that pollution control legislation is rendered ineffective due to inadequate enforcement. However, it appears that existing legislation needs to be rationalized in order to facilitate compliance. The most favoured pollution control instruments were those that lowered the cost of legally mandated expenses such as subsidies and income tax allowances. These were followed by permit systems which specified the allowable characteristics of discharges while allowing individual companies freedom of choice as to the method of achieving compliance. The second questionnaire was used to verify the researcher's interpretation of the findings and preliminary conclusions drawn from the replies to the first questionnaire.

As much as the mining and construction industries in South Africa have been the backbone of the South African economy since the discovery of gold at the turn of the 19th century, so too have they been responsible for most work-related deaths in their employee population, due to their inherent hazardous working conditions. It is for this reason that the governing bodies of these industries have started to clamp down on safety in organisations, legislatively ensuring that all organisations adhere to comparatively stringent and austere regulations, or face possible shutdown. Internal safety communication is, therefore, not only literally a matter of life and death, but also forms part of complying with the laws of the country. Notwithstanding its importance, this inimitable form of internal organisational communication has yet to be widely researched. Positioned within this void, this study proposes the first model for internal safety communication within the context of the South African mining and construction industries, as well as a measuring instrument for its evaluation. The research into these two contributions is based on a sound and rigorous literature review, focusing on the chronological development of germane theories, onwards from the systems theory – the meta-theory of this research. Subsequently, the empirical research of the study was done at two organisations seated within the mining and construction industries of the country, and comprises interviews, focus group discussions and a questionnaire. In this way, the research took the form of a longitudinal study, in terms of the testing of the two contributions, but specifically the measuring instrument. This testing was done during the first stage of the empirical research at the Gautrain project and after the research intervention yielded from the findings of this first stage, the Abstract contributions were reworked and tested again in the second empirical stage of the research, at Diesel Power Opencast Mining. The model and the empirically tested and validated measuring instrument for internal safety communication – both for the context of the South African mining and construction industries – expand and contribute to the field of internal organisational communication in an imperative and relevant way, providing new theory from the South African context. / Communication Science / D.Litt et. Phil. (Communication)

Thesis (MBA.) --University of Limpopo, 2019 / The mining industry plays a positive strategic role in the South African economy. However, this industry is plagued by many socio-economic challenges. It continues to face an uncertain future due to, amongst other factors, the escalating overhead mining costs, labour protests and community unrests. Among these challenges, dissatisfied and disgruntled mining communities remain the most unmitigated threat to the sustainability of mining worldwide. Mining companies continue to be under immense pressure to effectively address the socio-economic needs of communities affected by their operations. The increased levels of poverty and unemployment have resulted in the relationship between host communities and mining companies being increasingly strained. Their relationship is characterised by deep resentment, suspicion and mistrust. The tension stems from the fact that despite mining companies being present and operating in their areas, host communities are not benefiting meaningfully from the mining activities. The study seeks to examine host communities’ perceptions about mining companies operating within Govan Mbeki Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province. The study employed the qualitative research method and endeavoured to obtain first hand evidence or lived experiences narrated by host communities. The researcher used purposive sampling to choose the respondents who were deemed to possess intimate knowledge and the history of the state of relations between host communities and mining companies operating within Govan Mbeki municipal area. This paper reports the findings of a study undertaken to assess the socioeconomic impact of mining activities and the communities’ perceptions on these activities within Govan Mbeki Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province. Mining companies are perceived as the main contributors to social, environmental, health and infrastructure destruction. In addition to sampling community perceptions on mining activities, the study prescribes interventions that can assist in mitigating the negative perceptions of mining companies

Dissertation presented in fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Masters of Industrial Sociology, in the Department of Sociology at the University of Zululand, Faculty of Arts, 2002. / This study focuses on the problems facing the development of the small-scale business industries at Esikhawini in Kwazulu Natal Province. The first chapter brings forth the primary information about the small-scale business as it started in other countries does. It came to South Africa with the missionaries from Europe. Via the Mediterranean Sea as their route until eventually reached Africa exchange of commodities begun. The African continent has generally poor infrastructure and because of illiteracy Europeans came to exploit African minerals and took Africans into slavery. All that missionaries introduced was their concern with literacy and religious instructions Missionaries failed to develop an African entrepreneur class. In chapter two-literature review shows that there are many problems that hinder the development of the small-scale business industries that could not be developed the government. Other authors reveal that the government failed to attend some of the problems because of the lack of skills for running the small-scale business. The geographical location of the business, as some of the business is located far from the source of raw material is another factor. The competition among the small -scale business further made them not to support the communities. Thus resulted in the decline of the small-scale business industries. Chapter three of the study reveals the purposive sampling method that was used in this study. It is because of its appropriateness to the study, that the data collection was done using self -administered questionnaires. The questionnaires comprises both close and open-ended questionnaires. They were distributed among the workers and the owners of the small -scale business industries In chapter four the data collected was analyzed using tables and the pie charts, in the data analysis the researcher found that the small scale business industries at Esikhawini were owned by the single untrained people, which contributes to their decline. Most of them know nothing about the running of the business and there is a lot of competition among these business which is a further hindrance to the development of this industry. In Chapter five, the researcher recommens and concluded that the problems feeing the development of the small -scale business industries is the global problem, because it is not centered at Kwazulu-Natal Province only, but all the small-scale industries in the world suffer from similar problems. The researcher suggests that the government's intervention through forming a department that would deal with small-scale industries could make small-scale business industries to develop to some considerable level.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Environmental Science). Johannesburg, 2017. / South Africa’s SDFIs have potential to play a critical role in fostering environmental compliance in the mining industry. Their role is particularly important in the small-scale and junior mining sector which is usually shunned by private finance institutions because of high environmental credit risk. Equipped with knowledge and experience of working with clients across different sectors and their potential leadership role in technology transfer, SDFIs can leverage their position in acting as trusted third party environmental regulation enforcers. Financial institutions have long been criticised for showing little interest in environmental impacts of their clients while concentrating on profit maximisation. This study sought to investigate the response by financial institutions to this criticism through evaluating the role of SDFIs in fostering environmental compliance by small-scale and junior mining companies which are generally viewed as having a poor environmental compliance record. Through the twin qualitative research methods of interviews and document analysis, the role of three state-owned development finance institutions in fostering environmental regulation compliance by small-scale mining enterprises in South Africa was evaluated. The study revealed that SDFIs explicitly and implicitly provide a wide range of products and services which help small-scale and junior miners in complying with environmental regulations. The study also found that, while SDFIs are beginning to adopt market-based mechanisms to encourage environmental compliance, they still heavily rely on command and control mechanisms as a way of mitigating environmentally related risks arising from financing mining companies. / LG2018

Thesis (MBA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / The mining industry plays a positive strategic role in the South African economy. However, this industry is plagued by many socio-economic challenges. It continues to face an uncertain future due to, amongst other factors, the escalating overhead mining costs, labour protests and community unrests. Among these challenges, dissatisfied and disgruntled mining communities remain the most unmitigated threat to the sustainability of mining worldwide. Mining companies continue to be under immense pressure to effectively address the socio-economic needs of communities affected by their operations. The increased levels of poverty and unemployment have resulted in the relationship between host communities and mining companies being increasingly strained. Their relationship is characterised by deep resentment, suspicion and mistrust. The tension stems from the fact that despite mining companies being present and operating in their areas, host communities are not benefiting meaningfully from the mining activities. The study seeks to examine host communities’ perceptions about mining companies operating within Govan Mbeki Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province. The study employed the qualitative research method and endeavoured to obtain first hand evidence or lived experiences narrated by host communities. The researcher used purposive sampling to choose the respondents who were deemed to possess intimate knowledge and the history of the state of relations between host communities and mining companies operating within Govan Mbeki municipal area. This paper reports the findings of a study undertaken to assess the socioeconomic impact of mining activities and the communities’ perceptions on these activities within Govan Mbeki Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province. Mining companies are perceived as the main contributors to social, environmental, health and infrastructure destruction. In addition to sampling community perceptions on mining activities, the study prescribes interventions that can assist in mitigating the negative perceptions of mining companies

Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology )