A research report submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree Master of Arts in Social and Psychological Research by coursework and research report in the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2016 / Linking health and productivity to organisational advantages, this study explores the benefits that health screening may provide organisations in South Africa. Health was evaluated in this research as the amount of lifestyle factors (physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and BMI) and biometric factors (high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high glucose) employees were at risk for. The study aimed to investigate whether increased health leads to the experience of negative health consequences, which may negatively impact on productivity in the workplace. Productivity was assessed firstly by a person’s ability to be at work, and secondly by their ability to significantly contribute to their organisation while they were at work. As such, workplace productivity loss was evaluated in terms of the direct, and indirect, organisational costs that ill-health results in. Workplace productivity loss was measured using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire: General Health V2.0 (WPAI-GH). Participants were 409 employees from an organisation in the financial service sector (Mage = 41.86, SD = 9.3). Multiple regression analysis found one lifestyle factor (physical inactivity) and one biometric factor (cholesterol) to significantly predicted work productivity. Cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, BMI and blood pressure did not significantly predict workplace productivity loss. Significant relationships were found between physical inactivity and BMI, blood pressure and cholesterol. Alcohol consumption was significantly related to cigarette smoking and blood pressure, while BMI and blood pressure had a significant relationship. The findings contribute to knowledge on how workplace productivity can be promoted through healthy lifestyle behaviours and biometric risk factors. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed in terms of how organisations can design, implement and evaluate appropriate workplace programmes that are related to the specific health needs of their employees. This was positioned as an essential business practice that positively relates to organisational effectiveness by increasing workplace productivity. Keywords: workplace productivity loss, lifestyle risk factors, biometric risk factors, organisational advantage, South Africa / GR2017

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / Globalisation calls for countries to focus on putting programmes together that seek to improve productivity and competitiveness of enterprises as the only reliable shield against the ever increasing global competition. It is against this background that the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) of South Africa conceived the Workplace Challenge Programme to help meet the challenge of South Africa‟s re-entry into the global market and the need for companies to become more productive and competitive. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Workplace Challenge Programme whose objective is to improve productivity and competitiveness of participating firms. The target population for the study was made up of firms who were within the twenty four months implementation period of the Workplace Challenge Programme during December 2010 when the study was conducted. The entire sample frame was targeted because of the manageable size of the number of companies in Workplace Challenge implementation phase. A response rate of 50 per cent was achieved and considered adequate for the purpose of drawing meaningful inference when compared to other survey results. The data were analysed using Microsoft Excel in conjunction with the productivity model which looked at the relationship between goods and services produced and resources used to produce them. The results clearly endorsed the Workplace Challenge Programme as an effective programme that is achieving its primary mandate of improving productivity and competitiveness of participating firms. The Workplace Challenge Programme deserves to be strengthened and expanded to reach even more firms within the South African economy since literature has shown that improving productivity and competitiveness is at the core of improving citizens‟ quality of lives.

M.Com. (Economics) / Inflation is the continuous, meaningful increase in the price level of an economic system. A distinction can be drawn between demand-pull factors (where demand exceeds the supply) and cost-push factors (prices are pushed higher by an increase in wages or input prices) as causes of inflation. Cost-push inflation is the result of the exercising of bargaining power by certain groups, e.g. trade unions. Prices can escalate as a result of competition between trade unions and firms for higher wages or competition between trade unions for a bigger portion of the national income. The aim of trade unions is to maintain the standard of living of their members, whose only source of income is the sale of their labour. Trade unions have a number of mechanisms, e.g. strikes and the withdrawal of co-operation, by means of which they can force an employer to meet their demands. Trade unions usually bargain collectively with employers regarding their wage demands. There are great differences of opinion among economists whether trade unions are the cause of inflation or whether they only contribute to inflation. Trade unions grouped themselves in organisations to look after the concerns of their members while employers have also grouped themselves in organisations. The government also plays an important role in the labour market, especially because' of the payment of unemployment benefits. Trade unions can contribute to inflation because wage increases are declared nationally, trade unions refuse to· accept any cuts in wages, contracts between employers and employees make provision for increases in salaries and also include a stipulation regarding cost of living adjustments. Trade unions can increase wage demands by being more militant, the spillover effect and wage imitation. The first white trade unions were established in the second half of the previous century and black trade unions in the early 1900' s. The numbers of especially the black trade unions increased considerably during the seventies and eighties, to such a degree that black trade unions have almost 3 million members and consist of 23,9 percent of the total economically active population. As a result of their great numbers, strikes have also shown an escalating tendency (there were 908 strikes per year during the period 1987 to 1992). The annual average inflation rate in South Africa reached double figures in 1974 and has not moved back to single figures since. If wage demands since 1985 are compared to this, the wage demands from 1987 to 1991 were higher each year than the inflation rate. Trade unions definitely have an influence on wages as the increase in minimum wages of unskilled labourers were mostly higher than. that of skilled workers. The increase in productivity has however, not kept up to date with the increase in wage rates.

A project report submitted to the faculty of Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of master of science in engineering / Industry in South Africa, and in particular the mining industry is faced with unprecedented challenges to remain profitable. [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version] / AC2017

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering. Johannesburg, 2017 / The primary objective of any mining business unit is to make profit by extracting, processing and selling minerals from a particular mineral deposit. It is important to optimise the extraction of the mineral resource given time, space and resource constraints. The mineral extraction process is often associated with uncertainty due to variable technical and human factors. Technical factors such as grade distribution, ground conditions and equipment reliability influence the performance of the mining production system (MPS). The performance of the MPS is also impacted by human factors such as employee skills, health and attendance. Uncertainty associated with technical and human factors often leads to planned output being different to actuals obtained. Therefore an in-depth analysis of the significant causes of deviations from the planned outcomes becomes a very important exercise. This research investigated the empirical relationships between inputs and outputs in a MPS in order assist management in directing efforts at key production drivers. A literature review revealed that production output is an end result of a chain of processes dependent and directly linked to each other, often referred to as the Mining Value Chain. The processes can be seen as milestones to be achieved within a production project. The process requires technical and human factors as resources. The literature review also highlighted that the production stage is the most obvious stage for investors to realise their return on investment. The production stage which constitutes a MPS was chosen as a relevant research area for the reason mentioned. Once a MPS has been empirically characterised, more effort and resources can be focused on the key decision making variables (DMVs) in order to meet the planned outcomes. A production function was developed accordingly, based on the production logic and historical data. The research concludes that for a typical platinum mine the face advance, face length mined, number of teams, and team size (independent variables) have a statistically significant relationship with the centares (m²) (dependent variable / response variable) produced which is a key performance indicator (KPI) for a platinum mine. A statistically significant regression equation with a coefficient of determination R2 = 0.99835 was obtained for the MPS. The production function can be used to align the physical, technical and human factors together to predict the optimal output level. The production function also highlights that the most significant production lever of the MPS is the face advance, contrary to a commonly held sentiment that lost blasts are the most significant. / MT 2017

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering. 19 September 2016. / High manufacturing competitiveness in South Africa has the potential to contribute towards mitigating the poor economic performance and high unemployment rate prevailing in the country. However, manufacturing competitiveness is lacking, majorly due to labour productivity issues that are idiosyncratic to South Africa. One of the dilemmas is how to increase manufacturing productivity without major capitalisation, as doing so usually leads to redundancy and retrenchment of employees. A possible solution is to implement manufacturing performance improvement programmes without major capital investment (or capital-labour substitution). Although various programmes exist and are successful elsewhere in the world, these have been found to fail in South African firms due to implementation challenges. This study assesses the results from implementing a manufacturing performance improvement programme called Integrated Work Systems (IWS) in a South African factory of a multinational company (ABC). IWS has already proven successful in the multinational’s factories in other parts of the world. The study aims to determine the critical success-factors and develop a framework for the successful implementation of such a programme in South Africa. Implementation of IWS in ABC SA’s factory was found to be successful in delivering breakthrough results in efficiency and throughput. Critical success-factors established through surveying relevant employees and management in ABC SA were related to the timing and planning of the programme, standardisation of work, regular reviewing and use of leading KPIs, having specific implementation resources and the nature of leadership involvement. The critical success-factors found in ABC SA’s implementation were used as a basis for presenting a framework to guide practitioners in implementing manufacturing improvement programmes that aim to deliver higher levels of sustainable performance and improved shop-floor culture. / MT2017

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of the Master of Information Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa.,2016. / Office setting is a widely acceptable means of providing an enabling environment that best facilitates employees’ performance and general productivity. This study sought to investigate the impact of office setting on employee performance using, eThekwini (KwaZulu-Natal) municipal offices and employees at the Durban City Hall, as a case study. The objectives of the study were to analyse the office design, finishes and furnishings of the head office building of eThekwini municipality and identify features in the design, finishes and furnishings in terms of their suitability and comfort of the employees; assess the impact of office settings on the performance of eThekwini municipality employees at the City Hall; and propose specific settings based interventions that would address employee health, comfort and wellbeing and thereby enhance optimum performance. The study was based on a sample of 65 City Hall staff randomly drawn from various departments and units, as well as 10 senior managers. Data for the study obtained mainly from the administration of questionnaires was analysed quantitatively using SPSS and Microsoft Excel and presented with the aid of frequency distributions, pie charts, tables, pictures and graphs. The research identified considerable office settings deficiencies which included uninspiring and old-fashioned office design and decor (largely cellular offices), use of dark wooden partitions resulting in poorly illuminated offices, and continued use of old furniture at the City Hall. The study also confirmed that the settings deficiencies had varying adverse effects on the performance of City Hall employees by between (20% - 80%). The study recommends the relocation of the City Hall head office to a new modern facility designed and furnished to suit the particular needs of the organisation. The development and operation of a real estate policy that leverages on the workplace environment to attract, retain and boost employee performance has also been recommended. / M

Construction productivity is an interesting phenomenon which was an initial study into time and motion. However this remains a vital part of the construction industry today as it takes into consideration cost-savings, a precise timeous delivery of projects and the correct usage of materials. This phenomenon itself is a huge challenge to many companies in South Africa. The construction industry in South Africa is seen as a tool to alleviate the increasing unemployment and poverty levels. The ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), has made statements to decrease the unemployment rate and due to these promises, the imposition of the use of local unskilled labour from the local communities has become the norm on the majority of construction projects. This formed the basis of the Expanded Public Works Programme. This initiative has indeed shown a huge success but the programme lacks long-term support. The majority of these workers are taken on short-term projects and thereafter the workers are returned to the unemployment pool. The workers are also aware of the short-term projects and therefore there is a lack of motivation which inevitably affects the productivity on any construction site. This study looks at the challenges faced by contractor's in the Eastern Cape and analyses the effects of the use of unskilled labour from the local community. Questionnaires were completed as a measurement instrument to determine the motivation, leadership style and the communication levels among the unskilled, core and the managers on construction projects. The productivity achievements of the unskilled labour and the core labour will be measured and compared and the findings are discussed.

Interest in effectively publishing academic articles stems from involvement in statistical research support provided to academic researchers conducting their research. In the context of this study research output (RO) is defined as the publication of research findings (articles) in academic journals accredited with the South African Department of Higher Education and Training’s (DHET). The vantage point of this research is that of research support statisticians. New knowledge is continually required to drive decision making, policy formulation, industry, economies, regulation, development, innovation and progress (SESCES 2015:9; Pullinger 2014). Quality published research serves as a reliable source of new information. Therefore measures are globally and nationally implemented to stimulate article publication. Such measures and incentives include measurement of publication rate; journal impact ratings; government funding of research based on research output; acknowledgement as research-intensive institutions, promotion opportunities linked to publication rate and more. Although the literature reports on aspects of the production and publication of research findings, limited research is reported on research output productivity (ROP) viewed from the perspective of the statistical community that support research within the research process. Therefore a theoretical framework for ROP had to be developed. Classic grounded theory (GT) proved to be an appropriate methodology for this research based on its theory-develop properties. The literature, responses to an open- and closed-ended questionnaire, observational field notes of this researcher and informal discussion notes were inter alia used as data bases in the cycles of data-collection-analysis-and-comparison that characterise GT implementation. Theoretical components (‘categories’) that emerged in the research include the research process as central concept (the ‘core category’), a research practice component; role players in the research process; the attitude of researchers; knowledge of researchers; skills and attributes of researchers; research resources and research resource centres; and the research climate of the researcher environment. These components constitute the factors that impact ROP. Relational links - which forms the second leg of a developing theory - between these components are explained quantitatively in terms of multivariate linear regression equations; a profile of researcher-type (discriminant analysis) and qualitatively by means of the literature and field notes of this researcher. The emerged theoretical model indicates that knowledge and skills of academic researchers, as well as researcher-type directly impact on the research process and therefore on ROP. Furthermore attitude forms a discriminatory attribute of academic researchers. The objective with the development of the model of ROP was to identify important components of RO delivery and propose grassroots recommendations to promote ROP. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African Government has set a target to halve poverty and unemployment by 2014. In an attempt to achieve this target a number of projects were initiated, one of which is the National Tooling Initiative (NTI). Local structures were established to encourage co-operation and competitiveness among the Small Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) by using the cluster concept. Consequently the Western Cape Tooling Initiative (WCTI) was formed to focus on and address the needs of the toolmakers in the Western Cape. It was highlighted during the interview with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the WCTI that some of the toolmakers are limited in terms of the size of orders they could handle due to lack of capacity. Discussions and research showed that in addition to the cluster initiative, a model such as the Order Fulfilment Process (OFP) could be used to encourage toolmakers to play a role in the activities within the OFP which they are strong in and collectively tender for contracts which they cannot fulfil on their own. Coupled to the OFP, it was decided that activity based costing would be used to assist with the cost allocation of the activities along the OFP. Furthermore, some of the activities within the OFP would be centralised i.e. order taking and invoicing, while others would be decentralised i.e. manufacturing and distribution. The research study showed that although the office of the WCTI is fully established, there is a need to better understand and analyse the actual state of the toolmakers, their profile and capability. Once this information is available, the WCTI would be in a better position to make meaningful decisions about the appropriate plan of action. Concurrently, the WCTI need to also learn about the business opportunities that are available to the toolmakers and begin to exploit them. The aim of the study was to help improve the performance of the toolmakers through co-operation by using the order fulfilment process model complemented by activity based costing. The objective of the research project was to develop a framework that should be used by the WCTI to encourage co-operation among the toolmakers to improve their competitiveness. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid-Afrikaanse regering het aan hulself die doelwit gestel om teen 2014 armoede en werkloosheid te halveer. In ‘n poging om hierdie doelwitte te bereik, is ‘n aantal projekte van stapel gestuur, waarvan die “National Tooling Initiative” (NTI) een is. Plaaslike strukture is gevestig om samewerking en mededinging aan te moedig tussen die klein-, mikro- en medium- sake-ondernemings (SMMEs) deur die gebruik van ‘n groeperingskonsep. Gevolglik is die “Western Cape Tooling Initiative” (WCTI) tot stand gebring om te fokus op die behoeftes van die gereedskapmakers in die Wes-Kaap en hul behoeftes aan te spreek. In ‘n onderhoud met die Hoof Uitvoerende Beampte van die WCTI is aandag daarop gevestig dat sommige van die gereedskapmakers beperk word in terme van die grootte van bestellings wat hulle kan hanteer as gevolg van hul gebrek aan kapasiteit. Gesprekke en navorsing het getoon dat ‘n model soos die bestellingvoltooingsproses (Order Fulfilment Process (OFP)) gebruik kan word om gereedskapmakers aan te moedig om ‘n rol te speel in die aktiwiteite binne die OFP waarin hulle sterk is en gesamentlik tenders in te dien vir kontrakte wat hulle nie op hulle eie kan hanteer nie. Tesame met die OFP, is daar besluit dat aktiwiteitsgebaseerde kosteberekening gebruik sou word om te help met die bepaling van koste-allokasie van die aktiwiteite binne die OFP. Verder sal sommige van die aktiwiteite van die proses gesentraliseer word, naamlik die neem van bestellings en fakturering, terwyl ander gedesentraliseer sou word, naamlik vervaardiging en verspreiding. Die navorsingstudie het getoon dat, alhoewel die kantoor van die WCTI ten volle gevestig is, daar steeds ‘n behoefte bestaan om die werklike toestand van die gereedskapmakers, hulle profiel en kapasiteit te begryp en te ontleed. Wanneer hierdie inligting beskikbaar is, sal die WCTI in ‘n beter posisie wees om betekenisvolle besluite te neem rakende die gepaste plan van aksie. Verder moet die WCTI ook hulself vergewis van die sakemoontlikhede wat vir die gereedskapmakers beskikbaar is en dit begin benut. Die oogmerk van die studie was om die werkverrigting van die gereedskapmakers deur samewerking te verbeter deur middel van die OFP wat ondersteun word deur aktiwiteitsgebaseerde kosteberekening. Die doel van die navorsingsprojek was om ‘n raamwerk te ontwikkel wat deur die WCTI gebruik kan word om samewerking onder die gereedskapmakers aan te moedig en hul mededingendheid te verbeter.