M.Phil. (Business Management) / The purpose of the research was to explicate business competitive challenges through increasing scientific knowledge relating to the effect of Value Chain on the Customer Experience within the South African Mobile Telecommunications industry. Operators display a tendency of commoditised competition, offering little differentiation that Customers value. The qualitative and time bound study analysed the perspective of sixteen interviewees, representing the full Value Chain from respective operators. Following the aim to understand the participants’ perception of how the Value Chain impacts Customer Experience, the Content Analysis method of analysis was utilised for the gathering of insights. Findings reflect a lack of maturity in the understanding of Customer Experience and Value Chain, and a resulting incapability to maximise the effect of the Value Chain on the Customer Experience. Notwithstanding, there exists an opportunity to apply a Value Chain perspective in order to improve the Customer Experience and enhance mutual value.

Ph.D. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Com. (Business Management) / The purpose of this study is to show that local government as a section of the public sector can contribute to the improvement of productivity, and more specifically labour productivity, in South Africa. An empirical study was undertaken to determine the methods applied by the Town Council of Alberton in order to improve labour productivity to such an extent as to be awarded a Golden National Productivity Award in 1987. Reference is made to the application of principles re1evant to the improvement of labour productivity as found in the literature. The role of the National Productivity Institute with regard to instruments for the improvement and measurement of productivity, is discussed. The reasons for Alberton's success are identified, the one being management's total commitment to the improvement of productivity. The other being the staff's involvement in productivity improvement and the fostering of their needs for self-actualisation through participative management. The Town Council of Alberton's achievements regarding the improvement of labour productivity, are evaluated. Recommendations are made for application by the Town Council of Alberton specifically and local authorities in general. Although the endeavours of the Town Council of Alberton to improve labour productivity form the subject of this study, it is assumed that this town council is not the only local authority to have developed and implemented strategies for the improvement of productivity. This study concludes that local authorities are in a position to contribute to economic growth and the creation of prosperity by means of effective productivity management.

Magister Scientiae - MSc / The aim of this investigation was to provide a framework or strategy for prioritising and implementing regional groundwater monitoring in the Olifants-Doorn Water Management (WMA) area. The general approach was to attempt to reconcile monitoring requirements with existing resources, while investigating the hypothesis that regional monitoring should focus on resource status monitoring. Groundwater science needs to focus on clarifying the sustainability options available to the stakeholders, and monitoring the chosen option. This can best be done by adopting an adaptive management approach to both the management of the groundwater resources, and the management of the monitoring programme. / South Africa

Magister Artium - MA / The strain brought to bear on fiscal resources of municipalities in South Africa has had a negative effect on the ability by these municipalities to fulfil their obligations; that of delivering quality services to residents, especially the poorest of the poor. Inability to collect adequate revenue; the general hardships related to the global economic recession; competition over resources, all these form an interplay of factors that have a bearing on the City of Tshwane' ability to manage and deliver water resources. Successful efforts to maintain good quality water resources have not been balanced with the ability to increase access to poorer sections of the municipality. The lack of an integrated approach to the management of water resources, which should be guided by the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) framework has led to a top-down and bureaucratic approach to the management of the resources, leading to both the exclusion of communities and other stakeholders. This thesis acknowledges the municipality's ability to manage quality issues. It however raises critical questions about ability to deliver services to the poor, and their exclusion from managing of water resources.

In water resources management in South Africa, there is an emphasis on public participation. On a river catchment basis, one of the mechanisms for such participation is the establishment of catchment forums. However, members of catchment forums, particularly those coming from poor or rural communities, cannot be expected to engage in catchment management without having been enabled to do so. This thesis considers the use of GIS in the process of enabling the Kat River Valley Catchment Forum to better participate in catchment management. The research focus is on the use of GIS to facilitate an understanding of the Kat River Catchment and associated catchment concepts, and constructive communication and sharing, among the Catchment Forum. The GIS is used in the context of "GIS for Participatory Research", an outgrowth of Public Participation GIS (PPGIS), which focuses on GIS as a tool for empowerment within participatory processes. The study has used Action Research, situated in the Critical paradigm, as a methodology. The research has included seven Forum workshop processes and one series of in-village meetings. These engagements have involved map-based appraisals, issues and resource mapping, map-based planning, and the use of on-screen GIS for presentation and sharing. The use of GIS has facilitated the creation of customised maps, the integration of village-scale mapping into a catchment scale product, the presentation of synthesised data in digital and hardcopy format and, in so doing, has allowed catchment-scale appraisal. Outcomes enabling participation in catchment management have included developed mapping skills and an enhanced understanding of the catchment as a whole, and developed conceptual access to a decision-making language (or way of thinking), among participants. Furthermore, the Forum as a whole has identified common needs, and has developed a set of map-based action plans. The research process has yielded a number of lessons regarding "GIS for participation" and the participatory framework within which it takes place. Chief among these is that the GIS operator should take on the role of a participatory practitioner.

AFRIKAANS: Die 21 ste eeu word deur invloedryke dryfkrragte wat die landboubedryf tot nuwe dimensies dwing gekenmerk. Veranderende omstandighede vereis nuwe vaardighede in bestuur ten einde toenemende uitdagings aan te spreek. Die vermoë van die bestuurder was nog altyd 'n belangrike parameter in landbou. Bestuur se optrede bepaal die sukses of ondergang van enige ondememing, insluitende die boerdery-ondememing. Min studies fokus op die strategiese bestuur van die boerdery-onderneming. Strategiese bestuur is bykans 'n vergete hulpbron. Hierdie studie stel ondersoek in na strategiese bestuur in die boerdery-onderneming. Die fokus is op die sewe bestuurstake van strategiese bestuur: <ul> 1. Formuleer 'n visie en missie. 2. Stel doelwitte. 3. Analiseer die eksteme omgewing. 4. Analiseer die interne omgewing. 5. Formuleer 'n strategie. 6. Implementering en uitvoering van die strategie. 7. Evalueer die prestasie en inisieer regstellende optrede.<br></ul> Hierdie studie is hoofsaaklik onderneem om ondersoek in te stel na die mate waarin die kommersiele boer sy boerdery-onderneming strategies bestuur. Ondersoek word ook ingestel of die kommersiële boer oor voldoende kennis van strategiese bestuur beskik. Hierdie ondersoekende studie van strategiese bestuur in die boerdery-onderneming word deur 'n omvattende literatuurstudie sowel as 'n empiriese ondersoek gerugsteun. Die literatuur gee ' n oorsig oor die landboubedryf se interne omgewing en eksteme omgewing. Strategiese bestuur kom daama onder die soeklig. Vir die doel van hierdie ondersoek is vraelyste en persoonlike onderhoude in die empiriese studie gebruik. Respondente is persoonlik op die plase besoek. Tydens die voltooiing van die vraelyste het die respondente vrae aangaande strategiese bestuur beantwoord. In die persoonlike onderhoude is konsepte verhelder en die bestuursprobleem is gevolglik beter in die persoonlike onderhoude ondervang. Die opname is onder 70 kommersiële boere in die Loskopskema: Marble Hall-streek gedoen. Bevindings dui daarop dat bestuurders me willens en wetens 'n strategie formuleer me. Die strategie kom inkrementeel tot stand. Boere volg 'n meer informele en minder omvattende rigting in die formulering van 'n strategie. Moontlike oorsake vir 'n meer informele strategie is die onstabiele omgewing van die landboubedryf en 'n tekort aan kennis van strategiese bestuur. Daar word aanbeveel dat strategiese bestuur as 'n riglyn gebruik word om by die veranderende omgewing van die landboubedryf aan te pas. Bestuur van die ondememing moet beter beheer en ontwikkel word ten einde by nuwe strategiese rigtings wat ontstaan aan te pas. Die sukses van 'n onderneming word nie deur die implementering en uitvoering van 'n goeie strategie verseker me. Die verantwoordelikheid berus by die bestuur om by veranderende omstandighede aan te pas. 'n Verdedigende strategie moet ondemeem word om teenspoed die hoof te bied. Die logiese grond vir die gebruik van strategiese bestuur is gevolglik dat dit tot beter prestasie sal lei. ENGLISH: Powerful forces are propelling the agricultural industry toward new dimensions for the 21st Century. Changing circumstances in the agricultural sector require new skills to address these challenges. Managerial ability has always been regarded as an important parameter in agricultural production. Managerial behavior is the determining factor that causes a business, including a farm business, to prosper or fail. Few studies have focused on the strategic management of a farm business. Strategic management is almost a forgotten resource. This study is designed to appraise the background of strategic management in a farm business. The emphasis was placed on seven interrelated managerial tasks of strategic management: <ul> 1. Forming a strategic vision and mission. 2. Setting objectives. 3. Analyse the external environment. 4. Analyse the internal environment. S. Crafting a strategy. 5. Implementing and executing the chosen strategy. 6. Evaluating performance and initiating corrective adjustments.<br></ul> The study's main objective is to examine the degree to which the farm business is using a strategic management process effectively in managing its business. At the same time this study investigates if the commercial farmers have sufficient knowledge of the concept of strategic management. This study is investigative of strategic management and is backed by a comprehensive literature review and empirical study. The literature gives an overview of the internal environment and external environment of agriculture and the field of study strategic management is also introduced. The empirical study consists of a questionnaire and personal interviews. Each of the respondents was subsequently visited, and questionnaires were completed regarding aspects of strategic management. Depth and detail of information was secured by a personal interview. The survey involves 70 commercial farmers in the Loskop scheme: Marble Hall-region. Die results of the research indicate that managers do not follow a deliberate strategy but rather an emergency strategy. Strategic direction is not controlled through setting prior, widely shared intention and monitoring outcomes. A possible reason for this phenomenon is the instability of the agricultural environment and the lack of knowledge of strategic management. Recommendations are made on how managers must seek to provoke around the instability of the environment and pressing challenges by using strategic management as a guideline. Managers have to adopt a form of control and development that enables new strategic direction to emerge. Effective strategy combined with effective strategy execution doesn't guarantee the success of a company. It is the responsibility of a company's management to adjust to unexpectedly tough conditions by undertaking strategic defenses and business approaches that can overcome adversity. The rationale for using strategic management is therefore compelling: the better conceived a company's strategy and the more competently it is executed, the more likely it is that the company will be a standout performer and exhibit enviable business practices. / Dissertation (MCom (Business Management))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Business Management / unrestricted

Businesses have been criticised for their contribution towards the ever-increasing rate of destruction of the natural environment. Although businesses have responded by adapting their management practices, production processes and products, they still face a number of challenges in reducing their environmental impact. One way in which businesses have responded to the environmental crisis is by implementing environmental management systems. Despite the importance of environmental management implementation, researchers have neglected to identify the antecedents that could lead to environmental management system implementation in South African small and medium-sized businesses. Indeed, much of the research on environmental management has concentrated on large business in Europe or the United States. The limited research that has been conducted on environmental management in small and medium-sized businesses has been descriptive in nature, and fails to produce results that are generalisable and that advance the understanding on this topic. Given this situation, the objective of this study was to develop and empirically test a theoretical model to explain the implementation of environmental management systems in small and medium-sized businesses. A quantitative survey methodology was adopted in this study to test the proposed theoretical model empirically. In total, 417 small and medium-sized businesses participated in the survey; 326 of these were not implementing an environmental management system, and 91 were implementing such a system. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the sample data. The findings of this analysis suggest that the respondents had a favourable attitude toward environmental management systems; they were aware of environmental issues; they perceived themselves and their businesses as able to deal with the barriers to environmental management system implementation; they felt personally obligated to reduce their business‟ environmental impact; and they perceived actions aimed at reducing their businesses‟ environmental impact as socially desirable. To test the hypothesised relationships in the theoretical model, correlation and multiple regression analyses were used. The hypotheses dealing with the relationship between the environmental antecedents and the owner-manager‟s intention to implement an environmental management system, and the actual implementation of an environmental management system, were supported in this study. Thus, the environmental antecedents were found to be positively related to the small and medium-sized business owners‟ intention to implement an environmental management system; to their formal and informal implementation of an environmental management system; and to their practices related to waste management and legal compliance. Empirical evidence to support the hypothesised effect of resource constraints as a moderating variable was found in this study. In terms of environmental values, support was found for the moderating effect of egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric values. In terms of the biographical characteristics of the business owners, significant moderating effects were found for gender and age, but not for education. Gender influenced the relationships between the environmental antecedents, attitude towards an environmental management system and personal pro-environmental norms, and the intention to implement an environmental management system. Age moderated the relationship between subjective pro-environmental norms, waste management, and legal compliance. Given the empirical evidence provided in this study, it is recommended that greater awareness of environmental issues be fostered among small and medium-sized business owners as well as the individuals who influence their decision-making. There is also a need to reinforce the positive business outcomes of environmental management system implementation, as well as the personal and social obligations to protect the natural environment among small and medium-sized business owners.

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.

In the 1960s, risk management primarily took the form of purchased insurance against force majeure events. Today, many corporate executives are worried about not only these types of events but also many others (Mair and Cendrowski, 2009:3). “People risks” versus environmental risks, financial risks and technical risks are examples of risks that are often overlooked. People risks include, succession planning (this refers to identifying and developing key talent) and competency and skills building (dealing with employees that do not have requisite skills for success), (William & Paul, 2007:4). Massingham (2010:464) mentions that corporate disasters, such as the collapse of Enron, have increased the need for effective corporate governance, while catastrophic natural disasters, man-made tragedies such as the September 11 terrorist attacks and tsunami of 2004, have increased risk awareness as well as its consequences.