Research management attracts attention of varying intensity within different innovation areas. Whereas in product development efficient management of the whole process is seen as a prerequisite for success, the need for management in pre-competitive applied research is often questioned. If the construction sector is examined, its specific innovation characteristics provide additional obstacles to the achievement of innovation success. Moreover, current research topics focusing on individual technical phenomena have been shifting towards those with a holistic approach, resulting inevitably in interdisciplinary research. The thesis thus aims to develop a holistic management model for pre-competitive applied research in the construction sector, with the focus on steel construction. The study demonstrates the need for increased use of innovation initiators from politics, society and complementary steel user sectors and the formation of networks across the construction supply chain. For the project phase optimization potential is demonstrated in efforts to realize the exchange of technical information and joint creation of knowledge between science and industry. The holistic management model developed offers scope to implement such approaches to improvement while facilitating a repeatable path to project success. A key model component is the innovation broker, through whom from idea generation to results transfer project success is prepared and supported at differing action levels and with all participants integrated. A project-related Community of Practice is additionally used to implement non-contractual project integration prioritized by industry. The model is also evaluated using current European developments for optimizing research management. Testing within an interdisciplinary research cluster project in the construction sector confirms its readiness for application while revealing further development potential. On this basis recommendations are given on the model’s introduction in the management of applied research in structural engineering. The thesis meets the requirement of responding to practical problems while expanding the theoretical understanding of research management.

Societies in the world have been struggling to redefine ways to general prosperity, although a general interest in a more human world order is constant. At the same time, cooperatives operate as privately owned for-profit enterprises having social purpose as their primary objective. The aim of this research is to investigate the potential of achieving sustainable development in enterprises operating under the cooperative principles to bring about human development and environmental improvement. The paradigm suggests interactions among environmental performance, economic results, social benefits and the ethical cooperative principles. Information on more than 1,500 coops was gathered in the EU countries of Croatia and Slovenia, and in one non-EU country Bosnia-Herzegovina and a survey was carried out among coops that were commercially active over a 12-year period from 2002-2013. After deploying the survey via email and through structured telephone interviews, statistical analysis was completed on randomly chosen 100 coops. The results support the main research hypotheses. First, the union of environmental performance and cooperative principles (EP&CP) confirm the existence of a relationship with the economic results. Secondly, the combination of environmental performance and cooperative principles (EP&CP) also indicate a relationship with social benefits. Above all, it is concluded that better results in economic and social benefits are gained in the group having positive Environmental Performance and Cooperative Principles (positive EP&CP) compared to the group where positive only EP was observed. This generally indicates the important contribution of Cooperative Principles to Sustainable Development. Using the survey data an innovative Cooperative Sustainability Index (CSI) has been produced as composite indicator measuring the success in applying ethical elements within two dimensions: the cooperative principles dimension and the environmental. Slovenia has the highest ranking score; Croatia shows less success at the second position; Bosnia Herzegovina has the weakest results. Sustainable development conditions across the Eastern Adriatic region demonstrate an interesting diversity in the environmental sustainability results among the states, but to a certain extent there are similarities as far as social and economic conditions are concerned. Paradoxically, socialism damaged social enterprises like coops in the post-WWII period in the Eastern Adriatic. This occurred not only because the socialist governments misinterpreted cooperative principles, but above all because democratic organisations like coops in a non-democratic society challenge the ethical orthodoxy. In the last few decades, the recovery of coops has varied according to their geographical location. As demonstrated, coops mostly positively prevent contemporary environmental degradation of the world’s resources but also positively contribute to economic and social issues; this puts them in an important position to reduce the inequalities produced by contemporary authoritarian capitalism across the world. In this sense, the first Cooperative Sustainability Index will find its future application and usefulness.

The last decade has seen the growth of knowledge based industries and knowledge work. It has also witnessed the ever-increasing onslaught of competition and change.Intangibles have become increasingly important factors in determining organizational effectiveness. The changing business scenario and the role of information technology has made it imperative to take a new look at existing business systems, policies and structures. Today we speak of networked innovation, knowledge work and knowledge value added. Stewart (1998) and Barley (1994) reported the increasing content of knowledge in work and increasing numbers of people doing knowledge work.Davenport (1994) and Bhat (1998) spoke of the importance of managing social interactions in the firm to create competitive advantage. The Dow Jones Index and the Fortune list of companies increasingly showed a growth in the knowledge industry.While organizations from the old economy struggled the new fangled knowledge industry was here to stay. Intellectual Capital and Intangibles accounting became a buzzword. Organizations began to demonstrate how effective management of these factors led to increased profits, reduced cycle time and brought about greater innovation. New accounting techniques were being designed and influx of information technology solutions for Knowledge Management found their way into the market. It became imperative to build Knowledge Management into business strategy and to concentrate on human capital. Late 1990’s saw a proliferation of studies and exercises in this direction. Yet, if people were to be recognized and if competitive advantage was dependent upon the effective management of human capital, this was not being done in the realm of understanding knowledge worker perceptions. A need was perceived to conduct a behavioral study of human capital value added. To understand which of the organizational and knowledge management factors were perceived as being essential for Human Capital Value Addition.

Golf does not have a long history in China, only being played in the last 20 years, and has been the subject of limited research. However, Chinese golf clubs have developed very fast and it is worthy of further research. The author worked in a Chinese golf club before she came to UK. She perceived there was a less than harmonious manager-employee interaction in the club, and the morale of employees was not high. It has been accepted the importance of enhancing the satisfaction of employees, especially customer-contact employees as they can significantly and positively influences customers' satisfaction. In order to improve satisfaction of customer contact employees—caddies, this research explores the role of caddy managers in internal service encounters between them and their caddies in the Chinese golf industry from an internal marketing perspective. The reason for adopting an internal marketing perspective is to create a service culture and help to establish customer consciousness. This research aims to explore the role of caddy managers in internal service encounters from an internal marketing perspective. This research is based on the following conceptual frameworks: internal marketing, service encounters, the symbolic interactionist perspective of role theory, and defining situation because a service encounter cannot take place in a vacuum, and must take place in a specific situation. From an internal marketing perspective, caddy managers are treated as their caddies' internal service providers, the process of constructing caddy managers' role is actually the process of constructing internal service quality. Thus it is vital to review literature on service quality. The two prominent models on service quality: the Nordic Model of service quality and the SERVQUAL model are adopted as the theoretical frameworks for this research. This research employs Crotty's four elements (epistemology, theoretical perspective, methodology and methods) to justify its soundness. Taking the social constructionist epistemology, this research seeks to understand the meaning constructed by manager-employee interactions and how these meanings have led to specific internal service encounter behaviour. The interpretivists' paradigm embedded in symbolic interactionism is adopted as the theoretical perspective. Qualitative case study methodology, critical incident technique and storytelling are used as the research methods to collect data. In order to make sense of the data, narrative analysis is used to interpret the constructions of managers and caddies from their interactions. This study included 23 participants (four caddy managers and 19 caddies) from two Chinese golf clubs. It has yielded 59 internal service encounters categorised into four types, covering most of the situations where interactions between caddies and their managers take place. The nine dimensions were found to construct the role of caddy mangers in internal service encounters between caddies and caddy managers. They are reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, communication, consideration, fairness, recognition, and flexibility. Due to the specific research context, they have some differences from and similarities to the five dimension of the SERQUAL model and the seven criteria of the Nordic model of service quality. Further, an onion model of the role of caddy managers in internal service encounters was developed that could help the manager to understand their role in interacting with caddies, and to improve their service quality to caddies. This research has contributed to professional practice. In that it could help to improve golfers' satisfaction by improvement of caddies' satisfaction; and it uses the internal marketing perspective to help organizations to develop service orientation culture. This research has also contributed to theory. That is, it explored service encounters from two perspectives (the view of service providers and of customers).

This investigation probes the perceptions of consumers as well as marketers with regard to the branding of fast moving consumer goods in South African retail chain stores. While much research has been conducted on branding, this investigation will focus on the extent to which marketers’ perceptions and consumers’ perceptions converge with a view to maximizing the mutual benefits to be derived from marketing strategies within a contemporary South African environment. The extent to which South African marketers’ perceptions and consumers’ perceptions converge to promote brand equity is postulated in the brand equity optimization model. The research commenced with an exhaustive literature survey followed by an empirical survey. The fieldwork for this survey was conducted nationally among the three major retail groups in South Africa and among consumers living in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The findings from the literature survey indicate that both local and international companies have realized the potential of investing resources in brand building activities. These findings have provided evidence to suggest that building brand equity for fast moving consumer goods impacts positively on the sales and the popularity of these products. The findings of the empirical research illustrates that the typical South African consumer has become brand conscious and brand building activities encourage them to purchase these products. The findings from the consumer survey were supported by the investigation conducted among retail chain stores who agreed that building brand equity results in increased sales and the popularity of the products concerned. Consumers have a preference for manufacturer branded products but house brands are selected primarily because they are cheaper. Manufacturer brands are viewed by consumers as having the most innovative packaging, excellent promotional support and consistently good quality while retail chain stores believe that manufacturer brands lead the way in terms of brand building activities, packaging innovation, promotional support and quality. The results of both surveys illustrate that retail chain stores and consumers share similar viewpoints with regards to the branding, packaging, pricing, promotions and quality attributes of fast moving consumer goods in terms of optimizing brand equity. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2007.

The high rate of accidents recorded in South African industry and the human and economic consequences involved reflect inadequacies in existing safety management policies and practices. The universally accepted right of employees to protection and the demands of social policy make the prevailing situation unacceptable. The complexities of the parameters of the employer's obligation for sound safety management requires practical guidelines for its understanding and application. The aim of this research is therefore to determine these parameters and to provide guidelines for their application. The parameters at issue are regulated by the principles of modern labour law, the developing common law, and statutory law such as MOSA. In order to pursue sound management practices and employment relations, the employer must not only take cognizance of his legal obligations but also various humanitarian, social and economic considerations. To correlate the complex nature of safety management with the demands of social policy, it is necessary to apply an appropriate standard of conduct to which every safety practice must adhere. This standard relates to the employer's general duty to take fair and reasonable precautions to eliminate or minimize occupational hazards. The employer's conduct is measured in terms of the objective standard of the reasonable employer in labour relations. The concept of reasonableness is therefore fundamental to the formulation of the parameters of the employer's obligation. The parameters are shown to centre round the reasonable foresight of the likelihood of harm and the implementation of reasonable precautionary measures to guard against the occurrence of such foreseeable harm. Furthermore, an unforeseeable incident that occurs in spite of preventive measures taken may reflect the need for subsequent preventive and corrective action. There is clearly scope for employers to adopt a more proactive approach in promoting sound safety management practices. Certain statutory, attitudinal and policy changes will be necessary for improved working conditions. These changes will include the formulation and implementation of an objectively-based safety policy that will facilitate the application of the parameters established. The proposed model flow-chart makes it possible to establish whether the parameters have been effectively implemented, and whether the employer or a third party is liable for a particular accident. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1993.

This dissertation set out to ascertain that a South African vendor, on-time delivery to EU buyers, was unreliable. Late deliveries from South African vendors to EU buyers have led to Kingfisher Sourcing Africa (Pty) Ltd being a volatile sourcing office for the Kingfisher Group. Kingfisher Sourcing Africa (Pty) Ltd need to take considerable measures in determining which South African vendors they source products from in order to determine their success or failure. This research has highlighted the following problem: i. South African vendors are unreliable suppliers. Recommendations derived from this research include: ii. The need to clarify terms and conditions of trade, iii. To ensure Kingfisher Sourcing Africa (Pty) Ltd has a contract in place with South African vendors, iv. To periodically and systematically evaluate South African vendor's : Financial capabilities, Supply chain capacity, Management structure, Product offering mix, / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

This research investigates the role of brands in the advertising of beauty products. This study was conducted at tertiary institutions in the Durban Metropolitan Area. Since, students are believed to constitute a large market for consumer goods, especially beauty products, the study also seeks to determine consumption patterns and preferences of brands of beauty products by students at tertiary institutions. Using a survey-based study, the results of the survey highlights the importance of the branding of beauty products in promoting sales, loyalty and preference for various brands. The findings suggest that marketers' should continue to provide information to consumers about their beauty products, so that their benefits and functions are constantly emphasized, without exaggerating the claims of the brands. It has also emerged that detailed instructions on the use of beauty products and the frequency of their use be clearly indicated on their labels. This study has also revealed that brands of beauty products entrench the image of the company through its truthful advertising. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007.

Currency exposure has become a widespread issue as more corporations of all sizes source and sell in overseas markets and compete both at home and abroad with international companies. Very few companies are unaffected by currency risk, whether directly or indirectly. Businesses that source products from foreign countries face the risk that exchange rate movement will erode gross margins if competition prevents selling prices from rising in tandem, while resource-based companies face the uncertainty associated with the fact that the world's commodities markets are denominated in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling while their costs are often denominated in their local currencies. Businesses that ignore exchange rate volatility expose themselves to unnecessary risk, which could have significant consequences if exchange rates suddenly move unfavourably. The volatility of the South African Rand over the past few years is forcing treasurers and other managers responsible for international trade to look anew at how South African exchange rate fluctuations affect their company's results. Many companies have suffered from the effects of fluctuating exchange rates; some have reported losses running into millions of Rand. While more and more firms realize that they should manage foreign exchange risk, not all of them have come up with an appropriate management strategy. There has always been a great deal of debate over the best approach to hedging, or the best methods to forecast exchange rates; however hedging is of the utmost importance for companies. With the recent volatility of the rand, the multinational firm covered in this thesis, showed foreign exchange losses amounting to several millions, using forward exchange contracts to cover its high foreign exchange exposures. The major disadvantage of the forward contract as experienced by the firm and shown in this thesis is that it is a legally binding agreement and thus the firm was bound to accept the agreed exchange rate and also the fact that the exchange itself had to be done. If the commercial reason for the exchange disappeared, the cost of cancelling the forward contract would be quite high. In addition, if the exchange rate at maturity was more favourable to the firm than the one agreed to in the forward contract, the firm will still have to honour the contract and will not be able to take advantage of the favourable exchange rate. Thus, with FEC there is the elimination of the opportunity for profit, should exchange rates turn out favourably. When purchasing a currency option, however, the holder is protected from downward movements in the exchange rate whist still having the opportunity to benefit if the currency moves favourably. Hence, the purpose of this thesis was to evaluate the use of currency options as an alternative hedging strategy to forward exchange contracts to manage the firm's foreign exchange risk. It was found that, had the firm used currency options as compared to FEC over the last four years, the firm would have made significant saving in spite of the option premium. The firm would have enjoyed the flexibility offered by currency options, that is, to let the contract lapse when it would not be to the firm's advantage thus making a lower payment for its imports than would be paid under the forward exchange contract for the same period. The results were tested over a period of four years to prove that the difference in payments using the FEC and the currency options were statistically significant. What was apparent from the research, however, was that though the multinational firm could choose from a vast array of financial instruments and currency derivatives to manage its foreign exchange risk, the firm chose to stick to using forward exchange contracts. The reasons varied from fear of dealing with the complexities of the many instruments available on the market to the limited resources within the foreign exchange department to understand the technicalities of the various instruments. The investigation revealed though forward cover as used by the firm was more efficient in terms of ease of use. Currency options when applied to cover the firm's foreign imports resulted in less cash outflow, making it better and more profitable than forward exchange contracts. Options contract, though more expensive, would have allowed the firms to let the option lapse and therefore benefit from spot exchange rates if these were more favourable. / Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

All of us are consumers. We consume products such as bread and milk and services such as education, banking and transportation. A fundamental understanding of consumer behaviour forms the backbone of all marketing activities and is an imperative prerequisite for the success of businesses. Consumers' wants and needs in today's competitive world are continuously changing. Therefore companies are forced to understand how consumers make purchasing decisions before an effective marketing strategy could be designed. (Skinner, 1994:218) According to Lamb et al (2000:66) in order to design an appropriate marketing mix for their defined market, marketing managers must be able to understand consumers' behaviour thoroughly. This is essential because it will determine how successful the marketing strategy would be. Mowen (1995:5) define consumer behaviour as "the study of the buying units and the exchange processes involved in acquiring, consuming, and disposing of goods, services, experiences and ideas." In a nutshell, to stress the importance of understanding consumer behaviour, Assael summarises it by saying that "marketers have come to realise that their effectiveness in meeting consumer needs directly influences their profitability and the better they understand the factors underlying consumer behaviour, the better able they are to develop effective marketing strategies to meet consumer needs" (Assael,1998:5) This study examined toothpaste purchasing amongst Pietermaritzburg (PMB) consumers. The specific objectives were to evaluate which marketing stimuli affect the purchase of toothpaste in PMB, to evaluate the attributes consumers look for in toothpaste purchasing, to identify the various demographic variables that influence the purchase and finally to identify which brand of toothpaste has preference amongst PMB consumers. Theoretical reviews of the factors influencing consumer behaviour, which are categorised into marketing stimuli as well as environmental and individual factors are first discussed. These are followed by a brief description of the toothpaste industry and the various product attributes. The methodology used for the data collection as well as the interpretation procedures are also outlined. The key findings were Colgate Herbal was top on the list with 16.3% of respondents selecting it while Aquafresh All-in-One came in second with 15.3% of respondents having chosen it. Consumers attach different levels of importance to the different attributes of the toothpaste and the study found fresher breath to be the most important product attribute consumers look for when purchasing their toothpaste. The significance test done between brand preference and demographic variables indicated differences between racial groups. Based on the findings recommendations are then made for appropriate segmenting and positioning of the product that will be of use for manufacturers and retailers in the toothpaste industry. / Thesis (M.B.A.)- University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.