The research was conducted to determine the degree of organisational performance measurement in SMEs in the ICT sector within the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Literature on performance measurement and SMEs was reviewed and provided the theoretical foundation for the research. A qualitative approach to research was followed using case research based on semi-structured interviews to determine the knowledge and perceived value of performance measurement in SMEs. The study also investigated the prominent performance measures used by SMEs and difficulties around the implementation of these measures. The findings were related to the literature regarding the attributes of measures, the dimensions of performance and the characteristics of performance measurement frameworks. In conclusion, a method for SMEs to use performance information to their advantage was proposed.

The research was conducted to determine the degree of organisational performance measurement in SMEs in the ICT sector within the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Literature on performance measurement and SMEs was reviewed and provided the theoretical foundation for the research. A qualitative approach to research was followed using case research based on semi-structured interviews to determine the knowledge and perceived value of performance measurement in SMEs. The study also investigated the prominent performance measures used by SMEs and difficulties around the implementation of these measures. The findings were related to the literature regarding the attributes of measures, the dimensions of performance and the characteristics of performance measurement frameworks. In conclusion, a method for SMEs to use performance information to their advantage was proposed.

ABSTRACT Under conditions of pervasive change, the most difficult challenge facing the market leader is sustaining its leading position. The primary research problem statement relates to the construct of Disruptive Innovation that has the potential for new entrants to substantially alter the basis of competition and impact the business models of incumbents. Ultimately, how are shapers distinguished from adopters of Disruptive Innovation? A qualitative research methodology was selected given the nature of the research. The main findings from the analysis indicate that nontechnological attributes distinguishes shapers from adopters of Disruptive Innovation in the telecommunications sector of South Africa. However, Disruptive Innovation as a construct, is largely unknown, and does not adequately explain the changes in the landscape of the telecommunications sector of South Africa. The implications for the research results are that other factors or features, such as the role and impact of the State, have a role to play in explaining the features of the South African telecommunications sector.

ABSTRACT Under conditions of pervasive change, the most difficult challenge facing the market leader is sustaining its leading position. The primary research problem statement relates to the construct of Disruptive Innovation that has the potential for new entrants to substantially alter the basis of competition and impact the business models of incumbents. Ultimately, how are shapers distinguished from adopters of Disruptive Innovation? A qualitative research methodology was selected given the nature of the research. The main findings from the analysis indicate that nontechnological attributes distinguishes shapers from adopters of Disruptive Innovation in the telecommunications sector of South Africa. However, Disruptive Innovation as a construct, is largely unknown, and does not adequately explain the changes in the landscape of the telecommunications sector of South Africa. The implications for the research results are that other factors or features, such as the role and impact of the State, have a role to play in explaining the features of the South African telecommunications sector.

Business in the twenty-first century has become global and being able to deal effectively with others who are culturally different has become a business necessity (Thomas & Inkson, 2004). Understanding and working with and across cultures is nowhere as prominent and as important as it is South Africa. This is particularly so because of the various cultures within South Africa combined with the challenges introduced by the ending of apartheid in 1994. To be successful, organisations have started realising that people’s differences can be their strength, if only leaders could perfect the skill of combining their qualities and ideas, whilst still valuing them and each other as very different and unique individuals. For centuries now the concept of the “melting pot” in which everyone embraced the same culture and values (DuPont, 1997) has worked well. However, the boundaries to trade and business within the twenty-first century have undergone vast adaptations with these boundaries to business being lifted and individuals across and within nations being given equal opportunities, no matter what nationality, race and / or gender group one represents. Arguing that organisations merely comprise bricks and mortar and that it is about the individuals within an organisation and their behaviours, one would then suggest that, to mobilise and equip an organisation in the twenty-first century, leaders would have to change the behaviours and thought processes of those individuals within and representing the organisation. As an opening statement the challenge to business in the twenty-first century, becomes apparent when one start to delve into the arsenal of skills required to - 4 - meet this challenge. For centuries leaders have been following the same recipe and consistently added the same ingredients as described in the metaphor of the “melting pot” without any real consideration for difference. Leaders have long known that interacting effectively with others is probably one of the most important skills a leader needs to have. Thomas and Inkson (2004) argue that for the foreseeable future, cultural differences will remain a key factor in these interpersonal interactions. Thomas and Inkson (2004) add two very distinct points. • Leaders who do not keep their skills up-to-date run the risk of losing out. • The key leadership competency for the twenty-first century is cultural intelligence.

Business in the twenty-first century has become global and being able to deal effectively with others who are culturally different has become a business necessity (Thomas & Inkson, 2004). Understanding and working with and across cultures is nowhere as prominent and as important as it is South Africa. This is particularly so because of the various cultures within South Africa combined with the challenges introduced by the ending of apartheid in 1994. To be successful, organisations have started realising that people’s differences can be their strength, if only leaders could perfect the skill of combining their qualities and ideas, whilst still valuing them and each other as very different and unique individuals. For centuries now the concept of the “melting pot” in which everyone embraced the same culture and values (DuPont, 1997) has worked well. However, the boundaries to trade and business within the twenty-first century have undergone vast adaptations with these boundaries to business being lifted and individuals across and within nations being given equal opportunities, no matter what nationality, race and / or gender group one represents. Arguing that organisations merely comprise bricks and mortar and that it is about the individuals within an organisation and their behaviours, one would then suggest that, to mobilise and equip an organisation in the twenty-first century, leaders would have to change the behaviours and thought processes of those individuals within and representing the organisation. As an opening statement the challenge to business in the twenty-first century, becomes apparent when one start to delve into the arsenal of skills required to - 4 - meet this challenge. For centuries leaders have been following the same recipe and consistently added the same ingredients as described in the metaphor of the “melting pot” without any real consideration for difference. Leaders have long known that interacting effectively with others is probably one of the most important skills a leader needs to have. Thomas and Inkson (2004) argue that for the foreseeable future, cultural differences will remain a key factor in these interpersonal interactions. Thomas and Inkson (2004) add two very distinct points. • Leaders who do not keep their skills up-to-date run the risk of losing out. • The key leadership competency for the twenty-first century is cultural intelligence.

The job diagnostic survey will be used to gather data on job satisfaction and motivation from the chosen data set. This is a structured questionnaire which provides quantitative results. These results wil be used to calculate the motivation potential score for each individual. Statistical methods will then be used to evaluate the results. This information, together with theory such as Hertsberg's 2-factor theory and Hackman and Oldham's job characteristics model will be used to propose ways of enhancing the jobs of graduate South African engineers. This will improve their job satisfaction and motivation allowing companies to attract, retain and gain greater performance from them. / This research has three main purposes. Firstly, it examines the level of job satisfaction and motivation of engineers and actuaries in South Africa and compares this with other groups. Secondly it examines the role of job design in their job satisfaction and motivation. Thirdly, it recommends ways to increase the level of satisfaction and motivation. The research methodology was based on Hackman and Oldham’s Job Characteristics Model (JCM) and accompanying Job Diagnostic Survey. It states that high satisfaction, motivation and effectiveness will result from the presence of five job characteristics as long as certain intervening factors are also present. It was found that Job design, as proposed by the model, does contribute to satisfaction and motivation. Relative to other groups of employees, actuaries and engineers in South Africa are satisfied. Of those surveyed, civil engineers had the highest level of satisfaction and electrical engineers the lowest. Actuaries scored higher than engineers. The results of this research suggest organisations should increase feedback to employees and improve opportunities for growth. Further research should be done on the intervening factors and the effects of demographic differences within the two groups.

Customer relationship management (CRM) as an academic subject and a business tool is as relevant today as ever before. As part of the CRM model banks have implemented the concept of relationship banking. The retail banking industry has been troubled with the issue of customer loyalty as both personal and commercial customers have shown the tendency to utilise different products and services from different banks or financial institutions. The problem seems to be Customer Loyalty (or is it?), which as a field of research has been exploited in recent years. The aim of the research report will be to contribute to the existing research on Customer Loyalty and the effects of Relationship Banking (as part of a CRM model) thereon. / Relationship banking, as exemplified by retail banks, is a valuable enabling strategy that promotes competitiveness and provides sustainable success. The utilisation of relationship banking as a business strategy to increase customer retention, create customer loyalty and ultimately increase long-term profits is a relative young tactic, originating in the 1980s and gathering pace during the 1990s. The correct application of relationship banking could impact on the bottomline of banks favourably. Hence the positioning of this research to investigate the effect of the relationship banking offering on customer loyalty, and its use in realising customer loyalty and long-term value from relationship banking initiatives. The retail banking industry in South Africa is a complex and very competitive environment, which is dominated by the big four banks (ABSA, First National Bank, Nedbank, and Standard Bank). It is a business imperative for the management of the banks to ensure that they establish, develop and improve relationships with their most important asset, their customers. Operating in such a dynamic environment requires of banks to fully understand all the factors of relationship banking that affect their success and market share. What is the impact of relationship banking on customer loyalty, and what are the possible results that can flow from a close relationship between bank and customer? The main research hypothesis states that business customers who receive the relationship banking offering from their retail bankers are more loyal towards their bank than those business customers who do not receive the relationship banking offering. With this in mind the research seeks to clarify specific primary objectives based on the hypothesis: • To investigate the impact that relationship banking has on the loyalty of business banking customers in the retail banks in South Africa. ii • To identify the critical factors of relationship banking that can influence customer loyalty. • To identify the benefits of relationship banking and customer loyalty. The research composed of a field study in the retail banking industry, with a sample of 80 business banking customers with a close business relationship with their banker or having a personal banker looking after the relationship, and 80 business customers without a close business relationship with their banker or no personal banker looking after their relationship. The survey focused on the attitude or perception of business customers based on relationship and loyalty dimensions. The research, in combination with the literature review provided valuable insight into the factors influencing relationship banking, its value as part of a retail business banking proposition, as well as the effect it has on customer loyalty. It also provided insight into the importance of customer loyalty and its impact on customer retention and long-term profitability. It is clear from the literature review and research that a relationship banking offering adds value with regard to customer retention and loyalty. The results and findings from the research and literature review represent a remarkable difference between the perceived levels of customer loyalty of the two groups. This is an indication that relationship banking affects customer loyalty positively. The critical factors of relationship banking that were found to influence customer loyalty included the value proposition, service and quality, employee competency (relationship banker), price, reward and recognition, and communication. The benefits of developing and building customer loyalty included: retention of customers and staff, customer satisfaction, trust, word of mouth referrals and growth, cost reduction, cross-sales, profitability (relationship lifetime value) and enhancing the bank’s competitive advantage. iii The researcher recommends that retail banks must continue to implement relationship banking offerings across all business customer segments. A possible consideration will be to divide the relationship banking offering on different levels: high-touch; medium-touch; and low-touch. These different value propositions should represent mutual (bank and customer) requirements and financial feasibility for banks. Banks must place customer-centricity at the core of their relationship banking strategy. To support the relationship strategies banks need to understand the behaviour of their customers and their buying habits. Market segmentation is a critical aspect of relationship marketing and the segmentation of business customers must be in line with the different levels of relationship offerings. Segmentation should also be in line with customer value or customer profitability, complexity of financial demands, annual turnover and industry. This segmentation will allow banks to provide the correct relationship banking offering to the right customer. To support the segmentation process banks need to be able to determine the individual customer profitability. Management information systems must be developed and used to determine the customer’s profitability. Once the segmentation has been concluded banks must implement and use applicable CRM strategies and CRM systems to complement the relationship banking offering. It’s about knowing their customers well enough to determine the kind of relationship they would like to have. Banks must also try to extend their CRM strategy across all customers. The support from top management and understanding of the relationship banking offering is critical as a lack of support can derail the success. The main recommendations for further study that transpired from the research included: • Research on the calculation of relationship life time value. iv • Research on a model for appropriate market segmentation of business banking customers in South Africa. • Research on the importance of reward and recognition strategies to valued customers, plus loyalty programmes. • Research on the key characteristics of relationship bankers.

Women around the world are not making much progress up the corporate ladder but instead; many are frustrated and choosing to leave their jobs. The purpose of this study was to identify what challenges are facing senior level women in the corporate world, which would make them leave/desire to leave work and the role played by organisations in this situation. Interviews and survey research were done on a sample of qualified, experienced women over the age of 30, who are either in the corporate world or who have left. The study showed that women are leaving or have a strong desire to leave due to a combination of workplace and personal factors, and that South African organisations are not doing much to retain them. The implication of this is that they are going to continue losing high calibre women, if they do not implement effective retention strategies very quickly.

The tension uncovered during this study is between two worlds: the very pragmatic and enormously challenging world of managing in a rapidly changing and highly competitive global market, and the scientific world of strategic management thinking and the concern that contemporary strategic management is unable to deal effectively with the modern dilemma of globalisation. This dilemma is as a result of change; before a current scenario can be solved, the next evolution of scenarios is upon the business community. In today's turbulent world, globalisation is sweeping away the market and industry structures that, historically, have defined competition. Swept away with them are the classic approaches to strategic management, nearly all of which mistakenly assume that a predictable path to the future can be paved from the experiences of the past. The solution: Strategy should be dynamic and should change constantly in order to contend with external turbulences. Organisations should brace themselves for a future of hyper-competition. They should respond to these rapid changes in the business environment by adopting a new approach to strategy, one that combines speed, openness, and flexibility. Organisations need: an ability to sense changes in their environment; an ability to understand the impact, of this change, on the whole; a willingness to adapt to change; and an ability to adapt. Experimenting with new strategies is also important. Constant testing, adaptation and building on what is found to be successful with customers is the way ahead, especially when one is trying to re-invent the value provided, or the way in which it is produced and delivered. The overall purpose of this experimental strategic learning and management process is to establish which strategic options or elements thereof are robust across the possible competitive scenarios, and use the healthiest elements to develop your strategic intent - your core strategic focus or theme.