Facilities Management (FM) has become one of the fastest growing disciplines in the built environment. Factors such as information technology, expectations of employees, the cost of mistakes in building, the cost of building space and global competition have influenced the growth of the discipline. These factors have forced facilities management to move from the basement to the boardroom; from a hidden function entrusted to the sleepy, slow and steady to one performed by increasingly bright-eyed and dynamic facilities managers. The objectives of this research focus on the need for a transformation strategy for FM in the public sector. However, before any transformation is considered, it is essential to understand the perceptions and attitudes of people dealing with FM in this sector. The National Department of Public Works (NDPW) became the focus of the study because it has the largest property portfolio in the southern hemisphere. It should be the leader in FM. The collected primary data (being quantitative) and secondary information provided the necessary basis to understand the application of FM in the NDPW. The study revealed shortcomings which are contributing to the problems outlined: namely, that no senior manager has been appointed to manage the portfolio and assist top management in decision-making; that neither a policy nor a FM framework are in place to guide the FM portfolio; that there is a lack of knowledge about the discipline, particularly by management and that there is no computer-aided FM in the entire department, let alone a FM helpdesk. FM is the coordination of workplace, people, physical infrastructure, processes and technology in order for an organization to meet its objectives. It is a wide field encompassing models that tend to differ considerably from one organization to another as it has to respond to the particular needs of each organization. It recognizes that a workplace’s configuration can have either a positive or negative impact on productivity, depending on the competency of the FM structures in place.

Project implementation appears to be one the most difficult aspects of a manager’s job. The purpose of project management is to forecast or anticipate potential dangers and problems that may jeopardise the success of a project and then to plan, organise and control activities that will lead to the successful completion of projects in spite of all the envisaged risks. It is estimated that more than 80% of projects run late or over budget. Such failure often sinks small firms and erodes profits of larger organisations. Project implementation is therefore critical to the success of both small and big firms. The primary objective of this study is to improve project management in firms by investigating the variables that influence project implementation. More specifically, the study investigates the influence of organisational communication, leadership, business process management and resistance to change on project implementation. The sample consisted of 170 employees in a cross-section of industries. The sample was stratified to include senior managers, managers, supervisors and lower level employees. The empirical results show that organisational communication, participatory leadership, retention of the status quo and goal-oriented leadership increase project implementation, while resistance to change decreases project implementation.

M.Com. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Business Administration, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management (Human Resources) / Many companies today are not achieving expected business results despite significant investment in Total Quality Management (TQM). Even some previous Malcolm Baldrige award winners are seen struggling. Some report that perhaps only 30% of companies using TQM methods have achieved demonstrative bottom line success, at least in the short run. That leaves the remaining 70% with results spreading from localized success stories, but little bottom line results, to a few with various symptoms of abject failure. / AC2017

Dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master Technologiae: Quality in the Faculty of Engineering at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology / Beginning in the United States in December 2007, and with much greater intensity since September 2008, much of the industrialised world is being subjected to an economic downturn, which manifests in unemployment, small-business lending, and in particular, the closing of small business enterprises, etc. Customer satisfaction, quality and retention are global issues that affect all organisations, no matter whether they are large or small, profit or non-profit, global or local. In a globally changing landscape characterised by continuous structural changes and enhanced competitive pressures, the role of small business in society has become even more important as providers of employment opportunities and key players for the well-being of local and regional communities. Under the current global worldwide economic crisis, small business is considered to be a major force behind the South Africa‟s economy. Regarding the implementation of quality, probably the most serious constraints a small firm has is that the manager is almost constantly under time pressure, usually dealing with the urgent staff and operational matters.Especially in very small companies, the manager usually has to cope with to all issues irrespective of their nature, in addition to day to day duties such as record keeper, inventory management and scheduling. Ironically, it is this type of small business that needs quality solutions because quality strategies do not from the basis of the traditional small business enterprises, thus impacting on the successful management of the business environment.

With the prediction that South Africa will be water-stressed by the year 2025, it becomes necessary for all the cities in the country, including Johannesburg to take the necessary measures to ensure that they manage their water resources effectively in order to ensure the water security of their cities. This research report is a secondary case study of the groundwater situation in Johannesburg, which delves into the literature on groundwater and presents a review of the groundwater problems in Johannesburg and the management strategies used in managing the problems. Some of the groundwater issues identified in Johannesburg include recharge problems due to the geological formation and nature of aquifers in Johannesburg, and the growth and urbanization of Johannesburg, which places increasing demands on water. There is also the problem of pollution, the sources of which in Johannesburg are mainly municipal waste, industrial processes and mining activities. There are also institutional capacity problems regarding the management of groundwater in Johannesburg. The second aspect of the research report delves into the management strategies employed in the city of Johannesburg for the management of groundwater resources. Some of the management strategies or tools discussed include the National Water Resource Strategy 2 (NWRS), the Groundwater Strategy 2010, the guideline for the assessment, planning and management of groundwater resources in South Africa and the NORAD toolkit. Although these tools are well developed for the management of groundwater, there are deficiencies in implementation, which are mainly due to the undervaluation of the importance and significance of groundwater resources, shortage of expertise and adequate data, centralization of power, disregard of groundwater ecosystems and associated goods and services, and the lack of adaptive management. In order to deal with the issues and problems surrounding groundwater in Johannesburg, some of the solutions recommended include effective administration, capacity building and cooperative governance, acknowledging the importance of groundwater-dependent ecosystems, the need for adaptive management, and integrating supply side and demand side measures in the management of groundwater, and the development of a groundwater management framework (GWMF) for the city of Johannesburg. Key Words: Groundwater, sustainable development, management strategies, Johannesburg

M.B.A. / Currently in the long-term insurance and investment industry, the failure rate of brokers and agents are so high that thousands of rands are lost every month in training and development of these consultants. "The average cost to bring an agent through the first four critical years in the business can be as high as $250,000 in some companies" (King, 1999:7). Brown and Hinchcliffe, (1999:16), acknowledges that the turnover rate is approximately fifty percent within the first year of a new recruit joining the industry. These statistics indicate that the cost and failure rate of consultants could have a significant impact on the profitability of an insurance company. But when does a consultant actually fail? Failure of a consultant results when he/she does not achieve contract status (i.e. has low levels of production) as well as a consultant that resign from the industry by cancelling his/her contract to promote and sell insurance and investment products with a life insurance company. Considering the statement by King (1999:7), that insurance companies spend fortunes on training, this must aid in reducing the failure rate of consultants. It is believed that the support staff and business principles of Liberty Life Association of Africa Limited (Liberty) are of high standard and that the formal training received by new recruits are also of the highest standards (including methods of training) (Dotta, 1999:100). Furthermore, the training programmes and curriculum are governed by law to meet governmental regulations. Thus the question is posed: If the support services, training and development is fulfilling the needs that new and existing consultants might need to succeed, why then is there still such a high failure and turnover rate of financial consultants within Liberty? To determine possible factors that can cause failure it is necessary to analyse the insurance industry as well as the nature of the consultants' duties. This will enable a fundamental understanding of the career as well as the people performing the tasks thereof. The aim of this research project is to analyse current employee data, recruiting and management procedures so as to establish possible trends for successful recruiting and management of fmancial consultants in the insurance industry with particular reference to Liberty Life.

The objective of this study is to assess the Lean Manufacturing practices by Transwerk Uitenhage and to reveal the barriers to implementation of lean manufacturing strategies experienced by their supply line. This will be compared to what the literature says and suggestions to overcome these barriers will be developed.

D.Litt.et Phil. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Worker participation and the acceptance thereof is well established in first world countries. In third world countries it is still a relatively new concept which tends to rely on legislation for its existence and continuing function. Where a free-market economy is in place, labour market forces and management attitudes tend to affect the practice of worker participation. This research explores the multi-dimensional nature of workers' attitudes towards worker participation in an international company operating in the Republic of Bophuthatswana. A questionnaire using the hypothetical conversation technique and a dichotomous scale was developed and administered to a sample of 300 male industrial workers. Ten dimensions were proposed and subjected to a factor analysis. The results of the factor analysis revealed a unidimensional scale which suggested an underlying general attitude. This was used as a "general attitude" scale. Only two of the original dimensions were found to have some factorial validity. These three scales were subjected to an item analysis to establish their internal consistency. The biographical data in the questionnaire and the three scales were subjected to a correlation study and a regressional analysis to determine what relationship existed between the biographical variables and the attitudinal scales. This was done to explore the three scales. It was found that only tenure affected all three scales; tenure and not age was the variable that affected workers' attitudes the most.