Organisations are spending a large sum of capital by investing on physical assets in order to improve productivity and gain competitive advantage. It has become imperative that business leadership turn their attention to the development, implementation and sustenance of physical assets management strategies in order to eliminate operational and reliability risk.

M.Phil. (Engineering Management) / This dissertation uncovers the importance of the application, utilisation and implementation of total quality management in the South African organisations specifically manufacturing industry. The study focuses on the application, utilisation and implementation of TQM at ASSA ABLOY (SA) PTY (LTD). This study need to outline ways in which total quality management, implementation and quality improvement is applied and utilized in within ASSA ABLOY (SA). The organisation believes but does not have clear understanding and commitment to implementation of total quality management and continuous improvement tools. This research seeks to come up with methods that will eventually be used to train employees on total quality management (TQM) related issues at ASSA ABLOY (SA) PTY (LTD) and in the South African manufacturing industry as a whole. The research design was both qualitative and quantitative in nature. The primary data was collected by using a structured questionnaire, interviews, surveys and observations with people within ASSA ABLOY (SA) Pty (Ltd). The secondary data was collected from library searches and access to information gathered with the organisation that supports this journey. The questions were coded up for ease of analysis and the questions gave the respondent choice to respond on the 5 point-linkert scale, where 1 -“Very dissatisfied”, 2-“Dissatisfied”, 3-“neutral or unsure”, 4-“Satisfied” and 5-“Very satisfied”. A Linkert item is simply a statement which the respondent is asked to evaluate according to any kind of subjective or objective criteria; generally the level of agreement or disagreement is measured. It is considered symmetric or "balanced" because there are equal amounts of positive and negative positions. Top management support on quality policy is a concern to the employees. Employees seem not to be getting enough training on quality related matters and their training needs are not fully addressed because they are not consulted enough when training is planned. This will mean that the needs analysis is left with the managers or the supervisors. Employees feel strongly that their level of education must be taken into consideration when training is planned for them. Employees in the organisation would like to be mixed up in continuous improvement projects and training or quality department could initiate these. They would also like to have more acquaintance of how the quality department in general functions and to play a role in the implementation of quality by good value of being trained on things that they can apply instantaneously. Top management is committed to quality management initiatives but they do not involve their employees on quality decisions and efforts. Dynamic team working is encouraged by the managers of the departments within the company. Quality training is a concern to the employees, employees are also not aware of the quality department that exists within the company.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The findings of this study regarding company and export profiles correlated largely with the findings of the various studies detailed in the literature review. Given the close correlation with other studies on the same subject, it is the researcher's belief that this study will have a broad application among prospective exporting SMEs, both regionally and nationally. The main findings are set out below. The review of the profile of manufacturing SMEs in the Western Capes uncovered: • a preference for their local markets; • the fact that trade frequencies are relatively high; • that the number of countries entered, represented a relatively narrow focus; • that Europe enjoyed significant support from the respondents; • that SADC and the rest of Africa attract relatively low levels oftradc. Although indicated in the national studies, it was still disappointing to discover the relatively low levels of export propensity (as defined by export sales as a function of total sales) prevalent among exporting SMEs. This was reflected by the fact that: • Only a small percentage of medium-sized SMEs are making inroads in this area. • The growth estimates for expected annual export sales are disappointing and possibly even pointing to a declining trend. The surveyed SMEs indicated that their expansion into international markets is motivated primarily by: • the utilisation of excess capacity; and • the opportunity to grow sales. There also seems to be an opportunist approach to the export development process stemming from that fact that: • Almost 50 % of finns responded to unsolicited orders. • Exporting SMEs are drawn into the process passively, rather than through a proactive and conscious decision. The apparent lack of a clear export orientation among exporting SMEs in the Western Cape is of particular concern, as evidenced by the factors identified above. Exporting SMEs have identified the arena of marketing management and market access as key barriers in the process of internationalising their businesses. In addition, they identified a lack of knowledge within this field of study within their organisations, as well as marketing support, as being the areas where they would most like assistance from policy makers. The following were identified as major barriers: • access to, and knowledge of specific markets, • representation in the various markets, and • an effective marketing function. The following represented the area of least knowledge: • international marketing management, and • market entry channels. The following represented the most effective ways in which policy makers could assist: • constraint elimination (Policy making or otherwise). • marketing support. The fundings of the review regarding the use of support institutions revealed that: • Only 45 % of exporting 8MEs actually make use of these institutions. • 72 % of sample indicated that they only make use of these institutions every six months or at even less frequent intervals. Given the findings under this section, it is apparent that those organisations with a vested interest in export promotion, and government in particular, should take particular note of these fmdings. It seems that at present the various export promotion bodies (state or private) are failing to attract 8ME exporters to their products and services, and in so doing make a meaningful impact on export promotion. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die bevindings van hierdie studie ten opsigte van maatskappy- en uitvoerprofiele het grotendeels ooreengestem met dit wat gevind is in ander soortgelyke studies. Gegewe die nou-ooreenstemming met ander studies op dieselfde vakgebied, glo die navorser clat die studie by 'n groot aantal klein en medium (KMO's) uitvoerorganisasies aanklank sal vind, op beide streek en nasionale vlak. Die hoofbevindinge van die studie is soos volg: Die studie van vervaardigingsmaatskappye in die Wes Kaap het die volgende openbaar: • 'n voorkeur vir hul plaaslike markte; • die feit dat handelfrekwensies relatief hoog is; • dat die getal lande wat betree is, 'n relatiewe nou fokus verteenwoordig; • dat Europa noemenswaardige ondersteuning van die respondente geniet het; • dat SADC en die res van Afrika relatieflae vlakke van handel trek. AlhoeweI dit in nasionale studies aanduidend was, is dit steeds teleurstelend om die relatieve lae vlakke van heersende uitvoergeneigdheid onder uitvoer-KMO's te ontdek (soos gedefinieer deur uitvoerverkope as 'n funksie van totale verkope). Dit is weerspieel deur die feit dat: • Slegs 'n klein persentasie van medium-grote KMO's maak inslag in die area. • Die groei vooruitskattings vir verwagte jaarlikse uitvoerverkope was teleurstellend en wys moontlik na 'n dalende tendens. Die studie het getoon dat KMO's se motivering om die uitvoermark te betree deur onder andere die volgende gemotiveer word: • die gebruik van addisionele kapasiteit; en • die geleentheid om bruto opbrengs te bevorder. Die KMO's wat ondersoek is het aangedui dat hulle u:itbreiding tot die intemasionale mark hoofsaaklik gemotiveer is deur: • die aanwending van oorskotkapasiteit; en • die geleentheid om verkope te verhoog. Daar blyk ook 'n opportunistiese benadering te wees rakende die uitvoerontwikkelingsproses, voortspruitend uit die feit dat: • Sowat 50 % van die firma's het reageer op ongevraagde plasings. • Uitvoerende KMO's word passiewelik tot die proses ingetrek, eerder dan deur 'n proaktiewe en bewustelike besluit. Die oenskynlike gebrek aan 'n duidelike uitvoer orientasie tussen uitvoerende KMO's in die Wes-Kaap is van besondere kommer, soos verduidelik met die bogemelde gei"dentifiseerde faktore. Uitvoerende KMO's het die arena van bemarkingsbestuur en marktoegang identifiseer as sleutel hindemisse in die proses van intemasionalisering van hulle besigbede. Bykomend hiertoe het hulle 'n tekort aan kennis identifiseer binne hierdie studieveld in hulle organisasies, sowel as bemarkingsondersteuning, as die areas waar hulle die meeste ondersteuning benodig van beleidsmakers. Die volgende is identifiseer as sleutel hindemisse: • toegang tot, en kennis van die spesifieke markte, • verteenwoordiging in die verskeie markte, en • 'n effektiewe bemarkingsfunksie. Die volgende verteenwoordig die areas met die minste kennis: • internasionale bemarkingsbestuur, en • markbetredingskanale. Die volgende verteenwoordig die mees effektiewe wyse waarbinne beleidsmakers kan ondersteun: • beperkingseliminasie (beleidsmakers of andersins). • bemarkingsbystand. Die bevindinge van die oorsig bertreffende die gebruik van ondersteuningsinstellings het aan die lig gebring dat: • Slegs 45 % van die uitvoerende KMO's maak werklik gebruik van hierdie instellings. • 72 % van steekproef dui daarop dat hulle net van hierdie instellings elke ses maande of op minder gereelde intervalle gebruik maak. Gegewe die bevindinge onder hierdie afdeling, is dit duidelik dat daardie organisasies met 'n gevestigde belang in uitvoerpromosie, en vernaarn die staat, besondere kennis moet neem van die bevindinge. Op hede blyk dit dat die verskeie uitvoerpromosie- liggame (staat of openbaar) faal om uitvoerende KMO's te trek tot hulle produkte en dienste, en sodoende 'n betekenisvolle impak te maak op uitvoerpromosie.

M.Tech in Business Administration (MBA) / The literature shows that most of these entities are run by their founders or by a small management team and very few such operators have proper succession planning in place. The lack of proper succession planning can have the direct effect of causing the collapse of these businesses especially when key players leave the business upon retirement or in pursuit of other options. The loss of knowledge and experience, and the consequences thereof for business is well-documented. The exit or exodus of key stakeholders can make a business vulnerable and diminish its worth as investors will not invest in a business that is unsustainable. Succession planning was identified as one of the most pressing issues for small, micro and medium enterprises in the corporate governance sphere.

Moll (1991) has criticised the proposal that demand restructuring should act as the impetus for economic growth in a post-apartheid South Africa on the grounds of, a lack of empirical support. The demand restructuring thesis is premised on two empirically testable assertions: firstly that realisable economies of scale are greater in labour-intensive wage goods sectors than in luxury goods and secondly that in manufacturing as a whole labour can easily substitute for capital. While a number of studies employing either the Cobb-Douglas (Cobb & Douglas, 1948) or Constant Elasticity of Substitution (CES) ( Arrow, Chenery, Minhas & Solow, 1961) functions have attempted to quantify these features of technology, their conclusions are potentially invalid. Both functions impose the maintained hypotheses of homotheticity, homogeneity and seperability a priori. As primary hypothesis tests regarding the magnitude of parameters depend on the validity of both the hypothesis being tested and the underlying maintained hypotheses, the plausibility of maintained hypotheses is an important consideration when choosing a functional form for econometric analysis. Homotheticity and homogeneity constrain the theoretical determinants of economies of scale and seperability. The theoretical determinants of substitution thus limit the contexts in which functions which embody these hypotheses are likely to be appropriate. The mathematical concept of duality has permitted the development of flexible, general functions, such as the Transcendental Logarithmic Cost Function (Christensen, Jorgensen and Lau, 1971, 1973), which rather than imposing, permits the testing of the most commonly imposed maintained hypotheses. By applying this function to three sub-sectors of South African manufacturing both the validity of the commonly imposed maintained hypotheses and the empirical premises of the demand restructuring position are assessed in this dissertation. This application indicates that not only are the hypotheses of homotheticity, homogeneity and seperability invalid but that the inappropriate imposition of homotheticity, homogeneity and seperability invalid but that the inappropriate imposition of homotheticity biases estimates of scale downwards. Evidence also emerges to challenge Moll's (1991) assertions regarding the empirical validity of demand restructuring. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1995.

This qualitative study explored and described the role and contribution of training and skills development for sustainability in SMEs in the manufacturing sector in Durban and East London, South Africa. Individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews took place with 15 SME owners. Five themes and 11 sub-themes emerged in a content thematic analysis. The findings indicate that SMEs acknowledge that training and skills development positively influences their financial performance and sustainability. Whilst SMEs implement learning and skills development interventions, they lack suitably structured human resource development (HRD) policies and strategies; do not properly document training and skills development activities; and experience difficulty in evaluating learning. This study recommends that SMEs formulate and implement well-structured learning and development plans and schedules. It is also advised that SMEs liaise with academics and form Communities of Practice (CoPs), among other initiatives, to implement and monitor training and skills development for their sustainability. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

The primary objective of the study is to assess whether organisations are using their budgeting, forecasting and financial planning information as a strategic tool in the decision-making process. The research aims to investigate the various factors that hinder the success of the finance department in delivering a quality financial plan, budget or forecast to top management and the rest of the organisation.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the original hard copy. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The manufacturing industry is an important contributor towards the economic well-being and competitiveness of any country. It is widely accepted that improvement in the standard of living is linked to the improvement in productivity, and that this can be achieved through the manufacturing sector of a country. The level of business excellence of manufacturing organisations in the Western Cape is not currently known. It was the aim of this research to determine the level of business excellence of manufacturing organisations in the Cape Metropolitan Area, to determine the content of manufacturing strategy, and to investigate the linkages of manufacturing strategy and levels of business excellence. The research was conducted amongst manufacturing organisations in the Cape Metroplitan Area with an annual turnover of at least R50 million rand. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to organisations. Twenty responses were received and analysed. Due to the small sample, this study can only be regarded as exploratory in nature. The main results of the research indicated that the respondent organisations tended to overscore themselves, with an . average level of business excellence of 73.6%. Furthermore, there is a significant difference in the perception of the SAEF model criteria weights between the surveyed organisations and the SAEF. Although it was not possible to identify a 'right' or the 'best' manufacturing strategy, important trends were identified. Furthermore, the research indicated that there are several manufacturing strategy related factors that can positively contribute towards higher levels of business excellence. One area is the focus on overall organisational strategy development, and another is the implementation of several manufacturing practices such as '5-S' and 'selfdirected work teams', 'balanced score card', and 'TQM', amongst others. Several recommendations were made, addressing issues such as specific actions for manufacturing organisation, policy makers, and the SAEF, but also recommendations regarding research methodology and future research areas. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die vervaardigingsindustrie is 'n belangrike bydraende faktor tot die ekonomiese welstand en kompeterendheid van 'n land. Dit word wyd aanvaar dat verbetering in produktiwitiet tot verbetering in lewenstandaarde lei, en dat dit deur middel van die vervaardigings sektor van 'n land bereik kan word. Die vlak van besigheids uitnemendheid van vervaardigings organisasies in die Wes-Kaap is nie tans bekend nie. Dit was die doel van hierdie navorsing om die vlak van besigheids uitnemendheid van vervaardigingsorganisasies in die Kaapse Metropolitaanse Area te bepaal, om die inhoud van vervaardigingstrategieë te bepaal, en om die verband tussen vervaardigingstrategie en vlakke van besigheidsuitnemendheid te ondersoek. Hierdie navorsmg was uitgevoer onder vervaardigingsorganisasies in die Kaapse Metropolitaanse Area met 'n omset van ten minste R50 miljoen. 'n Vraelys is ontwerp en versprei aan organisasies. Twintig response is ontvang en geanaliseer. Weens die klein steekproef, kan hierdie studie slegs as verkennend van aard beskou word. Die hoofresultate van die navorsing het getoon dat die organisasies geneig is om hulself te oorskat, met 'n gemiddelde waarde van die vlak van besigheids uitnemendheid van 73.6%. Verder is daar 'n beduidende verskil tussen die organisasies en die SAEF in die persepsie van die kriteria gewigte van die SAEF model. Alhoewel dit nie moontlik was om die 'regte' of 'beste' vervaardigingstrategie te bepaal nie, is belangrike tendense geïdentifiseer. Die navorsing het getoon dat daar verskeie vervaardigingstrategie faktore is wat positief bydra tot hoër vlakke van besigheids uitnemendheid. Een area is die fokus op algehele organisasie strategiese ontwikkeling, en 'n ander is die implementering van verskeie vervaardigingspraktyke soos onder andere '5-S', 'self-gerigte werkspanne', 'balanced score card', en 'TQM'. Verskeie aanbevelings is gemaak, wat kwessies aanspreek soos spesifieke aksies VIr vervaardigingsorganisasies, beleidmakers, en die SAEF, maar ook aanbevelings rakende navorsingsmetodologie en areas vir toekomstige navorsing.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether organisational restructuring of business units within a South African Fast Moving Consumer Goods company had any effect on the organisational climate of the organisation. An organisational climate survey was used before and after the restructuring over a two-year period. Five manufacturing plants formed part of the study; with four plants undergoing the restructuring (experimental group) and one plant being the control group, where no organisational restructuring took place within the two-year period under review. The total population consisted of 3700 employees. The samples for 2010 and 2011 were drawn from the population of the five manufacturing plants’. The sample of employees that took part in the survey from the five manufacturing plants was, in 2010, 778 versus a headcount of 1802, yielding a response rate of 21.02%, and in 2011, 904 versus a headcount of 1736, yielding a response rate of 24.43%. The research results show that organisational restructuring did have a significant impact on organisational climate; with a drop in the organisational climate from 2010 prior to the organisational restructuring, to 2011 after the organisational restructuring at four of the manufacturing plants (experimental group). Interestingly, the control group (the 5th manufacturing plant) also showed a significant drop in its organisational climate scores from 2010 to 2011; without organisational restructuring taking place. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / MCOM (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Master of Technology degree in Cost and Management Accounting, Department of Management Accounting, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / Environmental degeneration, market pressures and stricter regulation and waste legislation has placed organizations under tremendous pressure to change their current processes and adopt cleaner production (CP) techniques and technologies. However, in countries like South Africa, CP implementation still remains low. In light of this problem, the government has made efforts to promote CP among industries by forming a support structure called the RECP (resource efficient cleaner production), as a strategy to encourage organizations to embrace this change and move away from the tradition end-of-pipe technologies towards CP technologies. This study is based on a case study of a paper manufacturing company in Kwadakuza, KwaZulu-Natal. The aim of this study was to use Environmental Management Accounting (EMA) to identify benefits of CP. Paper manufacturing consumes large amounts of natural resources and generates excessive wastes. Hence, the operational activities of paper mills have a negative environmental impact. However, the scope of this study was limited to the steam generation process and focused mainly on the efficiency of the current coal-fired boilers used in the boiler plant. The research methodology used in the study was both quantitative and qualitative involving triangulation. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire, semi-structured interviews and documentary review. The company uses old, obsolete boilers to generate steam. It had been discovered during a cleaner production assessment (CPA) of the process that the process uses large amounts of coal and generates excessive boiler ash (waste). This boiler ash also contains approximately 20 percent unburned coal present resulting in major losses to the company. Furthermore, the company has also experienced regular breakdowns during the year resulting in loss in production and high maintenance costs. Hence, it was concluded that the steam generation process was inefficient and that the boilers were not operating as per technological specification. However, management was unaware of the huge losses incurred due to raw material losses, more especially the coal used in the process. Environmental costs were also inaccurately calculated and thus underestimated. Hence, the ‘true environmental’ costs were not considered during strategic decision making. Over the last two decades, EMA has emerged as an important approach by organizations wanting to improve their environmental and economic performances. However, despite the many pilot projects conducted that demonstrated the positive impact that EMA has on an organization, EMA implementation remains slow and lagging in South Africa. EMA is an environmental management tool that traces environmental costs directly to the processes and products that are responsible for those costs, thereby highlighting problem areas that need to be prioritized when considering the adoption of CP. The literature review on the role and impact of implementing EMA and the benefits of adopting CP was presented to determine and outline views and findings of past researchers. Previous researchers identified that traditional costing systems did not adequately account for the actual environmental costs incurred by companies as much of these costs were hidden under overhead accounts. Hence, production costs were high, resulting in incorrect profit margins being set and ultimately impacting on company profitability. The main cause of this was that non-product output costs were added to production cost instead of being separately recorded as ‘non-product’ output. These costs are actually environmental costs as they represent waste. Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA), a tool of EMA, was considered as an appropriate method to implement to accurately calculate non-product output costs. MFCA made managers aware of the true magnitude of their losses and inefficiencies of current technology by increasing the transparency of non-product output costs (environmental costs). MFCA was further used to benchmark non-product output costs against technological standards and best available technological standards to highlight the economic and environmental benefits of adopting CP techniques and technologies. Based on the findings, one recommendation is that the company should consider restructuring their conventional costing system and adopt an EMA system instead. The use of an MFCA model had been suggested. This model was used by the Economy, Trade and Tourism industry in Japan to identify non-product output and improve efficiency of production processes. In addition, findings revealed that the company should implement CP techniques in the short-term to ensure that boilers are functioning according to technological specification. This will result in economic and environmental benefits for the company. However, greater savings potential is available in the long-term, by changing current technology and adopting state-of-the-art technologies. This would, however, require greater investment needs of the company to taken into consideration during strategic decision making.