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Thesis (M.Eng.)(Industrial)--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Includes summary. Includes bibliographical references.

In a competitive manufacturing environment a firm must be able to simultaneously produce multiple and diverse products, upgrade and redesign its products in short life cycles, and execute efficient production changeovers. This implies that the firm's manufacturing facilities should be capable of efficiently responding to the changes associated with the above abilities. These capabilities are a key requirement for building an agile manufacturing enterprise. To successfully attain these capabilities a firm must evaluate and build flexibility in its manufacturing operations. Success in manufacturing requires the adoption of methods in customer acquisition and order fulfilment processes that can manage anticipated change with precision while providing a fast and flexible response to unanticipated changes. A review of the related literature reveals that though there has been considerable research on the subject of flexible manufacturing, insufficient attention has been devoted to the development of a comprehensive method for designing and building flexible manufacturing (FM) solutions. A significant portion of the FM research and the ensuing industrial applications have focused on highly automated metal working facilities, commonly referred to as flexible manufacturing system or FMS. The objective of this research was to understand what the general understanding of FMS is in the automotive component supplying industry as well as to develop a strategy based on world class principles on how to implement such a strategy. The established strategy will then be used to implement a FMS at Shatterprufe a division of the PFG group. A comprehensive literature study was conducted on Flexible Manufacturing to get a good idea on what it is all about. A questionnaire was designed based on the guidelines in the literature study in order to establish the understanding of FMS within companies in the automotive component supplying industries. Twenty five companies were selected, based on their employee numbers and potential high complexity in the parts that they manufacture. Participating companies must also be part of National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (NAACAM) and supplying directly to all of the local Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM’s). Eighteen out of the twenty five companies selected did participate and return the questionnaires. Three companies replied stating that they do not have a FMS in place and thus do not want to participate in the research. The completed questionnaires were processed and analysed using Microsoft Office Excel 2003, running on the Windows XP suite of computer packages. The opinions of the various respondents were compared with the guidelines provided in the literature survey, in order to identify how to answer the main questions the author wanted to use as part of selecting an appropriate implementation approach for FMS at Shatterprufe. The following were the main recommendations and conclusions: • It is essential that the executive team at Shatterprufe realises the need of a FM programme. Based on the analysis from the theoretical research as well as from the questionnaire it should not be difficult for them to realise this; • It is recommended that the knowledge gained from the research theory and that of the research questionnaire be used as a guideline for introduction and implementation; • It is recommended that the employees that will be required to implement the FMS are properly trained in the basics of WCM and FMS and that they receive the necessary tools to perform their tasks; • It is essential that everyone throughout the entire organisation is involved from the start in the development, improvement and maintenance of the system; • It is critical that the barriers to implementation be taken seriously at the start of the whole implementation process and plans be put in place to overcome them. Make sure that there is: • proper understanding of the total effort required; • complete management support; • union buy-in; • enough training carried out; • change of priorities; • full commitment and persistence; • development of a good installation strategy; and • insurance of choosing the right approach.

Absenteeism is a complex set of behaviours masquerading as a unitary phenomenon. Absenteeism is a big problem in the motor manufacturing industry, especially, because of the number of processes that are labour intensive. Absenteeism is a multifaceted problem with many antecedents which make it challenging to resolve or contain. Financial impact is one of the consequences of absenteeism on a business, especially when one thinks that the primary objective of a firm in to make money. Absenteeism defeats these objectives through cost incurred for overtime to catch up production losses. Furthermore, in cases where replacement of personnel is necessary, this may include administrative costs related to the time human resource personnel spend looking for replacement employees or the time production management spends re-assigning employees. Absenteeism results in decreased productivity and may affect the quality of the product due to the increased workload and burden put on employees who are at work. Absenteeism is classified into scheduled and unscheduled absenteeism. Although some absenteeism is avoidable, it is important to understand that some absence is unavoidable. This is because people may fall ill, get injured or have unavoidable obligations which may lead to absenteeism. The purpose of this study was to identify the antecedents of absenteeism, with the assumption that once they are identified, they can be controlled, reduced or eliminated and the absenteeism rate thus reduced. The theoretical study focused on defining absenteeism, ascertaining the impact of absenteeism in the workplace, especially in an international organisation in the motor manufacturing industry and discussing the antecedents of absenteeism and strategies that can be used to manage these antecedents. The empirical study consisted of a survey, with a questionnaire as a data collecting tool. The process used to conduct the survey was to distribute the questionnaire among production employees in three operational units; namely Final Assembly, Paint Shop and Body Shop at a motor manufacturing company. Employees were approached, the purpose of the questionnaire explained and they were asked if they would be willing to complete the questionnaire. Employees who agreed to complete the questionnaire were briefed on the contents of the questionnaire and the completion process. The relationship between biographical variables and absenteeism was discussed. For the purpose of this study the following independent variables were discussed: age, marital status, gender, work area, length of service and number of dependents. The empirical study focused on the antecedents of absenteeism, and specifically job, organisational and personal factors, as well supervisors‟ attempts to manage absenteeism. The respondents indicated that they believed absenteeism was a problem in the study and that people stayed away for reasons other than genuine illness. It was recommended that absenteeism figures, such as the overall Gross Absence Rate (GAR) and Absence Frequency Rate for the organisation, and specific work areas and teams, are regularly communicated to employees and displayed prominently to emphasise the importance of attendance. Some suggestions were that: Supervisors should foster a genuinely respectful relationship between themselves and employees which will results in employees feeling obliged to be at work. The company should introduce a day care or crèche at work to allow female employees to bring their kids to work in the event they are unable to be looked after at home. Alcohol and drug abuse should not be seen as an external problem in the organisation but rather as something an organisation should get involved in to assist employee who might have a problem. The first step was to create a channel where employee can feel free to approach the company if they are in need of help. The study demonstrated that it was important to identify antecedents in order to address the real problems related to absenteeism.

The objective of strategic management is to enable an organisation to assess its strategic position. This study is concerned with identifying the strategic position of Branaa South Africa, and to determine the most suitable expansion strategy in order for the company to increase the current level of monetary benefits offered to Original Equipment Manufacturers under the Motor Industry Development Program. An in-depth literature review is conducted and the relevant business management tools are identified. These tools are used to analyse the position of the company and to evaluate how the current benefits offered, compare to those of competitors. An analysis is carried out regarding the influence and value of the Motor Industry Development Program benefits. A costing model is then applied to determine how competitive Branaa South Africa is in the automotive leather seat market. The study determines how the benefits offered under the current Motor Industry Development Program structure could be increased in the South African Automotive market, and concludes with proposals on how to achieve new targets. This study aims to prove that the strategic direction that Branaa South Africa is envisaging is correct. The company should continue to gain a competitive advantage under the current strategic goals which are reviewed annually. Through the effective use of strategic management principles, and applying these to Branaa South Africa, the company would retain its competitive advantage in the South African Automotive market. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

The research programme aimed to identify and investigate the tactics and strategies adopted by the car manufacturers to manage and control their dealers in the distribution channel in the UK market, and consequently deduce their effects on the manufacturer-dealer power relationships. A literature review outlining the main sources of power possessed and employed by the manufacturer combined with the information collected from initial interviews with a panel of channel players enabled to identify the main tactics of control adopted by the manufacturers over the dealers in the car industry. The dealer agreement, the training programmes, the dealer assessment procedures, the communications systems and manufacturer's general support appeared to represent the prime tactics of control possessed and employed by the car manufacturers. The first three elements were investigated separately and qualitatively analysed following a quantitative approach. They unveiled the nature of the dealers' operations controlled by the manufacturers and the techniques implemented by them to exert that control. The repressive and coercive nature of these tactics of control emphasised an imbalance of power favouring the manufacturers, and confirmed their dominant position in the marketing channel. The last two tactics of control mentioned above did not lead to any specific studies. Nevertheless, they were explored in Chapter 8 and referred to throughout the thesis. A field survey carried out with a large sample of car dealers established their perceptions to manufacturers' controls. The survey empirically confirmed that the car manufacturers highly control and influence certain business areas by setting-up some constraints, restrictions, limitations and targets to achieve, and consequently the leadership of the manufacturers was demonstrated and verified. The strategies implemented by the manufacturers, whose tactics are deduced from, enabling them to control their dealer network were analysed. The study highlighted the main strategic decisions made by the suppliers and showed how they affect the power balance between the channel participants favouring the suppliers. A lack of consistency in manufacturers' strategic approach was detected and appeared to be detrimental to dealers' welfare. In order to improve manufacturer-dealer relationships and to create a greater equilibrium between the two parties, the adoption of a partnership approach was highly recommended. As a result, the whole study of the car distribution channel enabled the researcher to conclude that a franchise arrangement tends to give a manufacturer more power over an intermediary than a non-franchise trading relationship.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2000. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains iii, 48 p. : ill. (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 43-45).

Despite it being a global phenomenon, there is no formal process to guide governments’ offer of incentives to industry. Specific to South Africa, the offer of incentives to the automotive industry to support its competitiveness has had mixed results. Industry trade deficit has consistently increased and investment in R&D has remained minimal. The purpose of the study was to develop a formal model to determine the effect of changes in the value and basis of the Productive Asset Allowance (PAA) incentive on industry competitiveness and on industry trade balance. An overview of the South African automotive industry, automotive policy and industry performance under the country’s Motor Industry Development Programme (MIDP) was done. This was followed by literature review on investment, investment incentives, R&D and competitiveness. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected through observer participation in the study situation and expert opinion interviews. A formal modelling process of the PAA based on the system dynamics modelling protocol followed. The PAA model had to be extended to incorporate the Import-Export Complementation (IEC) incentive structure because of the intertwined nature of the effect of PAA and IEC on industry dynamics. The study findings as per the specific study objectives were as follows: • The prospect of the PAA to support the competitiveness objective was dependent on the extent to which the incentive would motivate technological innovation in the automotive industry. • The often-assumed positive relationship between investment and investment incentives was not universal. Each case of industry incentive offer has to be judged on its own merit. • The PAA had a significant and positive effect on industry investment, but limited ability to support long-term industry competitiveness though R&D and innovative activities. • The IEC rather than the PAA incentive was the major contributor to the industry trade balance trend. • The PAA-IEC incentive model exhibited time-bound constraints. The model demonstrated saturation as benefits awarded to industry tended towards the domestic market size over time. • The PAA-IEC incentive model had no specific policy lever to direct investment into R&D and innovative activities. By this measure the model was not a strong policy framework for supporting long-term industry competitiveness. For the South African automotive industry, the study introduced and showed the usefulness of applying system dynamics modelling in understanding causes of unintended consequences of government incentives to the industry. For countries in which offer of incentives is part of the national industrial policy, the study provided scientific means through which the question of how to structure incentives can be objectively investigated as a means of improving policy decisions on such industry intervention. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM) / unrestricted

The aim of this study was to assess whether a relationship existed between an employee’s attitude toward business ethics and the variables of age, race, gender, level of education, position, tenure and place of work within the South African Motor Industry. The study was conducted using a well-known research instrument, the Attitude Toward Business Ethics Questionnaire (ATBEQ), in order to be able to compare the results with previous studies. The study did not find significant evidence to suggest that the above-mentioned demographic variables were related to an employee’s attitude toward business ethics barring for a few of the measured variables from the questionnaire. In its findings, the study did not support most of the previous studies that have been done in the field of attitude toward business ethics. The suggested area for future research is to include a demographic of culture and upbringing to assess the relationship between that variable and attitude toward business ethics. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

The focus of this study revolved around the impact of the Motor Industry Development Programme (MIDP) on the automotive component manufacturers in the greater Durban area. The research objectives were to determine whether the introduction of MIDP has contributed to an increase in throughput for the automotive component manufacturers, to determine whether the introduction of MIDP has led to increased employment levels within the automotive component manufacturing industry and lastly to determine whether MIDP has resulted in increased investment in the automotive component manufacturing industry in KwaZulu-Natal. This study analysed the data received from 30 respondents, who as a pre-requisite, were employed within the component manufacturing industry in KwaZulu-Natal. The population sample was attained through the use of the author’s supplier database at Smiths Manufacturing (Pty) Ltd, a tier 1 automotive component manufacturer to the original equipment manufacturers in South Africa. A self-completion questionnaire, which was quantitative in nature, was distributed to the participants and a two week data collection period was allotted. The collected data was analysed using SPSS statistical software, the results of which revealed that MIDP was of significant importance to automotive component manufacturers in KwaZulu-Natal. It further revealed that there was a direct relationship between employment, investment and throughput with the introduction of MIDP. The same findings were evident for similar programmes in India and China.It is recommended that a similar study be conducted in Gauteng and the Eastern Cape, which are the other automotive component manufacturing hubs in South Africa. Furthermore, MIDP will be replaced by the APDP during 2013, and it is recommended. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.