Following a meso-contingency approach (Rousseau & House, 1994), this study examined the relationship between efficacy beliefs and effectiveness outcomes in a team context. Specifically, the interaction effects of self-efficacy and group efficacy as well as their direct effects on effectiveness outcomes at the individual level and at the group level were examined. Forty-two work teams (174 members and 42 supervisors) from several industries within Western Canada completed a survey assessing their efficacy beliefs, their attitudes at work, and their performance. The cross-level hypotheses revealed that self-efficacy positively related to individual effectiveness and to team attitudes but not to team performance. Group efficacy positively correlated with team effectiveness but not with individual effectiveness. Moreover, group efficacy as a shared belief and as a perception of individual team members was hypothesized to moderate the relationship between self-efficacy and team members’ effectiveness. However, these moderation hypotheses were not supported. / ix, 105 leaves ; 29 cm

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This study investigates the relationships between ownership, control, organisational structure and company operational costs. The workers’ perceptions of participation (financial and decision-making) and empowerment are measured between two labour intensive factories with different ownership structures. The first factory (Kopano) has a workforce that shares equity ownership, or holds proprietary title. It is significant to note that the Kopano workers share in the ownership of the manufacturing section only, and not the upstream activities (mining, etc.), nor the downstream activities (despatch, selling, marketing, etc.). Accordingly, the Kopano owner-workers concentrate on manufacturing only. Employees at the second factory (Lawley) have no equity stake; they do not hold proprietary title and are “normal” salaried employees. The hypotheses seek to identify differences between the two factories, relative to the worker’s sense of participation (financial and decision-making) and empowerment. The rationale is that the workers who hold proprietary title (Kopano) should have a greater sense of financial participation, decision-making participation and empowerment than the workers (Lawley) who do not hold proprietary title. This is tested via questionnaires at both factories and the results obtained strongly support the hypotheses. Given the abovementioned findings, the study then seeks to establish that there will be greater savings in operational costs at Kopano factory (where the workers hold equity title) compared to Lawley (where the workers are not involved in ownership participation). The rationale behind this hypothesis is that operational costs at Kopano should be lower than the operational costs at Lawley (because of the different ownership positions). An analysis of operational costs between factories supports this argument. The study finally seeks to establish a strong balance of probability that the results obtained are because of the different ownership structures. This is confirmed using Mill’s Method of Difference. However, identified weaknesses with this analytical tool suggest that conclusive declaration to this end be the subject of future research. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007.

A lack of managerial skills has been cited by many as the cause of small business failure in South Africa. Internal factors are said to be responsible for many of these small business failures. With human capital being undeniably a valuable resource, it has the potential to provide one of the most sustainable competitive advantages in the market place. It is therefore crucial that managers, who are responsible for directing and shaping the organisation possess and constantly improve their competencies because these are crucial factors for success of managers and the business. This study explores multi-rater feedback to gain insight into managerial competencies for the purpose of contributing to managerial development. Comparison of employee and manager self-evaluations can identify gaps or areas requiring improvement as they provide different perspectives on the same phenomena. The degree of consensus/agreement amongst the ratings provides valuable information and assists in identifying possible areas for development. Feedback is critical for self-perception accuracy and self-other agreement and impacts on training and development. This study comprised of 25 managers and 75 employees from the restaurant business and compared their views on managerial competencies. Results showed positive agreement between manager and employee ratings and showed no gender differences in the ratings regarding managerial competencies. Both managers and employees, through the process of upward appraisals, indicated positive feedback towards managerial development in the future. This is encouraging and creates an opportunity for further research and exploration of how this can best be achieved using unconventional approaches. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2008.

With the advancement of technology and rapid globalisation, organisations need to be alert and responsive to changes in the marketplace. It is expected of organisations to be lean, low cost producers of goods or providers of services. Those that do not fit this general description are mercilessly raked aside to make way for new competitors. Those that do survive cannot stagnate into old style business operations, but have new adopt new ways to forge forward or suffer a similar fate of other organisations, forced to close their doors by being uncompetitive. In the world competitiveness report, seen below, much to the dismay of a handful of brilliant businessmen, South Africa features in the twenties and thirties, and has for the past five years shown fair but not rapid signs of advancement into the top twenty. What needs to be explored are the reasons behind this phenomena. Is South Africa simply not trying as a nation to move up the competitiveness ranks? It is obvious that the answer is a simple negative. South Africa is certainly trying, but while we begin to get into the mode of being competitive, our competitors in the rest of the world have already begun this process two decades ago and are well experienced in being competitive and forcing organisations into survival and success. Bayside Aluminium, a subsidiary of BHPBilliton, the worlds largest mining group, did exactly that. Bayside Aluminium decided to implement two such reengineering processes. The first reengineering process, called the BRP or Bayside Renewal Process was an issue of survival. In other words had Bayside Aluminium not gone through this process, the smelter would have faced closure within one year. The objective of this process was to allow Bayside Aluminium to survive for at least the next decade. The success of this process will be discussed at a later stage in this thesis in Chapter 2. The second reengineering process had distinct differences in the way it was conducted and had a similar objectives but with a different time frame. The second reengineering process was called the CTG or 'close the gap". The main objective of this process was to close the competitive gap between Bayside Aluminium and its competitors in the medium term in order to maintain long term survival. This process was done with the view of accelerating cost saving exercises like natural attrition, which are more medium term. Also one of the objectives was to do such an exercise whilst the company was not under pressure to reduce costs immediately. The thesis attempts to display the success of the two reengineering processes, whilst critically evaluating the methods used to implement the two process with a greater emphasis on the CTG process, being the latter process which BHPBilliton is exercising at other subsidiaries. Issues discussed and critically analysed in detail are • Real time cost benefits • Full time employee reduction success • Organisational climate before and after the process and its effect on the plant performance including the future impact of cooperation by Unions • Bayside Aluminium's movement on the cost curve after the exercise The learnings that arise out of this study could easily be applied to any organisation embarking on a similar exercise without having to make the costly mistakes that sometimes arise during reengineering exercises due to inexperience. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

This study was concerned with determining and providing recommendations for the possible strategic gaps of Amalahle Maintenance Services. This company is a small to medium enterprise offering maintenances services within the Power Generation industry of Eskom. During the study, an in-depth literature review was done to analyse the 21 st century strategy trends, the impact of these trends on small to medium enterprises such as AMS, the reasons for failures among small to medium enterprises, a comparison of strategy theories appropriate to AMS current situation and a review of maintenance and safety management techniques. This review was performed to determine the importance of strategic management for small to medium enterprises in the new economy. The review also determined the importance of strategic management in the new economy for the survival of companies large and small. A case study research strategy was chosen due to the unknown strategic gaps. The research was both qualitative and exploratory as the study concentrated on finding the possible strategic gaps. A literature review was also performed on the strategic management process in order to develop a framework to determine the current situation faced by the firm and to evaluate the current situation to determine the strategic gaps and also to provide recommendations. The strategic management process developed by Johnson and Scholes (1998) was adapted to determine and provide recommendations concerning the possible strategic gaps. The management process included three categories of strategic analysis, strategic choice and strategic implementation. These three categories were utilised to determine the current strategic analysis, that is, the external and internal environment of AMS, current business level and functional level strategic choices made by the firm, and the current strategic implementation, which included the firm's structure, controls, culture and leadership. The three categories of strategic analysis, strategic choice and strategic implementation were thereafter evaluated to determine the possible strategic gaps. The evaluation process was also broken up into the three strategic management processes. The strategic analysis included the STEEP, industry, competitor, stakeholder, functional capability and resource, and the SWOT analysis techniques. The SWOT analysis technique was also utilised to determine the current strategic options for AMS. The strategic choices made by the firm, together with the strategic options determined by the SWOT analyses were evaluated by the following techniques: SWOT interaction matrix, industry life cycle, positioning, value chain, grand strategy matrix and the grand strategy cluster to determine the possible strategic gaps and provide recommendations for strategic choices. The strategic implementation was evaluated by comparing the theories in Chapter Two to the current situation of the strategic implementation represented in Chapter Three. The evaluation of the strategic implementation determined the strategic gaps between the strategic choices and implementation. The final step included the recommendations for each of the evaluated strategic analysis, strategic choice and strategic implementation categories and their respective subcategories. Since the strategic gaps were unknown it was appropriate to utilise the entire management process as a strategic fault finding tool. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2006.

The recent global economic challenges have drastically impacted several economic sectors across the world. As such, Eskom, the South African electricity utility, has experienced a number of changes, ranging from the organisational structure to the functional processes or models, to meet the demands of the volatile global market. This research acknowledges that the Eskom Transmission organisation, a division within Eskom, has interrelated departmental processes. However, the transition from the conceptual phase to the execution (implementation) phase had a number of misalignments. These manifested in the following challenges, amongst others: late execution and completion of projects which often results in cost overruns; poor quality completed projects; a high number of projects at execution stage with inadequately defined scope of work which led to scope changes during implementation; and a high staff turnover, particularly of project managers. As such, the project lifecycle model was adapted to address these challenges. This research focused on the change management principles that were followed in realising the new Eskom Transmission lifecycle model, and investigated the impact that this had on the people “living” with the new model as well as the inter-departmental relations, control mechanisms, attitude towards the management, and organisational performance. Available literature on change management, as well as some aspects of organisational behaviour, such as organisational performance, were utilised to try and provide an understanding of the above-mentioned areas of interest. The chosen and most appropriate methodology for collecting data was the qualitative approach as it allowed for descriptive and extensive information gathering. The researcher sought subjective information through human interpretation. For data collection, a comprehensive questionnaire for all the stakeholder groups was used, as well as documentation analysis. The data was then analysed and interpreted, which allowed for pertinent findings and recommendations to be made. The findings included the establishment that Eskom Transmission adapted Kotter’s (1988) eight stage model in implementing its new lifecycle model. The impact of Eskom Transmission’s new lifecycle model on the people “living” with this model was found to be premature to measure. However, an improvement has been noted in the definition of the scope of work for projects, possibly owing to more effective interactions between employees during project meetings and is an indication that the new model is a contributor towards improving Eskom’s organisational performance. Further findings included inadequate stakeholder consultation, which rendered the followed implementation strategy non-optimal; as well as varied stakeholder views on the support of the new lifecycle model for Eskom Transmission’s goals and vision. The latter suggests an opportunity for Eskom Transmission management to review the lifecycle model to improve its alignment to the division’s goals and vision in order to encourage commitment levels which, amongst others, impact organisational effectiveness. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2010.

The purpose of this research was to identify and describe the action's leaders practice that stimulate individual and group learning. An MLQ- Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and a series of interviews with members of three work teams were utilized to gather research data. This is one of the first studies completed to research this important aspect of leadership. In all three cases, the teams shared experiences where learning was transformed into useable knowledge to accomplish objectives or solve problems. The three teams learned and generated new knowledge based on viewing, challenging, sharing, orchestrating, and modeling.The findings suggest transformational leadership behaviors and actions can and often do influence individual and group learning. Specific findings included that in all three case studies, 1) team leaders engaged in transformational leadership practices 2) transformational leaders created a climate for learning by encouragement, establishing cooperation, and the identification and use of team talent. In addition, 3) the leader modeled appropriate behaviors, 4) challenged the team to question basic assumptions shared by others, 5) and acquired, shares and assimilated information for the purpose of aiding in team learning. Furthermore, in at least two cases, the leader 6) provided the team with opportunities to learn about the "big picture" and how their actions and decisions impact larger systems, and 7) provided team members with opportunities to become their own leader.Results of the research suggest organizations should consider ways to teach leaders about their role in organizational learning, systems thinking, and how their personal actions influence follower performance. Leaders should also construct climates that allow learning to take place. Lastly, with the support from leaders, knowledge and information systems are important organizational elements, which lead to learning. / Department of Educational Leadership

<p>The use of one form or another of team based work organization (TBWO) management policies and practices by firms with the aim of improving organizational performance and employee morale is well documented in popular literature. Empirical research has however found that the implementation of TBWO management policies and practices such as TB training, TB incentive schemes, participation in decision making, work teams etc. had minimal influence on the performance of firms (Locke and Schweiger, 1979).<br /> This research investigated the factors, which account for the effective implementation of TBWO management policies and practices with specific emphasis on three firms in the metal fabrications sector. The reason behind the choice of the three firms in the metal fabrication sector in the Western Cape was that these sites offered a rare opportunity to study the process of the implementation of TBWO. It was a rare opportunity because not many firms have embarked on implementing TBWO in South Africa. It was envisaged that the lessons that emerged from this study would be invaluable for firms that intended implementing workplace change. The level of analysis was the shop floor level at the firms as research has shown that this is the level that plays a critical role in the effectiveness of the TB management policies and practices implemented by the firms.</p>

The financial /economic crisis in 1997 brought to the foreground weak corporate governance structures and practices in Malaysia. Allegations of cronyism, inequitable transaction, lack of transparency and weak enforcement were amongst the many weaknesses highlighted. These led to the poor perception of the Malaysian capital market. Malaysia joined in the global corporate governance reform movement and corporate governance reforms were carried out to rectify the weaknesses highlighted. The Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance (Malaysian Code) was launched in 2000. This study briefly traced the corporate governance reforms in Malaysia which was very much influenced by the Anglo-American model. / To provide a better appreciation of the corporate governance mechanism, this study examined the concept of corporate governance and its origin, the existence of the four governance models in the world today and the different market characteristics with their different institutional and corporate context. / The thrust of the corporate governance reform movement in Malaysia was to increase transparency and corporate disclosure, improve accountability and responsibility of the board and to promote shareholder activism. One of the key recommendations from the Anglo-American model adopted by the Malaysian Code, to improve transparency and accountability, was to have a sufficient number of independent non-executive directors on the board. Arguments that supported the importance and the roles of independent non-executive directors as a control mechanism and their contribution towards better governance and financial performance were presented. The study also discussed the equally strong arguments and evidence against independent non-executive directors as an effective control mechanism. / Another key player identified by the Malaysian Code to enhance good corporate conduct was the company secretary. This study examined the roles that these independent non-executive directors and company secretaries were expected to play in the Malaysian context and the issues related to these two key players as internal enforcers for good governance practices. / Though these two players were expected to play key roles in enhancing good corporate conduct in the corporate governance reforms in Malaysia, as far as is known, their perspectives have not been widely researched or compiled in the Malaysian context. This study aimed to provide some insights into the views and opinions of these two important groups of people. A sample of independent non-executive directors and company secretaries were selected for interviews with the aid of two different sets of standard questionnaires, one for each group. The questionnaires were designed to seek their response on a few key issues on corporate governance practices in Malaysia. Their standpoints were compiled, quoted and presented in this study. Both groups have been found to agree that independent non-executive directors have a role to play and are important to enhance good corporate conduct. Factors that contributed or inhibited their effectiveness were discussed and the divergent views on certain issues within each group or between the two groups were presented. Their views on how corporate governance practices can be further improved in Malaysia were also presented. / Thesis (DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2005.