Unlike other studies incorporating the traditional Hughes and Morgan (2007) entrepreneurial orientation (EO) scale, the current study accepted the challenge issued by Lyon, Lumpkin and Dess (2000) evaluating EO in a new approach. As incorporated by Short, Broberg, Cogliser and Brigham (2009), this study too made use of content analysis to evaluate the dimensions of EO in order to comprehend whether the dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) are more associated with top performing firms in comparison to less performing firms in the context of South Africa. The study reviewed 21 highgrowth firms that initially listed on the Alternative Exchange (AltX) and subsequently promoted to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) mainboard. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / zkgibs2014 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

M.Phil. (Personal & Professional Leadership) / “Why should we pay for leaders to find themselves?” is a question that has been posed to the researcher numerous times in her career as an executive coach. The link between self-awareness and leadership is at best ignored and more often dismissed by organisations as irrelevant. The problem posed by this study was that all too often organisations focus on leaders’ performance and tangible results only. Instead, it is important to take a holistic leadership approach that integrates who the leader is with what the leader does. By looking at leadership learnings from a catalytic experience, the research connects the concepts of catalytic experience with self-awareness, personal leadership and leadership in an organisational context. The objective of this study was to explore the learnings derived from personal catalytic experiences in a leadership context. Identifying themes related to these learnings enabled leaders to gain a deeper understanding of personal leadership and its importance in organisations. Personal leadership is a pillar of leadership that focuses on who the leader is, including concepts such as personal mastery, selfawareness, meaning and purpose. Together with performance, personal leadership creates a holistic view of leadership in an organisational context. The key focus of the study was to draw leadership learnings from leaders’ catalytic experiences. The research paradigm utilised was qualitative. Narrative inquiry was used as a research strategy. The research method was unstructured interviews and a thematic analysis of the data. This method enabled leaders to first tell their stories and then gain learnings. The learnings were analysed by identifying the emerging themes, using thematic analysis, that could be related to various aspects of personal leadership and then linking these to the discoveries from the literature review. Most of the leadership learnings related to aspects of personal leadership, highlighting the reality that personal leadership is at the heart of leadership as a whole, even in an organisational context. Leaders found that taking time to reflect on their catalytic experiences helped the draw learnings and turn often challenging catalytic events into opportunities for learning, growth and meaning-making. Based on the findings and conclusions, it was determined that personal leadership grows through catalytic experiences and through having an opportunity to reflect on these. Specific leadership qualities emerged when a person had adverse experiences and managed to get through them in a way that turned these adverse experiences into opportunities for learning and growth. Leaders sought meaning from catalytic experiences and were often shaped by them. In a sense this helped to create true leaders since they lead from within. Catalytic experiences were first defined and then described based on the themes emerging from the leaders’ stories in terms of their type, number and emotional value. Survival came up as a strong thread in each leader’s telling of their story. In terms of the leadership learnings from the catalytic experiences, these were able to be categorised, as follows: the ‘doing’ of leadership; the ‘being’ of leadership; interpersonal relationships; and meaning and purpose. Factors enabling leaders to get through the experiences meaningfully were also discussed. The study concluded by making recommendations that can be used by organisations in designing leadership development programmes. The contribution of the study is in enabling organisations to use the findings to help leaders derive learning and experience personal growth without necessarily having to go through the experience of a challenging catalytic event. Offering leaders opportunities to reflect on challenging experiences and then sharing those experiences and reflections can contribute to a holistic approach of developing leaders in organisations. The key learning for the researcher, as a result of embarking on this research study, is to recognise the internal treasure chest that resides within each individual. In order to be a good leader, a level of self-awareness and understanding is required together with the recognition of the importance of purpose and meaning. Each individual’s unique qualities and experiences contribute to their leadership journey and it is through life experiences and challenges that people develop and grow. Even a small learning can have a far-reaching impact. The research journey has been a journey of learning for the researcher on a personal level and was illustrated by the use of the butterfly metaphor throughout the writing.

The aim of this study is to develop and propose a strategic role enhancement for the Internal Auditing function for South African companies, by incorporating the Balanced Scorecard as a guide. The proposed strategy will be developed based on the methodology and the relevant elements and aspects for such a strategy derived from the latest literature on the subject. The concepts of Internal Auditing, strategy and Balanced Scorecard will be defined and discussed, by means of literature research. The intent of this paper is to consider the critical aspects regarding the utilisation of the Balanced Scorecard to enhance the strategic role of the Internal Auditor. / Mr. J. Bredenkamp

This thesis presents a structured approach to measure the performance of a shared services business unit. This approach links the activities in the areas at which a shared services business unit must excel to create sustainable value for the organisation to the organisational vision. The methodology developed can be used to measure the performance of a shared services business unit by all the stakeholders that have an interest in the organisation. The study concludes that measuring of the performance of a shared services business unit is dependent on the organisational vision and strategies as contained in a mission statement. The study further concludes that as the transformation of technology, business processes, people and customer satisfaction are required for continuous evolution of the shared services; the activities that make up these areas should form the basis of the performance measurement of shared services. These activities in the areas of technology, business processes, people and customer satisfaction should be derived from the organisational vision and mission, and be supportive of the organisational mission and vision. The author has studied shared services and performance measurement metatheories and has found that the principles applicable to measure the strategic performance of an organisation can be applied to a shared services business unit. Some of these principles are so straight forward that they are often overlooked and taken for granted. The empirical methodology in this thesis follows a structured approach where the sample framework was tested to determine if the sample elements comply with the requirements of shared services. Following on this the study had to determine if the remaining sample elements are measuring the performance of their respective organisations in a structured manner. Only once this has been established can the study determine the manner in which these sample elements measure the performance of their shared services. After this, the elements identified through the literature study and empirical research could be build into a hierarchy of performance measurement for a shared services business unit. In developing a hierarchy of performance measures for a shared services business unit, shared services organisations have been provided with a structured approach to measure the performance of their shared services business unit that will indicate the value created by the shared services to all stakeholders concerned. / Prof. A.L. Boessenkool

Magister Commercii - MCom / 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). 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. / South Africa

The automotive components manufacturing sector is facing tremendous pressure to remain competitive in a global economy. The application of performance improvement techniques to optimise factor production inputs remains a key strategic mechanism to effect the necessary change towards competitiveness. The high failure rate of these programmes, however, is a risk factor that should be considered by manufacturing firms. The investment into the implementation of these programmes will yield no return if the organisational maturity profile is not considered. The expected gains may not materialise and the execution of critical projects may take much longer than required. It is for this reason that an approach towards selecting the correct Performance Improvement Programme to optimise the performance of companies is a business imperative. Through a better understanding of the relationships between Performance Improvement Programmes and Organisational Maturity Variables, implementation success rates can increase, leading to improved results and sustainability. The approach taken to this research was quantitative in nature. Various descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to the selected respondents from the Eastern Cape automotive sector. The respondents had a working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) and Six Sigma. The research instrument was administered through an online survey. The research sought to identify whether there was a relationship amongst the variables under the three identified constructs. The research also sought to establish whether there was a difference between the specific Performance Improvement Programmes’ and Organisational Maturity Variables’ relationships. This affirmed the use of a new framework that integrates the programmes on the basis of their relationship to Organisational Maturity Variables. The research also provided insight into the challenges of the industry from a performance perspective and linked these with the relationship between Organisational Maturity Variables and Organisational Performance Variables. This allowed the researcher to include this additional insight as a consideration in the integrated implementation framework developed as part of the research. The results show that good consideration should be given to the Organisational Maturity Variables as these variables are related to the successful adoption of Performance Improvement Programmes. The research also shows that Lean Manufacturing, Total Productive Maintenance and Six Sigma are related to an organisations’ maturity profile in different ways. These results support the integrated Performance Improvement Programme approach, using a common set of tools and selecting the necessary programme specific tools based on a firm’s maturity profile. The research affords industry a framework to aid in decision making considering the relationships tested as part of this research. The linkages between Performance Programmes, Organisational Maturity Variables and Organisational Performance Variables are now more specific in nature.

Organisational climate, as represented by the aggregation of the perceptions of the individual employees within the organisation, has been the focus of considerable empirical research that can be traced back to the work of Lewin, Lippit and White (1939).The debate around organisational climate research, concentrates on the methodological issue of how the construct of such climate can be translated into an indicator of organisational effectiveness. Schneider and Bowen (1985), Bacayan and White (1993) have provided evidence that a worthy and functional organisational climate does have a positive effect upon service outcomes and hence improves organisational success. The study examines the influence of organisational participants’ perception of work environment on job performance in a sample of employees within the various departments of Transnet National Ports Authority. The paper presents that the perception of organisational climate has a significant effect on job performance of some employees while it is not so for others. The research sample consists of 71 employees working in the marine and operations, engineering, human resource, marketing and legal departments. One questionnaire was designed by the researcher to measure organisational climate and the effectiveness of job performance. The climate dimensions of communication, management and supervision, reward and recognition and training are significantly related to job performance. The research consisted of the organisational climate and job performance literature and the subsequent link between these two constructs within Transnet National Ports Authority. In conclusion the report presents the authors findings, conclusions and recommendations derived from the study.

Research indicates that effective talent management is essential in achieving organisational excellence and is a driving force for business success. This study focused on investigating VWSA Group Service division’s employee talent management process as seen or perceived by employees. The employee attitude and understanding of the 2010 strategy was also evaluated. In achieving this objective a literature review on talent management was conducted and questions formulated which formed part of the survey. The questionnaire was self-administered and sent to the stratified random sample of individuals who were eligible for survey. The main findings of this research are that the 2010 strategy was well received by the employees and that seventy seven percent of the respondents who took part in the study do understand the 2010 strategy and what it is all about. The study also highlighted that employees believe Project 1 in the 2010 strategy will be achieved. Employees were uncertain that compensation and leadership style are variables that influence or promote talent management. From the literature review it is explained that in order for talent management to be effective it must be aligned to organisational strategy. Various recommendations were made, for example conducting of skills gap analysis with a view to identify skills employees need to possess in order to meet the objectives of the 2010 strategy. Another recommendation was the formation of talent pools from which to recruit high talented staff and whose skills will be required to meet the objectives of the organisational strategy. A final point emanating from the study, is that when it comes to talent management and achieving organisational strategy it is not business as usual. Companies need to be aware of brand profiles most desired by highly talented individuals; they also need to be aware of various recruiting strategies as well as acknowledge that different employees are at different levels of the motivational hierarchy.

A fundamental shift occurred in the global economy during the last three decades and even more so in the period since the 2008 financial crises. As a result of the advancing technology, national economies no longer self-contained entities protected from international competition by geographical distances, times zones, languages barriers, government regulations and culture or business systems. The effect of globalisation has further manifested in the global economic slow-down since 2008, where spending is constrained and consumers have become more discerning in their value considerations. The dual challenge of globalisation of competition and global economic slow-down is increasingly forcing businesses to do some introspection not only in terms of their cost structures, but also in terms of their value propositions in search of sustainable organisational success. Given the limited influence that businesses have over its external environment, an internal perspective is proposed where this problem is approached by means of a high-performance evaluation case study. The aim is to identify constraints that have resulted from more recent responses to market challenges and to establish which interventions to elevate in order to alleviate such constraints. It is proposed that if management and organisational practices that organisations employ in their daily functions affect the discretionary effort that employees contribute, then organisations should be able to gain insight into variations in organisational performance through evaluating and understanding these practices. This treatise focusses on organisational characteristics that drive high performance and propose interventions to enhance the environment for the development of a high performance culture within a single organisation. The research topic fell within the quantitative paradigm with data being collected through the use of a questionnaire. The results were analysed and interpreted to ascertain how current practice aligns with the theory. Recommendations are submitted within the context of the prevailing literature on the subject of high performance organisations and the related high performance characteristics of the organisation as based on the empirical data.

Mergers have been described as the most complex business process that an organisation can be faced with, requiring executives and other stakeholders to discharge the promise of a more successful merged organisation. However, several studies have highlighted the factors that led to the demise of the merged organisations. One of the often quoted and frequently blamed aspects related to merger failure has been the lack of effective post-merged organisational culture integration and alignment. Where mergers have been successful, it was attributed to a structured approach to integrating and aligning all aspects related to organisational culture thus ensuring the creation of a high performing organisation, conducive to effective performance management. The main research problem in this study centred around the identification of strategies that could be used to design an integrated model for creating a post-merged organisational culture which is conducive to effectively managing performance. To achieve this objective, the following approaches were adopted: A literature study was conducted with the view to identifying the challenges facing merged organisations in general and post-merged South African Higher Education institutions in particular. The researcher also conducted interviews with senior HR practitioner at the institutions participating in this study to gain insights into their experiences of performance within their merged institutions. The institutions involved in this study were Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT and Durban University of Technology (DUT). The insights gleaned from these interviews were incorporated into the survey questionnaire. The literature study also concerned itself with the identification of strategies that merged organisations could use in its pursuit of organisational culture alignment and integration. These strategies included conducting critical pre-merger assessments or due-diligence studies, adopting structured approaches to dealing with resistance to change, employee engagement, the design, implementation and communication of monitoring and evaluation of merger success measures as well as several other moderating variables referred to in figure 1.2. In terms of sub-problem six of the study, the findings of sub-problems one, two and five were used to develop an eight-step integrated theoretical model to create an organisational culture conducive to effective performance management in a post-merged environment. The model served as a basis for the design of a survey questionnaire. The questionnaire was used to ascertain the extent to which respondents from the three participating institutions (NMMU, CPUT and DUT), perceived the various strategies as being important in establishing a post-merged organisational culture conducive to effective performance management. The results that emerged from the empirical study showed a strong concurrence with the strategies identified in the literature study and included in the integrated theoretical model. The quantitative and qualitative results from the empirical study where incorporated into the integrated theoretical model, which lead to a refined Eight-Step Integrated Post-merged Organisational Culture Creation Model as depicted in Figure 7.1 with associated details in Figure 7.2.