M. Comm. / South Africa finds itself in the midst of a turbulent environment. Organisations are seeking ways and methods to achieve better results for its stakeholders by being more competitive through for example addressing customer needs. Furthermore, organisations are focusing on adapting to the changing economic and social environment. Suddenly, after many years where the political dispensation only provided protection and benefits to certain groups, organisations now have to comply with the requirements of new legislation such as the Labour Relations Act, the Basic Condition of Employment Act, the Skills Development Act and the Employment Equity Act. Although the influence of these Acts are not under the discussion their existence do have an impact on the way South African organisations do business. Words and phrases such as empowerment, transparency and equal opportunity have quickly and almost unnoticeably become part of the South African vocabulary. Furthermore, South Africa has now also become part of the global arena. Its global competitiveness therefore might be the single most important factor in ensuring South Africa's survival. Information technology has opened up a world of e-commerce and a large number of foreign companies have now moved their focus to the so-called emerging markets of which South Africa is one, bringing along more companies to compete with in the limited local market. Organisations in South Africa therefore have to empower themselves in adapting to the new challenges and the changing environment. Possibly the best way will be to gear itself for continuous change. However, South Africa's top management teams will have to take cognisance of factors that will ensure successful strategic organisational transformation. Here, the role of leadership, learning and culture will proof significant to enable strategic organisational transformation in the South African organisation. With this study it is hoped that some findings will assist organisations faced with the reality of change, to understand the important determinants in organisational change.

M.Comm. (Business Management) / The objective of this research can be summarised as follows: To understand the fundamental concepts of BPR To demonstrate the importance of people in the successful implementation of BPR To highlight the most common errors that lead to failure at re-engineering Business Process Re-engineering (Chapter two) is designed to bring about a drastic change in the way a companyconducts business. This is achieved by identifying core business processes and re-engineer them to gain competitive advantage. The kind of organisation that is most likely to be successful at BPR is one that already has a high degree of leadership (Chapter three) that can create a vision, articulate values, and create a climate in which business executives, managersand line personnel can all grow, flourish and have an impact on the way work is done. Chapter four is a case study to illustrate through a practical example how common errors lead to BPR failure.

D. Phil. (Leadership in Performance and Change) / The business environment is constantly changing. This appears to be the only certainty in the business world. Since the business environment has a bearing on the performance of organisations it is important to study such change influences. In the fast-changing business environment it would be beneficial to know what enables organisational growth and success. As with each living organism, it is postulated that organisations possess a Genetic Code that is shaped by many factors and held together by organisation's architecture. It is generally' believed that the development of a Genetic Business Code for growth will assist in understanding the problem of change and will dispel the cloud of confusion of what makes an organisation successful. The first aim of this study was to identify a Genetic Business Code for Growth. Based on scientific beliefs related to both positivist and humanistic philosophical assumptions, the second aim was to develop an appropriate methodology to built a Business Code. The third aim was to use the results of this study as a departure point to explore the possibility of developing an assessment tool to assess organisations, determine their current "Code", and identify gaps for renewal interventions. A quantitative methodological framework, supplemented by a qualitative approach, was used in this study. The Repertory Grid technique was used to interview 22 Chief Executive Officers and Executive Managers in the Transport Industry. In this data collection process a total of 231 constructs were developed. Through a developed data-analysis process these constructs were reduced to 89 constructs in an integrated profile of first- and second-order constructs with opposite poles. Deductive and inductive strategies were applied in the classification of constructs. The result ofthis study was the identification of a Genetic Business Code for Growth. The Genetic Code for all known organisms has two strands and is therefore referred to as the "double helix". However, the Genetic Business Code for Growth consists of three "Strands", namely Leadership, Organisational Architecture and Internal Orientation. Based on this information an integrated model was developed with the Internal Orientation Strand in the center of the "triple helix". The study's conclusions confirmed the value of identifying a Genetic Business Code for growth in the Transport Industry.

M.Comm.

M.Com. (Business Management) / This study does a formal analysis of the impact of transformation and the management of change within Eskom. The micro and macro environments are characterised by many imminent changes, forcing Eskom to transform. Externally the Employment Equity Act, Labour Relations Act, Affirmative Action and so forth were promulgated impacting on the very essence of the work force. A transformation process was introduced into Eskom and the study highlights the impact it had on employees as well as their reactions to it. With the transformation - change from functional organisation to a process or value chain organisation - officially finalised in April 99, Eskom is now in a mode of continuous improvement. With the implementation of the Employment Equity Act No. 55 of 1998 it will help to redress the inequalities inherited from the past. The act will have an effect on every designated employer in South Africa. It encompasses the transformation of the demographic profile of Eskom's total work force so as to be a true reflection of the South African community. The act emphasizes on the eradication of unfair discrimination in various areas in the labour market, as well as the implementation of affirmative action programmes. The focus will be on the development and training of previously disadvantaged groups. Eskom has a diverse workforce with various cultures present in one business environment. Each employee has an unique personality with unique ideas and opinions. Optimal management of such diversity as an asset will enable Eskom to reach all targets set in the equity plan and the successful eradication of any direct or indirect discrimination in the organisation...

This research investigated technology change management at Bridgestone/Firestone in the Port Elizabeth metropole. From a manufacturing organisation’s point of view it is clear that technology change is a constant force that determines competitiveness. The thesis outlines the specific requirements needed for utilising the concept of technology change management at Bridgestone/Firestone. The literature survey was aimed at placing the concept of technology change management and the correct organisational structure and organisational focus points in perspective to ensure successful technology change and its implementation at Bridgestone/Firestone. The purpose of the empirical study was to test managements perseptions of technology change management at Bridgestone/Firestone and to contribute useful information to the organisation. From the findings improvements and recommendations were suggested as guidelines for any tyre manufacturer to follow to improve technology change management. The empirical study results show that there is room for improvement. The responses to statements outlined areas that need improvement and those that do not according to the views of Bridgestone/Firestone’s management.

It is beyond debate that each job lost due to restructuring means a lost taxpayer, and hence lost tax revenue, more poverty and increased crime. South Africa and the world at the large have to deal with this problem head – on in view of the acute need to better the lives of people and encourage investment. Technological advancement should be embraced and used to benefit people and stimulate economies, and that is further challenge in its own right. In Chapter 8 of the White Paper on Transformation of the Public Service dated 15 November 1995 (hereinafter, the White Paper), it is said that: “The Government of National Unity has embarked upon a concerted and comprehensive programme of administrative restructuring and rationalisation (my emphasis) with the object of: (a) Creating a unified and integrated service. (b) Creating a leaner and more cost-effective service.” Various strategies are listed in the White Paper, and the fundamental approach advocated is to right size, adjust remuneration structures, retrench and contract – out services.

Organisational change in any organisation, including the healthcare industry, implies a change in organisational culture. The concept of organisational culture refers to those values and norms within an organisation that are prescribed by both the employer and the employees as to how to behave. However, organisational culture should not be viewed in isolation, as culture and leadership are intertwined. Transformational leadership within an organisational culture serves to achieve its goal, missions and aims by influencing, motivating and creating a mutual relationship between employees and employers, which brings about effective organisational change. The alignment of organisational culture and leadership with a hospital’s vision is important to ensure optimal healthcare delivery and organisational change outcomes. A positivistic research paradigm, with a quantitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual approach, was used to conduct the research study. The research study explored whether a supportive organisational culture, transformational leadership and organisational change outcomes were prevalent in public intensive care units. Secondly, the study aimed to investigate the relationship between organisational culture, transformational leadership and organisational change outcomes in public intensive care units in the Nelson Mandela Bay. Data was collected by means of a structured and previously validated questionnaire with a Cronbach’s alpha of more than 0.80. The target population was registered nurses who work in the intensive care units in the public hospitals. The sample was composed of 56 registered nurses and 4 enrolled nurses who were selected from public hospital intensive care units in Nelson Mandela Bay. Descriptive statistics, linear regression analysis, correlation and a Chi-square test were used to describe the hypothesised relationship between organisational culture and transformational leadership (independent) with organisational change outcomes (dependent variable). The results of this study revealed that the alternative hypothesis was accepted as the P value, was less than 0.05 in all variables. This proved that there was a significant relationship between organisational culture, transformational leadership and organisational change outcomes in the public intensive care units which were sampled. Recommendations are made as to how organisational culture can enhance and support transformational leadership and organisational change outcomes to promote a positive change outcome in public intensive care units. Ethical considerations were maintained throughout the research study.

Successful implementation of organizational redesign depends on the support of employees at all levels of the organization. This study looked at some of the factors that are related to employee support for organizational redesign. Subjects (82 support staff members of a small manufacturing plant undergoing organizational change) were administered a survey which measured employee perceptions about the change management process and the disruption the change caused to their daily routine. Eleven variables were assessed as independent variables in terms of their relationship to the dependent variable which was employee support of the organizational change. All eleven variables were significantly related to the dependent variable. The implications of these results and issues for further research was discussed.

The retention of employees, especially talented ones, is a topic that is mainly discussed between HR practitioners, but is also a cause for conversation around the boardroom table. Researchers have recommended numerous policies and best practices that should be implemented to reduce employee turnover and improve employee morale. This study was conducted to find if a relationship exists between numerous independent variables and retention rate. A quantitative study was conducted via a self-administered survey questionnaire that was sent to 6 802 HR managers, owners, senior managers and executives. Constructs identified in the literature were used to design the questionnaire survey, and data were analysed from 247 completed survey questionnaires. A positive relationship exists when HR reports to senior management and where HR has the autonomy to spend on training. The presence of an HR department, the existence of retention strategies, and the involvement of senior managers in the implementation and management of retention strategies, does not have an influence on a high retention rate. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / lmgibs2014 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted