M.Comm.

M.B.A. / This dissertation evaluates the aim: Organisations engaged in transformation need to connect competency with their change framework and that this influences the quality of the contribution made towards competitive advantage Companies who use change methodologies actually cultivate their distinct capabilities / competencies through these initiatives and if 3m are these similar to actual theories documented and if no how can this be incorporated into a model. This dissertation places the research into context by focusing on the identification of past theory, methodology and examples and by comparing this to three chosen companies to establish its credibility and usefulness. Primary data for the comparison was obtained through separate case study interviews. This data surrounded areas such as — core competency development, retention and acquisition and its association with competitive advantage, the basic understanding of the change initiative, method used and finally the actual change process employed. An extensive literature research was conducted to review current global thinking and knowledge on change, distinct capabilities and competencies. It was concluded that although the companies reviewed did change well only one of the three linked competence through its change processes. The other developed its capabilities through a variety of change programmes ( in this case intentional), it could therefore qualify that it had in fact used change to develop a competence, and that therefore a model such as the one formulated has a basis for development

M.Comm. / “We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us” – Marcel Proust Organizational change has become a buzzword in the organizational behaviour industry. In theory and on paper, organizational change is an appealing concept with its aim to assist leaders to adapt organisations to situational variables. In reality organizations are filled with aging paradigms, entrenched cultural artifacts, - values and deeply held - assumptions that make them quite inflexible and therefore closed to new and innovative ideas. Organizational leaders are faced with the problem of growing and renewing companies in order to meet the expectations of external and internal company stakeholders. The external stakeholders are continuously demanding higher and higher returns on capital and do not tolerate poor performance. The internal stakeholders of companies have also become more selective when choosing amongst potential to be employers. It is therefore important that organizations have an understanding of the image that they portray to the market and potential employees. Organizational culture is a tool that can assist leaders to define the type of organization they want to be and thus the image they portray to its stakeholders. Organizational culture is defined as a pattern of shared basic assumptions that a group learns as it solves its problems of external adaptation and internal integration. If the assumptions lead to success they are considered to be valid and should be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive and think and feel when confronted with external environment adaptation or internal organisation integration issues A positive organizational culture reinforces the core beliefs and behaviours that a leader desires while weakening the values and actions the leader rejects (Kaufman 2002). A negative culture becomes toxic, poisoning the life of the organization and hindering any potential for creativity, collaboration and prosperity

D.Litt. et Phil. / The study investigated the relationship between resistance to–readiness for change and meaning seeking, and whether a logotherapy-based intervention – Logo-OD – would impact on resistance to change. A quasi-experimental design and various statistical procedures were applied to test identified hypotheses. Of a survey population of 1 637 individuals, 193 and 76 respondents formed part of respectively the pre- and post-test samples. Whereas a significant relationship was established between said constructs, no significant effect of Logo-OD was observed. These results supported the primary conclusions emanating from the literature: the role of Logo-OD is one of a positive trigger event for organisational change. Whereas a prominent focus in both classic and contemporary literature is on the utilisation of the organisation’s human resources (HR) as a competitive advantage (see Barney, 1995; Cascio, 1998; Cook & Crossman, 2004; Drucker, 2002; Gratton, 2000; McGregor, 1960; O’Reilly & Pfeffer, 2000; Prahalad & Hamel, 1990; Richardson & Vanderberg, 2005; Schuler & Jackson, 1999; Schuler, Jackson & Storey, 2001), the need for organisations to adapt to increasingly turbulent changes has enjoyed similar attention (see Burnes, 2003, 2004; Cascio, 1995; Carnall, 2003; Chapman, 2002; Counsell, Tennant & Neailey, 2005; Hacker & Washington, 2004; Higgs, 2003; Johnson, 2004; Weber & Weber, 2001; Xavier, 2005). Alluded to here, is one of the greatest challenges faced by the modern organisation, namely that “human capital is fundamentally different from financial and technological capital” (Gratton, 1998, p. 13) as the realisation of human potential is dependent upon employees’ co-operation (Jackson & Schuler, 1999). However, organisational change “has left this resource severely wounded and the people themselves increasingly disenfranchised” (Morin, 1994, p. 53), thus threatening the very same employee commitment required to secure a competitive advantage. Subsequently, people constitute both “an essential factor” and “the biggest obstacles” to successful change (Smith, 2005a, p. 408, 2005b, p. 152). It is argued here that a central construct in determining individuals’ attitudes towards organisational change – albeit resistance to or readiness for change – is the meaning that they find in the organisational context.

South African Technical (SAT) is an Aircraft Maintenance and Repair Organisation. SAT provides a wide range of services to its customers, ranging from minor- to major maintenance schedules. Technological advances in the global aircraft repair and maintenance industry combined with the transition to a democratic government and the resultant effects of globalisation introduced the organisation to a process of change with an impetus on efficiency and competitiveness. The focus of this study is to understand how the SAT training department could contribute to organisational change towards a learning organisation. This research articulates that only employees who are educationally, socially and mentally prepared for a changing workplace will be able to reap the benefits from global integration. It is further reasoned that the best-placed organisations in the global context will be those that are able to adapt to the learning organisation vision. People in learning organisations continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, they nurture new and expansive patterns of thinking and they continually explore learning together. This study was placed within a qualitative research paradigm. A phenomenological design presented the study with opportunities to analyse, interpret, and describe the perceptions, feelings and experiences of the participants. Eight semi-structured individual interviews provided data for the purposes of this study. The data was analysed to identify categories, themes and sub-themes. The five main themes discussed were organisational learning, organisational culture, organisational change, globalisation and knowledge management. They were linked to the theory of learning organisations and were based on the findings of the data. / Dr. K. Steenekamp Prof. K.C. Moloi

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (M Eng (Technology Management))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM) / unrestricted

Against a backdrop of increasing globalisation, deregulation, the rapid pace of technological innovation, a growing knowledge workforce, and shifting social and demographic trends, the primary task of management today is the leadership of organisational change (Graetz, 2000:550). In the words of Lussier and Achua Abstract v (2001:9): “The companies that will survive in the new global competitiveness environment are those that can attract and maintain leaders”. The above emphasises the important role of managers during times when change take place in the organisation. Yet employees are often managed inappropriately in a period of change. There are two reasons for this: (1) managers managing change are under pressure which undermines their own performance, (2) organisations often do not possess managers who are skilful at handling change. It is this second reason that will form the focus of this study. Carnall (1999:105) states that managing change effectively requires an understanding of both what is and seems likely to happen and of how people react to change, and a skilful management performance. Leaders must take on more facilitative roles, as competencies in change management become critical to creating and sustaining effective organisations. The major technological advances of today rely heavily on leaders to facilitate change. Leaders need to encourage people to “collaborate, take risks, take responsibility and be accountable for the change process the organisation must continually undergo to maintain a leadership position in its industry”, according to Moran and Brightman (2000:3). They furthermore argue that “change leaders recognise that they are always trying to balance stability and change. It is a delicate balance to accomplish since employees desire order and stability, while organisations must be ready to adapt to changing conditions quickly”. In this rapidly changing world, organisations must become more flexible, more responsive, and more willing to change and adapt. They must create and assimilate new knowledge at an increasing pace, encourage innovation, and learn to compete in new ways. Dess and Picken (2000:30) argue that the leaders of these organisations must be proactive in facilitating organisational learning and encouraging positive adaptation to external changes. The above shows what an important role leaders/managers have to play in the strategic change process. They need to possess the requisite skills in leadership, problem solving, continuous improvement, team effectiveness, and customer service in order to ensure the long-term growth and stability in the organisation which change can bring about. This research project will identify the various skills needed to successfully manage a change initiative.

In this research, the researcher-consultant together with the management corps of a merged IT organisation, embarked on a process of participative research with the aim to identify the competencies and skills that are required of the management-leadership corps to drive a process of change management and to ensure the organisation will be characterised by sustained growth and development. In using participative research methodology, qualitative data was mainly gathered through informal interviews and focus group sessions to identify the competencies and skills that are defined as important for the change manager-cum-leader role within the merged IT organisation. In addition, a matrix was compiled to enable each manager/leader to undertake a self-assessment of how capable they are in using the identified competencies and skills. The outcome of the assessment provided an indication of the areas of competencies and skills that through various interventions would enable the management-leadership corps to deal with the challenges of change, as well as to guide those that report to them through a process of change. While the management-leadership corps – referred to as the Executive, Senior, and Middle Management cohorts – all require enhancing their change management / leadership competencies and skills capability, it is the Middle Management cohort that is better equipped to perform their change management and leadership role. During the research, focus group sessions enhanced a participative methodology to enable identification of competencies important to the IT Company’s vision, mission and core values, as well as opportunity to identify interventions that will encourage an on-going process of change, growth and development. However, there is indication that the members of the Executive and Senior Management cohorts assessed themselves higher on those competencies that relate directly to their functionary roles, rather than the change management-leadership role. The scope of a treatise limits an in-depth and expanded research endeavour; however, the methodology used provided information on how a platform for participation in a change management process can be enabled. Furthermore, this research gives indication of how a management-leadership strata can ‘buy-in’ to the process of change, growth and development, commencing with the self and, which is aimed to encourage the same in those that share responsibility for sustained growth and development of the IT company. The research is also example of how an applied sociology endeavour can be undertaken.

The intention of this study was to investigate how organisational change was implemented at S.P. Metal Forgings Uitenhage, what the outcomes of the changes were and the effect on the organisational culture. In order to achieve this goal, the following actions were taken: · A literature study was conducted of various texts relating to organizational change and the associated topics with the intention to identify strategies and techniques to aid the successful implementation of organisational change. · An interview was held with the managing director of S.P. Metal Forgings to aid in understanding the need for organisational change at this particular facility and to have insight into how he implemented the changes. · A self administered questionnaire was distributed amongst a number of employees. The survey covered all levels of the organisation, from machine operators to departmental managers, to provide a comprehensive picture of how the employees viewed the changes and associated topics. The questionnaire requested responses from the respondents regarding their demographical details and their individual opinions regarding the organisational change, which covered the lead up to the changes and the manner in which the changes were made. The questionnaire also included sections covering change outcomes, which measured the success of the change efforts and lastly organisational culture on site at the time of the study. The results from the literature study showed that there are a number of accepted change models which can be adopted when implementing change. These models assist in driving the organisational change. The empirical study revealed that for the changes implemented at S.P. Metal Forgings Uitenhage, a change model was not adopted and that a number of vitally important areas associated with the change efforts were inadequately addressed. The organisational changes were introduced on this particular site with the intention of minimizing the loss situation and re-establishing the organisation as a profit generating entity. The empirical study showed a number of positive outcomes associated with the changes but also highlighted areas of concern and points which can be improved. The culture found within an organisation influences the organisation in many ways which include the ability of the organisation to accept change and the ease of implementing new procedures and equipment. The culture also influences the daily operations of a manufacturing facility such as this one. The study revealed that the respondents are not driven to perform at their best as a result of the lack of recognition which they receive and that the relationship between employees and management can improve. It was concluded that organisational change is not easy to introduce and that it needs to be well planned and executed. Change requires transformational leaders, a clear vision, an analysis and well-thought out and properly implemented actions.

Change is inevitable due to organisations operating in a constantly changing environment marked by change and discontinuation. A major challenge for organisations is to obtain buy-in from employees. People generally resist change due to their past experiences of change which are often disjointed, posted with job losses, longer working hours, higher and cumulative stress levels, unethical practices and corporate failures. Perceptions of fairness, trust, and the magnitude to which the change has been conveyed, have been noted as some of the reasons why people resist organisational change. Essentially, people resist change when they think it will cause them to lose something of value to them. It is therefore important for organisations to have well-planned change programmes that make provision for creating buy-in. The purpose of this study was to investigate strategies that organisations can use to foster buy-in. For successful change, it is imperative that change agents find ways to empower employees in the process. Communication, and especially the articulation of the vision, plays a crucial role in creating buy-in. Leadership, the working environment, rewards and recognition interdependently contribute to fostering buy-in behaviours. The empirical study was conducted at the Port Elizabeth plant of Kraftfoods, a confectionery company. In 2010, Kraftfoods acquired Cadbury. This acquisition implied new management, production and process structures and procedures, as well as a restructuring of the employee complement in 2011. The empirical study was both qualitative and quantitative. Interviews were conducted with employees from the shop floor, as well as representatives from the trade union, a representative from human resources and a project manager responsible for transformation, to obtain more organisation-specific information about the transformation and the strategies which were used to create buy-in. For the empirical study, a survey with a questionnaire as the basic data collection tool was used. The survey was administered to 101 employees. The results revealed that the way the vision of the change is articulated and the empowerment of employees are main determinants of buy-in behaviour. It was therefore recommended that management should spend an equal amount of time selling the change as they spend planning the change program. Also management need to allow for more involvement in the design and even implimentation of the change program by change recipients.