The aim of this research was to explore employee responses to the implementation of SAP R/3 and Connected Application Portfolios (CAPs) in Shell South Africa (Pty) Ltd. Downstream-One (DS-1) Business/Lubricants (B2B/Lubes) Project Implementation Programme. It assessed whether employees accepted or rejected change prior to the implementation of SAP R/3 and CAP’s. In 2005 globally Shell launched its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation. Its 16th implementation was conducted in Shell South Africa (Pty) Ltd. (Shell SA) in 2008. This research was conducted using a qualitative approach.

This study was intended to provide an analysis of the merger process of the Port Elizabeth Technikon on the basis change management models available according to theory. Before this discussion could ensue, it became necessary that the concept of change management be defined in detail so as to create a common basis of understanding in dealing with the change management models. There are various models that considered for discussion, namely the Lewin’s change model, the Hayes and Hyde’s change model, the Cummings and Worley’s change model and the Anderson and Anderson’s change process model. It was established that all available change models were based on the works of the Lewin’s change model. It was the Anderson and Anderson model that was found to more comprehensive in term of the various consideration it brought forward to the change manager or changing organization for consideration. Following the discussion on change models, a discussion of the research methodologies available followed. A survey methodology was decided to be appropriate for this study. An e-mail postal survey was decided as the appropriate process. The beauty of the e-mail postal survey was that it combined the benefits of personal and postal surveys. The Anderson and Anderson change model was used as a basis for devising questions in the questionnaire. The empirical study revealed that communication, consultation and resistance to change were not dealt with appropriately and as such staff morale had been greatly sacrificed. Be that as it may, it suffices to say that there is still chance to make things right. Top management needs to strengthen communication, consultation and feedback mechanisms. Secondly top management needs to establish a training and coaching program and a system for identifying and rewarding best performance. Opportunities for celebrating short-term victories should not be passed on since these enhance a sense of success and victory. The organization also needs to develop a system for harnessing new learning that will inform new ways of doing things which will become the cornerstone of the new culture.

It is becoming increasingly important for companies to be responsive to global demands and in order to remain competitive, many companies are looking at lean manufacturing to help them achieve this. Lean manufacturing is however more than just a set of tools as it also requires a change in the organisational culture of the company involved. The creation of an organisation that has a culture of continuous improvement and achieving results through its various principles and philosophies is a main factor in Toyota’s Toyota Way Model. It was the aim of this research study to analyse and determine the factors relating to the impact of an organisation’s culture on the concepts of lean manufacturing based on the Toyota Way model. This was achieved by analysing how conducive the current organisational culture at Freeworld Automotive Coatings to the implementation of Lean Manufacturing principles? The method used for the research study was the questionnaire method using a lean culture assessment questionnaire that has been designed by the researcher that was aligned to the principles important to the Toyota Way model. It can be concluded from the research findings of this study indicates that the existing organisational culture of Freeworld Automotive coatings is relatively conducive to the implementation of lean manufacturing principles within the company.

M.Comm. / The study focused on Telkom, a telecommunications utility, and the major strategic change that it’s currently undergoing to prepare for privatisation. Telkom displayed the typical characteristics of a bureaucracy with a strong hierarchical top-down structure, management that was not in touch with its customers and centralised control and decision making.

A research report submitted to the faculty of Management, University of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management (in the field of Public and Development Management) / The democratisation of local governmsnt requires effective communication structures. The current methods of communicating changes and developments to employees of the Sebokeng Town Council are: top management discussions, notice-boards and informing those affected. Their ineffectiveness is shown by the poor knowledge of local government issues revealed in a council characterised by adversarial union-management relations. Management appears to play a minimal role whilst shopstewards dominate the process of communicatlng changes to employees and the grapevine is said to provide information most timeously. The quest for change and for a two-way cornmunlcatlon process were endorsed strongly. Consultative meetings, discussions involving union representatives and informal worker discussions are the preferred methods of communication. It is recommended that a change management process be triggered by the researcher facilitating a more inclusive management-employee workshop to discuss the findings, establish an internal communications structure and explain how to disseminate information through briefing groups. / Andrew Chakane 2018

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Engineering/Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering. September 2018 / Leadership, even though very difficult to define, is a process by which an individual tries to influence others to achieve a holistic organisational goal. Literature categorises leadership into three common styles namely, transactional, transformational and laissez-faire leadership, with transformational leadership and transactional leadership being the most domineering. Literature also proposes that leadership styles influence job satisfaction. The first objective of this study was to determine the leadership style within FNB Business: Projects and Operations and thereafter to investigate the effect of that leadership style on job satisfaction within the business. A descriptive research study using qualitative and quantitative methods was done. Questionnaires were distributed to all employees and the results were analysed. The results of Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire showed that a transformational leadership style, specifically inspirational motivational, prevailed within the department. The MLQ also showed that employees were very satisfied with their jobs. The Job Satisfaction Survey outlines the specific factors, namely, supervision and nature of work that lead to employees being satisfied in their work place. Finally, the Minnesota Satisfaction Survey solidified the high job satisfaction rate within FNB Business: Projects and Operations highlighting minimal variance between extrinsic and intrinsic satisfaction. The results, however, challenge the initial problem statement stating that there was job dissatisfaction due to leadership. This could be due to employees being afraid of being honest, employees not taking the survey or employees moving teams. Therefore, a recommendation is that the survey should be executed again and tracked at a team level. For example, respondents should answer which team they belong to. This field should also be a multiple-choice question as opposed to free text. In this way, leadership style and responses from individuals would be traceable to a specific leader. This would highlight the outliers for more accurate results and actions post this research survey. / MT 2019

The research problem that was investigated in this study was to identify, explore and confirm the problems and management obstacles encountered with the change process in the South African Police Service (SAPS) from the time when South Africa became a democracy in 1994. Although national legislation and SAPS policies and directives that encourage change in the SAPS indicated the movement towards change to implement transformation, it is questionable in what way these principles of transformation are successfully implemented, what the significance and implications of these legislation and directives are, and also the effect they have on transformation in the SAPS. Data was collected from questionnaires, a literature study, focus group interviews and interviews. Structured questionnaires concerning transformation in the SAPS were designed and distributed to 39 station commissioners in the Pretoria and Soweto policing areas. Furthermore, a literature study including material such as official SAPS documents, media and newspaper reports, library sources and national legislation regarding change has been presented. Data was also collected from non-commissioned officials who participated in four focus groups interviews, and four semi-structured interviews were conducted individually with four station commissioners in the Pretoria and Soweto policing areas. International best practices have also been consulted. The research conducted indicated that although progress has been made with transformation in the SAPS a breach exists between national legislation, SAPS policies and directives and the implementation thereof, which have an impeding influence on the transformation process in the SAPS. It is clear that internal communication is an essential and dynamic instrument in the SAPS, however, communication of the transformation process does not have the impact at ground level that it is supposed to have. It is also clear that members at ground level lack knowledge of the transformation process in the SAPS and the implementation thereof. In addition, conveying the sense of urgency to members at ground level need attention and must be communicated clearly and timeously. Training and development at the lower hierarchical levels of the SAPS also need priority to enhance service delivery, public relations, the morale and conduct of members. A high number of members also need to be motivated during transformation and their readiness towards the process has to be addressed to adapt to the changes. Reasons for resisting transformation in the SAPS need urgent attention as well because this has a negative effect on the daily functioning of members. The recommendations drawn from the conclusions made in this study may provide a number of solutions that can be implemented in the SAPS to reduce the obstacles impeding the transformation process in the SAPS to enhance and improve transformation in this organisation. / Criminal Justice / M. Tech. (Criminal Justice)

Organizations in South Africa have been going through a great deal of change in recent years. However, little is known about the effects on employees. This study aimed to ascertain the psychological impact of change on the employees of a large public service organization, the South African Police Service. The findings were contrary to what was expected with the only significant difference between the samples being for anxiety in black managers. Circumstances outside the work situation were the strongest predictors for stress, anxiety and depression. However, factors in the work situation played a more significant role in predicting the variance in stress and anxiety in the second sample. The within group differences were the opposite of what was expected with black managers having higher stress and depression levels than their white counterparts in both samples and higher anxiety levels than both their white and coloured counterparts in the second sample. / Psychology / M.A. (Research Psychology)

M. Tech. Business Administration / The City of Tshwane initiated and implemented a structural and infrastructural change process in recent years, by merging with Metsweding District, Cullinan and Bronkhorstspruit. One of the critical tools that influences the success or failure of a change process is communication. This study investigates how communication during the implementation phase was utilised and it impacted on the attitudes and behaviours of employees of City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study is to fit the external forces driving change with the ABSA Group's transformation since 1998; as well as to measure the success of it by evaluating the market's response to the changes. To provide a theoretical framework, a background to the external forces driving change, with specific reference to the South African banking industry is given. It was concluded that the entry/exit of major firms, globalisation, regulation and technological changes are the major forces impacting on the banking industry. There are however, also a number of unique forces driving change that is related to the South African environment. ABSA also had to deal with these factors such as the socio-political change and the domestic economic development. ABSA responded to these challenges by implementing various projects since the merger in 1991. Since 1998 (the time frame within which this study is undertaken), two major projects were initiated and implemented. Both these projects (Project IMPACT and Project ABLE) are two of the biggest transformation exercises ever undertaken in South Africa. ABSA's strategy evolved over time to such a point where the Group is currently focussed on the customer in targeted market segments. Strategic Business Units were established to optimise the focus on the customer. This process is currently still continuing. The success of the ABSA Group's transformation exercises is however, only as successful as the degree to which their changes fit the driving forces and the market's response to it. Against the backdrop of the major external driving forces (Chapter 2), it is concluded that these forces do fit the forces driving change within the ABSA Group. Looking at the cost-to-income ratio, it is evident that ABSA still need to do much more to improve this figure and to bring it more in line with its peer competitors. It is however heartening to see that the Group managed to reduce the ratio constantly year-an-year in spite of the considerable cost of the major initiatives undertaken. A comparison of the price-earnings ratio's of the four major banks over time indicate that the market's trust in ABSA's earnings potential increased and that their response to the changes is therefore in general positive / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om die eksterne kragte wat verandering dryf, te pas met die ABSA Groep se transformasie sedert 1998; asook om die sukses daarvan te meet deur te kyk na die mark se respons op die veranderinge. Ten einde 'n teoretiese raamwerk te verskaf, word as agtergrond die eksterne kragte geskets wat veranderinge dryf, met spesifieke verwysing na die Suid- Afrikaanse bank industrie. Die belangrikste kragte wat 'n impak het op die bank industrie is die intree/uittree van groot firmas, globalisering, regulering en tegnologiese veranderinge. Behalwe vir hierdie belangrike kragte, moes die Groep ook verskeie kragte uniek aan die Suid-Afrikaanse omgewing in ag neem, naamlik die sosio-politieke veranderinge en die plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkeling. ABSA se reaksie op hierdie uitdagings was die implementering van verskeie projekte sedert die samesmelting in 1991. Sedert 1998 (die tydsraamwerk waarbinne hierdie studie handel) is twee groot projekte geïnisieer en geïmplementeer. Beide hierdie projekte (Projek IMPACT en Projek ABLE) was reuse ondernemings en kan beskou word as twee van Suid-Afrika se grootste transformasie oefeninge wat nog onderneem is. Die ABSA strategie het egter onwikkel oor tyd tot die huidige punt waar die Groep gefokus is op die kliënt in spesifieke mark segmente. Ten einde hierdie fokus te optimaliseer, is Strategiese Besigheidseenhede gevestig. Die vestiging en ontwikkeling van hierdie fokuspunt is steeds in proses. Die sukses van ABSA se transformasie oefeninge is egter net so suksesvol soos die mate waartoe dit die dryfkragte en die mark se respons daarop pas. Teen die agtergrond van die belangrike dryfkragte (Hoofstuk 2) is tot die slotsom gekom dat die Groep se transformasie proses wel in pas is met die eksterne dryfkragte Die koste-inkomste verhouding is 'n syfer wat deur beide die Groep en die mark uitgelig word. Deur hierdie syfer te vergelyk met die kompetisie, is dit duidelik dat ABSA nog baie werk het om te doen om hierdie syfer te verbeter. Dit is egter gerustellend dat die Groep daarin geslaag het om die syfer konstant jaar-op-jaar te verlaag, ten spyte van die groot kostes wat aangegaan is met die verskeie inisiatiewe. 'n Vergelyking van die vier groot banke se prys-verdienste verhoudings oor tyd dui dat die mark se vertroue in ABSA se verdienste potensiaal toeneem en dat hul respons tot die verandering oor die algemeen positief is.