M.Comm. / Moderne organisasies ondervind hernude druk van interne en eksterne faktore en voortdurende verandering word genoodsaak. Suid-Afrikaanse organisasies vorm nou meer as ooit tevore deel van die globale wereld en moet sodoende ook meer buigsaam wees om internasionaal te kan meeding. In hierdie verhandeling word daar gekyk na moontlike nuwe organisasie vorme en die strewe na 'n sogenaamde "Lewende Organisasie" word beklemtoon. Daar is soveel aspekte wat reeds sigbaar is in die natuur en daar kan 'n spesifieke verwantskap getrek word na natuurlike verskynsels en organisasie-sisteme. Organisasies bestaan uit individue wat as 'n somtotaal 'n geweldige magdom kennis daarstel en ook sodoende gesien kan word as die DNA van organisasies. Die enkele belangrikste beskouing is dus om die paradigma te skuif oor die sienswyse van organisasies. Organisasies is nie meer masjiene nie, maar moet beskou word as "Iewende organismes" en dus "Lewende Organisasies". Met Suid-Afrika wat deel vorm van die wereld-mark, kan dit vereis dat organisasies meer sensitief sal moet wees vir omgewings-invloede en die aanpassing by verandering 'n sleutelrol kan speel. Die tyd is ryp vir Suid-Afrikaanse organisasies om deur te breek in internasionale markte. Hierdie verhandeling sal dus dien as 'n raamwerk om elemente te identifiseer wat krities kan wees vir toekomstige sukses asook die fondasie daarstel vir verdere navorsing in organisasie vorme.

Due to the continual increase in competitive pressure from international organisations, it has become necessary to assess the degree of transformational change within South African organisations to overcome the effect of global forces. Transformation was investigated in terms of organizational restructuring and the various work designs that are utilised by organisations to deal with the effect of global forces. To examine the main problem, three sub-problems were identified. The first sub-problem that had been identified dealt with the extent of which global forces impacted on the business environment. It was investigated by evaluating various economic, technological and sociopolitical forces. From the results it may be concluded that global forces have a large impact on the local business environment. The second sub-problem looked at the degree to which work designs assisted organisations to manage the effect of global forces. It was evident that the flexible types of work designs were more readily utilised to optimise productivity and employee moral. Finally, the third sub-problem investigated the various structures that organisations could adopt to deal with the effect of global forces. Organisational structures were analysed in terms of customer orientation, fulfilment of company objectives and the types of structures that are used within organisations. The results showed that 75% of the sample population believed that their organisational structures co-ordinated all activities within their organisations. Feedback on the type of structures that were used by organisations revealed that various types are being used.

M.Comm. / Change is an ongoing process right around the globe. South Africa is even more subject to change as a result of socio-economic and political transformation. This community tendency affects the South African organisation intensely, and a need exists for comprehensive guidelines for the handling of this transformation process. There are few publications which are relevant to the field of organisation development in South Africa. In this literature study attention was firstly given to the theoretical description of the term organisation development, the works of a number of theorists were examined. In the second place the historical development of the study field of organisation development was researched and the progress over time was reflected. Five approaches to organisation development were identified as they developed chronologically, viz. (a) laboratory training, (b) survey research and feedback, (c) action research (d) quality of working life, and (e) strategic change as the most recent contribution. The conclusion was reached that all five approaches still have merit, and that not one can be summarily eliminated for current usage. In the third place the organisation development process was examined in detail. Theories and models addressing the nature of planned change were examined with a view to establishing a generic model of change. This model comprises four phases which are each discussed in reasonable depth, viz. (a) initialising and contracting, (b) diagnosing, (c) planning and implementation, and (d) evaluation and institutionalisation. In the fourth place the organisational development practitioner was closely examined and an attempt was made to identify the skills, knowledge and qualifications which distinguish successful practitioners from those who achieve less success. The broad South African socio-economic and political environment, with its differing community trends, was investigated in order to draw up a scenario within which the South African organisation development practitioner must function at present. A skills profile as well as basic guidelines for the successful practitioners were finally established. The conclusion was reached that the organisation development practitioner within the South African environment must possess expertise, additional to the identified skills profile of the international practitioner, in order to be effective.

The modern era has brought the phenomenon of organisational change closer to the average person. With the recent financial crisis placing more strain on businesses, organisations are always under pressure to review their business models in order to deliver a sustainable operational model and as result, hopefully a sustainable competitive advantage. In order to remain competitive, the leadership team has to constantly seek ways of differentiating their organisations from others with similar product offerings. When these changes are initiated, there is no doubt that the leadership gave extensive thought prior to execution. However, their motives are not always clear to their most important constitution, their employees. Often when these changes are implemented, employees believe that they’ve been left out of the decision making process. Furthermore, post change review with employees are also not given enough thought and are often not done. This research used qualitative research methods to establish how employees experience job satisfaction and organisational climate subsequent to changes that transpired within their work environment. Semi-structured interviews and document analysis were used to collect data. The interviews were constructed by expanding upon well-documented quantitative dimensions of these behavioural variables. Questions were developed focusing on these dimensions in line with the changes experienced. The sample consisted of nine employees at an employee wellness organisation in Roodepoort, Gauteng. There is evidence to show that in this short period of two years (May 2012 to June 2014), by implementing various changes, the new leadership has improved the financial viability of the organisation. However, insights from the interviews point to a number of areas where the leadership and management structures have to exert more effort. Communication processes have to be reviewed, especially to lower levels. As there exists limited opportunities for promotion, investigations into expanding existing roles, again at the lower levels may assist in raising job satisfaction levels. Employees felt that support structures are severely lacking when significant changes affecting them are implemented. A climate for innovation and risk taking has to be considered which, if instituted, could aid the organisation in setting the pace for the organisational wellness industry. The structure adopted for this research consists of three sections. Section one follows the evaluation report format, with the literature review and research methodology sections following thereafter. By making use of established literature as a basis, the findings and recommendations are therefore not exclusively applicable to this organisation. Hence other organisations intending similar change initiatives could benefit from this research.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, February 2018 / This study set out to evaluate and assess the relationship between Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO), manufacturing capabilities and organizational performance in the South African Food Manufacturing industry (SAFM). The SAFM industry is a highly concentrated sector that is key to the growth of the South African economy. This study suggests that EO is the mechanism through which manufacturing capabilities are linked to market needs. Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) represents the processes and practices that provide a basis for entrepreneurial decisions and actions in an organisation. The related dimensions of EO are: innovativeness, risk taking, proactivity, competitive aggressiveness, and autonomy. Manufacturing capabilities are measured with reference to the cost, flexibility, quality, and delivery of production goals, while organisational performance is measured in reference to market and financial goals. EO and manufacturing capabilities are well established concepts in entrepreneurship and operations management literature. Both constructs along with their impacts on organizational performance, have historically been studied independently, and little research has been performed to bridge the knowledge gap between operations management and entrepreneurship research. Further knowledge gaps exist around understanding how EO is manifested in concentrated markets as well as, insights on research techniques for highly concentrated industries. The majority of current studies that focus on the South African food manufacturing sector are either technical government strategy reports, or reports that focus on food as a commodity and not on the manufacturing of food. Limited empirical research is characteristic of highly concentrated environments as they are usually closed and secretive environments. Furthermore, there are limited empirical studies that focus on the manufacturing in South Africa let alone the African continent. This study has contributed in addressing these gaps. The conceptual framework in this study has been tested using quantitative research methods (survey) based on a positivist approach. 75 senior, middle and executive managers from the top ten revenue generating companies in the SAFM iii industry were surveyed. Secondary data on industry performance collected from Statistic South Africa online repository. The hypotheses were tested by performing Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA).The reliability and validity of the survey results assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Multiple regression analysis - ordinary least square (OLS) and correlation analysis were used to test the hypothesized relationships. This study has three key findings. Firstly, this study found that the manufacturing capabilities of quality and cost are entry conditions for market participation in the South African food manufacturing industry, and that the capabilities of delivery and flexibility have a negative correlation on financial performance. Secondly, the study found that entrepreneurial orientation as a multidimensional construct had a moderate positive relationship with financial performance in the South African food manufacturing industry. Thirdly, it found that a negative co-relationship correlation exists between manufacturing capabilities and the dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation. The findings of this study, suggest that the food manufacturing industry in South Africa lacks competitiveness and that the drivers of performance in the entire industry are subsector specific. When investigating the specific subdivisions of the food manufacturing industry, descriptive analysis offered different insights i.e. firms that perform well in quality and delivery, perform poorly in flexibility and cost. Due to limited data, these relationships were not analysed further. Research on entrepreneurial orientation and manufacturing capabilities in the SAFM, could be improved through studies focusing on particular subdivisions e.g. milk, grain etc., using non-linear regression techniques. / MT 2018

M.Com. (Economics) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Tech. Business Administration. Business School. / This research study examines processes of change management due to regulatory impact on organisations within the South African gas pipeline industry (energy industry). It concludes that a 'changing organisation' is not simply the product of good design; its existence is subject to history and to shifting power relations (i.e. Government) both within and outside of organisations.

This dissertation provides a sociological description and explanatory account of the organisational transformation in the Durban Public Order Police (POP) unit following the transition to democratic governance in South Africa in the mid-1990s. In contrast to other more cursory commentary on police organisational change in South Africa, an in-depth case study is used to provide a close-in examination of the details of successes and limitations of particular aspects of the transformation project. Through the use of an ethnographic approach - supported by quantitative research methods - I explore the mechanisms that were used to bring about change in Durban POP and assess the extent to which this change process has been successful. Extending the work of Janet Chan and Edgar Schein, I argue that for police organisational change to take place, there needs to be a shift in both the field (objective, historical relations or the structural conditions of police work) but also in existing 'police culture' (basic assumptions and values). Police organisational transformation can only be partially brought about through conventional mechanisms of change such as new policies, revised training, or even new entrylevel recruitment programmes. Rather, fundamental shifts in assumptions and values requires a) changes in the way in which police work is structured and evaluated; b) daily experiences 'on the streets' that demonstrate that new policing responses achieve desired and positive outcomes; and c) a work environment that is supportive whereby all members feel acknowledged and where the diversity of members (and consequently of communities more broadly) is valued. To empirically validate this argument, three key areas of the organisational life of Durban POP are examined. First, the extent to which the behaviour of members of the unit toward the public has changed following the implementation of new training and policy is closely examined. I argue that mechanical change in police behaviour was not difficult to achieve. However, this behavioural change was only partly accompanied by more fundamental changes in the basic assumptions that police held about their work and their environment. Changed behaviour was, as a result, contingent on immediate circumstances and on the extent of supervision and gUidance provided to unit members by their officers. Second, in order to explain this low level of change, I examine the nature of management and supervision in the unit. Despite the emphasis in the South African public service legislation on participatory and professional management practices, police supervisors and managers had retained an autocratic management style. In addition, police supervisors and managers did not always provide sufficient direction to rank-and-file officers, much needed during times of police organisational change. Third, in further explanation of the limited level of change, the extent to which pre-existing social cleavages (based on race and gender) that existed within the unit have changed is explored. Despite affirmative action and equity legislation and programmes, the unit continued to be plagued by deep racial and gender divisions which were reinforced by the structural make-up of the unit and the inability of middle management to challenge them and to provide alternative ways of organizing and interacting within the unit. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal,Durban, 2002.

At some time or other all organisations must undergo transition. And given today's realities, this transition must focus on the internal and external environment. The purpose of this paper is to assess how the South African telecommunications company, Telkom, handled transformation, given that dramatic changes in African economies influence the ability of an organisation to adapt to these changes in the environment, achieve better performance and pursue aggressive competitive strategies. Thus, we want to see what change management literature says about how change is managed. We will then examine or assess Telkom as a case and draw lessons from that. The results of this study reveal certain characteristics about change in organisations and the manner in which such change is implemented. Also, the findings have implications for theoretical issues such as slow and fast change and transition, strategic choice versus strategic implementation, organisational culture, and ownership. It is further hoped that the current study would bridge a gap between the management and the economic versions of institutional theory, and thus, provide a platform for a better understanding of the intricacies of organisations experiencing drastic changes in their institutional structure. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, 2003.

Thesis (MTech (Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2006. / This study investigated whether the different home languages of employees of a large financial institution in the Western Cape had an influence of their perception of organisational structure and processes. The author conducted a series of interviews with management-level employees who speak Afrikaans, English and Xhosa as home languages in an attempt to ascertain the extent of the influence of individual cultures on perceptions and actions in corporate society. Specific attention was given to how these individuals perceived meetings, decision-making processes and conflict. These interviews were transcribed verbatim and studied by means of narrative analysis using a specialised software package to provide a better insight into the roles language and culture play within the South African organisation. Based on the narratives provided by the respondents in this study, the author concluded that individual culture does play a significant role in the perceptions of organisational structures such as conflict management,interaction during meetings, decision-making and acceptance of authority.