Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / Traditionally, organisational performance and efficiency measurements have been focused on cost containment. Today, however, performance measurement systems of world-class organisations are tailored to drive manufacturing and service business excellence. Quality is crucial for gaining a competitive advantage internationally. Quality award programmes promote quality awareness, recognise the quality achievements of companies and provide a platform for sharing successful quality management initiatives. Quality award frameworks form the foundation for developing business excellence models. Business excellence models are based on the premise that customer satisfaction, people (employee) satisfaction and impact on society are all achieved through leadership driving the policy and strategy, the people management, resources and processes, leading ultimately to excellence in business results. In this paper five of the most prominent international business excellence models are discussed. The success stories of companies that have implemented these models are looked at and the South African Excellence Model is compared with these five international models. The aim of the study is to analyse the South African Business Excellence Model as compared to international models such as the Deming Prize, the MBNQA, the EFQM, the AQA and the SQA. Case studies of two companies, Combine Cargo and Daimler Chrysler, are analysed with the aim of determining the shortcomings of the SAEM and the effects of the SAEM on business practices. Conclusions are drawn based on the experiences of these businesses, in order to verify the shortcomings and the effects of the SAEM. Lastly, the reasons for the failure of the SAEF and the SAEM are investigated and recommendations and guidelines are given for the revival of the SAEM and the promotion of quality in South Africa.

No abstract available.

by Chow Yue-Hin, Terence, Xie Ming-An. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 65-66). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND TABLES --- p.v / Chapter / Chapter I --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter II --- BALANCED SCORECARD --- p.3 / Origin of Balanced Scorecard --- p.3 / What is Balanced Scorecard? --- p.5 / Four Perspectives of Balanced Scorecard --- p.4 / Strategy and Balanced Scorecard --- p.8 / Balanced Scorecard and traditional management --- p.11 / Chapter III --- DEVELOPING A BALANCED SCORECARD - GETTING STARTED --- p.14 / Preparation Tasks --- p.14 / Balanced Scorecard Team --- p.15 / Chapter IV --- PRESENT SITUATION IN THE RETAIL JEWELLERY INDUSTRY --- p.18 / Hong Kong Retail Jewellery Industry --- p.18 / Changes in the External environment --- p.19 / Company Background --- p.21 / Chapter V --- COMMENCEMENT OF BSC --- p.24 / Beginning Stage --- p.24 / Meetings --- p.27 / First Meeting --- p.28 / Second Meeting --- p.29 / Third Meeting --- p.30 / Fourth Meeting --- p.31 / Interviews --- p.32 / Executive Questionnaire --- p.34 / Finalizing Measures --- p.36 / Chapter VI --- CONCLUSION --- p.38 / Limitations of Balanced Scorecard Program --- p.38 / Chapter VII --- ACTION PLANS AND FUTURE OUTLOOK --- p.42 / Setting up Targets/Initiatives --- p.42 / Prioritizing different measures/initiatives --- p.43 / Creating a Balanced Scorecard Measure Dictionary --- p.43 / Feedback from employees --- p.44 / APPENDIX AND FIGURES --- p.46 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.65

No abstract available.

[Truncated abstract. Please see the pdf version of the abstract for the complete text.] This study examines the 'happy-productive worker' thesis, by investigating the impact of job-related affective well-being and intrinsic job satisfaction on managers' performance. The fundamental goal of the research was to establish which indicators of managers' affective well-being and intrinsic job satisfaction predict dimensions of their contextual and task performance. A critique was undertaken of the substantial literature on affective well-being, intrinsic job satisfaction and managers' performance. Key theoretical developments were integrated to provide linkages between the conceptual bases of these constructs. Warr's Vitamin Model was identified as the most comprehensive synthesis of research and theories into affective well-being. Evidence has emerged to suggest that managers' job performance comprises both contextual and task performance domains. Decades of research have been unable to establish a strong link between job satisfaction and performance. Affect has rarely been used as a predictor of managers' job performance outcomes. Despite mixed empirical evidence, there is support in the literature to suggest that a relationship exists between affective well-being, intrinsic job satisfaction and managers' performance. A series of ancillary research questions, underscoring the main goal of the study, were developed from the gaps identified in the literature to establish if there was an association between managers' affective well-being, intrinsic job satisfaction and their contextual and task performance. To what extent does affective well-being and intrinsic job satisfaction determine different dimensions of managers' contextual and task performance? Does the construct of managers' performance consist of the two dimensions, contextual and task performance? Does positive affective well-being result in enhanced managers' performance, and is poor affective well-being detrimental to managers' performance? These research questions were formed into hypotheses for testing. Questionnaire items were derived from the literature to establish the affective well-being and intrinsic job satisfaction scales. Managers' contextual and task performance scales were developed through an analysis of the literature. Questionnaire items were further refined using feedback from expert reviewers and a pilot survey. A cross-sectional survey was administered to managers (n=1,552) from a range of occupational groupings in 19 Western Australian private, public, and third sector organisations. A total of 400 useable questionnaires was returned, representing a response rate of 26%. Self-report data were used to measure affective well-being and intrinsic job satisfaction, while superiors' ratings provided an evaluation of managers' contextual and task performance. An empirical methodology was used to test the hypotheses to enable the research questions to be answered and to suggest a Partial Model of Managers' Affective Well-being, Intrinsic Job Satisfaction and Performance. Answering the research questions required the development of an instrument to measure the structure of managers' contextual and task performance. An 8- dimensional measurement model of managers' performance, derived from the survey data, was tested by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to differentiate the structure of managers' contextual and task performance. The performance construct was operationalised in terms of four contextual dimensions (Endorsing, Helping, Persisting, Following) and four task dimensions (Monitoring, Technical, Influencing, Delegating). These dimensions were confirmed through multi-sample analysis and cross-validation techniques of managers' and superiors' ratings (n = 200 and n = 125). Canonical correlation and standard multiple regression were used to analyse the linear combination of managers' affective well-being and intrinsic job satisfaction with contextual and task performance. Indicators of affective wellbeing and intrinsic job satisfaction were found to predict dimensions of managers' performance, irrespective of whether the performance scores were from self-report or superiors' ratings. A large amount of the variance of managers' performance was explained by affective well-being and intrinsic job satisfaction. Affective well-being selfreport (Positive Affect, Intrinsic Job Satisfaction) was found to be positively associated with a dimension of superiors' reports on task performance (Influencing). Positive associations for dimensions of affective well-being selfreport (Positive Affect, Anxiety and Relaxation) were also found to be negatively associated with dimensions of superiors' reports on managers' task performance (Monitoring) and contextual performance (Following) that was also negatively associated with the task performance dimension (Technical). As predicted, positive affective well-being was related to enhanced managerial performance, whereas diminished affective well-being indicated poorer performance.

M.Com. (Financial Management) / Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is a thoroughly researched area in finance. However, some basic concerns still remain unresolved such as the measurements of corporate performance post M&A (Agrawal, Jaffe & Mandelker, 1992:1605. In this study, the impact of M&A on corporate performance of South African listed companies in the financial sector was investigated. The primary goal was to determine if corporate performance post M&A does actually change. Share price studies have had little success in relating the gains in equity value of M&A to improvements in subsequent corporate performance (Healy, Palepu & Ruback, 1992:136). Therefore, an accounting study approach was applied to determine if corporate performance changes post M&A. The accounting study utilised a quantitative approach that follows a quasi-experimental research design. This involved statistical testing to examine the accounting data of companies before (pre-testing) and after (post-testing) the M&A, to determine a change in corporate performance. Accounting ratios were applied as performance indicators and consisted of: inflation adjusted return on assets, inflation adjusted return on equity, operating profit margin and return on capital employed. None of the performance indicators indicated a statistical significant change between pre and post M&A performance. It was concluded that the sample of financial companies that engaged in M&A did not experience a significant change in corporate performance within their first financial year post M&A.

Performance measurement has been in existence and the subject of research for at least two decades. However, it would appear that the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector lags behind other industries in terms of harnessing performance measurement with strategies that call for design skills, such as design thinking. Scholars in developed economies have given only limited attention to the contributing role of design thinking in performance measurement and improvement. Most research in these disciplines focuses primarily on using design thinking during the design phase rather than integrating it throughout the performance measurement processes. However, integrated performance measurement is now receiving increasing attention within the SME context internationally due to the potential benefit of design thinking for strategy. However, while research on performance measurement within South African SMEs is growing, it nevertheless lacks practical perspectives. This is cause for concern, as an absence of knowledge about and understanding of processes followed during performance measurement could deprive the SME sector of the benefit of integrating design thinking for organisation sustainability. Empirical data were collected from fourteen SMEs using semi-structured interviews, case and documentary analysis and focus group discussions conducted with owner-managers, and analysed. The findings indicate that both contextual and conceptual factors contribute to enterprise performance, and that understanding the processes, performance and execution and tracing their effect on performance measurement are vital. Four process phases of an integrated performance measurement framework emerged from the analysis, namely pre-strategy planning, strategy planning, strategy implementation and post-strategy implementation. These trigger actions which guide and support interaction between leadership and stakeholders and encourage iteration between thinking, trying and the actual discovery of key drivers to monitor, improve and change performance. The findings suggest that the integration of performance measurement is possible with some balanced scorecard and design thinking-related principles engendered in whichever process is deemed natural to configure, improve and evolve by this iteration between thinking and acting. The implications, therefore, include the need for commitment by SMEs to facilitating performance measurement initiatives within their current practices. In addition, the owners or managers and policymakers need to consider ways to assist and play a role in promoting and enhancing the ability of SMEs in performance measurement integration for sustainability. / Isilinganiso sokusebenza besikhona futhi besiyisihloko yocwaningo okungenani amashumi amabili eminyaka. Kodwa-ke, kuzovela ukuthi umkhakha Wamabhizinisi Amancane Naphakathi (SME) usalela emuva kwezinye izimboni maqondana nokusebenzisa isilinganiso sokusebenza ngamasu adinga amakhono wokuklama, njengokucabanga kokuklama. Izazi emnothweni othuthukile zinikeze ukunakwa okulinganiselwe kuphela endimeni ebambe iqhaza ekucabangeni kokuklama esilinganisweni sokusebenza nokwenza ngcono. Ucwaningo oluningi kulezi zimiso lugxile kakhulu ekusebenziseni ukucabanga kokuklama ngesikhathi sesigaba sokuklama kunokuluhlanganisa phakathi kwezinqubo zokulinganisa ukusebenza. Kodwa-ke, isilinganiso sokusebenza esihlanganisiwe manje sithola ukunakwa okwandayo ngaphakathi komongo wama-SME emhlabeni jikelele ngenxa yenzuzo engaba khona yokucabanga kokuklama kwesu. Kodwa-ke, ngenkathi ucwaningo lwesilinganiso sokusebenza ngaphakathi kwamaSME aseNingizimu Afrika lukhula, kodwa-ke luswele imibono ebonakalayo. Lokhu kuyimbangela yokukhathazeka, njengoba ukungabi bikho kolwazi nokuqonda izinqubo ezilandelwe ngesikhathi sokulinganisa ukusebenza kungancisha umkhakha wama-SME inzuzo yokuhlanganisa ukucabanga kokuklama ukuze kube nokusimama kwenhlangano. Ulwazi oluqhamuka ocwaningweni laqoqwa kuma-SME ayishumi nane kusetshenziswa izingxoxo ezihleleke kancane, ukuhlaziywa kwamacala kanye nokuqoshwa kwemibhalo kanye nezingxoxo zamaqembu okugxila ezenziwa nabaphathi babanikazi, kwahlaziywa. Okutholakele kukhombisa ukuthi zombili izinto ezingokomongo nezingokomqondo zinomthelela ekusebenzeni komkhakha wamabhizinisi, nokuthi ukuqonda izinqubo, ukusebenza nokwenziwa kanye nokuthola imiphumela yazo esilinganisweni sokusebenza kubalulekile. Izigaba ezine zenqubo zohlaka lokulinganisa ukusebenza oluhlanganisiwe luvele ekuhlaziyweni, okungukuthi ukuhlela kwangaphambi kwamasu, ukuhlela amasu, ukuqaliswa kwamasu nokuqaliswa kwesu langemva kwesu. Lezi zenzo ezibangela ukuhola nokusekela ukuxhumana phakathi kobuholi kanye nababambiqhaza futhi zikhuthaza ukuphindaphinda kwenqubo phakathi kokucabanga, ukuzama kanye nokutholakala kwangempela kwabashayeli ababalulekile ukuqapha, ukwenza ngcono nokushintsha ukusebenza. Okutholakele kuphakamisa ukuthi ukuhlanganiswa kwesilinganiso sokusebenza kungenzeka ngekhadi lamaphuzu elilinganisiwe kanye nezimiso ezihlobene nokucabanga ezifakiwe kunoma iyiphi inqubo ethathwa njengeyokwemvelo yokulungisa, ukwenza ngcono nokuguquka ngaloku kuphindaphinda kwenqubo phakathi kokucabanga nokwenza. Imiphumela, ngakho-ke, ifaka isidingo sokuzibophezela kwama-SME ekusizeni izinhlelo zokulinganisa ukusebenza ngokwenziwa kwazo kwamanje. Ngaphezu kwalokho, abanikazi noma abaphathi nabenzi benqubomgomo kudingeka bacabangele izindlela zokusiza nokudlala indima ekukhuthazeni nasekuthuthukiseni ikhono lama-SME ekuhlanganisweni kwesilinganiso sokusebenza ukuze lisimame. / Prestasiemeting bestaan reeds, en is ook die onderwerp van navorsing, vir minstens twee dekades. Nogtans lyk dit asof die sektor vir Klein en Middelslagondernemings (KMO's) ’n agterstand teenoor ander nywerhede het wat betref die benutting van prestasiemeting met strategieë wat gebruik maak van ontwerpvaardighede soos ontwerpdenke. Navorsers in ontwikkelde ekonomieë het slegs beperkte aandag geskenk aan die bydraende rol van ontwerpdenke in prestasiemeting en -verbetering. Die meeste navorsing in hierdie dissiplines fokus tydens die ontwerpfase hoofsaaklik op die gebruik van ontwerpdenke, in plaas daarvan om dit deurgaans met die prestasie-metingsprosesse te integreer. Geïntegreerde prestasiemeting geniet egter nou toenemende internasionale aandag binne die KMO-konteks, weens die moontlike strategiese voordele van ontwerpdenke. Terwyl navorsing oor prestasiemeting egter in Suid-Afrikaanse KMO's groei, ontbreek daar nogtans praktiese perspektiewe. Dit is kommerwekkend, aangesien 'n gebrek aan kennis oor en begrip van prosesse wat tydens prestasiemeting gevolg word die KMO-sektor kan ontneem van die voordele van geïntegreerde denke vir organisatoriese volhoubaarheid. Empiriese data is van veertien KMO's ingesamel deur die gebruik van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, gevalle- en dokumentêre-ontleding, asook fokusgroepbesprekings wat met eienaarbestuurders gevoer en daarna ontleed is. Die bevindinge dui aan dat beide kontekstuele en konseptuele faktore tot prestasies van ’n onderneming bydra en dat begrip vir die prosesse en werksverrigting, asook die uitvoering en opsporing van die uitwerking daarvan op prestasiemeting, noodsaaklik is. Vier prosedurefases van 'n geïntegreerde prestasiemetingsraamwerk het uit hierdie ontleding het na vore gekom, naamlik pre-strategiebeplanning, strategiebeplanning, strategie-implementering en post-strategie implementering. Hierdie fases veroorsaak aksies wat interaksie tussen leierskap en belanghebbendes lei en ondersteun, en moedig iterasie tussen denke, strewe en die werklike ontdekking van sleuteldrywers aan om prestasie te monitor, verbeter en verander. Die bevindings dui daarop dat die integrasie van prestasiemeting moontlik is met ’n tipe gebalanseerde telkaart en sommige ontwerpverwante denkbeginsels wat aangekweek word in watter proses ook al beskou word as die natuurlike om te konfigureer, verbeter en ontwikkel deur hierdie iterasie tussen denke en aksie. Die implikasies sluit dus die behoefte in van ’n onderneming deur KMO's om prestasiemetingsinisiatiewe in hul huidige praktyke te fasiliteer. Daarbenewens moet die eienaars of bestuurders en beleidmakers oorweging skenk aan maniere om te help en ’n rol te speel in die bevordering en verbetering van KMO’s se vermoëns om prestasiemeting vir volhoubaarheid te integreer / College of Accounting Sciences / D. Phil. (Accounting Sciences)

This research explores the relationship between the organisational culture and financial performance of a South African investment bank by means of quantitative research. The Denison Organizational Culture Survey was used to measure the organisational culture of the investment bank and was administered to a sample of 327 employees. Income statement ratio analysis was selected as a means to assess the financial performance. The results indicate that very few of the financial measures selected could be shown to be correlated with the organisational cultural traits or subscales. Correlations between the cultural dimensions of team orientation, agreement, customer focus and vision were found with certain financial measures. Although these correlations were above the 0.50 level, the levels of significance were not sufficient in all cases to draw conclusions with confidence. The only cultural trait that was found to be correlated with financial measures was the consistency trait. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The perceived lack of progress by the Department of Human Settlements (“Department”) in meeting the increased demand for subsidised housing post-1994 is a ticking time bomb, given the repeated promises without any prospect of meeting the commitment to eradicate or upgrade all informal settlements by 2014. Despite ongoing delivery of subsidised housing, the backlog remained at 2,4 million households from 2005 to 2009, the indicator being the number of informal settlement households. The “Department” has acknowledged the existence of bureaucratic blockages throughout the housing delivery chain. Despite the urgency of the situation, there appears to be no research on the departmental factors hampering delivery under the Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme (“programme”) and finding a solution that would maximise delivery within budgetary constraints. This research assesses the suitability of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC), a Strategic Management Accounting performance measurement and management tool, for addressing the departmental factors hampering delivery (“factors”) under the “programme” and develops a conceptual framework to guide any future application of the BSC to the “programme”.The complexity of housing delivery and the proposed integration of the BSC call for a detailed literature study of the post-1994 national housing and “programme” documentation and that of the public sector BSC. The theoretical study will establish how and by whom housing delivery should be done, the “factors” and the BSC framework and translation process. This will serve as the basis for the assessment of the suitability of the BSC for addressing the “factors” and the development of the conceptual framework.This study revealed that the BSC is suitable for addressing seven of the eight departmental factors hampering delivery under the “programme” and partially suitable for addressing the remaining factor. The recommendation is that the BSC be applied to the “programme” according to the conceptual framework provided. This study has contributed to knowledge by: producing an overall picture of the national framework for the delivery of subsidised housing, presenting the BSC as a suitable performance measurement tool for addressing the departmental factors hampering delivery under the “programme”, and developing a conceptual framework for any future BSC application to the “programme”. / Accounting Sciences / D. Com. (Accounting)

Gehaltediens lei tot effektiwiteit in enige organisasie. Die meting hiervan behoort 'n prioriteit te wees, maar geskikte, gevalideerde, wetenskaplike meetinstrumente hiervoor bestaan nie. Die algemene doel van die navorsing was die validering van 'n gerekenariseerde simulasietegniek ("Business Principles Orientation") vir die meting van klientediensvaardighede. In die literatuuroorsig is klientediens gedefinieer en vyf dimensies van gehaltediens gei:dentifiseer. Deur empiriese navorsing is die gerekenariseerde simulasietegniek ("Business Principles Orientation") se meting van klientediensvaardighede bepaal, deur dit afte neem op 'n steekproef van 28 kassiere in 'n supermark. Hierdie instrument is gekorreleer met die Servqual-vraelys. Die resultate dui op 'n swak verband tussen die veranderlikes van die Servqual-vraelys en gerekenariseerde simulasietegniek. Hiervolgens is die gerekenariseerde simulasietegniek en die ontwikkelingsverslag wat dit verskaf, nie geldig in die meting van klientdiensvaardighede nie. Aanbevelings ten opsigte van die instrument se verdere verfyning en navorsing word geformuleer. / Quality service leads to effectiveness in any organisation. The measurement of effectiveness should be a priority, but suitable, valid and scientific measurement instruments for this purpose does not exist. The general aim of the research was the validation of a computerized simulation technique ("Business Principles Orientation") for the measurement of client service skills. In the literature survey, quality service was defined and five dimensions of quality service identified. In the empirical research the measurement of client service skills through the use of the computerized technique ("Business Priciples Orientation"), was determined by testing it on a sample of 28 cashiers from a supermarket. This instrument was correlated with the Servqual-questionaire. The results show little correlation between the variables of the Servqual questionaire and computerized simulation technique. In terms hereof the computerized simulation technique and development report that it provides, is not valid in the measurement of client care skills. Recommendations for further refinement and research pertaining to this instrument is formulated. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Bedryfsielkunde)