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Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Includes bibliographical references : (p. [37]-40) Drawing on qualitative data collected during semi-structured interviews with 36 profit centre managers in manufacturing firms in Victoria, Australia, this study seeks to explore the mechanisms used to manage multiple manufacturing performance dimensions arising from the pursuit of profit centre strategy. Where measures capture potentially conflicting influences on the manufacturing cost function, strategy implementation is facilitated by loosening control reactions to cost variances and through explicit attempts to integrate multiple measures. However, a joint emphasis on performance dimensions relating to manufacturing efficiency and customer responsiveness emerges as problematic. In contrast, a joint emphasis on quality and efficiency is relatively easily managed. It is suggested that in the context of responsiveness strategies, the difficulty of designing complete measures inhibits the relevance of performance measurement systems as a facilitator of strategy implementation.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 145-151).

This study focused on investigating different performance management systems and the possibility to introduce a performance management system (PMS) into the sales environment of a company. The company the researcher is working for does not have an official PMS and feel the need to investigate the possibility to introduce a PMS. The study investigated an appropriate PMS that promotes engagement levels with employees that will be the ideal system for the sales environment in the company. Both the PMS and engagement impact on employees were addressed and the suitable PMS was selected. Implementing a system within a selected division the researcher will compile a road map for implementing a PMS into the rest of the company with the background and learning done while implementing the system. The employees participated willingly in a survey. The questionnaire assessed the employees understanding of what a PMS is. Further, the questionnaire assessed if the company does have a PMS system in place. The engagement levels of employees were measured and this allowed management to make the appropriate changes to get the employees engaged in the workplace. The results from the survey show that the employees understand and have a need for a PMS. They do understand how a PMS in the workplace work. The company has a system in place to compensate employees for work done. The company does not deal with underperformance and engagement levels are very low. The factors of engagement tested were very low and it addressing the engagement factors integrated in a PMS will increase engagement levels with employees.

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Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this study, organisational capacity is considered as the sum of organisational capabilities to perform functions that will deliver expected levels of performance; suggesting that organisations must be enabled to solve problems, set and achieve objectives, learn and adapt operations to attain set goals. Therefore, this research analyzes various capacity options necessary for the proper functioning of the organisation in line with the Frederickson’s capacity model which considers capacity in terms of leadership and vision, management planning, fiscal planning and practice and operational support. The analysis is done in an organisational context (the Organisation of Rural Association for Progress - ORAP) in order to develop a practical understanding of capacity implications in projects implementation activities. In order for organisations to produce efficient, effective, financially viable and relevant performance, there must be a matching level of investment towards capacity development. In this research, information obtained from interviews and group discussions indicated that organisational capacity has a direct effect on the quality and time spent on a single project. In addition, project activities must satisfy specific project objectives, as well as the strategic objectives of the organisation to ensure that performance is consistent with project requirements and at the same time steer the vision of the organisation forward. Community participation should be prioritised because it is important to make sure that project implementation becomes a consultative process that would produce the required outcomes in terms of project value to the community and empowerment through training and experience to community members. It is also important to adequately fund projects and provide the right infrastructural facilities, in order to enable the smooth flow of the project implementation process. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie word organisatoriese kapasiteit beskou as die samevoeging van organisatoriese vermoëns om funksies uit te voer wat verwagte vlakke van werkverrigting sal lewer; wat suggereer dat organisasies die geleentheid gebied moet word om probleme op te los, doelwitte uiteen te sit en te bereik, werksaamhede te leer en aan te pas om bepaalde doelwitte te bereik. Derhalwe, analiseer hierdie navorsing verskeie kapasiteitsopsies wat nodig is vir die behoorlike funksionering van die organisasie in ooreenstemming met Frederick se kapasiteitsmodel wat kapasiteit in terme van leierskap en visie, bestuursbeplanning, fiskale beplanning en praktyk, en operasionele ondersteuning vooropstel. Die analise word gedoen in ’n organisatoriese konteks (die Organisasie vir Landelike Ontwikkelingsassosiasie – OLOA) ten einde ’n praktiese begrip van kapasiteitsimplikasies in die implementering van aktiwiteite van projekte te ontwikkel. Vir organisasies om doetreffende, effektiewe, finansiëel haalbare en relevante werkverrigting te lewer, moet daar ’n ooreenstemmende beleggingsvlak vir kapasiteitsontwikkeling wees. Inligting wat verkry is tydens navorsing vanuit onderhoude en groepbesprekings het aangedui dat organisatoriese kapasiteit ’n direkte effek het op die kwaliteit en tyd wat gewy word aan ’n enkele projek. Daarby moet projekaktiwiteite spesifieke projekdoelwitte verwesenlik, asook strategiese objekte van die organisasie om te verseker dat werkverrigting niestrydig is met projekvereistes en om terselfdertyd die visie van die organisasie uit te dra. Gemeenskapsdeelname behoort voorkeur te kry, want dit is belangrik om te verseker dat projekimplementering ’n advieserende proses word wat die vereiste uitkomste in terme van projekwaarde vir die gemeenskap en bemagtiging deur opleiding en ervaring van gemeenskapslede na vore sal bring. Dit is belangrik om projekte genoegsaam te befonds en die regte infrastrukurele fasiliteite te verskaf om die die gelykvloeiendheid van die proses van projekimplementering moontlik te maak.

The overall objective of the study was to determine the financial characteristics of companies involved in merger activity. More specifically, the study aims to determine: (a) whether acquired companies possessed financial characteristics similar to previous failed companies (the 'failing-company' hypothesis); (b) whether acquiring companies possessed financial characteristics similar to previous failed companies and (c) the impact of acquisition on the post-acquisition performance of acquiring companies, and particularly to consider whether their performance differs according to the financial characteristics of the companies they acquired. A new "bankruptcy prediction" model, contemporary with the acquisition data, was derived, tested for robustness, and applied to samples of acquired and acquiring companies. An indirect test of the 'failing-company' hypothesis was carried out by comparison with the results obtained on application of the model to control groups of non-acquired and non-acquiring companies. The test indicated that a higher proportion of acquired companies possessed financial characteristics similar to failed companies than the control group of non-acquired companies. This evidence tends to support the 'failing-company' hypothesis as a motive for mergers for acquired companies. Conversely, there was no such evidence in support of the hypothesis for acquiring companies. The approach adopted also allowed the dichotomy of acquired companies (failing vs. non-failing) which made it possible to test for differential post-acquisition performance of the acquiring companies. In order to evaluate the post-acquisition performance of acquiring companies, three different measurement criteria were adopted. They were: (a) accounting-based profitability and gearing ratios (b) industry-standardardised profitability measure (Meeks (1977)) and (c) performance analysis-scores (PAS-score) (Taffler (1983)). The results indicated that the acquiring companies generally incurred a decline in their post-acquisition profitability measures, while they increased their gearing ratios. Generally, the group acquiring potentially failing companies exhibited 'superior' post-acquisition performance compared with the group acquiring "non-failing" companies. These findings support the managerial motives for mergers since there appears to be little evidence that mergers are undertaken to increase profitability as implied in neoclassical motives. They also suggest the possible need for a review of public policy towards mergers; perhaps mergers ought to be encouraged only if they prevent impending bankruptcy by the acquisition of failing companies.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Doctor's Degree in Technology: Quality, Durban University of Technology, 2006. / Managers and employees are faced with an increasing number of complex challenges including implementing and maintaining multiple management systems/codes of practice such as safety, environment and quality, increasing competitive advantage and showing continued sustainability with limited resources. In addition, corporate scandals like Enron and the impact of the Aids pandemic on the economy of a country, further burden the responsibility of managers and employees. Operating all these management systems/codes of practice in parallel, however, duplicates documentation, makes auditing the systems difficult and decreases employee morale. Hence, this study reviewed related literature which represented secondary sources of information, to determine the most suitable management systems/codes of practice, to show the benefits of using integrated management systems and to select appropriate business improvement tools to promote business excellence. It developed a simple management system and designed integrated documentation to support these integrated systems. A model was developed. The Process Approach was used as a foundation to develop this model which integrated safety, environmental management, corporate governance, quality and HIV/Aids management systems/codes of practice. The SECQA model is the name proposed for the model, it provides a holistic model to facilitate world class performance. This part of the study represented the qualitative method of research. The quantitative method of research complimented the findings above by using interviews with key role players, a pilot study of two manufacturing organisations and a principal study of thirty manufacturing and service organisations. The pilot and principal studies were conducted on organisations from the Kwa Zulu-Natal region and the interviews were conducted with representatives from Gauteng and Cape Province. Questionnaires were designed using open-ended and closed-ended type questions and together with interviews formed the primary source of information. The challenges of employees working with management systems and the suitability of the SECQA model were established from the questionnaire. The possible advantages and disadvantages of the SECQA model were also shown. The strengths and weaknesses of the management systems and how they can be addressed and overcome by the model are presented. The challenges that were evident from the results of the interviews and pilot study were that respondents found that there was a lack of resources, lack of training and understanding of the management systems by employees within their organisation. From the results of the principal study it was apparent that some organisations did not have the infrastructure and had limited resources to support multiple management systems. There was a lack of support from senior managers. Safety, environment and quality managements systems were the most commonly used in organisations. Most organisations found that their management systems were beneficial. Benchmarking, cause and effect diagrams and brainstorming were the most common business improvement tools used by organisations. / D

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Management University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management. February 1999. / One of the levers of competitiveness is innovation. with the increased cost pressures, it is recognised that the innovative potential of all employees must be leveraged. The literature suggests that innovation is innate. It follows, therefore, that an appropriate performance management system, based on an understanding of the requirements of innovative individuals, must harness and encourage innovation to a greater or lesser extent in all employees. The purpose of this study was to assess whether there are any differences in the performance management preferences of innovative and non-innovative employees, with a view to designing appropriate performance management systems. The data was collected by means of a questionnaire distributed among the employees of the retail banking arm of a financial services sector organisation. Responses were elicited from 34 employees. These were then subjected to statistical analysis. The findings point to no real differences between the preferences of innovative and non innovative employees, with the exception of 4 dimensions. The absence of many differences is consistent with the view that innovative capability is a continuum and is an innate ability that is developed to different extents in different people. It suggests that other aspects of the individual personality are equally important in defining a suitable enviromnent of work. The recommendation is that a single performance management system is employed in an organisation with opportunities for customisation for the individual. / AC2017